Evan woke at four-thirty. This would be the last opportunity he had to be with Ginger for maybe a week, and he wasn’t about to miss it. He slid his hand between her legs and slipped his fingers between her folds. She moaned and rolled her head toward him, so he gently kissed her lips as he reminded her it was time to get up. She spread her legs for him so he rolled on top of her. “Mmmm,” left her lips as he kissed his spot. It didn’t take long before she was ready for him to slide into the place that was made just for him.

“Darlin’,” he whispered as he peppered kisses from her neck to her lips.

She was barely awake when she mumbled, “I like this wake-up call.”

“I needed to be inside of you one more time before I leave.”

“I was dreaming about you.” She weakly smiled.

“You gonna to stay out of trouble while I’m gone?”

“Uh huh.”

“Look at me. I wanna see your eyes.”

She blinked her eyes a few times to get them to cooperate while he etched this moment into his memory. It’d serve him well while he was gone. The moment he felt her inner muscles tighten around him and heard her moan his name, he came undone. He lowered his face to his spot and sucked. She’d have a visual reminder of their activities this morning by the time the sun rose. He felt her bite his shoulder as he emptied himself inside her—too bad he had on a condom.

They lay entwined for a few minutes before he reminded her they had to leave. As it turned out, they were ahead of schedule which meant they’d have time for a quick breakfast so he moved to get up and pulled her with him. He went to the closet to get his clothes as she went to the bathroom. She finished with the toothpaste and handed it to him when he walked in while he gave her the hand towel before she even reached for it. When they were ready, he waited for her by the door and opened it as she approached. “This is why I don’t like working with photographers on shoots. I hate the ass crack of dawn.”

“I’ll drive. That way the sun will be up before you have to get behind the wheel. Do you have everything you need?”

“Purse with license, travel coffee, and love of my life, yes,” she said with a smile.

“You’re making it harder for me to leave, you know that?” He grabbed her around the neck and kissed her passionately.

They arrived early enough that Ginger was able to walk in with him. Evan didn’t check his bag, so they had extra time before he had to go through security check. She used the restroom while he grabbed them coffees. When she walked out, she was green. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone was in there puking, and I gagged with them before I could get out.” She shook her head.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

He kissed her forehead. “If you leave now, you should be close to home by the time I take off. My flight is scheduled to depart at ten. Text me when you get there. If I haven’t heard from you, I’ll call before I have to turn off my phone. Please be careful and don’t take any chances.”

“You know I’ve been traveling by myself for years. I’ve done all right so far. You be careful. We’ll talk before you take off. What time will you get in?”

“It’s a four hour flight, but I have a layover in Chicago. With the time difference, I should get in around three o’clock here if there aren’t any hiccups. I love you, darlin’.” He cupped his hands around her face and kissed her as if his life depended on it.

“I love you, too. I don’t want to leave you,” she said when they ended the kiss.

“Me neither, but you’ve got to make it home before I take off.” He patted her ass. “Scoot.”

He saw tears in her eyes as she backed away from him. When she was about ten feet away, she turned toward the door. He watched her walk through the airport as she wiped her eyes. When she reached the door she turned around and blew him a kiss, and it took everything in him not to run after her. She had quickly become his world with her tender heart and sassy attitude. For the first time in a long time, he knew where he belonged. The sooner he got to Iowa, the sooner he could get home. Home. She was his home. He continued watching her until she was out of sight then made his way through security. The lines were long, but he had plenty of time.

He found his gate and waited for business class to be called. When he finally boarded he saw Suzie, a stewardess he knew better than most, as he made his way up the flight ramp. He tried to avert his eyes before she saw him, but it was too late. He hadn’t told Ginger about his induction into the Mile High Club a few years back because he didn’t think about it at the time, plus the sex club was enough for anyone to deal with.

“Well hello, Evan.”

“Suzie.”

She leaned into him and whispered, “We may have time for a little fun once we get to cruising altitude.”

“Not this trip, but thanks for the offer.” He made his way to his seat and noticed the pout she gave him. Evan immediately pulled out his phone and called Ginger. She should be close to home by now.

“Hey, babe.”

She’d never used a pet name for him before so Evan was a little taken aback. “Ginger?”

“Hey. Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, darlin’. You’ve just never called me that before.” He was trying to keep his voice as low as possible, but needed to hear hers one more time.

“Just trying it on, but I think it fits. What do you think?”

“I like it. Where are you?”

“Just pulling into the driveway.”

“Good. Remind me to tell you about something later, all right?”

“That sounds serious.”

“No, but it does fall under our no secrets rule. I was just reminded of something when I got on the plane.”

“Anything that I need to worry about?”

“God, no. I’ve already told you I don’t cheat.”

“Okay, are you on the plane now?”

“Yeah, and it’s starting to fill up.”

“I’ll let you go. Talk to you in a few hours. Let me know if you run into any delays.”

“I will.” He disconnected the call and closed his eyes. They’d basically been attached at the hip for the last six weeks so it felt as if part of him was missing when she wasn’t with him, but he couldn’t hide the smile she put on his face.

Suzie walked by and told him to turn off his phone. Even though her words were cordial, her tone was anything but. “Who put that smile on your face? Your next hookup?”

“My fiancée.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you were seeing anyone. You’ve always said you’re too young to settle down.”

“Yeah, well, that was before I met Ginger.”

“Congratulations, I hope everything works out for you.” Suzie walked off with a little extra swing in her hips.

Evan’s flight left on time and everything went smoothly until the descent into Chicago. He had an hour layover, which should’ve given him plenty of time to make it to his next gate, but as they descended the pilot announced some flights had changed terminals and his was one of them. He checked the flight boards as soon as he disembarked to find his gate was on the opposite side of the airport. He’d be lucky if he made it. Since he carried on his bag, he took off running and wasn’t the only one. He jumped onto the moving sidewalks as often as possible to make faster time. “Coming through!” he yelled. People jumped to the right as he ran past them. When he arrived at his gate, he was out of breath, but the lady took his ticket before they closed the doors. As he took his seat, there was no time for him to text Ginger.

Thankfully the last leg of his trip was short so he was able to close his eyes and relax without being disturbed. As soon as he landed he noticed a text from Ginger so he sent her a quick reply as he walked toward the long-term secured parking garage where Betty had been waiting. Once he’d let Ginger know he’d landed, he looked at his other texts. There was one from Mitchell that he’d deal with later, and one from Thomas regarding the Judge.

He found Betty and stroked her rear end. “Did you miss me, girl?” He popped her trunk and tossed in his bag then let his hand glide along her side until he reached his door. She unlocked with a chirp, and he slid into the leather seat as he cranked her up. In the enclosed garage, she was really loud and he loved the sound. He plugged in his iPod and turned on his driving playlist. First up was “Black Betty” by Ram Jam.

Let’s do this.

He left the space, and revved her engine. By the time he’d paid the attendant, he’d seen several heads turn and fingers stuck in ears which caused him to grin. Once out on the road, he took the long way to his apartment because he’d missed driving her. She was as responsive as Ginger, just in a different way, which brought an even bigger smile to his face.

As soon as he cleared his apartment door, he hit her speed dial number and flipped through his mail until she picked up. “Hey, babe.”

“Still trying it out?”

“Still think it fits.”

“It’s growing on me.”

“No one’s ever called you that before?”

“Not that I can recall.” He shook his head because he’d never been with anyone long enough for a pet name. This was all new to him. “I just walked in the door and couldn’t wait to hear your voice.”

“I’ve just been lying around today. I miss you. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“You should get a lot of articles written then. Have you started the restaurant one?”

“Not yet. What are you doing tonight?”

“I need to respond to Mitchell’s message so I can’t wait too late.”

“You said you had something you needed to tell me when you were on the plane.”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Under our no secrets rule, I’m disclosing something I haven’t thought about in a while. A couple of years ago I became a member of the Mile High Club.”

“Getting on the plane reminded you of that?”

“No, the flight attendant that inducted me did. She was working my flight from Charlotte to Chicago. She even offered a repeat performance, but I said no. She asked who put the smile on my face, and I told her my fiancée did.”

“I see.”

“Ginger, I’d much rather tell you face to face, but I didn’t wanna wait.”

“Are you sure you want just me ‘til death do us part?”

“Yes. More now than ever. Before I was just going through the motions of living. Now, you give me someone to come home to. Someone who is my home. Remember, just because I’m not with you doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about you. You’re always on my mind. I’m coming home to you, darlin’, just as soon as I possibly can.”

“You’ll let me know if you ever want out before you cheat?”

“Yeah, but it ain’t gonna happen.”

“If you say so.”

Dammit! Evan heard her walls going up. If he ever met David Fuckhouse, he was going to beat him to a pulp. He wanted his sassy Ginger back and knew how to bring her back to them, to their connection. He sent a link to a song before he said, “Go to our bathroom.” When he heard the ding on her phone he said, “Open that link and listen to the song when we hang up.” It was “Carolina” by Parmalee and he’d saved it for when they’d be apart. “Are you in front of the mirror yet?”

“Yes.”

“Move the hair from the left side of your neck. Do you see that mark?”

She gasped. “I don’t remember you putting a hickey on me. Evan!”

“I did it this morning when we made love while you were half asleep. That’s my mark. If you need a reminder of who you belong to, who loves you, look at it and remember when you got it. I love you, Ginger. No cheating from either side. Got it?”

“Yes, I love you, too. I can’t wait for you to get home. Maybe I’ll write a different kind of article while you’re gone.”

She was back. He heard the playfulness in her voice. “And what kind would that be?” he chuckled.

“I’m thinking of titling it ‘Top Ten Things To Have Ready When Your Man Comes Home From A Trip’. Do you think the title is too long?”

He chuckled. “What things are you gonna have ready?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t written the article yet.” The laughter in her voice made him smile.

“I don’t wanna hang up, but I’ve got to call Mitchell. Are you okay with what I told you?”

“Did you get a membership card for that club too? ‘Cause if you did, I want that one as well.”

He laughed and shook his head. “No, but if I did I’d gladly give it to you. I’m in a single member club now, and I love it there.”

“Good night, Evan.”

“Good night, darlin’.”

As soon as he disconnected the call he wanted to call her back. She was the piece that had been missing from his life. She made him whole. How was he going to function with half of himself more than halfway across the country? God, he missed her already.

Before he checked in with Mitchell, he took a shower to get rid of the travel grime and get his head straight. As the hot water ran over his body, his mind drifted back to things Ginger had said over the last few weeks. “No one’s ever touched me there before.” He stiffened. “I’ve never felt this connected to anyone before.” He was hard as stone as he washed his hair and lathered his body. “The soul you wanted. The soul you now possess.” He stroked his cock as he thought of her. He knew he had to talk to Mitchell sooner rather than later. “You can trust me. I do.” “Ahh.” He came so hard he had to brace himself on the shower wall while the water ran over his neck and back. Once he could make himself move, he knew what he wanted. Evan wouldn’t tell him about the engagement until they were all together, but he wanted to go back to South Carolina. He wiped the fog off the mirror and took a long look. Was that the life he really wanted? “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!” She was the life he wanted more than anything, so he searched for his phone.

The call with Mitchell would determine how he handled the meeting with his Captain the following morning. Mitchell answered on the second ring.

“You landed?”

“I’ve been back for a while. I called Ginger first, man. How are things there?”

“Your group of merry men is meeting here Friday, but that’s not what I needed to talk to you about.”

“Everything okay? Kayla?”

“Yeah, but this has to do with the ranch.”

“You have my attention. When’s the security system being installed?”

“Friday. Listen, Mr. Hamilton and I are meeting with a small grocery store chain. One of the things they’re known for is supporting local farmers and ranchers. If we agree to be one of their suppliers, we’ll need to increase the herd and buy those couple of acres above ours. What do you think?”

“Can we afford to do that? Are we gonna need to bring on more men?” Please say yes.

“That’s where you come in. Were you serious about coming back here and possibly working at the ranch?”

Evan massaged his forehead. “I’ve been away from Ginger for about ten hours and I’m already climbing the damn walls. Even if I have to wait a while to get back into law enforcement, I wanna help with the ranch as long as it can sustain paying me.”

“Whether we get the contract or not, it can pay you. I’ve got real estate projects I need to check on and haven’t been able to. An extra set of hands would be greatly appreciated.”

“Sounds like I’ll be resigning instead of requesting a transfer. Do me a favor? Y’all don’t tell Ginger. I wanna surprise her.”

“You got it. Things still going good with her? Did she take you by her and Mak’s favorite store?”

“Better than you know. We’ll talk about it when we see y’all. What store?”

Mitchell busted out laughing. “You haven’t noticed a chest or costumes in her closet?”

“I was only there for one night and had other things on my mind. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Search ‘The Treasure Trail’ in Spartanburg, man. That’ll keep you busy for a while.”

He’d been forthcoming with everything in his past, why hasn’t she mentioned a store. With a name like The Treasure Trail, it could only be an adult store. He let out an exasperated sigh and changed the subject. “Have y’all set a wedding date?”

“If I had my way, it’d be as soon as your ass hits the ranch. I can’t get married without by brother beside me. Mak needs to decide if she wants a big wedding or a small one. I keep pushing for small.”

“Hurry the hell up.”

“What’s the rush?”

“I’m not waiting another five years for y’all to get your shit together for a wedding. I’m not waiting, got it?”

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Yeah, make a fucking decision by the time I see you.”

“Which will be?”

“Less than two weeks, I hope.”

“All right, man, I’ll see what I can do. Good night.”

“Good night.”

* * *

The next morning Evan woke with a text from Ben. He returned the call as he dressed for work with hopes of good news. There had to be headway soon.

“Stevens.”

“Ben, I just got your text. Mitchell said y’all are meeting at the ranch tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but I need to run something else past you.”

“Shoot.”

“Someone passed a marked bill yesterday. It was one of ATF’s. Apparently, you guys used it in a gun buy several months ago in Nebraska. Ring any bells?”

“I did a couple sales to our guys for Masterson Investments with Carlos. Could’ve been from either of them. I’m sure we used marked bills, but don’t know how much or which sale. Who passed the bill?”

“Chief Curtis Taylor. The bank went through proper notification procedures, and I received the call.”

“Where did he use it?”

“Jimmy’s Garage. The bank called Jimmy about it yesterday morning, and I met with Jimmy yesterday afternoon. He said he has a kid helping him part-time and the kid was the one on the register. Curtis bought a candy bar and drink with a hundred. Jimmy remembered because the boy said it took almost all the small bills he had for change. I asked him not to say anything because we’re trying to find where it originated.

“I gave him my card and told him to call me if he sees another transaction like that. If he were in on it he’d have called someone as soon as I was out the door, but instead I watched him walk into one of the bays and crawl under a Chevy. Do you think he’d help launder money?”

Evan sipped his coffee. “Jimmy may get some of his used parts by questionable means, but I don’t think money laundering is something he’d keep up with.”

“What do you mean by questionable means?”

Evan finished his coffee and walked to his bedroom as he said, “Rumor has it he’ll drive around different counties and make note of cars on the side of the road or sitting on cinder blocks. The next day he’ll drive back around. If those cars are still there, he may or may not help some of the engine parts to find new homes. He’s never been caught doing it, but that’s the rumor.”

“So if the Chief has been looking the other way on how he gets his used parts, then Jimmy may be so inclined to make change for the Chief,” Ben said contemplatively.

“There’s no way for Jimmy to know the money was marked. Hell, has there ever even been counterfeit money reported in Riverton Crossing?”

“Not to my knowledge. I’ll ask Secret Service if they have record of anything.”

“You may need to talk with my brother about a briefcase he saw exchange hands. Masterson Investments handed it off to Chief Taylor and Mr. Jones from the local bank. Tell Sam he needs to call Nathan. Nathan’s ATF, and was present at the time of the exchange. The currency could be coming from that briefcase. Mitchell also saw Curtis follow Mr. Jones into the bank with it.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to him before the others arrive tomorrow. Have you spoken with the Sheriff or the Judge?”

“No, but I hear the Judge is pissed because y’all won’t release the body for a funeral.”

“Yeah, he’s called me a couple of times yelling about that, but until the lab is done with it there’s nothing I can do. The guys from the lab say a couple more days. I told him today I hoped he could take the body by Monday and reminded him his boy’s body is the only thing we have to link his death to the murderer. He seemed to calm down after that.”

“Good. I also need to warn you. After today, I won’t have any federal authority to help you. I’m resigning.”

“What the hell, Evan? You drag me into this shit and you’re resigning?”

“You would’ve been dragged in anyway. I just gave you a head start. There are some personal things going on that I can’t discuss right now, but I’ll be at the ranch. Maybe I can do some private consulting,” he said with a chuckle. “Just don’t say anything until I get back.” Evan bent to tie his dress shoes.

“Well hell, part of me is jealous.”

“I’ve got to leave in a few. Let me know how things go tomorrow.”

“Will do.”