Three months later
Sam traced the words on the new sign.
Midnight Security.
It was real.
Papers had been signed. Decisions made. Business cards and logo.
Spreadsheets and other things that hurt his brain. At least Tansy’s friend Cinnia had taken on most of that from Sacramento.
It was real.
He, Joe, Nico, and Graham were the main owners, but a few more of their buddies had wanted in on the ground level. Flynn Walker. Even Marcus and Troy.
The echo of his father’s words had faded over time.
Waste of skin.
So many things had helped fade the echo.
The Riveras.
His new foster brothers.
Getting a degree or two.
The FBI.
Tansy. So much Tansy.
And now this.
He supposed the echo would always be there, but he didn’t believe the words. Not anymore.
He’d had one great career and was embarking on an exciting second one. With freelancing opportunities to work with the FBI out of Bedford. Shanice Williams was even sending clients his way.
Clients.
Sam Young, business owner, had clients.
If that wasn’t a major kick in the ass, he didn’t know what was.
Tansy had insisted they use the largest cabin as the base for Midnight Security.
It had some major advantages. It was close to the lodge, but in its own clearing.
It was also the largest cabin. The loft space was big enough for an office for four of them if they happened to be in the same place at the same time. Which probably wouldn’t happen often. Certainly not as often as Sam wanted.
The main room was big enough for group instruction, and there were two smaller rooms. A workout space and a conference room for anything requiring privacy.
Solar panels ensured everything was off the grid.
It was perfect.
Small hands wrapped around him from behind and Tansy kissed his back before moving around to his side and under his arm. One of his favorite places for her.
His other favorites required more privacy.
“Congratulations, Sam. You’ve done it.”
He kissed her head and squeezed her. “We’ve done it. All of us. If it weren’t for you, none of this would be possible.”
Emotions balled in his throat, and he pulled her into a full hug. “Thank you, Tansy, for everything.”
Her arms squeezed him. “Right back at you, Sam. I love you.”
And on that note, he swung her up into his arms and opened the door. Inside, he reversed their positions and leaned her back against the door.
Then he kissed her like he hadn’t made love to her in the shower only an hour before. This woman was his everything, and he wanted her to always know it.
Tansy wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer.
He growled into her mouth, and his hands gripped that gorgeous ass. “Hang on, I’ve got something for you.”
Tansy pressed her hips forward and smiled. “I can feel that.”
Laughing, he swatted her ass lightly, then rubbed against her until they were both panting with need.
Then he shot the bolt across the door and carried her upstairs to the office and his desk that overlooked the main room.
Placing her ass on the edge of the desk, he stood between her knees and kissed her again. “These past few months have changed almost everything in my life, Tans. And it’s all for the better.”
He reached into the desk drawer and pulled out the small box. He popped it open with his thumb and stood back to lift it in front of her. “You’re the most incredible person I know, and I want you to spend forever with me. I want to be at your side as you make the world a better place, one TeenySaur, one person, one solar panel at a time. Will you marry me, Tansy?”
Tansy’s eyes filled with tears as he spoke, but her smile told him all he needed to know. She hadn’t so much as glanced at the box, instead her eyes remained locked on his.
“Of course, I’ll marry you, Sam. You’re my everything. You keep me grounded and let me fly at the same time. I love you so much.”
He took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger.
“Oh, Sam, it’s beautiful.”
“And ethically sourced, made by local artisans.”
Tansy laughed and pulled him down for a kiss. “No wonder I love you so much, Sam. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
That made him laugh. “Not hardly, but we’re pretty perfect together.”
And then he went about proving it.
Tansy held on to Sam as their breathing returned to normal. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she waggled her fingers to look at her ring.
Engaged.
To the man she’d always loved.
Six months before, she’d bolted from Sacramento, embarrassed and looking to heal. Hide away from everyone.
The property from Koko had allowed her to do both.
It had also brought her Sam.
“Koko would be so happy to see us like this.”
Sam snorted out a laugh and leaned back. He raised his eyebrow and looked down at their naked bodies, still joined. “I don’t know about that.”
Tansy laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, not exactly at this moment and not like this. But, in general. He always liked you, Sam. He thought you were smart and capable. He respected your drive and your determination.”
Sam leaned over and kissed her, then moved to deal with the condom and hand her the clothes they’d tossed around.
Then he grinned at her. “Why wouldn’t the shrimp share his treasure?”
Tansy laughed as she tugged on her underwear. “He was a little shellfish. How do you catch a whole school of fish?”
“With a bunch of bookworms. What do you call an illegally parked frog.”
“Toad.”
Koko had been the king of corny jokes and one of the ways he’d bonded with the her and Joe. And then Sam and Nico, too. Koko had visited Sacramento a couple of times a year and had brought all four kids up to Vermont many times.
They’d all become experts at his style of jokes over the years.
When they were dressed, and they’d picked up the items they’d knocked off the desk, Sam pulled her in for one of his bear hugs. “Koko would love who you’ve become and what you’re doing with Midnight Lake. He’d love your new TeenySaurs, your CleanySaurs, and your solar panels.”
She battled back the tears. “I think he would.”
Sam nodded and kissed her hair. “He would. So would your folks.”
And they would all be happy that she was so happy. That she was working hard and making her dreams come true.
Most of all they’d be happy that she wasn’t hiding out anymore. Thanks to Sam, she was learning to let people in. She was sharing her space and enjoying it.
And she didn’t have any more secrets.
Her work was often private, but she wouldn’t take on any more projects that made her worry.
Her secret hideaway was open for business.
Her secret crush had her wrapped in his arms.
Tansy looked up at Sam. “Thanks to you, my life is pretty much perfect right now.”
He grinned that cocky grin she loved so much. “And it’s only got to get better. Count on it.”
And then he kissed her again.
Keep reading for a bonus scene from Graham!
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Bonus Scene
Graham Buchanan watched his buddy Sam pick up his woman and head inside Midnight Security’s new office and base.
With a grin, Graham turned and whistled at the dog. Jetson immediately whirled from where he’d been approaching the cabin and returned to Graham’s side.
“Can you feel the heat from here, Jetson? Let’s give the two lovebirds some time to enjoy the cabin before we intrude. I want to check on the sawmill, anyway.”
The dog was happy to accompany him as they jogged the couple of miles.
Maybe he should get a dog of his own. Tansy and Sam wouldn’t mind.
Although having something of his own only meant it could be ripped from him, tearing out another piece of his heart.
A fiancée killed days after their engagement was enough loss for anyone. He and Jenny had been kids. Not even quite finished college, but they’d been so damn in love.
Until she’d been killed in a car accident.
Thunderstorm. Sharp curves.
And her determination to see him for the weekend. He’d asked her to wait until morning, but her parents had said she’d wanted to surprise him.
One hell of a surprise.
Jetson barked and pulled Graham out of the dark memories.
He hoped nothing ever happened to Sam or Tansy, but he wasn’t ever putting his heart at risk like that again. He didn’t even know if he had enough heart left to offer anyone.
A one-night stand here and there was enough to satisfy him.
Which made him smile.
Most of the women he’d been with over the years had remained anonymous in his head. He couldn’t recall faces or names.
Except for Red.
She’d never said her name, but that’s how he remembered her. That glorious auburn hair.
Whenever he watched Sam sending fiery thoughts in Tansy’s direction, he thought of Red.
They’d had one night.
Maybe eight or nine hours of the best sex of his life in a hotel room.
Hell, he even knew the room number.
The dress she’d worn.
The black lingerie that nearly had him begging.
And those curves. Man, those curves.
She’d been exactly what he’d needed on that miserable anniversary. Five years after the death of his fiancée.
And in another few weeks, it would be ten years since that night.
Which meant instead of mourning Jenny, on that night he would relive hours of fabulous sex.
Nothing quite like it to make a man feel like scum.
Graham and Jetson broke into the clearing around the sawmill. He wanted to get a look inside before Tansy’s friend arrived.
Apparently the woman was a carpenter and Tansy had promised she could have part of the sawmill for her workshop.
Graham wanted to stake his own claim first.
Between the idiots who’d been after Tansy and setting up Midnight Security, he hadn’t found time to check out either the sawmill or the garage beside the lodge.
Now that everything was settled, it was time for him to pull his weight. First up was upgrading the wiring throughout the lodge. Tansy had done some when she’d installed the solar panels, but the lodge was huge and old.
A death trap if it ever went up in flames.
He’d take care of upgrading as part of his thanks for them allowing him to live on the property. And then he’d turn his attention to making a mechanic’s shop.
The garage beside the lodge was a nice size, but without road access, it wouldn’t work. Instead, he wanted part of the sawmill for himself.
Not only to fix up vehicles himself, but to teach. As part of Midnight Security, he was going to show how to deal with all things vehicle related, from hot-wiring to checking for bombs to defensive driving.
He couldn’t wait.
Tansy’s friend was going to have to put up with sharing the space. The building was huge and there had to be enough room for the two of them, but he needed the space by the barn doors to get vehicles in and out.
When they reached the sawmill itself, Graham realized he’d forgotten the key from the lodge. He rubbed Jetson’s head. “Well, that’s what happens when your plans change because your buddy wants to bang his girl. Ready for a run back?”
They’d only run a few yards when he heard an engine. An old truck that needed a serious tune up and new tie rods by the sounds of it.
Graham turned to see a beat up Chevy slow down and turn in front of the gate.
He couldn’t see much from this angle, but when the woman stepped out of the truck, a long auburn ponytail hung out of the back of her baseball cap.
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Jemi Fraser writes romantic suspense filled with hope, heart, and humour. Her stories combine her love of mystery with the satisfaction of a Happy Ever After. Armed with a mug of tea and freshly-baked cookies, Jemi is living out her own HEA in beautiful Northern Ontario.
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Next up in the Small Town Heroes series will be Built Of Strength featuring Aisling and Graham!
Turn the page to get a sneak preview of the first chapter for Built Of Strength.