Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

K ane woke Waverly early the next morning. Their cabin had no windows, but it wouldn't have mattered. It was still dark out. Last night had been special. They couldn't have sex since he didn't have a condom, but they could still pleasure each other and pleasure they did.

True to her word, when Angelica had called late at night to discuss a client, Waverly hadn't minded. Instead, she just watched him as he worked and told him she found it fascinating since science was all rules and equations and he lived in a world where they didn't follow the rules and moved in the gray areas of the world outside her laboratory.

After working, he climbed back into bed, wrapped Waverly up in his arms, and slept. Until now. Now it was time to make the final leg of their journey.

"Waverly, it's time to get up." Waverly muttered and he was pretty sure she said something about Newton. "Waverly, it's time to go home."

That had her eyes popping open. "You haven't told me how."

"Get dressed and I'll explain."

Kane had just double-checked the cabin when there was a knock at the door.

"Are you two ready?" Captain Cox asked as Johnson stood behind him.

"Yes. Thank you so much for your assistance."

Waverly hugged the men and then they were back at the cranes in the pre-dawn light. Waverly was staring at him as if he had lost his mind. "You want me to do what ?"

"I'm going to sit in this makeshift swing that's attached to the hook," Kane said about the three pieces of rope. You're going to face me and sit in my lap. You're going to wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist. Then we'll be lowered down," Kane explained pointing to their ride. "Do you trust me?"

Waverly rolled her eyes at him. "You know I do. But, I know enough mathematical equations where this fails."

"And I've done it enough in real life where I can tell you that it won't. Climb on."

Johnson helped steady the hook attached to the crane as she climbed on and then they were moving. Waverly had a death grip on him as they were slowly swung overboard and lowered to the waiting boat.

Kane looked over Waverly's shoulder to watch their descent. The boat kept even with the cargo ship until two hands grabbed his feet.

"This is a first. I've arrested people trying to smuggle trafficked people into the country. Never helped anyone do it. I feel like such a criminal. Maybe Darcy will think it's hot."

"Oh shut up, Wade. It's a police boat. They aren't going to stop us and we're both citizens. It's hardly pulling off a dangerous criminal caper."

"You stole a police boat?" Waverly gasped as Kane felt someone grab his back to steady him the rest of the way into the boat.

"No stealing necessary," Kane assured her. "This is my brother-in-law's boat."

"I don't think he'll like you much when he finds out you borrowed his boat to commit a crime."

"I don't much like him either way. At least this makes him interesting and now my wife owes me. I intend to collect in the most husbandly way possible."

Kane groaned. "Knock it off, Granger. That's my sister."

Kane's feet finally felt the boat.

"Ma'am," he heard Wade say a moment before Waverly was plucked off his lap.

Kane stood up and gave the thumbs up to Captain Cox high above them as Granger took a sharp turn away from the cargo ship. Waverly wobbled and Kane took hold of her, sitting down on the bench seat with her on his lap.

Wade smirked as he held out his hand. "Wade Faulkner. It's nice to meet a friend of Kane's."

"Can I tell him who I am?" Waverly whispered to Kane, who nodded. "Waverly Davenport," she said after turning back to Wade. "Thanks for smuggling us into the country."

Wade cringed. "Since I'm in the Coast Guard, let's just say I picked up a friend."

Waverly went stiff in Kane's arms. "You're not going to arrest us?"

"No. But he might arrest Kane just for fun." Wade looked at Granger and laughed when Granger shrugged as if it were a possibility.

"That's my brother-in-law, Granger Fox. He's the sheriff of Shadows Landing. Don't worry. All law enforcement has been notified of your location so you're perfectly legal. Kind of. Border patrol probably won't be happy, but beyond that, you're good."

Wade took a seat and grinned at them again. "Has he told you about his sister, Olivia?"

"Don't try to scare her," Kane chided.

"I think it's more of a warning," Granger called out. "She was mad I left her standing on the docks. I figured if we got arrested, we'd need her on the outside to spring us."

"She's an attorney, right? Why would I need to be warned about her? She sounds so interesting. I can't wait to meet her."

"Oh, and she can't wait to meet you now that I've told her how this pick-up went. You said she was a client. Clients don't sit on your lap." Granger winked at Kane and Kane groaned.

"She's been through enough, Granger. Tell my sister to back off."

Granger snorted. "Yeah, I'll get right on that."

Waverly didn't know what to think of the group on the boat. Granger was polite but quiet. Wade was funny, telling her stories of treasure hunting. It seemed surreal.

"That was you?" Waverly asked, putting two and two together. "I remember reading about that treasure."

"That's me. Even Grumpy Granger helped out." Wade dropped his voice as they began to travel further up the river. "And don't worry about Olivia. She's more bark than bite."

Granger snorted again but kept quiet.

Waverly was really starting to worry now. She didn't want to make anyone angry. She knew she wasn't the most socially adept person. "What if I say the wrong thing? Will your sister hate me?" Waverly whispered as the boat began to slow down.

"My sister will love you. It's me who will be paying the dues for interfering with her dates."

"Dates? You tried to interfere with me and I'm her husband." Granger turned into a marina and Waverly shrank back as she saw a group of people standing or sitting at the docks.

"To be fair, you two weren't married then," Kane replied.

"It was last week, you asshole."

Kane chuckled and gave Waverly a wink. "That's right. I forgot about that one. My bad."

"Who are all those people?" Waverly asked.

"The one in shorts is my wife, Darcy," Wade told her. "The man with the stethoscope is my cousin, Gavin. He's a doctor. Then the woman waving excitedly at you is Gavin's NP, Kenzie. She's married to my cousin Ryker, the guy who loaned you the cargo ship. Then the pissed-off blonde is Olivia."

"Why is she wearing stilettos at six in the morning?"

"I think she sleeps in them," Kane whispered back to her.

"Then those two sweet-looking women are Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie," Wade explained. "I bet you a hundred dollars there's an apple pie in one of those baskets they're holding."

Granger groaned. "I'd do anything for one of those pies."

"You already did. You posed naked for one," Wade pointed out.

"I'd pose naked right now to get that one. I can smell it and we're still four hundred yards from them."

"You'd strip naked for a pie?" Waverly asked the quiet sheriff.

"Yes," all the men replied without hesitation.

"I smell sausage. Miss Winnie must have made her breakfast casserole," Wade told them as he sniffed with the practiced air of a Bloodhound.

"Waverly, I will help you escape the clutches of my good-for-nothing brother-in-law for a piece of pie and some of that casserole. I'll even shoot him in the foot for you," Granger told her.

Waverly laughed, assuming he was joking.

"I don't think he's joking, sweetheart," Kane whispered to her, which only had her laughing harder. That is until she saw the perfect, raised eyebrow of his sister. She looked pointedly to where Waverly was sitting on Kane's lap and Waverly stopped laughing. "Don't worry. She'll give me some shit, but not you. It's all out of love."

"Uh-huh," Waverly said as they began to dock. She didn't believe it for a minute. "Whoa, who are they?" Waverly then asked about the group of men standing off the dock in the grass.

"Your personal law enforcement group," Kane told her. "Come on. Let's meet everyone."

"Hiya!" Darcy said with a smile as she held out her hand to help Waverly out of the boat. "I'm Darcy. Welcome to Shadows Landing. My husband was very excited to smuggle you into our town."

Waverly shook her hand and felt instantly at ease with her.

"You poor dear!" A round, grandmotherly, Black woman suddenly hugged her and the smell of real food hit her hard. "You must be half-starved." Waverly started salivating faster than Pavlov's dog at the intoxicating aroma coming from the basket the woman was holding. "I'm Miss Ruby and I made you a pie. Bless your heart! To be kidnapped. Well, don't you worry one bit. We'll take care of you here and when we can't, the ghosts can."

"Ghosts?" She was going to ask more but the smell of the second basket hit her hard and her stomach rumbled as an elderly woman who was so frail and pale that Waverly wondered how she wasn't blown over took her arm in hers.

"Bless your heart! We've got to feed this poor dear. I'm Miss Winnie and I'll start the food tree. Don't you worry none. We will mobilize and you'll have all the food you can eat. You're nothing but skin and bones."

Waverly was pulled away by the two women before Olivia could even introduce herself. Waverly had to admit, she was relieved. The women were safe. Olivia looked as if she could make grown men piss themselves with just a look.

"Dr. Davenport, I'm FBI . . ."

"Not now, Peter." Miss Ruby swatted the FBI agent. "This poor girl has got to eat. Where are you staying, dear? Oh, with Kane, I'm sure. Peter, you all meet us at Kane's. You can talk to her after we feed her."

Miss Winnie clucked. "I might have to make her some macaroni and cheese. That will stick to her bones."

Kane followed behind Waverly. She was well cared for, as he knew she would be. However, his sister looked less than amused.

"Liv," Kane said. "Be nice."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm that much of a bitch? Poor thing was held for a week and almost died." Then she grinned and it was a nice grin. "However, you didn't almost die. And I did notice how the pretty scientist was sitting on your lap. I think I better stay with you both today. You know, to get to know Waverly better and to see how I can help her."

"Actually," Kane told her. "I think that would be a good idea. I need all the help I can get."

Olivia's grin fell and she jabbed him in the chest with her finger. "Do not take this away from me. I will cockblock you until you're sorry for my date at the Independence Day Festival that time."

Kane smiled at his sister. "Nothing can make me sorry for that. He was scared of his own shadow. Imagine if you'd ended up with him. See, we did you a favor. We kept you single until you found Granger. You owe us."

Olivia rolled her eyes as her husband put his arm around her. "While I agree with Kane that they did help keep you single until I entered the picture, they still tried to cockblock me so . . ." Granger looked up at where Waverly was walking. "Dr. Davenport?" Granger called out. "I would like to offer you twenty-four/seven protection from the Shadows Landing Sheriff's Department. Either myself or one of the deputies can be with you at all times. For as long as you need."

"I can't even call you an asshole for that," Kane hissed as Olivia kissed her husband's cheek.

Waverly's face was comical. She wasn't very good at hiding her feelings. She looked to Kane and then back to Granger, her face falling before brightening again. "Oh, you're teasing me."

"Actually, I'm not," Granger told her. "Would it cockblock Kane? Yes. But it's also because he's worried about you."

"Son of a bitch," Olivia whispered to Kane. "You went and fell for a nice girl. Like a really nice, sweet girl."

Damon's car pulled up to the marina and Kane saw the passenger door open and Lark raced out. "Waverly!"

"Lark!" Waverly dashed from Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie and enveloped her sister in a tight hug. Both women were in tears as they both talked at the same time.

"That's her sister," Kane told Granger and Olivia. "Their parents died and Waverly raised her. Lark is the one who got the ransom call."

Olivia cursed. "Seriously? How can I possibly do a taco blocko after that? She's like a freaking angel. I love her already."

"And you haven't even heard about her work. She's you, but with physics instead of the law. And minus the glare."

Olivia turned and jabbed her finger in his chest again. "Just because she's practically perfect doesn't mean I won't find a way to jam that clam. Now, how can I help?"