The church door burst open. Rhys rushed inside. His grey eyes found her on the bed before he crumpled onto the floor. Chloe screamed and launched herself at Earon as he stood Above Rhys with a bloody glass ball in his hand.
She caught Earon’s arm before he could slam it down again. He knocked her away. Off balance she fell to the floor. Afraid he’d try again, Chloe flung herself over Rhys’s unconscious body shielding him from harm. His hair was sticky with blood. She prayed he wasn’t dead. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing and a sob caught in her throat.
“Move away Chloe.” Earon said, his voice low and filled with venom.
“I think it is you who should stand aside.”
Sophie stepped inside the church her tiny sequined bag clutched in one hand and a gun in the other.
Earon took a step back. “Sophie, my dear, what an unexpected surprise. You’re looking as pristine as ever.” His voice was light as if he didn’t care that she had a gun aimed at him.
Chloe sat transfixed as her eyes darted from her mother to the gun. She didn’t want to take her eyes off of it, but she had to make sure Rhys was alright. Frantically, she sought for a pulse while she shot quick glances toward her mother and Earon.
Sophie smiled. “And you look pretty healthy for a dead man.”
“I’m a hard man to kill.”
“I can see that. Had I known, I would have put a bullet in your head instead of setting that fire.”
Earon’s nonchalant exterior wavered. “You were the one who tried to kill me? Now that I don’t believe. Whatever possessed you to do it?”
“What possessed you to touch my child?” She countered and tightened her hand on the gun.
Chloe felt Rhys stir beneath her. But before she could check on him, Earon snatched her away. He held her in front of him.
“You cannot shoot me. Not unless you plan to shoot her as well.”
“My dear man, this is only a momentary standstill. Eventually you’ll let her go and I’ll shoot you,” Sophie moved closer.
Sophie’s eyes were filled with an unwavering determination. Chloe shivered. She wasn’t totally confident that her mother would wait for Earon to release her.
A shadow moved. Someone forcefully knocked Chloe to the side. Earon staggered. A fist connected with his face and he fell. Rhys stood over him, his face twisted in rage.
Seeing Rhys standing, very much alive, Chloe called out to him. She moved to go to him but Earon lunged at him. She screamed.
A shot rang out, its deathly song reverberating off the walls and piercing her heart. Rhys wobbled and fell. Earon grabbed his chest, his eyes wide, and crumpled to the floor. Blood poured from his heart and slowly formed a thick puddle on the floor.
Chloe dropped to the floor near Rhys, her hands wildly searching for a bullet hole. When he sat up and grabbed her pulling her into his arms, she started to cry.
“I’m okay,” he said. He caught her face in his hands his grey eyes awash with emotions. He gently touched her bruised cheek. She winced. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Is he dead?” Sophie asked. She slowly walked toward them, the gun still pointed at Earon.
“He is.”
Sophie lowered the gun but her eyes stayed glued on Earon. Chloe thought about going to her, but Rhys held on trying to protect her from the sight of Earon’s lifeless body.
Rhys wiped the tears from her cheek, his grey eyes focusing on her.
“You’re bleeding.” Gently she touched his head. He grimaced when he saw the blood on her fingers.
“Some bodyguard I turned out to be.” He smiled sadly. “You’ll probably want to fire me.”
“Never,” Chloe said and kissed him hard on the mouth. “I love you.”
He smiled, his eyes darkening as he leaned down to capture her mouth with his. His kiss was gentle and deep like the tide floating in to caress the sand. In the distance, Chloe heard the sound of sirens, but she didn’t care. Instead she let the waves of their love carry her out to sea.
Epilogue
The baby squirmed in her lap. His tiny little hands tried to capture a strand of Chloe’s hair. She smiled down at him and nuzzled one chubby cheek. She laughed when his tiny fingers wrapped around her hair and pulled.
“Be careful,” Josie warned. “He’s stronger than he looks and if you let him he’ll pull until you’re bald.”
“I don’t care,” Chloe said smiling down at her soon to be nephew. “He’s just so precious. I could stare at him all day.”
“Hand him back to his momma. You’ve still got presents to unwrap.” Heather said with pen and paper in hand. “It’s time to play ‘what will the bride say on her wedding night’.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, kissed little Timothy one last time, and handed him back to Josie. At the mention of her wedding, Chloe looked down at the diamond ring on her finger enjoying the way it sparkled in light.
Upstairs she could hear the men enjoying their own little party of football and beer. Such a normal thing; hearing men argue about a game. She could hear Bill threaten to throttle Simon if he continued to gloat over the fact that his team was winning. She strained her ears trying to hear Rhys over Bill’s grumpy exclamations. When she heard his sudden laughter, she smiled and turned her attention back to the party.
It was hard to believe that only a short time ago, Chloe hadn’t thought this day was possible. It had been months until she’d finally been able to move past the horror Earon had caused. But the minute the coroner had carted off his body, she’d been able to breathe again.
It wasn’t until later, after Sophie had returned to New York, that Chloe had learned what her mother’s role was in all this. According to Rhys, when Sophie learned that Chloe was going to perform once again, she’d decided to seek her out. She didn’t really believe it, but Rhys insisted that Sophie had come to make amends for the past.
When Earon took her again, Sophie had been prepared. Apparently, she’d been mugged last year and since then had taken to carrying a gun in her purse for safety. For that at least, Chloe was exceedingly grateful. And had Sophie and Rhys not overheard the call from the radio dispatcher, Sophie may have never had a chance to use it.
When Chloe had heard that it was all thanks to the quirky girls of Delta Gamma, she’d sent them a dozen boxes of chocolates, all in the shape of little ghosts. It in no way encapsulated how grateful she was, but it had been a start.
Ripping through the pretty ivory paper, Chloe blushed when she pulled out the lacy lingerie. This was obviously from Heather. “You really shouldn’t have. I don’t think it’s going to fit.” she said.
Heather laughed deviously and said “Then save it for after,” while jotting down what Chloe had said. Chloe wadded up the paper and threw it at her. “Don’t write that down.”
Josie chuckled and handed her another present. “This one’s from Sophie.”
Chloe unwrapped the gift, unsure of its contents. When her eyes fell on the crocheted baby blanket, she burst into tears.
“What is it?” Josie asked concerned.
“It’s my old baby blanket.”
Josie reached out and took her hand giving it a squeeze. “She must have been saving it for you. Even though she doesn’t show it, she obviously loves you.”
Chloe wiped her tears. “I know. I just wish she hadn’t gone back to New York before we even had a chance to talk.”
Chloe finished opening her presents and was forced to listen as Heather recounted all the things she would say on her wedding night. She tried not to let it embarrass her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t spent every night wrapped up in Rhys’s arms, but the thought of them having their first night together as husband and wife made her blush with joy.
She was still blushing when Rhys poked his head into the room. “Aren’t you ladies done yet? We would very much like to be ungrounded now.” Without waiting for a reply he wiggled himself down behind Chloe and pulled her onto his lap.
“T
he party’s not over yet,” Josie said. “You’ll have plenty of time to see your bride later.”
“Maybe I don’t want to wait that long.”
Josie rolled her eyes. Chloe gazed at her future husband and their eyes locked. Grey eyes stared deeply into green. No matter how many times she waded into those grey waters, she’d always drowned.
Rhys put a loving hand on her small swollen belly. She covered his hand with her own as if she could transfer their joy to their unborn child. Rhys mouthed the words “I Love you.”
“I love you too.” She said. Forgetting about all the other people in the room, Chloe lovingly rubbed her nose against his. “And guess what?” She didn’t care if it was cheesy. She was a woman in love.
“What?” He asked.
“Our baby does too.”
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