Chapter Twenty-One
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Jesse drove down the familiar stretch of road toward Lauren’s house, the setting sun casting a warm orange glow across the horizon. The town of Outlaw Ridge was quieter now, the chaos of the investigation finally settling like dust after a long, brutal storm.
It had been a week since Isabel’s arrest—a week of interviews, reports, and endless paperwork.
Isabel had been transferred to a maximum-security prison to await trial, her confession confirmed by every piece of evidence the CSIs had uncovered, including the fact that Isabel not only owned many guns but had had enough training to make her a decent marksman.
The evidence had also cleared Dr. Graves and Reardon of any wrongdoing.
But none of that mattered right now.
Tonight was different.
Jesse adjusted his grip on the steering wheel of his brand-new truck, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He was on his way to pick up Lauren for an actual date.
No crime scenes. No suspect interrogations.
Just the two of them, finally able to breathe without the shadow of the past looming over them.
The last seven days had been a blur, filled with debriefings, statements, and tying up loose ends. They’d been around each other constantly, but never really together . Not like he wanted. Not like they both needed.
His heart kicked up slightly as he turned onto her street, the familiar tension of anticipation replacing the edge he usually carried on duty. This wasn’t just a date. It felt like the start of something more—something real. The nightmare was over, but what came next was theirs to build.
Jesse drove down the road to Lauren’s house, his fingers drumming lightly against the steering wheel. The week had been hell, but somehow, standing on the other side of it with Lauren made it all feel worth it.
Here’s to tonight, he thought, stepping out of the truck with a grin. And hopefully, a lot more nights like this to come.
He pulled into Lauren’s driveway, cutting the engine with a quiet sigh of anticipation.
The house was bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, the warm colors reflecting off the windows.
It felt like the calm after the storm, the beginning of something normal. Something they both desperately needed.
But just as he was about to step out of the truck, headlights flared in his rearview mirror, followed by the low rumble of an approaching engine. Jesse groaned under his breath as Reardon’s truck pulled in behind him.
Jesse’s jaw clenched and he had to fight the urge to tell Reardon to stay put in his truck and to come back another time. But the older man was already stepping out, his expression unreadable, his movements slower than usual, like the weight of everything had finally caught up to him.
“I won’t keep you,” Reardon called out, holding up a hand as if to ward off Jesse’s frustration. “I just have something to say to Lauren.”
Perfect. Jesse rubbed the back of his neck, his irritation simmering. This was supposed to be their night. No reminders of the past, no ghosts trailing them. But before he could respond, the front door opened, and Lauren stepped out.
Jesse saw the mix of emotions on her face. The warm look she gave him before her eyes narrowed and she shifted her attention to Reardon. Clearly, she didn’t want any ghosts interrupting them tonight either.
She didn’t hesitate, walking down the steps toward them with that same steady determination Jesse admired—and maybe loved more than he cared to admit.
All right, there was no maybe, and he wanted to admit it. He had a whole lot of feelings for Lauren, and one of those was love. Now, he just had to get rid of Reardon, take her on that date and maybe he could tell her how he felt.
Reardon cleared his throat, his gaze shifting between them before settling on Lauren.
“I owe you an apology,” he said, his voice rougher than usual, like the words themselves were hard to push out.
“It was wrong of me to seal Reggie’s juvenile record.
I honestly didn’t think it would turn out to be the huge mistake it was. ”
Jesse crossed his arms, his jaw still tight, but he stayed quiet, letting Lauren take the lead.
Reardon shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable. “And… I’m sorry for taking the kill shot. That right should have been yours.”
Lauren didn’t flinch. She stepped closer, her face calm, her voice steady. “No one had the right,” she said on a sigh. “But you did what you had to do to protect Elsie. Even if it was a risky shot, it worked.”
Reardon nodded, his shoulders relaxing just a little, as if her words lifted a small part of the weight he’d been carrying. Without saying anything else, he turned and walked back to his truck, the engine roaring to life as he drove away.
Jesse exhaled, finally letting the tension ease from his chest as Reardon’s truck disappeared down the road. He turned his gaze to Lauren, and for a moment, the rest of the world fell away.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it faded quickly, replaced by something softer, something deeper.
Something hotter.
She was standing there in the fading light, her figure silhouetted against the last streaks of sunset. She was wearing a dress—simple, but it hit him like a punch to the chest. The way the fabric hugged her curves, the way the breeze teased a loose strand of her hair—she looked breathtaking.
Damn.
He’d seen her in the fight for her life mode, staring down danger. But this? This was different. This was Lauren without the armor, without the weight of the past bearing down on her. And somehow, it hit harder than any gunfight they’d been through.
“You look…” he started, his voice catching slightly, rougher than he intended. He cleared his throat, trying again. “You look amazing.”
Lauren’s lips curved into a small smile, her eyes softening as she stepped closer. “Is that your smooth line for the night?”
Jesse chuckled, shaking his head. “No. That’s just the truth.”
For a moment, they just stood there, the distance between them charged with something warm and real. The chaos of the last week felt distant, like it belonged to someone else’s story.
This was theirs now.
“Well,” Lauren said, her voice light, breaking the tension just enough, “are we going to stand here all night, or are you taking me on this date?”
Jesse grinned, reaching for her hand, his fingers curling around hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Yeah,” he murmured, his heart steady for the first time in weeks. “Let’s get out of here.”
Lauren smiled, that spark in her eyes lighting him up from the inside out. “I just need to lock up and grab my purse,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before turning toward the house.
Jesse followed her up the steps, the heat from her touch lingering like a brand on his skin. They stepped inside, but Lauren didn’t pick up her purse that was right there on the foyer table. And she didn’t lock up either.
However, she did shut the door.
In the same motion, she reached for him.
Jesse did some reaching for her, too. Their mouths met in a hot, desperate kiss, all the tension, all the times of near-misses and what-ifs crashing into that one perfect moment.
His hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer, her body fitting against his like it was made to be there.
When they finally broke apart, Jesse didn’t have a whole lot of breath, and his dick had announced it would like for the date to take a little detour.
To the bed.
“Damn,” he muttered. “Might be hard for me to walk after that.”
Lauren laughed, her fingers trailing down his chest and lower. She brushed her hand against the front of his jeans. “Well,” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin, “maybe we should do a little more kissing… and then we can go on that date.”
Jesse didn’t need to be asked twice.
His heart was suddenly racing full speed ahead as they stumbled through the hall, the heat of Lauren’s kiss still burning on his lips.
His hands were on her waist, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt, pulling him closer like she couldn’t stand the space between them.
Their breaths were ragged, mingling in the quiet of her house.
But then—right as he was about to lose himself in the next kiss—something hit him.
I need to say it.
It gripped him with the same urgency as the need to feel her against him. Maybe more.
He pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on her hips. Her breath was warm against his cheek, her lips just inches from his, and it took every ounce of self-control not to dive right back in.
“Wait,” Jesse rasped, his voice rough with emotion—and, okay, a little bit of desperation. “I need to do something before the next round of kisses makes me completely mindless.”
Lauren blinked, slightly breathless, her brow furrowing with confusion but her smile teasing at the corners. “What?”
Jesse swallowed hard, his heart thudding like it was trying to escape his chest. “I’m asking you out.”
She arched an eyebrow, amused. “We’re… already going on a date.”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head, a grin tugging at the edges of his mouth despite the pounding in his chest. “I’m asking you out on a thousand dates.”
That got her attention. She tilted her head slightly, her confusion deepening, but there was a spark of something else in her eyes—something softer, warmer. She reached up, her finger trailing slowly down his chest, and he swore he forgot how to breathe for a second.
“A thousand dates, huh?” she murmured, her voice low and filled with curiosity.
Jesse’s grin grew, but his throat felt tight. “Actually, make that a thousand plus dates… because I’m in love with you.”
For a heartbeat, she froze, her hand still resting against his chest, her eyes searching his like she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right.
Then she smiled, wide, real. And it hit him harder than any bullet ever could.
“Good,” she whispered, her voice soft but sure. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”
She loves me.
The words echoed in his head, grounding him even as everything else spun out of control in the best possible way.
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “A thousand dates,” he whispered, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “And every single one of them starts and ends with this.”
Lauren grinned and pulled him back to her. “Then what are you waiting for?” she whispered against his mouth.
Jesse wasn’t waiting for anything. Not anymore.
“Sex, then pizza,” Lauren muttered, kissing his neck and heading toward the bedroom.
Jesse made a sound of agreement. “Sex, pizza, and more,” he amended.
Lauren made a sound of agreement too, but it was somewhat muffled with their next kiss.
The sixteen-year wait was over—the regrets, the what-ifs, the ache of lost time. It all faded, replaced by the undeniable truth that everything he wanted, everything he needed, was right here with Lauren.
And this time, he wasn’t letting go.
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