Jiro was still looking up at her, gaze gentle as he waited for her answer.
“Astrid and I made the decision that Karl needed more care than I could give.So yesterday, he was moved to a care home down by the harbor.”At least Karl would be able to see the big cruise ships come in, if he ever stopped sulking enough to actually go and look.
A sympathetic frown wrinkled Jiro’s forehead, the wayward lock of hair falling into his eye as he got up onto one elbow as well so he could look her straight in the face.“Oh, Aurora, I’m so sorry.I didn’t know.That must’ve been hard for you.”
“Hmm.”Yes, harder than most people would ever know, except perhaps Astrid.And now Jiro.She nodded, suddenly unable to speak past the lump in her throat.In many ways she pitied her father, having to live a life that wasn’t his own anymore, in a situation against his will, with people looking after him he’d already decided he hated.He’d been the architect of his own downfall, however, and while Aurora was desperately sad for him sometimes, she knew she could no longer be responsible for his actions.
Thinking about her father in the care home reminded her that she was now free to do as she wished.Date whomever she liked.She was unencumbered.Her life was now her own again.The fantasy of having Jiro all to herself could now become a reality because she had no excuse for not being able to love him.The idea terrified her and excited her in equal measure.
But there were still so many questions that remained unanswered.Things she needed to know.“What about your papa?”she countered.“How has he recovered from his ordeal?”And more importantly, how was he coping with his older son being sent to jail?But she left that one for now.
“He’s doing really well.”A smile lit up Jiro’s face.“Physically, he’s recovered completely.He’s a tough old bird.”Jiro gave an affectionate laugh.Then, his face turned thoughtful.“And he’s also a determined old bird.I thought that seeing Taro charged with those horrible crimes, he might never recover.I think I told you that Taro was always the golden child; the one who could do no wrong in Papa’s eyes.”
Aurora nodded, letting her hand that was resting on his arm move up and rub his shoulder soothingly.Jiro had mentioned that his relationship with Kenichi was complicated, and he’d never been able to please his father, no matter how hard he’d tried.They both had difficult fathers to overcome.
“Well, after many discussions, Papa and I have come to some understanding.He’s adjusted quite well to the idea that he can no longer control the paths of either of his son’s lives.Especially mine.I think it helps that he’s found a new lease on life; he’s dating a lady he met while he was attending a doctor’s appointment one afternoon.”Jiro shook his head as if wonders would never cease.“He was actually the one who encouraged me to come here and find you.”
“Oh.”Aurora felt some of the wind go out of her sails.So Jiro had come here because his father had told him to?Shouldn’t he have come because he wanted to?Because he loved her?But he still hadn’t said those three little words.
CHAPTER TWENTY
JIRO SAW THE exact second that Aurora’s heart closed over.Her face changed, losing all animation, going strangely blank instead.Her lips closed over her cute bunny teeth, and her mouth became serious.What had he said?Something wrong, obviously.But he’d come here to declare his love, and he couldn’t give up now.She’d been so open seconds before, so receptive, he needed to find that girl again, and quickly.And the only way he knew how was to say those five simple words.
“Wait, Aurora, you don’t understand.I’m in love with you,” he blurted.“That’s why I came to find you.”He swallowed hard, hoping he wasn’t too late.Hoping she felt the same way.“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and I was stupid not to see that before.I was stupid to let duty and responsibility drive me away from you.”
Daring to look up into her eyes, he was surprised to see a sheen of tears appear suddenly in those beautiful brown depths.Then they filled with so much love it nearly took his breath away.She didn’t need to say the words; he could see her emotions all laid bare for him.
“Oh, Jiro, I was hoping you’d say that.I’m in love with you too.”She reached up and stroked his face.“I was worried that perhaps you hadn’t come here for the right reasons.And I’m still a little worried about how this is all going to work.But there’s no denying how good we are together.”
He sat up and pulled her into his lap, and she snuggled into him, setting his heart aflame again.
He cleared his throat.“Well, I knew the future would be an obstacle we’d need to address if this was to work.So, for the past few months, I’ve been researching Sweden’s wolf population.Did you know they were hunted to extinction and were completely gone by the 1960s?Then, in the early 1980s, three wolves migrated from Russia and Finland and started up a new colony?”His research had been fascinating, and he’d been surprised to find out the wolf population of Sweden was now thought to be around four-hundred and fifty, a fairly robust number.So much so, the government even allowed some minimal hunting of the animal to keep the numbers under control.Jiro had been shocked when he heard this, as wolves in America were highly protected; numbers were still so unstable.But here in Sweden, the wolves seemed to be doing well, which was highly encouraging and made Jiro wonder if he could be part of their continued existence.
“No, I didn’t.And that’s very interesting.”But he got the feeling she was more interested in what else he had to say than in the scientific details of Nordic wolves.
Instead of putting her out of her misery straight away, he cheekily went on to say, “Not only that, they’re genetically isolated from every other population and completely unique.”Again, a fact that’d piqued his interest.So much so that he’d started asking around.His best mate at the Wolf Center had put him onto a contact here in Sweden, who’d led him to a researcher, Lucas Nygård, at the Norwegian Institute for nature research, NINA, which worked across all countries incorporated in the Lapland area, including Norway, Sweden and Finland, running collaborative research projects on wolf populations.
Lucas believed that the Swedish wolf population was becoming dangerously inbred and required a genetic rescue if they were to continue breeding successfully.He had plans to introduce individuals from nearby countries to help rescue some of the smaller, more isolated populations, especially in northern Sweden, which had excited Jiro immensely.
“Riiight.And this has something to do with us because…?”She tilted her chin up and raised an eyebrow in his direction, a shaft of sunlight glinting off the heart-shaped studs in her ears.He really needed to find out who had given them to her; they were clearly very special to her, but that question could wait for another day.
He gave a wicked smile, but knew it was time to stop tormenting her.“It has everything to do with us, because I’ve been offered a job with NINA, an institute in Norway, but which runs projects all across Lapland.”
“Oh?”Aurora sat up very straight now so she could look him directly in the eye.
“And I came here to see if you would like me to accept the position.It would mean quite a bit of fieldwork, but I could be based anywhere up here in northern Sweden.Even say…Luleå.”
Aurora threw her arms around his neck.“Holy hell, Jiro, you know how to keep a girl on edge.Yes, yes, yes.A thousand times, yes.”
Her answer had been what he’d hoped.It would be hard leaving his father back in the US, leaving Taro to face his fate in prison alone.But now that the trial was over, and the instigator of all the gun smuggling, Hiroshi Kiyota, had been arrested, and the Kyodo-kai disbanded, the FBI were going to release Taro’s wife and kids from witness protection.Straight into the arms of Kenichi, who had offered for them to come and live with him in his large mansion-like house.It was a good solution for both of them.Kenichi would have the company and be able to enjoy his grandchildren, and Tamika would have the protection that the Nashimori name could offer.Plus, now Papa had a love interest, who kept him more than well-occupied.Jiro had never thought to see his father with another woman after their mother died.And at first, he’d been a little taken aback, and worried that she might’ve just been after his money.But Yuki was a traditional Japanese woman of substance, and Jiro was coming to respect and like her.There might even be wedding bells on the horizon.Wouldn’t that be funny if his father got married before he did?That thought didn’t scare him at all now.He was sure Aurora was the perfect woman for him.Of course they’d need time to work each other out.But he could feel it in his bones that he was going to marry this woman.
“Hang on.”Aurora drew back from him.“I thought you hated the snow.I distinctly remember you wondering,How could anyone live in this god awful weather?She crinkled up her nose at him in a cheeky grin.
“I guess I’m going to have to get used to it,” he replied with a sigh.It was perhaps the biggest drawback of moving to Sweden.But he had to acknowledge how beautiful the place was, no matter the weather, and if Aurora loved it, then he was sure he would learn to cope.
“Are you sure about this?I mean really sure?”Those dark chocolate eyes speared him with an intense gaze.She was right to ask, and she was right to have doubts.They had only truly known each other for such a short time.And now he was back six months later, declaring his love for her.How could he prove to her how committed he was?It would have to be firstly by his words and secondly by his actions.It would take time, but he needed her to trust him right now.
“I’m deadly serious about moving here,” he replied.“I’ve given up my rental place in San Diego, and quit my job at the Wolf Center.”Some people might call him crazy.He’d come here on a whim, not really knowing what kind of reception he’d get from Aurora.But he had spoken to Mårten on the phone before he came, and her police partner was only too happy to confirm that she wasn’t seeing anyone else, and was still in fact pining for Jiro.The words had shocked Jiro, sounding a little alien coming out of the normally earnest inspector’s mouth.But Viskten was a good guy, and didn’t seem to hold any grudges against Jiro for the way he’d left Aurora and Sweden.In fact, he seemed rather happy to hear Jiro would be coming back to Luleå.
