“Sure,” she said. “Sounds like a perfect idea.”
“You don’t expect anybody to come out there while we’re skinny-dipping?”
“Not unless you’ve got Stone on the way.”
He checked his jeans, pulled his phone from the pocket, and checked his messages. “Dang. Stone is on his way.”
She looked at him and rolled her eyes. Walking to her dresser she pulled out a pair of panties. Then, on to her closet, she pulled out a sundress and said, “Clothes it is then.” As soon as she was dressed, she said, “You better get something on too.”
“He’ll still know.”
She looked at him and smiled. “I don’t care. Do you?”
“Are you kidding? I’d be happy to show the rest of the world what we have.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure,” he whispered. Then he leaned forward and said, “And the sooner they find out, the better, because we are together. Hopefully, for the rest of our lives.”
She reached up and kissed him gently on the lips. “That sounds perfect for me.” As they separated, she heard a vehicle honking at the driveway gate. “And here’s Stone,” she said. “Time to start the day.”
And she raced down the stairs, laughing, unsure if she had ever seen such a great day before. The morning was bright. The birds were singing, and her body hummed with joy. As she flung open the front door to welcome Stone, she realized she’d never been happier. It was a perfect day.
Epilogue
Noah Wilkerson walked into Levi’s kitchen and sat down.
“Hey, Noah. Even your buddy Bonaparte is hooked up now, isn’t he?” Levi asked.
Just then Bonaparte walked into the kitchen. “What’s this? I heard my name, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, how is Angela doing?”
“She’s doing amazing,” he said, with a big grin.
Noah stared at him. “I haven’t seen that smile on your face before.”
“Hey,” he said, “you haven’t met Angela.”
Noah laughed. “Nope, but I do hear that you were pretty resistant to the idea before you went out there.”
“I sure was, but she changed my mind pretty damn fast.”
Noah looked over at Levi, just as Ice appeared. “So, you guys are running quite the matchmaking service, it seems.”
“Sometimes it works out that way,” Ice said, with a smile. “You interested?”
He thought about it, shrugged, and said, “Well, if you can find me a partner like the ones you’ve found for these guys, maybe,” he said. “I can’t say I’ve really been thinking about it though.”
“Of course not,” Ice said, her smile growing bigger. “Nobody really thinks about it, unless they’ve been trying for a long time.”
“Nope, not me. I broke up about a year ago from a long-term relationship and haven’t really found anybody interesting since.”
“What broke it up, Noah?” Bonaparte asked.
“She wanted a family, and, in the four years we were together, apparently she couldn’t conceive. So she decided she wanted to change the herd sire.” They all just stared at him, and finally he shrugged, picked up his cup of coffee and had a sip. It was the first time he’d really told the truth about it.
“Wow,” Ice said. “I’m sorry. Did you ever get tested? Or did she?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. Don’t know about her. Maybe she did and didn’t tell me. I don’t really know. But that was the reason she gave for the breakup.”
Just then a phone call came in.
“What’s going on?” Levi asked Ice, when her expression changed.
“Remember Di?” Ice asked Levi, while trying to listen to the caller on the other end too.
“Which one? Diamond?”
“No, Dyanne from Australia.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. What about her?”
“She’s in Houston, and she said—wait. Dyanne, I’m putting the phone on Speaker.”
“Okay,” she said, and they heard her taking several deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” Ice asked.
“I’m not sure I am,” she said, with a tearful tone. “I was just attacked in my car.”
“Uh-oh,” Ice said. “Did you call the cops?”
“I would have,” she said, “but he, the guy, had a strange message.”
“What message?” Levi asked.
“Oh, good. Levi, I’m glad you’re there,” she said in relief.
“Dyanne, are you hurt?”
“No,” she said. “Well, yes, but not badly.”
“Take it easy,” Ice said calmly, her tone measured and comforting. “You’re safe now.”
“Well, I am now that he’s gone,” she said, with a hysterical laugh. “Unfortunately he didn’t leave fast enough. He cut me.”
“How bad?” Levi asked sharply.
“My arm, my shoulder, and a slice across my belly,” she said. “None of them look bad. They’re just stinging and painful. I’ll have to get them checked.”
“So tell me again, why call us and not the police?” Levi asked curiously.
“Because the attacker, he had a message for you.”
“For me?” Levi asked, standing straight up and walking closer to Ice. “What did he say?”
“He said, it was for—for past sins.” Then she started to cry.
“Jesus,” he said, staring at Ice. “Did you recognize him, Dyanne?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “It was Maxwell.”
“Maxwell? Maxwell who?”
“Do you remember the guy in Australia, who lost his son on that subway track?”
“That Maxwell?” he said.
“Yes.”
“But that makes no sense,” he said.
“No,” she said. “None of it makes any sense. But it was him. He was right here, attacking me, and something about past sins was your message.”
“But we didn’t have anything to do with the death of his son.”
“No,” she said, “but remember? He wanted to come work for you.”
“And you really think that’s why he’s after us?”
She started to cry again.
Noah stared at the three of them in shock. “Hey, Dyanne. This is Noah.”
“Noah? Do I know you?”
“I work for Levi,” he said. “I’m not sure if we’ve met before or not, but do you want me to come help you?”
There was silence as Levi looked at Noah in surprise.
Noah shrugged. “I don’t want to see her alone right now.”
“Where are you?” Levi asked Dyanne.
“Just give me an address,” Noah said to her, “and I’ll head your way. What are you doing there anyway?”
“I was at a conference,” she said, “and, when I went to the underground
