by Sarah Hegger
“You didn’t.” It wasn’t India’s fault. “It’s more the situation.”
Sitting down on the blanket again, India motioned Kelly to join them. “Trusting someone enough to love them can be terrifying.”
India was a survivor of that. “Do you think you will again?”
“I’m fairly sure I will.” India took the grass Jacob was gnawing out of his mouth and replaced it with an apple slice. “Vince came around last night, and we talked.”
“And?” If Vince was pushing India, he’d have her to deal with.
“It was nice.” India shrugged. “We both got honest about how we felt, but it’s also too soon for me. He said he was happy to wait.”
Staring at her sister, Kelly knew she didn’t have that sort of courage. “How do you do it? How can you be brave enough to take another chance?”
“It was easier for me.” India took her hand. “I had you to hide behind. Mom and Dad didn’t matter so much to me, Kelly, because you made sure I had all the love and attention I needed.”
“I don’t think I know how to love like that,” Kelly whispered her greatest fear. What if she was not only unlovable, but also lacked the ability to love?
“I don’t think you have to worry about that.” India looked so certain. “Because everything I know about love, I learned from you.”
Car brakes screeching made Kelly look toward the road. Piers jumped out of the car and Kelly leaped to her feet. “India! Get inside.”
India scooped up Jacob and ran for the kitchen.
“You.” Piers rounded the hood and stormed toward her.
Kelly got between him and the kitchen door. “Get away from her.”
Piers made a grab for her. “Get out of my way.”
“No.” Kelly pushed in front of him.
“Bitch.” Piers raised his hand.
Something flashed in her peripheral vision and a broom came down on Piers’s head. “Don’t you touch my sister!”
Piers gaped at India for a second and then anger darkened his face. “You’ll pay for that.”
“No, I won’t.” India swung the broom and caught him across the shoulder.
Piers lunged for her, and Kelly slammed her shoulder into him. It hurt like hell but stopped him long enough for India to hit him twice more.
Snarling, Piers caught the broom. With a yank he ripped it out of India’s grip and tossed it away.
“Run.” Kelly grabbed the back of Piers’s shirt. “Run inside and lock the door.”
“No.” Pale and shaking, India stood her ground. “I’m not running anymore.”
“Get your stupid fucking ass in the car.” Piers grabbed India’s arm.
India flinched and tried to tug away. “No, I’m not going with you. I’m staying here.”
“Like hell you are.” Piers tried to yank her, but Kelly hung on to him for dear life, and he tried to shake her off.
An enraged bellow stopped them, and they turned toward it. Peg ran down the road and vaulted Dot’s wooden fence. She came at Piers like a juggernaut and slammed her fist into his solar plexus. “You son of a bitch!”
Eyes boggling, Piers bent over and retched.
Peg exploded into full on karate kid, punctuating each word with a punch or a kick. “Don’t. You. Ever. Touch. Another. Woman.”
Piers’s knees hit the ground, and he toppled over, his arms shielding his head. “Get her off me.”
But Peg wasn’t done. She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back.
Piers screamed.
“Men like you make me sick.” Peg bared her teeth. “You’re cowards and you’re bullies and you get your kicks hurting people who are weaker than you.” She shook his head like a terrier with a rat. “But remember this, you little bitch, some of us fight back.”
Peg hauled back and kicked him in the ribs.
“Ah…Peg.” Ben was there, calm and in charge. “Can I take it from here?”
In all the action, Kelly hadn’t seen him arrive, but he was standing between Piers and Peg.
“You’re lucky.” Peg sneered at Piers. “Ben saved you.”
Kelly was sure of it. She put her arm around a convulsively shaking India. “Are you all right?”
India’s teeth chattered as she nodded. “I s-stood up to him.”
“Yes, you did.” Sudden laughter rushed through Kelly—a reaction to everything that had happened—and once she started, she couldn’t seem to stop.
It was infectious, and India and then Peg joined in.
Shaking his head, but smiling anyway, Ben hauled Piers to his feet and cuffed him. “Your luck ran out.”
“India? Baby?” Piers turned pleading eyes at her. “It won’t happen again. I promise you. On Jacob’s life.”
“No, it won’t.” India stopped laughing long enough to say, “Because I’m divorcing you. And I’ve hired a lawyer, and she’s going to make sure Jacob and I live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”
“That’s our girl!” Peg hugged her and then dragged Kelly into a group hug. “We did it. We got that piece of shit good.”
Well, Peg had done the biggest part. And India.
India had slayed her demons, and now it was up to Kelly to do the same.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
As much as she wanted to rush right over and throw herself on Gabe’s mercy, Kelly had a few things to take care of first. Also, she was stalling because she was scared, but she wasn’t admitting that to anyone.
“What if he says it’s too late, or that he’s changed his mind?” She had asked herself that question so many times she was ready to scream. She gave herself the same answer India had given her when she asked. “But what if it’s not too late, and he feels the same?”
It took her only five minutes at the rescue center to pick out the dog she wanted. A retriever mix with awkwardly long legs and a way of scrunching up her face in a doggy smile.
Darla had named her price for the house, and Kelly had agreed without haggling. Whatever happened with Gabe, she was going to get on with that part of her life.
She named her dog Cricket and took her place in the waiting room beside Doug and his yowling cat.
Cara walked into the waiting room and stopped. “Kelly? What are you doing here?”
“I have a dog.” Kelly pointed at Cricket. “I brought her for a checkup.”
“Right.” Cara gave her an assessing smile. “Did you have anyone particular you wanted to do that checkup?”
“I thought Gabe.” She tried to keep it casual.
Grinning, Cara pointed. “Second door on the right.”
“Hey?” Doug sat up straight. “We were here first.”
“Doug, sweetie.” Cara could go one hundred percent Hollywood starlet when she wanted to. “I’ll take care of your kitty for you.”
Doug blinked at her, opened his mouth and snapped it shut again.
While Kelly waited in the room with Cricket, she tried to work on her speech. It was probably the most important conversation of her life so far, and she couldn’t think of one thing to say.
Her plan had been to get a dog and a house and show Gabe that she wasn’t scared of commitment or settling down. The rest of it remained under a hazy notion he would take it from there.
The door opened and she jumped.
“Kelly?” Gabe stood in the doorway, frowning. “What are you doing here?”
“I got a dog.” She pointed at Cricket. “Her name is Cricket, and the pound said I should bring her for a checkup.”
He looked better than ever. How could he be even better looking in person than in her mind? The white coat was giving her all sorts of ideas that were hindering her ability to speak even more.
He took a careful breath and closed the door. “Do you have any information on her?”
“The shelter gave me this file.” She handed it to me.
Gabe took the file and opened it. He stared at the top sheet for a long time and then growled. “What are you really doing here, Kelly? And what’s with the dog?”
“She’s mine, and I’m going to take care of her.” Kelly stroked Cricket’s silky black head. “She’s going to live with me in my new house.”
“You got a house as well?” His brows rose to his hairline. “Why?”
“Because I’m getting my shit together.”
Gabe gaped at her. He leaned against the examining table. “You’re gonna have to spell it out for me, because right now, I feel like a dumbass.”
“You said if I got my shit together, we would have something special.” Her mouth was so dry she needed to stop and swallow. “You said all I needed to do was reach out and grab it. So I am.”
“Am what?”
“Reaching out and grabbing it.”
He stilled, his gaze boring into her. “All the way in?”
“All the way.” If India could stand up to Piers, she could be brave. “I’m in love with you.”
Gabe blinked at her. “What?”
“I said I’m in love with you.” It came out easier the second time, and she squared her shoulders. “I’m in love with you, and I love you.”
“Are you sure?”
He was pissing her off. “Yes, I’m goddamn sure.”
“Why are you yelling at me?”
“Because you’re not telling me you love me back.”
“Well. I do. A lot. A whole helluva lot. So much that it scares the crap out of me.”
They were both so loud that they must have been easily heard from the waiting room. “Then why aren’t you kissing me?”
Gabe grabbed her. “Damned if I know.”
Epilogue
The wind whipped the snow against the fifties cement block of the Twin Elks Public Library and sent fat flakes pattering against the windows.
It was a bad night to be out, but the stalwart seven had made it. With one thing and another, Thanksgiving and then Christmas, and then Catering’s special at the bar, they hadn’t managed to meet in months and it was now late February and there were urgent matters to be attended to. The fate of Twin Elks teetered on a knife’s edge.
Secretary stared at the empty place and sighed. “I never would have thought this, but I actually miss her.”
“She stays close to Claire these days,” Treasurer said. Then a smug grin spread over this face. “Now that she’s having a baby.”
Social Media looked confused. “Do ghosts have babies? I didn’t think—”
“Claire is having the baby, dear.” Chairperson leaned forward and patted her hand. She turned to Treasurer. “How is Claire doing?”
“Glowing and growing.” Treasurer crossed his hands over his chest and smirked.
Counter Intelligence snorted over her knitting. “If it’s a boy, gonna call it Horace?”
“God, no.” Treasurer responded instantly. Then thought about it for a moment. “Maybe as a second name. Tradition and all that.”
Catering sighed. “I like babies. Never had one of my own, but I like them anyway.”
“It’s not too late.” Chairperson gave her a smile of encouragement.
“Yeah it is.” Catering folded her arms. “Besides which, haven’t got the patience to put up with any man long enough to get myself one.”
“Right.” Secretary tapped her gavel. “I call this meeting to order.”
Treasurer looked over and winked. “I love when you get all bossy.”
Secretary blushed.
Chairperson giggled and said, “If you like bossy, you’re dating the right person.”
As much as she wanted to object, Secretary was honest enough not to. “Reports?”
“Operation High School Sweethearts was a fail.” Communications looked forlorn. “And I was sure it would work out. There were frissons.”
“There still are, dear,” said Chairperson. “They’re just frissons in another direction. We could change direction and call it Operation High School Sweethearts’ Sister.”
Secretary shuddered. “That sounds all kinds of wrong.”
“You’re right.” Chairperson chuckled. “But they’re so sweet together. He’s so loving and patient with her.”
Communications sighed. “But the operation was still a failure, and because High School Sweethearts failed, we also have to admit Operation Veterinarian failed.”
“But he’s back, and he’s staying.” Chairperson got misty eyed. “And I couldn’t be happier.”
“Indeed.” Secretary beamed. “So, what’s next in our commitment to revitalize Twin Elks by actively growing the community?”
“There’s that new yoga teacher.” Communications looked around at the table. “The one who renovated the old bakery.”
“Hmm.” Chairperson tapped the table in front of her. “Counter Intelligence? I think we need more information before we act.”
Counter Intelligence finished casting off her stitch before she said, “On it.”
“Next item on the agenda.” Secretary consulted her clipboard. “The ongoing social media campaign.”
Everyone looked to Social Media, who preened a little. “Well, I did try to report last time.”
“But it wasn’t on the agenda.” Secretary tapped her clipboard. “And if we don’t stick to the agenda, what’s left?”
Everyone waited.
“Anarchy.” Secretary smacked the table with her clipboard. “Utter and total anarchy.”
“Sounds like fun.” Chairperson giggled.
“I have established our town on most social media platforms,” Social Media said. “I have stressed the family values and also…” She cleared her throat and looked coy. “The number of available persons.”
The committee stared at her.
Chairperson asked the question on most minds. “What does that mean, dear?”
“I mean that I have created the impression that Twin Elks is a town with many people who are aching to find that special someone.” Social Media blushed. “I have encouraged newcomers to say they’re new in town. That way people can try them out.”
Secretary’s eyes started out of her head. “Like a real life Tindr?”
“What’s Tindr?” Treasurer looked to Chairperson, who averted her gaze.
“Nothing quite so distasteful.” Social Media looked affronted. “Merely the suggestion that we are a town of single people who would be amenable to other single people.”
“No wonder we’ve got all these horny men running around the town.” Secretary gaped at her.
“What horny men?” Counter Intelligence put her knitting down. “I haven’t seen any. Where are they?”
“I’m sure you meant well.” It was clear by Chairperson’s expression that she was struggling to find something more encouraging to say. “But why did you not discuss this with us first?”
“I tried.” Social Media puffed up indignantly. “I tried, but you said I couldn’t talk about it because it wasn’t on the agenda. And it’s been ages since our last meeting, so I kept on doing what I had been doing.”
“Oh, dear.” Chairperson glanced at Secretary, who shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”
Chairperson’s phone rang.
All gazes swung her way.
“No cell phones.” Secretary rapped the table.
“I think your rules have caused enough mischief,” Chairperson snapped back and checked caller ID. She frowned. “It’s my son.”
“Which one?” Communications tried to peer at her screen.
“Something must be wrong. It’s after midnight in New York.” Chairperson answered the call. “Luke?”
“Ma?” Luke’s raspy, deep voice sounded
strained. “I’m in trouble, Ma. I need to come home.”
Sarah Hegger
Born British and raised in South Africa, Sarah Hegger suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust. Her match? A hot Canadian engineer, whose marriage proposal she accepted six short weeks after they first met. Together they’ve made homes in seven different cities across three different continents (and back again once or twice). If only it made her multilingual, but the best she can manage is idiosyncratic English, fluent Afrikaans, conversant Russian, pigeon Portuguese, even worse Zulu and enough French to get herself into trouble.
Mimicking her globe trotting adventures, Sarah’s career path began as a gainfully employed actress, drifted into public relations, settled a moment in advertising, and eventually took root in the fertile soil of her first love, writing. She also moonlights as a wife and mother.
She currently lives in Littleton, Colorado, with her teenage daughters, two retrievers and aforementioned husband. Part footloose buccaneer, part quixotic observer of life, Sarah’s restless heart is most content when reading or writing books
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Read on for an excerpt of Ticket to Ride, #2 Passing Through series!
Ticket to Ride
Everybody know Claire Winters is …*ahem*… not a nice person. She struts into town in her designer heels only when she wants money from her estranged father.
Except for retired special-forces straight talker, Finn Williams, who came to Twin Elks searching for the peace and contentment missing in his life. Finn likes Claire just fine and is not shy to show it.
Irresistibly drawn to each, will mistrust, lies and deceit destroy Claire and Finn’s happily ever after before it begins?