by Kathi Daley
“Which is…?” I sat up very slowly. There was dirt on my face, in my mouth, and in my eyes, but I knew I needed to make small movements, so I didn’t try to brush any of it away.
“Bristow approached my dad about buying Angel Mountain. The resort was my dad’s baby, so he refused to sell it. When Bristow realized he wasn’t going to get his way, he offered our entire management staff a huge bonus to leave.”
He really was a snake! “You can hire more staff. It won’t be easy, but there’s time before the snow falls.”
“No, there isn’t nearly enough time. The expansion my dad and I were attempting got the better of us and I’m afraid we ended up deeply in debt to the bank. We missed some payments over the summer and the bank is threatening to foreclose. My dad tried to convince them we’d be able to make up the late payments over ski season, but when the bank manager found out we’d lost our entire management team, he decided to cut his losses and initiated the foreclosure process. Dad’s going to lose the thing he loves most in the world because a small man with a Napoleon complex wasn’t satisfied ruling his own domain. He needed to rule the world.”
I’d been trying to slowly stand when Sterling realized what I was doing. He pointed the gun at my face. “I’m sorry it came to this. Dad has lost the resort, but I’m not going to let him lose his freedom as well.”
“Your dad shot Bristow?”
“Isn’t that what you already figured out? Isn’t that why you ran?”
“Until this moment I thought it was you.” My heart began to pound. I’d hoped to talk Sterling into letting me go, but there was no way he was going to do that with his father’s freedom at stake.
I closed my eyes and waited for the shot. What I heard instead was a scream. I opened my eyes to find Echo on top of Sterling with the man’s arm clenched in his mouth. I got up slowly and approached him. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. What a baby. Echo had a firm grip on him, but he hadn’t even drawn blood. I took the gun from the man’s hand, then commanded Echo to stand down. He let go of Sterling’s arm and took a step back, though he continued to growl. That was fine with me. He’d been planning to kill me. He deserved to feel the terror of having a 130-pound dog standing over him with teeth bared. I took out my phone and called Roy. Talk about a crazy end to a crazy mystery that had almost been the end of me in more ways than one.
Chapter 19
Saturday, August 19
It was the night of my big date with Kyle. A night I was sure would be filled with fresh flowers, candles, expensive wine, and romantic music. I’d dreamed of making love with Kyle as the moon shone down on the still lake and through the bedroom window. I’d had so many expectations after building up this night in my head for the past few weeks, I supposed part of me realized I was bound to be disappointed. But as I glanced out the window and saw the moon on the lake just as I’d imagined, I realized that while things hadn’t gone exactly as planned, this truly was a perfect moment I would hold forever in my heart.
“Despite everything, this is nice,” I said as I sat on the bed with a glass of milk while Gracie slept in my lap.
“It is.” Kyle smiled back at me.
As it turned out, Gracie had chicken pox. My dad was pretty sure he’d never had them and my grandpa couldn’t remember whether he had, so I’d brought Gracie over to Kyle, whose mother had confirmed he’d had them when he was four. Ashley had gone to Sacramento with Kyle’s mom as we’d planned, while Kyle and I played nursemaid to a very sick and very cranky little girl.
“I feel so bad for her,” Kyle said as he stroked her hair. “The poor thing is about as miserable as I can remember anyone being.”
“She does seem to have a pretty bad case. She should sleep through the night now, though. I followed all of the directions her pediatrician gave me and was assured that once we’d completed all the steps, she’d sleep for at least eight hours.”
“I didn’t think kids got chicken pox anymore,” Kyle said. “Isn’t there a vaccine nowadays?”
I nodded. “There is. Apparently, my mom never got around to having Gracie vaccinated, and I guess after she came to live with me I didn’t think about it. I still don’t have all this mom stuff down.”
Kyle leaned over and gently kissed Gracie on the side of the head. She didn’t even budge, proving she was out completely.
“Thank you for everything,” I said. “Thank you for letting us stay here, and thank you for playing the role of Gracie’s maid all day. Thank you for keeping me sane when I wanted to scream in frustration, and thank you for rocking Gracie for hours on end when nothing else would calm her.”
“I was happy to help. You know that. I love Gracie. I’ll always be here for her.”
“Even if she throws up all over your lap again?” I teased.
“Even then.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Kyle really was one of a kind. He was not only handsome, smart, and caring, but he had the kindest of hearts.
“It’s killing me to see her so sick,” Kyle said in a soft voice. “When we have children, let’s be sure to remember to get the vaccines.”
“Do you think about that?” I asked.
“Vaccines?”
“No, silly. Children. Our children, to be more specific.”
Kyle’s smile faded just a bit. He lifted the hand that had been stroking Gracie’s hair and ran a finger down my cheek. “Will it freak you out completely if I confess that I do think about us having children together?”
I smiled. “Not at all. I think about it too.”
Kyle’s face lit up. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips. When he pulled back, I glanced down at Gracie, who was asleep between us. “I think she’s out for the time being. Should we attempt to extricate ourselves from her limbs before it’s too late and we’re forced to sleep this way? I’m not sure my back can take it.”
Kyle nodded. We worked together to carefully lift her limbs so we could move without waking her. Once we were free, we tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway.
“Hang on. I have something for you,” Kyle said as he jogged into his bedroom, which was next door to the one occupied by Gracie.
I was half-expecting him to return with flowers or a bottle of wine, but instead he had a bag from the drugstore. He handed it to me. I peeked inside. “A baby monitor?”
“I know you’re concerned about Gracie. I am too. I thought if we could keep an ear on her from anywhere in the house, we could head downstairs and try to salvage what’s left of our evening.”
I almost cried. Lots of men had given me flowers, wine, and chocolates, but no one had ever given me a baby monitor.
“You know,” I said as I handed the monitor back to Kyle, “while a baby monitor is a great idea, maybe we should stay close until we’re positive she’s asleep.”
“Okay, whatever you think is best,” Kyle said, although he looked surprised. “I can bring a couple of chairs into her room if you’d like.”
I took Kyle’s hand in mine. “I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m sure she’s out for the night, but if she does call out, we should be able to hear her from your room.”
Kyle frowned. I could see he was trying to read my face. “Okay. I guess we can lay down for a while. You must be tired after the long day.”
I put my arms around Kyle’s neck. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him deeply. “Actually,” I whispered against his lips, “I’m not tired in the least.”
Kyle’s eyes grew big as he began to understand my intent. He raised his hand and used a finger to caress my cheek. “You know I want to be with you more than anything in the world, but I thought you wanted to wait until it was perfect.”
I ran my hands down Kyle’s back until they settled just below his waist. I looked deeply into his dark blue eyes. “I did and it is.”
THE END
(Book #9
)
THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE
A Tj Jenson Mystery #10
Kathi Daley
Copyright
THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE
A Tj Jensen Mystery
Part of the Henery Press Mystery Collection
First Edition | October 2019
Henery Press, LLC
www.henerypress.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Henery Press, LLC, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2019 by Kathi Daley
This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Trade Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-539-0
Digital epub ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-540-6
Kindle ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-541-3
Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-1-63511-542-0
Printed in the United States of America
This series is about family and I have a large one.
I want to dedicate this book to the entire network of people with whom I share a bloodline and a history.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
They say it takes a village and I have a great one.
I want to thank all my friends who hang out over at my Kathi Daley Books Group page on Facebook. This exceptional group help me not only with promotion but with helpful suggestion and feedback as well.
I want to thank the bloggers and reviewers who have pretty much adopted me and have helped me to build a fantastic social media presence. I want to thank my support staff including my book club moderator Jayme Maness, my tech guy Bruce Curran, my graphic artist Jessica Fisher, and my editors Randy Ladenheim-Gil and Peggy Hyndman.
I want to thank the entire Henery Press family who have been so incredibly awesome and fun to work with.
And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my super-husband Ken for allowing me time to write by taking care of everything else (and I mean everything.)
Chapter 1
Tuesday, October 31
“You’ve really improved since we last played, but I can see that you still haven’t learned the most effective use your queen.”
I frowned as I considered the image of the grizzly old man sitting across from me. “My queen is protecting my king.”
Zachary slid his hand forward, picked up his chess piece, and knocked my queen gently off the board. “Not anymore.”
I groaned as I realized that he had bested me yet again. “Why are you here?”
He chuckled. “Beats me.”
“You’ve been dead for four years. You really shouldn’t be here. Unless… Am I dead?”
“No, you aren’t dead.”
I looked around at the dense fog that surrounded the small table where Zachary and I sat. “Today is Halloween, the anniversary of the day we met. You’ve been on my mind so I suppose that could explain your presence in my subconscious. I must be sleeping.”
“Actually, I think you’re unconscious.”
I frowned. “Well, that can’t be good.”
Zachary shrugged and began setting the board up for a new game.
I glanced at the gossamer image across from me. “This whole thing is really weird, but I am happy to spend time with you. I’ve missed our games.”
“As have I, although we do still have one game left to play.”
“Tj,” a voice beckoned. I swatted at the hand on my face as someone outside my dream pulled me out of the fog.
“Wait,” I called to Zachary as he began to fade. “I’m not ready for the dream to end. I didn’t have a chance to tell you about Kyle and me.”
“Come on, sweetheart. I need you to wake up.”
I fought the voice that pulled me toward it. Not only did I have so many more questions for Zachary, but as my mind cleared, the throbbing in my head and the pain in my leg, became very real. I struggled to stay in the dream, but the voice was too compelling. I silently screamed as I was pulled into a world of hurt, where sirens blared, lights flashed, and the images around me spun like the tilt-a-whirl at the county fair.
“That’s it, stay with me,” the annoying voice insisted as I struggled against it.
“Kyle?” I croaked.
“No. It’s Hunter. Can you tell me where it hurts?”
I opened my eyes just a slit. My face was wet, and there was something heavy on my leg.
“Hunter?” This couldn’t be right. Hunter Hanson was one of my very best friends, but he’d been hurt that I’d hooked up with Zachary’s grandson, Kyle Donovan, and he hadn’t been coming around lately. I supposed I could still be dreaming, although if this was a dream, it was a poor substitute for the calm and peaceful world I’d been forced to leave behind.
“That’s right. It’s Hunter. I’m going to get you out of here, but I need you to lay perfectly still until I can.”
As the last of the fog from the dream faded, I became aware of the wet ground and the debris around me. It seemed like it must be raining. I could barely make out the images within my line of sight, but I was pretty sure I was inside a building. Or at least I had been inside a building. At this point, all that was left were half collapsed walls. I wanted to ask what in the heck was going on, but I felt my mind drifting back toward the darkness. Maybe I’d just rest for a moment before I tried to figure all of this out.
“Doctor Hanson,” a female voice said from somewhere beyond the fog. “The emergency crew are here with a jack. They should have Ms. Jensen free in a matter of minutes.”
“That’s good news. Do you know what is going on with the other victims?”
“Two are dead, and four are on their way to the hospital.”
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
Hospital? I played with the concept in my mind. That didn’t seem right. I remembered that there was somewhere I needed to be, but I was pretty sure that a hospital had not been involved. Although now that I thought about it, I was beginning to remember the loud noise, bright light, and flash of pain before the world went black.
“Just a few more minutes, sweetheart,” Hunter said as he shone a bright light into my eyes.
I tried to speak, but my mouth felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton candy. The fog surrounding me had cleared, and the pain that had been nothing more than an impression was beginning to get very real. “Leg,” I groaned.
“Your leg is pinned beneath a beam,” Hunter said as he stroked my hair. “The emergency crew will get you free, so just hang in there.”
“Beam? Where am I?”
“The town hall. There’s been an explosion.”
I realized the rain must actually be water from the fire hoses used to put out the fire. “Kyle?”
“He is being looked after. Now, I need you to try to relax. Just take a deep breath and focus on the sound of my voice.”
I felt myself drifting away. Hunter said something I really didn’t follow, so I turned my focus toward my dream where visions of Zachary blocked the pain and noise from my mind. I’d first met the elderly Zachary Collins on Halloween night almost eighteen years earlier. My friends had dared me to sneak inside the gated estate where the monster-like recluse lived, knock on the door, and then run away. Never one to turn down a dare, that’s what I did. Zachary had caught me, and we’d become close friends. He’d been murdered four years ago, and I’d missed him every day since, so I wasn’t at all surprised that it was him I’d hallucinate about if I was, in fact, hallucinating.
“Zachary, are you still here?” I called into the fog.
&
nbsp; His image appeared. “You know I am always here, watching out for you, guiding you through life’s trials.”
The fear and pain I’d experienced faded as Zachary held out his hand to me. “Are you sure I’m not dead? Things seem pretty serious back there.”
“You aren’t dead, but death is present. As much as I’d love to keep you here with me, your friends are going to need you. It’s time for you to go back and face what you must.”
“But…”
“It looks like she is coming to,” said a voice somewhere on the other side of the fog. “Her leg is free, and what’s left of this building is about to come down. Let’s get out of here while we can.”
I recoiled in pain as I was lifted onto a backboard. The whirling lights reflecting off the wet surfaces made me woozy, so I closed my eyes. Hunter still clung to my hand, so I squeezed tighter as I rode out the crazy waves of dizziness and nausea.
“She is the last one, so I’ll just ride to the hospital with you,” I heard Hunter say to someone, I assumed the ambulance driver.
“Sure thing Doctor Hanson. We’ll get you there as soon as we’re able.”
I heard a door slam just seconds before the world around me jerked into motion.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I managed to say as the vehicle transporting me took a sharp corner.
“Take a deep — slow — breath,” Hunter said. “We’re almost there.”
“Almost where?” I struggled to keep my dinner on the inside as the vehicle whipped around yet another corner.
“The hospital,” Hunter answered. “Once we arrive, I’m going to need to leave you in order to help the others. How is your leg?”
I moved my leg and wiggled my toes. “Now that the pressure is gone, my leg feels fine.” My nausea had passed, so I dared to open my eyes to find Hunter’s blue eyes staring into my own.