Gunner says, “Can we have a birthday party with red and blue balloons?”
“But we don’t know when our birthday is, brother,” Kimber says.
I squeeze them tight. “Even better, because now we can do it anytime we want.”
The sound of the approaching search party grows louder. Lights flicker across the front of the cabin.
I extricate myself from the twins. “You two stay here.” I cross to the window and call, “Billy, it’s Mel. I’m here with the kids. We’re padlocked in. You need a bolt cutter.”
Billy, in full riot gear, splits off from the others and trots to the window. He sets his weapon down, cups my face in his palms and presses his forehead against mine. “Big surprise. You’re not waiting in the car.”
“I had to find them, Billy. They were all alone in the dark.”
He nods. “Yeah, I get it. We’ll have you out of there shortly.”
True to his word, Billy is the first one through the door. He tells the others to wait and walks over to the chair where I’m seated with the kids. He squats until he’s eye level with Gunner and Kimber. Flashing his heart-melting grin, he says, “I’m Billy. Let’s get out of here. Who wants a piggy-back ride?”
Gunner wiggles out of my embrace. “Me! Me!! Can I shoot your gun?”
“Nope.”
Kimber’s thumb is in her mouth and she’s clinging to me. Billy tickles her tummy. “What about you, sweetie? I’ve got room for two.”
She gives me a questioning gaze. I nod. She tucks Blossom Bunny under one arm and slides out of the chair. Both climb aboard Billy’s back. He takes my hand. The four of us step through the door, leaving the darkness behind.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The rest of the night is hectic and noisy, yet satisfying. When Billy takes us to his car, I make a request. He thinks it over and nods his approval. The twins and I climb into the back seat. Billy starts the car and drives it through the gate to the world beyond the boundaries of New Dawn. He finds a blanket in the trunk and tucks it around the three of us.
Before he returns to the fray, I say, “There’s a kid inside named Chad. He’s a good kid who’s been brainwashed by his dad and others. Make sure he’s okay.”
“Got it.”
“Oh, and tell Paco to look for his car. I sort of lost it a while ago.”
He puts his hands on his hips and grins down at me. “Anything else, Madam?”
“Yes, we need to look out for Anna. If not for her, I wouldn’t have kidnapped the twins.”
He frowns at me. “I don’t want to visit my girlfriend in jail. You weren’t kidnapping the twins. You were rescuing them. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I take his hand and kiss it. “Thanks for showing up.”
He leans over and brushes his lips across mine. “No thanks necessary.”
After he leaves, Kimber says, “I like Billy. Is he your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“Do you love him?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation.
The words, spoken so freely, burrow into my heart and take root in my soul, their tendrils smoothing the jagged edges of grief, anger and guilt inflicted by the past. If I had the ability to look into my own soul, I know I would see a cluster of incredibly beautiful crimson roses. I breathe deeply and swear I can smell their fragrance. At that moment, my world, so often tilted sideways or even upside down, shifts and rights itself. A sense of peace steals over me as I wrap my arms around Kimber and Gunner and close my eyes.
The next few days pass in a whirlwind of confusion. The kids and I stay with Kendra while Billy deals with the legal aspects. My old archenemy and occasional working partner, Candy Talbot, proves to be a big help. Her current boyfriend, an attorney specializing in family practice, uses his influence with the Department of Children and Family Services. They cut through red tape quickly and allow the twins to be temporarily fostered at Kendra and Craig’s house. Nick gives me time off so I can be with the kids.
Since I’m feeling cut off from the world, Billy retrieves my cell phone from the pile of confiscated items and fills me in on New Dawn. “It’s a real mess. Fortunately, a lot of folks are ready to spill the beans in exchange for immunity. Among other things, New Dawn trafficked in illegal gun sales and operated a call center specializing in identity theft. Dozens of people were receiving benefit checks that didn’t belong to them. Hitchcock made sure he got his hands on the checks. They also created and sold fake documents. That was Jake Gunderson’s job. From what we’ve heard, he got wind of the gun trafficking thing and couldn’t handle it. Nobody’s admitting it, but the circumstances around his death are pretty suspicious. 3 Peaks P.D. will be out of the loop soon, since the feds are swarming in. They’re taking over the investigation.”
Three days after the New Dawn raid, my cell phone rings. The area code is 617, Boston, MA.
When I answer, I hear. “Maylsh?”
“Mick?”
A long silence follows as both of us struggle to find the right words.
Finally, he says, “Congratulations. I heard you were a big help in the New Dawn bust.” He pauses and chuckles. “I should have known better than to tell you not to go there. You never fail to surprise me. I talked to some guys at DHS and you’re getting a reward.” He names a figure.
The amount makes my knees buckle. “No way!”
“It’s true. The Department of Homeland Security would like to show their gratitude. Plus, they will have work for you in the future.”
I stammer a bit but manage to thank him.
“I talked to Billy,” he says. “He’s right for you, maylsh. I know it now and I wish you happiness.”
My eyes fill with tears. The lump in my throat won’t let me speak. I take a few hiccupping breaths and fight for control.
“Don’t cry,” he says. “Just tell me goodbye.”
I manage to say, “No goodbyes right now. We’re still friends.”
When the call ends, I feel a sense of closure, like the last piece of the puzzle has been found and slipped into place, completing the picture.
Five days after the bust, Kendra decides the twins need a birthday party, though we have no idea when they were born. Kimber and Gunner are wildly excited and demand red and blue balloons. It’s a beautiful spring day and, because we have a gaggle of messy little kids, we opt to hold the event in the backyard.
Billy shows up before the party begins. “Who wants to go for a ride in a police car?”
Gunner and Aaron race for the door. Kimber, who’s been my shadow, looks up at me with a worried expression. “If I go, will you be here when I get back?”
I pick her up and whirl her around until she giggles. “Where else would I be, silly?”
Billy holds out his hand. Kimber peels away from me and places her hand in his. When they reach the door, she turns and shakes Blossom Bunny at me. “See ya later, silly.”
The party is a hit, complete with red and blue balloon bouquets, little faces smeared with fruit punch and chocolate frosting, as well as adult beverages for the grown-ups.
Nick is there with Ziggy and Cowboy Jim. Because of her hair-raising, potentially fatal encounter with Moen, Ziggy is toeing the line and seems to be a much happier kid. She tells me Darcy is on the mend and out of the hospital.
Cowboy Jim puts on some tunes and soon has the whole group line dancing, including Paco and Aida. Until you’ve seen a three hundred pound gangbanger line dancing with his pregnant wife, you haven’t lived life to the fullest.
When the party winds down, Billy and the twins disappear inside the house. Kendra and Craig usher me to a lawn chair.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
The door flies open. Kimber runs to me and places Blossom Bunny in my lap. Billy and Gunner follow.
Kimber says, “Blossom Bunny has something special for you in one of her ears. See if you can find it.”
I look up at Billy, expecting to see a mischievous grin. In
stead, his expression is solemn. I peek into his soul. Along with the sun-kissed crimson rose, I see a streak of anxiety. What the heck is going on?
Gunner and Kimber lean close. I run my fingers down the length of Blossom Bunny’s left ear and feel the outline of crayons and a pencil.
Kimber whispers loudly, “The other ear, silly.”
Her comment breaks the silence. Amid a chorus of laughter, I unzip the other ear and thrust my fingers inside. I’m beginning to think this is a practical joke until I explore the pointy tip of poor, worn-out Blossom Bunny’s right ear. I hook my finger around the object, pull it out and place the sparkling diamond ring in the palm of my hand. I gasp in surprise.
Billy loops his arms around Kimber and Gunner and drops to one knee. “Honor Melanie Sullivan, my Minnie Mouse, will you marry us?”
I’m speechless for a moment. The silence grows. The kids look scared. Billy waits, his gaze never leaving mine.
Tears streaming down my face, I stammer, “Of course I will, silly.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Gunner kneels on the couch, looking out the window. His little body tenses with anticipation and then he leaps off the couch and flies through the front door. Gunner is my early warning system. Billy has just pulled into the driveway.
I’m sprawled in a recliner with my feet elevated. Can you guess why?
Kimber is on the floor next to me, totally engrossed in cat beautification. Strangely, Thunder Paws is smitten with Kimber. Maybe it’s the fish-flavored cat treats in Blossom Bunny’s ears. He follows her around and growls at anyone who invades her space. Today, he’s decked out in a red bandana and miniature cowboy hat. She’s painted his toenails a matching color. Yes, Kimber has tamed the monster.
Billy comes through the door with Gunner on his back. He gives Thunder Paws a wide berth and holds out his arms to Kimber who runs to him. With the kids hanging on him, he crosses to the recliner, cups my face in his palms and kisses my forehead, my lips and both cheeks. He caresses my growing belly and whispers, “How’s everyone doing today?”
I set my hand on top of his. “I think they’re swimming laps. What do you think?”
His hand remains on my tummy until the babies begins to stir. Yes, that’s right. Babies. Plural. We will soon be a family of six when our twin boys are born in January. Billy failed to tell me his father was a twin. With my history, we couldn’t miss. No names yet, so we call them Thing One and Thing Two.
Every morning, without fail, Kimber runs to me, places her mouth two inches from my belly and yells, “Hi little thingies. It’s your big sister, Kimber. I can’t wait to see you. Mama Mel says you have to stay inside her tummy a while longer. Have fun, sillies!”
If all goes according to plan, by Christmas, Kimber and Gunner’s adoption will be final. Their true names will be Kimberly Honor McCarty and Gunner William McCarty. My mother is already planning the party and will stick around until the babies are born.
I am so blessed. When I reflect how my life has changed since I arrived in 3 Peaks, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. I found a man who loves me and accepts the weirdness of my soul-seeking nature, the gift I formerly considered an affliction. I have a loving extended family. Along with the unconditional love I receive from my mother and stepfather, my biological father shares my gift and gently guides me along my chosen path. And then, there’s Kendra, whose best friend, Dani, was my best friend and the reason I came to 3 Peaks. May you rest in peace, sweet Dani. Your baby girl, Destiny, has a wonderful home with Kendra and Craig.
I’m saving my last chunk of gratitude for Uncle Paco. His devotion and ability to deliver rough justice saved my life more than once. He and Aida welcomed little Paco Junior two weeks ago. Billy and I gave the baby a tiny leather jacket with the words Lil Biker printed on the back. Aida was horrified and declared, “No motorcycle for my baby, Paco, and I mean it!”
I know my journey will not always be smooth. Every road has hairpin curves, potholes and unexpected detours. But with the loving support of family and friends, I will persevere.
My heart is full.
A word about the author…
Marilee Brothers is a former teacher, coach, counselor, and the author of ten books. Marilee and her husband are the parents of three grown sons and live in central Washington State. After writing six young adult books, Marilee is once again writing romantic suspense for the adult market, including the first two books in the Soul Seekers’ trilogy: Affliction and Allegiance.
She loves hearing from people who have read her books. Feel free to contact her on social media at:
www.facebook.com/marilee
Twitter: @MarileeB
Marilee’s blog is Book Blather, where she features aspiring and published authors as well as some tidbits of her own.
http://bookblatherblog.blogspot.com
http://www.marileebrothers.com
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