The bed’s occupant was an older version of herself. Long dark hair encompassed a face pale and smooth. Closed eyelids prevented observation of eye color, but Katt knew they’d be the same green as her own. Her mother bore the same chin and high cheekbones.
Unable to bear the sight of the woman ravaged by multiple sclerosis, Katt twisted to leave. The squeak of her crutch snapped her gaze back to the bed.
Her mom gasped. “Oh, my god. Are you real?” The frail hand she extended begged for touch.
Katt stepped forward and took the offering, tears tracking her cheeks. “You recognize me?” Her optimistic greeting contradicted the gnarled skeletal fingers placed in her hand.
“A mother never forgets.” A cough congested with tears and memories rattled in the silence. “I’ve dreamed of you every night for thirteen years, seven months, and seventeen days.”
Katt’s shoulders heaved with the attempt to stifle her sob. “Why? Because you knew you were sick?”
“Because I couldn’t bear to see you watch my decline.” With her other hand, she pressed a button on her side rail to lift the head of her bed. When sitting up, she held out her arms. “I’m so sorry, baby. I never meant to hurt you.”
“But it hurt worse not knowing...”
“If I’d told you why I left, you would’ve known how to find me.”
Katt couldn’t think through the details. “Did Dad know?” Her heart broke with the truth of her mom’s words.
“I left him a letter and begged him to let me go. Said that if he loved me, he would move forward with his life.”
“You were wrong to deprive us of your love. We needed you. We still do.”
As if just noticing Matt standing near the doorway, Katt’s mother motioned him forward. “So, you’re the young man who finally caught my daughter’s eye. I thought it would be Laredo who swept her off her feet.” She leaned back against the mattress and held out her hand in greeting.
“How do you know all that, Mom?” The last word, one so long since spoken, tasted of the bitterest chirata and the sweetest mango combined.
“Through her friend who lived near your dad,” Matt spoke up, his voice choked with emotion.
“All this time you’ve kept tabs yet denied us your presence...” She couldn’t believe her mother lived only an hour away, knowing the series of events sweeping their lives forward yet withholding her love and support. It didn’t matter now, who the friend was. No doubt someone she’d interviewed and who felt guilty for refusing to speak.
“Yes, sweetheart. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t bear to let you go. Lorilynn kept me abreast of all the major occurrences in your life. When she visited and told me that you’d questioned her about me, she cried for an hour, said it broke her heart to lie and say she knew nothing. She has children of her own.”
The afternoon passed in quiet conversation, recounting successes and failures, school, friendships, and Katt’s virtual adoption by the McAllisters. Katt helped her mom eat lunch before Matt escorted her to the lunchroom, where time passed in surreal confusion as she munched on a French fry. Several other families dotted the large cafeteria, some with residents, others in quiet conversation. The space was light, airy, and gave the impression of a positive outlook.
“For years, I’d thought she abandoned me, abandoned her family because she’d found someone new.”
“In her own way, she was trying to protect you.”
Matt respected her need for silence in finishing her meal. Her steps back to the room were lighter, yet curiosity and more questions erupted.
Male voices were too low to distinguish until she pushed open the door. She almost didn’t recognize her father. It shouldn’t have surprised her to see Laredo standing beside her mother’s bed.
“Hello, Katt.” Hair trimmed and combed, the transformation of her father was nothing less than astounding. His button-down shirt was clean and tucked into a pair of black slacks.
“Hi.” Words again failed her. She looked to her longtime friend. “Laredo?”
“Hey. I just wanted to check on you, see if there was anything I could do to help.” He stepped forward for a hug.
A suggestive throat clearing led to an awkward separation. Matt frowned but didn’t speak.
Instead of backing away, Laredo palmed both sides of her face and leaned his forehead against hers. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She knew in her heart what she’d known since first meeting Matt. “Yes.” As much as she longed to not hurt her best friend, avoiding the truth would do just that and so much more. Her mom’s actions were living proof.
“All right, then. If you ever have need, you know where to find me.” Backing away, he couldn’t hide his regret before turning toward Matt. “There’ll be hell to pay if you ever hurt her.” Nodding to her mother, he added, “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Nugle. Do your family a favor, let them in.” With that, he turned and left, a weary set to his shoulders.
Katt couldn’t hold back the tears as Matt enfolded her in his arms. Now more than ever, she needed his strength.
“Jesus. I’m so sorry for your pain, Nugget.”
“You nicknamed my daughter after a chunk found in the earth?” Mr. Nugle’s voice held the indignation registered in his expression.
“No, I named her after a precious metal. She’s never perceived her value, never been appreciated.” Matt’s lips thinned, as if he struggled to not say more.
The flat answer hit its mark as Culver Nugle’s gaze slid away. “Yeah, I know. I have a lot to atone for.” The elder man reached for his wife’s hand before continuing, “I hope it’s not too late and I still have a chance.”
Katt glanced up to see her father’s pointed stare swivel from her mother back to herself. Their sad smiles signaled recognition of his truth.
“Katy, we’ve all suffered enough. Come home with us. We can arrange for help. You belong with me—always have.”
Her mother’s answer came in the form of a nod among many tears.
Culver’s transformation took form in the straightening of his shoulders and subtle body language when his wife smiled, restoring a semblance of the man of old.
Life’s changes had brought her full circle with variations and expectations delivered through time, some expected, others not. She’d take it, claim it, and live it, to revel in every hug, smile, and shared delight offered.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Katt smiled at the small crowd gathered on Matt’s patio. The men and their partners waited for the eldest brother to finish grilling steaks. Each couple had brought their dog, now playing in the backyard. It was a family in every sense of the word.
Gila perched on her lap, content with his belly rub. “Nothing declares family like a barbeque.” Though she and Matt hadn’t had the talk he’d assured her was coming, he’d made it clear she wasn’t going anywhere without him.
“Oh, I think there are a few other things that do just as well.” Matt narrowed his eyes.
Katt sighed, squirming to adjust her position. Before she could settle, Matt was there with a pillow to prop up her booted foot. Denny’s forced trek up the mountainside had increased the pain, but the amount of blood loss was minimal and the hairline fracture would heal.
“How’re you feeling, Katt?” Lexi handed her a soda.
“Thankful I’m in one piece. Ya know... one thought kept droning through my head as I hiked up the hill. I wondered where he’d shoot me? And how long it would take for me to bleed out.” Now, she could look back at those thoughts and sigh. “How strange is that? I have AB Negative blood, the rarest type, and worried I’d need a transfusion.”
“Huh, I would’ve donated for you, I’m O Negative.” Matt smirked over his shoulder. “You’re too cute to let waste away.”
“Don’t worry. I would’ve paid you back... in monthly installments, one week out of every four.”
Snorts and guffaws drowned out murmured comments from the rest of the siblings.
“Hey, I got a message from our alphabet man. He says when they got Denny’s boss, they tied him to some foreign shits wanting to purchase the formula.” Lexi slipped her laptop in its satchel and hung it on the back of her chair.
“I’m sure the feds are grateful. Did you send enough details so it wouldn’t take Kilregard long to put the entire picture together?” Ethan pulled Lexi to her feet, sat in her chair, and then deposited her on his lap.
“Yes. He sent me a frowning emoji. I imagine he’s frustrated at not finding the detailed formula. I’ll bet Denny’s trying to squirm out of prosecution by making a deal.” Lexi grinned at Ethan before adding, “I sent him back a smiley face. And before you ask—no—he can’t trace me.”
“That’s my girl. Keep ’em guessing.”
“As if he doesn’t know who sent it after Billy’s debacle.” Luc smiled at Megan, their own part in past escapades having brought them closer.
The evening progressed in the normal fashion between brotherly ribbing and friendly banter. It entailed a contentment always sought but never known.
Dusk had settled its cloak on the surrounding woods by the time they’d cleared the dishes and the family departed.
“Can you take Gila?” Katt reached for her crutches to make her way inside. There was something in the atmosphere filling her with a peacefulness she wanted to wrap around her and maintain forever.
“No. You’re still clumsy with those things and I don’t want you tripping on the steps. My brothers will think I’m abusing you.”
Matt scooped her up against his chest. “Leave the crutches. I’ll get them later.” His measured tread carried her inside.
She expected him to put her on her feet in the great room, but instead he sat on the sofa with her in his lap. His expression declared the time had come.
She swallowed hard. “How’d you know to go to the hotel to find me?”
“I went to your dad’s house and opened your diary.”
When she started to speak, he rested his finger across her lips.
“I only skimmed it to get an idea of where you might have gone.”
“My father?”
“Has cleaned up his act. He wants to have a long overdue talk with you about what happened with your mother, your family.”
“I can’t believe she agreed to come home.”
“I can. He’s still in love with her.” His deep sigh brushed the bangs from her forehead. Whatever weighed so heavy on his shoulders and turned down the corners of his mouth was too great a burden.
“I’ve always wanted to face her, if only to know why.”
“And found it wasn’t what you thought.”
“The doctors say she’s in remission, but there’s no way to know how long it will last.”
“Whatever comes of it, you’re family will be together... Now, let’s have at it.” The sternness in his features was new.
“What?”
“Why’d you take off?”
He didn’t assign blame for her misery at her own doorstep. No, he went straight for the heart. She sighed. “I heard you brag to your brother that you’d made sure I wouldn’t go anywhere. I felt like a pity fuck.”
“So, instead of talking to me, giving me the opportunity to clear the air, you ran?”
“Basically, yes.”
“Let’s step back for a moment, shall we?”
He took her chin between thumb and index finger, holding her body the same way his gaze held her focus.
“I have never lied to you.”
“I know.” She couldn’t meet his eyes, not until he lifted her chin, demanding.
“I have never brought a woman home to this house. I have never loved a woman in this or any other house. Except for the platonic ties to family.”
“I know.”
“Then why in hell would you consider yourself a pity fuck.”
“I—I don’t know.”
“Katt. Since you’re too thickheaded to get the subtle hints, I’ll spell it out for you. I love you. I may not always show it in a way you understand, yes, an understatement, I know. However, I do now and will always love you.”
Tears brimmed her eyes, reflected in the sheen covering his. “You know I love you. I have from the beginning.”
“I did not brag... well, not in the sense you’re thinking. Yes, I am proud of our relationship. Our union has been so long in coming that when it finally happened, I wanted to shout it from the rooftop. I want to show you off, raunchy mouth and all, to everyone.”
“First, my mouth isn’t raunchy. Not much anyway. Two, how can you be so proud of me? I’m not your usual type. I don’t have big boobs, a nice ass, or a tall stick figure.”
“You are exactly my type. I think women like Carina were little more than a diversion, something that took the edge off and made it easier to stay away from commitment.”
“Kind of like Richard...”
“No more Richards, Bobs, or any other silicone replacement. You have the real thing and won’t need any substitutes.”
“What if, down the road, you decide you’re wrong and change your mind?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re the one whose very existence is going through upheaval with your mom coming home. Even though your life is due for big changes, you’ll have an extended family to help.”
“It seems I’ve come full circle—with the addition of brothers and sisters.”
Matt stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “The question in my mind revolves around your lack of experience with men. I’m in this for keeps, but you’re just starting out in life. You can’t possibly be certain of what you want in life, Katt.”
“I’ve always known what I’ve wanted. Now I know who I want.”
“I’ve fought this attraction between us so hard and for so long that when I finally caved, it was as if someone cut the bands restricting my breath. My brother was the first person I saw and... Please understand.”
In the end, she had no answer but recognized the pain he didn’t voice. The truth of overwhelming emotions moistened his eyes and clogged her throat. She cupped his face with her palm and nodded. “I know.”
“What you also fail to realize is that I’ve never been so awed by anyone. Your strength and courage surpass anything I’ve ever known. Stay with me. You already own my heart and soul.”
“Just as you’ve owned mine all along.”
Matt sealed their unspoken vow with a kiss.
The End.
Remnants of Evil
McAllister Justice Series
Book Six
Chapter One
Rotorua, New Zealand
“Tell me again why we’re doing this, Abs.” Royden squinted against the glare reflecting off the turbulent sea. He liked his adrenaline served fresh and strong as well as the next guy, yet bouncing around inside a giant plastic ball floating on rough seawater missed the mark.
Nothing could diminish the perpetual grin inspired by Abby’s presence.
“Because we’re both closeted, adventurous daredevils needing a new high, and water walking balls nail it on the head. Haven’t you ever wondered what a hamster felt like on a spinning wheel? Throw in this variable wind and you have a recipe few people will ever experience.” Abby winked at the boat’s captain before sliding through the reinforced entrance of the clear globe. He merely shrugged before nudging the sphere off the boat’s loading ramp.
When Abby first asked to go zorbing, Royden tried appealing to her wide OCD streak and reinforced the certainty she’d have no control over the seawater tossing her around. She’d mimed taking off his shrink hat and promptly made the reservations.
Royden pictured her five minutes in the future, puking her guts out and laughing at the same time. Her determination to have fun on vacation rivaled her recent attraction to risk-taking activities.
Since her kidnapping, she’d scoured ev
ery corner of her mind for weakness and devised a way to conquer each. The current exercise would remove her positional control as wind and waves tossed them among the ocean’s white caps.
“And I thought you wanted to see me walk on water.” Royden scanned the coastline better than a hundred yards away.
The gleaming behemoth of glass and concrete in which they stayed offered all the amenities one could desire. Each floor of the hotel had a balcony where guests could enjoy spectacular sunsets—and the two fools challenging fate in gusty winds. Occupants of several rooms leaned against their railings while sipping a morning drink and observing the nuts attempting to defy nature.
His cop instincts warned of the difference between observing and watching with intent. That twitchy feeling between his shoulder blades had urged him to travel halfway around the world to relax.
Along the shoreline, beachcombers searched for small treasures, pausing to watch the tourists’ antics while seagulls plied the air currents and skimmed near the water line using ground effect to reduce energy expenditure. A small flock huddled yards from a family gathered for a picnic.
Farther back, tall grasses continued the beauty of the idyllic landscape. It also offered an ideal setup for a sniper.
A throb in his temple and sour wad in his gut warned of danger approaching. His instincts were sharp but failed to point toward anything specific. Police training had taught him to notice small nuances in behavior and environment, magnified by his education as a psychologist. Yet his mind couldn’t narrow down the looming threat. Animals in the wild survived because they obeyed those instincts instead of rationalizing them.
Understanding Abby’s relentless thrill-seeking drive engendered a certain amount of anxiety. Despite repeated attempts to curb the adrenaline junkie persona, he’d failed. As the other half of her soul, he remained one part exasperated with each tempt of fate and one part excited at watching her spread her wings. When the dust settled, it would either tear them apart or solidify their souls for eternity.
After the captain nudged her giant orb bounced out onto the water, he turned to Royden and repeated the process.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 26