“I’m your friend. It’s my job to hold you up.”
Something inside Luke cracked. They’d nearly died today, and the entire time, all he could think about was that he hadn’t told Megan the truth about his feelings. By the grace of God, he’d been given a second chance, and he wasn’t going to squander it.
“Megs, I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it the other night.”
She sucked in a breath, her gaze scanning his face. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to move past the mistakes and the hurt. There’s a lot of history between us and it’s not all good. I screwed up by keeping the truth of Wade’s alcohol problem from you. I helped put him in prison. I know you said you’ve forgiven me, but that’s not the same thing as reconciling and truly leaving the past in the past.”
“Luke, you nearly died several times working this case. You’re running down every lead and doing everything possible to prove Wade’s innocence. Don’t you think I see that?” She cupped his face in her hands. “You didn’t just say you were sorry. You showed me you were.”
His chest constricted so tightly, it was hard to draw in a breath. There was nothing in the depths of her eyes except love.
“You weren’t the only one who made mistakes,” she continued. “I’d lost faith in everything. God, you, myself. But I was wrong. I should’ve stayed and fought, and I’m determined not to make the same mistake twice. I love you, Luke. And I’m in this for the long haul.”
“I love you too, Megs.”
He kissed her, his heart breaking free of the chains holding it down. She was his past. She was also his future. The good Lord hadn’t just spared their lives, He’d given them a second chance. And Luke knew exactly how he felt in that moment with the love of his life in his arms.
Blessed.
Twenty-One
Three days later, Luke stepped into the barn. The west side doors were open and a brilliant sunset painted the sky in hues of deep oranges and pale yellows. For a moment, he breathed in the air scented with horse and hay. Some of his exhaustion ebbed and his headache lessened.
This was his first time home for longer than a quick meal and a catnap since Dan’s attack. The chief deputy was still at large. While the ranger team had gathered a lot of evidence against Dan, all of it related to stealing drugs and weapons from the evidence room. They hadn’t found anything connecting him directly to Franny’s murder.
“Megs?” Luke called out.
“I’m here.”
He followed the sound of her voice around the corner and found her sitting on a hay bale, watching the sunset. She greeted him with a half smile. Dark circles shadowed the skin under her eyes, a testament to her own lack of sleep, and there was tension in the edges of her smile. Still, she stood and opened her arms, pushing up on her tiptoes to hug him.
Luke pulled back and kissed her gently. Megan’s smile widened. The last rays of sunlight reflected off her hair, and he brushed a few strands out of her face.
He brushed her lips with his again. “Hey, you.”
“Hey. Wanna pull up a hay bale and watch the sunset with me?”
“Absolutely.”
They settled on the makeshift bench. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and Megan rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh.
“How did the interview with Kyle go?”
The sheriff’s nephew had finally been well enough to question this afternoon, following a second surgery for his gunshot wounds.
“It was helpful in piecing together how Dan was stealing the evidence,” Luke said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t provide us with any new information on Franny’s murder case. Kyle claims he had no idea Dan had anything to do with Franny’s death until after you told him.”
“I believe that. He looked shocked when he found out.”
“What about you? Any new developments on your end?”
She nodded and picked at the hay bale. “We’ve decided not to move forward with Wade’s appeal at the moment.”
“What?” He pulled back to look at her. “Why?”
“In order to get my brother out of jail, we have to file a writ of habeas corpus. The evidence we have so far isn’t sufficient to invalidate Wade’s confession and overturn his conviction. Dan didn’t admit to killing Franny, and that makes a difference.”
He rubbed a hand down her back. “I’m sorry.”
It was unfair and a rotten hand. They’d torn Dan’s house apart looking for evidence tying him to Franny’s murder. Or Skeeter’s. Or even Quentin’s. But they’d come up empty on all fronts.
Even worse, Dan was out there somewhere. A danger to people in general, but a threat to Megan specifically. Luke understood the kind of man Dan was—vengeful and arrogant. He might be lying low now, but he would circle back around.
She twirled a piece a hay between her fingers. “I keep telling myself to have patience. It’s only been a few days. I just want him out as soon as possible.”
“I know you do. So do I.”
Megan snuggled closer. “We’ll reevaluate after all the evidence has been gone through and the audit at the sheriff’s department is finished. Maybe my aunt will wake up and be able to help us. It’s not the end of the road. It’s just a speed bump. I’m going to keep praying and keep having faith.”
“And working hard.”
“Well, that’s a given.” She placed a kiss along the bottom of his jaw. “How is the audit going? Has everyone else at the sheriff’s department been officially cleared?”
“Not yet, but so far, so good. Sheriff Franklin has been top-notch. He’s as determined to get justice for Franny, Skeeter, and Quentin as we are. Brent too. I think they feel terrible about putting so much faith in Dan. We’ve spent a lot of time talking the last couple of days, and as more has come out, they’ve realized what a master manipulator
