Still clinging to the rock, she glanced back at him. “I’m moving to the desert.”
Securing each footstep, he inched back toward the shore, hauling Lillie with him. With one hand on her thigh and the other on her very nice rump, he pushed her out of the water. Then he grabbed a log to hoist himself out, but it let loose and he tumbled backward till Lillie’s hand snatched his wrist, giving him a second to regain his balance. “You should move to the desert with me.”
And suddenly that sounded like the best idea he’d heard in ages. Not just because of the water but because he wanted to be with Lillie no matter where they were.
They sprawled on the bank in the weeds, catching their breaths. Lillie said, “I’m wet in places I didn’t know I had.”
Grinning, he rolled over and cupped her head in the palm of his hand and kissed her, her warm lips making him feel more alive than ever.
“Pete,” she said, snapping him back to the moment, “we’d better get to him.”
“Right. Pete.” They ran back to the bridge, where Pete was sitting on a log, with Butter licking his face. “I fished Goldie here out of the creek three months ago and she went and returned the favor by getting you both here and saving me. This is some dog.”
Lillie hugged Pete tight and said in a ragged voice, “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too, girl. Me too.” He patted her as if comforting a child—his child. John let them have the moment. Pete went to a lot of trouble to make this happen and he’d succeeded. But he’d been in the chilling water a long time and needed to get warm.
“Hey,” John said, “I’m cold as a snake’s belly and damn tired of being rained on. Let’s get out of here.”
Lillie smoothed back Pete’s silver hair. “Guess what? Nina and Juliet are at John’s cabin.”
Pete’s tired eyes brightened. “Well, hot damn. You mean all my girls are here together in one place because they came looking for me?” He slapped his knee and laughed hard. “Looks like my little plan worked sweeter than apples in August.”
“Wait,” Lillie said, holding up her hands, studying her newfound granddaddy. “Plan? What plan?” She folded her arms. “Why aren’t you dead, like you’re supposed to be? Not that I’m complaining, mind you. What in the world did you do?”
Six
Nina stood by the fire and Juliet had her leg propped up on the hearth as they stared speechless at Pete in the doorway.
“This really is our grandfather,” Lillie repeated for her sisters’ benefit as much as her own, because it was still hard to believe.
The brandy bottle slid from Juliet’s fingers and John snagged it midair before it hit the floor. She croaked, “G-Grandpa?”
Pete stood tall and proud. “It’s me, girl. In the flesh. And I’m thrilled to pieces you’re here.”
Juliet’s mouth opened and closed and opened again but no words came out. She blinked as if clearing her vision. “Grandpa Pete?”
He laughed deep as he kissed Nina on the head, then Juliet on the cheek. “Well, I’ve got to tell you that this isn’t exactly the way I had our little reunion planned, but it’ll do just fine and dandy, yes it will.”
John wrapped a blanket around Pete, and Nina got him a chair by the fire. John got a blanket for Lillie and himself and they all faced Pete, as if making sure he wasn’t a figment of their imagination and was about to fade away like smoke up the chimney.
Juliet licked her lips, rubbed her eyes, and finally managed, “I don’t bloody believe this. You’re alive. But…But”—she put her hands to her hips—“we mourned for you, you know. We even had a wake for you.”
Pete nodded. “And a damn fine one it was, too. I appreciate it to no end.”
Lillie couldn’t contain her gasp. “Oh my God, you were there. You were the old guy in the beard.”
“I gave myself a pretty fair eulogy, if I do say so. Damn near made myself cry.”
Nina took the brandy from John’s hand and threw back a long swig from the bottle, then handed it to Juliet, who took a drink and passed it on to Lillie, who took a sip that made her eyes water, then asked, “What’s going on?”
John propped his foot on the hearth. “My guess is that Pete wanted you all exactly where you are right now and faking his death and leaving you property was the easiest way to make that happen.”
Lillie pointed at John. “You knew all along?”
“Got a hunch on the way here. Other than his granddaughters, Pete was the only one who gained anything from his own death. And since no body was found, it fit.”
Pete added, “You all got a chance to get to know each other without me in the mix.” He grinned like a little boy on Christmas morning. “And from what I’ve seen, I’m a blooming genius. You got a chance to bond and act like the real sisters you are.”
This time Nina gasped. “You’ve been spying on us, haven’t you? The candy wrappers, things moved around in the Rooster’s office, they were all from you snooping.”
“Guilty.” Pete beamed. “I kept my eye on you all. Stayed in the attics at the Rooster and the hotel or outbuildings at the ranch when I wasn’t out here. Didn’t count on Lillie coming up to the attic night before last. Nearly found me out.”
Juliet smiled. “You’re pretty sneaky for a grandpa.”
Nina stood. “Rod and Lance are going to be tearing up the countryside driving everyone nuts if we don’t get back to town.” She studied Pete for a long moment. “Did you plan on me and Lance falling in love and Juliet and Rod?”
Pete’s eyes sparked with devilment. “Would I do a thing like that to my own granddaughters and two of the best men I ever met? Course Lillie and John here were a bonus I didn’t count on.”
John carried Juliet to Lillie’s Jeep, with Lillie, Nina, and Grandpa Pete following and Pete telling how he fell in the creek. Lillie listened but mostly she just wanted to be Juliet. She wanted to be the one in John’s arms, feel his strong, muscled chest next to her, talk to him about what happened today and hear about what was going on in town and how he figured this all out.
John sat Juliet in the front seat and Nina and Grandpa Pete climbed in the back. John backed his truck around and Lillie followed him into town as Nina said, “Well, Lillie, are you going to be stone quiet forever or are you going to tell us what’s going on with you and John?”
“Not much to tell. There’s nothing between John and me. He’s going back to Dallas to a job he loves, and I’m staying here and probably filing bankruptcy or turning the spa back into a hotel, like everyone wants. It’s caused too much trouble.”
Grandpa Pete scoffed, “Give things a chance, girl, for the spa and John. Mighty fine boy. Had a rough go of it when his daddy went to jail, but John is not his daddy and he needs to realize that and so does this town. They need to see him for the man he is.”
Lillie considered that. “Oh, he’s handsome enough. And he is a good cop, but his plan was to talk me into closing down the spa because that’s what the men in town wanted. How can I trust him after that?”
Lillie pulled up in front of the spa—least that was her plan—but there were cars and trucks everywhere and people coming and going out of the spa like Grand Central Station. Pete asked, “What’s going on? Did you have a special or something?”
“I sent out coupons for a free massage.”
Nina laughed. “That must have been some coupon.”
“Except there are men and women and kids. Family memberships are the best but why this, why now?”
Juliet pointed. “There’s a parking place on the next block.”
Nina added, “And Rod, Lance, and John are flagging us down. And a lot of people are looking at us.”
Lillie chuckled. “They’re looking at a ghost, Pete Maddock.” She pulled into the parking place and people gathered around the Jeep.
Rod elbowed his way through and opened the door. “Well now, Juliet, you just had to go and mess up your ankle.” His eyes danced. “And that’s just fine by me because
now I can carry you everywhere.”
Lance hooked his arm around Nina. “Leave it to you to find your dead granddaddy alive and well.” Lance patted Pete on the back. “Welcome back.”
Pete laughed. “You all head over to the Rooster. I’m getting a change of clothes and I’ll be there to tell you all about it and how I’m such a smart old guy.”
The crowd followed Pete but Lillie stayed by the Jeep, mostly because John was there. He said, “You should change.”
“Why do I have a feeling that all these people being at my spa has something to do with you?”
He leaned against the side of the Jeep, the afternoon sun breaking through the clouds. “Think of it as an apology.”
“For…?”
He took her hand. “For being an ass. The first time I met you was to close your place down so I could keep my job in Dallas. Now I realize I don’t want either. I put up the folks who had to leave their homes because of flooding here. I knew if the men were exposed to hot tubs and massages and saunas and the like after all the stress of fighting the flood they’d be hooked, and they’ll spread the word. What did you call it? An endorsement?”
“You did this for me?”
His eyes went black. “And me. I apologize for thinking you or your sisters could harm Pete. You’ll sell enough memberships to keep you going for a while and then the word will spread and you’ll make more money. I want you to stay in Silver Gulch, Lillie. I want to pick out china with you.”
“China?”
“I’m going to run for sheriff. I did a pretty good job of organizing the evacuations of the families flooded out and getting them settled. People remember things like that. I want us to have a chance together, Lillie. I want to start fresh and have you with me. I love you. I want to marry you. I know you don’t trust marriage but I’m not my dad and you aren’t your mother. We’re us together, at last. We can make it work, Lillie. What do you think?”
She threw her arms around him. “I love you. I can’t believe in three days I’ve fallen hopelessly in love this way. You’re willing to give up your life in Dallas for a chance to be with me, wanting nothing in return but my love? How could I not love you, John. You make me the happiest woman on earth.”
Epilogue
Pete fidgeted in the back of the jam-packed church. A lump the size of Texas lodged in his throat as he took in his three granddaughters all in sparkling white wedding dresses. “I get you all here together only to be giving you away,” he joked.
Nina fussed with his tie. “Three granddaughters and three grandsons-in-law. We have a big family now. Next week is Thanksgiving. Just think how crowded the table will be.”
Pete sighed. “A man can’t wish for more than that. I was wanting you with me for so many years and now you’re all here happy and lovely as can be.”
He faked concern. “So let’s see if we’re all ready. You have the something new with your pretty dresses, something old—that’s me and mighty lucky to be here—something borrowed…”
Juliet laughed. “We lent each other hankies in case we cry.”
Pete patted his own pocket. “Me too. So that leaves us with something blue.”
Lillie said, “We have blue garters.”
Pete shrugged. “But nobody can see those.” He reached in his pocket and took out three little blue boxes. He handed one to Lillie and kissed her on the cheek, handed one to Nina and kissed her, and then handed a box to Juliet and kissed her. “Well, go ahead and open them. Can’t know what’s on the inside by staring at the outside.”
The girls took off the lids and smiles spread across their faces. Lillie said, “It’s a Texas bluebonnet.”
“On a silver chain,” Nina added.
Juliet sighed, “It’s so lovely.”
Pete felt the biggest smile ever spread across his face. “You are my beautiful bluebonnets, my family.”
The organ music kicked up a notch and the first chords of the “Wedding March” sounded. “I think they’re playing your song, ladies.”
Nina, Juliet, and Lillie hooked arms and Pete felt tears sting his eyes. “To sisters.”
“To grandfathers,” Lillie said and Nina and Juliet nodded.
Pete hitched his chin toward Rod, Lance, and John, standing in the front of the church. “And if I don’t get you girls up there right quick, there are three men coming to get you.”
Pete faced the aisle and the three men in front gave him the thumbs-up sign. Pete returned it, then led his granddaughters to the happiness he’d wished for them all their lives.
Don’t miss this sneak peek at
Shannon McKenna’s
HOT NIGHT
coming in October 2006 from Brava…
Abby was floating. The sensual heft of Zan’s black leather jacket felt wonderful on her shoulders, even though it hung halfway down to her thighs.
They’d reached the end of the boardwalk, where the lights began to fade. Beyond the boardwalk, the warehouse district began. They’d walked the whole boardwalk, talking and laughing, and at some point, their hands had swung together and sort of just…stuck. Warmth seeking warmth. Her hand tingled joyfully in his grip.
The worst had happened. Aside from his sex appeal, she simply liked him. She liked the way he laughed, his turn of phrase, his ironic sense of humor. He was smart, honest, earthy, funny. Maybe, just maybe, she could trust herself this time.
Their strolling slowed to a stop at the end of the boardwalk.
“Should we, ah, walk back to your van?” she ventured.
“This is where I live,” he told her.
She looked around. “Here? But this isn’t a residential district.”
“Not yet,” he said. “It will be soon. See that building, over there? It used to be a factory of some kind, in the twenties, I think. The top floor, with the big arched windows, that’s my place.”
There was just enough light to make out the silent question in his eyes. She exhaled slowly. “Are you going to invite me up, or what?”
“You know damn well that you’re invited,” he said. “More than invited. I’ll get down on my knees and beg, if you want me to.”
The full moon appeared in a window of scudding clouds, then disappeared again. “It wouldn’t be smart,” she said. “I don’t know you.”
“I’ll teach you,” he offered. “Crash course in Zan Duncan. What do you want to know? Hobbies, pet peeves, favorite leisure activities?”
She would put it to the test of her preliminary checklist, and make her decision based on that. “Don’t tell me,” she said. “Let me guess. You’re a martial arts expert, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Aikido is my favorite discipline. I like kung fu, too.”
She nodded, stomach clenching. There it was, the first black mark on the no-no’s checklist. Though it was hardly fair to disqualify him for that, since he’d saved her butt with those skills the night before.
So that one didn’t count. On to the next no-no. “Do you have a motorcycle?”
He looked puzzled. “Several of them. Why? Want to go for a ride?”
Abby’s heart sank. “No. One last question. Do you own guns?”
Zan’s face stiffened. “Wait. Are these are trick questions?”
“You do, don’t you?” she persisted.
“My late father was a cop.” His voice had gone hard. “I have his service Beretta. And I have a hunting rifle. Why? Are you going to talk yourself out of being with me because of superficial shit like that?”
Abby’s laugh felt brittle. “Superficial. That’s Abby Maitland.”
“No, it is not,” he said. “That’s not Abby Maitland at all.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me, Zan.”
“Yes, I do.” His dimple quivered. “I know first things, second things, third things. You’ve got piss-poor taste in boyfriends, to start.”
Abby was stung. “Those guys were not my boyfriends! I didn’t even know them! I’ve just had a run of bad luck lately!”
“Your luck is about to change, Abby.” His voice was low and velvety. “I know a lot about you. I know how to get into your apartment. How to turn your cat into a noodle. The magnets on your fridge, the view from your window. Your perfume. I could find you blindfolded in a room full of strangers.” His fingers penetrated the veil of her hair, his forefinger stroking the back of her neck with controlled gentleness. “And I learn fast. Give me ten minutes, and I’d know lots more.”
“Oh,” she breathed. His hand slid through her hair, settled on her shoulder. The delicious heat burned her, right through his jacket.
“I know you’ve got at least two of those expensive dresses that drive guys nuts. And I bet you’ve got more than two. You’ve got a whole closet full of hot little outfits like that. Right?” He cupped her jaw, turning her head until she was looking into his fathomless eyes.
Her heart hammered. “I’ve got a…a pretty nice warddrobe, yes.”
“I’d like to see them.” His voice was sensual. “Someday maybe you can model them all for me. In the privacy of your bedroom.”
“Zan—”
“I love it when you say my name,” he said. “I love your voice. Your accent. Based on your taste in dresses, I’m willing to bet that you like fancy, expensive lingerie, too. Am I right? Tell me I’m right.”
“Time out,” she said, breathless. “Let’s not go there.”
“Oh, but we’ve already arrived.” His breath was warm against her throat. “Locksmiths are detail maniacs. Look at the palm of your hand, for instance. Here, let me see.” He lifted her hand into the light from the nearest of the streetlamps. “Behold, your destiny.”
It was silly and irrational, but it made her self-conscious to have him look at the lines on her hand. As if he actually could look right into her mind. Past, future, fears, mistakes, desires, all laid out for anyone smart and sensitive enough to decode it. “Zan. Give me my hand back.”
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