"I paid someone to do it," Claire admitted. "Just as I hired someone to kill you."
"Mother, you can't do this," Chris said. "There are three of us. You can't kill all three of us before one of us stops you."
"Don't get in my way," Claire warned her son. "If you interfere in what I must do, then I will shoot you, too."
Everything happened all at once. Manda came forward, her hands outstretched in a pleading gesture. Hunter yelled for her to stay back. Claire Austin aimed her pistol. Chris broke free while Hunter was preoccupied with Manda's safety. The gun in Claire's hand went off simultaneously with another gun, a rifle shot from outside in the woods. Chris yelped, grabbed his shoulder and fell backward while his mother's eyes widened in shock. Claire dropped to the floor as blood oozed profusely from the gaping wound in her chest.
Manda screamed and screamed and screamed. Somewhere inside her mind, she knew what had happened. Saw Chris lying wounded on the living room floor. Saw Claire crumpled on the porch, the exit wound from a rifle shot no longer bleeding. Saw Matt, Domingo and Jack storming the cottage. And saw Wolfe hold back, staying out in the yard, pointing his rifle toward the ground.
The moment Hunter touched her, she stopped screaming, then sucked in a deep, hard breath.
"It's all over," he told her. "You're safe and I'm safe."
"How is Chris?" Manda trembled uncontrollably.
Hunter glanced over at the man. Jack and Matt carried him to the sofa.
"How is he?" Hunter asked the Dundee agents.
"Shoulder wound," Jack replied. "Doesn't look too bad. I think he'll make it."
"What about Claire?" Manda asked.
Without hesitation, Hunter said, "She's dead."
"Oh, God, I never dreamed that Claire … that she was capable of murder. I thought I knew her. I believed she loved me." Manda tried to hold back the tears, but the flood of emotion that she had held in check was about to break free. "You remember that promise I made to you not to fall apart? Well, I'm fixing to break that promise."
She burst into tears. Painful, gasping sobs. Hunter slipped his arm around her waist and led her through the kitchen and out the back door, away from the scene of both shootings. While she cried, he held her, his hands soothing her, his words comforting her.
* * *
Hunter had accompanied Manda to Claire Austin's funeral. She had been buried next to her late husband and in the same plot as her eldest son Rodney. Chris had attended, his arm in a sling and his shoulder still bandaged. Odd thing was that Hunter actually felt sorry for Chris, despite the fact that he didn't like the man and never would. But Chris had cared enough about Manda to try to warn her against his own mother. Hunter had to give him credit for that.
"Mother had been restless and edgy ever since Manda's wedding," Chris had told them. "Then after we overheard Perry telling Mrs. Munroe where y'all went on your honeymoon, she stayed up the whole night roaming around the house like a madwoman. I tried to talk to her, but she kept putting me off. So when she left the house the next afternoon, I followed her, making sure I kept far enough behind so that she wouldn't see my car and know what I was doing."
Manda had insisted on visiting Chris while he'd been in the hospital and Hunter had to admit that when she kissed the guy, albeit only on the cheek, a surge of jealousy had ripped his gut apart. Any way you looked at it, he was as possessive as hell when it came to Manda. His wife. But not for long. It was only a matter of time until Perry began divorce proceedings and their brief marriage would come to an end.
They had stayed at the Munroe house after they returned from Sequana Falls and had shared a bedroom that first night, although all they had done was sleep together. But the minute Grams had found out that the marriage had been a farce, a lie perpetrated to apprehend Manda's harasser, she had insisted Manda and Hunter have separate bedrooms. When Manda hadn't protested, he'd known that not only was the honeymoon over, but so was the marriage.
Today would be his last day in Dearborn. He had made plans to return to Atlanta first thing in the morning. He'd told Manda that Perry could mail him the divorce papers to sign, and she had simply nodded. What the hell had he expected, that she would put up a fight? Did he really think that she would want to stay married to him? He had served his purpose, now it was time for him to get the hell out of Dodge. Manda no longer needed him. She had her brother and her grandmother to comfort her. And one day in the not too distant future she would find another husband, one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Today he had the Munroe house all to himself. The morning after Claire Austin's funeral, Gwen had made reservations at a spa and left for the week. Perry had gone back to work yesterday, after taking time off to be with Manda. Grams was spending the afternoon playing bridge with her cronies. And Manda had told him that she had some errands to run and wouldn't be back until later.
Passing the time alone, he watched TV for a while, but soon realized that he was too restless and on edge to relax. Maybe he should take a swim in the pool and work off some energy. He went outside and found a pair of Perry's swim trunks in the pool house, then quickly changed into them and dove into the pool. He made several laps and soon began to feel the tension inside him easing up some. He swam the length of the Olympic-size pool two more times, then hauled himself out and dried off. The sun was warm and bright, almost straight overhead, announcing the high-noon hour.
Hunter lay in the wicker chaise longue, closed his eyes and tried not to remember the last time he'd sat beside this pool. Seventeen years ago. But he could not stop himself from remembering. His vision was of Manda parading around in front of him wearing that skimpy red bikini. He had been torn between wanting to shake her until her teeth rattled and wishing that she wasn't sixteen.
When he heard movement nearby, he opened his eyes. There stood Manda. In a bikini. A skimpy red bikini. He blinked several times, wondering if he had fallen asleep and was dreaming.
She sat beside him, then held out a bottle of sunscreen. "Do you mind doing my back?" she asked. "I can't reach my back and with this fair skin, I burn easily."
He had to be dreaming. This wasn't really happening. His mind was playing tricks on him, reliving a moment from the past.
"Sure, I'll do your back. Turn around."
The minute he took the bottle of sunscreen and felt the container in his hand, he realized this was no dream, that this was happening, that this was real.
Manda undid the string that held her bikini top in place and removed the scrap of red material, then tossed it aside. "There, that'll make it easier for you."
"Easier for what?" he asked, then swallowed the huge lump in his throat.
"Easier for you to apply the lotion," she replied, then turned around so that he could see her naked breasts.
"I thought you wanted me to put this stuff on your back."
She snatched the unopened bottle out of his hand and threw it on the table between them, then stood and came over to him. "Don't you want to protect my front, too?"
"Brat, I want to protect every delicious inch of you."
She leaned over him and when she did, he grabbed her and dragged her down on top of him. She giggled with pure delight.
"You've already made so many of my fantasies come true, I was wondering if you'd mind fulfilling one more," Manda said.
"One more for the road?" he asked, wondering if this was her way of saying goodbye.
She kissed him playfully. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Back to Atlanta tomorrow," he replied. "But you already knew that."
"You can't leave," she said.
"Why not?"
"What if I'm pregnant?"
Every muscle in his body tensed. Pregnant? It was possible. He had made love to her that one time without using a condom. What the hell would they do if she was pregnant? They damn well wouldn't get a divorce.
"If you're pregnant—"
"I'm probably not," she said. "Not yet. But if we keep practic
ing, it's bound to happen sooner or later."
"If we keep practicing?"
She rubbed herself against him and laughed when his sex pulsed against her mound. "We could do some practicing right here, right now. And who knows, by the time we celebrate our first anniversary, you might be a daddy."
"A daddy." Hunter almost choked on the word. What sort of game was Manda playing? Pregnant. First anniversary. Daddy. "How do you propose we share a first anniversary when we're going to get a divorce?"
"We're not getting a divorce," Manda said.
"We're not?" His heartbeat roared in his ears.
"I've lost too many people I love. I have no intention of losing you. So, Hunter Whitelaw, you'd better get used to the idea of being married to me because I'm never going to give you up."
"You're not?" He found the string ties of her bikini bottom and hurriedly undid them.
"Don't you think it's time for us to be honest with each other? Time to confess." She gasped when he peeled her bikini bottom off her buttocks and caressed her naked flesh. "I'll go first. I love you, Hunter. I've loved you since I was just a kid and I'll love you to my dying day."
Her words wrapped themselves around his heart, filling him with a happiness he had never known. Manda was all that he wanted, everything he had ever dreamed of in a woman. And more. And she was his. His wife. His lover. His friend. And someday she would be the mother of his children.
"I've never loved anyone else," he told her. "Not the way I love you, Manda. You're everything to me."
"That's what I wanted to hear." She kissed him again, this time a little less playfully. "Now, how about making that fantasy of mine come true."
"Would that fantasy have anything to do with my making love to you out here by the pool?" he asked.
"Mmm-hmm. But we'd better hurry," she told him. "Grams will be back from Mrs. Anderson's in about an hour."
"Oh, brat, what I can do to you in an hour."
And much to her enjoyment, he proceeded to show her.
* * *
Epilogue
« ^
Manda buzzed around in her big country kitchen, the first room she and Hunter had remodeled in the old Whitelaw farmhouse. In the thirteen years they had lived there, they had completely restored the house, the barns and added peach and apple trees to the orchard. Hunter raised prime Angus cattle and kept the pond stocked with fish for the delight of their children and guests alike. She had worked part-time at the Hickory Hills Clinic until two years ago when their youngest child started kindergarten, then she returned full-time. Her life was all that she had ever dreamed it could be—and more. Being Hunter's wife and the mother of his children brought her complete happiness.
"They're coming!" Twelve-year-old Dalton, her firstborn, announced as he came rushing through the back door. "Daddy said that he saw Uncle Perry's car coming around the bend by the pond, so you'd better round up the girls and get out on the front porch, pronto."
Oxford raised his head from the floor, where he lay by his feeding dishes in the corner, then roused up and padded over to Dalton, who rubbed the old dog's ears.
"You get your sisters and take them with you," Manda said. "I've got to put the cover on this cake to hide it and check the pot roast in the oven."
"Sure thing." Dalton smiled, then raced out of the kitchen.
Her son's smile was so like his father's. Although he was blond like her, he resembled Hunter a great deal. At twelve, Dalton was already five-ten, which was a good indication that he would probably reach his father's six-four height by adulthood.
She hurriedly covered the birthday cake, then opened the oven to check on the pot roast and vegetables. After testing and finding the meat cooked to perfection, she put the lid back on the pan and turned the oven down to the warming temperature. Everything was ready. All they needed was their guest of honor. As she darted up the hall, Manda glanced to the left and then to the right to give the living and dining rooms one final visual check. She wanted everything to be perfect today.
Just as she walked out onto the porch, Congressman Perry Munroe parked his SUV in the driveway. Hunter came over and put his arm around her waist and within minutes both girls attached themselves to either side of their parents. Nine-year-old Barbara, named for Grams, was her mother's look-alike, except for her dark brown hair. But little Miss Rebba, their seven-year-old named for Hunter's grandmother, was the spitting image of her father and was already as tall as her older sister. Sometimes people mistook the girls for fraternal twins.
Perry emerged from the SUV, then ran around to the passenger side to help Grams. While her brother lifted their grandmother to her feet, Lisa and the kids got out and Perry's children came rushing toward their cousins. Zeda was eight and her younger brother Zack was six. His children were the joy of Perry's life, but Lisa was his heart and soul. The day his divorce from Gwen became final twelve years ago, Perry had phoned Manda and asked her to fix him up on a date with Lisa. His request had surprised Manda, but delighted her. Within a year Manda had been helping Grams plan another Munroe wedding.
Using a walking cane to aide her, Grams held on to Perry's arm as he helped her up the steps and onto the porch.
"Well, I hope y'all have a big celebration planned for me today," Barbara Munroe said. "After all, it isn't every day an old lady turns ninety."
"We've got you lots of presents," Rebba said. "And Mama baked you a birthday cake."
"Rebba, you weren't suppose to tell," young Barbara scolded her sister. "It's supposed to be a surprise."
"That's quite all right, dear girl," Grams said. "I'd be surprised only if y'all forgot my birthday."
Dalton came forward and held out his arm to his great-grandmother. "Would you like to see the trophy I won for being the most valued player on our Little League baseball team?"
Grams released Perry's arm and took her great-grandson's. "You know that your uncle Perry and your father were very good athletes. They were stars of their football team."
When Grams passed Hunter, she paused and glanced up at him. "Don't I get a birthday kiss from my favorite grandson-in-law?"
Hunter dutifully kissed her. "Happy birthday, Grams."
The other children followed Dalton and Grams into the house. They could hear Grams chatting away, telling the kids about when Perry and Manda were youngsters.
Perry and Lisa exchanged hugs with Manda and Hunter and the foursome lingered on the porch.
"She's amazing, isn't she?" Lisa said. "If I didn't know it was true, I'd never believe she was ninety. She still plays bridge three times a week, never misses a church service, swims in the pool with the kids and manages to keep Bobbie Rue in line."
"Let's face it, honey," Perry said, "Grams manages to keep all of us in line."
"Oh, Grams has never had a problem with voicing her opinion or issuing orders," Manda said. "But when she's wrong, she likes to forget about it and pretend otherwise. She would never admit now that she was opposed to my marrying Hunter."
"She had her doubts about me up to the day Dalton was born," Hunter said. "Then suddenly I could do no wrong because I was her first great-grandchild's father."
Lisa laughed. "Same with me. Remember how she reacted when Perry told her that he was marrying me, a secretary at the Hickory Hills Clinic? But the minute I got pregnant with Zeda, I suddenly became the most wonderful wife and mother-to-be in the world."
Young Barbara cracked open the front door and called, "Grams says would everyone please come inside."
The adults obeyed instantly. They found Grams seated on the sofa in the living room, flanked by Dalton and Zack. Rebba and Zeda sat on the floor on either side of Gram's feet.
"The queen and her subjects," Perry said.
While Perry and Lisa went into the living room, Hunter pulled Manda aside and down the hallway, just far enough so that they couldn't be seen by the others. When he slid his arms around her waist, she lifted her arms to circle his neck.
"Happy, Mrs. Whi
telaw?"
"Deliriously happy, Mr. Whitelaw."
"I don't think I've told you lately how much I love you," Hunter said, lowering his head so that his lips almost touched hers.
"Not since we got out of bed this morning."
"Then let me rectify that error immediately." With his lips brushing hers, he said, "I love you, Manda. More than life itself."
"And I love you."
The moment he kissed her, they became the only two people in the world, lost in a passionate love that only grew stronger and deeper with each passing year.
Suddenly Manda felt a tug on her skirt and heard Rebba's little voice saying, "Mama, Grams says for you and Daddy to behave yourselves and get in the living room right now. She's ready for her birthday party."
* * * * *
WHITELAW'S WEDDING Page 20
