Maximum Risk (31 page)

Avery sighed in her sleep and rested her hand directly over his heart.

With a contented smile, Quinn spoke quietly to the room. “I get it, bro. I get it.”

Then he lay down with the woman he loved and slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.

****

Dani pushed the porch swing gently with her toe, staring out over the lake. Many things weighed on her mind, despite the serene evening. Quinn had gone to New York to propose to Avery.

And she didn’t know how to feel about it. She wanted to be happy for him that he’d found happiness. Love. But, the other part of her—the one that still mourned—was angry that he would do that to Avery. How could he even think about marriage so soon after her wedding fell apart? After Ryan?

Did he really expect her to sit around and watch Avery plan her own wedding while Dani sat surrounded by wedding gifts that were still being delivered because people had mailed them before they heard about Ryan? They sat in the foyer like a mountain of silver-wrapped sorrow with fancy bows.

She loved Quinn, but she couldn’t go through a wedding. Not the planning or the ceremony. And certainly not with Avery. She just wasn’t ready to be friends with the woman. Not accepting her as a member of the Wolff family would cause a riff and that put her in a precarious position.

One Ryan would be so disappointed in.

Sadness settled over her. Ryan would expect her to welcome Avery into her life. That was the kind of person he had been. Forgiving, understanding.

Well, damn it, maybe she wasn’t a nice person.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. In her head she heard Ryan whispering what a sweet, compassionate person she was that time they found a lost puppy under his truck and she insisted they take it home and nurse it back to health.

God, what was happening to her?

“Dani?”

She jumped at the sound of Trevor Lang’s voice. He stood on the ground next to the porch, his head nearly as high as the railing. Ryan had stood six-foot-two. The sheriff stood at least that.

Not that she cared.

“Sheriff Lang,” she said, blinking rapidly. “I didn’t hear you walk up.”

“Sorry. I knocked on the front door, but heard you out here.”

How humiliating was that? Every time he saw her she was crying. “Oh. What can I do for you?”

He approached the steps and took two of them to hand her something. “You left these at the cemetery.”

Ryan’s dogtags. She clutched them in her hands, her chest clamped down tight. “Thank you.”

“I may be overstepping, but if you need anything, I’m here.”

She looked up, noticing he wasn’t in uniform, but wearing nice fitting jeans and t-shirt.

“I’ve been known to make a mean grilled steak if you ever need…well, the offer stands.” He turned to go, then paused. “I know about loss. Experienced it myself in the Middle East. I’m really sorry, Dani.”

With that he strode away and disappeared around the corner of the house.

Dani watched him go, his offer echoing through her head. For the first time in days she didn’t feel like crying.

Then she opened her palm to reveal the dogtags and the little ray of hope snuffed out. The familiar, slow ache spread through her chest, continuing on throughout her entire body until she doubled over.

With a sob, she dropped the dogtags and ran for the bathroom.

Maybe someday this misery would end and she could move on like the rest of the Wolff family.

Maybe.

****

Ellen leaned back in her new chair, staring out over the peaceful lake that had always been her safe haven. She loved this place more than anywhere else in the world, never wanted to leave. Not even after her kids had left the nest had she and Frank wanted to sell or start their next act anywhere else. This was their home. All their kids, bless their hearts, had built their homes on the lake so she had no reason to leave.

Her gaze landed on the sharp angle of the house Ryan had built for Dani, visible through the trees across the lake. It was a sight with its modern design, but Dani loved it and that was all that mattered. How they could live with white carpets, she had no idea. Especially with children.

She stopped her thoughts abruptly, painfully. Sometimes she forgot. Especially in moments like this when everything seemed so quiet and normal.

An ache spread through her heart.

“Want some company?”

Frank sat down in the chair next to her, laced his fingers through hers, but didn’t comment on the tears glistening in her eyes. The man really did know how to read her. And she loved him for it.

“Chairs are comfortable,” he commented, wiggling his butt to emphasize.

Yes, she truly loved this man.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the sunset over the lake. Her tears dried up and she let the calm waters ease away her grief.

“Quinn called. He’s on his way home with Avery.”

She glanced at Frank. “Oh, thank goodness. I honestly didn’t know how that would turn out. Avery is a bit stubborn.”

Frank lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “So is our son.”

Ellen smiled. “He gets that from his father.”

“You know we’re going to be all right?” Frank asked quietly. “You have my word I’ll do everything in my power to get us through this.”

She leaned over and kissed him. This man had been her rock since the day she met him, and when he gave his word it was written in stone. But losing her son would take some time for her to heal.

“Yes,” she murmured. “We’re going to be fine.”

And deep down she knew it to be true. She just didn’t know when or how that would happen.

Epilogue

Avery handed a stack of plates to Bailey, who began piling them in the dishwasher. She had never felt so free in her life. So happy. Fulfilled. She’d feared coming home with Quinn to announce their engagement, not knowing if his family would feel the same as he did.

The Wolff clan had welcomed her with open arms, the past laid to rest. They didn’t blame her for Ryan’s death and she loved them as if they were her own. Even Dani, although distant, hadn’t raised much fuss at her becoming a member of the family.

It was more than she ever could have hoped for.

More than she’d ever dreamed of.

They had just finished a Sunday dinner with the entire family. Nate had flown back home, without Macy, but he was going back in a couple days to resume his search. Her lead had panned out, but he hadn’t found Aziz Tsevetkovsky yet. Quinn only gave her minimal details about the mission, but she suspected Nate had run into complications he didn’t want her to know about. She trusted him to tell her if anything happened to Macy, so she didn’t push. Too hard.

She hadn’t believed Quinn when he’d said Sunday dinners were a big event. She didn’t think she’d eat for a week after the meal she’d just devoured. Pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls, green beans, and three kinds of pie for dessert. Ellen knew how to cook and bring her family together, no doubt about it. And the fact they let Avery be a part of it only made her love her fiancé even more.

Fiancé.

Normally that word filled her with uncertainty, doubt, and made her want to run hard and fast in the opposite direction. Now, it filled her with the warm fuzzies.

A hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see Chris standing there.

“Can we talk for a sec?”

She nodded and followed him out onto the deck. Everyone else was still inside helping clear the dinner table. This was the first she’d been alone with Chris since coming home with Quinn a week ago.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I heard what you did.  Going up against Diakameli to save your friend.”

Uncertain what to say, she simply nodded. It was no secret Chris had never approved of her.

“Loyalty like that makes you all right in my book.”

Her gaze snapped to his. “I’m sorry about your brother. If I could change what happened, I would.”

Chris’s eyes flashed, but not with anger. With something she’d seen in Quinn’s eyes many time. For his gruff exterior, Chris Wolff was a protector like his brother.

“Never say that again, you hear me? What happened wasn’t your fault. We all know the risks.”

She nodded, unable to speak through the thickness in her throat. He truly didn’t blame her. “Thank you.”

He grinned and pulled her into a bear hug. “Just don’t do it again or I’ll have to strangle you myself.”

She frowned, but hugged him back anyway.

“Get your hands off my fiancée.”

Chris let her go and Avery smiled at Quinn, who sounded angry but had that gorgeous half-smile on his face. God, she loved this man.

“What’s that?”

Tucked under his arm was a football.

“Hell, yeah,” Chris said with a touch of sadness in his voice.

“An old tradition.” Quinn tossed the ball in the air. “Come on.”

Her heart tugged in her chest as the rest of the Wolff clan filed out of the house. Quinn’s parents took their seats on the deck while the kids got into position in the back yard. She took a seat next to Ellen and was surprised when Dani sat next to her.

Intrigued, she watched the brothers and sister break off into teams. Quinn, Chris, Kell on one and Nate, Evan and Bailey on the other. They huddled, whispered, then got into position on an imaginary line in the grass. Quinn’s team won the coin toss, so they got the ball first. When he called the play and the game began, Avery finally understood what this game was all about for the Wolff siblings.

They didn’t just play a game. They
played.
The boys beat on each other, getting a little rough and a couple of them bled, but most of the time they had fun. They laughed and joked and teased.

They were a family.

And she knew that with each play Ryan was there playing with them. When she glanced over at Ellen, she saw her smiling at the same time tears rolled down her cheeks. Frank held her hand, watching with pride as his family prevailed after tragedy.

“Come on, girls,” Chris called to her and Dani. “Time to even up this game.”

Avery looked at Dani, who shrugged and rose to her feet. Avery’s heart went out to her. She still had a long way to go before the hole in her heart healed, but Dani was making headway. Although she seemed to be losing more weight every time Avery saw her. If anyone could help her through it, the Wolffs could.

Avery joined Quinn’s team and Dani joined the other. She had never played football before but suspected no one cared. This game wasn’t about skill or experience. It was family and fun. And maybe a bit of testosterone release for the brothers.

Quinn gave her instructions. She was to catch the ball. Easy. She could do that. As long as he kept his brothers from knocking her down.

Yep, they were so going to win this game.

She got into position. Heard Quinn start the play. Ran.

She saw Quinn pull back his arm. Throw. The football spiraled through the air toward her.

Right. Into. Her. Hands.

“Avery, run!”

Kell’s shout brought her out of her shock and she turned and ran toward the giant oak tree. When Kell and Chris shouted behind her, she stopped and turned to see them running toward her, pumping their fists in the air. Quinn got there first. He swung her into his arms and kissed her hard.

When he lifted his head, she was breathless and ready to take him home.

“Welcome to the family,” he murmured.

She smiled. Yes, now she truly understood the meaning of the game.

The End

Jennifer Lowery

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer.  Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side. 

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers.  She loves everything there is about romance.  Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines.  She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

 Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.  When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family. 

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www.jenniferloweryauthor.com

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