by Chris Taylor
She couldn’t imagine how shocked and scared he must have been. He’d been all of nineteen—barely an adult and facing such momentous, life changing news. And yet, he’d come through it. He’d gone on to complete his police training at the Academy. He’d returned to his hometown and carved out a successful career.
She could tell Riley respected him and that was no mean feat to achieve. Her brother was very demanding and had an uncanny ability to read a person like a book. It’s what made him such a good commander. He and Kate both treated Chase like an equal and even more telling, like a friend.
She thought of the issues Chase had with his fertility and closed her eyes against the brief stab of pain. She couldn’t remember the number of times she’d daydreamed about bearing his children: three girls and three boys. She’d had it all worked out. She’d even named them. They’d been miniatures of Chase: curly brown hair, green eyes, beautiful smiles. She’d fallen in love with them before they’d been born. Now they’d never be born. Never would she know the sheer joy of holding Chase’s child in her arms.
The tears she’d managed to hold off last night now pressed behind her eyes. She bit her lip, but a sob escaped, slipping past her tightly held self-control. It was followed by another and then another. She cried quietly.
The loss of her dream of being a mother to Chase’s children was a biggie. She owed it to herself to grieve. It was much healthier than keeping it locked up inside her and pretending it no longer mattered. Their love had stood the test of time. She was sure that together they would make it. While their past was gone and their future had yet to be written, they stood strong and sure in the present and that’s what mattered.
She glanced at her watch and her heart skipped a beat. It was way past six. Chase would be wondering where she was. She swiped at the tears that had dried on her cheeks and collected her handbag from where she’d stowed it in the bottom drawer of her desk. Hurrying out of her office, she opened the door to the staff amenities.
Bending over the sink, she splashed a handful of water over her face and then patted it dry with paper towel. She pulled out a hairbrush and tugged at the band that held her hair back off her face and then quickly brushed it. Deciding to leave it loose, she tossed the band back into her handbag, along with the brush. A quick swipe of crimson lipstick and a toilet stop and she was ready to go.
She headed into a stall and then stopped short.
“Darn.” She’d forgotten to call the plumber. The toilet in her bathroom was still blocked. It was probably lucky the Logan boys were no longer staying with her. Not that they couldn’t survive with only one toilet for a few days. She’d grown up in a household of nine and for many years, they’d functioned without a second toilet. It was funny how quickly people got used to the extra conveniences in their lives.
With a wry smile, she finished her ablutions, washed her hands in the sink and headed out the door, her heart pulsing in excitement with every step that brought her closer to Chase.
* * *
The door to The Bullet swung open and brought with it a gust of cold air. A winter chill had set, reminding all of them it was late in the fall. Chase spun around on his barstool and then cursed under his breath when he realized it wasn’t Josie. For the hundredth time, he looked at his watch.
She said she’d be finished a little after six. It was now going on for half-past. Surely she hadn’t changed her mind? Why would she stand him up? They were good, weren’t they? She’d assured him his revelations hadn’t mattered; that she loved him anyway. Was she having second thoughts in the cold, harsh light of day?
He made an impatient sound in the back of his throat and took another sip from his beer. He was being stupid. Of course she hadn’t changed her mind. She loved him. She’d be there. He was sure of it.
The door opened again and he steeled himself against turning around to face it yet again. Instead, he forced himself to relax and enjoy his drink. For a weeknight, The Bullet was relatively lively. Most of the tables were filled with patrons enjoying dinner. Chase’s stomach grumbled at the thought and he remembered it had been a long time since he’d chewed on the sandwich he’d bought from the corner deli.
Having skipped dinner the night before and breakfast that day, it was no wonder he was hungry.
“Is this seat taken?”
And there she was.
Hiding his relief, Chase smiled wide at Josie and then engulfed her in a hug. “Hey, you,” he murmured, his voice husky with emotion. “I missed you.”
Her arms tightened around his waist and her voice was muffled against his jacket. “I missed you, too.”
He breathed in the scent of her hair and his heart filled with love. She smelled so familiar, so right, so his. A surge of protectiveness rushed through him and it was all he could do not to take her by the hand and haul her out of there and keep her safe from whatever lurked in the shadows.
Where had that idea come from?
Giving himself a mental shake, he relaxed his hold and eased her away from him. He was being ridiculous. Life was to be lived—the good, the bad and the downright ugly of it. He saw more than his fair share of the ugly, it was true, but it also made him appreciate that much more the good. Thrusting away his grim thoughts, he offered Josie a smile.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
She smiled back at him and shook her hair out of her face. She’d left it loose and it hung in soft golden waves around her shoulders. He remembered the silky feel of it in his fingers and ached to touch her again. But for now, it would have to wait.
“I’ll have a vodka, lime and soda, thanks.”
“Coming right up.” Chase turned away and signaled the barman. After giving him their order, Chase turned back to Josie.
“Long day?”
She grimaced. “You can say that again. I had a full book of appointments, but the day seemed to drag on forever. It must have had something to do with the fact I was meeting you at the end of it.”
“I’m hearing you, babe. I couldn’t tell you how many times I looked at the time. I think the blokes in the squad room thought there was something wrong with me. Even your brother was giving me strange looks.”
She laughed. “I can’t wait to see Riley’s face when we tell him about us.”
Chase’s smile was a little more restrained. “How do you think he’ll take it?”
“He’ll be fine, don’t worry. He likes you. I can tell. I’m sure he’ll be happy for us.”
“He likes me as a work colleague and friend. It’s not quite the same thing as a brother-in-law.”
Josie’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. “Brother-in-law? Are you saying…? Do you want to…?”
“Get married? Of course I do. I’ve wanted to marry you from the moment I saw you. Nothing that’s happened over the last ten years has changed that.” He frowned and searched her face. “Has anything changed for you?”
Her smile lit up her face and took his breath away. She threw herself in his arms and kissed him soundly on the lips.
“Of course not. I told you last night. I’ll love you until I die.”
Chase picked her up and swung her around, happiness flooding through him. When he at last set her back down, he went down on one knee and took her hand in his. She gasped and a faint blush stained her cheeks, but her smile was soft and loving. He stared at her, giving the moment the solemnity it demanded.
“Josie Munro, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, Chase! Oh, yes!” Tears sparkled in her eyes. He stood and once again took her in his arms and held her close. Never again would he lose her. Never again would he let her go. He kissed her with all the love and hope in his heart.
The crowd in the bar erupted into spontaneous applause. Sheepishly, Chase lifted his head and grinned. Josie broke into laughter and ducked her head.
“I hope you meant it, Chase because most of Watervale will hear about it before morning. I suppose I’d better call my broth
er.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
Josie held his gaze, her eyes bright with emotion. “That’s okay. I’ll do it, but the fact that you want to is all I need to know. I do love you, Chase.”
She leaned over and kissed him again and then slowly pulled away. A moment later, she tugged her phone from her handbag and held it up to her ear.
The barman arrived with their drinks and Chase fished a few bills from his wallet. Josie broke the news of their engagement to Riley and then spoke to Kate. Amidst laughter and tears, she finally ended the call.
“How did they take it?” Chase asked softly, already knowing from Josie’s demeanor that the news had gone down well.
“Kate was a little surprised, but Riley wasn’t surprised at all. They both asked me to pass on their congratulations. Kate wants to get together as soon as possible and begin making plans.” She smiled a little shakily, as if still coming to terms with the speed of it. “You… You don’t mind, do you?”
“Hell, no! Get to it, babe. The sooner the better. I’ve waited a decade for this. Now that I’ve finally found you again, I don’t want to waste another minute until I can call you Doctor Barrington.”
“I might want to keep being known as Doctor Munro? Or maybe even Doctor Munro-Barrington? That kind of has a ring to it, don’t you think?”
Chase smiled. “I don’t give a damn what you call yourself. As long as I can call you my wife, I’ll be a very happy man.”
“I guess I’d better call the rest of the family.”
Chase groaned. “We could be here all night. I’m starving, woman. How about we go and order some food and you can call them while we’re waiting?”
Josie tossed her phone back into her handbag and collected her drink. “That sounds like a very good idea.”
* * *
In between phone calls, Josie finished her crab meat and sweet corn soup and shared the basket of garlic bread. Chase wolfed down a huge dish of pasta carbonara and then asked to see the dessert menu.
“How can you possibly fit anything else in?” she asked, aghast.
“Hey, I’m a growing boy,” he protested with a smile. “Besides, I missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning. In the last thirty hours or so, I’ve had nothing more than a couple of sandwiches from the deli and a bottle of water. Yesterday I spent the day in court and today I didn’t have time for anything more elaborate. I’m re-charging, that’s all.”
She rolled her eyes, but softened it with a grin. When she thought of the reason Chase had been in court, her smile slowly faded.
“You didn’t tell me how Harton’s expert witness fared yesterday.”
Chase sighed. “Doctor Leonard Heather was everything you could hope for, which is great news for Daniel. Despite John Wall’s rigorous cross examination, the guy came across as convincing and believable and he had a string of qualifications to back him up. Of course, he arrived at the conclusion that Daniel had no idea what he was doing and if he did, he didn’t realize that it was criminally wrong.”
“The exact opposite to the conclusion I drew,” Josie murmured without rancor.
“Yes. Now, it’s up to the judge to decide.”
Josie drew in a deep breath and slowly nodded, her thoughts on the young boy whose future now hung in the balance. “How was Daniel? Did you speak with him?”
Chase shook his head. “He was with his lawyer and his aunt was there. She seemed a little rattled by everything, as you’d expect. Being inside a courtroom for the first time can be intimidating for most people. But she was there, at least. That has to be a good sign.”
Josie closed her eyes briefly and nodded, thankful that both boys had someone who cared looking out for them. “Yes, that’s good. I’m glad.”
Chase leaned over and took her hand. “Daniel will be okay, sweetheart. Both of them will get through this.”
She grimaced and swiped at the tears that welled up in her eyes. “Yes, I know. I just wish I could be there for them, help them in some way. Daniel, especially. He’s hurting so badly. I hope his aunt knows that.”
“I’m sure she does. From what I could tell, she appears to be a decent person and she’s Daniel’s family. That has to help.”
Josie sniffed. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sure she’ll love him—both of them—and take care of them like they need. I just wish—” She broke off, knowing to voice the words was futile. She wasn’t kin to the Logan boys. She had no claim to them.
“Hey, how did your parents take our news?” Chase asked softly and she loved him for his attempt to change the subject.
“Good. Great. They’re over the moon. Mom had convinced herself I was never going to get married. She’s so pleased for us.”
“Does she know about…?”
Josie shook her head. “No. It’s no one else’s business but ours. If and when we’re ready to tell the rest of the family, we’ll do it in our own time.”
Chase frowned. “Um… There’s only one thing. I… I might have mentioned something to Riley.”
Josie looked up at him, confused. “Riley? When did you talk with Riley?”
Chase turned his face away and stared at the table. “Um…the other night. We kind of…got talking. I told him about us.”
She stared at him, shocked. “You told him about us? You mean the ‘us’ of a decade ago?”
“Kind of. Not everything, but…enough. He knows about the cancer and my infertility.”
Josie blinked and tried to take it in. She was surprised and a little taken aback, but she wasn’t mad. How could she be mad? Chase had carried the secret around with him for ten years. She ought to be glad he’d found the courage to talk about it—even if it was with her brother.
“Okay,” she said slowly.
“Are you sure it’s okay? I mean, we promised not to tell anyone about the year we’d had together. I didn’t mean to break your confidence. It was just that…”
“It’s all right, Chase. I promise. I’m okay with it. I’m just a little surprised.”
“Riley won’t tell anyone if we don’t want him too.”
“I know.”
Chase looked at her with searching eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
With a tender smile, she leaned across the table and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.
“I’m sure.”
* * *
Scott Jones gritted his teeth and completed another push-up off the floor of his cell. Each time he came up on his arms, he lifted his head and stared at the calendar. One more day and he’d be out. One more day and he’d be free of this stink-hole; he’d be on the outside. One more day and he’d be free—free to put his plan into action. Revenge was so close he could taste it.
“This one’s for you, Neil. Rest in peace, mate,” he gasped and finished the last repetition. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, but he wasn’t finished yet. Flipping onto his back, he started in on the sit-ups. One down, one hundred and ninety-nine to go. Once again, on each upward lift, he pinned his gaze to the calendar.
He’d made some enquires about the town of Watervale. According to most sources, if he got out of prison early enough, he ought to make it to the town just after sunset. It would give him time to locate the woman the paper had identified as Doctor Josie Munro. She’d given evidence for the prosecution. He only hoped she’d done the right thing by Neil.
If she’d recommended the boy stand trial for murder and answer for his crimes, Scott might—just might—let her live. And once he was finished with her, he was going to track down Doctor Leonard Heather. That prick had been paid for by the defense. There was no way he’d given evidence that would support Scott’s mate.
Scott grinned manically through his clenched teeth and forced himself up into another stomach crunch. The asshole who’d sided with the boy who’d murdered Neil had a number on his back. It was only a matter of time before he met his maker. Scott would make sure of it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Daniel kicked at the dirt with the toe of his battered sneaker and watched the puff of dust rise above it. The lunchbreak was almost over and soon he’d return to class. It had been two days since the judge had adjourned the case for deliberation and Daniel had chosen to return to school. His aunt told him it was his decision; that she’d understand if he wanted to stay at home. Daniel needed to do something normal because after tomorrow, being normal might never be his again.
He wasn’t stupid. His barrister had made it clear if he went to trial and pleaded guilty, he’d be heading off to jail. The best they could hope for was a plea bargain that would reduce the charge of murder down to manslaughter. Even so, the likelihood of a custodial sentence was extraordinarily high.
Custodial sentence. That was a fancy way of saying jail. The ball of dread that had cemented itself way down deep inside him ever since that fateful night now shifted and swelled until he was choking from the weight of it. He gasped and clutched at his belly and bent low at the waist.
“Daniel, are you all right?”
He squinted through the pain and spied the kind face of the school counselor. Miss White was nice. She’d spoken to him when he’d returned to school after the shooting and again when his father was hospitalized.
He had his aunt, of course, and she’d been more than kind, but she was way older than his parents and sometimes he wondered how much she really understood. It had been a long time since she was a kid. He suspected things were different now.
“Would you like to go to the infirmary? Perhaps I should call your aunt?”
He shook his head no, but agreed to go with her. He was fine. He didn’t want to worry his aunt. She worried enough about him already. Besides, nothing and no one could fix him. It was way too late for that.
The best that he could hope for was that his dad would get better and come home and at least be there for Jason. Lately, it seemed his little brother had become a shadow—silent and barely moving. It was like the reality of what had happened, including Daniel’s court case, had finally caught up with him and he was on a downward spiral. Daniel tried to remember the last time he’d heard his brother laugh or even smile and he came up empty.