Mr Perfect (40 page)

"You got the job," she said.

"How did you know?"

"Why else would you mention it?"

"I trained at the state police academy, so I won't have to do that again. I can go straight into detective work. The problem is, I'll have to relocate."

"So?" She rolled her eyes.

"Don't do that! Watch the road."

"I am watching!"

"It doesn't bother you that we'd have to move? You just bought your house."

"What would bother me," she said succinctly, "is if you lived in one city and I lived in another. That would suck." Oh, man, his favorite word.

She reached the airport in record time and parked the car. As they were hurrying to the arrival gate, she said, "Remember, Dad has Parkinson's, so if his arm is shaking, that's why."

"I remember," he said, his long legs easily keeping stride with her.

They had just reached the gate when passengers began pouring out. Her parents appeared almost immediately. Jaine squealed and ran to her mother, throwing her arms around her and hugging fiercely, then repeating the procedure with her dad.

"This is Sam!" she said, dragging him forward. Her folks already knew about the impending marriage, so her mother threw her arms around him and he got hugged, too.

Jaine's dad extended a wildly trembling right hand. "Here," he said. "You hold my hand while I take care of the shaking."

Sam burst into a roar of laughter. Jaine's mother said, "Lyle! Really!"

"What?" he asked, looking affronted at her rebuke. "If I can't have a little fun with it, what's the point in having it?" In those bright blue eyes, Sam saw a gleam that told him Jaine was a chip off the old engine block.

"We have a lot of news," Jaine said, linking arms with her mother and walking down the concourse. "You have to promise not to get mad."

That was guaranteed to keep them calm, Sam thought. Lyle Bright said, "Just as long as you haven't wrecked my car."