That Unforgettable Kiss

by Tamara Ferguson

  Kate gaped. Jim was their thief?

  “I’m sorry to have to do this, Kate.” Jim reached inside a canvas bag that’d also been resting on top of the ledge. When he pulled out a roll of duct tape, he hesitated. “I’ll wrap your hands in front of you, so you won’t be too uncomfortable while I’m gone.”

  Kate began to panic. “You’re leaving me, Jim?”

  “I have to make arrangements for us to get out of town. Don’t worry, Kate, I’ve always had a backup plan.”

  ‘What do you mean, Jim?”

  “I own another home in Canada, just in case. I’m really sorry that it didn’t work out for us here. I know how much you love your family, and I hate to take you away from them, but it’s the only way we can be together now, Kate.”

  Kate began to shiver. Now what? How would she ever be able to get away from him? She couldn’t imagine anyone being able to discover her here.

  Jim searched her eyes as he quickly wrapped the duct tape around her wrists. Apparently, he still wasn’t sure if he could trust her – because he wound the duct tape around her wrists a few extra times.

  Kate sighed wearily when she realized Jim also intended to wrap the tape around her ankles.

  She stilled, searching the other side of the cave. Was that movement she’d seen behind Jim, hidden back in the shadows?

  Murphy?

  After wrapping her ankles, Jim gently lowered Kate down on the blanket, and propped her up against the wall. He reached out to caress her face.

  Recognizing the obvious desire in his eyes, Kate nearly cringed, but somehow managed to keep her outward expression neutral.

  Jim gently cupped her chin and continued to search her eyes before stroking his fingers down along the hollow of her throat, and then laying the palm of his hand over her shoulder.

  Kate was grateful for the covering of her T-shirt as she struggled to maintain an appearance of submission.

  Because his touch was making her skin crawl.

  “I should only be gone for an hour or two, Kate. I promise that I’ll hurry.”

  Dylan’s voice shot out from the shadows. “Hold it right there, Jim.”

  As Jim turned, he pulled his gun from his holster, and pointed it directly at Dylan.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Murphy slipped in closer to the opening so he’d be better able to hear Jim and Dylan’s conversation. He grimaced as he pulled the revolver out from its holster. Even though he could probably figure out how to use it, he’d rather not have to.

  “Think sensibly, Jim,” Dylan was saying, calmly. “You’re never gonna be able to get away now.”

  Murphy watched as Dylan slowly began edging his way around Jim.

  “Cops are crawling all over town, and they’re out patrolling the lake.”

  Positioned before Kate, Jim wasn’t budging. His gun remained locked on Dylan. “I’ve got Kate – they’ll have to let us go.”

  Murphy started. Did Jim really think that Kate would simply go off with him – and that they’d live happily ever after? The guy was definitely delusional.

  “No one’s ever gonna believe that you’d hurt Kate,” Dylan said, softly.

  Jim suddenly seemed to realize he was trapped. He held his gun higher, taking careful aim. As Murphy came scrambling out from his hiding place deep within the shadows, Jim jerked around and his gun discharged.

  Kate managed to pull herself up from her awkward position against the wall. With all her might, she rammed her entire body into Jim. His weapon dropped out of his hand as Kate’s impetus sent him reeling to the ground.

  Reaching down and dragging him up by his collar, Murphy made sure Jim was standing before he smashed his fist into his face. Murphy couldn’t seem to stop throwing punches. First a left, and then a right, he pummeled his fists into Jim until, bloody and dazed, he finally stumbled back against the stone wall.

  “Stop it, Michael, stop. Forget about Jim – I think Dylan’s been shot! There’s blood all over the place. Please – get over there and check on him. Hurry!”

  Becoming aware of Kate’s cries of distress, Murphy rushed across the cavern to check on Dylan.

  All the commotion hadn’t gone unnoticed. Sam Danielson, along with his deputies, came scrambling in through the entrance of the cave. After shouting out instructions to his deputies to secure Jim Dupree and cut the duct tape from Kate’s wrists and ankles, Sam bent down beside Murphy and studied Dylan’s wound.

  As soon as the duct tape was cut from her wrists, Kate ran over and dropped to the ground next to Dylan, desperate to help. “Dylan? How do you feel?”

  “It hurts like hell,” Dylan said, gritting his teeth.

  Murphy helped Dylan unbutton his shirt, and Kate carefully pulled it down over his shoulder.

  “You’re lucky, Dylan. It looks like the bullet only grazed you,” Sam said, as he fingered the edges of the wound. “But we need to stop the bleeding.”

  As Kate began ripping strips from Dylan’s shirt, Sam tightly tied them off over the bloody wound in Dylan’s forearm.

  Along with additional reinforcements, Dan Callahan and his father came jogging into the cave.

  Cal halted. Relief was etched on his face when he caught sight of his daughter. “Oh, Kate. You’re okay, sweetheart? We could hear you – we just couldn’t figure out where all of you were.”

  “I’m fine, Dad. But Dylan’s been shot. We need to get an ambulance.”

  Dan pulled out his cell phone and punched in numbers, but then turned to them grimly a few seconds later. “There’s no reception.”

  Sam nodded. “We’ve already discovered that, Dan.”

  Kate pointed to the narrow gap leading outside. “There’s actually an opening, right there, leading out to the lake. Why don’t you see if you can squeeze through?”

  When Dan returned a few minutes later, he gave them a nod of reassurance. “They’ll be here shortly.”

  “Now that we’ve stopped the bleeding,” Sam said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  EPILOGUE

  “What a month,” Murphy said, shaking his head. It was a beautiful balmy day in September, and Murphy and Kate held hands as they walked along the beach at Dragonfly Pointe.

  “Tell me about it,” Kate answered. “Where are we headed?”

  “I thought we’d take a walk up to the ridge.”

  When he began to guide her over the smooth slippery surface of the rocks at the base of Crystal Rock, Kate hesitated, pointing up at the ledge. “Let’s stop here for a minute, Michael.”

  Murphy hoisted himself up to the ledge. Reaching for Kate’s hand, he held her steady and tugged her up to stand on the outcrop beside him.

  “Pretty cool,” he said, gazing inside to the alcove. “What a great view of the lake, too,” he added, turning back to Kate.

  Kate grimaced. “You remember me talking about my friend, Christina?”

  Murphy nodded.

  “She used to love it here, when we were kids.” Kate hesitated, staring inside the alcove. “Let’s just take a seat out here for a minute, Michael. We can sit along the ledge.”

  Kate eased herself down to the ground.

  Murphy stared at her curiously, before he dropped down and sat beside her.

  “This is actually the first time I’ve been back here, since I was fourteen-years old.”

  Sensing Kate had something important to say, Murphy silently waited her out.

  Kate’s face held a wistful smile. “The night before she passed away, Christina insisted that we come here.”

  Murphy wrapped an arm over Kate’s shoulders.

  “Do you believe in fate, Michael?” she asked.

  Murphy was startled by the question, but he grinned as he stared at Kate. “I sure do.”

  Kate grinned back. “Well, so did Christina.” She hesitated. “And I guess that I’m finally beginning to believe in it, too.” Remaining pensive, she dangled her legs over the ledge. “She said the silliest thing to me that last night
we were together. Even then, I think she was trying to set my priorities straight. She saw how serious I was about running Callahan Construction. Even at fourteen, I admit, I was driven. She came from a broken home, where her dad did nothing but cause trouble for her mom.” Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at Murphy. “When she told me that she’d never even been kissed, I nearly lost it, when I realized she’d never have the chance to fall in love, or have a family.”

  “Ah, Kate.” Murphy squeezed Kate’s shoulders reassuringly, before attempting to lighten the mood. “What did Christina say to you – that you thought was so silly?”

  After a moment, she smiled. “She told me that one day, I’d be kissed by fate – with an unforgettable kiss.”

  Taken aback, Murphy blinked. And then he began to laugh.

  Kate grinned and nodded. “Yeah. Pretty crazy, huh?”

  His lips touched Kate’s brow. “She was absolutely right, you know,” he said softly. “I could never forget that kiss.”

  “Me, either.” Kate sighed, as she snuggled up closer to Murphy.

  After a few more peaceful moments, Murphy stood up and reached for Kate’s hand. “Come on. I’ve got something important that I need to say to you. Let’s walk on up to our clearing.”

  Kate nodded, as Murphy tugged her to her feet.

  The earthy fragrance of moss and pine scented the air as Murphy and Kate slowly strolled along the path, holding hands. Eventually, they reached the clearing overlooking the lake. “I’ve come back here, to this same spot, so many times over the past six years.”

  “Yeah. Me, too,” Murphy said, wryly. “In my mind that is – I kept thinking about how it might’ve been different, if I’d have just acted on my feelings, that day, after you shot me down.”

  Kate grimaced. But then she sighed. “Yeah – me, too.”

  They continued to hold hands as they both gazed out on the lake.

  Kate finally spoke. “By the way – I can’t believe that you actually stole that dragonfly table from my customer.”

  “I saw it at Mom’s shop, Kate.” He offered her a rueful smile. “And I just had to have it.”

  She grinned. “It’s probably the best piece I’ve ever made. I put more precision and detail into the design of that dragonfly, than I have in anything else I’ve ever created.”

  “It’s beautiful, Kate. I’m just glad that Mom finally decided to ship it to us,” he said dryly. “I was afraid she’d try to keep it for herself.”

  Kate laughed, but turning her gaze back out towards the lake, she hesitated for a second.

  “What?”

  “I guess that I’ll tell you, because it’s such a coincidence, Michael. That night when I designed that table? I was up all night because I couldn’t fall sleep.” Looking up at Murphy, she grinned wryly. “I’d just discovered that you’d gotten engaged to Amanda Ryland.”

  Murphy stilled, staring into Kate’s eyes.

  He finally sighed. “Ah, Kate.” When he tugged her into his arms, and his lips covered hers, his kiss was soft and gentle and sweet.

  They eventually pulled apart, and Murphy cleared his throat, slowly reaching into his pocket. “I know that we haven’t really been together for that long, Kate. But I’ve known from the moment we met, that you were the only woman for me.”

  The box that he pulled from his pocket was clad in blue velvet.

  Kate’s eyes were wide and she stared at Murphy wordlessly, as he dropped down to one knee.

  Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with tears when Murphy opened up the box.

  “I hope that you like it, Kate. I had it made especially for you.”

  In a setting of scrolled silver, a brilliant blue diamond winked up at them from the box.

  Tugging the ring from its box, Murphy slipped it over Kate’s finger. It was a perfect fit.

  “Oh, Michael – it’s lovely.” Dropping down to the ground beside him, sighing contentedly, Kate wrapped her arms around Murphy and laid her head on his shoulder.

  Murphy held her tightly in his arms. “Yep – there’s no doubt about it, Kate,” he said softly. “We’ve definitely been kissed by fate.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  A member of the Romance Writers of America, Tamara Ferguson is the #1 best-selling, multi-award winning author of the Tales of the Dragonfly Romance Suspense Series, the Kissed By Fate Series, and the Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Series.

  Her latest wounded warrior romance novella, Two Hearts Unspoken, is included in the top-ten bestselling Holiday Anthology, Mother’s Day Magic…With Love, which was also #1 in Wounded Warrior Fiction. Since being released independently, Two Hearts Unspoken has just become a #1 Best Seller at Amazon as well as a #1 Hot New Release in both Ebooks and books. It’s also been #1 in 8 Wounded Warrior categories.

  The wounded warrior romance, Two Hearts Surrendered, was originally published in the bestselling Magical Weddings anthology, which included stories by fifteen USA Today, best-selling, and award-winning authors. Two Hearts Surrenderedindependently earned 3-5★reviews from Readers’ Favorite, and has just become a double #1 Best Seller at Amazon. Two Hearts Surrendered was also a New Adult Finalist in the Romance Reviews 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards.

  Two Hearts Undone (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance #3) was released in May of 2016 by AA Publishing and was #1 in 8 Wounded Warrior categories at Amazon. This short story is also included in the Annie Acorn 2016 Romance Anthology.

  That Unforgettable Kiss (Kissed by Fate Book 1)was a top ten Amazon bestseller in Kindle Saga Fiction, earned 3-5★editorial reviews from Readers' Favorite, and was the 2015 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Award in New Adult Romance.

  That Unforgettable Kiss is currently featured in the #1 bestselling A Touch of Passion, 8 full-length novels by USA Today, New York Times bestselling and multi-award winning authors. This anthology is a #1 Holiday Romance (and more), and has just WON the 2016 Romance Reviews Reader’s Choice Award in Anthology Romance.

  Tales of the Dragonfly In Tandem was a romance finalist at the 2013 Indie Excellence Awards, while Tales of the Dragonfly In Flight was a 2014 WINNER at the Readers' Favorite International Book Awards. In Flight is currently being rereleased by Blue Harvest Creative.

  Presently, Tamara’s working on Emergence, the third book in the multi-award winning Tales of the Dragonfly Novels, as well as a novella for the next installment of the bestselling Wedding Pets and Kisses anthologies, featuring stories by multi-award winning, bestselling and USA Today authors.

  Since she remains a full-time caregiver for an autistic son, you can usually find Tammy working at home, where she spends a lot of time not completing her numerous home improvement projects, because she's writing or helping other author friends promote their books on twitter.

  An Excerpt

  From the #1 Amazon Bestseller

  Two Hearts Surrendered

  Kindle

  From The BESTSELLING

  MAGICAL WEDDINGS

  15 USA Today, Best-Selling, Multi-Award Winning Authors

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  PROLOGUE

  His eyes scoped out the beach as he struggled to reach the pathway from the parking lot, steering away from the crowd. Following the trail to the very edge of the sand, Luke stumbled over moss and patchy grass, until he found shelter under a canopy of scrubby pines bordering the park.

  He groaned, when he finally dropped down to the sand. His stepdad had really done a number on him this time–the pain was pretty intense. Resting his shoulder gingerly against the trunk of one of the pines, he sighed. It was such a hassle, having to constantly be on his guard–especially when he was always having to come up with excuses for teachers, explaining why he was missing so much school.

  Luke grimaced. And hiding the welts and bruises? It was becoming nearly impossible–since a couple of the idiots in his class had decided to say something to his counselor, after seeing Luke without a shirt on in the locker room. Everything was beginning to catch up
with him, he realized, as his eyes filled with tears.

  But he was way too old to cry, he decided. With a shaking hand, he swiped away his tears.

  He got a whiff of the smell of popcorn, as it drifted through the air from the nearby concession stand–and his stomach growled. Damn, that smelled good. Luke took in a deep ragged breath as he focused his attention on the crowded beach. That little Callahan girl was at it again, making the rounds. With her white-blonde hair and deep-blue eyes, she sure was a pretty little thing. And, man, what a personality–he was guessing she was only about six-years old. Even at thirteen, Luke knew he’d been cursed with a bad reputation. And ever since he’d acquired that tat, not to mention the scar that ripped through the side of his face, most little kids, and nearly all of his classmates, seemed to be scared of him–like he was someone out of a horror flick.

  But not her. She reminded him a little of his younger sister, Cassie. Just remembering Cassie made him cry a little harder.

  For some crazy reason, Luke had always been drawn to this beach. Probably because deep inside he knew—all the stories and superstitions were true—Dragonfly Pointe was magic. It was the only place in this world where he seemed to feel alright. Here, he could forget about the deep, dark problems in his life, and chill out just long enough to recharge before returning home.

  Home? He snorted. He hadn’t had a home for a very long time, he realized, as he began dozing off.

  An hour later, when Luke began to slowly awaken, he felt like something was off. Studying his surroundings, he turned his eyes to the far end of the beach, where sixteen-year old Dan Callahan was standing amidst a group of his friends. Although her twin brother Jeff was playing with some kids in the sand nearby, Kelly Callahan was nowhere in sight.

  He gazed across the lake. Suddenly noticing a pair of arms flailing, far out in the water, Luke jumped up to his feet, glancing quickly over at the abandoned lifeguard station. Where in the hell was the lifeguard? Racing across the sand, and whipping his shirt off from over his head, he cringed as the scabs from the welts crisscrossing his back ripped open. Barely noticing the pain, he slipped off his sneakers and began to plow through the water, until he was deep enough to begin swimming.