Evelyn's dream of securing a scholarship to America's top ballet school shattered when her mother was brutally murdered during her teenage years. Determined to make a difference, she became a detective, ready to take on the world. Assigned to invest...
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The past days had been extraordinary for Evelyn and Jeremiah. For a fleeting moment it felt as though they had been lifted onto a cloud. Every free hour Evelyn had, when she wasn't buried in her casework or sharing a coffee with Wilson while reporting, was given to Jeremiah. She would curl up in his bed with him, their limbs tangled, talking until their voices grew husky, kissing until her lips burned, and exploring things she never would have dared to imagine with a man. It felt like a dream spun out of silk and fire, a fairytale she hadn't known she longed for until the sweet, rough-edged biker made it real.
Now, however, she found herself back in her own room, a space she barely visited since that first night they had shared a bed. Her phone was pressed to her ear as she sat by the window, staring down at the glistening parking lot below. The rain had passed in the night, leaving the ground dark and wet, a mirror of shifting grey clouds above. She had called James intending only to tell him about the date she was heading to.
"I'm happy for you, Ev. You deserve this," James said, his voice warm and steady, carrying the weight of a man who had always known her heart. A sting pricked at the corner of her eyes as Evelyn watched the territory outside come to life. She followed the sight of the day's officer walking across the yard, shoulders squared, unaware of how much of her life had shifted since he last saw her. Jeremiah had made her promise he would leave before her in the mornings, to avoid suspicion, and though it was practical, it also felt achingly secretive.
"Thank you, James," she said softly, her gaze following the officer until he disappeared into the building.
"I just... I hope I'm doing the right thing. It feels so good, but..." Her breath caught, and she swallowed hard.
"Listen to your heart, love," James replied, his voice lowering with that same gentleness that always managed to ease her. Evelyn exhaled a long sigh, nodding even though he couldn't see her.
"You're right. How are the wife and the babies?" she asked quickly, needing to anchor herself in something other than her own doubts. James chuckled, the sound like warm smoke through the receiver, and she found herself smiling in return.
"They're wonderful. Can't believe I'll be holding them so soon and speaking of them, thank you for pushing our meeting forward, pregnancy sickness is nothing to take lightly," he said, his voice thick with a love that pulsed through every word. Evelyn's chest warmed. James had always been a family man, always craving roots and laughter and a house full of chaos. She couldn't be happier that he had finally gotten his dream, and she had no doubt he would ask for a small army of children if life allowed it.
"I'm so happy for you and its no trouble at all. I'm still in shock that the two of you asked me to be their godmother. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough," she said, her throat tightening as she remembered the moment, as they hadn't been able to meet today they asked her over facetime. The two of them had been smiling nervously, her own heart bursting as if it had grown too large for her chest. She had nearly raced over to them to hug them and thank them for the responsibility they was giving her.
