Chapter 25

"Angels are like diamonds. They can't be made, you have to find them. Each one is unique."

–Jaclyn Smith

Jameson

I got the call while I was out grabbing lunch. Hearing Rayne's voice instantly excited me. Then her words sank in.

"Nadia just OD'd." Her voice was a little shaky. "I was able to bring her back, briefly. The EMTs are still working on her."

"Where are you?" I asked after hearing the weariness in her tone.

She was quiet for a moment as if she was thinking. "210 Cardinal Street."

"I'll be right there," I said, glancing around as I drove down the side streets. When I pulled up in front of the small house and parked next to Rayne's Jeep, the ambulance was just pulling away, sirens blaring.

Seeing the look on Rayne's face, I rushed to engulf her in my arms.

"It looks as if she'd been on a drug binge since the arrests," Rayne said into my chest. "Her place is a disaster."

I glanced over her head into the open door and could see the mess. I'd witnessed drug binges before. There was junk food trash, soda cans, needles, and drugs lying everywhere. Yeah, Nadia had locked herself away for at least a few days.

"Why'd you come here?" I asked, curious.

"Izzy visited me. She's pissed. Upset about you. Hurt about the arrests. She blames me." She sighed and leaned back. "Something she said nagged me enough to stop by. I had just picked up lunch to take to my mother. She finished her last chemo round and I wanted to celebrate with her. Besides, today is a jinx day." She shook her head. "I'll explain what that means later. Anyway, it nagged me. Izzy said that Nadia hadn't been around since the arrest. She thought we'd hauled her in too. Only…"

"We didn't," I supplied. "There was no evidence Nadia or Izzy were anything but entertainment to the Reapers."

Rayne nodded. "So I stopped by." She motioned with her head. "When she didn't answer, I looked in the window and saw her. I had to bust the door down. She was blue and barely breathing. While I was on with 911, she stopped breathing."

"You got here just in time," I said with a smile. "Sounds like whatever jinx you had paid off."

She closed her eyes. "I've been certified in CPR since I was fifteen. This is the first time I've ever had to use it. My brain just sort of… clicked into gear. I was afraid I'd forget the counts. Breaths versus compressions. I didn't." She smiled slightly.

I held onto her as a patrol car pulled up with Owen and his new partner, Simon, who had replaced Abe. "We heard," Owen said, walking up and hugging Rayne. "You okay?"

To be honest, I wasn't normally a jealous man. The easy way Rayne and Owen acted around one another was like how siblings are together. But for a split second, jealousy reared its awful head and I had to focus on squashing it.

"Yes, but I'm taking off the rest of the day." She glanced around. "Maybe you could..."—she nodded towards Nadia's place—"finish things here?"

Owen nodded and then eyed me. "Owen Morrison," he said, holding out his hand towards mine. "I've heard you are DEA."

"Jameson Morales," I replied and shook the officer's hand. I knew who the man was. I'd run every officer in the county. Owen, as far as I could tell, was not only clean but a decent man.

"You and Rayne?" Owen asked. I nodded, wondering if there was history between them that I didn't know about. "I'm dating Sabrina," he added with a smile. "Rayne, she's like a sister," Owen supplied. "One that is obviously shaken. Take her home." Owen hugged Rayne again. "I heard your mom just rang the bell at the clinic." He smiled. "Go celebrate with her."

"Thanks," Rayne said. I took her hand and started leading her towards the cars, but she stopped and threw over her shoulder, "You're shaping up to be a decent cop."

Owen laughed. "It was touch and go there for a while, wasn't it?"

Rayne smiled and then nodded.

"Want to leave your car here?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I'm good to drive."

"I just picked up my lunch. How about I follow you and we can celebrate Edith's victory together?"

"I think she'd like that."

When we pulled up to her parents' house, I parked beside her Jeep in their long driveway. I knew that it was a significant day and Rayne would easily push the horror of what had just happened, what she'd just had to do to save a woman's life, to the back of her mind for her mother.

We found her mother sitting in the sunroom we'd sat in the night before after dinner. The woman's eyes were shining with relief and yet I could easily see the exhaustion. She looked tired but happy, her strength evident despite the toll of her cancer treatment. Nelly, the in-home nurse, stood up as we entered.

"Jameson, Rayne, this is a pleasant surprise," Edith said, receiving Rayne's hug and kiss.

"I brought you your favorite," Rayne said, holding up the bag with the food in it.

"I figured I'd tag along," I added quickly.

"Lucky me." Edith chuckled. "Come, sit, we'll eat out here." She motioned to the chairs.

"I'll just go have my lunch inside while you three have a little visit," Nelly said, and disappeared.

I couldn't help but admire Rayne's mother's strength. Despite everything she had been through, she remained steadfast and hopeful, a true inspiration to us all. I'd never seen her smile waver, which had me thinking about my own mother.

Every year, no matter where I was, she'd call me on my birthday. That was tomorrow, but maybe once we left here I'd call her early.

As if Edith read my mind, she asked.

"Rayne tells me it's your birthday tomorrow?" Edith asked.

"I turn thirty," I said with a slight grin.

Edith chuckled. "It's just a number. You'll blink and it doubles." She sighed. "You mentioned last night that your family is still in Chicago?"

"My folks are. They divorced when I was younger. Somehow, after that, they became closer than when they were married." I smiled.

"When was the last time you visited them?" she asked.

"Mom," Rayne groaned after taking a bite of food and swallowing it. "You're digging too far."

"Am I?" Edith asked me.

"No, it's fine," I answered with a smile. "A little over a year ago, before I took this assignment, I went home for a few weeks while everything was getting set up here."

"Do you plan on going back soon?" she asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"To visit." I nodded and glanced at Rayne. "For now, I've moved my things into Rayne's place and plan on sticking here until I figure out our next move."

Edith smiled and nodded. "Now, Rayne, talk to me about the fall festival."

Rayne groaned and then looked at me. "We spend almost two days making pies and cakes."

"Don't like baking?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I like spending time with Edith," she said, reaching over and taking her mother's hand.

"I love baking," I told Edith. "Maybe this year I can help?"

"We could use the extra hands." Edith laughed. "Now that I have a full stomach, I'm going to go lie down."

I stood up quickly and helped Edith up. When she was gone, Rayne turned to me.

"How about we take a walk?" She motioned to the back door. "There's a lake not far from here."

I stood up and took her hand, and she led me outside.

As Rayne and I walked along a wide dirt pathway that led to the lake, the crisp autumn air filled my lungs. It was invigorating and refreshing. When we reached the water, the golden sunlight danced on its surface, casting a warm glow over everything it touched.

"So, what do you think?" Rayne asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

I glanced at her, a soft smile playing on her lips, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "About what?"

"Our future," she replied, her voice filled with a quiet determination. "Our dreams, our goals. Where do you see us in five years?"

I pondered her question for a moment as the sounds of birds and bugs zipping around us echoed against the stillness of the lake. "Well, I've always dreamed of making a real difference in the world," I began, my words slow and thoughtful. "And working as an undercover DEA agent has given me a taste of that. But my wants have changed recently. I wanted to take down the big players, the ones who think they're above the law. I sacrificed everything to achieve that goal."

"Now?" she asked.

"I don't want to sacrifice anymore," I admitted. "Not when there's something really important that I don't think I could ever give up." I brought her hand to my lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles.

Rayne smiled, her hand finding mine as we continued to walk. "So, this isn't just temporary?" she asked softly.

"No." I smiled back. "What about you? What are your dreams?"

"To keep serving my town. The people I care about here." She glanced around. "Maybe a little of that." She motioned across the field and trees to where her parents' house sat.

"A family?" I asked.

She nodded. "You?"

"I've never allowed myself to dream of having one before," I admitted.

"Now?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

I turned to her and wrapped my arms around her. "Now, I can't stop thinking about it."

"Me either. Ever since I found out I was adopted, I had always told myself that I wouldn't have a family of my own. That all changed recently and now I want one. With you."

I brushed my lips across hers.

"Is this happening too fast?" she asked softly against my mouth.

"No, this is right. Can't you feel it deep in your bones?" I asked, feeling the warmth that she caused spread throughout me.

She nodded. "From the first moment I saw you."

I couldn't help but smile at her words, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. We continued our walk by the lake until I had to go back to work. Rayne returned home.

We spent the following day, my birthday, which happened to fall on a Saturday, in bed the entire day. To be honest, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the day. We ate cold cereal in bed while watching movies in between bouts of lovemaking.

It was the perfect day.

After that, the days flew by and less than two weeks after we'd made all those arrests, our cases against every person we'd hauled in were closed out. The rest of the team, including Jasmine, headed out of town to their next mission. I, however, remained in Gemsville and officially put in my notice to the DEA.

I hadn't yet agreed to take Randy's position, but Randy and I talked about it whenever we hung out with Rayne's parents.

The days before the fall festival finally came, and both Rayne and I were back over at her parents' place helping Edith bake.

Edith had finally gained most of her energy back and could stand or move around for more than ten minutes at a time. Rayne had even confided in me that her mother's hair was growing back and was more than just peach fuzz under her wig.

Nadine had been checked into a facility in Lafayette, and I'd run into Izzy a handful of times and successfully avoided talking to her. I could tell that she was angry at me and figured she'd get over it soon enough. After all, rumors were going around that she had started dating someone new, now that the Reapers weren't taking up all of her time.

Felix and the rest of the gang had officially been charged and were all awaiting trial dates. Declan was being charged with the same drug trafficking crimes as the rest of them since there wasn't proof that he'd killed anyone.

Rayne worked diligently to find proof tying him to the murders, often with me helping out. I had to admit, I was growing extremely frustrated at the lack of clues.

Still, since Quincy's death, Rayne had been making a point to spend more time with her family and I was really keen on it. I liked Randy and Edith. A lot.

The four of us were currently standing in their kitchen focused on our tasks as we baked. I had had no clue that every year Edith was in charge of baking all the pies for the pie-eating contest as well as most of the cakes for something called a cakewalk.

As we worked together in the kitchen, the scent of freshly baked pies and cakes filled the air, mingling with the warmth of the oven and our laughter.

Rayne and her mother were busy rolling out dough and cutting it into perfect circles for the pie crusts, their hands moving with practiced ease. Randy stood at the counter, his apron stained with flour as he mixed together the filling for the pies, his expression one of focused concentration.

I watched them all with a sense of awe, amazed by their dedication and skill. It was clear that baking was more than just a hobby for them—it was a labor of love, a way to bring joy to those around them.

As I joined in, helping to shape the dough and fill the pies, a sense of belonging washed over me. These people, this family, had welcomed me into their home with open arms, accepting me as one of their own.

Suddenly, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. With Rayne by my side and her family surrounding us, I felt more at home than I ever had before.

By the time we pulled the last pie out of the oven, I'd made up my mind to ask Rayne to marry me. Now I just needed the perfect time and place.

Every man was told that women loved big grandiose gestures. Is that what Rayne would want too?

I wanted something intimate, personal, something to encompass all of those quiet moments we shared, the stolen glances and tender touches, since the moment we'd met.

While we sat down at the kitchen table to let the pies cool and to frost the rest of the cakes, I plotted.

The fair started the next evening. I'd seen them haul all the rides into town a few days back and set them up at the county fairgrounds.

Shit, I needed a ring. I frowned as I finished frosting a chocolate cake. There were a few jewelry stores in town. I could stop by one of them in the morning and pick out a ring.

I glanced over at Rayne's ringless fingers while she was frosting another cake. What size ring did she wear? What kind of ring would she like?

"You're distracted," Edith said to me, breaking me out of the questions that circled my mind.

I glanced over at her and then thought of another very important step. I had to ask Randy first. Right? Wasn't that important to ask her father for her hand before asking Rayne?

"Just need some fresh air," I said, standing up.

"I'll go with you." Randy removed the apron he was wearing and set it down. Then he walked over and kissed Edith on the cheek. "We'll be back."

"Take your time. Rayne and I can finish the last three cakes," Edith said with a wink.

As Randy and I stepped outside, the cool fall evening air enveloped us, and I took a moment to collect my thoughts. This was it—I was going to ask Randy for his blessing to marry his daughter.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about," I began, my voice steady despite the nerves that were threatening to overwhelm me.

Randy turned towards me. His expression was almost humorous. "Spit it out, son. I could tell you've been thinking about it for the last hour." He chuckled. "Right about the time you got as pale as a sheet."

Did he know? Crap. Did that mean Rayne knew? I glanced back towards the house, then took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "I love your daughter, more than anything in this world. And I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy. I want to ask her to marry me."

Randy's eyes softened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Edith and I can see that you're a good man. And we know how much you care for Rayne. We knew this was coming, had talked about it for the past few days, and you have our blessing."

I felt like shouting with joy as relief flooded through me. Instead, I smiled like a stupid kid who had just won a prize. "Thank you. That means the world to me."

"Just know that if you hurt her, it won't be me you have to worry about," Randy joked. "I raised her to fight her own battles."

"I know it," I agreed.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Edith would beat me to you." Randy laughed and slapped my shoulder.

We stood there for a moment, father and soon-to-be son-in-law, sharing a silent understanding. And as we headed back inside to join the women, I knew that I was one step closer to making Rayne my wife.

The next morning, I headed out to shop for a ring after Rayne went into the office. We were all set to head to the fair later that evening just before sunset.

As I looked around the first shop. I realized just how overwhelming it all was. There were too many rings to choose from. The diamonds had different cuts and shapes and sizes, and that didn't even include the ring itself. What type of metal did she want? With my head spinning I walked out of the store and suddenly got an idea.

I walked into Jazzed Up and was happily surprised to see Aria chatting with Sabrina.

"I need your help," I said eagerly. "Both of you."

The women looked at me with curiosity.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I have…"—I glanced at my watch—"five hours to pick out an engagement ring for Rayne and figure out how in the hell I'm going to ask her to marry me tonight at the fair."

Both women rushed me as they cheered. I was hugged and then pushed out the door as they dragged me down the street. To my surprise, we walked into an old antique shop instead of a jewelry store.

"This is what she wants," Aria said, pointing to the glass case.

I looked down at a vintage yellow-gold ring with an oval diamond settled in the middle of more than two dozen smaller diamonds.

It was so perfectly Rayne that my heart leaped in my chest.

"This is hers," I said softly.

"Oh! You should ask her on the Ferris wheel," Sabrina added with a little jump.

"She loves that ride," Aria added as they both hugged me again.