He pulled her into another kiss, a smile growing on his own face. “Whatever you say.”
“He said yes!” Nora screamed. “She said yes! They said yes!” A few people nearby clapped, laughing and congratulating them as they passed. “So when will you get married? Tomorrow?”
“No, Nora, not tomorrow,” Reagan said, bending down to hug her daughter. “But soon.”
Gunner bent down beside them. “Very soon.”
Reagan seemed impressed. “Very soon, hm?”
“It’s like you said...no more waiting.”
* * *
Reagan walked into Gunner’s dressing room. “We’re officially white-trash,” she told him exasperatedly.
He took a step back, his eyes taking her in. She was more breathtaking than usual on that particular day. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to see you in your dress.”
She waved her hand. “Ah, we’ve already had all the bad luck. We survived it.” She sank down in a chair.
“Well, in that case, you look beautiful.” He walked over, hugging her as he sank to his knees in front of her, his hands resting in her lap.
She began tying the tie he’d been struggling with. “Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He ran his hands over the tie, checking it once she was done. “Are you doubting my handiwork?” she accused him joyfully.
“Never,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Just double checking it. Now, what were you saying about us being...what was it?”
“White-trash. You know, like...shotgun weddings.”
“Shotgun weddings?” His eyes grew wide. “You’re pregnant?”
She nodded, biting her lip. “Bad timing?” she asked. “I found out this morning. I couldn’t stand being the only one who knew.”
It wasn’t in the plan. Not yet. “Are you excited?”
She smiled, nodding apprehensively. “I kind of am.”
He laughed, his chest swelling with pride. “We have got to stop using that brand of condoms,” he joked.
“Our babies just really want to be made, Mr. James,” she said, brushing the hair back from his eyes.
“Well, we do make really, really awesome babies, Mrs. James.” He leaned in to kiss her.
She leaned back, wagging her finger. “Ah, ah, ah, not just yet. We still have…” She glanced at her wrist as if she were wearing a watch. “About thirty minutes before we make it official. One last chance for you to run.” She winked.
“Or…” He smiled fiendishly, making her face flush. “I could think of something else we could do with that thirty minutes.”
She laughed loudly. “Me too. Milkshakes.”
“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Cravings already?” He smirked.
“Hey, you missed out on all the first cravings. I’m milking this one for everything it’s worth.”
He scratched his chin. “Think we can make a fast getaway?”
She stood up, pulling him to his feet. “Oh, the thing every woman hopes to hear on her wedding day.” They walked to the door and she stopped, pulling off her heels and darting down the steps, with him following close behind. They laughed loudly in spite of themselves. Gunner felt more free than he’d felt in so long. Everything was right in his life. Finally, he felt like things were actually going to be okay. He climbed into the car, helping her pull her dress in before she shut the door and they drove away.
Within minutes, they were at a local diner. “Chocolate?” Gunner asked, opening his door.
She nodded. “Hurry, I have this nagging feeling we’re running late for something.” She flashed a smile at him.
He ran into the building, approaching the counter. “Can I get two milkshakes, please?” he asked, looking around the empty building.
A man walked up from the back and Gunner gasped. “Gavin?”
“Gunner? What—” He stared at his tux. “What are you wearing?”
“I’m...uh, I’m getting married today.” He touched his tie.
“What?” He seemed shocked, looking away. “Um, well, congratulations, man.”
“Thank you,” Gunner said.
“Uh, so milkshakes, you said? What kind?”
“Oh, right, yeah. One chocolate and one banana.”
He began working on the shakes, talking over the machine. “What brought you to Atlanta?”
“We, uh, Reagan is taking flying lessons here. We’re getting married at a church she loves to look at when she flies over the city.”
“Reagan, huh? I should have known.”
“Yeah.” Gunner rubbed the back of his neck, feeling tense.
“Well, congrats again.” He scooped a banana into a glass blender, pouring milk into it.
“What brought you here?”
“Just wanted to get away from all the bad stuff, you know? Atlanta wasn’t far. Plus, Gia’s here. I’m keeping tabs on her.”
“Oh, so, you’ve heard from Gia?”
“She’s in a facility here in town. I’m doing what I can to keep her there. It’s a good place. She’s trying to work through some stuff, you know? I guess we both are. I go and visit her every once in a while. Maybe you could go with me sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Gunner said, though he knew he never would. Gia had taken Reagan’s sister away. He wasn’t sure he could ever forgive her for that.
“Well, anyway, good luck with everything,” Gavin said, sitting the milkshakes in front of him.
“Thanks. How much do I owe you?”
Gavin waved his hand. “Nothing. It’s on the house.”
“No, let me pay.” Gunner held out a ten dollar bill.
“Consider it my wedding present to you guys. And my apology. For whatever that’s worth.”
Gunner grabbed the milkshakes. “Thanks,” he said awkwardly, walking to the door. He stopped just before he pushed it open. “Hey, Gav?”
Gavin looked at him, hope in his tired, dark eyes.
“I don’t have a best man.”
Gavin didn’t need him to say anything further. He pushed the counter’s door open and ran to Gunner, yelling over his shoulder. “I’m going on break.” No one responded but Gavin didn’t seem to care.
He walked to the car and Gunner saw Reagan’s confused look. She pressed the button to unlock the doors and Gavin climbed into the back. “Hey,” he said quietly. “Is this okay?”
She looked to Gunner, who handed her a milkshake. “His gift to us,” he said simply.
She took a sip. “This is amazing.” She cast a small smile to Gavin in the backseat.
“Reagan, I’m—”
“Gunner told me you helped save my life,” she interrupted him. “So, whatever you’re planning to say, don’t worry about it. Just know that you’re forgiven.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“I’m making it that easy, Gavin. It’s my wedding day. And I’m choosing to be happy.”
Gunner pulled out of the diner’s parking lot and back into the church within minutes. They raced in, slurping down the last of their shakes and tossing the cups into the trash. She gave him one last kiss before she walked away.
“I’ll see you at the end of the aisle,” he told her.
“I’ll be the one in white...with maybe a little bit of chocolate milkshake on my front.” She gasped, glancing down with a horrified look on her face as she realized she had spilt her shake on the skirt of her dress.
“Come with me,” Gunner said, taking her hand. “They can wait a little while longer.”
“If we make them wait too much longer, we won’t have any guests left.”
“We’re paying the priest. He’s all we really need.” He pulled her into a bathroom, turning on the faucet. “I can clean this for you.”
“Well, silly me, I forgot I’m marrying a cleaner,” she said, feigning surprise.
“Okay, that joke is going to get very old very fast,” he scrubbed the warm water onto the dress carefully, watching the stain fade.
“Ju
st as long as you promise to get old right along with it. Right by my side.”
He stood up, satisfied with the faded stain. “I can’t imagine anything else.”
She looked down at where the chocolate had been and sighed, a smile growing on her face.
“Go ahead,” he whispered, “say it.”
“Say what?” she asked.
“Your line.”
“I have a line?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Yeah...I think it goes something like—”
She winked at him, interrupting his sentence with a kiss, a kiss like the ones he hoped to experience every day for the rest of his life. A kiss so full of love and hope that nothing—not his family, his past, or his unending darkness—could ever diminish it. A kiss that said everything he wanted to say to her. How, even though she thought he’d been saving her all those years, it had really been her keeping him afloat. Reagan Orrick had saved his life more times than he could count. And she would keep on saving him every day that she continued to love him.
“Why are you always saving me, Gunner James?”
“Because you are so worth saving, Reagan James.”
* * *
First and foremost, to my husband and daughter, for always supporting me, always loving me, and always forgiving me when my writing takes over our day. You guys are my driving force. I couldn’t do any of this without you. I love you back.
To the rest of my family: thank you for continuing to read my stories and for believing in me. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys and I never want to find out.
To my PA Brittany: you are my cheerleader, my beta reader, the person who talks me down from the cliff when I’m ready to quit, and my favorite partner. I am so glad I found you. You have helped me so much more than you know and I plan on keeping you around for as long as you’ll have me!
To my formatter Lee Ching: thank you for making this book look as good as Gunner deserves! You are the best!
To my Twisted Readers: you guys are amazing. Seriously. I don’t know what I would do without our group. You keep me going, you lift me up when I’m having a bad day, and you keep me writing even when I really, really just want to go to bed. (HAHA!) I appreciate each and every one of you more than you know.
To my Street Team: ya’ll are the best! I am so lucky to have you in my corner. Thank you for helping to share my work with the world. I am forever humbled by how much faith you have in me.
To the amazing ladies who share my work with the world daily and ask for nothing in return: Holly, Misty, Sarah, Joy, Janise, Gwen, Gemma, Crystal, Shelly, Alma, Danielle, Jamie, Michelle, Marie, Nicole, Tracy, Stormy, and so many others. You guys are my tribe and I’m so thankful for you.
To Holly Orrick, Misty Hodges, and Gemma Cameron—fans and friends who won a chance to make an appearance in this book. I hope you all loved your characters. Holly, you were Reagan’s best friend first, sister second. You kept her safe on the worst night of her life. Misty, your character was so fun to write. Without her, this story wouldn’t have existed. I hope you enjoyed her! Gemma, your character was the perfect example of everything a mother should be. Though I don’t plan it, most moms in my books don’t turn out that well...so it was a breath of fresh air to tell your character’s story.
To my sister Kaitie, for being my beta reader and book reporter. Thanks for putting up with my many, many questions.
As always, to the FBI for just ignoring my scary search history. I swear the crime scene clean-up searches were all for research.
To my editor Darcy for whipping this book into shape. Your kind words and amazing insights were invaluable.
To Carla Kirkland, an amazing teacher who has always believed in me. Talking to your English classes was something I will never forget!
To the amazing bloggers who signed up to help get Gunner in front of so many readers: you guys are my heroes!
And lastly, to my readers. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here. Gunner and Reagan’s story needed to be told and it’s because you guys believed in me that I was able to bring them to life. For every review, share, “like”; for every time you tell a friend about my books or buy my latest work—thank you, thank you, thank you. My dreams come true with every book release and it’s all because of you guys. I love you all!
If I have forgotten anyone, and I’m sure I have, please know it wasn’t intentional. I am blessed with such amazing people in my corner. If you’re reading this, I appreciate you.
Kiersten Modglin lives in a very small town in Illinois with her husband, daughter, and their Boston Terrier, Cedric. A psychology fanatic, lover of Netflix, coffee and all things Harry Potter, Kiersten can almost always be found curled up in her favorite writing chair with a good book. Kiersten writes suspense novels that explore the darkest parts of human nature and the inner workings of twisted minds.
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IF IT WALKS LIKE A KILLER
* * *
THE LIST
* * *
THE TRUTH ABOUT MY SCRATCHES
* * *
PLAYING JENNA
* * *
THE BEGINNING AFTER
The Cleaner Page 19