by Kim McMahill
“No. That really was out of character for me, just a culmination of unfortunate events.”
“Well, take care of yourself and Moss. The nurse will give you a schedule of when I want to see Moss, and I trust you’ll hold him to it.”
“Absolutely. Thank you for everything.”
The doctor shook Grace’s hand, patted Moss on the back, and left the room.
“I’ll drop the paperwork at the nurse’s station, grab your medicine, and then escort you out of the hospital,” the woman said as she bustled out the door.
“Do we have to take my babysitter with us or are you enough law?” Moss snorted, clearly anxious to get on the road.
“Moss!”
Logan chuckled, not in the least offended by Moss’s statement.
“Actually, the call I took was from Agent Nash. Dr. Clark completed the tests and confirmed your suspicions. He’s sent you an e-mail with all the specifics and some suggestions on treating Charlotte. He believes she’ll recover completely with no lasting effects, but all that’s in his message. Anyway, working with Hugh Miller and the media, the FBI has made sure everyone in the pharmaceutical world knows the project has been permanently scrapped due to potentially fatal side effects.
“They’ve also divulged all results and data have been archived at multiple secure locations and turned over to the FBI. There is no longer any reason for anyone to target you or Dr. Clark. The project is dead, and the data is in the hands of law enforcement as well as archived in several unknown locations.”
A mix of emotions flooded through Grace, relief the danger was finally over, concern for Charlotte despite Stephen’s optimism, confusion over the bombshell Moss had dropped just moments earlier, and uncertainty about her future with Logan.
The one thing she knew for sure was she didn’t need to forgive Moss, but they would have an adjustment to make. She couldn’t deny that the news did change things, but nonetheless, she and Moss could focus on rebuilding the ranch, prepare for spring calving, and Logan could get back to his normal duties.
Now she was safe, would she and Logan drift apart? Was she just a closed case file?
At the moment, Moss’s news hung in the air like a heavy shroud. She had no intention of letting his confession cause anymore anguish to the man who had always been there for her, even when he didn’t realize he had any responsibility to her at all.
Grace walked back over to Moss and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Well, that’s the second best piece of news I’ve heard today.”
“What could be better?” Logan asked, confusion etched on his face.
“I found out today my father didn’t abandon me. He just didn’t know he was my father until I was nearly old enough to drive.”
She could tell by the look on Logan’s face he had put all the pieces together immediately. He didn’t ask any questions, but she would tell him everything later when they were alone. More importantly, she could see the overwhelming relief on Moss’s face, and she regretted he had felt compelled to carry around the burden for so long.
“This news changes nothing between us, except maybe strengthens our bond, if that’s possible. You shouldn’t have suffered in silence, but as far as I’m concerned, you have always been like a father to me, and it is wonderful to now know you aren’t simply like a father, you are my father. I couldn’t love you any more than I do.”
“Well, hallelujah. I should have given you more credit, Grace. I was afraid how you’d take the news, but I should have known I could trust what we have. Now, let’s go home so this boy can get back to his real job of rescuing stuck tourists and unprepared weekend warriors.”
“No hurry, I’ve got nothing but time. I’m on paid administrative leave pending the investigation,” Logan replied without a hint of concern.
“What? You’ve got to be kidding?” Grace asked.
“Nothing to worry about. It’s standard procedure anytime an officer is forced to shoot a suspect or, in this case, suspects.”
Grace fumed.
How could Sheriff Harris put Logan on leave for saving her life, and taking out a gang of hired professional assassins?
She didn’t give a darn about procedures. The whole thing was wrong. He was only doing his job and acting in self defense, and yet he was under investigation?
“Sounds like part of that long conversation Grace assured me we’d have on the drive home, but if you need something to do to keep you occupied in the meantime, we could sure use a hand around the place. I can’t match your normal wage, but if you’re interested, let me know how much it will take.”
“I’ve become pretty fond of ranch work since Grace has shown me the ropes, but I had a different plan in mind.”
“You are not going to drive over every day just to help with the chores. I can handle the work until Moss gets back on his feet,” Grace cautioned.
“That’s not what I was thinking either.”
“Well, what is it?” Moss demanded.
“Moss, if Grace will have me, and you’ll give us your blessing, I plan to marry her.”
Grace stared wide eyed at Logan. Moss watched her for a reaction, and Logan looked to Moss for guidance.
As the unexpected jolt ebbed, Grace closed the gap between her and Logan and threw herself in his arms. “Yes, yes, I will marry you.”
“Oh, thank goodness. I almost lost my nerve after the, um, bomb you just dropped. I was afraid it was too soon to put more on your plate to think about, or maybe you didn’t feel the same way, but I knew the moment you stepped out of your truck in that snowstorm, tears running down your cheeks, spitting fire, ready to take a swing at me, you were the woman for me. I love you,” Logan replied smiling down at her.
“What about my blessing?”
Grace sniffled and wiped her tears with the cuff of her shirt as she turned to him. “You’ve always wanted me to be happy, so I’m confident you’ll give it readily. Normally, I wouldn’t want some frilly church wedding, but how can I pass up the opportunity to have my father walk me down the aisle?”
“I hate being old, crippled up, predictable,” he grumbled, trying to disguise the emotions which threatened to overwhelm him.
The nurse entered the room and guided Moss’s chair out into the hallway. Hand in hand, Grace and Logan followed Moss out of the hospital as they listened to him discuss his plans for remodeling the ranch manager’s house before moving into it, leaving the main house for her and Logan.
Grace laughed. “I feel a little slow, being so surprised by Logan’s proposal, since apparently you’ve given it a lot of thought.”
“I knew he had it bad when he drove you up here to see me. The boy hasn’t taken a day off work since I’ve known him, but somehow he manages it for you. You are so stubborn and independent that for you to allow him to help with the chores and drive you to the hospital gave me the suspicion he was different than all the other fellas you’ve run off.”
“I have never run men off,” Grace huffed, sounding offended.
“If they ran they weren’t worth having,” Logan replied as he dropped a gentle kiss on her pouting lips, praying they could both put the past behind them and have a long and happy future.
Chapter Fifty
Devyn poured two cups of coffee and walked over to her desk, which faced Nick’s. Setting one cup in front of him, she dropped into her chair, took a cautious sip of the hot brew, and let out a sigh. Working on the UVN investigation had finally given her and Nick the opportunity to look into a series of questionable incidents with associations to pharmaceutical companies, but they had been left with a host of new questions. Having a legitimate excuse to call Gage Harris was just gravy.
“Thanks for the coffee, but instead of you ingesting more caffeine, maybe you should think about going home, taking a shower, and getting some sleep,” Nick stated as he toasted her with his coffee cup.
As usual, there wasn’t a hair on Nick’s head out of place. His clothes looked like he�
�d just put them on, and his dimples made him appear too chipper for having gone without sleep for so long. Even without Nick’s comment, Devyn knew she hadn’t fared as well.
She never did.
Luckily she wasn’t a very girly girl, nor did she possess much vanity. Random strands of her hair, which had been confined in a tight, low-hanging ponytail when they headed for Wyoming, had long since escaped. All traces of makeup were gone. Dark circles underlined her eyes, and her clothes could have come straight out of the dumpster behind the Bargain Bin Flea Market.
“I suppose you’re right. We’ve done all we can do to get ‘Coterie’ to call off the hounds. I can think of no reason for anyone to want to kill Grace Talbot or Dr. Clark now. The project is dead. The data is in multiple secure locations. The FBI has reopened all the related cases, and the pig has been taken off the supplement for good,” Devyn stated, taking another cautious sip.
“But there’s still one huge question that begs to be answered. Who or what is, Coterie?”
“That, my dear Nicholas, is for you and me to find out.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim McMahill grew up in Wyoming, which is where she developed her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. Since leaving Wyoming she has enjoyed many opportunities to see the world, and has lived amid some of America’s most stunning landscapes. Kim started out writing non-fiction, but her passion for exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew her into a world of romantic suspense. Along with writing adventure novels Kim has also published over eighty travel and geographic articles, and contributed to a travel anthology and cookbook. When not writing, Kim enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with family.
To learn more about Kim and her writing, visit her website at http://KimMcMahill.com or follow her at http://KimMcMahill.blogspot.com or on twitter at https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill.
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