“Being back home feels so strange.” She looked around her condo.
“Well, get used to it, because things are going to go back to normal.”
And that was part of the problem. “Yeah, about that.”
“What’s wrong?”
Her world was far from right. She was struggling with what path she wanted to take with her career. “I’m still having a lot of conflicting feelings about going back to work.”
Hunter moved closer to her. “You don’t have to make any decisions right away. Take the time they’re giving you. You have plenty of options. Even if you decide to leave the Agency, I can think of a million jobs that would be perfect for you—including actually practicing law, if you wanted to go that route. The ball will be in your court, and you can count on me no matter what decisions you make.”
He was right, and knowing that he would stand by her meant everything. She might be unclear about her career, but she was certain about her feelings for Hunter. “I have no idea what I want to do. I don’t know how I’ll ever completely get over what they did to us. What they stole from us.”
“I get that, but we’re together now, and we have to believe that the Lord’s plan is bigger than we can see.”
Her heart warmed at his declaration. “You believe that?”
He took her hands. “Thanks to seeing you live your faith and actually watching firsthand how God has protected you and me. How through all of this messy maze of our lives, we were brought back together.”
“I don’t even want to worry about tomorrow and what it will hold. I want to embrace now and being here with you.”
He squeezed her hand. “Then don’t worry.”
She smiled. “How about we go to the grocery store and then come back and cook a nice, normal dinner? How does that sound?”
“Only one thing would make that better.”
“What?” she asked.
“If you’ll kiss me first.”
She grinned and fell into his warm embrace. Their road had been long and ever winding, but they had still ended up back in each other’s arms.
Epilogue
Layla had taken the Agency up on a three-month sabbatical and was enjoying her last weekend before going back to work. Viv was hosting a dinner party, and they had just finished dessert, which included peach cobbler—Layla’s favorite. She looked at Hunter seated across from her and smiled. He winked at her, and the butterflies still flew around her stomach like crazy.
They’d spent a ton of time together over the past three months, getting to know each other all over again. Yeah, they each had changed and matured, but surprisingly, they also found that many things about each other hadn’t changed at all. Falling back into a natural rhythm in their relationship had been much easier than she had expected. Their vow to be completely truthful wouldn’t always be easy, but it did ensure a level of trust between them.
She was going to be at a crossroads when she went back to work on Monday, and she was still deciding the ultimate direction she wanted for her career. One thing she had determined, though, was that she still believed in the CIA’s mission. Hunter had told her that the Agency needed more people like her, and his words had resonated.
She helped clear the table and followed Viv into the kitchen, along with Bailey and Izzy.
“You shouldn’t be cleaning. You went above and beyond for dinner.” Layla took a bowl out of Viv’s hands. “Let us do it.”
“I’m just glad we could get together.” Viv smiled brightly. “And we have something to celebrate.”
“What?” Layla asked.
“Izzy got her LSAT scores!”
“Do tell,” Bailey said.
Izzy’s face beamed. “The number isn’t that important, but it’s good enough to be in the high range at Georgetown. I have a good shot of getting in! It’s like a dream come true. I can’t believe it.”
Bailey gave her a hug. “You studied so hard.”
“Thanks to you for all your help.”
Bailey was a standardized testing genius and had tutored Izzy. Layla stayed far away from that. Those tests had never been her thing.
“It’s good that we have things to celebrate now,” Izzy said. “There have been so many battles over the past few months, I’m embracing this as a win.”
“We all are,” Layla said.
Viv gave Izzy a hug too. “Unfortunately, though, we probably won’t see you as much now, especially your first year. You’ll be locked in the law library, studying.”
Izzy grinned. “I’ll miss you ladies, but in the end, it will be worth it.”
Layla loved seeing Izzy happy after everything she’d gone through. It finally felt like they were all in good places, and she hoped and prayed that would continue.
Hunter walked into the kitchen. “Can I steal Layla away for a minute?”
“Sure.” Viv smiled. “We have the dishes under control.”
Layla followed Hunter as he went out on the back porch. It was a cool day but not freezing.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Hunter turned to her. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
Her stomach dropped, worrying that he had bad news.
He took her hands. “There’s no need to frown. This isn’t anything bad. I promise.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Good. Because it’s been such a nice evening and a great way to decompress before going back to work.”
Hunter took a breath. “Layla, since you came back into my life, we’ve faced some pretty awful things.”
She was ready to move on to a new day. “But that’s all behind us.”
He nodded. “It is. And I’m so thankful that you’re safe. But everything we experienced together has changed me—all in a good way. Before we reconnected, I was in such a dark place. I was completely numb and distant from God. I was just going through the motions in life but not really living it. The time we’ve spent together these past few months has been life changing. I never thought years ago that I could
