“Do you have to take that?”
“No.” He set the safety, then put the gun in the holster, reaching for his jacket. Once it was on, she would never have guessed he had the gun. “But it leaves you in a poor negotiating position when you’re the only one who’s unarmed.”
“Does that happen to you often?”
“No. The last time was that night we had a date at that bistro.” He flicked her a very green look. “I knew you didn’t like it, so I left it home.”
Jacquie was surprised to realize that what had happened had been partly her fault. “I didn’t know...”
“No, you didn’t know and it wasn’t your fault. I didn’t anticipate trouble, which was the opposite of my usual assumption, but it wasn’t my fault either. I would have had a choice, though, if I’d had it.” Pierce gave her a hard look, asking her for a call.
Jacquie nodded. “You’re going to meet Farah’s flight.”
“And Maddy’s. It’s my responsibility to protect them, Jacquie. I don’t think anything will go wrong, but I like to be prepared.”
“Then you should have had it.” She took a breath. “And you should take it now.”
He was watching her. “But it worries you.”
“I don’t know much about guns, but I trust you, Pierce, and I trust your judgment.” She smiled at him. “I trust your ability to manage risk.”
“Good.” He pulled her into his arms, giving her a slow kiss that incinerated her doubts. When he lifted his head, she saw that he was planning again, reviewing the possibilities and contingencies. “Let’s take care of the preparations for your quarantine.”
“We can stop at F5F on the way and I’ll buy some gear for Maddy at the shop so she has something to wear while her things are in the wash.” Jacquie smiled. “She can give me a hard time about shopping at work and using my discount.”
Pierce chuckled at that. They left his apartment hand-in-hand, talking about the details.
Jacquie’s phone rang when they were halfway to the club.
It was Cole.
“Just FYI, Mom, we’re coming home,” he said.
“What? When?”
“On our way. Ash flew to Seattle yesterday, and Liz and Brandon are driving here to pick me up. We’ll drive straight through, taking turns at the wheel and should be there in a couple of days. Google says forty-four hours and they’re twelve hours out.”
Jacquie stood still in shock. “Let me guess. I didn’t answer the land line.” She could feel Pierce watching her.
“No! You didn’t!”
“But why would you come home? I thought it was worse here than there.”
“Because it’s getting worse everywhere, Mom, and we need to be together.” Cole was resolute. “We need to be home and we need to take care of you, too.”
Jacquie turned to Pierce instinctively.
“Tell me,” he invited quietly.
“My kids are all coming home. They’re driving from Seattle.”
He averted his gaze, and she knew he was calculating. “Okay. Their GPS might be spotty in the mountains. They’ll need a map, a paper map, and a way to charge the phone in the car. When are they leaving?”
“They left twelve hours ago.”
“I have antiseptic and masks,” Cole said, obviously hearing Pierce. “Personal protective gear, too. I’m on that. They’re taking the I-90 straight through, so navigation is easy. This is one time we don’t have to argue with Ash about the tolls.”
Jacquie told Pierce and he nodded approval. “Excellent. Brandon’s going to need a parking spot for his vehicle.” Jacquie knew she could ask the guy who ran the lot adjacent to her building about that and make arrangements. “Do they have any pets?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s one thing that’s simpler.”
Jacquie told Cole to keep her posted and ended the call. She knew they’d all need clothes to wear, if they were going to follow the same cleaning protocol when they entered the apartment. Cole would probably insist on it. Her To-Do list was getting longer by the second.
But she didn’t have to do all of it alone.
Pierce was focused, walking with purpose, her hand in his. “I’m thinking you need a small chest freezer and a meal plan for six adults over fourteen days. That will generate a grocery list for shopping and we can be sure you’re stocked up by the time Maddy arrives. Then you’ll stay home with her and the others when they arrive.”
“Not six adults, Pierce,” she said. “Seven.”
He froze, then turned slowly to meet her gaze. He was taut and watchful, but waited for her to continue.
“I’ve been thinking about the story you told about taking your retirement, when you were in Abu Dhabi at Christmas. My kids want to be here, at home, if things go sideways. I want to be there, too, with my kids, but also with you.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Come home with me, Pierce.”
His smile dawned slowly, lighting his face and making his eyes glow wish satisfaction. She knew his answer even before he spoke. “I’d be honored to, Jacquie,” he said, his voice husky. “Thank you.”
“I love you, Pierce,” she confessed. “Although I might need a little help with accepting risk sometimes, I know that being with you is the best adventure of all.”
He laughed and caught her in his arms, swinging her around before he kissed her again. “I’ll take that as a challenge,” he said when he finally lifted his head.
“To keep the sizzle alive?”
“To fall in love with you a little deeper every day and night for the rest of our lives.”
“I like the sound of that,” Jacquie said, then wrapped her arms more tightly around Pierce and kissed him with all the love in her heart.
The day passed in a blur of making preparations. Jacquie shopped for all of her kids at the F5F shop, talked to Tyler in the offices and made arrangements for working at home. Pierce went ordered a freezer and arranged for it to be delivered in the afternoon, stopping back at his own place to pack. They met at her apartment just as the
