How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Esmeralda messaged Fleming early that morning, letting him know she'd be out of town on business. Only then did she learn Fleming had also been assigned to the same trip. Without hesitation, he drove straight to the Mercer residence to pick her up so they could head to the airport together.

When Elodie saw the group waiting ahead, she stopped and turned to Jarrod. "It's fine, you should go back."

Jarrod's gaze lingered on her, intense and unreadable. "Call me when you've landed,” he said. "I need to deal with some things at work, but once I'm done, I'll fly out to join you."

Elodie looked surprised. "You don't have to go through all that trouble."

"What, do you expect me to just sit around missing you?" His tone was remarkably calm-on that cool, aristocratic face, the words sounded almost out of place.

She hadn't expected him to take it that far.

"I'll come when I can get away. Then we'll head to New York together," Jarrod said, reaching up to gently pinch her cheek, a trace of reluctance in his eyes.

Even he thought he was being a bit clingy. He'd never used to be like this. Last night, just thinking about Elodie being out of his sight for two months had kept him restless and unable to sleep.

Two months felt impossibly long.

He'd never realized time could stretch out like this.

was still thinking about their child. She took a deep

watch

just

again. "I'm heading up now,

hands, and kissed her right on the lips, not caring

step back and raising an eyebrow, half-

going all around them, and some

a lovestruck teenager again. Everything about this

new.

fluttered, but she kept her

another word, she turned and walked

Jarrod watched until she

pull out his phone, scanning Andrea's latest updates. He was keeping tabs on Watts' situation, too. Even though Patricia's matter had been suppressed for now,

for Esmeralda. She pulled Esmeralda aside, catching a glimpse of Fleming out of the corner of her eye, and

Esmeralda hesitated. "Yeah."

"Spent the night together?"

throat and hooked her