Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (free e reader .TXT) 📕

“Who says you’re going to lose me? Why can’t you apply that faith of yours to me, to know that I won’t take any unnecessary risks, that I will always come home to you and Jonah?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Sorrier than I can say. I can’t be the woman you need.” Tears filled her eyes.

Once more, he longed to brush them away, but he kept his hands at his sides. It took everything he had to not reach for her. “Is that it?”

In answer, she walked away.

Two weeks had passed since Paige had walked out of Liam’s house. And out of his life. A dozen times, two dozen times, she’d started to call him and tell him that she loved him no matter what, but she realized she’d be losing herself if she gave in to that temptation.

S&J headquarters was busy today, with clients and operatives coming and going. She managed to slip past Shelley’s office, made her way to her own, and, gratefully, closed the door. Resolutely, she started on the paperwork she’d promised herself she’d get to when she had time.

Well, she had time right now. Lots of time.

She finished the report on Liam’s case, the report she’d found one excuse after another not to complete. After copying it to both Shelley and Jake, she told herself that that chapter of her life was over. Without a new case to work on, she started backing up the files she’d neglected over the last weeks. Systematically, she went through the motions, but her mind—and her heart—were elsewhere. And would, she feared, remain so.

A pang of regret hit her as she thought of the last time she’d seen Liam. They had been so right together, in every way but one. How could she love another man whose job put him in danger?

The answer was simple—she couldn’t. Couldn’t give her heart to a man who could be taken away as Ethan had been.

There was only one problem with that: she was in love with Liam. He was strong without being dominating, tender without being weak. When she was with him, her knees turned to jelly. A half smile crossed her lips at the cliché. She supposed that was why the phrase had taken on cliché status—it was the truth.

After bringing up a favorite music app on her phone, she found a song that would drown out the sounds of her sick heart. Did hearts make noise outside of the normal beating? Apparently so. Hers was crying. Inside where it didn’t show but really hurt. She could hear it. Anyone listening could hear it. She was certain of it.

When Shelley poked her head in, Paige did her best to wipe her face clean. The last thing she wanted was her friend to know that she was mooning over a man she couldn’t have. However, she hadn’t reckoned with Shelley’s perception.

“What’s wrong?” No beating around the bush for Shelley.

“Nothing.”

“Liar,” Shelley said softly. “You’ve been moping around the office for the last two weeks. I let you get away with it because I figured you’d come clean eventually, but you haven’t. So, give.”

Paige didn’t answer directly. Instead, she asked, “How did you know that you and Caleb were right?”

“I didn’t. Not at first. I don’t think he did, either. But we got there. Partly because we’re both stubborn and when we want something, we go for it. Partly, also, because I knew that there would never be anyone else for me. Caleb was it.

“That doesn’t mean there weren’t bumps along the way. There were more than enough to go around, what with adopting Tommy and making him feel part of a family. Sometimes there still are, but we navigate our way through them. Do you want to know something I learned along the way?”

She didn’t wait for Paige to nod. “Life is fragile. We don’t know what will come, so whenever possible, choose joy. Joy is a choice, so when it presents itself, seize it with both hands and your whole heart and hold on to it.”

Paige heard the certainty in her friend’s voice. “Choose joy,” she repeated softly. “I like that.” How far did the bounds of friendship go? Dare she ask her next question?

“Are you ever afraid that something will happen and you won’t be able to...how did you put it...navigate your way through it?”

“Sometimes. But then I remember it’s not just Caleb and me and the kids. We have the Lord on our side. Remembering that makes all the difference.”

For all her talk of belief and faith, Paige realized she’d forgotten to take the Lord into account. He was always there, and, if she and Liam allowed Him to, He would seal His love upon them.

“You’re in love with Liam, aren’t you?”

Miserably, Paige nodded and shoved a fist in her mouth to quell the sob building in her chest. Realizing that she’d given herself away, she removed her fist and gave Shelley a wan smile. “How’d you guess?”

“How does he feel?”

“He said he loves me, and I believe him. But he wants something that I can’t agree to. He has an offer to join the US Marshals. He’s going to take it. He’d be great at it, but...”

“But you’re worried that something will happen to him,” Shelley guessed.

“What if I lose him? I don’t think I could bear it.”

“What if you don’t? What if you build a wonderful life together? But if something were to happen to him, would it hurt any less if you weren’t married to him? If you had to watch from afar, wanting to be there for him but knowing you couldn’t because you didn’t have the right?”

Paige could only stare at her friend. The simplicity of it stunned her. Of course it wouldn’t hurt any less if she had no official part of Liam’s life. She loved him. That didn’t go away just because she didn’t have a marriage certificate to prove it.

“Love is a