by Misty Evans
He sensed the man’s contemplation though it was brief. “I took your daddy from you and now I’m going to take this piece of shit whore—umph!”
The man’s knees buckled, not all the way, but enough to knock him off balance. He swore, and Jaya elbowed him, taking advantage of the moment.
That’s when Jon realized Finn had kicked the bastard in the back of the legs.
“That’s my sister, you asshole,” the kid wheezed.
Watt swung the gun at Finn, but he was out of reach.
“Down!” Jon screamed and Jaya ducked, covering her head with her hands.
Jon fired, and Watt’s head snapped back, his arm in mid-swing at Finn again.
The weight of his upper body and the slippery floor worked in conjunction to flip him completely off his feet, his body suspended in air for a second as the gunshot echoed around them.
When Watt hit the floor, it was like one of the giant trees in the woods falling. The floor reverberated, his head smacking into the stone and his body jerking with the impact.
Before he finally went still, Jon ran to Jaya, dropping to his knees and sliding the last few feet. She threw open her arms and he grabbed her to him, cradling the back of her head and hugging her tight.
Miles ran in, kicking the gun away from Watt’s body and checking him for signs of life. “Nice shot,” he said to Jon.
But all Jon could hear was the sound of Jaya’s ragged crying. She clutched his jacket, sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and the second Miles cut the bindings on Finn’s restraints, the young kid scooted over and wrapped his arms around Jaya as well, enveloping her from behind.
Stupid kid. He could have gotten his sister killed, but in the end, his attempt at saving her had worked. As Jon hugged Jaya even tighter, he couldn’t help but tap Finn’s shoulder. “You did good, kid.”
“Oh my god,” Jaya rasped, turning in Jon’s arms and smacking her brother upside the head. “You idiot, you almost got me killed.”
And then she hugged Finn like there was no tomorrow.
Jon couldn’t help it. As Jaya and Finn hugged and cried together, he laughed.
Families.
Did anybody ever have a normal one?
Two days later…
Five Oaks Plantation, Virginia
Jaya placed the final crystal bobby pin into Savanna’s hair. “Now don’t forget, the netting on your veil might get hung up on these when you take it off after the ceremony. Be patient and let me remove the veil once you’re at the reception, okay?”
Savanna preened in the mirror, grabbing Jaya’s hand at the same time and giving it a hard squeeze. “It’s beautiful. All of it. The makeup is just right and this hair…” She pulled Jaya into a hug. “Thank you.”
Jaya patted her bare shoulder, trying to keep space between them so she didn’t wreck Savanna’s gown or makeup. “Trace is one lucky fellow. He’s going to drop in his boots when he sees you.”
“You can’t imagine what this means to me, Jaya.” Tears glistened in Savanna’s eyes. “You saved the wedding, you know. And after everything you went through.”
Jaya and the baby were okay. Finn was recovering and was here to see the wedding, Savanna and Trace graciously inviting him. Charlotte had also recovered, her spark and wit a constant, no matter her injuries. She’d become a trusted friend.
Jaya had given her statement to the local police, and then again to the Feds, about what Dalton Watt had told her. He’d admitted to killing the kids whose bones were in that cave, and the hunt for others along the interstate from Good Hope to the survivalist compound had begun.
Jaya shivered a little under her red dress. The good thing was that Beatrice had hired a new attorney for Jon’s dad and the man had presented Jaya’s statement and the truth about Dalton and his framing Jon’s father to the state officials earlier that morning. Jeremiah Wolfe was being released at three p.m. and Jon planned to be there to pick him up.
Jaya was going with him.
“No tears,” Jaya said, relief over the fact everything—including Trace and Savanna’s wedding—was working out just fine. “You’ll ruin your makeup and I worked damned hard on it.”
Which was a lie. Savanna had the natural beauty of a model, much like Shelby.
Shelby had arrived back in the States, bringing Jaya’s dad with her. He was sitting in jail for the time being, but because he’d agreed to cooperate with the authorities, Shelby and Percy had been able to get him a deal. It didn’t hurt that Jaya had turned the fated cross over to Percy on the condition her father’s name be cleared by the Garda and Interpol. Percy had returned the cross to Ireland, where it belonged, and he and his bosses were fighting with the French and the Vatican over legal possession.
Parker burst in the door, a modest version of Savanna in red instead of white. “Van, it’s time. Let’s get the show on the road already.”
The bride, resplendent in her designer wedding dress, rose from her seat and ran her hands down the elegant fabric of the skirt. “How do I look?”
“Perfect,” Jaya and Parker said at the same time.
Savanna faced Jaya once more. “Thank you for joining the wedding party.”
“I’m honored.” And she was. She’d never dreamed that Savanna would ask her to be a bridesmaid and that Beatrice could somehow pull a miracle from her hat and find a dress for Jaya that nearly matched the others. “But you people are killing me. I don’t know how you do it. One life-threatening crisis after another, and you manage to pull off a wedding? After your reception, I’m going to need a honeymoon before I have a nervous breakdown.”
The other women laughed and Savanna took Jaya’s hand, pulling her toward the door. “Save that thought. I have a little surprise for you.”
Parker grinned and Jaya frowned as the sisters hustled her into the hall, where she heard music swell, and down to another room.
As Parker threw open the door, Savanna pushed Jaya through. Jon, in full tux, waited for her. Colton was there too, along with Ruby and her fiancé, Jax, and Beatrice with Sloane on her hip. Sloane was dressed in a pretty red dress with white leggings and black leather shoes. She clapped and waved at Jaya, smiling.
Jaya stopped, the sight of Jon looking so handsome taking her breath away.
“Jon?” Her hand went to her lower abdomen as she saw the serious look on his face. Had something happened with his dad’s release from prison? “What is it? Is everything okay?”
He came to her, pulling her into his arms. “Everything’s fine.”
She drew back. “Then what is it?”
Taking a small jeweler’s box from his inside pocket, he popped it open, revealing a huge, sparkling diamond ring. “Jaya Hottie O’Sullivan?” He went down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”
Jaya’s fingers shook as she lifted them to her mouth. She’d never seen such a beautiful ring. It had to be a couple carats, set in a titanium band that sported smaller diamonds around the sides.
How could he afford this?
They’d discussed a few things surrounding the baby, but with everything else going on, they hadn’t had many quiet moments alone to talk about their relationship. Of course, in the few moments they did have, there hadn’t been much talking. Kissing, sex, sleeping—plenty of that, but words hadn’t seemed necessary.
She searched his face, looking deep into his eyes, as the corners crinkled from his big smile. This man meant everything to her, and even though they had some tough obstacles to overcome, she couldn’t think of anyone she wanted more.
“Jon Wolfe, I would love to be your wife.”
A cheer went up from those around them and Jon took the ring and slipped it on her finger. He caught her up and kissed her deeply, and when he released her, she was pretty sure her lipstick was smeared.
As another round of the music swelled from the hallway, Beatrice handed Sloane to Jax and clapped her hands together. “All right, let’s do this people. Let’s marry these two couples.”
&nb
sp; “Two?” Jaya looked between Jon and Savanna, their faces full of deviousness. “You mean, we’re getting married too?”
Savanna nodded. “Might as well. You’re both dressed for the occasion and Jon’s friends are all here. A lot of yours too, as well as Finn.”
Jaya shook her head. “We’re not stealing your thunder. It’s your wedding day, Savanna, and while I appreciate everything you and Trace have done for us—”
Jon stopped her. “We’re not stealing anyone’s thunder. Trace and Savanna are getting married as planned in front of several hundred people. After their ceremony, the minister is meeting you and I, and a few of the Rock Stars, back here. We’ll say our vows, and then we can have another ceremony wherever and whenever you want. Our parents can be there and you can have any kind of wedding you’d like, maybe even honor our native peoples. But I’m officially making you my wife today, J. I’m not letting another day of my life go by without being bound to you.”
Her eyes burned with tears. It wasn’t just her lipstick that was going to be smeared. “We’re already bound, you goofball. How did I get so lucky to find you?”
Jon touched her cheek and brushed a light kiss over her lips. “I’m the lucky one.”
Colton appeared in her peripheral vision rolling his eyes and interrupting their perfect moment. He slapped Jon on the back. “Enough with the mushy stuff. People are waiting.”
“I second that,” Beatrice said, kissing Sloane on the forehead and fluffing her bridesmaid dress. She waved a hand and led the procession.
As everyone filed out, Jaya looked down at the ring on her finger. “How in the world did you afford this? You didn’t sell the cross on the side, did you?”
He drew her forward, following the others as they made their way to the church’s ornate nave. “Yeah, about that. I have money. A lot of it, in fact. I need to invest some, according to Beatrice, and she has an idea for your business that I think you might like, if you’re still looking for investors.”
Jaya’s mouth fell open. “You’re rich?”
One tuxedoed shoulder shrugged. “One of my uncles ran a casino in North Dakota, and when he died, he willed his estate to me. I gave half to my mom for her dog rescue, but I still have more money than I know what to do with.”
She whacked his arm. “And you were going to tell me this when? What did I say about no more secrets?”
He chuckled. “We haven’t had our pepperoni pizza yet, so I didn’t get around to it. I’m going to spend a lot on you and our baby, so get over it. We’re going to upgrade your mom’s living arrangements too. Trust me, I’ve got it all planned out.”
Epilogue
Nine weeks later
Jon blew into his mom’s house, the screen door slamming behind him and Nyx as they entered. Six dogs rushed them, barking and wagging, and Nyx loving every minute of her new extended family. Jon stumbled over the pack of pups as he headed for the living room. “Is she on yet?”
Violet Morningstar Wolfe was on her dilapidated couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap and two of her small dogs—Cheech and Chong— next to her, their pug faces expectant, hoping she was going to share.
She did, giving each a piece as well as tossing a handful to other dogs who scrambled in. Looking up from the TV, she smiled at him. “You’re late, Jon Napayshni.”
His mother’s scolding, and the use of his Native name, gave Jon a warm feeling. On the TV was The Beauty Network channel and they were listing their lineup—up next, Jaya O’Sullivan and Cherry Bomb Spa Products. Jon plunked down in the chair kitty-corner from his mom and shrugged off his jacket. “I was finalizing the contract for the castle. Took longer than I expected at the lawyer’s.”
His dad shuffled in, moving Chong over so he could sit at the other end of the couch. Prison had been hard on him, his wrinkles deeper now, his eyes flatter. “Jon,” he said in way of greeting.
“Hey, Dad.”
Jeremiah had moved in with Violet and the dogs, and things so far were going well. While his time behind bars had hardened him in many ways, it had softened him in others, one of them being a revival of his feelings for his wife. The two were getting along better now than they had when Jon was a boy.
“That Percy character help you with the castle purchase?” his dad asked, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
Jon’s mom smacked at his leg. “Put your feet down, old man.”
He turned his head to look at her and snuck a handful of popcorn. “You let your dogs sleep in our bed and the bathtub drain is full of their hair from you bathing them in there. My feet can go on the coffee table.”
Chuckling under his breath, Jon pulled the paperwork from his jacket pocket and dropped it on the table. “The castle’s Jaya’s now. My wedding present to her. She can do whatever she wants with it, but I already know she’ll give it to her kin.”
“The Gypsies?” his mom asked.
“I told Percy to let them squat there unless he hears differently from Jaya.”
His mom held out the popcorn bowl to him. “And the Dashing’s place? Are you still buying that too?”
Jon helped himself to a handful and tossed a piece to Nyx who caught it in the air. Two houses, one in Virginia and one in Oklahoma. It was going to be an interesting setup, but with Jaya’s business expansion into DC, and Jon handling Rock Star’s service dogs, they were going to need two landing spots. “They accepted my offer this morning. There are three outbuildings that are perfect for a training center, kennel run, and office, and there’s plenty of acreage for the dogs to run and security teams to train with them.”
“I’ve got three potential dogs for you,” his mom said. Her attention went back to the TV. “Oh! There she is!”
Jon’s pulse skipped a beat, seeing his beautiful pregnant wife walk onto the stage of the show. The audience cheered, and she flashed a big smile, one Savanna had been working with her on. Full teeth, Savanna called it.
His heart hammered a little, seeing Jaya leave her comfort zone of always being behind the scenes and making other women look and feel good. She’d been a nervous wreck that morning when he’d driven her to the studio, but had only thrown up once on the way there, most likely due to nerves rather than the baby. Even after the first trimester, she still had a queasy stomach off and on.
“It’s a boy,” his dad said.
Violet smacked him again. “It’s a girl, old man. That’s my granddaughter on stage with her momma and she ain’t even born yet. Neptune Star is already a star!”
“Shh,” Jon said without malice. He loved the fact his mom and dad were back together. That he’d played a role in proving his father’s innocence and bringing the real killer to justice. He hadn’t had a bout of depression since. “You’re recording this, right?”
“I set it up earlier,” his father said, leaning forward to look at the black box on the entertainment center. “Yep, green light’s on. It’s recording.”
Jon knew Beatrice was too, but didn’t say anything. His dad was having trouble adapting to all the new electronics and other changes he’d missed during his jail time, but figuring things out gave him something productive to do, along with the help he was giving Violet taking care of the dogs.
The shopping network’s host began describing the first set of products in Jaya’s Cherry Bomb line and Jaya continued to smile, answering questions. The maternity dress she wore was a bright purple and fit her like a glove, proudly displaying the obvious baby bump. She’d forgone the purple stripes in her hair, but her unique style showed regardless with her braided hair and feather earrings.
But as he analyzed her body language, Jon picked at a thread on the chair. Jaya’s shoulders were tense, the smile tight. Jon feared she might be feeling sick.
She’d been scared to death she would upchuck on stage.
Two women without any makeup came to sit in the prop chairs, and just like that, he saw a complete change in her demeanor. As she talked about the products and their organic sources, she
started applying lotion to the first woman’s face. Her shoulders relaxed and her voice softened. She told a story about her mom and a backyard garden full of herbs, and how as a girl, she’d fallen in love with plants, sitting amongst them while her mother harvested their flowers and leaves.
In the sidebar onscreen that listed the price of the facial kit and that a total of 1000 kits were available, Jon saw the counter begin dropping as sales came in.
Pretty soon it was down to 900, then 750.
As she continued to work, Jaya told more stories. Stories about Shelby, a former Miss Oklahoma, and about Jaya’s spa in Good Hope. The counter dropped to 517, 432, 301.
“Mother Mary,” his mom said. “They’re going to run out of kits before I finish my popcorn. I better place my order now.”
“I brought you one, Mom. Jaya sent it with me. She said to pamper yourself before the wedding. It’s in my truck.”
She waved a piece of popcorn at the TV. “That girl’s a keeper. I said it all along. I’m glad you two are honoring our traditions next week.”
Two houses, a castle, and three weddings—since Jaya’s mom couldn’t travel, they’d had a small ceremony in Good Hope shortly after Trace and Savanna’s wedding. Because Jon wanted an outdoor ceremony with his family, they’d waited until now for the weather to improve. Their third, and hopefully final binding ceremony, would take place next week out on his mother’s land.
Once Jaya completed the first woman’s facial, the host showcased the set again and warned viewers that they had less than fifty left in stock, and then they brought out the next set, a spa kit for the entire body.
Before the end of Jaya’s time slot, they had sold out of both sets. The host thanked Jaya and invited her to come back. As Jaya left the stage, waving and smiling—a real smile—Jon finally relaxed.
“Jaya did good.” His dad smiled. “I’m happy for you, son.”
For the first time in a long time, Jon was too.
“I still think you should have been there for her,” his mom said, sharing popcorn with the dogs again. Nyx left the spot at Jon’s feet to make sure she got some.
