Hard Evidence (30 page)

Epilogue

Tessa sat on the front porch with Kara, the two of them sipping southern sweet tea and watching their husbands discuss Monday's special Senate committee hearing, in which Julian was to play a major role.

"I chair the committee, so I'll introduce the bill and give you about ten to fifteen minutes to address the senators," Reece explained, looking anything but senatorial in a grubby T-shirt, cutoffs, and sandals. "Then I'll open it up to questions. It's hard to say how long that part of your testimony will last—probably half an hour to an hour."

In the aftermath of Operation Abolish and in response to Tessa's investigation, Reece had forced the state legislature into special session, introducing an emergency bill that would create a statewide human-trafficking taskforce, training law enforcement at all levels to address the crime. The bill also set aside funds for programs to aid homeless youth and to rehabilitate trafficking victims. It was a bold bill, and the
Denver Independent
had thrown its editorial weight behind the measure.

"Remember to address me as Mr. Chairman and to refer your answers to me," Reece added. "The other members of the committee are referred to as 'Senator So-and-So.'"

"Got it." Julian wore an old pair of jeans and an equally grubby T-shirt, his hair loose around his shoulders, his expression serious. He looked younger these days, happier, the hard lines of his face seeming to have softened. "Will the hearing be open to the public?"

"Yes," Reece nodded, "and you can expect a media circus."

"He isn't nervous, is he?" Kara whispered, reaching for her hungry baby, who had begun to fuss in Tessa's arms.

Tessa gave four-week-old Brendan a kiss on his downy head and reluctantly handed him back to his mother. "Are you kidding? Julian's terrified. This is completely new to him."

She looked over at the man she loved, felt something swell inside her. So much was new to Julian. In the past seven months, he'd gone from living in the shadows to owning a home, from being a loner to having a doting mother-in-law and a circle of close friends, from having no love in his life to having a wife. He'd gone from special agent to police detective, and he'd done it more smoothly than Tessa could have imagined.

That's not to say there hadn't been problems. It was taking time for Julian to get used to making decisions as two people instead of just one. He was so protective of Tessa that it sometimes got on her nerves. He still swore too much. And then there was his tendency toward secrecy. Tessa could understand encrypting information about their bank accounts and credit cards. But their gym membership?

Still, Julian never let her doubt for a moment that he cherished her, proving his love in so many ways. In the kindness he showed her mother and Frank, who were getting married in June. In the respect he demonstrated for her unfolding career. In the way he listened when she needed to talk. In his skill with the espresso machine. In the way he made delicious love to her at night—and any other time of the day, if the opportunity arose.

Tessa hadn't dreamed she'd ever feel this content, so many pieces of her life fitting perfectly together. Although it had been hard to leave the I-Team, she couldn't very well keep the cop beat when her husband was a member of the force. Like Kara, she'd opted to go the freelance route, doing investigative articles for national magazines and writing nonfiction books. Working freelance made it possible for her to be home during the day, to arrange her own schedule, and to spend more time with Julian.

She spent no small amount of that time worrying about him. His job was still too dangerous to suit her. Late-night surveillance. No-knock raids. Too much time on the streets. But it was a far cry from the sort of soul-shredding deep-cover work he'd done for the FBI, and he seemed to enjoy it. He and Chief Irving butted heads fairly often, but he seemed to enjoy that, too. The two of them had grown close, Chief Irving becoming a kind of father figure for Julian, even standing up with him at their wedding. Of course, if Reece's bill was signed into law, Julian would spend more time training other cops than working on the streets—which was just another reason Tessa wanted it to pass.

But Reece and Kara hadn't come over on their Saturday just so that Reece could coach Julian on Monday's testimony. Reece was also here to help Julian paint the trim. Lissy and Will would soon be joining them.

The historic Victorian house they'd bought had needed a fair amount of work, and painting the trim and the old picket fence was the last of it. The trim would be finished today, and Tessa hoped the fence would get done soon. It was more gray than white, the paint having chipped away to leave splinters. Some of the planks had come loose and leaned sideways like crooked teeth. It would take a lot of work to repair it—far more work than to have a landscaper install a new one—but for some reason Julian insisted on keeping and restoring it.

Maybe Tessa could ask Kara to nudge Reece into offering to help.

"Probably most of the objections you'll face will be from senators who don't believe trafficking is a big enough problem in the state to warrant legislative action," Reece said.

Julian shook his head as if unable to believe such nonsense. "I think I can handle those objections with no problem. We both agree that Tessa isn't testifying, correct?"

Reece looked over at Tessa. "Are you all right with that, Tess?"

Julian met Tessa's gaze. "You're not testifying. I don't want you to go through that again.
You've been through enough."

Tessa had been a witness at several trafficking trials, including John Wyatt's. Having to. describe her ordeal in the courtroom had reawakened her nightmares and left her feeling shaky for a week. "I'll do whatever you need me to do to ensure the bill passes."

Reece stood, walked over to Kara, and kissed Brendan on his fuzzy dark hair. "I think we've got it covered."

"Shall we get started?" Julian rose, glanced at his watch.

The men walked toward the side of the house—just as Lissy and Will pulled up in front.

"Slacker!" Reece shouted to Will. "We were supposed to get started an hour ago.
Where've you been?"

Will grinned, helping Lissy lift the infant seat out of their car. "William didn't want to wake up from his nap."

"Sure," said Julian, "blame the baby."

While the men got down to the business of paint and ladders, Lissy joined Kara and Tessa on the porch, looking stunning in a designer sundress, ten-week-old William wide awake and sucking on a pacifier.

Tessa scooped the baby up, kissed his pudgy cheek. "You look just like your daddy. I wonder if you'll grow up to be a football star."

"So, Tessa, I can't help but notice the way you've been fawning over babies lately. When are you and Julian going to have one of your own?" Kara asked, Brendan nursing drowsily at her breast, his hands bunched into tiny fists.

"We're waiting." Tessa adjusted William in her arms. "As much as we both want a baby, we also want a little time together first. Julian's had to adapt to so many changes in his life. I didn't want to make it harder on him by having a baby too soon. In July, we're taking that trip to Ireland to meet his mother's aunt. We plan to start trying when we get home."

While the men painted and sweated in the late-spring sunshine, Tessa and her friends chatted and started making salads and other treats for supper. They were in the middle of a discussion about the nonfiction book Tessa was writing on trafficking victims—she and Julian had flown to Mexico last month and met Maria Ruiz's family—when Sophie parked her Toyota out front and she and Holly strolled up the walk, each carrying a lawn chair.

"We heard the guys were painting your trim today," Sophie said.

"You came to help." Tessa opened the screen door to let them in. "Bless your hearts!"

"Oh, no! We're not here to help. Are you nuts?" Holly unfolded her chair in the middle of the lawn and sat. "We're here for the scenery."

Tessa gaped at them, not sure whether to laugh or feel irritated.

Lissy looked out the window. "Are they ogling our husbands again?"

"Let's join them," said Kara, smiling.

Julian looked down from the roof to find five pairs of sunglasses staring up at them, as if painting trim were a women's spectator sport. "Are they always like this?"

"Yes," Reece and Will said together, smiling.

Reece pulled his shirt over his head, dropped it to the ground below. "Personally, I enjoy being treated like a sex symbol— especially by my wife."

"Think of it as an investment." Will took off his shirt, as well, displaying his football-player physique. "You'll reap the benefits in the bedroom tonight."

Julian grinned. "All right then, boys—let's work it."

He pulled off his shirt, picked up his bottle of water and drank, letting it spill down his throat and over his bare chest.

From below, he thought he heard Holly groan.

By late afternoon, the work was done, the mess cleaned up, and the tools put away. Steaks were sizzling on the grill, and the women had set out a cooler of cold beer and other edibles to tide them all over till dinner.

"I guess all you have left is that old picket fence." Reece took a deep drink of his beer. "It could use some sanding, a few nails, and a couple coats of paint. I can pop by next weekend, and we can take care of that in a few hours."

"Thanks." Julian let his gaze travel the length of the worn fence. "I'll handle it."

"Are you sure? It's no problem."

"Thanks, Reece, but it's kind of my pet project. I've been saving it for last."

Dinner passed with laughter and conversation, continuing until after dark. Several times Julian got an odd feeling that he'd somehow stumbled into someone else's happy life. It was a feeling he got a lot these days. But Tessa was there beside him, her presence, her touch, the sound of her voice grounding him, making it real.

They saw their friends off together, walking them to their front gate, Tessa's fingers laced with his, her hand silky and warm. As the cars drove away, she glanced down at the fence and then up at him—and her eyes narrowed.

"Kara says you turned down Reece's help painting the fence."

Julian nodded. "It's something I want to do myself."

"What is it about you and this fence?"

Julian drew her into his arms, tried to find the words. "I guess a white picket fence stands for all the things I thought I'd never have and didn't deserve—a home, a wife, a family. Now it's a reminder to me never to take a single day for granted."

"Oh, Julian!" Tessa sniffed, her pretty eyes misting over. "And to me it was only a splintery old fence!"

"Well, it
is
a splintery old fence, but it's
our
splintery old fence."

Julian held her in the stillness, drinking in her scent, savoring the moment—the distant hum of the city, a hint of summer on the mountain breeze, a lazy quarter moon overhead.

"You know that stunt you pulled this afternoon where you let water pour down your bare chest?" Tessa slid a hand beneath his T-shirt.

"Mmm-hmm." He nuzzled her hair, his blood heating up.

Finally they were getting to the benefits Will had mentioned.

She ran her fingers through his chest hair. "It reminded me that it's been a while since we made proper use of our shower massager."

"Honey, I think you're right. It's been at least a week."

"Come." She took his hand, led him back toward the house, its windows spilling friendly golden light into the night.

And Julian knew he was home.