Page 114 of My Favorite Hero

I kissed the side of her neck. “I want you to wear it for me when I take you on that date this week.”

“Okay.”

I peered into the pot. “Oh God, onion gravy. You made me roast?”

“Yes.”

“Your reward will be great. Huge. Long. Pleasurable,” I promised.

“I’d expect nothing less.” She shimmied in my arms. “Go set the table.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

We ate at the table, her across from me, Miller sitting close, hopeful for treats, and Barney ignoring us all but sitting on my shoulder, enjoying the view the vantage point gave him of the backyard. I tried putting him down twice, then gave up.

I was rewarded with extra onion gravy on the crispy potatoes Casey had added to the menu.

I was slowly but surely building up a favorite list.

“So the dress was in the totes from the garage?” I asked. “Anything else interesting?”

“Oh my God. Wait until I show you.”

“Can I have a hint?”

“More clothes, a journal, love letters, and an incredible story.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, biting into a crunchy potato.

“She had a passionate affair with an older man and married him! His family owned this house, and he left it to her.”

“Wow.”

“He died when Lou was still fairly young,” she added, looking sad. “She never remarried.”

“I didn’t even know she was married once.”

“I don’t think she ever talked about it. My mom knew, and she never breathed a word.”

“Why?” I wondered.

She looked at me, her eyes wide. “Lou never stopped loving him. She couldn’t even talk about him.”

“Oh. Ah…” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“You have to read her journal. And I have to get Sims to help me get her ashes. We need to scatter them out back.”

“Out back?” I asked. “In the yard?”

“No. The woods. She even drew a little picture where in her journal on the last page.”

“Why?”

She frowned then met my gaze, hers serious and firm.

“Because he’s waiting for her, Thorne.”

Chapter Twenty-Six