Page 61 of Finding Forever
The bubble of excitement that had been growing inside me popped. “I was hoping it was over.”
“So was I,” Eric said quietly. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder every time I go somewhere.”
I touched his arm. I could only imagine what the last six months had been like for him. “Would you like a hug?”
The frown on his face turned into a slow smile. “I won’t say no. But don’t tell Sherlock you offered to hug me. He likes his hugs, too. It’d be just like him to abandon me and live with you.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You won’t have to worry about that. He loves you too much to stay with someone else. Besides, I’ve run out of doggie treats.”
Laughter rumbled through his chest. “I’ll have to visit the general store. They sell the peanut butter cookies Sherlock loves.”
I relaxed against him. It felt so right to be close to him, to know we were there for each other. Over the last few weeks, we’d learned a lot about each other. At each step of the way, I’d fallen even more in love with him.
“Everything will get better,” I said as I stepped away.
“That’s what my agent said five months ago.”
“His timing was off, that’s all.” I wiped my hands on my jeans and looked around the yard. “I’ll miss Alex’s home when we leave.”
Eric seemed surprised. “I thought you’d be looking forward to seeing your cottage again.”
“It’s so peaceful here.”
“And safe.”
I nodded and wondered if he knew how close he was to understanding the real reason I liked being here. After two of my homes had been broken into, I’d given up thinking anywhere was safe. “When do you want to return to Sunrise Bay?”
“Whenever you’re ready is fine by me. Alex will probably appreciate having his house to himself again.”
“He’s a good person. There aren’t many people who would share their home with us.”
Eric nodded. “I don’t know what we would have done without him.”
The back door opened, and Alex stepped onto the deck. “We were just talking about you,” I yelled.
“I hope you were saying nice things.”
“Of course.” I smiled as Sherlock ran toward us.
I’d miss Sherlock when he returned to Brooklyn with Eric. The big dog watched over me as I painted, walked with me in the forest, and used his big brown eyes to plead for food as I cooked dinner.
“Has Eric told you about Chapman?” Alex asked.
I pulled my gaze away from Sherlock and nodded. “It’s good news.”
Alex sighed. “You sound as excited as Eric. Does this mean you aren’t ready to celebrate his arrest?”
I forced a smile. “I’ll make you a promise. When Leith Chapman’s found guilty of breaking and entering and stalking, I’ll buy you and Eric dinner. Until then, I think we should wait and see what happens.”
Alex’s cell phone beeped. He read the message and frowned. “Detective Jameson wants to meet with Eric and me in Broomfield. They’ve found some photos of us in Chapman’s motel room. He wants us to look at them and give him an idea of when and where they were taken.”
Eric looked at me. “You should come, too.”
Alex shook his head. “Jameson said Riley will be safer here. A couple of reporters have been asking questions about him.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “Sherlock and I can look after each other.”
Eric still looked worried. He turned to Alex and asked, “Are you sure Leith Chapman is at the police station?”