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“Then I need to decide whether Dallas is still home.”

He waited.

He didn’t ask the question.

That was one of the things I loved about him.

He never forced me toward an answer because he was afraid of losing me.

I reached for his hand.

“Eagle River might be.”

His fingers closed around mine.

“Might be?”

“I’m a detective. I don’t commit without evidence.”

He stepped closer.

“What kind of evidence do you need?”

“I’m still collecting it.”

“Take your time.”

“I already took eighteen years.”

His expression changed.

The humor faded.

What remained was honest.

Open.

“I’m not going anywhere, Judy.”

“I know.”

“I’ll wait.”

“No.”

His brows lifted.

“No?”

“I’m done making us wait.”

I kissed him.

For the first time since we were seventeen, I kissed him.

For one second, he didn’t move.

Then his arms came around me.