by Connie Mann
“Stay where you are, Atwood,” Josh growled, moving closer. “You’re under arrest.”
“You shot me, you stupid fish cop.”
Delilah saw him grip his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers.
“Be glad it’s just your shoulder. EMS is en route.”
She scrambled to her feet and smiled at Josh as she ran toward her sister and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug, her heart slamming against her ribs.
Eli Foster took off running, and over Mary’s shoulder, Delilah saw Sanchez take him down in a flying tackle. John Henry was dragging Mama toward their vehicle when Fish stepped in front of them. “I don’t think so, sir.”
Hunter stood on the platform, eyes on the crowd as law enforcement vehicles converged on the scene. She saw FWC, sheriff’s office, and even a couple of people with ATF stamped on their shirts approach the crowd.
The cameras kept rolling.
Mary sobbed against her shoulder. “Thank you, thank you! I didn’t think you’d get here in time.”
As Delilah rubbed Mary’s back and murmured soothing words, she met Josh’s eyes over Mary’s shoulder. He winked, and a wave of emotion swept over her.
Mary was safe.
Chapter 37
It took a while to put all the pieces together, and she sat with Mama and Mary, keeping them from the worst of the chaos.
Nate, Aaron, and John Henry refused to say a word, but Eli Foster sang like a canary in hopes of getting a lighter sentence for his part in things. Apparently, Nate had come back to town several years earlier as a legitimate businessman while planning to start his own militia.
Aaron had gone into business with Benson, selling guns to other militias, before he decided to start his own. John Henry disagreed but hadn’t tried to stop him.
Ultimately, Aaron and Nate couldn’t iron out their differences, so John Henry offered Mary to Nate as a way to join the two families under one militia. When Delilah came back, Nate decided he wanted her instead and said Mary would wed Eli.
Delilah stood off to the side and listened, dazed by the lengths these men had gone to in order to get what they wanted.
She was heartsick over everything Mary and Mama had endured and utterly exhausted by the time Josh walked over and pulled her into his arms. “I’m so glad you got here in time. Thank you.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Barely. Damn, woman. You should have waited for me.” His mouth came down on hers, and he kissed her like he could never get enough, and she kissed him back with equal fervor. Then he pulled her close again and held tight for several minutes, his heart thundering under her ear.
Mary was safe. Thanks to him and the FWC squad, they were all safe. Finally.
Afterward, he rested his forehead against hers. “Where are you heading? Are you okay to drive? We can come back for your truck tomorrow.”
“I need to take Mary and Mama home, try to get them settled, at least for tonight.”
“Will you stay with them?”
“No. I can’t stay there.”
Hunter called Josh’s name.
“I’ll meet you at home, if that’s okay with you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Home?”
“Our camper. Or your parents’ camper.”
His slow smile spread and reached all the way into her heart. Then he picked up one of her hands and gently kissed the palm. And did the same with the other. “You were amazing today, Xena, and even though you scared the crap out of me, I couldn’t be prouder.”
Delilah smiled, unable to form words over the lump in her throat.
He went back to work, and she took Mama and Mary back to their camper.
Several hours later, Delilah stepped into the Tanners’ camper and straight into Josh’s arms.
“Have I mentioned that I love you, Delilah Paige Atwood?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, love shining from his beautiful green eyes and radiating out from his heart-stopping grin.
Delilah felt her own smile widen and blinked back unexpected tears. “I don’t believe you’ve mentioned it, no. But I’d like to hear it again. And in case you were wondering, I love you, too.”
Between kisses, he repeated how much he loved her. And she told him the same. After that, he led her to the bedroom and showed her, slowly and tenderly, that he meant every word.
* * *
They borrowed kayaks from Tanner’s Outpost and paddled to their favorite monkey-spotting location. Josh and Delilah rode in one, Mama had her own, and Mary and her friend Alice paddled the other. Alice had confessed that Aaron paid her and her brother, Tom, to spy on Delilah. He also had the siblings stage the kayak incident to keep FWC occupied the day the guns were to be sold. Alice told Mary she had been trying, in her own way, to help by keeping her eyes and ear open.
In the three weeks since Mary’s birthday, Delilah had finished the data-gathering phase of her research project, and now the months of writing began. She was excited about taking her data and turning it into useful, accessible information. Once she completed her master’s degree, all kinds of possibilities would open up.
After they beached their kayaks, Josh stepped up behind her and pulled her against him. She’d never get tired of how warm and secure he made her feel. She tucked her head under his chin as they watched Mama and Mary sitting on a log, chatting together, while Alice studied a turtle nearby. Their lives had been turned upside down, but they were handling it. Both Mama and Mary were slowly losing that haunted look, and Mama was starting to stand up straight rather than hunching into herself. Josh had arranged for them to live in a small cottage on Outpost property for as long as they wanted, and his parents had welcomed them like long-lost family.
“They’re going to be okay,” Josh murmured beside her.
Delilah smiled. “I know they will. They’re tough.”
“So are you,” he whispered and nuzzled her neck.
Delilah heard chattering, and they went still as the monkeys approached, swinging from the treetops, the little ones playing and jumping. Delilah smiled as she watched the mothers and their babies, so relieved they were back together.
Suddenly, Oscar spotted her and scampered down from the tree. He approached slowly, then stopped several yards away and sat down, waiting expectantly.
Delilah wouldn’t make eye contact, didn’t want to encourage him. Go back to your mama, Oscar. It was a one-time thing. I’ve got nothing. She stepped out of Josh’s embrace, looking anywhere but at him. From the corner of her eye, she saw him glance from her to Oscar and back again, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. She knew she was busted when he said, “If didn’t know better, Madam Researcher, I’d say someone fed that monkey and he’s back looking for a handout.”
“Really?” She felt a wash of heat stealing over her cheeks.
His eyebrows rose, and he laughed. “You fed him, didn’t you?”
She looked away. “Maybe,” she mumbled. “But only because it was an emergency.”
He laughed and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “I love you, Xena. My warrior princess with the soft heart.”
Oscar watched them for a few minutes, but when no food appeared, he climbed into the trees and disappeared.
She turned to Josh. “Did I tell you that Mary and I are doing a presentation at one of the local high schools about our experiences and the dangers of child marriages? The guidance counselor said she’s trying to get us into more schools in the county, too.”
One side of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “Nice going, Xena. After how fiercely you’ve advocated for the monkeys, those girls are incredibly lucky to have you in their corner.”
“I’m a little nervous about telling my story, but I’m ready. The new laws are a start, but there’s a lot more to be done. I’m planning to get more involved.” She paused, then said, “I got a
job, too.”
Josh went still, expression cautious. She’d moved into his little cottage, but they hadn’t talked about the future. Not yet.
“Oh? Where will you be? What will you be doing?”
“They said I could work part-time while I finished my research project, then go to full-time.”
He waited.
Unable to drag the suspense out any further, she grinned and told him the name of a local animal sanctuary.
His eyes widened before he swooped her into his arms and spun her around, laughing. He kissed her soundly. “You’re staying?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m staying if you want me to.”
“If I want you to? I not only want you to, I want you to marry me and make babies with me and love me forever.”
Delilah thought she could drown in the love shining from his eyes. “Even if we don’t agree on the monkeys?”
“Even then.” He grinned. “Marry me, Delilah.”
Happy tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. “Yes, I’ll marry you, you annoying fish cop.”
He kissed her with a tenderness that made her weak in the knees.
When Mary asked what all the laughing and smooching was about, she and Alice and Mama joined their circle of laughter and joy, standing in the forest, the monkeys chattering above them.
Delilah couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. Josh had uncovered all her secrets and seen who she really was—faults, insecurities, and all—and loved her anyway.
Mama had taken a job at a garden center and started seeing a counselor. She was smiling more and had started handing out opinions like they were free candy.
Mary and Alice were going to school, learning to be carefree teenagers. Alice’s mother had sworn her daughter would be raised differently.
Delilah knew she and her handsome lawman would always disagree on certain things, probably a lot of things, but they’d work it out.
As the troop disappeared into the forest, Delilah looked at the people around her and laughed through her tears. She no longer had to study the monkeys to learn about families. She finally had her own, and she couldn’t wait to get started.
Acknowledgments
I wrote this story while my father waged his final battle against Alzheimer’s. Neither caretaking nor writing would have been possible without the incredible support of so many. My thanks to Amanda Leuck, my awesome agent, and my editor, Deb Werksman, along with Susie Benton, Stefani Sloma, Jessica Smith, and the fabulous team at Sourcebooks. You all are amazing.
Eternal gratitude to Leslie Santamaria, Doris Neumann, Tammy Johnson, Jan Jackson, Lena Diaz, Judy Evans, and Scott Mitchell for their never-ending encouragement. I can never thank my husband, Harry, and my entire family enough for everything.
I am ever grateful to the Great Creator for the gift of stories, and to you, dear readers, for your support of my books. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you love sultry romantic suspense, read on for a sneak peek at a hot new series from Sue Ward Drake, set in the Big Easy…
Available December 2020 from Sourcebooks Casablanca
Chapter 1
Catherine Hurley clutched her ghost-tour costume close, bracing for the hit that would smash her flat as roadkill.
Nothing could be as devastating as last time.
Evening shadows darkened the sidewalks, and most of the people on the French Quarter streets this time of day were either coming home or going to work. They didn’t usually hang around at the corner grocery like the guy with longish blond hair and skinny shoulders heading her way.
Lately her baby brother had been staying out of her sight, so something must be up. Cath juggled her bags and the dry cleaners’ hanger, waiting for him to get close enough to read her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d come visit.” Les hitched his backpack higher and hunched his shoulders against the cold. “I don’t have any classes until next week.”
O-kay. Her held breath swooshed loose. His appearance on her doorstep did not imply disaster. “I’ve got all the fixings for spaghetti if you want supper.”
She handed him one of her grocery bags and pulled him closer to dodge a waiter in a rush to get to his shift. Her brother still flinched and stared at the guy disappearing around the corner. “What the—?”
“It’s okay.” Even with his hearing aids, Les did not hear sounds behind him. Cath gave him the hanger from the cleaners and pushed open the wrought iron gate.
The piano player in the upstairs rear apartment practiced some ragtime, its bouncy beat drifting down to the patio. She unlocked her back door and set her groceries on the kitchen table inside.
“Sorry,” she said and also signed to make sure Les understood the most important word. “I didn’t have time to warn you about the guy running down the sidewalk.”
“The sidewalk?” Her brother hooked the dry cleaning on the fridge handle. “No problem.”
“But you seemed—” To overreact. She spoke and signed her next words. “Never mind that. To what do I owe this surprise?”
“Last time I heard, there weren’t any laws against surprises.”
“True.” She nodded and signed.
“Right now, I need a place to stay.” Les raised his eyebrows in question. She held aside the bead curtain, and he followed her into the small front room. “The pipes froze this week. Then they broke when it warmed up again.”
A fairly typical New Orleans problem in the city’s old houses.
Les dropped his pack on the couch and stripped off his jacket. “If this is too much trouble, I’ll find someplace else.”
“No you won’t.” She punched his shoulder playfully. “Everything’ll be booked now, anyway.” Mardi Gras always brought hordes of tourists to town and jacked the prices sky-high. Not that either of them had the money for him to stay in a hotel.
“You don’t mind?”
“Of course, I don’t mind.” She signed, “Doesn’t matter.” Her kitten, asleep in the upholstered chair, woke and stretched. Cath stroked a hand down the cat’s back. “You should have texted me to pick you up after my bus tour.”
Les studied the framed poster on the wall. Which he’d seen many times before. He finally looked at her again and she signed, “Did you understand? I could have come to get you.”
“Yeah. I got that.” He hesitated, a hand at his ear. “Wait a minute.”
He reached behind one ear to pull off his hearing aid, and she carried the hanger with her dress for tonight’s tour to the bedroom. When she returned a minute later, Les had replaced his battery and now cradled her pet against his chest. “I didn’t call because you have a business to run. You can’t be chasing all over town because your brother’s got plumbers in his apartment.”
“Thanks.” Good to know he appreciated her situation, but Les carefully avoided mentioning the elephant in the room. She’d recently raided their rainy-day fund to bail him out. If he wanted to stay here, ground rules might be order. She glanced at his backpack and let out a pent-up breath. Her brother didn’t need rules. He needed to know she would always stand by him. “When do you have to go back to court?”
“Not today.” The kitten climbed to his shoulder and rubbed her chin against his neck.
“When?” She spoke and signed both, not wanting Les to misunderstand.
“Pretty soon.”
“I hope your lawyer can get the charge reduced. He knows you weren’t dealing, doesn’t he?”
“He better.” Indignation flared in her brother’s eyes. “But you don’t need to come this time. I’ll be okay.”
If he’d been okay the first time, he never would have been arrested.
* * *
They’d been circling the French Quarter for nearly an hour and hadn’t even parked the car, much less m
ade an arrest.
Mitch Guidry raised his window against the hubbub of sidewalk carousers getting a jump on Fat Tuesday. “Drop me off at the address we got. Let me grab the bail skip while you drive around the block.”
“We never go in without two,” Hal yelled over the roar of a passing tour bus. “Besides, you’re too intimidating to be believable as a meter reader.”
Mitch rubbed damp palms on his thighs, taking in the blue uniform shirt and pants his brother wore. “We’re about the same size. Pull over and give me your shirt.”
“No.”
“You really think this ruse will work?”
“Long enough to get you through the door.” Hal stopped beside a sedan and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Lookie what I found.”
Mitch jumped out to stop the traffic behind them while Hal backed the SUV. Nighttime fog poured in off the Mississippi, fuzzing the neon signs of restaurants along the street and the headlights of oncoming vehicles. Visibility low. No wind. High humidity. What are you doing, Guidry? You’re not on duty.
But he definitely had a job to do properly. His three older brothers had made him a conditional member of their Big Easy Bounty Hunters firm. Operative word: conditional.
They’d censured him before. Rightly so. If he messed up tonight, they could turn their backs on him again. Mitch couldn’t let that happen. He needed his brothers and his sweet, elderly aunt more than they would ever know.
Mitch sucked in the reek of stale beer from the bars behind him and guided his brother into the parking space. Someone slammed his back. He whirled and cocked a fist, stopping only when whiskey-laden breath washed over him. Slurred words tumbled from the mouth of the drunken college student staggering in front of him.
Calm down. You’re not in Kansas anymore. Or Iraq. Mitch steadied the kid before pulling out his cell. “I’m calling you a taxi.”
“We’re fiiinnne.”
And he was a horse’s ass. Mitch stowed his phone and held out a couple of twenties. “I’m serious. You need to take a cab.”