by Jill Sanders
Louisa smiled. “She can keep up,” she said to Dylan sarcastically.
“But… we didn’t find his body…” Eve shook her head.
“Of course not, because I had plenty of time to drag his body down the passageway and dispose of him and his luggage in the harbor, using the hidden passage. I would have done the same to Steve, but then my family wanted to leave town in a rush.” She sneered. “I was left to improvise. So I bashed him over the head with that stupid camera he’d stolen from your room”—she motioned to the camera sitting beside the laptop—“in hopes they would believe you’d done it.” She laughed. “After all, you’d just screamed that you would do just that in front of the entire inn.” She smiled. “It was a good thing I came back here today to gather up what I’d left behind.” She nodded to the bag and the camera. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have found the two of you watching all my dirty little secrets.” She snarled.
“What about Aunt Ramona?” Eve asked, her voice shaking.
“Who do you think told Reggie about what Clark was really after? She had even hinted to me that she knew that Clark and I were having an affair. She threatened to expose our little secret to the entire family. It would have ruined everything. They would have never accepted Logan and Liv after knowing… everything.” Louisa waved her hand. “I came to talk to her, into try and convince her that it was all lies.” She frowned slightly. “But she wouldn’t listen to me.” Then her eyes turned back to her and she smiled and glanced around and changed the topic slightly. “With some work, which you’ve already started, this place will be their legacy. But Ramona must have gotten wise, because she accused me of killing Reggie and Steve.”
Dylan felt Eve’s body jerk.
“You… killed my grandfather?” Eve asked.
Louisa smile brightened. “Yes. The old man always took afternoon tea and, recently, he’d fallen sick. The flu,” she cooed, “can sure bring a healthy man down fast. With Reggie out of the way and his updated will that left half to Clark, his children, my children, could finally get what they deserve.” She glanced around again.
Dylan had been so enthralled with the ins and outs of the woman’s twisted story and mind that he’d almost forgotten there was a gun pointed at his chest. Then she waved it again as she continued her story.
He tucked Eve’s body behind his more tightly, between him and the work bench. He searched his mind for something he could use to protect them. Then he remembered the nail gun he’d shoved aside to set the bag down on the bench.
He’d had the thing for years. The security latch that would normally stop the nail gun from being fired unless it was pushed against something solid had broken years ago. He’d meant to replace the old thing but hadn’t had a chance to buy a new one yet.
He knew for a fact that the thing still shot three nails per second, more than Louisa’s gun could. Even though the gun could do more damage, at least the nail gun might allow Eve a chance to escape.
“But in Reggie’s will, he left everything to me,” Eve said.
“An oversight. I know for a fact that his last will, the one I forced him to sign that last night when he was under my control and drugged, before I put him to bed, left everything to Clark, his younger brother, and his heirs. My children. I left it on his desk for everyone to find in the morning, but… I couldn’t find it,” she growled out. “The old man must have crawled out of bed and hid it somewhere that night before finally dying.” She sighed. “No worries. When I do find it, after you’re out of the way, my children will be the last in line to inherit this place anyway.” She laughed. “Since you moved everything down into one room, it was easier for me to look for it. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before I stumble upon it.” She shrugged. “So, I’ve been sneaking into the storage room looking for the will. That’s when I found you down there,” she nodded towards Eve. “looking through everything. I knew I had to control the situation, so I locked you in there, hoping you’d be to happy to get out of there a few hours later that you’d forget whatever you’d found. Imagine my surprise when you’d come up with that, instead of the will.” She nodded towards the laptop. “After Dylan had found you and carried you upstairs, I snuck back in the room and found the laptop on the floor. I knew that whatever was on it had to be important.” She smiled. “I think it will all be worth it in the end.”
“You killed the only two people in the family who loved me,” Eve shouted and then sniffled.
Turning slightly, he wrapped his arms around her as if to comfort her, his body still between her and the gun. As he did so, he leaned closer to Eve’s ear.
“Duck,” he said and then not giving her time to think, he reached for the nail gun as Eve dove to the side.
He aimed in Louisa’s direction. He heard her fire the gun twice and prayed Eve was out of the way as he shot off the nails, only stopping when everything went quiet.
“Dylan?” Eve rushed to his side.
“Stay back,” he warned and moved over to kick the gun away from Louisa’s bloody hand. More than a dozen nails stuck through her frail hand and fingers. His eyes moved over the woman, and he felt his stomach roll at the sight of several long nails running across her face, through her right eye, down her shoulder and down her arm.
He heard Eve gasp behind him but didn’t take his eyes off Louisa.
“Call the police,” he called, still pointing the nail gun at the woman’s head.
Louisa was screaming loudly now as she held her hand up in the air, as if assessing the damage. However, instead of pain, the woman was screaming out of frustration.
“You bitch. I should have made sure you died in the boathouse,” she cried out.
“Eve call the police,” he said again. He didn’t hear her respond, but his ears were filled with a buzzing sound, so he didn’t know if she had. Through the haze, he heard the sounds of people screaming and running down the hallway towards them. “Someone call the damn police,” he screamed out to whoever was rushing towards them.
He must have relaxed slightly, because then the shaking started. The nail gun wavered in his hands so badly that he worried Louisa would get away.
“Dylan,” Eve’s soft voice finally broke through the haze of his mind. He felt her touch his arm and say, “You’re going to be okay.”
He blinked and suddenly he was sitting on the floor, the nail gun a few feet from him on the ground. Barb and Phil were standing in front of Eve’s aunt.
He blinked again and suddenly he was looking up at the ceiling of the room.
“Somebody help me,” Eve cried out.
“Eve?” He reached up to touch her face and realized his hand was covered in blood. Was that his? Had some of her aunt’s blood gotten on him? Why couldn’t he focus? He blinked again and tried to keep his eyes on Eve’s face. His beautiful Eve. Why was it so hard to focus on her face? The woman he loved. The woman he wanted to have a family with. The woman he was going to grow old with. “Eve?” he said again, his voice sounding a million miles away. He had something important to ask her. He had to stay awake, he needed to know her answer. He had to know if she would say yes and marry him.
Eve bit her fingernails and held onto Palmer a little tighter. The little girl had fallen asleep hours earlier, crying herself to sleep in Eve’s arms.
Someone had tossed a blanket over them. The thing heated Eve up even further, since Palmer was plastered to her, soaking her shirt with their combined heat.
Snow fell silently outside the windows at the hospital in Auburn. Dylan had been flown by helicopter while Kathrine had driven her and Palmer into the city herself.
They’d arrived almost two hours after they’d taken Dylan into surgery. Now, three hours later, she couldn’t stop biting her nails, something she’d never done in her life before.
“Here.” Dan handed her a cup. “It’s what the hospital calls coffee.” He sat next to her. “Want me to take her?” He nodded to Palmer.
“No.” She shook her head. No one was g
oing to take Palmer from her. Not if she had anything to say about it.
“This is the same hospital where she was born,” Dan said with a sigh. “Dylan and I spent almost three months taking turns being here every day.” He smiled down at Palmer’s sleeping head, then reached over and brushed his hand over the little girl’s hair. “It’s where we lost Kendra.” He wiped a tear from his eyes. “I can’t lose my son here too.”
“No.” She reached over and took his hand with her free one. “You won’t. We won’t,” she corrected.
“He’s been shot before,” Dan said trying to reassure him and her. “He’ll make it through this one just like the others.”
“Yes.” She remembered the two scars on Dylan’s body and nodded in agreement. Still, part of her worried, knew that this wasn’t like the other times. Nothing like this was like the last time. This time, it had been her family that had caused the destruction.
Just as it had been all her life, her family was trying to take away everything she had. All her happiness.
“Mrs. Steele?” The doctor stepped out and glanced around the small private waiting room.
Both Eve and Dan stood up. She shifted Palmer and the little girl jerked awake.
“Yes,” she answered the doctor, not correcting his assumption that she was Dylan’s wife. After all, he’d sort of asked. Okay, he’d warned her he was going to ask her. She hadn’t been ready for the question then. Now, however, if he asked, if he was around to ask, she was going to make damn sure she wasn’t stupid enough to say no.
The doctor smiled at her. “Your husband’s resting. He made it through the surgery just fine.”
Eve sat back down quickly, her head spinning.
“Mommy, is Daddy going to be okay?” Palmer asked sleepily, her little arms wrapping around Eve, trying to hold onto her tighter.
“Yes, baby, he’s going to be okay.” She cried tears of happiness into her daughter’s hair.
Epilogue
Four months later…
Christmas morning was one of Dylan’s favorite days. Watching his daughter race into the living room, seeing the surprise on her face as she took in all the presents he and Eve had snuck out and set up in the middle of the night was the best thing in the world.
With his arms wrapped around Eve, they watched Palmer rip open each present, more excited with each new surprise. The two puppies raced around her, chewing up the wrapping paper as she tore it off each box.
Paint supplies were carefully placed on the coffee table, out of the reach of Violet and Amber, the two little hellions determined to chew on everything in their paths.
“Think she has enough paint supplies?” Eve whispered to him.
Dylan chuckled. “There’s a lot of people on the list wanting a Palmer Steele original painting.” He smiled.
“True.” Eve rested her head against his shoulder, their fingers intertwined. He played with the ring he’d purchased for her the month after he’d been released from the hospital. He hadn’t even waited for a fancy dinner. Instead, he’d asked her the first day he’d been allowed to take her back on the water in his boat. She’d said yes before he’d had the opportunity to get down on his knee.
“What about your present?” he asked, grabbing up the big box and setting it in front of her.
“For me?” Eve asked
“Open it, Mommy.” Palmer set down her last present and rushed over to sit between them.
Eve’s arms wrapped around Palmer as she giggled. “Did you help your daddy pick this out?” Eve asked.
“Sorta.” Palmer shrugged. “Open it.”
Dylan watched Eve’s face as she ripped the wrapping paper away and opened the box. He helped her lift the heavy clock from the box.
“We fixed it,” Palmer said cheerfully. The sound of the clock ticking echoed in the box. He’d had to store it outside because it made little chime noises every hour, and he hadn’t wanted Eve to hear until it was time.
“My… this is my grandfather’s clock?” She looked between them, tears filling her eyes.
“I had to gut it and add all new innards. That and a fresh coat of lacquer. The thing should last until we have grandkids,” he said with a smile.
She set the clock down and hugged them both, wiping her eyes dry.
He pulled back slightly. “I did, however, find something in the base of the clock.” He pulled out the folded paper he’d found stuffed in the old clock and handed it to her. “I thought as another present you’d like to dispose of the last shred of evidence of the hell your family put us through.”
Eve looked down at the will Louisa had forced her grandfather to sign the night she’d killed him. “This was in the clock?” she asked, reading over it.
“Yes, stuffed in the base. Reggie must have hidden it there, knowing you would keep the clock for sentimental value.”
“No one would have believed he’d signed it on his own,” she said, looking down at the scribbled signature. Standing up suddenly, she walked over to the fireplace and tossed the paper into the fire.
Then she touched the clock again. “It should last until we have grandkids?” she asked, a sparkle in her eye.
“Should.” He shrugged and held onto Palmer as she crawled into his lap.
“Give Daddy his present.” Palmer bounced up and down in his lap. Dylan’s eyebrows shot up, then he wiggled them and enjoyed the blush that covered Eve’s face.
Eve had already given him his present earlier. The sexy red and white nighty he’d enjoyed peeling her out of last night had been everything he’d wanted for the holidays.
Eve bit her bottom lip, then walked over and took down a small box that had been hanging from the tree.
When she handed it to him, he smiled up at her. “I told you last night I didn’t need anything else.”
She smiled. “I think you’ll like this.” Eve sat next to him and pulled Palmer into her lap.
“It’s sort of from both of us,” Palmer added with a slight frown. “Right?” she asked Eve.
Eve laughed and nodded. “It’s for both of you. Well, for all of us, really.” She motioned to the box. “Just open it,” she said nervously.
Smiling, he pulled off the blue and silver ribbon and flipped open the lid of the box.
What he saw inside had his heart stopping, then jumping out of his chest for joy.
Reaching in with his fingers, he pulled out the pregnancy test.
“I’m going to have a brother,” Palmer squealed.
“Or sister,” Eve added.
“Nope, it’s a brother.” Palmer frowned. “I asked Santa for one.”
Dylan set the box and the test down and pulled both of them into his arms. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I don’t care what it is. As long as we’re together, as a family, I know there’s enough love to go around.”
He kissed Eve. When she lifted her hand and wiped the tear from his cheek, he laughed. “Now, who wants to watch cartoons until Grandpa gets here with more presents?”
Palmer jumped up and raced around the room happily, sending both puppies chasing her. Dylan pulled Eve into his arms and held on.
“Thank you,” he said before kissing her.
“No,” she said pulling back, “thank you. You saved me, you know.” She smiled. “I’m not talking about the bullet you literally took for me.” He nodded, resting his forehead against hers. “You’re the only family I need. The only one that matters,” she said and kissed him.
Also by Jill Sanders
The Pride Series
Finding Pride
Discovering Pride
Returning Pride
Lasting Pride
Serving Pride
Red Hot Christmas
My Sweet Valentine
Return To Me
Rescue Me
A Pride Christmas
* * *
The Secret Series
Secret Seduction
Secret Pleasure
Secret Guardian
Secret Passions
Secret Identity
Secret Sauce
* * *
The West Series
Loving Lauren
Taming Alex
Holding Haley
Missy’s Moment
Breaking Travis
Roping Ryan
Wild Bride
Corey’s Catch
Tessa’s Turn
Saving Trace
* * *
The Grayton Series
Last Resort
Someday Beach
Rip Current
In Too Deep
Swept Away
High Tide
* * *
Lucky Series
Unlucky In Love
Sweet Resolve
Best of Luck
A Little Luck
* * *
Silver Cove Series
Silver Lining
French Kiss
Happy Accident
Hidden Charm
A Silver Cove Christmas
Sweet Surrender
* * *
Entangled Series – Paranormal Romance
The Awakening
The Beckoning
The Ascension
The Presence
* * *
Haven, Montana Series
Closer to You
Never Let Go
Holding On
Coming Home
* * *
Pride Oregon Series
A Dash of Love
My Kind of Love
Season of Love
Tis the Season
Dare to Love
Where I Belong
* * *
Wildflowers Series
Summer Nights
Summer Heat