by Cole Baxter
"Did you plan this?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "I most certainly didn't," he said. "I'm not sure what she wants."
"I'm looking for Blake," she said to the receptionist.
I glanced at Sam and then shrugged and opened the conference room door. "I'm here," I said. "What can I do for you?"
"Blake," she said and marched toward me. She had a large bundle with her, and she shoved it into my hands. "This is for you."
"Uh . . . what?" I asked. I peeked inside, and to my surprise, I saw piles of cash. "What the heck is this for?"
"This is your final payment," she said. "And you're going to need it."
"My final . . . payment?" I guess, technically, they did stop the contract early. However, I didn't expect her to come back and pay me in a lump sum. As far as I was concerned, I hadn't exactly done the job the way they wanted. "Not to be a jerk, but what do I need it for?"
"You'll need it to hire a defense lawyer," she answered.
"Oh," I replied. "I will?"
"Yes," she said. "Because you'll be hearing from my lawyer."
I was so confused. "Why, exactly?" I asked.
"Because we hired you to build a case against Laurie," she replied. "And you most certainly did not do that."
"Uh . . . no," I said, confused. "I didn't. But that wasn't in the contract and it isn't how I work."
"If we wanted evidence, we would have gone to the police," she said.
I couldn't believe that she had the balls to say this right in front of a police officer, in the headquarters of the city's police station. However, I knew that some people really had nothing to lose and nothing that they were afraid of.
"We hired you to do a job, and you didn't do it. See you in court."
With that, she stormed out. I turned to Sam in shock. "What just happened?" I asked, confused.
Sam looked equally baffled. "I have no idea," he said and then looked at the bundle in front of me. "At least she paid you for the job that you apparently didn't do."
"Yeah, so I can use it to pay for a lawyer when they sue me," I answered, very confused. "I don't really know why she would do that."
"Because she's a good person deep down," Sam said as we watched her go. "We offered to help her, but she didn't want any help."
"Stockholm Syndrome?" I asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "All I know is that she told us to fuck off."
"Shannon Whitman used those words?" I asked.
Sam nodded. "I know, it was shocking," he said. "But she said them."
"Wow," I replied. "Do you think I can keep this cash?"
"Yes," he replied. "I think it's fine. And if she does file a lawsuit, let me know."
"Will do," I said and then extended my hand one last time. "Thanks, Sam."
"See you around, Blake," he said as I headed out of the police station.
Laurie was staying at my place, and I was sure that any day now, she would move in. We were both so comfortable around each other, and we loved each other so much. We were so lovey dovey, in fact, that I was sure that it would make other people sick. Normally, with PDAs, I preferred to just look the other way. With Laurie, though, I was happy to have her kiss me or hold my hand or cuddle me in public. She was perfect, and I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do these days except have her nearby.
"Hey," she said to me when I came in the door. "How'd it go at the police station?"
"Weird," I said as I dropped the cash on the table.
"Did you rob a bank while you were out?"
"No," I said. "Your former mother-in-law marched in and wanted to pay me. And then she told me she would sue me."
"What?" Laurie asked in shock. "For what?"
"For not doing the job she thinks they hired me for," I said as I sat down at the kitchen table.
"That's weird," she said. "And just like Shannon."
"Really?" I asked. "I'm glad someone understands because I was completely baffled."
"She feels empowered," Laurie said. "And now that Ellis is behind bars, she’s coming back into her true self. It happened to me."
"Yeah . . . but your true self wasn't a confusing lunatic," I said.
Laurie shrugged with a laugh. "Well, Shannon was always a bit different," she said. "I'm glad she is free of him. If suing you is what she wants to do, let her."
"Just let her?" I asked in shock.
"Well, I mean . . . you know," she said. "She probably doesn't have much of a case, anyway."
"Stranger things have happened," I said as I met her eyes. "So, baby, what are we going to do?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean about . . . everything. About us. About the future."
"Oh," she said and put down her notebook. "This is serious."
"Kind of," I answered. "Sam just got me thinking about a lot of things. I told him that we were thinking about going away and that we were . . . basically together."
"Well," she said. "If you told him that, it must be true."
"Do you think it's true?" I asked.
She answered with a shrug. "I don't know," she said. "I think we're both on our way there . . . but I think we have a lot to work on, personally."
"Yeah," I said. "I agree with that. But . . . can we try?"
"Yeah," she said. "We can try. What I think we should do is wait a few months then go somewhere warm and peaceful. And if that goes well, maybe I could make this my permanent residence?"
"Yeah," I said. "I like the sound of that. What do we do until then?"
"You mean, in terms of seeing each other?" she asked. I nodded. "Maybe you could . . . court me?" she teased.
"Court you?" I asked. "Like an old-fashioned lady?"
"Yeah," she said. "Take me on nice dates. Kiss me on my doorstep at night. Bring me flowers. And I could cook you dinner some nights and iron your shirts. You know, just a few nights a month. I want to have time to make sure this is what I want."
It wasn't quite what I wanted, but I understood why she was saying it. We had both been through a lot, and we needed to heal and grow.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "In six months?"
"Bermuda," she said. "I saw an advertisement for it today, and I think it would be perfect."
"Done," I replied. "I'll book the tickets."
"I'll pay for the hotel," she agreed. "We'll split everything fifty-fifty."
"I like that," I said with a smile. "Because you're a strong, independent woman."
"I am," she said with a smile. "I never thought those words would actually describe me . . . but I am, aren't I?"
"You are," I said. "And I am so proud of you."
"Thanks," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "I'm pretty damn proud of me too."
I laughed at that and got a glass of water from the fridge. There was beer in there, and my hand went right over it. I wanted to be better. I wanted to heal. And in addition, I didn't need to be distracted anymore. This was the first day of the rest of my life, and I would start it with what I wanted, with Laurie sitting across from me.
"To us," I said, and we clinked glasses.
"To us," she said, and we both drank.
It tasted better than anything I had ever drunk before. I would be all right.
Chapter Forty
Laurie
Six months later
Everyone told me that Bermuda wasn't the real Caribbean. They said that it was much different from the islands of the Dominican Republic or from Puerto Rico, and when I got there, I realized that was exactly what I wanted. I was happy, and I was doing something different from everyone else. It was actually perfect, and I couldn't wait for Blake to get here. He'd had to take a later flight than me because he was wrapping up a case, but his plane got in an hour ago, so I expected him to rap on my door at any moment.
Over the past few months, we had spent as much time apart as we had spent together. We had tried to keep date nights short and sweet, but over the last m
onth, we hadn't seen each other much. My book sales had taken off, and I couldn't believe how much money was in my bank account. My second book was a bestseller, and I had just gotten the news today that I had a good chance of hitting the number-one spot. I couldn't believe my story of pain had been so well received. However, it spoke about the disconnect in the world between those who appeared safe and those who actually were. I was glad to be helping so many people.
My website was thriving, and although I was mostly all right these days, I occasionally got a little twinge of my past. There were some nights when I couldn't sleep and others when I awoke with nightmares, but overall, it was going very well. I was healing, and I knew one day, I would no longer have to say that. If anyone asked, I would be able to say that I was healed and that was it.
I heard a knock on my door and got up. I was still a bit traumatized by hotel doors, but I was working to put that in the past too. I looked through the peephole, but to my relief, it was just Blake. He was standing there with a suitcase and wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I grinned as I opened the door.
"Hello," I said. "That's, uh . . . wow."
"You don't like it?" he asked with a grin. "I bought it at the airport. I just thought I 'd get into the spirit of things."
"Blake," I said with a smile. "It' s Bermuda, not Hawaii."
"What?" He mocked outrage.
I knew he was just playing with me and it made me grin.
"I knew everyone was giving me funny looks for a reason."
He seemed so light and happy, and I was glad that he was having a good time already. I let him into the hotel room and he kissed me as he walked in.
"How are you?" he asked. "How was your flight?"
"Yeah, it was good," I said. "I had a bit of turbulence, but it was mostly smooth. I was so glad to feel the sunshine, though."
"Yeah, it was cold at home," he said. "I'm glad we're on the same flight back. There was this crazy lady beside me who wouldn't stop talking about her pet, Puzzle, the whole time. And then, she asked me if I wanted to see Puzzle."
"Oh, she brought her pet on the flight?" I asked. "I thought that Bermuda had some strict restrictions on pets?"
"Puzzle is a puppet.”
I didn't know what to say to that. "What?" I asked. "It's not a pet?"
"I took pictures," he said and pulled out his phone.
Sure enough, there was a lady on a plane with a puppet that didn't even seem like an animal. It was some sort of old-fashioned marionette. Blake and I looked at each other and then burst out laughing.
"I promise to not be that weird when I sit beside you," I said to him.
He laughed. "Good," he said. "Because I think I've had my fill of weird for the next three years. Or the rest of my life. You didn't have any weirdos on your flight?"
"No," I said. "Just a nice stewardess. Here, go put your luggage away. I left you those drawers."
"Great," he said and then looked around. "Have you already checked out the place?"
"Around the hotel?" I asked. "Yeah, it's fantastic."
"Cool," he said. "What do you think we should do first? I saw the pool on the way in and the ocean, so I'm a bit torn."
"Depends whether you wanted to swim with the fishes or not," I said.
He smiled. "I hope that is the truth and not a metaphor," he said. "I can see the headline now. Female Mob Boss Lures Unsuspecting Private Detective into Foreign Country and Then Makes Him Swim With the Fishes."
I smirked at that and then sat down on the bed. "How have you been, though?" I asked. "We don't talk about work a lot at home. What's new?"
"I just wrapped that last case, and I have a few new cases waiting when we get back," he said. "But I've been in court a lot, actually, over the last month."
"Court?" I said in shock. "Why? Did something happen?"
"Your former mother-in-law finally sued me," he replied. "She lost, so now I'm countersuing her. I also had to testify against your former father-in-law."
"Right, I did too," I said. I'd testified early in the case.
I knew that he would have to testify too, but I didn't realize that it had already happened. In a way, I was glad he'd told me here and not back home. At home, I couldn't just forget the memory of the pain. Here, though, I could leave it behind when we left the hotel room.
"It's fine," he assured me. "He'll be behind bars for the rest of his life, or worse."
"Right," I said. "That's good. I hope he knows what real suffering is. I've never wished anyone ill, Blake, but I'm angry at him. I'm angry for what he did to Devon . . . and how he raised Devon. Of course, Devon was a grown adult and could have made his own choices . . ."
"But it didn't help," Blake said.
I nodded. "Yeah, exactly," I replied. "In any case . . . it's over?"
"It's over," he assured me. "Look, we don't have to talk about this. We should talk about something else."
"Like what?" I asked.
"Well, for one, I'm dying of thirst," he said.
I got up. "I thought you might be, so I picked up something." I reached into the mini fridge and started to hand him a silver can.
A funny look crossed Blake's face and then he shook his head. "No, thanks," he said.
I paused and then realized what the problem was. "How's the drinking going?" I asked him as I stood there with the silver can still in my hand, smiling.
"It's going better . . ." he said. "I'm not quite cold turkey yet, but I'm almost there."
"I'm proud of you," I said. "And I want to support you in this journey. That's why I got you pineapple juice."
"Ohh," he said in relief and took it with a smile. "You know me too well."
"I like to think I do," I said with a grin.
He popped the top on the can and took a long sip. "Thank you," he replied. "I was parched."
"Yeah, I felt the same way after the plane ride," I said as I sat back down on the bed. "Now, we were talking about what we wanted to do first?"
"There's the pool, the ocean, what else?" he asked.
"There's a few nature trails," I said. "And there's a gym if we're into that. Then, there's things like the Crystal Caves and all of that."
"Oh, I love caves," he said. "But then they tend to be cold."
"That's fine for a hot mess like you," I teased.
He laughed. "I hope you don't need to call me that anymore," he said. "Unless I deserve it."
"I guess that's up to you," I said. "Are you done being a hot mess?"
He met my eyes. "Yes, I think I am."
"Good," I replied. "Then I'm done calling you that."
Our gazes were locked, and our faces were just inches apart. He leaned in and so did I.
I'd kissed Blake a hundred times before, but this kiss felt different. It felt like the first time, with tingles running up and down my spine.
"Hi," he whispered after we had kissed. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," I said to him. "What are we going to do about us?"
"About us?" he asked. "I don't know. I suppose that is up to you."
"No," I said. "We're both equal. So, what are we going to do?"
"Well, if it were up to me," he said, "I would kiss you for the rest of your life."
"Yeah?" I blushed. "Because that’s kind of what I want too."
"Oh, good," he said and kissed me again. "We're both equal."
I wanted to lie on the bed and kiss Blake forever, but I also wanted to get out and explore with him. I wanted to do everything with him, I realized. He could sit and read the phone book to me and I would be happy.
He went to unpack his suitcase before we went out, and I shrieked when I saw what he pulled out.
"You do have Bermuda shorts!" I cried. "Do you have the socks too?"
"You don't think I'd look ridiculous?" he asked.
I laughed. "No, I think you'd look fantastic." I grinned. "You have to do it."
"What do you have that is island-like?" he asked.
I supposed that
my shorts and tee shirt weren't island enough for him. I went to my closet and pulled out a dress I had bought especially for this trip. It was a flowery dress that came to my knees and dipped low in my chest. I would have never had the confidence to wear it before now, but when I saw Blake's face, I knew I had to.
"Does this work?" I asked him.
He nodded. "But," he said as he came closer to me, "I think you'd look beautiful in anything."
"Aren't you a charmer," I said as he leaned in to kiss me. "Hey, do you remember what you told me before the police station?"
"That I loved you?" he asked.
"Do you?" I asked with a smile.
He gazed into my eyes, smiling as he pulled me close. "I do love you."
"I love you too," I replied, and we wrapped our arms tighter around each other. Eventually, we broke off the hug and I changed into the dress and then we managed to get out the door.
The island was beautiful, and we were spoiled for choices. Blake didn't seem at all tempted by the bar as we held hands, walking right past it.
I leaned my head on his shoulder and looked off into the sunset. It was so beautiful, with orange and red seeping into the blue sky.
"Did you ever think you would be here?" I asked him.
"No," he said. "But at the same time, the moment I saw you, I had a feeling I'd never be able to forget you."
"I'll never be able to forget you either," I said. "But hopefully, I won't have to."
He kissed me on the head, and we continued to walk in silence. Our hands were clasped and our heads were touching. I had a million thoughts in my head, but for the first time in a long time, none of them were painful or scary. I was just at peace, and I was thinking of the millions of things Blake and I could do together. I didn't know what the future held, but as long as we were together, I knew it would be fine.
If you liked this book, make sure to pick up my last book, Trust A Stranger! Keep reading for a preview!
If you have already read Trust A Stranger, then you will love my other book, Did He Do It. You can get it here!
Preview of Trust A Stranger
Chapter One
