Chapter 7
“Welcome home Justin”
Justin smiled over at his sister before taking in the sights around him. He breathed in the scent of pine and took in 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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Justin had been home for a few days just relaxing and enjoying the time with his sister but he was itching to see Amber again. He didn’t know how to approach her though. With a sigh he crawled from his bed and turned on the computer. He found he couldn’t sleep and thought he’d just work for a few hours.
His fingers danced over the keys as he did his research for the case and he forgot the time or even where he was, he was completely focused on his work. A flashing box at the bottom of his screen pulled his gaze to it and he smiled to himself when he saw Amber had written him.
LittleLady22: Welcome back!
NiceGuy25: Thanks, how’ve you been?
LittleLady22: Excellent!!!! Life couldn’t be better…how about you?
Justin was pleased to hear she was happy but felt saddened to know her happiness wasn’t caused by him but by Lance.
He sighed heavily, ‘I’ve GOT to see her again but she would never agree to meet with me in person…she’d think I was lying’
He groaned wondering how he would ever see her again. When he glanced up at the screen again an idea formed in his mind.
‘it just might work’ he thought with a smile and began to type to her again.
NiceGuy25: Hey listen. I’m off on Saturday and was wondering if I could meet you in person for lunch?
Amber stared at the screen a few moments in her surprise at his question. It’d be nice to meet NiceGuy25. He seemed like a great guy and she felt close to him just by talking to him so after weighing the pros and cons she finally typed in an agreement.
LittleLady22: Sure why not?
NiceGuy25: :-D Great! How about at the old Mexican restaurant down by the lake around 2:30?
LittleLady22: I’ll be there but how will I know who you are?
NiceGuy25: Great! Oh believe me you’ll know me when you see me if not I’ll find you
LittleLady22: Okay, well I got to go. Bye Jared
NiceGuy25: Goodbye little lady
Justin signed off and leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t believe it. In just 2 days he would see Amber again. He could hardly wait.
……………………………….
“Wait you did what!?”
Laura-Kathrine had returned from work about 45 minutes ago. It was dark and she was tired; the last thing she had needed to hear when asking her brother about his day, was that he would be meeting with Amber in two days time under a fake name to get her to meet him. Justin chuckled at the look of complete shock on his younger sisters face and rose to hug her in reassurance.
“All I said was I’d like to meet her and then she would surely know me by face or if happen chance she didn’t I would surely recognize her…you think it’s a bad idea?”
Laura-Kathrine leaned back in her brothers arms with a heavy sigh, “No, I understand you want to see her…but surprising her like that I can guarantee won’t be in your best interest.”
Justin raked a hand back through his curly hair, “See that’s where you and I differ…I think if she knew I was alive and I suddenly called her she’d freak out and refuse to see me”
Laura-Kathrine laughed, “Probably right…she’d think someone was playing games with her”
Justin released his younger sister with a smile. “I knew you’d see things my way and believe me I’ll be careful with her”
“I know you will Justin…but when it came to you, you always held the power to hurt her without realizing it…I don’t think anything’s changed”
justin nodded grimly, “I can only hope it hasn’t…but I’m going to bed now…it’s been a long day”
Laura-Kathrine sat at the table with a cup of fresh coffee and looked over at her brother heading up the stairs; she still couldn’t believe he was there...staying with her in her house back from the dead. “Good night Justin”
Justin stopped on a stair and turned to peek down at his sister, “You don’t work tomorrow right?” he asked.
Laura-Kathrine cocked her head up to look at him and shook her head, “No why?”
Justin smirked at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye that made her think SHE was the older sibling.
“Want to make some mischief?”
Laura-Kathrine laughed loudly at him thinking how he really hadn’t changed any.
“Go to bed crazy man”
Justin pouted playfully and slowly trudged upstairs to bed; muttering quietly, but loudly enough for her to hear, about what a party pooper his younger sister was. Laura-Kathrine shook her head with a laugh.
‘It’s great to have you home Justin…I can only hope Amber thinks the same thing’.
…………………..
“Lance stop! If you keep doing that I’ll never have this pie done in time for dinner at your parents house”
Amber was baking an Dutch apple pie. Lance’s parents loved Amber and wanted her over for dinner that night with their son. It was hard to do however when he would come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist to plant kisses along her neck.
“You’re such a distraction!” she scolded him.
“I am not, you are”
Amber rolled her eyes, “And just HOW am I a distraction Lance?”
Turning her in his arms he trailed his knuckles down her cheek in a tender gesture.
“You’re just standing there looking so cute and innocent I can’t entertain thoughts on anything other than you”
Amber’s lips parted in surprise at his answer and Lance smiled, closing her mouth with his index finger.
She smiled, “You’re so cute Lance”
He bent to press a kiss to her full, soft lips, “So are you,”
She leaned back in his arms with a contented sigh. He was perfect. He wasn’t nor would he ever be Justin. True she didn’t feel the same electrifying shock every time she saw or kissed him, but there were sparks, he treated her like a princess…Turning in his arms she wrapped her own around his neck and drew his head down to hers for a kiss that quickly turned passionate.
She pulled away when she was out of breath and resting her forehead against his softly breathed, “I love you”
It was true. It wasn’t the same all consuming love she felt for Justin that had burned her but it was there just the same. She loved how she felt when he kissed her, loved how he made her laugh and whispered sweet things to her, how he didn’t push her towards intimacy…he was just Lance.
Lance drew back a step. “What?”
He hadn’t expected to hear those words so soon from her lips and wanted to be sure he had.
She grinned softly, obviously knowing what he was thinking. “I said I love you Lance”
His grin reached from ear to ear as he lifted her in his arms and spun her around. She giggled and he stifled it with a searing kiss.
“You just made me the happiest man alive”
He kissed her again.
She didn’t resist. He didn’t think she would.
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