High-Stakes Inheritance

by Susan Sleeman

  She tried to get Jessie’s attention to give her a thumbs-up, but her head was hanging as she sobbed quietly. This man would pay for what he’d done to her. Eddie had his arm slung around Nikki, who trembled. They sat like this for what seemed like an eternity before Mia’s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID.

  “It’s the police chief,” she said.

  Pope crossed the room and looked out the window. “Answer it.”

  “Russ.”

  “Is Pope listening?” Russ’s voice was low, yet urgent.

  “No.”

  “Ryan entered the house through the cellar. He should be nearby. He has a gun. Stay as far away from Pope as possible. Now tell him we’ve done as he asked and the road is clear.”

  “Okay, let me tell him.” Mia looked at Pope. “The police have left. We can go now.”

  “Tell him I have my gun in the kid’s neck. Anyone takes a shot at me, she gets it. And tell him you’re driving.” Pope’s face took on a hard determination driving terror into Mia’s heart.

  Her voice trembling, she relayed the message to Russ, though he’d likely heard it over the cell.

  “Okay, people,” Pope shouted while gazing out the window. “On your feet.”

  With Pope distracted, Mia quickly signaled with her hand for the others to stay put, and she jumped up. “How about leaving them here and just taking me?”

  Pope spun around. “Nah. The brat is my insurance policy. Nobody likes it when a kid gets killed.”

  Mia frantically scanned the room for a way to stop this madness. She spotted Ryan’s reflection in a mirror. He had his gun trained on Pope, but he couldn’t risk firing while Pope aimed his gun at Jessie. It was up to Mia to disarm him.

  “I said for you to get up.” Pope jerked the gun at Jessie ending with it aimed above her head.

  Mia seized the moment. She launched into Pope, hitting his stomach with her shoulder.

  He tumbled backward, pulling her down on top of him.

  The gun fired.

  Debris from the bullet piercing the ceiling fell on Mia. She flung her arm out, knocking the gun out of Pope’s hand. The weapon slid across the wooden floor. She broke free, and lunged for it. Her fingers touched the handle.

  Pope clamped a hand on her leg and pulled.

  She stabbed a toe into the wood and held her ground. She reached. Slapped her hand at the gun, sending it skittering across the floor into the corner.

  Pope growled and pulled hard, flipping her over. He rose up, glaring at her with fiery eyes. Veins in his neck surged to the surface, flushing his face to a raging red.

  Hoping to poke him in the eye, she shot out a hand.

  “Not so fast,” Pope leaned on an elbow and clamped his other hand on her arm.

  “Get off, Pope,” Ryan bellowed. “Or so help me, I’ll empty this gun on you.”

  Pope’s eyes narrowed. He rolled to the side and studied Ryan as if surprised.

  Breathing deep, Mia peered at Ryan. His eyes burned with the same revulsion that coursed through her. She used her eyes to urge him to pull the trigger. He ran a hand over his face and his eyes cleared.

  No! He was backing down. A man who treated Jessie the way Pope did, didn’t deserve mercy.

  Mia scrambled away like a toddler learning to walk. She spotted Pope’s gun in the corner and rushed to get it. Hands shaking she stood over him and held out the gun. Her finger ached to pull the trigger.

  “Mia, stop,” Ryan said, placing his hand on the barrel of the gun. “He’s evil, but it’s not our place to judge him. God will see to that.”

  “God? God? Where was He when this creep took Jessie?” Mia cut her gaze at Jessie.

  Nikki clutched the trembling child to her chest and covered Jessie’s ears with her hand, blocking out Mia’s ranting. Nikki had done the right thing. Put Jessie first. A teenager knew better than Mia did.

  Mia’s anger ebbed. She’d asked God to come. To send her a miracle, and He did. Right beside her in the flesh. The miracle she’d asked for. Not just any miracle, but Ryan. The man who could help her let go of all the anger and hurt from past betrayals. The man who could walk beside her and lead her in a life filled with God.

  She handed the gun to Ryan and then went to Jessie. When Mia opened her arms, Nikki released Jessie and Mia clutched her.

  “Ouch,” Jessie said.

  “Sorry,” Mia said. “I’m just so glad you’re all right.”

  “You don’t have to squish me so hard.” Jessie giggled and Mia knew this resilient child would be okay and so would she, if she trusted God and let Ryan into her life.

  Ryan stood back watching Mia and Jessie while his pulse settled back to normal. God had come through for all of them. The pain of losing Cara would forever be etched in his heart, but he’d learned to put aside his fear and once again let God control his life.

  He crossed the room to tell Mia about the answer to his prayer. To tell her he could lay down his fear of losing a woman and enter a relationship as a whole man again. Their eyes met and she launched herself into his arms.

  “I prayed for a miracle,” she whispered through fresh tears. “And God sent you to me. He really does love me.”

  She’d made her peace with God. Ryan’s heart radiated with happiness.

  Thank You Lord, for showing Mia Your love.

  Ryan loosened his hold and searched her face. A radiant glow beamed from her eyes. A glow of contentment that had always been missing and that he was certain came from releasing control of her life to God and trusting Him fully. Maybe this meant she could also let go of her past, of how he’d hurt her, and now they had a chance for a future together.

  She was the woman he wanted to go through life with. She’d always held that spot in his heart, but when she’d left, he buried the feelings deep. Pope’s threat brought his love for Mia to the surface. Now he could hardly contain it.

  He smiled, trying to keep it lighthearted so he didn’t scare her, but keeping the love overflowing from his heart from spilling out was like stopping Niagara Falls.

  He could at least keep the topic light. “So you think I’m a miracle, huh?”

  “I do. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have even thought to pray.” She reached up and trailed a finger down the side of his cheek.

  He willed his mind off her gentle touch. “I have a confession to make. I haven’t been as trusting as I should have been.”

  With an encouraging smile, she urged him to go on while she softly traced his jaw, driving him mad.

  He captured her hand and held it next to his heart. “The past few days spent with you made me realize how much you mean to me. But I didn’t say anything because I was afraid to admit it and then lose you like I lost Cara.” He paused. “Tonight has changed all of that.”

  She wove her fingers with his and rested her head against his chest.

  Why wasn’t she saying anything? Had he jumped the gun and scared her by his admission? Or worse yet, misread the signs that she might be feeling the same way?

  He had to find out. “This feels so right, Mia. Like we’ve never been apart. We’re good together.”

  She peered up at him, her eyes turning impish. “You think so? Even when I try to take over and do things my way?”

  “Even then.” He tweaked her nose. “Though as you learn to trust God more that’ll probably change.”

  She jabbed him with a playful punch. “Trying to change me, are you?”

  “Me?” He chuckled. “Seriously, Mia. You’re the perfect woman for me. Always have been. Always will be.” He released her hand and clamped his arms round her. “This is perfect.” A contented sigh slipped from her lips as she snuggled closer. Perfect?

  Almost. She hadn’t actually admitted how she felt about him.

  So what? Her body language told him everything he needed to know for now. He had plenty of time to convince her they belonged together. She wasn’t going anywhere for the next year. He was a very persuasive man when he set his mind to
it, and his mind was set on making her his wife.

  TWENTY-TWO

  A few days later, Mia stood next to Ryan for the worship service’s closing song. Today’s service was so different from the ones she attended growing up. When her mom was alive, church held a place of significance in their lives. When she died, Mia’s dad went through the motions of raising them in the church, but she saw the emptiness of his plan and rebelled.

  As the song ended, she experienced more hope for the future than she’d had since her mom died. Incorporating her newfound faith in her everyday life would give her this peace on a regular basis.

  Ryan turned to her, a timid light to his eyes. “So how was it?”

  She smiled with joy. “Great, but not anything like I expected. Who knew church had changed so much since I was a kid?”

  “Glad to hear you liked it.” Ryan squeezed her hand.

  Mia spotted Verna exiting the worship center. Mia had asked Verna to stay on as Pinetree’s manager but Verna hadn’t yet responded.

  She hesitantly approached Mia. “You sure you want me working at Pinetree after thinking I did all those things?”

  Mia felt a blush creep over her face. “I’m sorry about that, Verna. But you were so testy, and seemed like you were trying to hide something, what was I supposed to think?”

  Verna rolled her eyes. “Can’t a body be worried about keeping her job? I figured you were gonna take over and send an old lady like me packing.”

  “Why would I do that? I wouldn’t know how to run the place without you.”

  Verna sniffed and as a tight smile slipped out she pulled back her shoulders. “That’s fine, then. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

  Another wave of contentment washed over Mia.

  “C’mon,” Ryan said as he clasped her hand. “There’s something I want you to see.”

  He led her to a room off the kitchen. She opened the door and a loud chorus of voices shouted, “Surprise.”

  Mia took a step back.

  “Relax,” Ryan whispered near her ear as he held her in place. “I know you don’t like public demonstrations, but this is different. These people all love you and want to let you know how proud they are of what you did to save Jessie. They’re our friends.”

  Memories of being publically grilled for her poor decisions in high school rushed to the surface. The urge to flee as she had in the past clung to her like a fabric sheet on clothes.

  Ryan squeezed her shoulder. “Think of this as a start to building a life here.”

  She looked into his eyes and let the emanating warmth seep in. She pushed back her fear and put on a smile.

  “’Bout time you got in here.” Gladys rushed forward and ushered Mia into a chair at the end of the table. Gladys lifted a glass of soda to the group. “To Mia. Thank you for returning our community to the calm place we know and love. And of course, for taking care of our little Jessie.”

  Glasses raised around the table to calls of, “To Mia.”

  “Now, let’s eat.” Gladys clapped her hands and dishes were passed and plates heaped.

  Mia wiped moist palms on her knees and took the time to look around. The table was decorated with a festive tablecloth, balloons and flowers. Of course, in Gladys’s flamboyant style, everything was loud and boisterous, colors clashing. Jessie, in a pink party dress, sat at the far end of the table with Reid and Russ flanking her. Sydney, Nikki and Eddie took up the seats on one side.

  Mia connected gazes with Eddie. He gave her a shy smile and a thumbs-up. She smiled back and warmth from the joy of helping to change a life erased the last of her unease.

  Ryan was right. These were her friends now. Well, maybe Eddie wasn’t a friend, but they’d formed a special bond. He was far from a docile teen, but in the last few days he’d opened up and decided it would be a good idea to work on his problems.

  Mia leaned closer to Ryan and tipped her head at Eddie. “We did good with that one.”

  “We did, didn’t we?” He winked at her. “And this is just the beginning. There’ll be a lot more success stories in the year to come.” His lips melted into an intimate smile. “And longer if I have my way.”

  Her heart rate kicked up. She loved this man. She hadn’t admitted that to him, but she would soon find the courage to tell him he was the perfect man for her. He’d proven she could trust him. Even when she sent him packing, he thought of her first and did what he believed to be the best thing for her.

  Not only that, but his compassion and skills as a counselor translated into his relationships. He didn’t let her get away with hiding from things she feared. And his smile, the one causing her stomach to flip-flop right now, was oh, so sweet. She tuned everyone else out and returned a smile that she hoped conveyed her heart’s desire.

  “Mia,” Gladys tugged on her arm then bent down to whisper, “I think it’s time you took this man home and told him how you feel.”

  Instead of irritating Mia, Gladys had read her mind. Eyes locked on a flushed Ryan, Mia hastily made their excuses and they ran to his truck together. Not wanting to talk and break the mood, Mia clutched his hand for the ride.

  As they approached the lodge, she pointed out the front window of the truck. “Someone’s here.”

  Ryan pulled the truck to a stop and turned to face her. His adoring eyes locked with hers. “I didn’t want to tell you about this earlier because I thought it would keep you from enjoying the party.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  He laughed. “Not at all. When I heard your dad and David turned down the invitation to come to the party, I went to see them.”

  “But you had—”

  He held up his hand. “Wait, before you say anything else. You know I want you to be happy living here. I don’t think you could ever really settle down here unless you reconciled with your family. So I talked to them. They didn’t come to the party because they wanted to meet with you in private.”

  She peered out the window and contemplated an escape. What if she went in and they turned away from her again? What if nothing had changed? For the second time this afternoon, she wanted to run. But what good would that do?

  At the very least, she should throttle Ryan for interfering and trying to control her future. She swiveled on the patched seat and looked into his eyes. All she saw was concern and maybe if she were lucky, love. He wasn’t trying to control her like her dad had in the past, he was trying to make her happy.

  Her throat thick with trepidation, she swallowed hard. “Will you go in with me?”

  “You know I will.” He escorted her to the door and pushed it open.

  She stepped across the threshold and stopped. A large portrait of her mother that used to hang above their fireplace at home was perched on the long mantel. As if in a dream, Mia entered the family room and her gaze flew around the space taking in special items of her mother’s scattered about.

  “We thought you’d like to have these things from the storage unit,” David said, coming forward.

  Tears rose in her eyes as she nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Mia.” Her father crossed the room and stood in front of her. His eyes were moist and contrite. “I was so wrong to try to erase the memory of your mother. The pain of her loss was,” his voice caught, “is still almost too much to bear. I pushed you away when I should have reached out. Can you forgive me and give me another chance?”

  Now that the moment she’d waited years for had come, she didn’t know how to react other than to stare into the warm, loving eyes of a father whose gaze had only registered coldness for ten years. Ten long years of pain.

  She couldn’t fall into his arms as if nothing happened, but thanks to her renewed faith, she could forgive him and give him another chance. “I’d like it if we got to know each other.”

  His body sagged with relief, and he held out his hand. “How about we start by looking at your mom’s things together?”

  Mia shared a peaceful look with Ryan then accepted her
father’s hand. David joined them at the counter where her mother’s jewelry box sat open and filled with treasures Mia had played with as a child. They spent the afternoon sharing good memories and talking about plans for a future.

  With a promise to get together again, her father and David left.

  She plopped on the sofa and sighed. “This has been the best day.”

  “I agree.” Ryan sat next to her and circled his arm around her shoulders.

  She slid closer settling into the curve and laying her head on his chest. “Even better,” she whispered into his neck.

  He drew her closer. She reveled in the warmth of their connection and the beating of his heart, strong and solid beneath her head. He loved her. At least she thought he did.

  After he rescued them from Pope, Ryan had intimated that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he hadn’t said another word since then. He hadn’t officially declared his love, asking her to stay in Logan Lake, or even tried to hold her or kiss her. Was she wrong about him?

  Looking up at him, she relived the last few days. His strong arms as he carried her from the fire, the concern in his voice each time he tried to warn her to be careful and his joyful face when she revealed her renewed faith. And now, his captivating blue eyes telegraphing a message she hoped was love.

  But maybe he didn’t love her. Maybe he regretted what he’d said at the cabin. Her counseling experience told her that when people survived an intense incident like the one they’d gone through, they often said things that they didn’t mean in the heat of the moment.

  Maybe Ryan had simply felt relief that he could save her life, and in that moment, he’d confused his feelings with love. Or maybe he was waiting for her to tell him how she felt.

  Could she do that? Could she let down all the walls she’d erected for ten years and tell him she loved him? Because she did. More than she ever could have imagined she’d love a man. She sighed.

  “What?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

  Here was her opening.