by Tiffani Lynn
There’s a knock on the door and after checking the peephole, Wes lets the detective inside. When he approaches me, I stand and hug him. “It’s good to see you. How are you?” he asks.
I shrug. “Getting better slowly. I think it’s going to be a struggle for a little while though.”
“Yeah, I get that. I won’t take up much of your time, but now that we have all the information, I wanted to fill you two in.”
“Please have a seat.” Wes waves toward the recliner. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m good, but thanks.” Once Detective Rasan is seated, he begins. “Switcher met Vogler about seven years ago when he represented him in court. Vogler was facing sex offender charges for some obscene letters he left in a locker at the school where he was working. Switcher got the charges dropped because of some kind of chain of evidence issue. Then he made friends with the guy and eventually started a partnership. Vogler would bring pictures of women he had access to that fit Switcher’s specifications, and then they would set up a plan. Both men would abduct them, Switcher would rape them while Vogler watched, and then they would both kill them.”
My stomach churns listening to this information, but I wanted to know, so I stay quiet and listen until the bitter end. Your sister was at home watching television when they took her. She fought as hard as she could, but they won, and you know the rest from her autopsy.
“Switcher was into the experience and Vogler was into the trophies. A gold and opal ring we believe belonged to Darrian was recovered this morning, along with items from the other twelve women. We found all of his trophies stuffed in a plastic sandwich bag and taped inside the gutters on the back of his house.”
I gasp. “Oh my goodness. I forgot about that ring. She loved it. My mom and dad got it for her for her sixteenth birthday and she never took it off.”
“We’re in the process of recovering the remains of the seven of the women who were never found, and notifying the family members as we do. I know this was horrifying, but if it weren't for your strength and great shot, these families wouldn’t get closure, and the other woman they were going after would be dead. Apparently, the plan was to snatch your first and then her. She would have been no match for them and would have been long gone.”
“Those sons of bitches!” Wes growls.
“I have more choice words than that, but I won’t get into that right now. I just wanted you to know that you saved not only your life, but the other woman’s life too and helped get closure for those families. That means so much to them and to me.”
I nod and lean into Wes. Pleased that I could help, not just for my sake but for all the rest too. Maybe now I can move on and start really living my life again.
Epilogue: Wes
NINE YEARS LATER…
The sound of feet pounding on the hardwood floor as my sons chase each other can be heard throughout the house. Jess yells from the kitchen, “Boys! Settle down! I don’t want to be in the emergency room on my day off!”
They don’t even pause. It’s like she didn’t even speak. I shake my head and glance over at Paulina, who is sitting on the couch reading a book as if she were at a spa, indifferent to the chaos around her. She’s only grown more beautiful over the years, looking like my sister at that age, but with longer legs and straighter hair. I’m worried about her though, and I’m wondering how she’s going to survive the weekend alone with my boys.
After graduating high school a year early, she started college at University of Denver last year and is working on her degree in psychology and counseling. Because she’s so close, we have her come stay with the boys every couple of months for the weekend so we can take a break for rest and reconnection. Having Paulina close by has been a godsend.
Paulina’s good with the boys, but I always worry that we’re asking too much by having her stay alone with them because they are so active. She tells us not to worry, that she has it under control, but I know what a handful they can be.
Calum is eight years old and loves wrestling, football and ice hockey. If it’s a physical sport, he wants to play and to win. He’s what Jess likes to call an overly competitive, rough and tumble kid. Intense is the word I use to describe him quite often.
Titus, our five-year-old, is also into sports, but he’s more into sports with a lot of running, like basketball and soccer. That boy is constantly moving and has more energy than I’ve ever seen in a kid. Energetic is the best word that explains him.
Those two keep us on our toes and because we didn’t start having them until we were in our late thirties, they wear us out. Although, if I’m honest, they probably would anyway, just because of their personalities. Which is why Jess and I are going away for a weekend at a cabin in the mountains, to eat, sleep and have sex with no interruptions.
I walk over and sit in the chair across from Paulina, ready to bug her. “So, are you going to tell me about this boy you’re dating, or do I need to have Javier do a background check on him?”
She looks up from her book and I can see the touch of pink bloom in her cheeks from embarrassment.
“Uncle Wes, if he makes it past the three-month mark, I’ll bring him to meet you guys for Sunday dinner. I don’t see the point in bringing every guy I go on a date with to meet you. Besides, you might scare them away before I figure out if they’re worth dating.”
I chuckle. “Let me tell you a little secret. If I can scare them away, then they aren’t worth dating. Knowing that information early on will save you a lot of trouble in the long run. You want a real man, not one of these horny, entitled frat boys. Which is what I’m afraid you’ll get if you don’t let me vet them first.”
She laughs long and hard. “Uncle Wes, you tell me the same thing every time you hear I went out on a date. In fact, you’ve been saying this same thing since I got my first boyfriend at fifteen. Except you didn’t call him a horny frat boy.”
She sets her book down and turns to face me, giving me her full attention. “Let me clear something up for you, my dear, sweet, overprotective uncle. First, my focus is on school and my career. If I’m going to counsel people through some of the hardest times in their lives, then I can’t be all wrapped up in my own problems, which for young women like me, means I need to stay away from guy drama.
“Second, I decided when I was nine years old what kind of man I wanted. One who will move heaven and earth to take care of his family and show them all the love in his heart. I need a man who is loyal and hardworking and willing to admit when he’s wrong. I want a man like you.
“I’ll promise you two things. One, I won’t settle for anything but the best, and two, if I feel like things are getting serious, you’ll be the first one to meet him.
“Now, go help Aunt Jess finish packing before she’s too frustrated to enjoy your trip. I’ll try to wrestle your hooligans into my car to go eat pizza so you two can get out of town.” She stands up and closes the few steps between us. Then she leans down and kisses my bearded cheek. “Thanks for looking out for me. I’ll never get too old for that.” Then she turns and walks down the hall to find my kids.
I don’t move for a full minute, thinking about what she said. When her father tried to get away with not paying child support all those years ago, I didn’t think about how it would look to his kids that I got involved. In fact, I wasn’t sure they knew that I did. I guess they were paying attention more than I thought. Dan may have started paying child support, but he continued to be a shitty dad. The guy never spent time with his kids over the years and only started showing up to Tommy’s football games when the local newspaper made a big deal about him being the best up-and-coming linebacker the state has ever seen. Dan has been too busy jumping from woman to woman and keeping them happy to worry about what’s happening in the lives of his kids.
Thank God Maryann met a man named Cage Dawson a couple of years later, at one of Paulina’s barrel-racing competitions. He ended up loving her and her kids and showing it every day. He�
��s a farmer, a man that’s not afraid of a hard day of work, which means I didn’t have to worry about them as much. We still visit as often as possible. My boys love being at my parents’ place and hanging out with their cousin Tommy.
I haul myself out of the chair and head for the kitchen. When I catch sight of my beautiful wife, I smile and remember how lucky I am that I got a second chance at forever with her. Then I sneak up on her from behind, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her hair. She jumps a little and squeals before admonishing me. “Wes Chapman! You’re going to be the death of me!” She twists in my arms to face me and kisses me before running her fingers over my beard. “Make sure you put some of that Every Man beard oil on before we go.”
“You still like it that much?” I ask, amused.
She leans in and whispers in my ear. “I like the smell and I love how soft it makes your beard before your face is between my legs.” She nips my earlobe with her teeth and pulls back. “I’m almost done, so go grab your stuff.”
I dip her and kiss her with all I have. About that time, the kids and Paulina come in the kitchen.
“Ewl! Gross!” Calum exclaims.
“Daddy’s kissing Mommy again!” Titus explains.
“Cut it out!” Calum demands before marching up next to us with his hands on his hips and his eyes scrunched into slits.
I reach out and wrap my hand around his sandy-blond head and pull him into us. “Someday you’re going to be happy that you have a dad who still wants to kiss your mom,” I remind him for the hundredth time.
“Doubt it,” he mumbles, and we all laugh.
Jess
We started coming to this secluded one-room, one-bathroom cabin to have some alone time last year when Paulina moved close enough to stay with the kids for the weekend, and I swear it’s the best thing we’ve done for our marriage. Don’t get me wrong, things have been great this second time around with Wes. In fact, I have no complaints. It’s just nice to be able to spend time with him without kids interrupting, phones ringing or having to run around from one practice or event to another. Now that I’m the director of nursing at the hospital, my free time is limited, but I made sure it was in my contract to have a certain number of weekends off a year, for this exact reason.
When Wes opens the door to the bathroom, wearing only a little white towel around his waist, I smile. I swear he gets more handsome with age. There is more grey in his hair and beard, and a few more wrinkles around his eyes and smile, but every one of those lines tells a story of heartache, pain, laughter and love that I wouldn’t give up for a second.
The little, lacy lavender nighty that I bought specifically for this weekend is resting high on my thighs. I’m propped up against the head of the bed waiting for him. Instead of starting this like any other night at home, I move to my hands and knees and crawl toward him.
“Damn, that’s the best thing I’ve seen in months,” he says with a grin.
“Then come over here so it can be the best thing you’ve felt in months,” I reply.
He moves closer so his knees are against the edge of the bed, which is the perfect height for me at the moment. I lean forward and grab the edge of his towel with my teeth and tug. The towel falls away from his body and I find that he’s already half aroused. I run my nose along his hardening flesh and then kiss the skin at the base of his cock. When I look up, I find his head tilted back and his eyes closed; he’s enjoying the moment. I open my mouth and wrap my lips around him, working him slowly up and down. His fingers thread into my short hair and rest there like he’s preparing to take control of this. I slip one hand between his legs and gently massage his balls. He groans and flexes his hips a little like he can’t control himself. I like when he starts getting fidgety, so I take it to the next level, sucking harder, squeezing harder, getting a little rougher until he can’t hold back. I know I’ve got him where I want him when the pressure from his hands increases on the back of my head and he holds me where he wants me. Surprising me though, he pulls back, hooks me under my arms and flips me to my back in the middle of the bed. The next thing I know, he’s on me, and buried in me. Our eyes meet and hold as he slows the pace, burying himself deep inside me before pulling out again. We’ve perfected this rhythm over the years, so he knows I’m close. I dig one of my heels into the back of his thigh and the other in the flesh of his ass. “I’m coming, honey!”
“I know. I always know,” he whispers in my ear, and his hips pump harder. His mouth takes mine just as the euphoria rips through me, tearing me apart and building me back up again. He drags his mouth from mine and locks eyes with me as his rocks harder until he finally comes with a growl and a groan and drops his face into my neck gently.
“God, I love you,” I whisper against the skin of his shoulder.
“I love you too, sweetheart…forever.”
Also by Tiffani Lynn
Colorado Veterans
https://bit.ly/2KIhKkz
Florida Veterans
https://bit.ly/368Cydo
Betrayal to Bliss Duo
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Eden’s Odyssey
https://bit.ly/3l0RJte
MacGregor Family
https://bit.ly/3oa3dN9