Internal Affairs (16 page)

She said quickly, “I didn’t mean most of what I said down there, you know. I was picking a fight to draw their attention.”

His lips twitched. “Yeah, I got that. But I also know there was a bit of truth to all of it.” When she would’ve protested, he held up a hand. “The other day, I demanded that you get over yourself and learn to be flexible, but I never really gave you any assurance that
it’d be worth the change.” He paused, his eyes going smoky. “I cheated. It wasn’t because of you, or her, or anything but me and being all messed up in my own head, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that I cheated. If anything, it makes it worse, because on some level I think I must’ve done it deliberately, as you said, to force you to dump me. I’m not proud of it. I’d take it back if I could. But I can’t, so the best I can do is own it. I did it, and I swear on my soul that I will never cheat, ever again.”

Sara had thought she’d gotten past their tumultuous history, had thought she was over the waitress. But she found, when her throat closed and tears filmed her eyes, that she hadn’t been completely past it. She’d needed his promise, and hadn’t even known it. But by the same token, she had something she owed back to him. “You were right about me, though. I was so used to thinking of relationships as being either perfect or complete failures, I didn’t fight hard enough to work things out when the going got tough between us.” She paused, then went with the rest of the honesty. “I think…I think I wasn’t ready for you, didn’t know how to deal with what I felt for you. I wanted everything to be calm and easy, and that’s not real life.”

Something uncoiled in his expression, in his body. The immediate bustle had died down, the prisoners had been driven away. Sara was aware of Fax and Chelsea standing nearby, twined together, completing each other. For a moment, Sara was reminded of sitting in her office—had it really been less than a week ago?—trying not to resent Chelsea’s happiness. Now, Sara knew she
was on the verge of claiming that same sort of happiness, if she could be strong enough to reach for it, and to make it work even when the rough patches came.

The tough stuff wasn’t over, either. Bear Claw and the BCCPD were going to be headed into some serious mopping up, as the task force rooted out the last of the conspirators and the city headed for a special election that would—God willing—put in place a mayor she could actually work with, and who would work with her. But that didn’t mean she should wait around until all that settled down to take what she wanted, did it?

Love wasn’t about everything being perfect, she was starting to realize. It was about caring enough to make the imperfect moments work.

Romo’s expression eased; a faint, hopeful smile touched his lips. He held out a hand to her. “Can I come home now?”

And then, finally, it was easy for Sara to take his hand, to smile up at him and say, “God, yes. I’ve missed you.”

He drew her close, touched his lips to hers. “I love you.”

Before, she’d yearned for the words. Now they were nothing more than a part of the whole. Still, though, they brought a warm, soft glow to her heart as she leaned into the kiss, and whispered, “I love you, too.”

They kissed again, long and soft, and full of promises for tomorrow and the day after, on into the future. They didn’t break apart until an officious throat clearing sounded, demanding attention.

It was Fax, grinning sardonically. “You two willing
to take it somewhere else?” He gestured to the growing crowd that now eddied around them, as a second wave of responders arrived and moved in on the crime scene.

Sara flushed, but smiled at her friends, then up at Romo. “Do you need to do anything more with O’Reilly?”

He shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll track me down if and when he needs me. I have a feeling he’s done with me for the time being, though.”

The four friends turned away from the tunnels and the ARX Supermax, linked arm in arm as they headed back to Bear Claw. They, and the city itself, would start a new chapter now that the terror threat was ended.

Who knew what the future would hold? Sara thought, a bubble of exhilaration rising in her chest. Whatever the outcome, she knew, she and Romo would face it. Together.