by Jen Talty
A single cough followed by a violent gasp escaped her lips.
“That’s it, baby.” Frank turned her head to the side.
She gagged, gasping for air as water poured from her mouth. Her fingers dug into Frank’s thigh as she continued to cough. Her breathing was erratic, and it would remain so for a moment until all the lake water left her lungs.
Frank pushed her hair from her face, and felt a rush of relief through his entire system. He drew in a long, slow breath. His heart still raced, but his Lacy was alive.
And in his arms.
“Rescue boat is on its way,” Reese said as he fell back, leaning against the side of the boat.
“Andy?” Lacy tried to sit up, but cried out at the effort.
“I think your ankle is broken,” Reese said. “I wouldn’t try to move if I were you.”
“Where’s Andy? I want to see Andy,” she said with panic in her eyes.
“I’m right here, Aunt Lacy.” Andy slowly made his way to her side.
“Thank God,” she whispered.
“Your ankle looks really bad. I think I’d do what Reese says.” Andy sat down next to Reese and took her hand. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you right back.” She smiled and pulled Andy down into her arms. “Always and forever.”
16
Lacy adjusted herself in the hospital bed. Her foot throbbed inside her new dark-blue cast. Why she had picked blue was beyond her. It reminded her of the lake at night, and frankly, she could do without ever going in the water at night again.
“Want something to drink?” Andy asked.
“That would be great, but I don’t have any change.”
“Frank gave me a bunch of money. They’ve got vending machines with junk food, too.”
She waved Andy to the side of the bed. He’d been quiet most of the night while cops asked them a ton of questions. Social services had shown up and interviewed him. Hell, even the judge presiding over their case had come and chatted with him. He’d been a trooper, but she worried about him. He was just a kid.
A kid who had saved her life.
He sat on the edge of the bed and fiddled with his pocketknife.
She’d always hated that thing, but if he hadn’t had that stupid knife with him, and the brains to use it, they’d both be dead. Even if Frank had found them, it probably would have been too late.
“You saved us,” she said taking his hand.
He dropped his head and raised the knife. “Mom gave this to me for my birthday.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“I was so scared.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “If Frank hadn’t found us, I don’t know…”
“Shh. You did the right thing, and Frank did find us.”
“What’s going to happen to Dad when they find him?”
“He’s in custody,” Frank’s voice echoed in her ears. “And you don’t ever have to worry about him again. He’ll be in jail for a very long time.” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms. He held a piece of paper in one hand.
His had dark circles under his eyes.
“Could they let him out?” Andy questioned. His hand trembled in hers.
“He can’t hurt you anymore, I promise,” Frank said. “The worst thing that could happen is we all have to testify.”
“I can do that,” Andy said as he sat up taller.
“That’s very brave,” Lacy said, feeling the tears well in her eyes. No child should ever have to go through what Andy had endured. What he still had to face. She just hoped she’d be the right guardian for him. She prayed the courts would give her full custody.
“Brave is an understatement. If you hadn’t had the smarts to come up for air before going back down to help your aunt, we wouldn’t be here right now.” Frank approached the bed. “You’re a real hero.”
Andy smiled for the first time since being kidnapped. “Really?”
“Really.” Frank ruffled his hair. “My folks are in the hallway with Jake. Why don’t you get them to take you down to the cafeteria? I think they started serving breakfast.” Frank reached into his pocket. “And while you’re there, get me an egg and sausage sandwich and some coffee.” He handed some money to Andy before turning to Lacy. “What would you like?”
She felt the first tear roll down her cheek. Her heart soared, then smacked into a brick wall. The things she’d said to Frank just hours ago were words he didn’t deserve. He might have lied, but now she understood why. Understood him and his own pain. “Same,” she said.
“Then can we go home?” Andy questioned, glancing between the two of them. “Is home your place?”
“That would be the plan,” Frank said.
“Cool.” Andy smiled as he leapt from the bed. “Maybe I can sleep at Jake’s since you two haven’t had a honeymoon yet,” Andy said as if all was good in the world.
Maybe it was.
Even after Andy disappeared into the hallway, she continued to stare at the door. Gently, she rubbed the tears from her swollen cheek, but she couldn’t look at Frank. Not yet. She needed a moment to figure out what the hell to say to him.
Loving a man shouldn’t be so hard.
Or so easy.
She felt the bed shift. Then she felt warm pressure on her thigh. She glanced down at his hand as he ran it up her leg to her hip. “How’s Patty?”
“The surgery went fine, and they expect a full recovery.”
“I’m so sorry about what happened to her.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“She was shot because of what was in that box.” She wished she had gone through the box. Maybe if she had, none of this would have happened. “What was in the stupid thing?”
“Proof that Taylor was stealing money from his own clients. Some forged paperwork regarding the business, but that’s all over now. Taylor can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“What about Paul? Becky?”
“Paul’s in custody and we got him on all sorts of things.” Frank ran a hand over his head. “I feel bad for Becky. Chad, too. They both could end up spending some time in jail for obstruction of justice and some other minor things.”
“I’m just glad no one else had to die.”
“Me, too.” He squeezed her hip. “I have something for you.”
She swallowed. “What?”
“Here.” He held out the paper in front of her. “This gives you permanent custody of Andy.”
She took the paper in her trembling hand. “That’s it?” She blinked a few times, then looked toward Frank. “It’s over? I don’t have to do anything else?”
“Nope.” He traced a path down the side of her face with his finger. “That must have hurt.”
“It did.” She cupped her cheek. “I thought you were dead.”
“Nope.”
“Why didn’t they kill you? Kind of stupid on their part.”
“Don’t think I want to question that one.” He brushed her hair back and then rested his hand on her neck. “I want you to come home with me.”
“Do you? I mean, we don’t have to stay together now, do we?” But she wanted to. She just wanted to know he did, too.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“No, you’re not.” She really didn’t want his apology for something he believed at the time would protect her. Help her keep Andy. When she allowed herself to think about the situation, Frank had done exactly what any good, decent, kind man would do.
His eyes went wide. “Yes, I am.” He pulled his hand away. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
“You didn’t hurt me; you’d do the same thing all over again and you know it.” She took his hand. “Because if you hadn’t, I would never have agreed to any of this…and I wouldn’t have fallen head over heels for you.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? That’s all you have to say?”
“No.”
She raised her hand to his unshaven face. “Then say it.”
“I want to make a life with you. I want to stay married.”
“That’s it?” Her stomach filled with butterflies. She wasn’t sure any man had ever told her he loved her. She wasn’t sure any man had ever truly loved her, but she was sure she loved him. She’d spend the rest of her life proving it to him.
He chuckled. “You just want me to say it first.”
“Something like that.”
For a long moment, she stared into his soft blue eyes. Everything about him made her feel warm and safe. In an odd way, he’d always had that effect on her, even when he was just some guy who sat at her table at the restaurant. There was something safe about him. Something real.
“Lacy Harmon,” he said with a boyish grin.
“Hey, I never said anything about changing my name.” Nothing in her life had ever felt so right. So perfect.
“You’re not?” His smile faded a bit.
“Just keep going.” She didn’t care what her name was, just as long as she got to wake up in his arms every day. She gripped his bicep for support. Suddenly she felt as if she might float right off the bed.
“I…I…” He shook his head. “This isn’t supposed to be this hard.”
“Just say it, would you?”
He let out a dry chuckle and took her hand. He fiddled with the rings on her finger. “I think you know how I feel.” He raised her hand and placed it gently against his chest. “You can feel it.”
For a second she stopped breathing because she could feel it with every beat of his heart. “I want to hear it,” she whispered.
He leaned a little closer. His lips only inches from hers, but his eyes gazing into the very depths of her. “I love you. Always and forever, I will love you.”
An overwhelming sense of joy filled her. Tears welled in her eyes. Never in a million years did she think she could be this happy. “Always and forever, I will love you back,” she promised, then pressed her lips against his.
He wrapped his arms around her and she held him tight. His kiss was soft and sweet. Tender. A promise of love and devotion. She broke off the kiss, tucked her face into his neck, and sobbed. She didn’t know where the tears had come from or why she felt the need to release them. She just knew she needed to let every emotion in her body out. A fresh start.
For a long moment, he just held her, stroking her hair. “Hey, what’s this all about?” He kissed her temple. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I know.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I think it’s just been bottled up for so long.”
“I’ll always be here for you. And Andy.” Frank cupped her face. “I do love you.”
She smiled. “So, you’ve said.”
He glided his hand down her side, across her hip and thigh, and tapped at her cast. “So, is this going to prevent me from getting a belated wedding night?”
She laughed. “I don’t need my foot to make love.”
“That’s good to know.” He took her mouth in a sloppy passionate kiss.
She held nothing back. No fighting this time. No pulling away. There was no reason. There was nothing standing in the way of her getting what she wanted. What she deserved.
“Gross. They’re kissing again. Do they always kiss like that?” Jake’s voice echoed in the room, followed by a few faint chuckles.
Lacy buried her face in Frank’s chest, her cheeks heated.
“Like I said, I think I should stay at your house tonight,” Andy said.
“Sounds like a good plan,” Frank’s mother responded.
“Um, Frank, the nurse is here with a wheelchair. I think it’s time to take Lacy home,” his father added.
“Has your entire family joined us?” she questioned, lifting her gaze over his shoulder.
“Probably,” he whispered in her ear. “They have a tendency to show up at odd times, but you’ll get used to them.”
“I already am,” she smiled at him. “Take me home.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Dark Water.
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Deadly Secrets
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Deadly Secrets: New York State Troopers Series, Book three
COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Jen Talty
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author or Jupiter Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Publishing History
Cool Gus Publishing, 2015
Created with Vellum
First, to my friend Laura Benedict. Without your support, this book would have never seen publication.
To Wendy S. Marcus, for your support and encouraging words.
And to Jennifer Probst. You always make me smile.
1
Patty Harmon checked the time on her cell phone as a new client left the law offices of Winston and Associates, followed by an entourage of men in very expensive suits, including her boss and his two junior associates. It was only four in the afternoon, but considering this particular client had his own driver, as she noted from her picture window, she figured whatever the man wanted, he got. She squinted, trying to see if the drivers in the two large SUVs had those wiry things attached to their ears, but she couldn’t see that far.
Winston and Associates was a small law firm dealing mostly with estates, wills, a few local businesses, and the various needs of some of the locals. Lately, however, there seemed to be a wave of new clients. Rich clients. Out-of-town clients.
“Hey, Matt,” she yelled.
“What’s up?” The other paralegal in the office stepped into his doorway, down the hall from hers. She had a view, while he hadn’t a single window, but a view of the parking lot wasn’t much to talk about, and his office was twice in size, with plush office furniture compared to her metal desk. Matt’s office also came with a large bookshelf with all the office resources at his fingertips. When Conrad had hired her, he told her the cushiness of her office was proportional to how much she proved her worth.
“Who’s the new big shot?”
Matt was in his mid to late-forties, nice-looking, with short brown hair graying at the temples, and brown eyes. He’d been with Conrad for about nine years before she came on a year ago, and he got the bigger cases. Hell, half her work came from him, not Conrad.
“Keith Holland of Holland Development. They won the bid for the Casino and are looking into putting it on the old Kendrick Paper Company site.” Matt leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed. He always wore khaki pants and a well-pressed dress shirt. If it weren’t for the fact he was gay, and she was, well…she couldn’t really call herself involved anymore. Reese had made it clear he was never going to settle down. He’d proven that when she broke up with him two weeks ago, and he shrugged and said, “Well, it was fun while it lasted.” He then kissed her cheek and walked away. She thought he’d argue with her, asking her not to call it off, expressing his devotion to her. Begging her. Yeah, that was a nice fantasy.
But the reality was, Reese just walked away. She had noticed a hint of sadness in eyes. She knew that look. She knew he cared. But he was closed off. Unable to commit. She couldn’t change him.
Nor did she try. Her father had made that mistake, and Patty had ended up paying a huge price for it.
She bit back a sob pushing against her throat. Her life had been so planned. It was going to take some to get over Reese. She should h
ave listened to her cousin when he’d warned her last summer. Then again, if she had listened, she wouldn’t be pregnant.
She dreaded telling Reese he was going to be a father. She could picture the conversation, and it wasn’t pretty. He’d likely accuse her of trapping him. Well, this was no trap. He could be part of his child’s life or not, but she was going to have this baby.
“I still can’t believe we’re going have a casino here in a few years,” she said, pulling herself from a train of thought that could only end with misery.
“Well, Holland plans on making this his home away from home. He’s looking for other properties to buy, a place he can bring his family and extended family for the summer. I guess he’s got a bunch of kids and cousins, all wanting to summer somewhere around here. Seems weird if you ask me”
“Which properties?” Patty asked, intrigued.
“Haven’t been told yet,” Matt said. “I had him pegged for a “summer in Saratoga” than in Lake George, but what do I know? Me and rich people, not a good match.”
She was about to ask why Holland hired Conrad when she heard the familiar sound of a rifle being cocked.
Matt whipped around. A stranger stood in the hallway with a rifle in his hands. “What the—”
Patty sat frozen in her chair, her hands pressed so hard on the desk they turned white. Matt reached for the rifle, but the stranger holding it was too quick.
Instinctively, she hit the floor and rolled under her desk. The rifle went off, and Matt screamed. She closed her eyes and covered her ears. She’d learned that agony firsthand when she’d been shot in the shoulder last summer. Footsteps echoed, and she felt the floorboards vibrate. Oh, God, she thought, what happened to Angela? If the receptionist had been shot, Patty would have heard it, so where could she be?
“Come out,” the stranger said.
Her entire body trembled. She pulled her knees tight to her chest to stop it, but failed. The stranger rounded the desk, then kicked her leg. She looked up, and once again, she was staring down the wrong end of a rifle.