by Chloe Lang
He sent her a wink. “I promise never to lie to you again. Now about the silver spoon Josh mentioned. Why don’t we cross the bridge and you discover the Destiny we love? I don’t know how you two feel, but I’m starving. I think lunch at my aunt and uncle’s restaurant is next on the agenda.”
“I’m hungry, too. That sounds—” Suddenly Carrie frowned. “Silver Spoon. Billionaires. Oh my God.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My suitcase is in the trunk of my car.” Carrie closed her eyes tight and gripped the reins firmly. When she opened her eyes, he could see the panic behind the façade of calm. “It has everything I own in it.”
Even though he remembered having little himself for years, something in her tone told him there was more to her worry about the suitcase than just her belongings.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” he told her, hoping to reassure her. “They have security at TBK.”
“Please. Guys, can we skip lunch and go straight to my car?”
“Whatever you need, Carrie,” Josh said.
“Absolutely.” He could see how anxious she was in her face. “But you gave the keys to Jena, and she will be in a secured area that none of us will be able to access. We don’t have the clearances.”
She sighed. “I didn’t realize it was that secure.”
“Didn’t you know that Jena is a member of a CIA team?”
“We talked about so many things on the way up to Destiny, but that never came up.” Carrie smiled again, which put him at ease. “It does explain how she found me.”
Jacob thought about trying to delve into more about that story, but decided against it. Instead he said, “So is lunch back on? You have to try Uncle Hiro’s sesame chicken. It is out of this world.”
She nodded. “Lead the way, cowboys.”
* * * *
Willie got into the rental car, a nondescript white Nissan Versa. Cindy Trollinger had made all the arrangements for this trip. He didn’t trust the bitch, but she had done something he hadn’t been able to do.
Trollinger had found Carrie.
Wait until I get my hands on that cunt. After all I did for her, how could she have betrayed me?
He pulled onto Interstate 70. Only four hours to Money, the town close to Destiny. The little motel Trollinger had booked a couple of nights for him was called the Nickel and Dime Inn. Appropriate, since that’s what he’d had to live on since Carrie had run away and stolen everything. Bitch! You will pay.
The call from Trollinger couldn’t have come at a better time. One of the deacons at the church in Arkansas where he’d been filling in at the pulpit had uncovered one of his earlier identities. Now there was no hope of convincing the tiny congregation of elderly assholes to let him become their pastor.
Trollinger had made it clear what she wanted from him on the phone, but before she could commit fully demanded to meet in person.
Trollinger’s office was impressive, though he knew it wasn’t permanent. There were no personal photos, no awards on the shelves, nothing intimate that a space would normally have if lived in for any length of time at all. Likely only rented for the week just for the meeting with him. He appreciated her style and flair. Good-looking, too.
But he was much smarter than she gave him credit for.
Walking into Trollinger’s building in Denver, he’d been greeted by two men who clearly were packing heat. The young man behind the counter, much less intimidating and wearing glasses, led him to her office.
Trollinger had met him with a warm smile. She stood and walked up to him, her gorgeous brown eyes locked on his. Her short dark hair was spiked. She wore a leather red mini, a lacy white top, and stilettos that accentuated her long legs. She turned to her assistant. “Thank you, Michael. That will be all.”
The man left quickly without a word. It was obvious that this woman demanded absolute obedience from her underlings. An iron fist. Nice.
“Please have a seat, Reverend. I think you’ll be thrilled by what my agency has turned up for you. We found the woman you’ve been looking for.”
She’d already mentioned knowing about Carrie on their earlier phone call. “And?”
“Before I tell you, I have to get assurance you will do what we’ve agreed to.”
“I swear it.” He sent her his most winning smile, a smile that had landed him many followers and lots of money. Not to mention lots of women to fuck.
Trollinger didn’t appear susceptible to any of his charms. On the phone call she intimated she knew about the fire in Mississippi. She might have the upper hand with him now, but he would make sure to get some dirt on her to even the playing field.
“Trust me, Reverend, we are going to do great work together. Carrie’s location was just discovered by Jena, the wife of her brother.”
Her brother? Fuck. “Where is the bitch?”
“I expect she’ll be arriving in Destiny, Colorado, tomorrow.”
Trollinger gave him the rest of the details, a burner cell, and a thick wad of cash. She took his hand and sealed the bargain. “If you need me, call the number in the speed dial, Willie.”
He’d left the building, glad to be working with Trollinger. Maybe it was a partnership worth continuing. But only after he finished what lay before him.
As his focus returned to the road ahead, he sneered. “I’m coming for you, Carrie.”
Chapter Four
Carrie rode into town on the majestic horse. Josh and Jacob rode on either side of her.
She’d fallen in love with horses back when Willie had been pastor at a church in Bronte, Texas. A couple, members of the church, owned a horse ranch. The woman was her Sunday school teacher and had taught her everything she knew about riding.
Bronte had been a longer stop on Willie’s trek back and forth across the country. Eight months. She’d turned twelve there. It had been the happiest time of her life. She’d even let herself dream that Willie might actually settle down and stay there. But of course he didn’t. In the cover of night, like always, they skipped town.
Since then Carrie never passed an opportunity to be around horses. Unlike people, she could trust them.
“Carrie, I just realized that I never asked you if you like Chinese food,” Josh said. “If you don’t, we have a diner that serves all kinds of food where we could go to instead of my parents’ restaurant.”
She turned to him. “I love Chinese food. It’s one of my favorites.”
Josh wore a Stetson, a black T-shirt, Levis, and boots, the picture-perfect multiracial cowboy. She’d learned on their ride that his father was Japanese, despite owning a Chinese restaurant. His mother was from Missouri, whose ancestry was Italian. The traits from his parents had produced one incredibly good-looking man. Jet-black hair. Dark, inviting eyes. Perfectly muscled body. A smile that had the power to overwhelm a woman.
As they turned off of West Street onto South Street, Jacob pointed to the building to their right. “That’s Uncle Hiro and Aunt Melissa’s place.”
She looked up at the sign, which read “Phong’s Wok.”
“We can hitch our horses here.”
“I didn’t know any towns still had hitches in business districts,” she said, looking directly into Jacob’s eyes.
Jacob was just as good-looking as Josh but from the opposite side of the spectrum. Same cowboy gear, but with blue eyes, wavy golden-brown hair, and a Greek-god body. The one thing they had in common was the same devastating smile. Unlike Josh, he hadn’t spoken about his parents during the ride. The only thing she’d gleaned was that Melissa was his mother’s sister. Nothing about his father.
They all dismounted and tied their horses’ reins to the hitches. She almost felt like she’d been transported to the past.
She turned around and looked at the park in the center of the square.
A few people were enjoying their lunches on the lawn. If Jena hadn’t told her about the strange customs in Destiny during their road trip, she would’ve thought it like any other sleepy little town
. Like Bronte, Texas. Her gut tightened, recalling what had happened there.
But Destiny wasn’t like Bronte, or any other town for that matter. People formed unusual families here. She glanced at one group on a blanket next to one of the largest trees. One woman with two men. Both men were holding her hands. A man wearing a sheriff’s uniform walked up to the trio. The lawman bent down and kissed the woman. Those four were definitely together.
Under another tree was another woman with long auburn hair. She held a baby in her arms and was surrounded by three cowboys.
Jena had been telling the truth. Destiny wasn’t like any other place on the planet. Jena was in the typical Destiny relationship. She was married to two men of her own. One who is my brother. Matt and Sean. What were they like? How did two men agree to share a woman? How did a woman make such a thing work? She had no idea, not that it mattered. Love was something that she couldn’t even dream about for herself. In fact, she’d never had anyone that truly cared for her. The closest thing to love she’d ever experienced was Mrs. Kearns in Bronte. But that had ended badly. Willie didn’t love her, despite his words. He’d only used her to help con his victims. Her parents were dead. Had they loved her?
Looking back at the happy faces of the families in the park made her heart sink. She had to keep running. Destiny was just a short stop of a long trip that would never end for her.
“What do you think of our town, Carrie?” Josh asked.
“It’s beautiful.” She glanced over at the statue that was on the southwest corner of the park, just on the other side of the street from Phong’s Wok. Several men were covering it in plastic. She saw that several buildings had plastic draped over their storefronts. “Was there some kind of storm?”
“No storm, though in the next few days it might seem like it,” Josh said with a grin.
Jacob turned to Josh. “We need to get the plastic up on the restaurant later today or Uncle Hiro and Aunt Melissa will try to do it themselves.”
“You’re right. After we get the horses back we’ll get the job done.”
Curiosity got the best of her. “Guys, I still don’t know why the whole town is covered in tarps and plastic. What is going on here?”
“In four days, Destiny’s Annual Paintball Extravaganza gets underway,” Josh said. “Over fifteen hundred participants will descend on the town for several days of gaming.”
She smiled. “Sounds fun.”
“Have you ever played paintball, Carrie?” he asked.
For some reason, she had no problem answering most of his questions. At least the ones that weren’t about her past. “No. I might be too old for that, don’t you think?”
“Not at all.” Jacob pulled out an apple from his saddlebag, slicing it into three pieces for the horses. “Two of the best players are two women, and both are over eighty years old.”
“You’ve got to be joking. That can’t be true.”
“But it is,” Josh said. “Ethel O’Leary and Gretchen Hollingsworth are on the top of the leader board year after year.”
She really would like to meet those women. They sounded a lot like Mrs. Kearns. “Why does the town host the tournament?”
“The proceeds are earmarked for charities chosen by a board of ten of our citizens.” Josh smiled. God, how could any woman resist such a smile? “This year’s list includes my mom and dad again. They’ve been selected for the past ten years.”
“Do you two play in the tournament?”
“Sometimes, but most years we end up helping or being security,” Jacob said.
“How long will you be in town, Carrie?” Josh asked. “Maybe you might want to try your hand at paintball. It’s really very fun. I’m sure that Ethel and Gretchen would be happy to give you lessons.”
“Not sure,” Carrie said, remembering why she was here. To meet my brother. She felt her gut tighten. Had coming here been a mistake? When was Jena going to return with her car? And my red suitcase? What if Jena had opened the trunk and looked inside the suitcase? Oh stop it. You know Jena wouldn’t be that nosy. Besides, it’s locked.
She brought her hand up to the chain around her neck that held the key.
“How about we head in and get something to eat?” Josh said. “We can give you more on the history of Destiny inside.”
“You and your stomach,” Jacob said with a laugh. “It rules you too much.”
“Hey mister,” she teased. “It’s not just him who is hungry. I heard your stomach growl during the ride. Besides, I can’t wait to try that sesame chicken you two have been talking about.”
“Okay. You got me. But I’m more thirsty than hungry.”
She liked how well Josh and Jacob got along. Even though they were only cousins, they acted as if they were brothers.
When they walked into Phong’s, she noted the exit out the back, like she always did. It was a habit that she would never break. It was a quaint place that could seat about forty customers. On the walls were paintings of pandas and dragons. By the door was a statue of a golden cat with its paw raised in a sign of welcome.
“Let’s sit in one of the booths by the window,” Jacob said. “That way we can look out.”
When he motioned for her to sit with her back to the front door, she felt uneasy but didn’t want to make a scene. “I’m a lefty, Jacob. It might be better for you to sit on the inside.”
“Sure thing,” he said, moving into the booth. “I’ve always heard that left-handed people are the smartest people in the world.”
“You’re absolutely right,” she said with a grin. She moved next to him and Josh sat in the booth across from them. Since she had an unblocked path to the back exit and could see out the window, she felt a little better about her position. Plus, she would make sure to keep glancing back over her shoulder at the front door. Another old habit, but one that had kept her safe for a very long time.
“Josh, where are your parents?” she asked.
“Probably in the back. I’ll go get—”
“There are my two boys.” A middle-aged woman with gorgeous dark hair came out from the kitchen. She wore black slacks and a red pullover with the restaurant’s name on the side. “And who is this pretty girl?”
“I’m Carrie,” she said, taking an instant liking to Josh’s mother, who had obviously given her son and nephew their radiant smiles.
“Melissa Phong,” his mother said, taking her hands and squeezing them.
Human touch was so foreign to her, but the sweetness of Mrs. Phong somehow put her at ease. “Nice to meet you.”
“You kids look starved to death. I’m going to put in an order with your dad for three plates of sesame chicken, eggrolls, and crab puffs. And after you eat that, I have a special surprise. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back. I can’t wait to learn how you three met.” Mrs. Phong spun around and headed back into the kitchen.
“Josh, your mom is quite something.” She wondered what her own mother might have been like. “I bet your dad is pretty special, too.”
“He is very special, and a very hard worker. I am proud of both of them. Mindy and I are very lucky to be their children.”
“You have a sister?” That was one detail he hadn’t mentioned on the ride.
“She’s a couple of years younger than me. She actually just left town for law school. She had been working as the county court reporter and fell in love with the justice system. I’m proud of her, too.”
Would Matt be proud of her like Josh was with his sister? How could he be if he ever learned of what had happened while she’d been with Willie? Navigating the troubled waters of this reunion would be difficult. Why had she agreed to come to Destiny with Jena? Because she was so lonely, she craved having a family like Josh and Jacob had, people that had your back no matter what. That is why.
Wanting to get her mind settled down, she looked out the window. “What’s with the two dragon statues?”
“There’s actually four of them,” Jacob told her, pointing to the o
ne directly opposite Phong’s Wok. “That’s the Green Dragon. It has a shamrock on its chest and most around her believe if you touch it you’ll have good luck all day long.”
“Then right after we finish eating lunch I’m going to get my hands on it. I could use some luck.”
“Back in the late 70s, the four statues were commissioned as gifts for New York City’s Central Park by the O’Learys and other prominent citizens of Destiny,” Josh told her. “But the gift was rejected and the statues were returned. That’s when the battle to change the name of our park began.”
She grinned. “Don’t tell me that it’s called Central Park, too.”
“But it is, Carrie. There’s a grassroots movement in the town to rename the park Destiny Square Park. Dad supports that group. Mom is with the opposition to keep the name the same.”
“Why dragons?”
“Patrick O’Leary is the reason,” Jacob said. “And speak of the devil, here he comes with his brother and their wife, Ethel.”
Ethel O’Leary, the eighty-plus-year-old woman who plays paintball that I want to meet. She turned around in the booth and looked at the entrance to the restaurant.
The woman standing between the two distinguished men had beautiful silver hair and deep blue eyes.
“If that’s Ethel, you must be wrong about how old she is. She’s absolutely stunning. She must be in her sixties. And those two men can’t be much older than her either.”
The man on her left had a thick head of gray hair and a smile a mile long. The one on her right was bald with a beard. He, too, had warm eyes and a sweet grin. The trio walked up to her, Josh, and Jacob.
“Were your ears burning, Patrick?” Josh asked.
“Why yes. You’ve been talking about me with this lovely lady, right?” Patrick’s rich tone only added to his charm. He extended his hand to her. “Patrick O’Leary. And you are?”
“Carrie,” she said.
“It’s about time these two found a pretty girl like you.”
Feeling heat fill her cheeks, she said, “We only just met. I’m a friend of Jena’s.”