If they weren’t, nothing else mattered.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jared stepped into the smoky, dimly lit bar just outside of Hope Lake. The last few days had been hell and he had just one more thing to do to close the Boyd Hicks case.
Now that Misty was home he was back to work. She’d breathed in enough smoke they’d kept her for observation in the hospital but she and the baby were out of danger. Jared of course had been glued to her side which was why it had taken so long to find Dale Hicks.
“Is that him?” Chris nudged Jared’s arm and jerked his head toward a dark haired man in his mid-thirties but who looked a decade older from too much hard, fast living.
“That’s him. Stay alert. You never know with a Hicks what they’re going to do next. He may not come quietly.”
Slowly Jared and Chris approached Dale Hicks who was currently drinking whiskey and playing pool. The man Dale was with stiffened when he saw them and it must have tipped Dale off that something was happening.
Hicks whirled around, his hand reaching into his waistband but Jared already had the drop on him. He held the gun steady, pointing it at the man’s chest. Chris had already moved toward the friend and was patting him down.
“Got a warrant for your arrest, Dale. Hands on your head.”
Dale just threw back his head and laughed, almost dislodging the toothpick that dangled from his teeth.
“A warrant? What for? I didn’t do shit.”
“Obstruction of justice and accessory to murder,” Jared stated, not letting his complete disgust with the man show. “Lindsey spilled the beans. We know the truth.”
The man’s jaw tightened and the laughter ended abruptly. “Lindsey is a skanky drug whore who wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped her in the face. You can’t believe anything she says.”
“She sounded pretty convincing when she was telling Misty Foster how you provided the gun she used to shoot Boyd Hicks with.”
Dale tossed the toothpick away, his eyes narrowing to slits. “So what if I did? Ain’t no law against helping a woman protect herself.”
“You knew all along that she’d killed Boyd. You covered for her. That makes you an accessory after the fact. You wanted her to kill your brother.”
That lazy smile again. “I’m not upset about it. But I don’t think you can prove I knew anything. You’ve got nothing on me and you know it.”
Jared had been a cop long enough to know there were no slam dunks in this business. And the evidence they had on Dale Hicks wasn’t strong. He’d played the situation perfectly. Making sure his brother knew of Lindsey’s infidelities and then exhorting her to “defend” herself. Even supplying the weapon.
But…they did have a few things.
“Telephone records show a call from Lindsey when you were in Cheyenne. Then she called you back a few days after you got out. That call lasted fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to tell you what she did.”
“She’s a crazy meth head,” Dale growled. “You can’t believe anything she says. Talk to her again and she’ll change her story.”
Jared shook his head. “That won’t be happening. You see, Lindsey OD’d. I found her in her car on a dirt road on the outskirts of town with a needle in her arm surrounded by pictures of her daughter. She’s dead, Dale. I suspect you had something to do with driving her to desperation. You really hung her out to dry. She wrote her entire confession in a letter, including her relationship with you and how you both framed Boyd Hicks. You’ll probably do time for that crime too.”
They’d had a hell of a time finding Lindsey after she left Misty and Rayne to die. They’d finally received a call from a rancher about a deserted vehicle on the side of the road. Lindsey had been on the run but eventually took her own life.
Dale’s mouth hung open and he didn’t seem to be able to form words. His skin had turned a waxy pale shade as he worked through the shock of the news. Perhaps he had really cared for Lindsey in his own way.
That kind of care could get you killed.
“I don’t believe you.”
Jared shrugged, already tired of the back and forth with Dale. “So don’t. Doesn’t change the facts. You’re fucked. You thought you had it all figured out. Revenge on Boyd. Revenge on Lindsey for marrying David Jackson while you were doing time. Hell, you even almost got revenge on me for putting you behind bars. So close but not quite.” Jared raised his gun and took a few steps forward. “Now put your hands on top of your head.”
Dale didn’t move a muscle for a moment and then he slowly raised his hands and placed them on the back of his head.
“I want an attorney. I have a right to remain silent.”
Jared wasn’t planning to argue. Silence was preferable on the drive back to Fielding. He snapped the cuffs on Dale’s wrists while Chris let the other man go.
A cop on either side, they marched Dale out of the bar. He had no idea if any of these charges would stick, but Jared knew as surely as the sun would rise in the morning Dale Hicks was going to break the law again. And when he did Fielding’s finest would be right there to arrest him.
“What will happen to Tilly?” Misty asked Jared as they relaxed in the bathtub a week later. The hot water lapped at the sides of the tub as he stroked the soft skin of her arm, grateful that she and the baby were healthy and out of danger. They’d both swallowed a lot of smoke but everything looked okay much to Jared’s relief.
“Her foster family is anxious to adopt her, so hopefully there’s a happy ending there.”
“I just don’t understand why Lindsey did what she did. Maybe Dale really did do it.”
“She admitted to killing Boyd Hicks and the cigarette came back with her DNA. Add the gun that was found with her is also the gun that shot Boyd Hicks and things look pretty definitive.”
“It was probably self-defense,” Misty pointed out. She was always trying to see the best in a person. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much. She’d certainly seen something inside of him.
“If she’d called the police at that point she might have had a self-defense argument. But instead she roped her law abiding husband into helping her cover up the crime. Then when he confessed to the murder to keep her out of jail she tried to kill you, and Rayne by default.”
And if she’d succeeded… Jared deliberately shook the morbid thoughts away and concentrated instead on the miracle in his arms.
“It’s so sad,” Misty said softly. Her capacity for forgiveness far greater than his own. “It seems like her life went from one calamity to another.”
“What do all those things have in common?” Jared asked, keeping his tone hard. “Her. She made those choices.”
“It’s still sad. She’s dead. Her child is without a mother or father. Her husband is going to jail too as an accessory to murder. It’s like she gave up on anything good and decent in her life. I could never do that.”
No, Misty was a fighter. A survivor. She wouldn’t fold in the face of challenges. She’d rise up and vanquish any demon.
He placed his hand on her belly and felt the growing curve that was their child. Misty was experiencing butterfly wings of movement but he had yet to feel anything.
“I think she gave up a long time ago and what we saw was just a veneer…a mask she wore for the people around her. But you can only keep up a charade so long before the real person comes out.”
Misty shrugged. “We’ll never know. She was a person full of hate and loathing, mostly for herself. It’s such a waste.”
The entire situation was tragic. Tilly’s parents had made one terrible and selfish decision after another and in the end it had cost her a family. Boyd Hicks was dead by his ex-wife’s hand and David was going to do some time. The only person to come out unscathed was Dale Hicks. The district attorney was still debating as to whether there was enough evidence to take the case to trial.
“Dad can’t wait until Rayne gets her new shop up and running. He’s really excited about getting a tatt
oo.”
Rayne had been a true blue friend before and after Lindsey had tried to kill her. Not knowing who Lindsey was, Rayne had greeted the woman as a potential client. Lindsey had dropped something on the floor and trying to be polite, Rayne had leaned down to help pick it up. That’s when Lindsey had slammed the gun into Rayne’s temple.
Luckily Rayne didn’t have a fractured skull but she did have a nasty concussion. Jared had wanted to help her with all the expenses – medical and business – but she’d steadfastly refused, saying that none of this was his fault.
But it was. He should have followed his instincts and investigated Lindsey more. He’d let his softer side take control because she was a mother trying to get her daughter back.
“Stop it. You’re doing it again.” Misty sat up in the tub and turned to look him right in the eye. “This isn’t your fault. That man confessed. What were you supposed to think?”
Jared rubbed his jaw, his chest tight with emotion. “I was supposed to know.”
Misty tapped his chest right over his heart. “No one wanted to believe Lindsey Jackson was capable of something like this. Give yourself a break. You saved the day, handsome. We’re all alive and the villains are behind bars. Because of you and your monumental impatience. I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and you came to look for me. And thank God you did.”
He slid his arms around her so her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. “So you’re not going to give me any more hassle about that?”
She giggled and his heart flipped in his chest. Damn, he loved this woman. “Not for awhile. But eventually? Yes. You can’t go around expecting everyone to do everything your way.”
Jared chuckled and ran his hands down her slick spine to cup her buttocks. She was always saying that but he wasn’t sure he really believed it. His way usually was the right way. Most of the time.
Misty slapped at the water to get his attention. “Don’t even go there. I swear I can read your thoughts by looking at your expression. And right now you’re thinking of reasons I’m wrong. Well, I’m not wrong on this one.”
“I’m glad you’re here to keep me in line,” he said, kissing her damp neck and then nibbling at her ear. “I know you won’t let me get away with anything.”
“Are you sure about that?” she teased, her hand slipping down to wrap around his cock, hot and hard. “I’m about to let you get away with seducing me.”
Jared wasn’t one to throw away an opportunity.
Jared had been treating Misty like an invalid all week and she was darn tired of it. True, the first day out of the hospital she’d been overwhelmed by what had happened but a lovely young woman named Jazz, the fiancée of one of Jared’s friends had come over to talk to Misty and Rayne about their brush with death. Jazz too had a close encounter with a serial killer the summer before and talking to her had been a great relief. They’d promised to stay in touch and Misty felt like she had found a new friend in Jazz. Someone who really cared and she could talk to.
Misty caressed his cock, feeling it jump in her hand. Jared’s breath came out in a hiss and he sat up in the tub, the water sluicing off his yummy naked flesh. Just looking at him sent shivers of pleasure down her spine and her nipples peaked in anticipation of what was to come. Her sexual appetite had only grown since the morning sickness had gone away. Luckily Jared was still not only interested but enthusiastic.
“You’re being a naughty girl,” Jared warned with a wicked smile although she knew he wasn’t going to do anything about it. Despite her pleading he’d laid down the law. No spankings until after the baby was born.
She ran her other hand up his wet chest and dipped her finger into the warm cavern of his mouth. “You’ve ignored me this week.”
Jared laughed and gripped her hips, lifting her so she was sitting astride him. “Only you would say that. I wasn’t ignoring you—I was taking care of you. You’re so tiny I’m afraid you’ll break in two.”
She squeezed his cock and a groan fell from his lips. “I’m tougher than I look. I’ve taken on your whole family, haven’t I?”
She’d gone from no family at all to the chaos of the Monroe clan. She and Becky were never going to be close friends that was clear, but Ty, Royce, and Gerald were total sweeties who had gone out of their way this week to cluck over her like mother hens. It felt good to be part of their family.
More at home with his father and brothers, Jared didn’t feel the pressure to do every single thing right all the time. It made for a happier household and a less stressed sheriff.
Jared cupped her breasts and brushed his thumbs over the sensitive tips until she squirmed above him, her pussy grinding against his cock. He chuckled and pinched her nipples, sending a streak of pleasure straight to her clit.
“Come here, honey. I know what you need.” That was Jared. Supremely self-confident to the point of arrogance but that was something she never wanted to change about him.
In the bedroom. She wouldn’t have him any other way.
He lifted her up and pressed his cock at her entrance and his fingers gripped her hips. Already wet and ready for him, he slid in easily. She moaned at the pleasure of his cock stretching and filling her. She braced her hands on his chest and swayed her hips forward and back, then side to side.
Slowly at first but she quickened the pace, water sloshing over the sides of the tub and making a mess on the tile floor below. Neither paid it any mind as their arousal built and Misty found herself teetering on the precipice. Pleasure skittered through her from head to curled toes as she ground herself against him with each stroke.
So close, but not quite.
Jared’s features were a mask of concentration, his jaw tight and controlled. Misty’s fingers gripped his biceps as she slammed down on him, trying to fall over the edge.
“Look at me, Misty.” Jared’s voice was no more than a growl but their gazes locked as they moved in unison.
He reached between them and ran his thumb over her swollen clit. Misty’s body exploded into a million little pieces as the lights danced behind her lids. She heard Jared say her name and then his cock swelled inside of her and heat swept through her veins.
They collapsed together in a heap of arms and legs, breathing ragged and labored, water spilling over the side of the tub. Jared stroked her hair and whispered words of love in her ear. Words she hoped he’d still be saying fifty years from tonight. Or maybe sixty. She wanted to spend her life with him. He’d set a part of her free and she’d never forget that.
“I was thinking,” she began, floating to the other end of the tub so she was facing Jared. “I was thinking that maybe we should have that big wedding you talked about. I want everyone to know that I love you. That includes every busybody in this town. What do you think?”
Jared grinned lazily and tucked his hand behind his head as he lounged back. “Honey, you can have any kind of wedding you want. All I want is you. Do you think you can put this thing together before the baby comes?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never planned a wedding.”
She’d never even planned a small party before, and she had no idea where to begin.
“Maybe my brothers can help or the wives of my friends. They were really excited about Tanner and Madison’s wedding.”
Misty knew that look Jared was wearing. It was the take-charge-plan-everything look. But this time she didn’t say a word. She was going to need someone like that if they were going to pull off a big fancy wedding.
“We don’t have to have a big thing. I’d marry you in the judge’s office tomorrow morning if that’s what you want.”
She meant it. That’s how much she loved him. It was hard to believe she’d spent the better part of four months trying not to be with him and now here she was planning their life together.
“You’re right. It needs to be big. I want this town to know Jared and Misty are really married. In every way. But there’s no reason we have to wait to make vows to each other.” Jared sat
up in the tub, wrapping his arms behind her knees and pulled her close so they were knee to knee and face to face. “I promise to be the best husband and father I can possibly be and not try and boss you around too much. And I’ll love you forever.”
She couldn’t ask for anything more.
“I promise to be the best wife and mother I can possibly be. I promise not to give into the urges I sometimes have to not talk to people in town. I promise to never let my mother’s past influence our lives.” She reached up and caressed his stubbled cheek. “And I’ll love you forever.”
He seemed happy and satisfied. What had started out as an accident had turned into so much more. She’d found passion with the sexiest man in Montana and a family – albeit wonderfully dysfunctional – at long last. Jared had found someone who loved him…imperfections and all. She kept his feet on the ground while he took her to the stars and back.
There would be bumps on the road ahead. They were both strong-willed and had been alone a long time. But there was love to smooth the way and to remind them what was truly important. The family they’d created together.
Epilogue
Big weddings take months to plan.
That’s what Jared learned when he and Misty began putting together their special day. Misty was adamant about not waddling down the aisle eight or nine months pregnant so they’d decided to schedule the wedding after the baby was born. They’d ended up renting a large hotel ballroom in Billings for the ceremony and reception and filled it with flowers that Misty had chosen for the occasion.
Gerald Monroe had even managed to keep his thoughts to himself when Jared had announced that the wedding was three months after Misty’s due date. He and his father had a new and different relationship now. Jared didn’t feel the pressure to win at all costs to please his father. Misty’s unconditional love had cured him of the need for approval. His father also seemed to have a more casual attitude toward life.
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