Page 73 of Daybreak

Rance gathered up all of Gunner’s gear and went into the office.

Cliff followed him in. “Sir.”

“What the hell do you want?” Rance muttered.

“Just wanted you to know that I’ll be making sure Kingston’s official resignation does not get buried. We don’t care what you thought about him, but he was my partner. He saved my life twice. And if you do anything to demean his name in his personal file, I will make sure you don’t get away with it.”

“I could ruin you for this insubordination,” Rance said.

Cliff held up his phone. “But you won’t, because I just recorded this conversation.” He looked down at his phone as he began sending a text. “And I sent it to the captain’s phone.”

Rance’s eyes widened. “But I had no intention of doing any such thing.”

Cliff shrugged. “Well, now he knows anyway,” he said and walked out, then threw out a question to the crowd. “What’s the payout on seven hundred and eighty million dollars?”

“I’d guess something over four hundred and fifty million,” someone said.

“Damn,” Cliff said. “Just damn.”

* * *

Gunner exited the building and didn’t look back. Without the weight of responsibility that came with a badge and gun, he felt like he was floating.

He drove out of the parking lot and on the street leading to an on-ramp to the Loop and headed to Holly’s work. He’d had flowers delivered there, but he’d never been there. That was about to change.

* * *

Holly walked into work with a smile on her face, got a doughnut and a cup of coffee from the breakroom, and took them to her desk. The yellow roses were still perky, but she added some water to the vase just in case, then picked up her work from where she’d stopped last night.

One hour passed, and then another, and then she pushed away from her desk, picked up a file, and carried it to Gene Morris’s desk.

“The deed to the Powers property is officially cleared and up-to-date. You can finalize the sale.”

Gene nodded. “Fantastic. Good work, Holly.”

“Thanks,” she said and took a quick break to wash up, then came back and sat down to check her to-do list to see what came next. She was shuffling through her notes when she heard footsteps in the hall outside their office.

The door opened.

Everybody looked up from their desks, including Holly; then she saw the look on his face. He was smiling. She stood up.

Without saying a word, Gunner went straight to her, took her in his arms, and laid a kiss on her lips that had every woman swooning.

When they came up for air, Holly grabbed his arms. “It’s over, isn’t it? Oh my God, Gunner. Tell me it’s over!”

“I’m over it, that’s for sure. Resigned, and turned in my gun and badge. The Feds came while I was there and arrested the informant in front of all of us.” Then he turned around to face the room. “I have a house to sell. I want Holly Dillon to list it, and then I’m gonna steal your girl.”

Holly looked straight at her boss. “Then that’s where I’ll be for a while. I have contracts in my briefcase, and I’m going to take the Nikon for the photos.”

Gene nodded. He was all for another listing, while facing the fact that he was going to lose a valuable employee. Nobody was as good as Holly with clearing deeds.

A few moments later, they were gone.

Leigh put her head on her desk. “Why can’t that happen to me?” she groaned.

Josie leaned back in her chair. “OMG… What just happened?”

Lisa was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever witnessed. Straight out of An Officer and a Gentleman.”