Epilogue
The grand reopening of Nick’s, which was now called The Double L—which stood for Lucky Leif’s—was scheduled for December first, and it was the first time Angie had been back in Colorado since the joint FBI and CBI bust of Lorenzo’s human trafficking network. Though their procedure had been thrown off by the change in timing, the final takedown was perfection with zero casualties and—thanks to perfect bookkeeping from Marigold—tons of evidence in the USA, Colombia and Mexico.
She’d spoken to Julian on the phone, talking for hours, but had only seen him twice.
Marigold had picked her up at the airport and was driving to the grand reopening. She zipped along the mountain roads, talking a mile a minute. “Are you sure you’re okay? I love the cane, by the way.”
“I don’t really need the walking stick anymore. Wearing a cast was awful, but I’m a hundred percent fine.”
“That’s what Julian is going to say,” she teased.
Angie didn’t want to talk about herself. She was hyped to see her friends. “Tell me about the girls, Gigi and Cara?”
“Doing great. And we have a day care for the other kids of employees. The Double L is more family-oriented. Leif got rid of the casino but kept sports betting and OTB. The Burlesque is a lounge with no nudity and lots of variety acts.”
“I heard that Calamity Jane runs the place.”
“She does that and special events. I do the decor and decorations.”
“And Leif and Tamara are co-owners.”
Soon they’d be married, which was wonderful. While they continued to chat, she couldn’t stop thinking about Julian. He’d come to see her once in the hospital in DC. and one other time to make sure she got home and had everything she needed.
She still hadn’t told him that she loved him.
Of course, she did. But she hadn’t said the words.
A light dusting of snow covered the meadow leading to The Double L. Pretty as a postcard with hundreds of Christmas lights. At the entrance, valets in Santa hats took Marigold’s car. Julian stood waiting at the top of the stairs.
When she stepped into his embrace, he lifted her off the ground and twirled her around. She wanted to tell him right now. The L-word was at the tip of her tongue.
Before she could speak, he said, “I have a surprise for you. I quit.”
Was she supposed to be happy about this? “I don’t understand.”
“I like working undercover, but my career for the CBI is pretty much over. Half the criminals in the state know who I am and what I look like. But I can start over if I join the FBI.”
“But you don’t have the training.”
“I took some special qualifying courses in Quantico. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past six weeks when I wanted to be hovering at your bedside. I was learning to be a field agent.”
“We can work together,” she said. “We’ll be partners.”
“That’s the plan.”
She snuggled against his chest. “I love you with a capital L.”
“And that, my darling, is no lie.”
