Chapter 33
It was good to be home. Taryn had tried to tell Jace that she was all right, but he doted on her. And truth be told, she loved it.
“Here’s your tea,” Jace said as he set the mug on the table beside her.
Her right arm was heavily bandaged. It would be weeks before she could move it properly. She had already set up physical therapy appointments for when the time came. She smiled and reached for the giant mug with her left hand. “Thank you.”
“How’s the pain?”
Right before Taryn took a sip, she said, “Manageable.”
“I know we just got home, but…”
She quirked a brow when Jace trailed off. “But people want to come over,” she said with a grin.
“I can tell them no.”
“As long as I can sit right here and drink my tea, they’re welcome.”
Jace leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “That’s good because they’re all outside. Cooper just texted me.”
Taryn laughed and shook her head. “Go let them in.”
“Come in, y’all!” Jace yelled.
A heartbeat later, the door opened. Within minutes, Taryn was surrounded. She saw balloons wishing her well, flowers, and gift bags, all set around her. She looked at the people who were a part of Jace’s life—and now hers—and started crying.
“Baby?” Jace asked as he rushed to her. “Are you in pain?”
She shook her head, hating that her emotions had run so high since the incident at the hospital. Taryn wiped at her tears and smiled at everyone. “Some might feel sorry for me because I’ve lost my family. They would be wrong. Because as I look at everyone in this house, I realize that I have a family.”
“A rather large one,” Sharon, Jace’s mother, said as she walked up. “Honey, I’m so happy you’re back and married to Jace.”
More tears fell from Taryn’s eyes as she hugged Sharon.
“I’ve waited a long time to have a daughter-in-law,” Jace’s father, Alan, said as he approached and hugged Taryn. Then he turned to Jace. “We’ll have a talk later about you leaving for such a mission without telling your mom and me.”
Jace sat beside Taryn and took her left hand. “When it comes to Taryn, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
They shared a smile as conversation started among the others. Then Ryan approached.
“I should’ve told you,” he said then looked at Jace. “I should’ve told you both.”
Taryn shook her head. “You were protecting your cousin.”
Ryan removed his cowboy hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. We haven’t spoken in years. It was a shock to find him in Clearview.”
“We tried to get information about Brick before we left the hospital, but no one would tell us anything. And I couldn’t get in touch with you,” Jace said.
Ryan turned his hat around in his hands. “Between talking to doctors and the FBI, I turned off my phone. Brick is alive, but he has a long recovery ahead of him. One of the bullets missed his heart by millimeters.” The chief shook his head. “One entered his lung, and the other got lodged in a rib. That doesn’t even include the one he took to the back that Boyd managed to fire off when Brick attacked.”
“Boyd must have known that Brick was undercover,” Jace replied.
Ryan shrugged. “Brick said he followed Boyd into the building, and Boyd was there with a gun. They fought, and Brick knocked the weapon away, but Boyd had another.”
Taryn sipped her tea. “How did Brick know that Boyd was in the hospital?”
“He knew Boyd’s mother worked there. Once he realized that both of you had been taken there, he knew it was only a matter of time before Boyd or someone came for you,” Ryan explained. “Brick was on his way to recovery to watch over you when he saw you slip away. He tried to get to you when Mona found you. After that, it was just a matter of him following you and waiting for Boyd to get there.”
“I owe him so much,” she said.
Jace tightened his fingers around her hand. “We both do.”
Ryan’s gaze dropped to the floor. “He was just doing his job, but if I see him, I’ll let him know what y’all said.”
Taryn frowned. “What do you mean if you see him?”
“We’ve not had the best relationship.” Ryan cleared his throat and put his hat back on his head. “There’s a lot of bad history between us.”
Taryn caught his gaze. “You nearly lost him. The past shouldn’t mean as much as we make it out to. Forget it, and the old hurts. Embrace the fact that you have your cousin back in your life.”
“If I’m able, I want to talk him into coming and living with me.” Ryan’s lips tilted into a smile. “He always did love horses, and I’ve got plenty for him to be around. It would give him a place to heal and would let us connect again.”
Jace shot Ryan a wide smile. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. You should probably tell him soon.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said with an absentminded nod. “I should.”
And with that, the police chief jumped up and rushed out of the house.
“What was that all about?” Danny asked as he walked over.
Jace shook his head with a grin. “I think Ryan is making another trip back to Fort Worth.”
“To see his cousin? Good,” Danny said. He looked at them. “Can I sit?”
Jace motioned to a chair. “Of course.”
Once seated, Danny sighed. “I wanted to say that while I still don’t agree with what all of you did, I’m glad it turned out as well as it did.”
“I hear you’re part of the reason,” Jace said.
Taryn jerked her head to Jace. “What?”
Jace glanced at her before he looked back at Danny. “Seems Danny called some friends and was in Fort Worth at the same time we were. He was the one who vouched for Ryan when the Rangers found him.”
“I had no idea,” Taryn said to Danny. “Thank you.”
Danny bowed his head. “I’m glad I could help.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you and Ryan,” Taryn said.
Danny raised his hand to stop her. “There’s no need for you to apologize. You had your reasons, and I respect that. I just wanted to say congratulations on the nuptials.”
“Thank you,” Jace said as he gave her a quick kiss.
Taryn smiled at Danny. “Yes, thank you.”
“Looks like the only single one left is Ryan,” Danny pointed out.
“Don’t forget Cash and Brick.” Taryn then frowned. “Or is Brick married?”
Danny and Jace exchanged a look before Jace shrugged. “None of us know much about Brick. Is that even his real name?”
“He’s been undercover for years,” Danny said. “I’m sure there is a lot about him no one knows. I did find out that he worked intelligence in the military before moving to the FBI.”
Jace’s brows shot up on his forehead. “Interesting.”
Danny got to his feet and tipped his hat to Taryn. “Welcome home. I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of each other.”