by Wendy Vella
“Did you hear that?”
Brad stopped briefly at Ethan's words and he heard the scream.
“Macy!” Brad sprinted down the road with Ethan on his heels, and they both saw the boat.
“It's him. Delray!”
Brad didn't hesitate. Moonlight had shown him the man was bent over Macy, his hands around her neck.
His roar had Brian Delray lifting his head, but Brad didn't stop, he jumped into the boat and grabbed him. His fist connected with the man's nose and he heard a satisfying crack.
“I have you now, Macy.”
“Ethan?”
Brad heard her voice as he swung again, this time making contact with Delray’s jaw. Searching, he found Macy in Ethan's arms. He turned to grab Delray again, but the man had a gun pointed at him.
“She’s mine!”
“No, she's mine.” Brad kept his eyes on Brian Delray. “You tried to break her, but she's too strong. It's you who’s weak.”
“Shut up or I'll shoot you.”
“You can try, but you don't have the guts.” Brad continued to taunt him until he felt the boat rock and knew Ethan had Macy safe.
Delray's face was bloodied, his nose bleeding, and Brad wanted more.
“She’s not fit for scum like you to walk on, Delray. You’ll never touch her again.”
The man roared and dived at Brad. He heard the gun go off, and then they were both falling overboard. The water was deep and sucked him under, but Brad fought against it and swam upward until he broke the surface.
“Brad!”
He heard her desperate scream.
“I’m all right, Macy!”
“Can you see Delray?”
Brad watched Jake and Ethan move up and down the bank, looking into the water. Taking a breath, he dived down again and waved his hands about; he couldn’t see anything in the dark. When his lungs were bursting, he swam back to the surface.
“I can’t find him.”
“Give me your hand. You won’t see anything now, it’s too dark.”
“I’m going under once more.”
He did before anyone tried to stop him, but soon his lungs were burning, and he could find no trace of Brian Delray. Once again he rose to the surface.
“No more, Brad. Macy is worried about you and needs you out here.”
He took the hand Ethan held out to him and let himself be pulled to the bank.
Macy was in his arms seconds later.
“I’m wet, baby.”
“I don’t care. I thought he’d shot you.”
He held her tight, feeling the shivers that shook her body.
“I was so scared he’d hurt you, Macy.”
“Is he dead?”
“I don’t know, honey. I couldn’t find him.”
Her body shuddered and burrowed into his. He felt Ethan's hand on his arm and heard Annabelle talking on the phone, but he never moved, just held Macy.
“Are you okay, did he hurt you?”
“I’m okay now I’m here with you.”
The approach of lights had him looking up, and he saw Cubby's cruiser.
“Let's go now.” Ethan squeezed his shoulder. “It's over.”
Brad changed into Jake’s clothes and then held Macy's hand while he checked her over. Her face was pale in the places that weren't bruised. She was dirty, clothes torn, but she was alive and with him. He had to keep reminding himself of that.
“I'm all right, Brad.”
“You don't look all right.”
“She's fine. Nothing's broken, just bruised,” Jake assured him. “But you'll be sore for a while.”
She took the hot drink Branna handed her, and he made sure she drank every mouthful. When Cubby walked inside, the color she’d got back drained away again.
“He’s dead, Macy. One of my deputies found his body.”
Brad moved closer, wrapping an arm around her now.
“Thank you for telling me, and now I’d like to go home.”
They wanted her to stay right there where they could watch over her, but she was adamant about wanting to leave. So Brad borrowed Jake’s car and promised he’d watch over her.
“Why are we here?”
“Because it’s closer,” Brad said when they reached the cabin.
“Cubby said he can question us tomorrow, Brad.”
“I heard him too, honey.”
“Do you think I should pick up Billy?”
“He's asleep now. We'll get him early, when we get the call he’s awake.”
“I don't want him to wake scared.”
She was talking fast, and he knew it was the aftereffects, so he let her go.
“Does he wake much during the night?”
“No, never.”
“Probably be okay tonight in that case.”
“I-I didn't know if I would see him grow up.”
She broke down as he slipped his hands under her and lifted her out of the car, then carried her inside. He flicked on a light and walked to the bathroom. She cried, loud, heartbreaking sobs as he lowered her to her feet and turned on the shower.
“Sssh, now.” He stripped off her clothes and then his, and then led her into the water. “It's all right, baby, it's over now.”
He held her as her cries eased to sniffles and then sighs, and then she slumped against him as the water cascaded around them.
“I love you.” He spoke the words into her hair. “This is where I want to stay, Macy. Here with you and Billy.”
“Yes” was all she said. “I want that so much too.”
After he'd shut off the water and dried them both, he took her to bed and held her close while he spoke of the future, their future, and for the first time in years, he actually believed in what he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Macy played with the sketch Willow had done of Brad and Ethan, and then stepped back to see if she was happy with its location.
“You've moved that five times now.”
“I can't get it to hang straight.”
She smiled as Brad moved in behind her, his arms circling her waist.
“It's straight, woman, and can I say how hot you’re looking that little red dress.”
“You can take it off me later.”
“Oh, I will.” He kissed her neck, and Macy felt the wonderful lick of heat travel through her.
“Do you like it here, Brad?”
They both looked around the room that had once been her parents’ dining room. She'd taken up her mother's offer and swapped houses four days ago, and she loved it, but it wasn't just her living here now. Brad had moved in with them.
He had decided to join Ethan’s business and run charters. He loved it here, loved flying tourists around and living in Howling, and every day he was changing. The serious man she’d first met now laughed constantly, loved freely, and she was falling more and more under his spell every day she spent with him.
“I've never lived in a home before, honey, but now I am. I love it here. I love you and Billy, and I've never known such happiness.”
His words were open and honest, and she turned in his arms to look at him.
“Our home,” she whispered, rising to her toes to kiss him. “And yes, I feel that happiness too.”
He would head back to Texas with Ethan next week and talk to their father, but both Geldermans had decided that neither wanted to stand in their father's shoes, so someone would be brought in to run the company when he passed.
Decisions still needed to be made and things put in place for their mother, but Macy knew that with Ethan at his side, Brad would cope with what needed to be done.
“Are you ready?”
“Ready?” Macy shivered as he ran a hand down her spine and slid it under the hem to stroke her thigh. His touch drove her crazy.
“Our housewarming party is about to start.”
She kissed him again before she went to open the door and greet her friends. This was happiness, she thought, as Billy and Razzle bea
t her to it. And they deserved it, both of them.
THE END
THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for reading Don’t Look Back, book #5 in the Lake Howling series.
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• Here's a sneak peek at the blurb for book #6 in the Lake Howling series, A Long Way Home, Newman and Hope’s story.
A LONG WAY HOME
Hope Lawrence had run away from Lake Howling Oregon, as soon as she’d saved enough to buy her first camera. Trips home since had been infrequent and painful, but the latest summons had come with ice on it. Come home now, or don’t bother. To obey or disobey, that was the question, and as she didn’t have the answer, Hope decided to go out with her friends and get drunk. The only problem with that, was she woke up the next morning in the hotel room of a man she’d vowed to stay the hell away from!
Paul Theodore Newman liked his single status. He had two personas’ and was comfortable with both. The sloth who lived in Lake Howling, and the businessman who raided the corporate world. He'd had girlfriends, but none made the angels sing, or him willing to hang up his freedom. That was until Hope Lawrence re-entered his life.
Since her first day at school when she’d demanded he share his sandwiches, there had always been something about her that got under his skin. So finding her in a bar, standing on a chair lamenting her life, was just too good an opportunity to pass up. The problem started when she challenged his manhood, and pretty much went downhill from there. Now he was faced with a woman he'd begun to have feelings for, feelings that would change his life. Was he ready for that, or should he head for the hills and not look back.
OTHER BOOKS BY WENDY VELLA
Contemporary Romances
The Lake Howling Series
A Promise Of Home
The Texan Meets His Match
How Sweet It Is
It Only Took You
Don’t Look Back
Historical Romances
Regency Rakes Series
Duchess By Chance
Rescued By A Viscount
Tempting Miss Allender
The Langley Sisters Series
Lady In Disguise
Lady In Demand
Lady In Distress
The Lady Plays Her Ace
The Lady Seals Her Fate
The Raven & Sinclair Series
Sensing Danger
Seeing Danger
The Lords Of Night Street Series
Lord Gallant
Lord Valiant
Stand Alone Titles
The Reluctant Countess
Christmas Wishes
