Special Delivery

by Judi Lynn

  Keagan smiled. “Dad has lots of acres to plow and care for.”

  The wind had blown his soft brown hair, mussing it on the walk over, and his cheeks were red. He looked as delicious as the food on his mom’s table. Karli came to stand closer, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She tilted her face up for a kiss. He immediately pulled her closer and lowered his head. His lips felt warm and inviting. She pressed harder, greedy for more.

  A kid squealed close to the door and they separated. Soon, Jenna and Jack hurried inside.

  Jenna’s face fell. “Mom said you’d be kissing.”

  “Us? In a barn? It’s too cold.” Keagan laughed and dropped a kiss on Karli’s cheek.

  “Ugh.” Jack turned his head.

  Jenna was unimpressed. “That’s not a real kiss.”

  Keagan raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you know about real kisses?”

  “In the Disney movies, the prince always kisses the princess at the end.”

  Keagan sighed with relief. “All the chickens are in here today to stay out of the wind.”

  “We came to count them,” Jack said.

  Karli looked at the coop. “They keep moving round. It’s going to be tricky.”

  “Help me.” Jack took her hand.

  The four of them had counted the chickens twice and gotten different numbers when someone clanged a bell. Keagan grinned. “Chow time. Let’s get some dessert.”

  The wind had picked up when they rushed toward the house, their heads down and hands jammed in their pockets. Karli’s curly hair sprang wildly, and she tried to pat it down. The table was ready, so they went to take their seats. A thick slice of pumpkin sponge cake, rolled around a creamy filling, lay on each plate. When Karli took a bite, she knew pumpkin nirvana. It was so rich and so lightweight, she wanted to lick her plate.

  Keagan grinned. “Good, isn’t it?”

  “Delicious.”

  “It’s easy,” Joyce said. “I’ll copy the recipe for you someday.”

  They sipped coffee before Keagan said, “The game’s going to start soon. We’re going to take off and let you guys do your thing.”

  His mom’s eyes sparkled. “You always were a thoughtful boy.”

  His expression turned downright naughty. “Happy Thanksgiving, all. Everything was wonderful. Thanks.”

  “Get out of here.” His dad teasingly waved him away.

  Pulling out of the driveway, he gave the house one last glance. “My family’s the best.”

  “They really are.” Karli thought about her mom and dad. “Mine is, too, if you don’t count the fringe.”

  He drove toward the national forest, and her body tensed with need. He glanced her way. “Is it still okay to stay out a while, or do you need to get back to your mom?”

  “She doesn’t expect me. She won’t be happy if I cut my day short.” That, and her libido would die of desperation if she didn’t get laid.

  “Good.” He motioned to a blanket and a comforter on the back seat. “I thought we could do a little exploring.”

  “Great choice of words.” She slid her hand to his thigh again. Taut. Muscular. She’d like to explore every centimeter of him.

  He drove past massive oaks, young maple saplings, and beech trees before turning onto a small drive that wove to a rental cabin deep in the woods. This time of year, it sat empty, so he parked behind it where they’d be hidden from view. Then he flipped down the seats and spread the blanket over them. He turned to her. “I know what I’m thankful for this year.”

  Her breath caught. She’d had sex with a variety of men, but this was more than that. She’d had lust, fun, burning passion, and gentle friends with benefits, but no one had ever matched Keagan. She couldn’t even imagine life without him, wouldn’t let herself think about it. She stretched back and opened her arms. “Damn, you’re special.”

  There was no rush this time. Their lovemaking was slow and tender, meaningful. She swore Keagan’s hands touched every cell of her body, caressed every part of her. When they finished, she felt as if he’d claimed every inch of her, inside and out. She’d never felt so complete. She cradled next to him under the comforter, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if her body had blended with his, they felt so much like one.

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find this again. It only happens with you.”

  She nodded, and he kissed the top of her head. She didn’t want to lose him. “Would you wait for me?”

  “How long?”

  A fair question. “I signed up for thirteen weeks in Indy, then a hospital in Georgia said they’d sign me, but I don’t have a contract yet.”

  He moved slightly, putting a little distance between them. “Are you going to sign?”

  “I’d like to. It’s great pay, and I’d be near the ocean. I’ve never spent time on the east coast before.”

  “You can’t have it all, Karli. Everything’s a choice.”

  And there it was. Her lifelong problem. She wanted it all.

  “I’ll wait for Indy, but not Georgia. After that, another job, another location will tempt you. I’d rather break it off when you leave, lick my wounds, and move on. That’s what you’ll be doing. You just won’t admit it.”

  He didn’t sugarcoat things. “I love you, Keagan.”

  He sighed. “I love you, too, but that doesn’t mean we’ll work.” He sat up and moved to the front seat. He began pulling on clothes.

  Karli squeezed her eyes shut. No matter what she chose, she was going to hurt when she finished caring for Axel. If she stayed, she’d wonder what adventures she’d miss. If she left . . . well, if she left, it would feel like her heart was ripped out of her. She started dressing, too.

  Chapter 45

  Keagan drove her home and dropped her at the door.

  “Do you want to come in?” she asked.

  “Not tonight.”

  They locked gazes. Finally, Keagan drove away. Pain settled inside her, a horrible ache. Would she see him again? When she entered the house, it was quiet. Dusty scampered to wind around her feet, and she bent to pet him. She glanced in the parlor. Mom was asleep with a fallen book on the floor. Turkey did that to you. If you sat down, you zonked out.

  “Hey, girlie, I could use another slice of pumpkin pie!” Axel called from the back room.

  She hung her coat on the coat rack and went to the kitchen to dish up his snack. When she carried it into him, he motioned for her to sit down.

  “I thought Keagan would stop in a minute to say hi to me.”

  She shook her head. “He’s had a busy week. He was ready to go home.”

  Axel’s lips turned down. “You blew it, didn’t you?”

  She glared. “Did not.”

  “He left, didn’t he? He likes you. Any fool can see that. What’s the matter? Do you suck in bed?”

  She gasped. “No one’s ever complained.”

  “Then it’s you. You just don’t get it, do you? A Keagan only comes around once in a while. You either snag him, or someone else will.”

  “He’s snagged, okay? So am I, but if I stay here, there’s only one hospital close enough to work for, and it doesn’t do any of the heavy-duty stuff I’m used to. Where’s the challenge?”

  “It’s like that, is it?” He took a bite of pie, chewing it thoughtfully. “That’s a tough call. No one can decide that for you. The good news is you’ve shaken the boy out of himself. He’s over that silly filly Cecily. He’s ready to move on.”

  “I’m glad I helped.” Not really. If Keagan could have it all, why couldn’t she?

  Axel finished another bite and smiled. “You had good timing, too. One of the nurses who cared for me watched you two together, but was voting against you. He met a cute little bank teller friend of hers who ordered a special delivery just so she could flirt
with Keagan.”

  Darkness spread inside her. What cute, little bank teller? Keagan hadn’t mentioned her.

  Axel finished his pie and handed her the empty plate. “Good job, girl! When you leave, you can both be happy. You’ll have your job, and Keagan can help that shy, little teller until she catches him.”

  Karli raised an eyebrow. “Are you pushing my buttons?”

  Axel reached for his remote and turned up the volume. “You’ve been fun to have around. There aren’t many people I care about, but I’d like you and Keagan to be happy. Sounds like I don’t need to worry about that.” He turned to watch the TV.

  Karli ground her teeth and stalked to the kitchen. Shows what the old man knew. She wasn’t happy at all. She’d never been so confused.

  She didn’t want to wake her mom, so she grabbed her laptop and went into the living room to scroll through her e-mails and Facebook. She’d never spent any time in here, it was so close to Axel, but once she pulled her legs under her on the overstuffed sofa and turned on the table lamp, she basked in its golden glow. She looked around. This was a warm, inviting room. Dusty jumped up and coiled next to her. Pictures that Axel’s mom must have picked out hung on the walls—landscapes and flowering gardens.

  She kept herself distracted, so that she couldn’t think about Keagan. She must have fallen asleep sometime because her neck ached in the early hours and she woke to rub it. Her laptop had gone into rest mode, so she switched it off and pushed it back farther on the cushions. Axel’s TV was on, but he’d muted it. She tiptoed to the back room to check on him, and he was hunched up, as if cold. She tucked his blankets around him, and he stretched into a more comfortable position. Smiling, she quietly walked into the parlor and slipped into her own bed, Dusty curling next to her.

  At 5:00 a.m., Dusty jerked up and stared at the doorway, his fur on end. Karli groggily glanced around the room, didn’t see anything, and stroked his fur until he curled next to her again. At 9:00 a.m., Karli jerked awake, certain she’d overslept and it was late afternoon. Her night had been filled with strange dreams. She glanced at her mom’s bed, and Mom was still asleep. Worrying about her dad and coming here must have drained her energy.

  Karli slipped out of bed, but Mom’s eyes opened and she smiled at her.

  “What time is it?” Mom asked.

  “Nine fifteen.”

  Her mom shook her head. “After a snack for supper, I came in here to read, and that’s the last thing I remember.”

  “All that turkey does a person in,” Karli teased.

  Mom pushed to her feet and they went to the kitchen together to start the coffee. Out of habit, Karli walked to the doorway to check on Axel. She frowned. Something was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She went to his bed and stared. Was he breathing? She reached for his wrist to check his pulse. Oh shit.

  “Mom!”

  Her mother came to the doorway.

  Karli pressed her fingers to his neck. No carotid pulse either. “I think he’s gone.”

  “What!” Her mother almost dropped her coffee cup.

  Karli shook Axel’s shoulder. “Axel! Wake up!”

  Nothing.

  She felt his forehead. Cold. Lifeless. She looked at her mom and shook her head.

  Mom grabbed for the woodwork on the door to steady herself.

  Karli tried to force herself to think. In the hospital, she’d push a code button or yell to her supervisor at the desk. What did you do at home? She reached for her cell phone and called Keagan.

  “I’ll call Sheriff Brickle. He’ll send someone there soon. I’m in my mail truck, but I’ll come as soon as I can.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. Keagan was coming. Everything would be all right.

  Footsteps clattered on the stairs. The fab three came down in unison. Kurt held a hand to his head. “I’m feeling a little rough this morning.”

  “Who wouldn’t after they finished a bottle of Jack Daniels?” Sylvie snarked.

  Ida frowned at Karli. “You look a little rough, too. Need some aspirin?”

  Karli blurted it out. “Axel’s dead.”

  Kurt stared. “What do you mean? He ate two pieces of pie yesterday.”

  “He was awake when I got home,” Karli said. “I talked to him for a while, and then I checked on him at two-thirty. The house was cold. He was fine then. He’s gone now.”

  Sylvie raised her hands above her head and yelled, “Hallelujah! This place is ours!”

  They rushed to the kitchen and took out bottles of beer and wine to celebrate. Mom’s eyes filled with tears. Karli felt sick. Hands on her hips, she snapped, “Sheriff Brickle will be here soon. Who else comes when a person dies at home?”

  They looked at each other, grinned, took their bottles, and headed upstairs. Karli had to rub her hands over her arms. They felt cold. How could anyone react like that to someone’s death?

  Mom started to the parlor. “We should get dressed before everyone gets here.”

  Karli nodded and tossed on clothes in record time. They’d both washed their faces and brushed their teeth before Brickle knocked on the door.

  Karli went through her time frame again and Brickle stared at Axel’s corpse. He sighed. “You gave him a great send-off. I hope you realize that. He’d gotten lonely and bitter, but Keagan said he sure enjoyed having you around.”

  Tears misted Karli’s eyes, and she blinked them away. “That’s all he’d let me do.”

  Brickle grinned. “Axel was one of Mill Pond’s old-timers, a real character. You pushed him about as far as anyone could.”

  A hearse pulled into the driveway next. Two men with a gurney disappeared in the back room. Karli couldn’t stay in the kitchen. She led the sheriff to the dining room.

  Brickle took in his surroundings. “You’ve made the place look good.”

  What difference did it make now? Ida, Sylvie, and Kurt would sell it as fast as they could. She hoped the next people gave it the love it deserved.

  Keagan, dressed in his uniform, came and pulled Karli straight into his arms. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. Burrowed against Keagan, she always felt better. He stayed with her until they’d carried Axel away and Brickle had left. They’d meet with the funeral director the next day and plan Axel’s service and burial. After, there would be no more reason for Karli to stay in Mill Pond. Her job here was done.

  Chapter 46

  The next day, Karli woke to arguing. She pulled on a robe and stumbled into the kitchen.

  The sun barely peeked above the horizon, and Sylvie, Ida, and Kurt were already wide awake, bickering with each other.

  “I called for what’s in the china cabinets first!” Ida claimed.

  Sylvie pressed her hands on the wooden worktable, leaning forward. “Fine, you can have the china and silver if I get what’s in the attic.”

  “What do want with antique bird cages and old mirrors and chairs?”

  Karli frowned. “Have you two already gone through the attic?”

  Sylvie ignored her. “Is it a deal?”

  “Only if I get all the paintings in the house,” Kurt said.

  The arguing started all over again. Karli poured herself a cup of coffee and went to sit at the dining room table. She’d picked up a food magazine on their last shopping trip and was flipping through it when someone knocked on the door.

  When she answered it, she recognized the man she’d seen leaving Axel’s hospital room.

  He smiled. “Good morning. I’m Everett Lansing from Bloomington. I’m Axel’s lawyer. Brickle called me.” He looked around. “Lovely home.”

  Karli couldn’t hide her surprise. “Axel had a lawyer?”

  Everett chuckled. “Axel and his wife came to me years ago to draw up a will. Didn’t need one, but he was worried that if one of them died, their children woul
d try to claim part of the property.” He stopped to listen to the raised voices in the kitchen. “Now I can see why.”

  Karli nodded. Her mom walked out of the parlor, dressed, since she’d heard voices. Everett introduced himself to her.

  Her mother smiled. “Would you care for some coffee? I could use a cup.”

  “I’d love some. Is everyone in the kitchen?”

  “Yes.” Karli led the way to Mom’s siblings.

  They hushed abruptly when they saw they had a visitor.

  Everett accepted a mug of coffee and took a sip, then smiled. “Thank you. I drove here from Bloomington to make things simple and clear. No one is allowed to remove anything from the house until the will is read.”

  “When will that be?” Sylvie asked.

  “After the graveside service. The funeral director’s already informed me that Axel paid for a wooden box a few years ago and wants to be cremated. He insisted on no showings or readings. He just wants his ashes put in an urn and placed in the plot next to Eloise.”

  Karli smiled. She could see how that would please the old man. He didn’t like being fussed over.

  “Everything will be strictly private. Only family. Oh, and Keagan Monroe.”

  Sylvie’s lips turned down. “He would invite Keagan.”

  Karli got sick of Sylvie sometimes! “Why wouldn’t he? Keagan’s helped him for years.”

  Kurt glanced at the calendar. “How soon can they burn him?”

  The lawyer cleared his throat. “Amos, the funeral director, is seeing to that today.”

  “That fast?” Mom put a hand to her throat. “While he’s alone with none of us there?”

  “Axel specified that’s what he’d like and to be buried next to Eloise as quickly as possible.”

  Karli blinked, slightly overwhelmed. Everything was happening so fast.

  Everett paused, giving them a moment to catch up. “The director of the cemetery can bury the ashes tomorrow at one. After that, you can convene in my office.” He handed them each a business card with his name and the address of his office in Bloomington.