by Jade Winters
‘Thank God you did,’ Vanessa said, putting her arm around Kelli’s shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze.
‘Knock, knock.’ A detective appeared in the open doorway.
‘Detective,’ Vanessa said warmly. ‘I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.’
‘I was visiting someone so I thought I’d bring the news to you in person. We arrested your brother and he’s been charged.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘He attended the Queen Elizabeth Hospital shortly after the fire with second degree burns.’
‘I just can’t believe it!’ Kelli exclaimed. ‘What a bastard!’
‘Kelli,’ Vanessa reprimanded.
‘What? He tried to kill his own sister. The man is insane,’ Kelli insisted.
The detective ignored Kelli’s outburst and continued, ‘Whatever he is, he felt bad enough to confess to starting the fire. He apparently did it in a drunken rage because you took away his job. He’s been ranting non-stop and, to be honest, he isn’t really making that much sense. Because of the premeditated nature of the crime, he’ll be remanded without bail until his trial. At least you can sleep soundly at night, knowing he’s safely behind bars.’
When they were alone again, Kelli sat on the edge of the bed. ‘Why don’t you come and stay with us when you’re discharged.’
Heidi looked over at Vanessa and was shocked to see her nodding in agreement. If she were being truthful, Heidi didn’t want to be alone. She was still traumatised by what Craig had done. She shuddered to think that if Vanessa hadn’t been working in her office, they probably would have both been dead now. Knowing how close the end had nearly come, put life into perspective.
‘Um, yes, I suppose I could for a short while. Until I get back on my feet.’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ Kelli said. ‘You two make me laugh. Why can’t you just admit you’re crazy about each other?’
Heat rushed to Heidi’s cheeks, but she remained silent. With how she felt about Vanessa, ‘crazy’ just didn’t go far enough.
Kelli pecked Heidi’s cheek and got to her feet. ‘Anyway, I’ll see you guys later. We’re going to the cinema.’
‘When you say we, I take it you mean you’re going with Christina?’ Heidi asked.
It was Kelli’s turn to blush. ‘Uh-huh.’
Heidi laughed at her bashful expression. ‘Tell her I said hello.’
‘Will do,’ she replied before disappearing out of the door.
‘It’s so good to see Kelli happy again,’ Vanessa said as she came to stand beside Heidi. She took her hands in her own. ‘It seems we’ve both struck gold.’
Heidi feigned ignorance. ‘How so?’
‘Didn’t you hear what Kelli said? I’m crazy about you. In fact ….’ Vanessa bent down and whispered three words into Heidi’s ear.
Heidi pulled Vanessa closer and planted a kiss on her lips. She was grateful the nurse had taken the heart monitor away, because it would have exploded for sure. It was ironic, Heidi reasoned, how one O’Neil had nearly killed her with hatred and the other with love.
Epilogue
Heidi sat back in her seat and looked around her spacious office, relieved there wasn’t one thing out of place. There was enough room for everything to be stored away. She glanced at the framed picture of Vanessa on her desk, and her heart swelled the way it always did whenever she saw her. Several months ago, Vanessa had appointed Heidi as the Head of Public Relations at her new chain of counselling services that worked closely with places like the Young Minds Centre. It didn’t take much to convince Heidi to join the company; after all, Vanessa’s legacy would one day be left in the hands of the two children they planned to adopt after their Christmas wedding.
Heidi still couldn’t believe how much her life had changed and, for the first time ever, in a good way. She was still in the throes of the honeymoon period with Vanessa and thought it would never end. Every day was like a new beginning. She knew it sounded clichéd, but until now, she’d never known love could be so deep and rewarding.
Kelli had discovered this as well. Not because of Heidi and Vanessa, but through her love for Christina. They’d been in a relationship for well over eight months and it looked like they had a bright and happy future together. Not only that, but they made such a cute couple.
Her phone rang and Simone’s name flashed up on the small screen. Even though they no longer worked in the same building, they still managed to have their morning gossip session before work swamped them. Simone was the new manager of Young Minds and Heidi was proud to say she was doing a fantastic job running the place.
Heidi connected their call and before she could get a word in, Simone said, ‘I just listened to your message about Craig. A five-year prison sentence really isn’t long enough for what he did. He could have killed you both.’
‘I know, but I’m glad it’s all over with. Hopefully when he gets out, he’ll take the money he received from selling his share of the company to Vanessa and retire in Timbuktu.’
‘I wouldn’t wish his presence on any country.’
‘You never know. A few years in prison might be the making of him.’
Simone snorted. ‘Yeah, if you believe in miracles.’
Heidi looked around the office, then down at the picture of Vanessa and herself embracing one another. Yes, she did believe in miracles. After all, she was living one herself.
Coming Soon
When one door closes …
another opens
BOOK LIST
Standalone Lesbian Romance Novels
143
Caught By Love
Guilty Hearts
Say Something
Faking It
Second Thoughts
Secrets
In It Together
Love Interrupted
The Song, The Heart
Accidentally Together
Flirting With Danger
Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Unravelled
The Ashley McCoy Detective Series
A Walk Into Darkness
Everything To Lose
Novellas
Talk Me Down From The Edge
Free Short Stories
The Makeover
The Love Letter
Love On The Cards
A Story Of You
About The Author
Based in Dorset, UK, Jade Winters is a passionate author with a particular focus on lesbian romance. When not busy creating stories and lives, Jade loves spending time with her partner exploring the Dorset coastline in their boat.
Jade always enjoys discussing her books with readers. You can visit her website or get in touch with her via Facebook or Twitter. Her books are available on Amazon.
www.jade-winters.com
