Chapter 6
It had been 2 months since Justin had started talking to Amber and everyday he grew more homesick and restless. After 2 more months and a total of nearly three years total of waiting Justin finally decided to do something about it. He stormed angrily into the room where the board was meeting; knowing better than to disrupt them but not caring.
“What is the meaning of this agent!?” Karl growled upon the intrusion; his brows furrowed in an intense glare directed at Justin who merely scowled right back.
After a stare down between the two men Justin turned his attention to the others in the room.
“It has been nearly 3 years since you have kept me locked up here! I feel like a lion in a cage, I take 2 steps and the chains come on! I demand that you release me from these chains or you leave me no choice but to turn in my gun and my badge and leave you with someone lesser to finish this case!”
Justin wasn’t conceited but he knew he was good and indispensable to the case and they would never let him go; by the shocked almost worried looks on their faces he knew he had guessed correctly. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced over to see Hank standing behind him.
“Don’t do anything rash Mr. Timberlake. Just go back to your room and let us discuss what to do and we’ll let you know as soon as we decide something.”
Justin nodded curtly and headed out the door but not before exchanging one last glare with Karl.
“So what do we do about him? He’s growing extremely restless and I think he’s crazy enough to do what he threatened,” Hank said discouraged as he returned to his seat.
“I personally wouldn’t mind getting rid of him,” Karl Muttered bitterly.
“Even a blind man could see your disdain for each other” Hank scoffed. “But Justin is the best this agency’s got…so anyone have any ideas?”
Ideas were passed back and forth but Jenny was oblivious to it. She had grown rather fond of the handsome agent and would hate to see him go but knew it would be the only way to keep him. After tossing ideas back and forth in her head for a few minutes she finally spoke up.
“I think I may have an idea, sir.”
All eyes turned to her, most having forgotten about her in her silence. When she had everyone’s attention she proceeded.
“Agent Justin Timberlake has a few more months to lay low so I say we send him home. He lives further up north anyways so if he took his work with him what could it hurt? I’m sure his family would love to see him. If I thought I lost a loved one I would be thrilled and relieved to know he wasn’t really dead. He would have his freedom, we wouldn’t have to listen to Karl’s bickering and Mr. Timberlake would still work for the agency…everyone would win.”
Hank looked thoughtful for a minute but smiled. “It’s a great idea, when this is over you can go tell him but now that that is settled we can get back to the other matters we still need to discuss”
Jenny nodded and smiled; she couldn’t wait to see his face when he heard the news.
... … … … …
Justin growled angrily as he looked at the clock for the umpteenth time in 20 minutes. He was growing anxious and upset.
“Damn it!” he cursed as he threw the hackey sack against the adjacent wall.
“Watch it there agent.”
Justin jumped up when he heard the voice behind him and turned. “Sorry Jenny, what’s up?” he asked
Jenny fought to hide a smile and held out an envelope to him. He looked from her to the envelope and back again; an eyebrow arched in question.
“What’s this?” he asked as he took it.
“That, agent, is your itinerary. Pack your bags agent because day after tomorrow you’re going home. You’re plane leaves from San Diego at 4:45 am and you’ll arrive around 7:45 am…”
Justin's mouth dropped open and he pulled the paper out of the envelope and looked it over to make sure she wasn’t lying. Sure enough it said everything she had just told him.
“This is real?”
Jenny smiled, pleased she could bring such joy to his already handsome features.
“Indeed it is, the only thing is you’ll have to take your work with you and not venture into LA for any reason. You must also send a monthly report to Karl or myself for review other than that just lay low and enjoy yourself”
Justin was so thrilled he could hug her. “Wow, thank you so much.”
Jenny smiled softly, and letting her guard down rose on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, “Glad to help. Take care of yourself though Agent. We’re still going to need you.”
Justin nodded, “I will, and thanks again.”
They shook hands professionally and then Jenny took her leave so Justin could have his privacy and pack. As soon as Jenny left Justin fell back onto his bed, a wide smile gracing his features in shock and pleasure; his only thought,
‘I’m FINALLY going home!!!!’
He couldn’t wait to see his sister and Amber. He knew that she was serious about Lance but he knew he wouldn’t give up on her. He would never hurt her purposely to sabotage her relationship with Lance but he intended to show her that he was still in love with her and she with him; he hoped with everything in him that she still was. If she didn’t he intended to make her love him again to show her that they were meant to be together and that he would always love her.
He smiled softly, he would win her back and he prayed she would come willingly. The last kiss they shared came back to mind and his heart skipped a beat; closing his eyes he allowed himself to dwell on that memory and with a smile on his face he fell asleep; dreaming of the time when they would be together again.
... … … … …
“Stop it!”
Lance glanced down into his girlfriend’s face and smiled as he watched her laugh and felt her squirming beneath him as he tickled her.
“Then say you’re sorry” he said lightening up with his fingers to let her breath.
“But that would be lying…my mommy taught me to never lie.”
Lance chuckled at her feigned innocence and exhaled a deep breath while shaking his head disappointedly, “Well then you leave me no choice but to tickle you again!” Amber squeaked as his fingers started moving again.
“Stop it I’ll scream!” she panted through her laughing as she writhed beneath him.
Lance smirked mischievously and shook his head,
“No you won’t,” he stated as a matter of fact.
When Amber opened her mouth to scream Lance’s mouth lowered to hers. After a few moments when he felt amber responding to his kiss he quit tickling her and instead let his hands trail down her sides tenderly.
A few minutes later he pulled away and looked into his girlfriend’s flushed face, and how her chest rose and fell with her heavy breaths. He smiled sweetly at her and brushed her hair back from her face,
“I love you,” he whispered.
Amber felt her heart stop for a moment, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips nervously. “What did you say?”
Lance kissed her lips chastely and brushed his knuckles down her cheeks before repeating himself, “I’m in love with you Amber.”
Her mouth opened to say something and then shut again, not knowing how to respond. She cared deeply for him but she wanted to be sure it was love before uttering those words back. Lance seemed to notice this and pressed a kiss to her forehead gently.
“I’m not asking you to say those words back to me right now. I just want to let you know how I’m feeling…how I’ve felt for awhile now but didn’t know how or when to tell you. I want you to tell me in your own time though. I don‘t want to pressure you.”
Amber felt herself tear up at his thoughtfulness and smiled up at him, “Thank you.”
“No problem sweetheart.”
He closed her in his arms and was content just to hold her; relieved to have his feelings for her out in the open and hoping for the day when she would say the words back to him.
... … … … …
Justin stepped off the plane and sighed deeply. ‘It’s good to be home.’
He took in the sights around him and smiled.
“Justin!”
He had no more than stepped into the baggage claim area then he heard his sister’s voice calling out to him. He turned quickly and saw his sister’s petite form running into his arms. He hugged her tightly and swung her around before holding her away from him to peruse her.
It had been almost 3 years since he had seen her and she had grown by a few inches though still petite and her golden brown hair was styled differently but she was still his beautiful baby sister. Swiping the tears that ran down her cheeks away softly he hugged her gently.
“I missed you kid.”
“I missed you too Justin, welcome home.”
“It feels great to be back.”
Laura-Kathrine laughed through her tears of joy upon seeing her brother ‘back from the grave’. Justin smiled, feeling the same way but holding his emotions at bay for a more private location.
“You look good KL.”
Laura-Kathrine smiled mischievously over at him as they walked to the car, “If you think I look good you should see Amber.”
Justin chuckled, “Still the matchmaker I see.”
Laura-Kathrine giggled, “True, but when it came to Amber you did your own matchmaking.”
Justin shook his head and climbed into the passenger seat. “This is true, how is she by the way?”
“She’s doing fine, her and Lance are taking a carriage ride tonight followed by a picnic up at Holly Point…she really likes him Justin.”
Justin sighed, “I know but I’m not going to give up on her just yet. Anyways enough about Amber how are things between you and Travis?”
Laura-Kathrine shook her head and glanced quickly over at her brother as she had been doing since they left the airport unable to believe he was really there. “I broke up with him.”
“Why?”
“He was too clingy, too demanding. He wouldn’t let me pursue anything I wanted to. It was either give up my dreams for him or give him up and I want someone who’ll support me either way. With all my dreams or if I had no dreams and Travis just wouldn’t.
He said I spent too much time with my head up in the clouds then I did with him…I was getting sick of it so I broke up with him over dinner night before last.”
Justin thought she was wise in doing so, wanting better for his sister than that. “I’m sorry for you but I think you did the right thing, you deserve better.”
She smiled softly, “Thanks Justin.”
She turned onto their road and stopped the car in front of their house with a happy sigh.
“Welcome home Justin.”
Justin smiled over at her before taking in the sights around him. He breathed in the scent of pine and the scenic view from their acreage surrounding Lake Tahoe; the familiarity washing over him like a wave.
“It’s great to be back Laura-Kathrine…it’s great to be back.”
Wrapping his free arm around his sister’s shoulders brother and sister slipped inside the house; all the while Justin was thinking, ‘There is no place I’d rather be. It truly is good to be home!’
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