Page 158 of Cuffed (Everyday Heroes 1)
“No worries, I have insurance.” He laughs as he holds our handcuffed hands up. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Eighteen Months Later . . .
The city’s lights begin to come alive as the night grows darker. I sit and stare at them because it’s all I can really do since Grant is sitting solemnly beside me without saying a word.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, knowing the case he’s investigating has been upsetting him. He won’t admit it, but it’s in his snap of temper and silence when he comes home after work.
It’s taken some getting used to him being a detective and having cases to become invested in versus his old job where he responded to a call and then left.
“I’m fine.”
When he asked if I wanted to take a drive and we ended up here, I wasn’t surprised. His thinking place. His temporary solace.
“When you look at those lights,” he finally says, voice gruff and eyes fixed ahead, “what do you think of?”
I look at him with a narrowed brow and try to figure out where he’s going with this. We’ve been up here dozens of times, and this is the first time he’s ever asked me that.
“I think each light tells a story of the person living beneath it.”
He nods slowly and falls silent again for a bit. “You know what I think? I think each one of those lights represents someone’s dream. Sometimes they flicker and fade and die out, and other times they grow brighter and stay lit forever.”
I startle at his statement, finding his thoughts to be quite profound. “I like that,” I say softly and lean my head gently on his shoulder.
Grant points to the far west where the skyline is lit up with lights. “What dream does that sparkle over there represent for you?” he asks.
“There are thousands of them.” I laugh. “How do I know which one you’re pointing at?”
“Just pick one.”
I do as he says and stare at it for a beat before I answer. “Wings Out. That’s definitely Wings Out because it’s the brightest one.”
He nods in acceptance of my answer. “And the sparkle over there?” He points to the east.
I play along and pick one out and stare at it. “That’s happiness. I never thought I’d find it and I have. You’ve helped me find it.”
“And that sparkle?” he points straight ahead of us.
“Wait. That’s not fair. It’s my turn to ask.” I pick a location he hasn’t done yet and point. “What dream of yours does that sparkle represent?”
He falls quiet for a moment as if he’s deep in thought. “You.”
“What? Oh. Grant. That’s so sweet.” I press my lips to his shoulder, my heart a jumbled mess of love for the man beside me.
“What about that sparkle over there?”
“You.” I smile, wanting to return the comment because I really do feel that way.
“Nope, you can’t steal my idea. I get to win the romance award tonight,” he says and chuckles as he presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Pick another dream.”
“Hm. It’s stupid and isn’t realistic . . .” I begin to explain.
“It’s a dream, Emmy, there is no such thing as reality. There’s just possibility. What is it?”
“That no one ever has to go through what I went through.” My voice is barely a whisper, but I know he heard me.
“I agree.”
“Okay. My turn,” I say, wanting to keep this mood upbeat so I can help cheer him up and pull his mind from work. “What dream does that sparkle represent for you?”
