Worth the Wait (The Harvest Ridge Series Book 1)

by K. L. Ramsey

  When Piper had explained the purpose of her call, Captain Kennedy had seemed hesitant, to meet with her. He’d mentioned something about the dangers of drudging up old ghosts. The problem was that she lived with those ghosts every day. They consumed her life and that needed to change. How else would she and Tag be able to move forward if she couldn’t banish them? A part of her was scared to death that Tag had insisted on going into the meeting with her. She didn’t want to rehash her demons with him listening on. But she also knew that she couldn’t do this without him. He was right, and she agreed to them being a team. She couldn’t shut him out now and still hope for a future together. Piper needed to clean the slate and move forward, hopefully with Tag by her side.

  Tag wrapped his arm around her and she felt herself lean into his side, as if she needed the extra support. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed, why had it taken her so long to realize it?

  “You got this Piper, I’m just here for support.” Tag reached out to ring the doorbell of the little townhouse that belonged to the captain and she thought that her heart was going to burst out of her chest. A few moments later, she was standing face to face with her past. Her knees buckled, but Tag was right there.

  “Captain Kennedy?” Piper didn’t really need to clarify that the man standing before her was the same police officer that had saved her all those years ago. He had the same kind face, just a little older, with his hair a little grayer.

  The captain nodded and opened the screen door. She could see that he had unshed tears in his eyes and she couldn’t help herself; she pulled him in for a hug. By the time they both let go, tears were rolling down their cheeks. She knew that she’d made the right choice in seeking him out. They both needed the closure that neither had found the first time they’d met. She introduced Tag and the two men shook hands before the captain pulled her in for another hug.

  “I’m so sorry Piper, I feel like I should have done a better job for you.”

  Piper shook her head, not quite sure that her voice wouldn’t betray her.

  “Don’t say that, Sir. You found a scared little girl, sitting on her parents’ suitcases, and took her in. You protected me until my aunt could get to me. You made sure that I felt safe, even though my entire world had just been ripped out from under me.” Piper swiped at the hot tears that were now streaming down her face. “I came here today for two reasons. The first was to say thank-you. You have no idea what you did for me all those years ago. Before you found me, I was thinking about running into that store and confronting the killers, but I was too afraid. I thought about chasing them down that back alley and wanting to hurt them the way they’d hurt my family. But I was too afraid to move from my suitcase. If you hadn’t come along, I wouldn’t have had the courage to move forward. You took my hand and showed me such kindness. I could never repay you.”

  Captain Kennedy pulled Piper into his arms and wrapped her in a huge bear hug.

  “You never need to thank me, Miss Flynn. It was my pleasure. I just wish that I could have done more. I should have checked on you, but your aunt told me that it was better that I not bother you. You were just a kid, I had to respect her wishes. She was kind enough to send updates through the years, I am grateful to her for that.”

  Piper knew that Lorna had taken measures to protect her through the years. She didn’t know that Captain Kennedy had tried to stay in touch. Honestly, it was probably for the best that Lorna had shielded her from anything or anyone from that horrible day. It had taken everything in her to just keep moving forward. If she’d had reminders of what had happened, she never would have succeeded.

  “You said that you were here for two reasons. What is the second?” Captain Kennedy looked leery, as if he knew what she was going to ask next.

  “I want for you to get me in to meet with my parents’ killer. I don’t—I don’t even know his name. But I need closure and I think that facing the monster that destroyed my family might give me that. I want to show him that he might have taken my parents, but I survived. He didn’t break me.”

  Tag wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his body. She was thankful that he was there. His strength gave her the courage that she needed to get through this.

  The captain shook his head, as if he couldn’t find the words that he needed. “Piper, I’m sorry but he’s gone. He was killed in prison about three years after he went in. Your parents weren’t the only people that he’d killed. He murdered five others before we were able to catch him. He pissed off some powerful people and they made sure that he paid.”

  Piper wasn’t sure how to process the fact that the monster that killed the two most important people in her world was dead. A part of her was relieved that she wouldn’t have to face him. Still, the woman that she had become, the one that didn’t want to be afraid of monsters anymore—she wanted the chance to stand up to the man that took her world away from her. Tag wrapped his arm tighter around her as both men seemed to wait her out.

  “He’s dead?” Her voice sounded shaky, even to her own ears. “He’s really gone? Why didn’t anyone contact me to let me know? All these years, I could have had the satisfaction in knowing that . No one told me.”

  “I called your aunt when it happened. I guess she felt that you were too young. She told me that you were doing well. You must have been around fifteen or sixteen about then. Maybe she didn’t want to open up old wounds. I just figured that she knew best and left it at that.”

  Piper nodded. She hadn’t been in a good place at that point in her life. She was a difficult teenager who had shut herself off from the world, or at least as much as her aunt would allow. Lorna had known that telling Piper any news about the man who’d killed her parents would have sent her over the edge. She couldn’t fault her aunt for wanting to protect her from the truth. She would have done the same thing, if the tables were turned.

  “So, that’s it then, he’s gone. I guess that will have to be my closure, knowing that monster no longer draws breath.”

  Piper leaned into Tag, finding support and comfort in his loving arms. She wanted to be brave, but knowing that she would never be able to face the evil that took so much from her gave little hope. She wondered what her next step should be. How could she move forward without facing her past?

  “I know it’s not the news that you were hoping to hear, honey. But maybe it’s for the best.” Tag tried to console Piper, but she still felt lost.

  “Miss Flynn, may I offer another suggestion?” Piper hesitantly nodded, not sure that she was going to like what she heard. If the captain was going to tell her to just go home and try to find happiness, she was going to lose it. She already tried that, and it hadn’t really worked out.

  “Have you thought about going back to the place where it all happened? I know that when someone is traumatized by an event, often returning to that place and facing their fears helps. It worked for me.” Captain Kennedy gestured for them all to sit.

  “I don’t understand. You think I should return to the store where my parents were killed?”

  Tag sat next to her and took her hand in his.

  “Just hear him out Pipe, this might work.” Tag nodded at the Captain, signaling for him to continue.

  “You see, Miss Flynn, eight years ago I was injured. I was chasing down a drug dealer and he shot me. He also shot an innocent little boy that was out for a walk with his nanny. The little boy died, while I recovered from my gunshot wound. Although I have to use this thing now.” He motioned to the cane next to his chair. “It took me almost two years to move past the trauma and helplessness that I felt. It should have been me that was dead, not a four-year-old little boy that was just out enjoying the afternoon. I couldn’t leave my home for months and it wasn’t until a therapist told me to face my fears that I found my way forward. I went back to the scene of the crime and spent the day crying and mourning the little boy that didn’t get to grow up. I forgave myself for not being able to stop the monster that killed him.
I was able to move on and even return to work. I remembered that the people that I saved outweighed the lives that I lost. That is what I hold onto when I face each new day.”

  Piper found herself nodding along to all the captain’s words, knowing that she had nothing to lose by taking his advice. She was ready to try just about anything to move on, even if that meant having to go back to the same place that haunted her nightmares.

  “I’ll support you no matter what you decide, honey.” Tag linked their fingers.

  “You should know that the store is no longer there. They tore it down about five years ago and put in a pharmacy. But, it’s still worth a try.” Captain Kennedy shrugged.

  Piper took a deep breath, making up her mind.

  “I’ll do it.”

  She looked over to the Captain. “Thank you so much for everything, Sir. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you agreed to meet us today.” She stood, with Tag by her side. Piper hugged the captain, promising to keep in touch.

  Tag helped her into the car and ran around to the other side, giving a last wave to Captain Kennedy. Piper fidgeted with her seat belt and turned to find Tag watching her.

  “You don’t have to do this, Pipe. We can figure something else out if you need to. I just want you to be happy.”

  Piper reached up to cup Tag’s face with her shaking hands.

  “I know that, but I need to do this. I want to find closure so that I can move on. I want to finish this for us. We deserve a fresh start, Tag. I owe this to me and to you.”

  Tag nodded, pulling her in for a soft kiss.

  “Can we go back to the hotel and order room service?” Piper felt on the verge of collapse. Today had drained her and the only thing she wanted was to eat a greasy cheeseburger and watch some mindless television with Tag, preferably in bed.

  “We can do whatever you need, honey. As long as we do it together.” Tag gave her another quick kiss and nodded to the driver.

  “Thank you, Tag. I just need a day or so to get myself together. Then, I’ll face my past and we can move on with our future.”

  Tag smiled at her and she knew that she had no other choice because for him, she’d do just about anything. She would start with banishing her demons.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next morning Piper woke before dawn. She tossed and turned, then, finally giving up on sleep, she slipped from the bed to get dressed. She thought about waking Tag, but the thought of dragging him with her again today didn’t seem fair. Since she wasn’t sure what to expect, it was probably best to go it alone. She knew that Tag would be upset, but she also knew that he couldn’t protect her from everything. She was going to need to learn to take care of herself at some point. It was time that she stopped letting her past control her present. This was her fight, not Tag’s.

  Piper showered and dressed in the guest bathroom, so as not to wake Tag. She pulled her long blond hair back into a ponytail and slipped on her favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She pulled on her well-worn converse and grabbed her purse, chancing one last glance back into the bedroom where Tag still slept. As she reached for the doorknob, her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest, but she knew that she had to walk through the door. She closed her eyes and silently willed herself forward—it was now or never.

  She had texted her driver before her shower, so finding him standing next to her new SUV wasn’t surprising. Hiring him as her driver and bodyguard was the best suggestion she’d had from her lawyer. She couldn’t believe that in just days she’d gone from a small business owner to an heiress with more money than she would be able to spend in a lifetime. She hadn’t really discussed her new financial status with Tag. Bringing up the fact that she was now worth millions had proven to be difficult. She worried how he’d take the news. Would he change his mind about her?

  He’d told her that he loved her, and she wanted to believe it. For years, she’d been pretty sure that she was cursed. She felt that anyone who loved her would ultimately end up regretting it. Her parents had loved her with every fiber of their being. Their love was tangible, she’d felt it even after they were gone. But it left her with only sadness. Lorna had loved her as her own child, but her aunt had to give up her own happiness to raise Piper. She’d never found the man of her dreams and had children of her own. Piper knew that Lorna must have regrets.

  And then there was Sunny. Her best friend had had to fend off other kids that made fun of Piper. They were mean, calling her the Angel of Death among other harsh names. Sunny had stood up for Piper to the point of alienating herself from other kids in their town. She’d made herself the butt of their jokes along with Piper to protect her.

  Everyone that ever loved her always ended up worse for wear, and Piper needed to break that cycle. Today was a new start. She would go to the place where her parents were killed and tell them good-bye. She wanted to go back to Colorado with Tag and give him the happiness that he deserved. She hadn’t been able to find the courage to tell him that she loved him too, but today she would. She was going to find the strength to move forward, no matter how much it hurt.

  ***

  Lorna was grateful that Tag had called her yesterday afternoon. He’d explained what had happened with the police officer that had found her all those years ago. She’d agreed that Piper shouldn’t face her past alone, but Tag knew that Piper wouldn’t let him help her through her sadness. He knew that she’d made him promises that she wouldn’t be able to keep. Lorna was thankful that Piper had found someone who understood her so completely.

  When Piper was a teenager, navigating her grief by herself, Lorna had worried that her niece wouldn’t find her way out. She was a loner, her only friend being Sunny. Lorna was afraid that Piper would stay buried in her pain, never to find any happiness. When Tag had entered the picture, Lorna felt bad for him. He was big, strong and incredibly hot, but none of that seemed to have any effect on Piper. But once she’d caved in to Tag’s charms, and his knock-down, drag-out persistence, Lorna felt that she could finally breathe. It was almost like a burden had been lifted from her soul. For the first time in fourteen years, she was starting to think about her own future. That was part of the reason that she’d wanted to get on the plane to New York. She needed to help Piper face her demons, so they could both move into the future.

  Tag had texted her thirty minutes ago, letting her know that Piper had snuck out of their hotel room. He wouldn’t follow her. He knew that she needed space to face everything, but he didn’t want her to be alone. That’s where Lorna came in. She was around the corner, staying in the hotel that her sister and brother-in-law had stayed in fourteen years ago. She pulled herself together and left through the front lobby to meet Piper at the corner store that held so many painful memories.

  She rounded the corner and, as the new Rite Aid came into view, she saw Piper standing in the parking lot. She stopped to watch her for a moment, not knowing whether to give Piper time or to rush over to her and wrap her in a big hug. She chose the latter, always trusting her own feelings to lead her when it came to taking care of Piper. She knew that one way or the other, they would work through everything together, as they always had.

  She sent Tag a quick text, letting him know that she had found her. Lorna loved the way he wanted to protect her girl. That’s what Piper was—her girl. Then she walked over to where Piper stood frozen in place and wrapped her arms around her. Piper hesitated at first, causing Lorna to hug her tighter.

  “What are you doing here?” Piper seemed confused by Lorna’s presence. “You’re supposed to be in Colorado.”

  “I know, baby, but Tag called me yesterday and told me about your meeting. He knew that you would try to ditch him and face this part of your journey alone.”

  Piper laughed, shaking her head at Lorna’s words.

  “Tag is too smart for his own good. He told me that he loves me, you know.”

  Lorna shook her head. “I didn’t know that. I had a pretty good hunch about how h
e feels about you, though, Pipe. He wears his heart on his sleeve.”

  “Yeah, I guess I should have realized it before now. I didn’t say it back to him though. I don’t know why I didn’t, because I do. I’m in love with him.” Piper’s trembling hand covered her mouth, as a sob escaped. “Now, what if it’s too late? What if he gets angry that I snuck away to do this on my own after I promised him that we are a team? Or what if he finds out that I’ve inherited millions from my grandmother and decides that I’m not the same person who left town a couple weeks ago?”

  Lorna almost wanted to laugh at Piper’s last statement. She couldn’t see any situation that Tag would walk away from Piper, but that truth needed to come from him. Piper and Tag needed to have an honest conversation, to let all the skeletons out once and for all.

  “You need to give Tag a chance, baby. You need to tell him everything and let him prove to you what a good man he is. And he is, Piper. I couldn’t have chosen anyone better for you. He’s your person. He’s the one you are supposed to be with. You need to tell him everything you just told me and let him show you that you’re wrong about the what-ifs.

  Piper held Lorna’s hand and walked the last few steps to the front door.

  “I know this sounds crazy since this is a completely new store, but I only see the way it was. I can see the front window of the old convenience store. I see the store’s owner slumped down behind the counter, dead from that monster’s rage. I see my mother’s pleading face, begging for my father’s life. You know, she begged that asshole not to kill him? She didn’t care about her own life, just his and mine. They both signaled for me not to come into the store. They must have known that was my first instinct, to run in and make it all stop. They really didn’t need to worry; I was too chicken to move.”

  Lorna could see the terror and extreme sadness in Piper’s eyes. She wished like hell that she could take some of that pain from her.

  “Pipe, I knew my sister just about as well as anyone could. I know, without a doubt, that she would have done anything to keep you and your father safe—anything. That included giving up her own life. She wouldn’t have wanted to live if you were the one that died that day.” Lorna wrapped her arm around Piper.