Page 97 of You Can Run

Huck was all right.

* * *

Laurel’s knees finally regained strength after sitting for a while, and then she helped her mother load the three girls and the dog into her SUV to head back home. Viv was driving. Her phone buzzed just as she shook the snow off inside again. “Agent Snow.”

“Hey there, Laurel. Nice job with this one,” George said. “You caught the guy.”

“I had a lot of help,” Laurel admitted, sitting again. Monty had disappeared, so hopefully he’d gotten back to see Huck.

George cleared his throat. “Speaking of which, we have some juice, and I’d like to create the FBI Pacific Northwest Violent Crimes Unit right now. It could be located in Genesis Valley but would still be subordinate to the chief of the Seattle office. What do you think? We have a lot of cases in the area, and aren’t you ready for a home base? Isn’t it time?”

She swallowed. Huck was hurt because of her. Her uncle needed help being around people, and her mother was lonely. In addition, she now had a sister who was probably a sociopath and should be watched, as well as a missing biological father who should pay for his crimes. “Yes, it’s time. I’m needed here.” She wanted to be home for a lot of reasons. “I’d like to stay.”

“Good. You’re hired. We’ll talk logistics next week. Great job, again.” George clicked off.

The door opened and Monty strode through. His smile was wide. “Huck is in room twenty, and you’d better get back there so he knows taking that bullet was worth it and you’re fine.”

She chuckled. “I’m fine and would be here for any colleague.” Even so, she had to school herself not to run through the doorway and down the hallway. Finally, she sedately made it to room twenty, where Huck sat up in his bed, a cup of green Jell-O in his hand.

His broad torso was bare, with a bandage over his left shoulder. “Hi.”

She sat in the chair next to the bed. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

He licked green Jell-O off his spoon. “Save your life? I can’t promise that. However, now that I have, don’t you have to be my personal servant for a month or something?”

“No.” She took his empty Jell-O cup and set it on the table. “Huck? Seriously. Jumping in front of bullets is a bad habit, although I appreciate it. It’s just . . . I don’t want you hurt, either.”

He sat back, his gaze inscrutable. The moment stretched on as he studied her, tension spiraling all around them and heating the atmosphere. Finally, he sighed. “Is it just the pain meds they’re pumping inside me, or is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?”

“It’s the pain meds.” She patted his good shoulder, wondering the same thing but not willing to define anything right now. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

She walked out of the room and smiled. A beautiful friendship? Something told her that wasn’t going to be their story, if they had a story. The jury was out on that one right now. Her heart lighter than it had been in a while and her brain finally calming, she strode out to the waiting room, where Walter Smudgeon waited, flirting with the receptionist. Or trying to, anyway.

He straightened when she approached. “Hey, boss. Just checked on Kate and wanted to do the same with you. You good?”

She paused, noting he had spilled coffee on his shirt. She was home with her mom, there was time to help Uncle Carl, and she was developing a good team in her hometown. One that had gotten the job done and found the bad guy. It was a good path for both her career and her personal life. She smiled, finallyfeelingthat she was home. “Yes. I’m good.”