Frankly, Carrie was beginning to think, Lillian was aiding and abetting the enemy. Only when her mother-in-law winked as she turned away did Carrie get a glimmer of hope. Lillian was up to something.
Twenty minutes later, Nelson was struggling to stay awake. His eyes drifted closed and his head sagged forward. Shaking his head, he forced himself awake. He stood, walked over to the sink, pumped water into his hand, and slapped his face.
“You okay, boss?”
“I’m a little tired is all.”
“Go ahead and take a nap if you want. I’ve got these two covered. Besides, Fischer won’t be here for another hour.”
Nelson looked at his watch. “I just might do that.” He disappeared into the bedroom, but not before warning Lawton to keep his eye on the women.
“Don’t worry, boss, I ain’t never trusted a woman yet.”
“Keep it like that and you’ll go far.”
Within minutes Nelson was snoring loud enough to cause the drapes to sway.
Ten minutes later Lawton blinked twice, and then his eyes closed and he laid his head on the table, asleep himself.
With deliberate care, Lillian slipped the gun from his fingers and motioned for Carrie to tiptoe out of the cabin. Not that she needed Lillian’s encouragement. Never had she been more anxious to get away from anyone.
The instant her feet hit dirt, Carrie took off in a sprint toward the main road. She’d gone only a few yards when she realized she should probably wait for Lillian. Turning, she looked back toward the cabin to be sure her mother-in-law was close behind her.
She didn’t get the opportunity to see anything. The next thing Carrie knew she was grabbed around the waist. Before she could scream, a hand was slapped over her mouth. Squirming and kicking, she struggled with every bit of strength she possessed.
“Carrie, stop. It’s me.”
Kyle. It was Kyle! Sobbing, she twisted around and buried her face in his neck, holding onto him the way she would a rope dropped to her over the edge of a cliff.
“There’s nothing to worry about now,” he said. “The cabin’s surrounded. Sanders and the others were about to go in for you when you both came running out.”
“Someone named Fischer’s coming,” she said, breathless and panting for air.
“We got him.”
“How’d you know Nelson was here?”
“Sanders was right. Nelson was on his tail, but the Secret Service had a tail on Nelson. As soon as we reached a phone, Sanders called his contact and we learned that Nelson was at the cabin. Neither one of us gave a tinker’s damn about that key. All that was important was getting back to you.”
Carrie held her husband close.
He gazed down at her upturned face. “You’re all right?”
“I am now.” She’d be just fine for a very long time if Kyle stayed with her. She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him close.
“I don’t mind telling you, I was damn scared,” Kyle whispered as he rubbed his chin over the top of her head. “I’ll be glad to leave this cops-and-robbers stuff to those who know what they’re doing.”
Carrie laughed.
“What’d you two do?” The question came from Sanders, who was holding Lillian much the same way Kyle held Carrie.
“I fed them some of my sleeping tablets. Knocked ’em both out cold. Nelson ate his with his eggs, and the aspirin I gave Lawton was really sleeping pills.”
“You carry sleeping pills in your purse?”
“I have for years,” Lillian said. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“No.”
“I keep some in the cabin as well. There’s nothing I hate worse than insomnia. Occasionally I take a pill to help me sleep, not often, but I make sure they’re available when I need them. It’s my security blanket.”
Nelson and Lawton were paraded past them, their wrists handcuffed behind their backs. Both looked drowsily over at Carrie and Lillian as if they suspected this was all part of some weird dream.
“With the information I collected on Nelson, don’t expect him to see the light of day for the next forty years,” Sanders told them.
“Can we go home now?” Carrie asked. “I want to take a bath and wash my hair.”
“I have a few things in mind as well,” Kyle said, keeping his voice low. “This is still our honeymoon, remember? It seems to me I’ve got several promises to collect on.”
Carrie’s gaze met her husband’s, and they smiled almost shyly at each other.
Promises. Her whole life felt like a promise. There was the assurance of a child, one that had been created in love. Their child wouldn’t be their only surprise, Carrie ventured a guess. Their married life was sure to be filled with many twists and turns. If she was looking for assurances she could think of only one. They’d face their differences.
They’d argue over the most ridiculous things. Love and marriage weren’t going to alter their opinionated ways. But when the dust settled, they’d make love. There would never be a dull moment, Carrie guessed.
And she was right.
Epilogue
“There’s a letter from your mom and dad,” Carrie said. Kyle walked out of the bedroom, holding their six-month-old daughter in his arms.
Carolyn Marie yawned sleepily as her mother reached for her and sat in the rocker. By the time she’d bared her breast, Carolyn was fussing, ready for her lunch. The baby latched onto the nipple and sucked greedily.
Carrie’s heart ached with love for this child. She brushed a strand of fine blond hair from the cherublike face and rocked gently. She was surprised when she looked up to find Kyle watching her.
“I remember the night Carolyn was born,” Kyle said.
“Trust me, so do I,” Carrie teased.
“The nurse put her on the scale, and she reached up and grabbed my finger and captured my heart. I don’t think I’m ever going to get it back.”
“Only now do I appreciate my parents’ love.”
“I want to be Carolyn’s knight in shining armor, her hero.”
“You’re already mine.”
His eyes met hers, and she was engulfed in the depth and strength of his love for her. “Carolyn’s an angel on loan.”
“I have the feeling we both may have second thoughts about that when she becomes a teenager.”
Kyle chuckled, and then the laughter left his eyes. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. He came farther into the room and sank into his leather recliner. His responsibilities were heavy, now that he produced the news of the ABC affiliate television station in Kansas City. He loved his job, but he worked long hard hours.
“Are you worried about the station?” Carrie asked.
“No. Everything’s going well there.”
“Then why do you look so troubled?”
“I’m not. I was just thinking about Mom and Max and the incredible set of circumstances that set everything in motion. All because you thought driving the interstate to Dallas would be boring.”
“If anything, that should convince you to listen to me more often,” she said, knowing there wasn’t a prayer of that happening anytime soon.
“I still think of Richards every now and again,” Kyle murmured absently.
“I wonder what went wrong for him to do the things he did,” Carrie said, rocking their daughter as she nursed.
“The Secret Service people want to know the same thing.”
“And why did Nelson kill him?”
“I don’t think we’ll ever have the answer to that. I suspect Richards told him he’d have the key, and when he didn’t Nelson got impatient.”
“Shooting him was a bit drastic, don’t you think?” Carrie said.
“Perhaps it was what he intended all along. Max has a theory about that. Max thinks Richards gave Nelson a phony key, just to get him off his back, never suspecting Nelson intended to kill him,” Kyle speculated. “He was buying time, and instead he sealed his own death warrant.”
“It’s sad, isn�
�t it.”
“Greed does that to a person.”
“You should know,” she said, glaring at her husband.
“Are you saying I’m greedy?”
“In a manner of speaking. Between the sexual demands you make on me and the baby needing my time—oh, well, I might as well tell you. I think I’m pregnant again.”
“What?” Kyle’s legs shot out away from the chair as if he’d received an electrical shock. “But…I thought you said that since you were nursing…”
“Apparently I was wrong.” She lowered her gaze, not knowing herself how she felt about having a second baby so soon after the first. If Kyle was upset, Carrie was afraid she’d burst into tears. Her emotions were all askew as it was.
“Carrie, sweetheart.” He walked over to her, leaned over, and kissed her thoroughly until it was all Carrie could do to remember she had the baby in her arms.
“Are you sorry?” Kyle asked.
She shook her head. “Not if you aren’t.”
“I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said, a smile radiating from his eyes. “I’m just a little surprised is all.”
“My dad’s going to love you all the more,” Carrie muttered. As it was, her parents thought Kyle walked on water. Presenting them with a second grandchild barely fifteen months after the first would only increase their admiration.
“I’ll write and tell Mom and Max,” Kyle said. “By the way, what did they say in their letter?”
“Just that they’re happy.”
“Who wouldn’t be, living on a Caribbean island? Your mother’s thinking of starting her own business.”
“You know, I couldn’t help wondering if their marriage was going to last,” Kyle said, pulling out the ottoman and sitting down next to Carrie.
“Why not? They’ve been in love with each other for years.”
“True, but sometimes reality falls decidedly short of the dream. I’m pleased for them both. For a while I was afraid Max was going to get bored, but I was wrong. He’s got his hand in a dozen different projects.”
Carrie knew Kyle wasn’t pleased when she made father-son comparisons, but as a matter of course the two proved to be more and more alike with each passing month.
“He looked good when he was here for the trial, didn’t he?”
“Wonderful,” Carrie murmured. “I don’t mind telling you I sleep better at night knowing Nelson and his group of hoods are behind bars.”
“It’s over, Carrie. We don’t have anything to worry about now.”
“Unless of course we take another road trip and the car happens to break down. In which case we can count on meeting a cast of unruly characters, spending time in jail, and arguing like cats and dogs.”
“Why take a trip,” Kyle asked, “when I’ve got all that right here in the comfort of my own home?”
“Kyle!”
He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her once more. “I haven’t drawn an easy breath from the moment I met you. The thing is, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There’s a story behind every book. One Night began over lunch with my good buddy Linda Lael Miller. We started talking about the television show Unsolved Mysteries. At the same time I was thinking it was time to write a humorous story. Somehow the two, which have nothing in common, merged in my mind and the idea for One Night was born. As they say, the rest is history.
As always, my heartfelt appreciation goes to the people who made this book possible. Karen Solem and Carolyn Marino are a joy to work with at Harper. Next in line is my agent, Irene Goodman, who listens to my frustrations, soothes my ruffled feathers, and flatters my ego. My good friends Linda Lael Miller and Darlene Layman have faithfully stood by my side through the years. Thank you one and all.
PRAISE FOR
DEBBIE MACOMBER’S NOVELS
A SEASON OF ANGELS
The National Bestseller
“A delightfully warm, funny, and uplifting novel that is just perfect for the upcoming holiday season…. Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy make an angelic trio that is tough to beat.”
—Romantic Times
“Charming and touching by turns. It would take a real Scrooge not to enjoy this story of three ditsy angels and answered prayers.”
—Elizabeth Lowell
“A Season of Angels is a delightful, heartwarming read. Shirley, Mercy and Goodness will touch the lives of every reader. I loved it!”
—Lori Copeland
“Move over It’s a Wonderful Life. Debbie Macomber’s A Season of Angels is the warm, funny, romantic holiday story you’ve been hoping to find. Sit back, kick off your shoes and enjoy!”
—Linda Lael Miller
“Shirley, Goodness and Mercy—three heartwarming angels to spend the Christmas season with.”
—Sandra Canfield
MORNING COMES SOFTLY
“A warm and endearing tale that will entertain and delight you…A wonderful read.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz
“I relished every word, lived every scene, and shared in the laughter and tears of the characters.”
—Linda Lael Miller
“A heartwarming story of love and family, and of the courage to believe deeply in both—against all odds…An engaging story of love that is charming, delightful, powerful, and best of all, triumphant.”
—Katherine Stone
“Macomber’s story will fill readers with a sense of hope and heart, and many readers will find the trials and victories of Travis and Mary living on in their hearts for years to come.”
—Robyn Carr
About the Author
With 60 million books in print, DEBBIE MACOMBER is a New York Times bestselling author who believes in angels, the power of love, and Christmas. A talented writer and public speaker, Debbie lives with her husband in Port Orchard, WA, and winters in Fort Pierce, FL.
Readers can contact her via her website, www.debbiemacomber.com, or at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
By Debbie Macomber
MRS. MIRACLE
ANGELS EVERYWHERE
CHRISTMAS ANGELS
MRS. MIRACLE
SOONER OR LATER
TOUCHED BY ANGELS
SOMEDAY SOON
THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS
ONE NIGHT
A SEASON OF ANGELS
MORNING COMES SOFTLY
Credits
Cover illustration by Jim Griffin. Cover photograph by William Warren/Westlight and Pelton & Assoc./Westlight
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ONE NIGHT. Copyright © 1994 by Debbie Macomber. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ePub edition January 2006 ISBN 9780061760952
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