by Gerald Lopez
Praise for Gerald Lopez
Blue Light By Night, a Layton Shayne Mystery
“There is a lot of suspense and the reader will be doing some guessing. There is also eroticism here and I commend the author on how he managed to work the themes so that everything comes together. I could see that he spent time thinking this story out.”
Amos Lassen Reviews
“This is a thrilling, suspenseful mystery. His ability to spin a tale of mystery, comedy and romance is obviously a talent that I am really beginning to treasure. —fast becoming one of my favorites writers of mysteries and the paranormal.”
Multi-tasking Momma’s Book Reviews
For Love of: Tangi
“A very entertaining read. I was cracking up because it seriously was funny.”
On Top Down Under Book Reviews
Novels by Gerald Lopez
Dueling Divas
(an Avondale Story)
New Eden Tales
Dead Men Tell Tales
City of Dead Men
The Layton Shayne Mysteries
Blue Light by Night
Green Eyes Cry, You Die
Black Hearts Dance
Gray Days, Wicked Ways
For Love of Series
For Love of: Tangi
For Love of: Colt
Miss Lucy and the Pussy Brigade
(Miss Lucy Case Files #1)
All Queers Must Die
Abel Kane Mysteries
Lost Bitches
Only the Young and Beautiful Need Apply
A Grande Romance
(A Grande Mystery)
The Travelers
Samuel: Dying to the Flesh
A Stratham Town Father Andrew Trilogy
A Shared Darkness
Crackpots, Crooks, and Cowboys
Andrew in Paradise
Lily’s Passion
A Lily Courtland Romantic Mystery
Gay Forever After
Horror in Lowden Hall
The Detective’s Last Case
Short Stories by Gerald Lopez
Between Lights and Death
Golden Glories
(A Layton Shayne Mystery)
Gerald Lopez
Begin Reading
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2019 by Gerald Lopez
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Wherever possible, the syntax and spelling in this book follows guidelines set forth in The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition, and in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.
Cover Art Copyright © 2019 by Gerald Lopez
Acknowledgments
My special thanks go to the following:
To John for his helpful comments and suggestions.
To my Beta readers, for their comments, and often extremely helpful suggestions.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Contact the author
About the author
Other books by Gerald Lopez
Golden Glories
Gerald Lopez
Chapter 1
Pit Stop
WHAT HAD BEGUN as a dark and gloomy day suddenly changed when the sun finally came out. And considering the mission we were on I was more than happy to think of it as a good omen. Now all we needed was a rainbow leading to the treasure we were after. Chip, who’d been sleeping in the back of the SUV, had woken up and was tapping me on the shoulder.
“Daddy Layton, I need to piddle,” Chip said.
I combed my hand through five—almost six-year-old—Chip’s, wavy, dark brown hair. “There’s a place just ahead where we can stop to use the bathrooms.”
“We’ll be there in a minute, buddy,” Forrest, who was driving, said.
It turned out that Chip wasn’t the only one who needed to use the facilities. So two-hours into our four-hour journey to Shiloh Key, we made a pit stop at a large gas station with convenience store. While Forrest took the opportunity to fill up the gas tank, I took Chip to the bathroom. When we were washing our hands, Alex walked in carrying some clothes.
“You can’t be wearing pajamas for our big adventure, now, can you?” Alex said to Chip, who giggled.
“No,” Chip said, then took the clothes from Alex as well as the flip-flops he handed him.
“He is definitely our kid,” I said when I saw Chip nonchalantly take off his clothes.
“Crazy, huh?” Alex said, and smiled my way. “Ours right down to the love of flip-flops.”
His smile never ceased to melt my heart. I splashed water in my face, helped Chip finish pulling his T-shirt on over his head, then looked at my sexy, wavy-haired blond, Alex. “Going to Shiloh Key for a treasure hunt involving at least a couple thousand people is pretty insane. But then I’ve said that already, haven’t I?”
“Don’t worry, Daddy,” Chip said. “I’ll protect you.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, then swept Chip into my arms and gave him a big hug and a raspberry on the side of his cheek. He giggled. “I knew there was a reason you were my favorite five-year-old in the whole wide world.”
“I’m almost six,” Chip said.
“I know,” I said, then tickled his underarm till he giggled.
“l’ll meet you two outside after I use the facilities,” Alex said.
“OK,” I said.
Charity was exiting the ladies’ room when Chip and I got out of the men’s room. I looked for the smallest hint of a baby bump on her even though I knew it was way too early.
She was still trim, but there was a special glow about her.
“Chip, would you like to go inside the store with me and see what kind of goodies they’ve got?” Charity said. “This is a big place so they should have plenty of yummy things.”
Chip looked at me before responding.
“Go ahead kiddo, you can always trust Charity—she’s family,” I said.
“OK,” Chip said. “I’ll bring something back for you and Daddy Alex.”
“Thanks, buddy,” I said. “But what about Daddy Forrest?”
“He doesn’t like sweets too much,” Chip said.
“You just find something for yourself,” I said. “As soon as Daddy Alex gets out of the bathroom we’ll join you in the store.”
“Yay!” Chip said, then held Charity’s outstretched hand and the two went into the store.
“That’s what I meant by crazy,” Alex said, coming up behind me. “This whole new family thing is all really real, isn’t it? Forrest and Chip being in our lives, and our becoming a family with Charity and Linus. You and Chip have really bonded, and so quickly.”
“Yeah. And so have you and Chip… and Forrest—can’t leave him out. It doesn’t make you nervous or afraid, does it?”
“No, it feels so normal it’s weird.”
“Who’s to say what normal is these days?” I said. “Your past history with the cult and your family clouds your thoughts sometimes. Alex, you do realize that Forrest and I—Charity, Linus, and Hell even Rory of the wondrous dangle—will always be there for you in a true way. There’s nothing fake or phony about any of this.”
“I do realize all of that,” Alex said. “And I truly believe it, that’s what’s so shocking. I wasn’t sure I’d ever believe in family again, then I met you and the others—including Mrs. Carson and our new friends in Mt. Ore.”
“Damn,” I said. “I left out Mrs. Carson. You know what I think I’m in need of?”
“Something sweet,” Alex said. “From the store for now.”
“You know me so well, babe,” I said, then smiled.
“Since you and Charity are both blondes that mean the babies will probably be blonde too,” Alex said.
“Babies,” I said. “I keep forgetting that because of the circumstances surrounding the conception that Charity will have at least two or three babies.”
“And we all know how much you love the number three,” Alex said, sarcastically.
“It’s not actually that bad a number for me these days,” I said, then smiled.
The number three was definitely a nice one when it came to my new sleeping arrangements. While originally it was just Alex and me sharing a bed, the older, handsome, extremely well-built, tan, salt and pepper-haired cop Forrest was a recent and very welcome addition. Not that things weren’t good before—it’s just that they were better now.
When I left the store with Alex, Chip, and Charity we each had our own bag of goodies.
“Charity, when you were pregnant before did you get any strange cravings?” Alex said.
“I had a craving for bananas,” Charity said.
“Monkeys eat b-nnas,” Chip said.
“I love bananas and I have been called a gorilla before,” I said, then moved my arms like a gorilla, picked Chip up and swung him around while making gorilla sounds.
“You are too much, Layton,” Alex said, and chuckled. “Chip, what do you think about the fact you’ll be a big brother one day?”
“I’ll be glad to have some little brothers,” Chip said.
“And what if it’s a little sister?” Charity said.
“She’ll be OK I guess,” Chip said.
“The green statues were involved so who knows,” Alex said, “maybe Charity will have sextuplets?” He looked at me and laughed.
“Really?” I said. “Did you really have to go into multiples of three?” Then I though about what Alex said. “God help us—there really is a chance of sextuplets because of the supernatural element.”
“What’s a sek-tupt?” Chip said.
“That means six babies,” Charity said.
Chip gasped then looked deep in thought and finally looked up at me.
“Don’t worry, Daddy,” Chip said, then held up three fingers. “Only three. And I’ll help.”
“Did you hear that, Charity?” I said. “Chip says only three, not six—and he knows these things.”
“What he says has the ring of truth to it,” Charity said. “And three is definitely easier to carry than six.”
“I should think,” I said.
Alex took Chip from my arms, hugged him, then spoke.
“I think Chip will be a great big brother.”
“So do I,” Charity said.
As we walked toward Linus and Charity’s SUV, which was suitably nicknamed The Beast, I noticed Forrest. He was getting something out of the back end. His already tight shorts were stretched even more because he was bent over. That meant his perfect meaty and round posterior was on display. I gave Alex a sly look, then glanced again at Forrest.
“Down, gorilla boy,” Alex said, then chuckled. “Although there is plenty on display to go ape about.”
Alex knew exactly what my look meant—that’s what was so enjoyable about our new family with Forrest. Although I normally despise the number three, it was nice being with two guys who completely got what we all felt for one another.
“Enough to make a man or woman go bananas,” Charity said, and chuckled. “Who’s the woman talking to Forrest?”
I was snapped back to reality by Charity’s comment to Alex. What she’d said about ‘going bananas’ was funny—I liked Charity a lot.
“That’s our friend Diesel,” Alex said in response to Charity’s question.
Even in just shorts and a T-shirt, Diesel stood alert, like the ex soldier slash mechanic she was. Her black hair was styled in a “bowl” cut. I stopped a minute to appreciate how nice her dark hair looked against her pale skin. The fact we were talking about babies earlier had me looking at hair and skin tone combinations and how the parents’ features might show up in their children.
When we got up to the truck I introduced Charity and Chip to Diesel.
“You’re carrying a marine’s baby in there, huh?” Diesel said to Charity. “My wife is carrying a navy seal’s baby.”
“Impressive,” Charity said.
“A seal?” Chip said. “How?”
“A navy seal is a military man,” I said. “An exceptionally well-trained military man.”
“I’d say a navy seal’s baby and a marine’s would be evenly matched enough to be friends,” Alex said.
I smiled. Alex was so damn adorable and his bright blue eyes just lit up his face.
“True enough I’d say,” Diesel said. “Although our son will be slightly older than yours.”
“That’s OK,” Alex said. “By the way, Charity will probably be having triplets.”
“So our kid will be outnumbered,” Diesel said.
“Nope,” I said. “We’ll train them to be a unit that works together efficiently and who will watch each others’ backs.”
“Spoken like a true soldier,” Diesel said. “And it’s a plan.”
“A nice one, I think,” Charity said. “I’m an only child so I like the idea of having a large extended family.”
“We’d better head out again,” Forrest said, then turned to Alex and me. “Reports say that the two-lane road into Shiloh Key is already backed up and barely moving.”
“Thanks for the help, Forrest,” Diesel said, then turned to the rest of us. “Next stop Insanity Key.” She laughed, waved bye, then left.
“Where’s Sassy?” Alex said.
“She’s riding the rest of the way with Diesel and her group,” Forrest said. “They’re going to formulate their game plan—whatever that means.”
“I’ve had my time up front with the main man,” I said to Alex. “Why don’t you sit next to Forrest?”
“I can do that,” Alex
said. “Unless Charity wants to sit in the front.”
“The back is fine by me,” Charity said. “Layton purposely offered the front seat to you and not me because he knows sitting in back is safer. He’s already trying to be protective of me and our—all of ours—future children.”
“Guilty as charged,” Layton said.
“The drive may get rough so Layton’s thinking is right on the money,” Forrest said. “Chip, sit between Charity and Daddy Layton.”
As I helped Chip put on his seatbelt, Forrest got back in the driver’s seat and started The Beast.
When we were on the road again, I asked a question that had been on my mind. “Forrest, did you say there was only a two-lane road going into the key?”
“One lane’s for going in, the other for exiting,” Forrest said.
“Shiloh Key is a small, hidden gem of a vacation spot,” Charity said. “I have family there. Normally it doesn’t get enough traffic to warrant expanding the road in, especially since there’s swampland on one side.”
“Diesel’s gonna be following us,” Forrest said. “Will you guys please make sure nobody gets between The Beast and Diesel’s van?”
“Will do,” I said.
“Will do!” Chip said, then giggled.
There weren’t many cars on the road yet, but we were still at least a couple of hours from our destination. Charity’s phone rang and she answered it.
“Hello, Linus,” Charity said, then addressed us. “Linus says hello.”
“Hi, Linus,” I said, along with the others in The Beast.
“We’re fine,” Charity said. “Really. That’s fantastic! But we can’t make that decision alone.”
Her conversation had my full attention now.
“I’d hate to miss getting it, but decisions regarding the court need to be made between all of us,” Charity said. “She is, and she likes it? Maybe so, but Mrs. Carson no longer owns the court.”
