Carly thought it was a shame the Newton Weekly Herald was an online only publication. It meant she couldn’t hold the paper with her story on the front page in her hands. She shrugged off the feeling and grinned at the computer screen in front of her. Her own smiling face with her name typed below it looked back at her, next to the title: Seven Arrested as Pollution and Murder Charges Brought Against Monroe Manufacturing Company. This was much better, she decided. It was digital, which meant it wouldn’t fade, yellow, and crumble into oblivion over time. Her first front page story about real bad guys would survive into perpetuity.

She felt something wet on her hand and smiled. “Hi, Gus,” she said, turning in her chair so she could snuggle the dog better.

“He’s glad you’re here.”

Carly glanced at Donovan, who stood leaning against the door frame. “I’m glad I’m here too,” she said. “Both in the sense of being at your apartment and also of being alive.”

Donovan grinned.

For about the hundredth time in the past two days, Carly felt a wave of thankfulness over how things had worked out. “I’m still not clear on everything from the other day,” she said as Donovan took a seat on a sofa across from where Carly sat. “It’s been so busy since it happened. Between all the interviews at the police station, my family and Penny wanting to see me, and writing the story, I haven’t had much time to get the scoop from you.”

Donovan nodded. “It has been pretty nuts. The scoop is that I wanted to talk to you after the story meeting that day. I’d been thinking about things and wanted to tell you I thought it would be better if you went to work at a different place. I was going to offer to get you in contact with the editor over at the Sioux Rivers paper. I followed you to the lobby, and when it was clear you were leaving, I jumped in my car and tailed you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, exactly. Since we lost Samantha, I’ve been on edge about all my reporters but especially you.” Donovan looked down at his hands. “It’s part of why I wasn’t giving you any real stories. I was a little afraid that Samantha had gotten into something with her reporting and it could happen to you too.”

Carly nodded. “Turned out you were right about that.” She’d been able to tell the police what Monroe’s goons had said about the whereabouts of Samantha’s body, and they’d found her the next day. RG, HH, and Stuart Monroe would most likely all be going to prison for a very long time.

“So, you followed me out to Pine Hills.”

“Yeah. I had to hang back once you parked so you wouldn’t see me and then try to catch up to keep you in sight. I’m lucky I happened to see you disappear down the side of that house or I would’ve lost you there.” His voice thickened, and Carly knew he was thinking about how, if he had lost sight of her at that point, she wouldn’t be alive now.

“I saw those guys hit you and take you into the plant,” he said. “I called the police and scrambled down the hill, over the river, and down to the fence line, but I couldn’t figure out how to get in at first.”

Carly’s eyes narrowed. “I tripped an alarm just walking toward that pipe they had out over the river. How did you get inside the plant?”

“Larry and Moe left the doors unlocked behind them.”

Carly giggled at Donovan’s reference to Stuart Monroe’s two stooges.

“They were so involved in carrying you and making sure they had your bag and everything that, when they went in the entrance in the fence and then into the plant, they didn’t lock the doors behind them. I just followed a few minutes later. Then I waited around a corner in the hallway until they left you in the room alone.”

Carly moved over to sit by Donovan, and he put his arm around her. She pulled her feet up onto the couch and curled into his side. He rested his cheek on her head.

They were silent for a few minutes and then Carly couldn’t hold back anymore. “So, are we a thing?”

She felt him smile. “Yeah. We are.”

“What about waiting until you’re thirty to find someone?”

He shrugged, making her head move. “Screw it.”

Carly climbed onto his lap and felt his hardness. She leaned in to kiss him, and he responded by running his hands up and down her back. After a few minutes, he stood, keeping her in his arms, and carried her into his bedroom. He pulled her clothes off quickly and was inside her faster than she’d thought possible. They made love slowly, exploring each other thoroughly, and when she cried out his name, he called hers too.

They collapsed onto the sheets together, panting. When he’d caught his breath, Donovan got up on an elbow to look at her. “It won’t be the same as our ocean fling,” he said. “There will be strings attached. Actually, more like ropes. Nice, thick ones that keep you safely beside me. You’re too stubborn and persistent to keep yourself out of danger.”

Carly opened her mouth to protest, but his hand had found its way in between her legs. She was shocked to find her body responding to him again so quickly. The last thing that raced through her mind before coherent thought wasn’t possible anymore was that she would be happy for life dodging danger with and making love to this man. As her hips rose to meet him, Carly pulled Donovan down and whispered in his ear, “I’m all yours. Ropes and all.”

The End