Page 77 of Carwrecked

Grabbing my clutch, I toss out more farewells on the way out the door. The outside air smells cleaner, the view is prettier, and everything just feels—great.

This is what it’s like to be happy.

True to her word, Emma completely dropped out of our world. Beau hasn’t heard a peep out of her, and anything he knows is from his or her family members.

Beau kept his promise and destroyed Senior’s career. The stories of my abuse hit the national news. His wife left him, and he lost the election. After the fall of the Chesterfields, people came forward with corruption claims. Beau collected everything he could and turned it over to the feds.

Now, he’s on trial with a verdict that should be returned soon. When I used to fantasize about being free of the Chesterfields, I never thought it’d be like this. Now, I can truly breathe freely.

I park at the pub and hop out of my vehicle. Brett is sitting at the bar with a beer in his hand. His blue eyes dart around the space until they connect with mine. Smiling, he waves me over to join him. He looks relaxed in his jeans, long-sleeve gray Henley shirt, and lace-up, brown boots.

A couple leaves and I point at a table that’d just opened up. Nodding, he meets me there. I kiss him on the cheek in greeting, then sit on the chair he offers me. Brett slides a menu over with a grin.

“Are you ready for your first drink?”

I rub my hands together and bounce excitedly in my seat. “Hell, yes! I’m done with breastfeeding. I have a freezer full, and he’ll be one this week.”

“Um, congratulations?” He teases me.

“Yeah, yeah. What did Ernest say?” I ask to get business out of the way.

Brett rubs his beard as he recalls the conversation. “He said while he’s sad I’m leaving him after a year of being on the force, he’s glad I’m staying in town working as personal security. After I took down your ex, he said the career change suits me.”

“That’s good, Brett! I’ll be sure to give you a glowing recommendation. Have you met your first client yet?”

Brett finishes his beer and signals for the server. “No. Not yet. She’ll be arriving next week.”

“One more of what he’s having and a large mango margarita with an extra tequila shot.”

“Slow down, killer. You’re guaranteed to be a lightweight.”

Staring up toward the ceiling, I consider his words. “True. I’ll nurse it.”

The server drops off our drinks. The mango is heavenly, but the tequila does pack a burning punch. I cover my mouth as I cough. Brett chuckles at my misfortune.

“Whew! That burns so good,” I insist after a sip of my complimentary water. Getting down to business, I lean in and look Brett in his dazzling, blue eyes. “You know why we’re here, Mister. It’s time to spill your secrets.”

The End