by Irene Hannon
“She’s a smart kid.”
“Yes, she is.”
“Are you telling me you agree with her?” His tone was cautious.
“Yes.” She watched an ember spark to life in the depths of his cobalt irises. “But while I agree with you that words are important, I do think they have to be backed up by action. Like this.” Jeannette leaned close and pressed her lips to his.
He was all in the instant he got over his shock, pulling her tight against his solid chest, one hand cupping her head.
Somewhere in the background, above the sound of the breaking surf and the caw of the gulls, she heard Toby’s happy yip of approval and Molly’s giggle.
But her focus was on the man expressing his pleasure at her decision in a most delightful fashion.
And Jeannette held nothing back as she responded to his kiss.
It was possible, of course, that somewhere along the way their paths would diverge. That her instincts could be wrong, and Logan and she weren’t destined to create the happy place together that Molly had mentioned.
Yet in the waning light of day, as the setting sun painted a glorious canvas on the western horizon, she was as certain as she could be that someday down the road, she’d look back at this moment with sweet remembrance as the start of something big.
Epilogue
“Sorry to leave?”
As her new husband crossed to the sliding door of their Kauai beach cottage, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and bent to nuzzle her neck, Jeannette sighed. “Yes—and if you keep that up, we’ll miss our plane.” She shimmied against him.
“You keep that up, I guarantee we’ll miss it.” His response came out in a low growl, suggesting he was only half kidding.
“In that case, I better stop—or we’ll have to forego phase two of our honeymoon.”
He groaned. “I’m not sure how I let you talk me into that plan.”
“Like you said that night on the beach in May, you’re a package deal—and I don’t want Molly to feel excluded right at the beginning of our new life together.”
“I think I’m regretting that comment.”
“That’s your hormones talking.”
He went back to nuzzling her neck. “Guilty as charged.”
“Hey—Disneyland will be fun. Think of it as an extended honeymoon.”
“With a five-year-old in tow?” He lifted his head and gave her a get-real look.
“Oh, I have a few ideas that could stimulate some romance. And since you splurged and booked us a two-bedroom suite, we’ll have plenty of alone time after Molly goes to sleep—which should be early after a full day at the park.”
He gave her a slow smile. “I like how you think, Mrs. West. Still . . . Disneyland won’t compare to this.” He swept a hand over the palm trees and blue horizon that dominated their view.
“I know. It’s hard to believe this is the same ocean we see at home every day, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” He shifted next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Just shows how a different perspective can alter your view of the world.”
That was true—about many things.
Including love.
And in every case so far since she’d taken a leap of faith and dismantled the barricades around her heart, the view had been better.
“The current landscape is hard to beat.” She leaned against his solid strength.
“True. Sunny skies, tropical foliage, and warm sand between your toes aren’t too shabby on a December day.” He stole another kiss.
“I was speaking more broadly. Like the landscape of my life.”
“The landscape of my life has improved too. And this past week has been—” His voice rasped, and he traced the line of her jaw with a finger that didn’t feel quite steady, all traces of levity gone. “Being here alone with you has given me a glimpse of paradise.”
Jeannette’s vision misted, and she turned into his arms, resting her hands on his chest as she regarded him, this man who’d brightened her world with his kindness and understanding and integrity and trustworthiness. Who wasn’t afraid to show—and tell—her how he felt. “Thank you for saying that.”
“I meant every word.”
“I know you did—and I feel the same.”
He fingered a lock of her hair as two faint creases appeared on his brow. “You’ve made a huge number of changes because of me, though. You know I would have been happy to sell my place and move into your house. You didn’t have to upend that part of your life too.”
“I wanted to. I like the idea of putting some physical distance between my business and personal life—and the Shabos were thrilled to rent the house. Plus, now that we’ve cut a walkway through the hedge, Molly and Elisa can go back and forth whenever they want. What’s better than having your best friend live next door?”
“Having her live in the same house.” His eyes softened as he leaned close to brush his lips over her forehead.
Her heart melted as she leaned into the kiss—which quickly intensified.
Hmm.
At this rate, they might miss their plane.
One of them should put the brakes on, but—
A knock sounded on the door.
Logan ignored it.
When the interloper rapped again, however, he eased back. “It’s probably the porter, come to get our bags.” He was close enough for his words to leave a whisper of warmth on her skin.
“We better answer.”
“Yeah.”
After a few beats, he released her. “I’ll take care of this. Meet me on the lanai for one last moment with our beautiful view?”
“And maybe one last Hawaiian kiss?”
“That could be arranged.”
She watched him walk to the door, then slipped outside, where the sweet scent of plumeria perfumed the air.
Leaving this magical place would be hard.
But as she waited for the man who’d banished the shadows from her life, she smiled.
Anywhere would be magic with him.
And no matter what tomorrow held, she had today—and the abiding love she’d found with Logan was a blessing that would sustain her all the days of her life.
Logan tipped the porter, accepted the man’s best wishes on his marriage, and closed the door so he could rejoin his wife.
Wife.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
It was still hard to believe.
But there was plenty of proof it was true. A marriage certificate. Wedding photos. An amazing honeymoon. And a large number of witnesses. Half the town of Hope Harbor had shown up at Grace Christian to watch them exchange vows.
Thank goodness he’d had the foresight to build optional unpaid leave into his contract with the urgent care center. He hadn’t needed it for Molly, as he’d half expected, but it had definitely come in handy for a two-week honeymoon a mere seven months into his tenure.
Well, a ten-day honeymoon and a four-day trip to Disneyland.
Jeannette’s idea.
He’d much rather have two full weeks in a tropical paradise with just the two of them—yet he loved her even more for her unselfish gesture.
As did Molly.
He pushed through the sliding door, his cell pinging with a text as he joined Jeannette.
She motioned toward it. “Are you going to check that?”
“I’d rather ignore it.” The longer he could keep reality at bay, the better.
“It may be from the airline. Could be a departure time change.”
If so, maybe they could carve out another few minutes here alone before the world impinged.
He pulled out his phone and skimmed the text. “It’s from Molly—via Thomma.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. She says, ‘I packed my suitcase for Disneyland. Me and Elisa are having fun. Toby is being good. I can’t wait to see Cinderella’s castle. I love you, Uncle Logan. You too, ’Nette.’”
Jeannette smiled. “She soun
ds happy—and excited.”
“Yes, she does. She’s a different child these days.”
“So is Elisa. She and Thomma seem to be on much better footing.” She slipped her arm around his waist, the rustle of palm fronds and the chirp of a myna bird the only sounds breaking the peaceful stillness. “It was kind of the Shabos to watch Molly while we were gone.”
“I know. Mariam is a wonderful nanny. And with all the inquiries she’s had from young parents, she won’t have any difficulty lining up more work once the girls start school next fall.”
“Thomma seems happier too, since he got that job at the high-end kennel in Coos Bay. Between that and the private dog-training clientele he’s developed, they’ve both found their niche.”
“A happy ending all around.” He tugged her into the circle of his arms.
“The best.” Her lips curved up.
His gaze dropped to them . . . and he dipped his head to—
The phone pinged again.
Logan blew out a breath and closed his eyes.
“You better get it.” Laughter lurked behind her words.
“Yeah.”
Resigned, he pulled out his cell and skimmed the text. “Molly says she forgot to send us the photo Thomma snapped of the picture she drew.”
He clicked on the icon, and as the image filled the screen, he stopped breathing.
A woman with long dark tresses and a man with golden-brown hair were walking down a beach, a little girl with reddish locks between them. They were all holding hands, and a spotted dog trotted ahead of them.
They looked like a happy family.
And the icing on the cake?
The sky was bright blue.
“What is it, Logan?” Jeannette touched his arm.
He angled the cell toward her, not trusting himself to speak.
Her features softened as she examined it. “I love that she sees us like that.” She lifted her chin and studied him. “But there’s more to it, isn’t there?”
“Yes.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat and told her about the picture Molly had drawn months ago with the dark sky. “I prayed for it to turn blue.”
Her own eyes began to shimmer. “That’s what love can do. It chases away the dark clouds and turns gray skies to blue. Your love did that for me too.”
Blinking to clear his vision, he tapped in a quick response to Molly, pocketed his phone, and drew Jeannette toward him again, this woman who’d vowed to keep love at bay but who’d trusted him with her heart.
And he would never, ever betray that trust.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“No more than I love you.” She twined her arms around his neck. “I was hoping there’d be a flight delay so I could demonstrate.”
“Hold that thought for a few hours. In the meantime . . . let me give you a preview of what I have in store for you for the next, say, fifty or sixty years.”
He touched his mouth to hers, in a gentle kiss that he quickly deepened at her ardent response.
And as the world faded away . . . as he lost himself in her sweet embrace . . . one final, rational thought registered.
All those months ago, when he’d upended his world to accommodate a child, he’d known his life would never be the same again—and he’d assumed most of those changes wouldn’t be for the better.
But God did indeed work in mysterious ways.
For who would have predicted that all the upheaval of those early months with Molly would lead him to a woman who touched his heart as no one ever had? Who filled his world with unimagined joy and endless possibilities? Who had been exactly what he needed to find his own happy place?
And every day, for as long as he lived, he would thank the Almighty for guiding him to a little town on the Oregon coast with a name that had more than lived up to its promise.
“He got away.”
As the bad news echoed across the miles, I stared at the skeleton of the leaf-stripped tree beside me and tightened my grip on the burner phone.
“What do you mean, he got away? You told me this would be a piece of cake.” A cloud of breath formed in front of my face, the frigid December air pricking my cheeks.
Silence on the other end of the line.
My hired gun must be miffed by my accusatory tone.
Tough.
I’d paid a premium price for his specialized skills, and I expected results—not screwups.
“He fought back.” The man’s voice was measured, but an undercurrent of annoyance tightened his words.
The irritation went both ways.
“Of course he fought back.” I took a final drag on my cigarette, dug out one of the pieces of aluminum foil I always carried, and crushed the butt on the edge of the empty planter beside me. “He was in the army. I told you that.”
“You said he was a medic—and that he’s been out for several years.”
“He was . . . and he has been.”
“Then he does some serious workouts. I was fortunate to walk away with nothing worse than a bruised jaw.”
“You should have done more homework.”
“You didn’t give me the time.”
That was true.
And the fast turnaround had cost me extra.
“You’ll heal.” I began to pace. If the man was hoping for sympathy, he was out of luck. “I want this finished before he goes to the police.”
“If he was going to involve law enforcement, he’d have done so already . . . and I’d know about it.”
That was probably also true—assuming the guy had all the connections he’d claimed.
Another reason I’d paid top dollar for the job.
“Where is he now?”
“Unknown. He’s fallen off the radar. But I’ll find him.”
My stomach twisted into a hard knot, and I halted. “You think he realized he was set up?”
“His disappearing act would suggest that.”
“How fast can you track him down?”
“Depends on whether his evasive abilities are as well-honed as his fighting skills.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
“Our agreement called for this to be finished by the end of the week. Do I have to bring in someone else?”
“No. The job will get done—but from now on, I’m doing it my way.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“There are more creative methods of offing people than tossing them from a balcony or staging a robbery.”
“It has to look like the death was an unfortunate consequence, not the goal.”
“Understood.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Do you want details—or results?”
This guy had attitude with a capital A.
But as long as he earned his money, who cared?
“Fine. Let me know when it’s over and I’ll settle up.”
“Count on it.”
The line went dead.
I stabbed the end button and shoved the phone back into my pocket, quashing the tiny twinge of guilt nipping at my conscience.
Misplaced guilt.
After all, what choice did I have? Given what he knew, letting him live was too much of a risk.
Especially with the dream in sight.
The icy wind picked up, numbing my fingers.
I ought to get back inside. I had places to go, people to meet, things to do.
But I also needed another cigarette.
Bad.
I dug deep into the pocket of my coat and pulled out the pack of unfiltered Camels, along with the Bic. Shook out a coffin nail. Flipped the lighter against the tip. Inhaled slow and deep.
Yes, it was a nasty habit—but there was nothing like a nicotine rush.
And some days, a few stolen moments like these were the only downtime I got.
My regular cell began to vibrate, and I groped for it as I took another drag on the Camel.
Sighed as I glanced
at the screen.
This break was going to be short-lived.
I put the cell to my ear. “Yes?”
“Did I catch you in the middle of something?”
“No.” I stubbed out the cigarette on the piece of aluminum foil and folded the whole mess into itself. One of these days soon I’d have to give up this vice. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to confirm the details for this afternoon’s meeting.”
“Okay.”
I half-listened as I headed inside. I already knew the details . . . and the personalities . . . and the stakes. But this underling was just doing her job. Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. I couldn’t hold her diligence against her—even if I had bigger issues on my mind.
Like an unfinished job.
But once this loose end was tied up, my goal would be within touching distance.
All I had to do was stay the course, follow the plan—and keep my eye on the prize.
There was blood on the ice.
Rick Jordan jolted to a stop, gaze riveted on the crimson spots blemishing the frosty ground, fingers tightening on the disposable cup of coffee he’d just nuked.
Could his eyes be playing tricks on him in the waning afternoon light of the December afternoon?
He leaned closer.
No.
His 20/20 vision hadn’t failed him.
It was blood.
After all the gore he’d seen, it wasn’t difficult to make a positive ID.
But given the abundant wildlife on the wooded acreage he called home, could it be from an animal?
As he peered at the ruby-colored stains, the hair on the back of his neck snapped to attention—and since metabolic cues had saved his hide on more Night Stalker missions than he cared to remember, ignoring them would be foolish.
The blood was human.
Giving the landscape a thorough, methodical sweep, he set down the cup of java he’d picked up at the café during his supply run to town, balancing it on the uneven ground.
No movement other than the huge flakes that had begun to sift down from the leaden sky.
