Saylor held her breath, hoping neither of her girls came out of the bedroom to see who was in their kitchen, yelling at their mother.
“Go get them.” He motioned toward the hallway, and Saylor saw he held a gun in his hand.
“Cliff, that isn’t necessary. Please put the gun away. I’ll get the girls. Just please, I beg you, don’t hurt them.”
“You think I’d hurt them?” he seethed. “It’s you I’ll hurt, not them. Now go!”
“You’re going to frighten them.”
“Not if you do as I asked. Go get them now and tell them there’s someone you want them to meet. And, Saylor, I’ll be right around the corner, listening to every word you say, so don’t try anything stupid.”
He was close enough that she could feel the gun against her back.
She walked toward the door, trying to decide if she should open it or turn around and try to get the gun away from him. She might die in the process, and then she wouldn’t be here to protect her daughters. She put her hand on the knob, and it felt cold. Why would it be cold?
She slowly opened the door and crept inside. The window was wide open, and she didn’t see either of her daughters.
She turned around to look in their walk-in closet and saw Monk instead, standing just inside, holding a gun in one hand and the finger of his other hand to his lips.
Her eyes opened wide as he pulled her toward him, into the closet, and motioned for her to get down. “Gun,” she whispered as quietly as she could, praying Cliff wouldn’t hear her.
“What the fuck do we have here?” she heard Cliff say a few seconds later. She couldn’t see around Monk, but it sounded like Cliff was walking toward the open window. “Stupid bitch,” he muttered.
“Drop your gun and keep your hands where I can see them!” she heard Monk shout. Saylor closed her eyes and held her breath, knowing that in the next couple of seconds one or both of them would shoot.
“Do it!” Monk shouted again. A split second later, she heard the gunshot she’d anticipated. Only one, and Monk was still standing.
“Saylor, stay where you are,” he said as he walked into the room. She peeked through the open door and saw her ex-husband’s body on the floor. Monk kicked the gun Cliff had dropped away and then knelt down.
“He’s dead, Saylor, but I’m warning you, this isn’t something you want to see,” Monk said at the same time she heard people running in the hall in their direction.
“Where is she?” Saylor heard her brother ask.
“Closet,” Monk answered. “Get her out of here. Don’t let her see this.”
Razor helped her up and put his arm around her. “Monk is right, sweetheart. Close your eyes, and I’ll guide you out of the room.”
Even if Razor hadn’t told her to, Saylor would’ve closed them anyway. She’d seen one dead body in her life—her father’s after he’d had a heart attack. It still haunted her; she didn’t need to see another.
“Where are my girls?” she asked as Razor led her out of the room and down the hallway.
“They’re safe.”
Saylor stopped walking. “Tell me where they are,” she shouted at him.
“They’re at your brother’s house with Merrigan,” said Doc, walking toward them. “Come with me. I’ll take you to them.” Doc kept his arm firmly around her shoulders.
“Where’s my mother?”
“She’s with them. Everyone is safe. No one was hurt.”
“Cliff is dead.”
“Yes, he is, and you’re safe.”
—:—
Monk was within a foot of Saylor and Doc when he saw her legs give out.
“Let me,” he said, racing forward and taking her in his arms.
“She’s out. You got her?” Doc asked.
Monk nodded, holding Saylor’s limp body in his arms.
“Take her to Razor’s. I’ll help with clean up.”
Monk nestled Saylor’s body close to him, walking slowly down the trail, and up the front steps of her brother’s house. Before he could get the door open, she came to.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You fainted,” he said as Merrigan opened the door to let them in.
He set her on her feet when he saw Sierra and Savannah racing over. Neither said a word as Saylor nestled them in her arms like he’d done to her.
“I love you both so much,” he heard her murmur.
“We love you too, Mama,” the girls answered with their arms tight around their mother’s neck.
Monk knelt down next to them and brushed a tear from Saylor’s cheek. “Can I get in on this?”
Sierra let go of her mother and put her arm around Monk’s neck instead. He didn’t know how long they stayed that way, but just as his legs began to ache from the position he was in, Sierra let go. He stood and then helped Saylor do the same.
“Where is everyone?” she asked, looking around the empty room.
“Mama, what happened?” asked Savannah, whose lower lip was quivering. “We were in our room, and Miss Tally said we had to climb out the window and come with her, and then Mr. Monk was carrying you, and…”
Saylor picked Savannah up as her little girl dissolved into tears. When Monk put his arm around Sierra’s shoulders, she turned into him and cried as hard as her sister was. He knelt down and brushed her tears away.
“Everything is okay,” he murmured when she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
“What happened?” he heard her whisper.
“We can talk about all that later. I bet your mama would like a glass of water,” he said. “What about you?”
Sierra nodded, let go of his neck, grasped his hand instead, and walked toward the kitchen. “She might like that better,” she said, pointing to the bottle of wine on the counter.
“You’re probably right,” said Monk, laughing. “We’ll give her both.”
“She is right,” said Saylor, walking in with Savannah, who immediately went to help her sister get water from the fridge.
Monk opened his arms, and Saylor walked into them.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He put his arms around her and brought her as close to his body as he could. “We need to talk about tonight.”
Saylor turned her head so her cheek rested on his chest. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin. “What about it?”
“We’re having a sleepover. Even if I have to sleep on the couch,” he whispered.
“Just tonight?”
Monk shook his head. “Every night.”
“Then you better not sleep on the couch.”
35
“They’re going to be fine, like they always are,” said Poppy, rolling her eyes. “I have several other rooms in my house to paint if they get bored.”
“I know. It’s just a long time to be away from them. It’s a lot on you too.”
“You need to do this, and it isn’t just me. Ya-Ya is taking the second two weeks.”
Saylor looked over at Monk, who was smiling at her. “What?”
“We don’t have to go for the whole month.”
“Yes, we do.”
“Come here,” he said, holding his hand out to Saylor.
“What happened to the no-PDA rule?” asked Poppy when Monk kissed her.
“We got rid of that at the same time as the no-sleepover rule,” Saylor answered, kissing him again.
“Okay, then, I’m outta here. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Monk moved Saylor over, got up, and locked the door after Poppy left.
“I meant what I said. We can cut the number of days we’re gone.”
“Absolutely not. We agreed on a month.”
Monk cupped her cheek with his palm. “We don’t even have to leave Yachats, not if we both agree that I won’t take on any missions and you won’t take on any flights.”
“Merrigan wouldn’t schedule us anyway. And, no, we need this time Monk.”
He kissed her again. “I
’ll pick up the girls after my meeting.”
“Are you sure?”
“You promised to make pizza, and you know I love your pizza.” He snaked his arm around her waist. “I love everything about you, Saylor.”
“We’ll see.”
Monk laughed, kissed her one more time, and then left through the garage. He wasn’t gone five minutes before her mother came over.
“Are you getting excited for your trip?”
“Excited. Nervous. Same difference, right?”
Her mother sat down on the stool by the kitchen counter. “What are you nervous about?”
“A whole month, Mom. What if I get on his nerves and he decides he doesn’t love me after all.”
“You can’t be serious,” she said, raising a brow.
Saylor got out her mixer, set it on the counter, and then began collecting ingredients for their pizza dinner.
“Can I help?”
“You didn’t think I was just going to let you sit there and do nothing, did you?”
Her mom laughed and then went to the sink to wash her hands. “Tell me the truth. You aren’t really nervous, are you?”
“Yes and no. We’ve never spent this much time together.”
“Tell me where you’re staying again.”
“Meeta-Rah. It’s a resort on a small island in the Laccadive Sea.”
“A private island?”
“Not completely, no. Although Monk did say we don’t have to see any other people if we don’t want to. We have our own villa.”
Her mother shook her head. “Your father took me to Canada once.”
Saylor laughed. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Don’t be. I’m happy for you, Saylor.” Her mom hugged her. “I’m glad you decided to open your heart again.”
“I think Monk would’ve worked his way in even if it was closed.”
—:—
“Want a beer?” Razor asked.
“No, thanks. I’m picking the girls up from school after I leave here.”
Razor clapped Monk’s shoulder. “You’re a good man, Perrin.”
Monk followed him out onto the deck. “I’m going to ask your sister to marry me.”
“About damn time,” Razor said, taking a swig of beer.
“So you approve?”
“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be around to ask.”
“I love her. I love the girls too.”
“Are you planning to adopt them?”
“I’d like to, but first I have to talk your sister into spending the rest of her life with me.”
“I don’t think it’ll be a hard sell, my friend.”
“I have another question.”
“Shoot.”
“What about the girls? Should I tell them? Ask them?”
“If they want to be adopted?”
Monk shook his head. “If I can marry their mother.”
The smile left Razor’s face, and he turned his head away.
“I guess that’s a ‘no.’”
“Wrong. That’s a ‘I don’t want you to see how emotional I got when you said that.’”
“I gotta go.”
“Wait.” Razor looked at his phone. “What time does school get out?”
“Three, but I’ve got a stop to make.”
“To get a ring?”
Monk shook his head. “Flowers.”
WHEN THE BELL RANG, Monk was waiting on the front steps of the elementary school. He never waited in the car line. That was no way to pick up two little girls at the end of a long day. Plus, he loved to see their faces when they came out and saw him waiting with both arms behind his back.
“What do you have for us today, Mr. Monk?” asked Savannah, running ahead of her sister.
“That isn’t polite. You didn’t even say hello.”
Savannah stuck her tongue out at Sierra.
“You know your mother doesn’t like that,” he said, scrunching his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at the ground.
“It isn’t me you need to apologize to. Say it to your sister.”
Once she had, Monk told them both to close their eyes. “Okay, open,” he said, with his arms now in front of him.
“Bouquets? They’re so pretty!” exclaimed Sierra.
“They’re like the ones we had for Aunt Ava’s wedding.”
Monk shook his head and laughed. Everything was always Aunt Ava, never Uncle Razor.
He led them farther off the sidewalk and knelt down. “I have something very important to ask you.”
With wide eyes, both girls nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Monk,” said Sierra.
“While we’re on our trip, I’m going to ask your mother to marry me. If that’s okay with the two of you.”
Savannah’s eyes lit up, and she shoved the flowers closer to him. “Are these for when we’re flower girls?”
“Those are to practice with.” He looked between them. “But you haven’t answered me.”
“Of course it’s okay,” said Savannah, putting her arms around his neck. Sierra, though, held back, studying her flowers. Monk reached out and took her hand.
“I wouldn’t just be marrying your mom. In a way, I’d be marrying both of you too. We’d be a family.”
Sierra’s eyes filled with tears.
“Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me why you’re crying.”
She stepped forward and leaned into him. “Will you be our dad?” she whispered.
“If you want me to, absolutely.”
“Can we call you that?” asked Savannah.
“Dad? I don’t see why not, but we have to ask your mom first, okay?”
“We can’t until they get back from their trip,” Sierra told her sister.
“Why not?” asked Monk.
Sierra shook her head. “If you’re going to propose you have to plan something special. And it can’t be when she’s making pizza.”
“She’s right,” said Savannah, nodding her head with a very serious expression on her face. “That wouldn’t be good.”
EPILOGUE
“Where should we go on our honeymoon?” Monk asked on their flight back from the Maldives.
“Honeymoon? That wasn’t it?” Saylor looked down at the beautiful diamond ring he’d given her when he proposed on their last night on the island.
“Somewhere we can take the girls.”
Saylor rested her head on Monk’s shoulder. “I can’t believe they kept so mum the night before we left.”
“They didn’t think I should propose while you were making pizza.”
“Too many princess movies I guess.”
Monk kissed her. “I’m glad you said yes.”
“Did you really think there was a chance I wouldn’t? Is that why you waited until the last night?”
“I promised you a month on a deserted island, remember?”
“We did get pretty good at communicating.”
Monk dipped his finger into the top of her sundress and traced the outline of where the lace of her bra met her skin. “Not necessarily by talking.”
“You talk plenty. Now we need to practice more kissing.”
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Decked
DECKED
As he drove home, something on the side of the road caught Deck’s eye. What the hell was that? Couldn’t be a deer; not in these parts. It wasn’t big enough to be a cow, unless it was a damn skinny one.
Decker stopped the truck, backed up, parked, and climbed out. He thought it might be a manikin someone tossed out, until it started to moan.
“Jesus,” he muttered, rushing over to the woman. It was dark and she
was on her side, but Decker didn’t know her. She was pretty enough that if she was from around here, he sure as hell would’ve.
“Don’t move,” he said when the woman tried to sit up. He leaned down farther and eased his hand under her head. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I have to go,” she cried, trying again to move. “He’ll kill me.”
“Who’s gonna kill you?”
“My . . .”
That was the last word the woman said before she first lost consciousness and then died with her head resting on Decker’s hand.
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Decked
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