Mac smiled sweetly at the Joneses even though playing nice curdled her stomach. “We all want what’s best for Elliot. Bruiser has the means to take care of Elliot’s expensive medical treatments and special needs. He can give Elliot a loving home surrounded by caring people, which is of the utmost importance to both of you.”
Ruth relaxed slightly, while her husband coughed and elbowed his wife in the ribs. “We do our best, but it’s difficult with the size of our existing family,” she said.
“Bruiser is willing to give your church a healthy donation. That should ease your stress level.” Bruiser tensed behind Mac. She lifted one foot, stepped back and planted her heel strategically on the top of his foot. He grunted but kept his mouth shut.
“A donation would help,” John spoke from behind his wife.
Ruth’s fat face pinched together, and her triple chin became more pronounced. “What would the congregation think if we allowed Elliot to live with this—this playboy?”
Her husband rubbed his chin and shrugged.
“You can tell them that those days are over for Bruiser. He’s getting married, settling down, building a big house on a farm—a perfect place for a kid to grow up with his younger brothers and sisters, a stable home in the country with loving parents, horses, dogs, cats. Your congregation will be thrilled.”
Ruth nodded, warming to the idea and the money. “And we’ll be able to afford improvements the church and the parsonage so badly need.” She turned to her husband, and they held a subdued conversation.
Bruiser whispered in Mac’s ear, his long fingers spanning her waist. “And exactly who am I marrying and creating this Camelot with?”
“Me, of course.” Mac turned her face so that their lips were mere inches apart.
“Are you proposing to me, Mackenzie Hernandez?” His eyes sparkled, and one corner of his sexy mouth tipped upward.
“I believe I am.”
Bruiser grinned like a kid with a new bike at Christmas and pulled her around to kiss her soundly. He felt so good she forgot about their audience until Elliot tugged on her sleeve. Mac pushed on Bruiser’s chest, and he released her, resting his big hands on her hips.
“We’ll agree to your terms. Have your attorney call us at her convenience.” Ruth said, her lips puckered in disgust as their public display of affection. She hauled on her husband’s arm and dragged him to the car.
Next door, the police emerged from the house with Ben and Sonja in handcuffs.
Mac realized her father must have fallen asleep in the easy chair and missed all the drama, but Mac wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
Elliot threw his arms around her, and she hugged him back. Bruiser put his arms around both of them and held tight.
Grinning, Elliot glanced up at both of them. “So when am I getting a pony?”
* * * * *
Bruiser stood behind Mac as a backhoe rumbled across the neighbors’ huge backyard toward the garden area. Several uniforms and plain-clothes policemen swarmed the area now cordoned off with crime scene tape. Behind them, her father paced back and forth in a lather. Elliot slept in Mac’s bedroom, exhausted from his all-night adventure.
“Dad, sit down, you’ll have a heart attack.” Mac didn’t leave her station in front of the window.
Much to Bruiser’s shock, Craig slumped into a chair, put his hands up to his face, and started crying, big silent sobs that shook his shoulders and made him gulp for air. The man had never cried, not once during this entire ordeal, but he was now. “It’s over, Mac.”
“I know, Dad, I know.” She patted his shoulder, while Bruiser stood back, feeling helpless. He hated that feeling.
“I’ll be all right now. Thank you, Bruiser.” Craig actually smiled.
Bruiser smiled back. “You know, Craig. I have a proposition for you. I’ve been thinking about starting a detective agency to help people find missing family and friends. Maybe you’d like to work for me. You have tons of experience, and I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. I’ve already talked to a retired detective about heading it up. He could train you.”
“Can I think about it?” Craig wiped at his eyes.
“Sure, take all the time you need.”
“Thank you.” Mac grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “He needs a purpose in his life.”
Bruiser nodded, he couldn’t agree more.
“What did you have to do to get the information out of Trudy?”
“Don’t worry. Nothing, really. She thought she might be next on Ben and Sonja’s hit list.”
Mac almost smiled. “We need to report Elliot’s uncle. If he pulled that shit with Elliot he’s done it to other kids.”
“I’ll deal with it as soon as he signs the guardianship over to us.”
“Then deal with this, too: I love you, Bruiser Mackey, and I think you love me.” Mac held her breath.
One corner of Bruiser’s mouth lifted up in a half smile. “You’re damn right, honey. I love you.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He kissed her hair and murmured sweet words in her ear, words only meant for her, words he’d never said to another woman and the most honest, heartfelt words he’d ever spoken.
Finally, he lifted his head and laughed. “How do you feel about being Mac Mackey?”
* * * * *
For the next few days, the detectives sifted through the soil in the garden next door until they finally found something. A bone. A human femur. Followed by more bones, then a pelvis. Finally a skull. Dental records confirmed what they all knew.
The metal box dug up earlier by Sonja and Ben held a gun and bullets.
The mystery was finally solved and Mac’s brother could be put to rest. Relief washed over her along with deep sadness.
Bruiser stood by her side the entire time.
Chapter 24
Game Over
Bruiser and Mac married three weeks later. Brett was Bruiser’s best man, and Kelsie was Mac’s maid of honor. Elliot sat in the front row between Zach and Tyler, grinning for all he was worth. Never much for the details when it came to girlie stuff, Mac had stood back and let the She-Wolves handle the wedding planning. They didn’t let her down, and Bruiser happily provided the blank check.
Just yesterday, the custody agreement had been signed. Elliot’s uncle had been arrested following a tip from Bruiser and a police investigation. Sadly, there’d been other little boys. At least they’d gotten Elliot out of there soon enough.
The Jacks had won two out of their next three games, well on their way to a division title.
Where There’s a Will Detective Agency was opening its doors next month. Craig immersed himself in learning the business. He and the grumpy retired detective heading the agency got along great, arguing one minute, best buddies the next. They hired a second retired detective who’d previously worked on Will’s case to do part-time legwork.
Mac put her house up for sale. She loved the place but found herself unable to live that close to her brother’s murder scene. They found the perfect house on five acres near Rachel and Derek’s farm. Since it was vacant, they moved in immediately. Mac went wild purchasing plants and doing the landscaping.
Elliot started in his new school and appeared to be doing well. Bruiser had made a point of taking him to school his first day and enrolling him. The secretaries swooned and principal asked for his autograph. Kids had gathered around Bruiser like he was the second coming. Bruiser promised to come back and speak at an assembly on the importance of looking beneath the surface. He should know that story better than anyone.
Sonja and Ben were charged with first-degree murder, at which point Ben sang like a bird and pointed fingers at Sonja, swearing she was the mastermind, and he’d just been the cleanup guy. After all this time, Mac hadn’t expected it to hurt as much as it did, despite her relief to finally know the truth.
At least she had Bruiser to share the pain as they helped each other heal from similar tragedies.
Mac surrounded
herself with friends and family, learning how to live like a normal person again. Along with her dad and Elliot, she invited Shanna and Eunice to attend Bruiser’s games with her, finding out—much to Bruiser’s shock—they were big fans and could recite Bruiser’s stats from memory. They critiqued every game, and he tolerated their criticism with as much grace as he could muster.
Mac didn’t know what the future held, but she knew Bruiser and Elliot would be in it.
Mac was in love, and Bruiser loved her back.
That was all that mattered in her book.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’m a true-crime junkie. For this book, I finally decided to put all those hours of watching true-crime television to use. I’ve always been fascinated by the families who continue to search for their missing loved ones years after they’ve disappeared. I’ve been torn between applauding them and wanting them to move on and live their lives. I especially feel sorry for the brothers, sisters, and children of the missing family members, as it often seems they’re forgotten while the family strives to unearth the truth.
I wanted to know how it felt to be a sibling of a missing person, especially when your parent dedicates his entire life to finding your sibling and expects you to do the same. Such is Mac’s story in Backfield in Motion.
AUTHOR BIO
An advocate of happy endings, Jami Davenport writes sexy romantic comedies, sports hero romances, and equestrian fiction. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare.
Jami works in information technology for her day job and is a former high school business teacher and dressage rider. In her spare time, she maintains her small farm and socializes whenever the opportunity presents itself. An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it is the most beautiful place on earth.
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