“What do you want?” Chelsea asked, voice hard.
“To leave here with my daughter and start a life of our own, without your interference. I want to be free, Chelsea. Just like Kent did.”
Chelsea flinched. Sara hated herself for what she was doing, but this had to end. To have any kind of life of her own, she had to do this.
“Let us go. Let us start over. Fresh. With people who care about and accept us.” Tears filled Sara’s eyes. She would protect the Murphys at all costs, but Chelsea had to know there was a place out there for Sara and Abby. A real home. With people who loved them for who they were. People she could trust.
“You’re asking me to give up my granddaughter,” Chelsea said. “The only part of my son I have left.”
Sara drew in a deep breath, seeing Chelsea’s pain. Pain only a mother could feel. Some of her anger evaporated, replaced by sadness for this cold, hard woman who had fought so hard to keep the only remaining part of her dead son. Her tactics had been wrong and hurt many people, but her motives were pure. She was a mother fighting for her family. Sara could understand that. It didn’t make what she’d done all right, but she couldn’t blame the woman for wanting to hold on to her son.
“You are the only grandmother Abby has. I don’t want to deny her or you that. But I will not allow my daughter to be raised like her father.”
Chelsea looked away, defeat written tightly on her face. She’d been hit with bombs today and Sara felt for her. It couldn’t be easy. She saw the war raging inside the rigid woman.
Finally, she spoke. “Get out. Take your daughter and get the hell out.”
Victory. It was bittersweet, because Abby would never know her grandmother. Chelsea was not in a place where she could see past her beliefs, and for that Sara felt sorry. Maybe someday Chelsea would see family was more important than social status or wealth or even reputation. That she didn’t have to live by such a strict set of rules and precedence in order to be happy.
Reaching out, Sara pressed the flash drive into Chelsea’s palm and wrapped her fingers around it. Once Chelsea Benchley gave her word, it was written in stone. “Kent never wanted this,” she said quietly. “Now, where is my daughter?”
Chapter 19
Murphy saw the police cars parked in front of the Benchley estate and his heart dropped to his feet. Braking to a stop on the side of the road, he jumped out of the truck.
Gabe shouted at him, but he ignored it. They had done something to Sara. He was too late. An ache pierced his chest as he ran toward the officers who were loading Stephen Benchley into a squad car.
Murphy saw red. He barreled past one officer and pushed another aside, grabbing Benchley by the shirt collar and slamming him against the cruiser.
“What did you do to her?” he shouted. “Where is Sara?”
“Hey. Get this guy off me,” Stephen hollered as numerous sets of hands latched onto Murphy and dragged him back.
“Murphy?”
Murphy went still. He turned at the sound of his name and saw Sara walking down the paved drive toward him, Abby in her arms.
His knees went weak with relief. The hands pulling him off Stephen now held him up. Dimly, he heard Gabe talking to the officers, smoothing things over.
Then suddenly Sara was in his arms and he was holding her and Abby. His chest swelled with emotions he no longer denied. Emotions he wanted. Needed.
Sara pulled away and looked up at him with pride. He had never seen such clarity in her eyes.
“I did it, Murphy. We’re free.”
Murphy kissed her, hard and possessive. When he lifted his head he said, “I knew you could.” He didn’t know how she’d managed to gain her freedom, but right now he didn’t care. They were safe and he was never letting them go again. Sara’d always had it in her, she just hadn’t known it. Pride welled in his chest for this beautiful, strong woman he proudly called his.
“How did you know?” she asked. “You followed me?”
“Did you think I’d let you leave?”
A smile touched her lips. “Not really. I knew you’d come. But, I had to do this on my own. And I did. I feel good, Murphy. It’s really over.”
Murphy cupped her cheek. “Yes, it is.”
“You called the police on Stephen, didn’t you?”
“I thought I was too late.”
“Your timing was perfect.”
Abby wiggled between them, smiling at Murphy. Murphy held them tighter. “Never do this to me again,” he said gruffly. “I thought I lost you.”
“Never.”
Someone said his name, cautioning him about staying. Murphy had all he wanted, so he took Abby from Sara’s arms and hugged her to his chest. “Let’s get out of here,” he said and led them away.
* * * *
Sara glanced over her shoulder as Murphy led her toward his truck. Chelsea stood on the porch, watching them, desolation in her stare and pain in her stance. She looked lonely and suddenly very old standing there. A woman who had lost everything.
Something inside Sara shifted. Pulling away from Murphy, she said, “Hold on. I have to do something.”
She ran up the walkway until she stood in front of Chelsea. Reaching out, she covered the woman’s cold hand with her own. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Chelsea. Everyone.”
With that she ran back to where Murphy waited, frowning, and without looking back, walked away from her past. Murphy helped her and Abby into his truck, spoke briefly to the group of men with him, and climbed in beside her.
“Was that Gabe?” she asked.
“Yes. He helped me find you.”
“I see,” she said with a frown as Gabe climbed into another truck with the other men. “And who are the other men? And the woman?”
“More help.”
Sara nodded and sank back in the comfort of the seat. For once she didn’t mind Murphy’s clipped, evasive answers.
“Rest,” Murphy said. “You’re safe now.”
“Yes,” she murmured, closing her eyes to the sudden exhaustion washing over her. “We are.”
* * * *
Sara woke up to find herself in Murphy’s arms and carried into a motel room.
Being in Murphy’s arms again was wonderful. She didn’t argue when he carried her through the door. Abby was already tucked into bed and fast asleep. She looked so peaceful, Sara wanted to cry. Instead she rested her head on Murphy’s shoulder. Right now she needed to be close to him.
He carried her to the other bed to lay her down, but she held tight. “No,” she whispered. “Not yet.”
Murphy sat on the bed with her on his lap and simply held her. They sat in silence and Sara listened to the steady beat of his heart as she counted her blessings. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to her and she would cherish him for the rest of her life.
She sighed and closed her eyes, content to stay right where she was. This was all she wanted.
“This is wonderful,” she murmured.
“You need to get some rest,” he said, standing and pulling back the covers. Then he gently laid her in the center of the bed and covered her back up.
“Where are you going to sleep?” she asked.
“I’m not tired. I’m going to take a shower and sit up for awhile. Go to sleep, we have a long drive in front of us tomorrow.”
Her eyes were already closing. “Are you taking us home?” she murmured, the words slurred with sleep.
She was almost asleep when Murphy said softly, “Yeah, I’m taking you home.”
* * * *
The second Sara set foot on the ranch, she burst into tears, the same as she had the first day of her arrival. Alice and Justine and MaryAnn and the kids were there to welcome her and Abby. They took her in and gave her a cup of tea, this time without brandy, fussing over her, and before she knew it, she was back where she’d left off. It felt so right, she wanted to cry some more.
After dinner, Abby begged to spend the night at Justine’s. This tim
e Sara was able to say yes with less trepidation. The danger was over. They had their life back. Never again would they look over their shoulders. She felt comfortable saying yes and it felt good to give Abby her freedom.
Standing in the driveway waving to Abby as she left with Justine and Paul, grinning and happy, Sara felt hope.
Boots crunched on the gravel behind her and she turned to see Murphy striding toward her. She smiled.
He took her hand. “Come on.”
Curious, she followed him around the house and down the hill toward the barn. He opened the door and led her inside, and took her to the wall on the far side. Sara stared. They had hung all her drawings and it looked just like the old wall, only in charcoal and pencil.
“This,” Murphy said, “represents what you mean to this family. Every time we look at this wall we’re going to see the past and the present. You are part of that, Sara.”
Tears filled her eyes and she brushed them away. “I’m sorry you lost the old ones.”
“We didn’t. They’re all here. You gave them back to us.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
“They mean a lot to us. And so do you.”
Sara went very still. “I do?” she asked, unable to look at him for fear he would see her emotions. She wanted so much for Murphy to love her. He’d surely read the truth on her face.
His hands cupped her shoulders and turned her around to face him. She bit her lip and looked up to find him staring at her with such tenderness, she almost came undone.
“Care to say that in front of a minister and the whole damn town?” he asked.
Sara’s mouth dropped open. “Are you…proposing to me, Murphy?”
“Look, I’m not very good with this stuff. Somewhere along the line I fell in love with you and your daughter. I think it started when you crashed through my front door in the middle of the night. You showed me life means nothing without family and friends and you helped me see that happened to me in Azbakastan wasn’t because I failed. You taught me what’s important in life. And I know that without you and Abby, my life isn’t worth much.”
He drew in a sharp breath. “What I’m trying to say, dammit, is that I love you and I want to marry you. I want to adopt Abby and make a life for us here on the ranch. Dad turned it over to me in his will, but he wouldn’t let Mom tell me until I was ready to settle down. This is where I want to be, Sara, and I want to be here with you and Abby, if you’ll have me. I know I can’t ever give you another child, but I’d be willing to adopt if it was what you wanted. I’m a scarred soldier who has done things I’m not proud of, but would go back and do again if it meant saving another life. I’m not easy to live with and I like sleeping on the left side of the bed.
“Ranching isn’t an easy life, it’s hard work and doesn’t pay much, but we don’t have to worry about that. I’ve made some good investments that will keep food on the table for a long time. I…why are you crying?”
Sara smiled through her tears. She stepped into Murphy’s arms and wrapped hers around his waist. “These are tears of joy,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.
Murphy chuckled. “Is that a yes?”
“Oh, yes, it’s definitely a yes as long as you don’t mind a woman with a past who cries at the drop of a hat and likes to bury her nose in a sketch pad all the time.”
“I think I can live with that.”
“You really want to adopt Abby?”
“If she’ll have me.”
Sara lifted her head so she could look at him. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. She fell in love with you the first time she met you. The Oreos didn’t hurt either.”
“Ah, my vice. One of many, I’m afraid.”
Sara grinned and rubbed against him. “So this means we can make love anytime we want,” she said, letting out a whoop of surprise when he suddenly lifted her into his arms and kissed her with all the love and passion they shared.
“Did I mention that marrying me has perks?” he said as he lowered her onto a pile of straw.
Sara reached for the buttons on his shirt. “Perks, huh? I like perks. I love you, Murphy.”
Their lips met and they both knew the unspoken word between them.
Forever.
Epilogue
Six months later
Sara smiled from where she stood on the back porch of the house she now called home. Alice had retired a little while ago and Abby swung on the tire swing.
Abby was now Murphy’s daughter. He had applied for adoption the day after Sara agreed to marry him. They had gotten married a month later, right here in the back yard surrounded by friends and family. It had been a romantic, beautiful wedding with fresh cut flowers, great food, dancing and good times. Murphy had danced with her all night long and it had been the best day of her life. Abby was so happy to call Murphy “Dad” that she had hyperventilated and scared them all, but she had been fine. It hadn’t happened again since.
Now they were a family. Stephen was on trial for murder. His reputation and connections hadn’t been able to protect him. The Benchley family as it had once been was over. Marcello was in prison, his organization torn apart at the seams by an alphabet soup of government agencies. Everything that made the Benchleys who they were had dissolved. Sara wasn’t sad about it. It needed to happen. Kent would be pleased.
She looked at the tall, slender woman stiffly pushing Abby on the swing, her heels sinking into the lush grass.
A pair of hands landed on her shoulders. Sara smiled and leaned into Murphy, feeling the comfort of his hard chest against her back. “Chelsea looks better,” she said. “Not so shell-shocked.”
“Yes,” Murphy murmured, his finger tracing the curve of her neck.
“She’ll heal here. I did.” There was no place on Earth more healing than here on the ranch with Murphy’s family. If anyone could melt Chelsea’s cold heart, it was Alice. Sara gave her credit. She had swallowed her pride and asked to visit her granddaughter. A big step. This couldn’t be easy for a woman like her. But, she was a mother and a grandmother. Family was her life. Maybe this time she would get it right too. Miracles happened. Sara could attest to that.
Murphy knelt beside her and placed a hand on her swollen belly. Sara smiled at the wonder in his expression when he looked up and met her eyes. She had been in awe too when she discovered that her stress related sickness turned out to be morning sickness. She had found out the day after the wedding. What a day that had been. Her big, strong, taciturn husband had cried as they had shared the miracle together. It was the final healing for Murphy and the beginning of Sara’s journey into a happy life with a husband who loved her and a daughter who had a loving father too.
“I still can’t believe it,” Murphy murmured. “I didn’t think…”
Sara cupped his jaw. “Believe it, Murphy, we created this baby together, and she or he is going to grow up with parents who love them.”
Murphy pressed a kiss to her palm. “Yes. Come on, I feel like dancing.”
Sara raised a brow and glanced pointedly at her belly. “That may be a little difficult.”
Murphy pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in his arms. “Nothing is impossible if we do it together.”
The End
Jennifer Lowery
Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.
Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overco
me fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.
Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Jennifer’s Website
www.jenniferloweryauthor.com
Jennifer’s Reader Email
[email protected]
Other books by Jennifer Lowery:
To purchase it, please click here: Hard Core
To purchase it, please click here: Murphy’s Law
To purchase it, please click here: Hard To Handle
To purchase it, please click here: A SEAL’s Song
To purchase it, please click here: The Maze
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