Josh nudged Chad with his elbow.“I had your back.”
“Thank you for making it,” Chad said to Ally, then he spoke over his shoulder, “And thanks for convincing Ally to leave it behind.”
“You’re welcome,” they both answered at the same time.
Chad climbed into his car and switched on the ignition.He rolled the window down, then Ally shut the door.
“Take care of yourself and take care of each other.”
“We will,” Josh said, wrapping an arm around Ally’s shoulder.Rather than bat him away, Ally leaned towards Josh.
“And you take care of yourself,” she said.
“I will.”Chad smiled at them.
“Now go,” Ally said.“Before I change my mind.”
Chad raised his eyebrows.“Yes ...Sergeant.Or should I say sergeants?”
He winked, and Josh beamed.Ally reached up to pinch Josh’s blushing cheek.
Detective Sergeant Josh Hancock.It had a good ring to it.
Chad started the car, waved at them out of the window, then took his time on the dirt track, rolling away from the house.He took so long that Josh, Ally, and Merc had jumped in their car and followed behind all the way to the junction at the end.
Chad turned left, away from Bardhum, and Josh, after smashing his fist on the horn several times, turned right.
They were a fading dot in the car mirror, then they were gone.
Chad eased out a breath and kept the window open so the wind could dry his tears.
When he pulled up into the layby, Romeo was waiting.Ruggedly handsome, with windswept hair, dark stubble, and piercing green eyes.He had his hands shoved in his jacket, and his walking boots were caked in mud.He looked perfect.
Chad spoke to him out of the window.“Car troubles?”
Romeo’s eyes glinted.His smile slowly spread, lifting his cheeks.“As it happens, yes.I seemed to have driven into thick foliage, and I’ve been waiting for a smoking hot guy to take me home.”
“I see,” Chad bit his lip as he smiled back.“In the absence of him, can I be of some assistance?”
Romeo rolled his eyes and made his way round the front of the car to the passenger seat.When he got in, he glanced into the back, tutting at the pile of bags.“Going somewhere?”
Chad pulled back onto the road.“Yes, I’m heading south to take the tunnel to France.”
“And then where are you planning on going?”
“I hear Mantua is nice.”
Romeo smirked.“Really ...the man I’m named after never made it that far...”
“Well, that was his story and this is ours,” Chad replied, resting his hand on Romeo’s thigh.“Those star-crossed lovers might not have made it, but we will.”
“I’m loving your confidence, Mr.Knight,” he raised Chad’s hand to his lips.
Chad shook his head.“I can’t believe you put my name as Knight on that passport.”
“I did consider hyphenating our surnames, but not only does it sound like an awful brand name—”
“Knight-Fuller,” Chad grimaced.
