FRACTURED HONOR

by Kaylea Cross

  Back downstairs he put Walter’s leash on him and walked him down to Tiana and Ella’s place, promising to pick him up the next morning.

  “We’re really sorry about your dad, Mr. Beckett,” Ella told him, and handed him a card she’d made.

  It showed a stick figure of whom he assumed must be him, standing with his head bowed, his mouth downturned and big blue teardrops dripping from his eyes. Walter sat at his feet, gazing up at him with big googly eyes, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, large red hearts rising in a line above his head. A stick drawing of Ella next to Beckett appeared to be hugging him around the waist.

  He couldn’t help but smile, even as a pang hit him. “Thank you. That’s real nice of you.”

  Mirroring the drawing, the little girl stepped forward to hug him. Beckett bent and gently returned it while Tiana watched them with a soft smile.

  In his truck he set the card in the tray at the front of the console and drove to the funeral home. The director was there to meet him with the usual condolences, then led him back into a room where an urn was waiting on a small marble table.

  The sight of it hit him hard. For a moment it was as though all the air was sucked out of the room. Finally his lungs opened again. He walked forward and picked up the urn, fighting the wave of grief that threatened to smother him.

  His father’s ashes. This was all that remained of him.

  In a half-daze he walked outside into the bright spring sunshine and set the urn on the front passenger seat of his truck. “One last ride after this, Dad, then you’ll be home forever.”

  When he pulled into the full church parking lot a few minutes later, Sierra was there waiting for him. Just the sight of her filled him to bursting, eased the ache in his heart.

  She enveloped him in a big, warm hug the moment he stepped out of his truck. “Missed you,” she murmured, leaning up to kiss him.

  He gathered her to him with an arm around her waist and cupped the back of her neck with his free hand. “Missed you too, sweetness.” He kissed her, slow and firm, a gentle claiming until the world and everything but her faded away.

  A discreet cough brought his head up. Noah stood a few yards away, wearing a tailored suit and an awkward expression. Molly and Jase were there too, staring at them wide-eyed. “Hey,” Noah said. “So I’m guessing you guys are…” He cleared his throat.

  “Yes,” Sierra said, cuddling into Beckett’s side. “We are.”

  Noah nodded. “Ah. So…huh.”

  Beckett would talk to him later, but not until after he’d bared his heart to Sierra. “Thanks for coming.”

  Noah nodded. “Of course. Your dad was one of the best men I ever knew.”

  Yes. He had been. That was something Beckett would always be proud of.

  Sierra glanced past him into the truck. “Aww,” she said softly, her eyes filling when she saw the urn sitting there.

  “Yeah. The guest of honor,” he said, turning to lean over and lift it out.

  Sierra put her hands out for it and looked up at him. Beckett gently handed it to her, his heart squeezing when she hugged it to her and murmured, “Hey, Mr. H. The gang’s all here for you. And don’t worry,” she added in a whisper, shooting a loaded look at him. “I’m going to take care of Beckett for you.”

  God, he loved her. He wanted a life with her. A future that now seemed more possible than he could have imagined a week ago.

  “I brought you something,” she said, indicating the small purse slung over her shoulder. “It’s in the big pocket.”

  Beckett unzipped it and pulled out a rectangular-shaped wrapped parcel.

  “You can open it later if you don’t want to now.”

  He turned it over and tore a corner free, a sweet, stinging pain hitting him when he saw the photo she’d framed. She had taken the selfie of him, his dad and Walter that he’d sent her, professionally edited it to adjust the lighting. His dad looked so damn happy, and Walter so ridiculous in his doggles, it made him laugh in spite of the hurt. “Thank you. I love it.”

  I love you.

  He wasn’t going to tell her that in front of everyone. When he told her it should be while they were alone.

  “You’re welcome. It was too good a shot not to frame up, and I wanted you to have this to remember your fun day together.” She brushed a kiss over his mouth and drew back to give him a supportive smile.

  He drew a steadying breath, grateful to have her beside him through this. “Let’s get this done.”

  Sierra and his friends walked with him to the church’s front door. Stepping inside, he damn near choked up.

  Every single guy from the construction crews he ran was there, along with most of the townspeople. Even former neighbors who had moved out of the area years ago, and the nurses from the palliative floor who had cared for his father.

  And Carter.

  Beckett spotted him over in the far corner. His former teammate had shaved and even worn a suit for the occasion. He stood alone in the back, his gaze full of undisguised yearning as he stared at Molly, then it shifted to Beckett and filled with regret.

  So many unspoken things passed between them as they stared at each other.

  Beckett forgave him for the things he’d done. Because Carter had shown up here today to support him and honor his father, even after all that had happened between them. That was what mattered.

  Throat tight, Beckett walked straight up to him and pulled him into a hug. “Thanks for coming, man. Means a lot.”

  “Wouldn’t have missed it,” Carter said, his voice thick. There wasn’t a hint of booze on him.

  Beckett leaned back to look into those clear, almost black eyes, slapped a rock hard shoulder. One side of Carter’s mouth pulled up in a half-grin, and he nodded once.

  No more grudges. They couldn’t go back to who or what they’d been before, but now they could at least both move forward without bad blood between them.

  The moment was over in an instant, because a line of people waited to speak to Beckett. He finally put a stop to it by setting his father’s urn on a podium up front and waited beside it while everyone took their seats.

  Sierra, Noah, Jase and Molly sat in the front row reserved for family. Carter sat a few rows back with some of the nurses. It was standing room only in the church, and Beckett was overwhelmed by the show of respect and support the town was giving him and his dad.

  The service was short and to the point. Beckett read a eulogy he’d prepared, managed to keep his voice even throughout the whole thing before taking his seat beside Sierra, who immediately reached for his hand and twined her fingers through his.

  A few people came up to tell funny stories or say how much his dad had meant to them and the town. A short reception followed, passing by in a blur of faces and condolences. He shook hands, accepted hugs from the women, but really he just wanted out of there so he could breathe again.

  Finally, the last guest left, and it was just him, Sierra, Noah, Jase and Molly. Carter had slipped out without saying goodbye, and Beckett didn’t blame him. Had to be hard on him and Molly to see each other.

  “Where to now, your place?” Jase asked him, putting his flat cap back on as they left the church.

  Beckett nodded and slid an arm around Sierra’s waist. “He wanted to be scattered on the bank and from the point at the lighthouse.” The same as they’d done with Beckett’s mother’s ashes so many years before.

  “We’ll meet you there.”

  Everyone assembled in the backyard as Beckett carried the urn toward the bank. His friends stood behind him as he scattered a handful of ash along the edge of the garden where it met the bank. From there it was only a few minutes’ walk up to the path that led to the lighthouse.

  He took Sierra’s hand, held it until they reached their destination. He stood beside her at the edge of the point for a long moment, taking in the sweeping view of the ocean as the waves crashed against the rocks below. His dad had loved the ocean. Now he would be a
part of it and this place forever.

  Opening the urn one last time, he stepped to the edge and flung the contents in an arc. The wind caught the plume of ash and whipped it into the air, carrying it out to meet the waves, the slight salt spray tingling against his skin. “Bye, Dad,” he murmured, hoping that wherever his father’s spirit was, he was at peace.

  Sierra came up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist. And suddenly Beckett felt strangely at peace as well. “He’ll never really leave you,” she said over the wind.

  He squeezed her arms. “No.” Then he turned and drew her to him, hugged her tight. “Thank you.”

  She kissed him, her eyes shining with what he dared to hope was love. “Ready to head back?”

  He nodded and captured her hand for the walk back to the house.

  Jase came up to hook a casual arm around Beckett’s neck. “Come on, buddy. We’re taking you to the Sea Hag for a toast to your dad.”

  “Okay.” His dad would’ve liked that. He glanced at Sierra. “You coming too?”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Sure.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sierra walked up to Beckett’s back porch with Molly while the guys headed out to the bar. It was three in the afternoon. After meeting them at the bar she would run to the market and grab something to make dinner for her and Beckett. He’d had a long, tough week and she wanted to pamper him.

  “You want to come with me to the Hag, or do you have plans?” she asked Molly.

  “Wish I could, but I have to get to work.”

  “I thought you had the day off?”

  “Switched a shift with someone so I could make it to the funeral.”

  Sierra stopped to face her. It had to have been tough on her to see Carter there. “You okay?”

  Molly didn’t pretend to misunderstand what she meant. “Yeah. I wasn’t expecting to see him there today. He looked good.” There was a wistfulness to her voice that tugged at Sierra’s heart. “Like the old Carter.”

  She gave a sad smile. “He did.”

  “I can’t let that make me question my decision,” Molly said, shaking her head firmly. “I gotta stand my ground and move forward, no backsliding.”

  “You do. But I know that doesn’t make it any easier. You sure you don’t have time for a cup of coffee or something before you head in?”

  “No, I can’t.” Then Molly shot her a narrow-eyed look and whacked her arm.

  Sierra’s eyes went wide. “What the heck was that for?”

  “For not telling me about you and Beckett. What’s going on between you two, anyway?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think you’ve been holding out on me.”

  Sierra chuckled. She wasn’t exactly sure what Beckett had in mind for them, but she sure as hell knew what she wanted. Him and no one else, forever. God, she hoped he wouldn’t break her heart. He was dealing with so much right now. “It just kind of happened.”

  “Yeah? When? Because you didn’t say anything when I saw you the other day.”

  “It was sudden. And it took both of us by surprise.”

  Molly gave her an oh, please look. “I don’t think so. You’ve had a thing for him for a long time.”

  Sierra gaped at her. “What? How did you know?”

  Molly rolled her eyes. “Girl, I’m not blind, even if he was. But I’m glad he’s seeing things straight now.” She nudged Sierra with an elbow. “So? Is it serious?”

  “It better be. It’s all happened so fast, and with his dad dying we haven’t really talked about us yet.” She’d been hoping to do that either tonight or tomorrow. “As you may have noticed, Beckett’s not the most talkative guy, especially when it comes to feelings.” He was still guarded around her sometimes but he’d made an effort to open up to her about certain things. If he kept doing that, she could handle whatever else life threw at them.

  “Well I hope it all works out for you guys. I love you both to death, and I want to see you happy.”

  “We love you too, and I’ll keep you posted.” She held out her arms. “Now gimme a hug.” Molly gave the best hugs. Well, apart from Beckett, but they were totally different kinds of hugs. Molly’s hugs filled her with a contented warmth. Beckett’s made her entire body hum and turned her heart to mush.

  Molly squeezed her tight, rocking from side to side a bit. “Love you.”

  Sierra hugged her hard. “Love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow, so we can schedule that girls’ night.”

  “That’s a plan. I’m gonna need an update about you guys asap. And I want all the details. You can’t leave anything out.”

  She snickered. “You’re so dirty.”

  Molly grinned. “You know it.”

  Just as she stepped back, her phone rang. It was Macy, from the clinic. “Hey. What’s up?”

  “I just got a call about an emergency from one of our new patients. Sadie, the female Golden Retriever you saw last week for the first time got hit by a car.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “The owner can’t risk taking her all the way to the emergency clinic, so she called here. Can you come in?”

  “Of course, tell her to come in right away. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  Molly raised her eyebrows. “You on call?”

  “Yes, my business partner is out of town, and the patient is too critical to transport the distance to the emergency clinic. I gotta go.”

  “Yeah, go.” Molly waved her past and Sierra rushed to her car.

  She pulled into the clinic parking lot several minutes later and slid into the space beside Macy’s car. After sending Beckett a quick text, she headed inside.

  Emergency patient. Not sure when I’ll be done. Will swing by bar after if there’s time. Xo

  Macy was waiting for her with an update. “Apparently the dog’s conscious, but in a lot of pain. She’s bleeding from the mouth, can’t stand. Natalie should be here with her any minute. I’ve got everything set up in the OR.”

  “Great, I’ll get ready.” In the back she assembled what she might need for surgery and put on her scrubs.

  “She’s here,” Macy called.

  Sierra stepped through the exam room door in time to see Natalie walk in. Her face was drawn, expression set as she took in the two of them, and she was alone.

  “Where’s Sadie?” Sierra asked in concern. Still in the car? “Do you need help bringing her in?”

  “No.” Natalie shut the clinic door behind her and reached back to twist the lock.

  Startled, Sierra stopped where she was. What—

  Her heart seized when Natalie raised a pistol at her. Macy gasped and froze by the desk.

  Sierra gaped at the weapon, heart thudding in her ears. “What are you…?” She didn’t understand what was happening. Couldn’t get another word out, her throat constricting as fear detonated inside her.

  Natalie’s eyes glittered with pure hatred as she stared at her. “You’re coming with me. And there can’t be any witnesses.”

  Before Sierra could react, the woman turned the weapon on Macy. Macy let out a panicked cry and started to duck behind the desk, but it was too late.

  Sierra jolted as the gunshot exploded through the room, staring in horror as Macy crumpled to the floor. Blood spread across her chest, splattered all over the floor and wall behind her. Her eyes were open, fixed on Sierra in shock, agony twisting her face as she lay there, unmoving.

  Oh, Jesus… Sierra took a lurching step toward her, needing to stop the bleeding.

  “Stop.” Natalie turned the gun on her.

  Sierra jerked to a halt, afraid to move.

  “Don’t touch her. Step away.” She waved the pistol to the left.

  Sierra took two shuffling steps away from Macy, unable to tear her gaze away from the end of the muzzle. Why? Why had she done this?

  “My fiancé’s name was Cole Goodman. That name ring a bell?”

  Slowly, Sierra shook her head.

  “Yo
ur man never mentioned it to you? Why am I not surprised?” She waved the pistol impatiently, motioning toward her. “You’re coming with me. Now.”

  For a split second Sierra considered whirling and making a run for it. But she’d never make it. The door was too far away. She’d be shot down before she’d even made it two steps.

  As if reading her thoughts, Natalie’s hard gaze turned icy. “Don’t even think about it. I need you alive. For now.”

  At those ominous words Sierra took an involuntary step backward, flinched as Natalie’s other hand whipped up. Before Sierra could even discern what was in the woman’s grip this time, Natalie lunged over and thrust her hand out, hitting Sierra in the side of the neck with something.

  Hot, electric pain radiated through every part of her. Her muscles convulsed, her entire body out of control, then went limp.

  She hit the floor on her side, unable to move or even draw a breath. She was dimly aware of her arms being wrenched behind her, and something being fastened around her wrists. Her muscles refused to obey her silent command to move. To fight.

  She was powerless to do anything at all as Natalie dragged her past Macy’s body and out the back of the clinic.

  ****

  The Sea Hag hadn’t changed a bit in the past twenty years. Beckett glanced around the familiar space. This had been his dad’s favorite spot in town to grab a cold one after a long day at work or out on the water, and he’d often stop in on his way home. Being here now was bittersweet, but fitting.

  He slid onto a stool beside Noah and ordered himself his dad’s favorite beer. The place was full of tradespeople and work colleagues, all here to raise a glass to his father’s memory because Jase had previously organized it.

  Only thing missing was Sierra.

  “It’s on the house,” the bartender told him, sliding the cold bottle across the bar to him.

  “Thanks, Gus.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Sierra not coming?” Noah asked him.

  “She got called in for an emergency at the clinic. Might stop by if she’s done in time.”

  Noah nodded, leaned a forearm on the polished bar to give him a rueful look. “So. You and my sister, huh?”