“Good to know.” Stefanie laid a hand on his arm. “I’ll see about pitching that East Coast division if I’m still employed next week. There are customers that would appreciate us working from both coasts. It’s a great idea.”
Joey smiled. “I’d like that. I’ll come out and visit whenever I can until that happens, if you’ll do the same.”
Stefanie gave him a nudge. “I’d love that.”
When they returned to the harbor, they left the boat without much fanfare. When they got back to her house, she unlocked the door. Before opening it, she turned back to face Joey. In seconds, Joey had her pressed up against her front door and she was fumbling for the handle, laughing and returning his affection.
They practically fell into the house only to hear a throat clearing. Before she could reach for her weapon, she spotted the source of the noise and ran across the room into the arms of her sister. “Ree! You’re okay!” She wiped away tears. “You’re supposed to be in Chicago! And are you supposed to travel? Don’t scare me like that! I’m jumpy!”
Ree pulled back and looked her sister in the eyes. “There was no way I could fully sit this one out. Parker and I have been monitoring the feeds from a distance and keeping an eye on your house. And yes, I can travel for a few more months. I only puked once on the plane!”
“That’s good?” Stefanie wrinkled her nose.
Parker reached out a hand and she swatted it away, pulling him into a hug. “No way. You’re family. Thank you, Parker, for keeping my sister safe.”
“I think it’s us who owe you a thank you. You got him. We got him.” He reached out to shake Joey’s hand. “You too, Joey.”
Joey shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
A smile played at the corner of Ree’s mouth. “And is Joey going to be family? I mean, after that…” Ree fanned herself.
“It’s new.” Stefanie slugged Ree in the shoulder. “And we keep getting interrupted.”
Ree lowered her voice. “I mean, I’m not totally sorry. Frankly, I’m mad at myself for not figuring it out sooner. I’m going to lose five dollars to Alexis. That one hurts. My own sister.”
Stefanie turned her head. “You bet on our relationship?”
Ree grimaced. “I think you’re missing the point. I lost. How embarrassing.”
“I don’t think that’s the lesson you should be taking from this.” Stefanie turned to face Joey. “You ready to run away yet? It gets worse.”
Joey pulled her in and kissed her on the cheek. “The opposite, actually. I’d like to take you on a date. If I can. Although,” he turned to Ree and Parker, “no offense, folks, I’d like to take Stefanie out on a date without a crowd.”
Ree grabbed Parker’s hand and started pulling him to the back of the house. “We’ll go to the office. And we definitely won’t be eavesdropping.”
Stefanie groaned and Joey laughed.
When the office door had slammed and they were finally, truly alone, Stefanie slipped her hands up to Joey’s neck and he put his hands around her waist, pulling her close. She smiled. “What a crazy ending, right?”
Joey leaned his forehead against hers. “Something tells me we’re just getting started.”
THE END
Note from the Author
Thank you, dear reader, for joining my characters and me on this adventure! If you enjoyed this book…
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4. Check out the rest of The Calculated Series!
Calculated Extortion (Prequel Novella)
Calculated Deception (Book 1)
Calculated Contagion (Book 2)
Calculated Sabotage (Book 3)
Calculated Reaction (Book 4)
Calculated Entrapment (Book 5)
5. More books are in the works! Visit https://ktleeauthor.com/ to stay updated on new releases and find all of K.T. Lee’s books.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the readers, family, and friends who have joined me on this adventure! I am so grateful for your support.
A few special shout-outs. First, to my sister, whose support of these books and friendship in life is so very appreciated. I am grateful to my mom, who has been so encouraging and has also been a terrific sounding board for ideas. Thank you also to my dad for being an eager reader and supporter of these books. Big thanks to my husband who has encouraged me every step of the way. Thank you also to Emily, who is a wonderful person to talk books with and is also a great friend. Also, huge thanks to Jenni, for her early feedback and her friendship. I so appreciate you all.
Finally, these manuscripts would not be the books they are without the support of the editors who have been a part of this series from the beginning. I am so grateful to Laura Anderson, whose feedback not only improves the books, but also makes me a better writer, and to Bridget Fryman, whose eagle eye for all things grammar gives the books their final polish. Thank you both for the heart and time you have poured into this series.
About the Author
K.T. Lee is a writer, mom, and engineer who grew up on a steady diet of books from a wide variety of genres. When K.T. began to write the kind of books she wanted to read, she mixed clever women and the sciences with elements from thrillers (and a dash of romance) to create The Calculated Series.
