Keeley called up the stairs, "I'm home," once the elevator doors opened.

Aaron, lying on the living room couch under a blanket, sat up the moment he saw her. The blanket slipped off, revealing his bare chest.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" she fretted, approaching him and pulling the blanket back around his shoulders. "It's cold outside; you'll get sick."

"I can't lift my arm," he admitted. "It hurts too much."

Keeley sighed, hugging his uninjured side. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Help me put a shirt on?" Aaron suggested hopefully.

She wasn't sure how to do that if he couldn't lift his arm. A button-up shirt might work, as long as he didn't have to button it himself. He liked those kinds of pajamas anyway.

Keeley hurried upstairs, retrieved a pair of his pajamas, and helped him change. He was still wearing his work pants and belt, even though he'd probably been home for hours.

While helping him, she fussed over him, and she could tell he was enjoying it. This sap. They had been back together for twenty-five years, and he was even more ridiculously in love with her than before.

Not that she was complaining. Being loved by Aaron Hale was wonderful. Their life together was very happy.

"Feel better now?" she teased once he was changed and they were cuddling on the couch, his uninjured arm resting against her.

He sighed contentedly and kissed her temple. "Much better."

Suddenly, Keeley remembered the letter. "Not to ruin your good mood, but you have a letter from Gray."

She pulled it from her pocket—she'd tucked it there after putting the rest of her belongings on the table. Aaron took it with a grimace.

He scanned the letter, his expression darkening. Uh oh. What did Gray want this time? He only reacted like this when Gray was making a request he didn't want to fulfill.

"What is it?" she asked.

"He's getting out next Wednesday and needs me to pick him up and take him home," Aaron said sourly. "He wants me to make his place habitable, too. Basically, I have to do a ridiculous amount of things to help him get his life back together because he can't do it himself from prison. Why his lawyer can't do it"

Gray's original lawyer had retired long ago, handing his case to someone else at the firm. His original sentence had been fifteen years to life. The new lawyer hadn't been able to negotiate a release sooner than twenty-five years, but Gray would be free once he got out. Unfortunately, the lawyer wasn't willing to do more than that. He had a full caseload and reasoned that since Gray still had family who visited regularly, they could help him get back on his feet.

Keeley wished she knew how to comfort him. They both knew this day would come—hoping the 'life' part of the sentence would hold true was wishful thinking—but it had arrived sooner than expected.

At least all their children were grown. Obviously, they didn't want their kids to know they were related to a murderer, but if they did find out, it would be easier to explain than if they had been younger.

Neither of them wanted Gray near their children, but he was clearly going to want to be involved in Aaron's life somehow. They thought they had more time to figure that out.

"I'll go with you," Keeley volunteered.

She didn't like Gray much either, but she needed to be hospitable. He had gone to prison because of them, after all.

"We can take him to lunch or something and explain that we don't want him near the kids. I think he'll be fine as long as you still agree to have some sort of relationship with him."

Aaron leaned his head back against the couch in defeat. "You're probably right. But I really don't like that man. Prison hasn't changed him at all; he's as smooth and insincere as ever."

He'd mentioned his suspicions that Gray was merely biding his time in prison and had something planned. Keeley knew her husband had far more experience with him than she did, so she couldn't dismiss it as paranoia.

All she cared about was that any sinister plans Gray had didn't involve them. Their lives had been so peaceful while he was out of the way. It was a selfish thought, but she felt it was justified after everything she'd been through.

Didn't she deserve to live the remainder of her days in peace with the people she loved? Hadn't she been through enough? What more could the universe want from her?

"I don't like him either, but we're just going to have to deal with it, or everything you've done over the past twenty-five years to keep him happy would be in vain," Keeley said bluntly.

"I know." Aaron scowled before slumping against her shoulder. "At least you'll be with me. Keep the conversation flowing if I can't, okay?"

That was what she excelled at. She could do that much for her sweet husband, who really hated talking to most people.

They had been a team for over a quarter of a century. Their twenty-sixth wedding anniversary had passed without incident a week ago. They went out to dinner and a Broadway show to celebrate, saving their belated anniversary trip for early December when things slowed down for Aaron at work.

Keeley had convinced him to take her on a European cruise to the Mediterranean. The shore excursions involved a lot of hiking through ruins and historical sites. She couldn't wait!

Their kids had never been interested in such vacations, preferring the beach. The one year they all went to England together, they had been dreadfully bored, except for Violet.

Violet appreciated history, but she also complained about bad cell service, preventing her from talking to Noah about the cool things she was seeing, pretty much the entire time.

As much as Keeley adored her children and family time, there were certain things she preferred to do with only her husband.