by Jill Sanders
Kayla woke to puppy barks and kid laughter and couldn’t help but smile. She heard the patter of her son’s feet rush down the hallway towards the room and watched as Blue chased him into the room.
“Mommy, breakfast is ready.” He climbed up on the bed, while Blue cried since she was too small to follow him.
“I’m coming.” She sat up and noticed that it only hurt a little compared to the pain she’d felt yesterday. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Connor jumped off the bed, landing on his butt, then jumped up and took off down the hallway with Blue on his heels.
She smiled. The dog was probably a really good parenting idea. She didn’t want her son to be afraid of all dogs. She had grown up around dogs and loved them. As long as they were well behaved. She doubted Blue would ever do anything to hurt her son. That dog already looked up to him so much.
She climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She cleaned up as best as she could, then she dressed and made her way downstairs.
She was a little surprised to see Crystal and her mother in the kitchen, helping make breakfast, when she walked in.
“I thought you could come over and sit around during the garage sale today. We still have a lot that hasn’t been sold yet.” Her mother set a plate of hot butter biscuits on the table.
“I’d love to help out—”
“No,” her mother interrupted her. “You don’t need to help. Just sit and relax.”
“Mom, I can help.”
“Mary, maybe she can take the payments?” Crystal added.
“Yes, I suppose that wouldn’t be too taxing on her.” Her mother smiled.
She wanted to argue but decided it wasn’t worth it since she doubted the pain would let her do much more than sit around.
“I’ve got to run to work, catch up on a few patients.” Rowan had been leaning against the counter, drinking some coffee. “I should be done around noon. I can meet you at your mother’s.”
Two hours later, Kayla realized she’d pushed herself too much. The pain medicine had worn off and her side was hurting as bad as it had the day she’d woken up.
By the time Rowan showed up to take her back home, she was so tired. She slept most of the day and woke to have dinner with Rowan and Connor, who had spent the rest of the day playing blocks and Legos.
The following day, she spent with Connor and Blue at the house while Rowan went to work. Her mother and Crystal stopped by several times during the day, and she knew that Rowan had asked them to check up on her.
It was two more days before she had enough energy to make it through a day without a nap.
Rowan, for his part, kept Connor and the puppy happy and waited on her hand and foot.
Her first day back at work, Rowan tried to convince her to cancel. When that didn’t work, he convinced his aunt to install cameras throughout the store. Crystal arranged to have either herself or Olivia there while she worked all week, which worked for her since she wanted to finish looking at the financial books in Crystal’s office.
Two days later, she was halfway through her shift when she found the missing money from Crystal’s business account.
Kayla called Crystal back to the office.
“I found your missing money,” Kayla said, pointing to the screen.
“Where?” Crystal sat next to her.
“It’s been moved into a private checking account from your business account. Someone automatically entered the items under the Fee heading.”
“Can you tell whose account?” she asked, leaning closer.
“Yes, I think this is the part where we call the cops.” She nodded to the phone. “We have to report—”
Just then, the lights went out, causing both Kayla and Crystal to jump.
“Sometimes this old place blows a fuse.” Crystal started to get up, but Kayla held her still. “Did you lock the front door?” she asked when she heard the bell chime above it.
“Call Rowan,” Crystal said softly. “I’ll lock the office door.” She moved away in the darkness.
Kayla’s hands shook as she punched her cell phone. Her screen lit up, filling the room with an eerie glow.
They watched a shadow cross outside the door and Crystal moved back after locking it.
They both screamed when a shot rang out and the door flew open.
Robin Tyler stood on the other side, looking at them from the other end of a .22.
She wore black yoga pants, tennis shoes, and a zip-up hoodie. If it weren’t for the gun, Kayla would have guessed the woman had just come from an evening run.
“Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t expect to get both of you at once,” Robin said moving further into the room.
“Robin?” Crystal moved between them, shielding her body with her own, much like any mother would have done. “What’s going on?”
Robin smiled. “You don’t think I know what’s been going on between that slut and my husband?”
“Me?” Kayla asked, shocked.
Robin’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. You turned out just like your sister. Always spreading your legs for someone else’s husband.”
“My sister?” Kayla asked, even more dumbstruck.
Robin took a step closer. The gun didn’t waver as it was pointed directly at Crystal’s chest.
“Kayla isn’t sleeping with your husband,” Crystal added, taking them both back a step.
“The hell she isn’t! I saw them talking in the bakery. She was flirting with him. I know they met at the Best Western. It was all over town she had been there when she found that body.”
“That body was my son’s father,” Kayla added in. “I was there to meet him.”
“Shut up!” Robin shook her head. “I saw what you did. I caught Craig and Lori together that night!”
“What night?” Crystal asked, taking another step around the desk while pushing Kayla towards the doorway.
“The night I found them. I had conferences that night but finished up early. I saw him pull out of the drive and followed him to the hotel, where he met Lori.” She took another step. “I used to think you were nothing like your sister, but look at you now!” She waved the gun towards her. “You ended up just like her. And you.” The gun moved towards Crystal. “I liked you. I really did. But I found all this money… You’ve been paying my husband to sleep with you.”
Crystal chuckled. “Like hell. I don’t need to pay anyone.”
“Then why? Why have you been giving my husband money?”
“I haven’t. But someone’s been stealing money from me. Maybe it’s your husband who stole it?”
Kayla didn’t think it was wise of Crystal to accuse the woman’s husband as she held a gun pointed at them. She tugged on her arm, but Crystal just nudged her back another step.
“My husband isn’t a thief. He may have problems when young sluts like her force themselves on him, but he never stole anything in his life.”
“Well, someone stole my money. How else would he get…” She glanced over to Kayla.
“Eighteen thousand,” she supplied.
“Eighteen thousand dollars from me?”
Robin’s eyes narrowed in confusion and Kayla watched as the gun wavered in her hands.
Just then, a dark figure rushed into the room and tackled Robin to the ground. Crystal took Kayla to the ground just as another shot rang out.
When Rowan saw Kayla’s picture pop on his screen, he smiled. But when he answered, she didn’t respond. Then he heard the shot ring out and panicked.
He had just sat down with Connor to watch cartoons after dinner. The kid was half-asleep on the sofa when Rowan jumped up, taking him with him as he ran to the car.
He locked the kid in his seat and dialed 911 on his way out of the driveway.
The few minute drive seemed to take forever. When he pulled up, the store was pitch black.
“Stay in the car,” he turned to Connor. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.
When he rushed in
the store, he heard crying in the back and called out.
“Kayla!”
“Back here!” she called out. He rushed towards the back. “We’re back here,”
When he walked in, Kayla had her cell phone light shining directly in Robin Tyler’s face as JT held the woman down on the floor as she struggled.
“What’s going on?” he asked, just as the lights flipped on.
“There.” Crystal walked in, dusting her hands off. “She turned the main breaker off. Just like I thought.”
“Is everyone okay?” he asked, looking around.
“Oh no!” Crystal ran over to her computer. The thing was a mess. It had obviously taken the bullet since there was a hole directly through the screen.
“We’re fine.” Kayla sighed, then frowned. “Where’s Connor?” She glanced around.
“Car.” He rushed out and a few minutes later, walked back into the store holding the kid just as the police showed up.
“It looks like it’s going to be another long night.” Kayla sighed as she took Connor from him.
“Wanna tell me what’s going on?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ll go through it quickly, then give you the play-by-play later.” She walked into his waiting arms. “I’m glad you came.” Then she turned to her brother and walked into his arms. “Thank you for saving us. What on earth were you doing here?”
He glanced towards Robin. “Following up on a lead.”
“A lead?” She pulled back and looked into her brother’s eyes.
“I’ve been looking for Lori’s murderer.”
“You think… Robin?” She turned to the woman.
“I did, until tonight.” He turned to her, then to Crystal. “We need to talk about the missing money.”
Crystal nodded. “Let’s get through this first.” She motioned towards Tom, who was dragging Robin out.
More than an hour later, he tucked Connor into bed and set Blue in bed with him. As he made his way back downstairs where JT, Crystal, and Kayla were all talking at once, he pulled out a bottle of Jack and carried in four glasses.
“Okay, let’s take a break,” he said, pouring the drinks. “From the sounds of it, everyone could use a shot.”
Everyone took a glass and he poured. JT and Crystal gulped theirs back quickly while Kayla sipped hers. He took a swallow, then set the glass down. “Let’s start at the beginning.” He motioned for JT to start.
“The night of your birthday party, I watched my sister get into a car at your party. When I recognized Mr. Tyler, I decided to leave the party and follow them. I watched them go into a room at the hotel and knew.”
“CT,” Kayla said softly.
“What?” JT asked.
“Lori’s diary. She had CT in a heart. I never knew who CT was. Craig Tyler.”
JT sighed. “So, I left the hotel and drove home. I told my father, who encouraged me to go back to your party. He said he would handle everything. So, I went back to the party.” He shrugged. “Then, when… Lori was found, I first thought it was Mr. Tyler. I tried everything for years to get some proof. No one down at the station would believe me. Even Dad told me he hadn’t seen them at the hotel. About a year ago, I found out online that he’d been having many affairs and began looking at Robin instead. When I bumped into them one night in Portland, they had been having an argument about him looking at other women. So, I started looking in her direction.”
“And?” Kayla asked.
“I watched her, followed her when I could.” He shrugged. “I got lucky tonight when I spotted her car parked behind Serenity’s. I was driving by to check on you.” He turned to Kayla. “I wasn’t going to let anything else happen to my family.”
“Thank you.” Kayla reached for her brother’s hand.
“Yes, thank you.” Crystal smiled.
“Well, since everything was caught on the cameras, they shouldn’t have a tough time finding her guilty,” Rowan added.
“Do you think she killed Lori?” Kayla asked.
“I did, but… what’s this about money?” He turned to Crystal.
“Kayla found some missing money. Apparently, it’s been going out of my business into Craig Tyler’s accounts. To the sum of eighteen thousand dollars.”
“When did this start?” Rowan asked.
“Well, I’ve only gone back two years. If I had the time, I could go back further,” Kayla supplied.
“Later,” Crystal said, standing up. “I don’t know about you, but almost dying has taken a lot of out me.”
JT stood up and nodded. “I’m heading out too.”
Crystal reached up and kissed JT on the cheek. “Happy accidents.” She smiled at him, then turned to Rowan and Kayla. “Life is full of them. They weave through our lives, tying us all together.” She smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She waved as she walked out the door.
“JT.” Kayla rushed after her brother and gave him another hug. “I know you feel like you weren’t always there… as a brother. Tonight, you more than made up for it.”
He chuckled. “I plan on continuing to make up for it.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Night.” He looked to Rowan.
“Night.” Rowan wrapped his arm around Kayla and watched her brother disappear down the street.
Flipping the lock on the front door, he pulled Kayla into his arms.
“As a doctor, I seriously doubt my heart can take too much more excitement,” he said into her hair.
She chuckled and pulled back. “Oh, I don’t know, it looks like you’re in pretty great shape.” She ran her fingers over his arms.
His eyebrows shot up as he smiled. “I’m in excellent shape.”
“Oh?” She took a step back and smiled. “Can you keep up with someone who was shot two weeks ago?” She took a step towards the stairs.
She didn’t make it past the sofa before she was in his arms, laughing. He carried her up the stairs and showed her just how great of shape he was in.
Chapter 22
In the next few days, everyone in Silver Cove knew that Robin Tyler had tried to kill Kayla and Crystal. The police had put Craig in custody, so they could ask him questions about the money.
Tom had stopped by and informed them that they had proof that there had only been two thousand dollars transferred into Craig’s account from Serenity’s Attic accounts.
The other money was still unaccounted for, and, until Crystal’s computer could be fixed, they wouldn’t be able to find out the account numbers the money had actually gone into.
“There’s still so much left unanswered,” she said, sending the swing rocking on her mother’s front porch. They had just finished hanging the new swing and Connor was inside watching cartoons with her mother and her three cats.
Rowan wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “The important thing is that you’re safe. The person who was trying to hurt my family is locked up.” He pulled her closer.
“You’re family?” She glanced over at him.
His eyes turned to her. “If you’ll have me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What is it…”
Just then a car pulled into her mother’s driveway and she frowned at the massive stretch limo.
“Who do you suppose that is?” Rowan asked as a sinking feeling caused her stomach to twist. He must have felt her tension because he dropped his arm and stood up. She followed him more slowly as Chad’s parents got out of the car.
Chad’s mother’s eyes met hers and she knew she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
“Rowan, would you go and make sure…” She could tell by the look in his eyes that he’d guessed exactly who was paying her a visit. “Connor needs you,” she whispered. “Keep him inside.”
Rowan’s eyes moved to the front door, then back behind him. He took her shoulders in his hands. “If you need me…”
She nodded. “Go, I’ve got this.” She gave him a slight smile.
Rowan sighed softly, then disappeared into the house.
“Miss Thomas,” Chad’s father said when they stopped at the base of the front porch.
“Mr. and Mrs. Collins.” She crossed her hands in front of her and mentally prepared for a fight. The couple was dressed as if they were heading into high-paying jobs. Their outfits probably cost more than her car. His suit was dark and all business, while Gloria’s was a light cream and looked like it belonged on the cover of a ladies’ magazine.
“We have come to…” Chad’s father started but stopped when Mrs. Collins laid a hand on his arm.
The woman stepped forward. “Is he here?”
Kayla crossed her arms. “My son is with his grandmother,” she said.
“We… we just want to see him.” Gloria Collins had been a socialite all of her life. Kayla knew that the women knew how to hide her emotions well, but now, she could see sorrow behind the woman’s eyes. Eyes that so matched her son’s, Kayla felt a little unnerved.
“Why now?” Kayla asked. “We waited for three and a half years.” She took a step forward. “I worked two full-time jobs while trying to raise a baby alone.”
Chad’s father stepped forward. “We can’t change the past. If we could, our son and daughter-in-law would still be here, along with our legitimate grandchild.”
“Legitimate?” Kayla laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You can get off my property now.”
“No, wait.” Gloria stepped in front of her husband. “Richard didn’t mean…” She shook her head. “We’re suffering, just like you are. We want our grandchild.” She touched her husband’s arm again. “We want him in our lives if you’ll allow it.”
Kayla was silent as she searched the couple’s eyes. “What’s all this about?” she asked, seeing that they were hiding something from her.
“Our son came here, to you, to try and make things right.” Chad’s father stepped forward. “He wanted to be a family, but you shunned him. You owe us a chance to make it right with our grandson.”
“Your son hid us away in a rundown apartment for four years and half the time he refused to help pay the rent. Then, when his wife, whom I knew nothing about, approached and threatened me, I packed my son up to come home and your son snapped his arm in a fit of rage.” She took a step forward. “He pushed a defenseless three-year-old child aside like he was nothing more than a fly in his way. We don’t owe your family anything.”