Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
L orna turned her head, blinking against the blood dripping into her eye from a cut on her brow, expecting to see a Sheriff’s deputy standing there.
Instead, she saw a petite blond woman, holding a gun outstretched in one hand, while the other hung limp, dangling at her side. Lorna was sure it was Misty, although her face was so swollen and black and purple with bruises, it was almost hard to recognize her.
“Is the fucker dead?” she asked, the words barely audible through her split and swollen lips.
Lorna glanced at Lyle’s motionless body as she crawled toward Mack. “I think so.”
“Deserves it,” Misty murmured as she dropped the gun and slid down the wall and to the floor.
Mack had turned to his side and was holding his throat as he coughed and sucked in gasps of air. Blood dripped from the cut on his forehead, and his lip was swollen and split too. Lorna reached for him, and he pulled her to his body, spooning her protectively against his stomach as he held her close.
“I got you,” he gasped.
“I got you, too,” she whispered as she clasped his hand tightly to her chest.
Red and blue lights flashed across the wall of the shop as the sounds of engines pulling up to the curb, doors slamming, and boots hitting the sidewalk filled the air.
Then the coffee shop was full of voices as two of the deputies secured Lyle while another one raced to Misty, and another ran to Lorna and Mack.
Sirens wailed and an ambulance pulled up. EMT’s rushed inside, trying to triage who needed them the most.
Since Lyle had been shot in the chest, he took priority. Lorna wasn’t sure if she was sad or glad when she realized her ex-husband was still alive. She didn’t want Misty to go to prison, so she guessed she was glad.
“Take care of Misty first,” Lorna told the EMT who approached them. Someone had turned on the overhead lights, and she could see the other woman slumped in a heap by the wall, her injuries even more apparent in the light. “She’s in bad shape.”
She and Mack were battered and bruised, but the woman who had just saved her life seemed to be hanging on by a thread. Lorna’s heart went out to her as she had to assume Lyle had been the one who had beaten her so badly.
“Mack!” Duke’s voice rang out as he ran into the shop.
Ford and Dodge burst through the door behind him, and they all three rushed toward them. Duke fell to his knees beside Mack. “You all right, son? What do you need?”
Mack’s lip was split and bleeding, and he spit a gob of blood onto the floor. “I’m okay. But I could use a hand gettin’ up.”
His brother’s helped them to get up and then half-carried, half-led them a few feet to the loveseat in front of the window, where they both sank into the cushioned sofa. Duke passed them each a stack of napkins, and Lorna pressed hers to the cut on her brow, while Mack dabbed at his lip then held it to a gaping gash on his forehead. Both his brothers served as volunteer fireman and had first aid training, so Ford looked Mack over while Dodge gingerly checked Lorna.
“Doesn’t seem like you have a concussion,” Ford told his brother. “But you’re gonna feel like you got hit by a truck in the morning.”
Dodge grinned. “A Mack truck.”
Mack grinned back. “The best kind.”
Lorna was glad they were able to tease each other. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or burst into tears but had a feeling she’d be doing a little of both in the next few hours.
They’d already wheeled Lyle out on one of the stretchers, and they had Misty strapped to another one. Lorna pushed to her feet, a little unsteady, but she needed to make sure she was okay.
“Wait,” she told the EMT who was pushing the stretcher past them. She leaned over Misty, taking her good hand and gently squeezing it. Tears fell as she took in the carnage that remained of the beautiful woman. “Thank you, Misty,” Lorna told her, her words catching on the emotion. “You saved our lives. How did you know he was here?”
“This building and the money he was gonna make from selling it is all he’s been talking about,” she answered, squeezing Lorna’s hand. “I’m sorry, Lorna. I never knew he was like this. He beat the hell out of me and has had me locked in the bedroom of the trailer for days. He was drunk when he left tonight, and didn’t get the door all the way latched, so I finally escaped. I got in one of my brother’s trucks, and I planned to just keep driving, away from him and this town, then I saw Lyle’s car parked in the alley. There was a pistol in the glove box of the truck, and all I could think about was coming in here and shooting that bastard’s dick off.”
“I’m so sorry he did this to you.”
“I’m so sorry I missed. I meant to kill him. Maim him first. Then kill him.”
Lorna leaned closer. “Maybe tell the police it was self-defense.”
The next day, the whole family was together at the ranch. Duke insisted they all be under one roof so he could feed and hug them throughout the day, and Mack couldn’t argue with his logic.
He and Lorna hadn’t had much of a chance to talk, but he hadn’t let her or the kids out of his sight all day.
It had been a long night. Elizabeth had shown up, and she and Ford had driven Mack and Lorna to the emergency room. He’d been checked out, cleared of a concussion, and the doctor had stitched up the cut on his head from the coffee cup Lyle had hit him with.
Lorna had also been cleared of a concussion, but it hurt his heart every time he looked at the purple and black bruises Lyle’s fist had left around her eye and the small steri-strips holding the cut on her brow together.
Knox had come to the hospital, and it was past three in the morning by the time they’d given their statements and been released.
The pain meds had made Lorna drowsy, and she’d fallen asleep in the truck, so Ford had driven them both back to the ranch, and Dodge promised he and Maisie would bring the kids out first thing in the morning.
For all they’d been through, he was thankful they’d escaped with only bruises and a few stitches.
Misty hadn’t been as lucky. She’d been admitted to the hospital, and they’d had another chance to talk to her before they left. She told them that along with multiple contusions, she was dehydrated, her arm was fractured in two places, she had a couple of broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen.
Apparently, Lyle had beaten her then kept her locked in the bedroom of her trailer for the last several days. She said he told her he was coming into some big money and then they were going to Florida. Together. He’d locked her in the room when she’d told him she wasn’t going anywhere with him, except to hell.
Which was apparently going to have to wait for Lyle Williams.
The gun shot ripped through his chest, but unfortunately, missed any vital organs. Which had the fortunate effect of saving Misty from going to prison and instead would send Lyle there for breaking and entering, domestic violence, and attempted manslaughter, just for starters.
Chevy and Leni had arrived home midmorning and couldn’t believe everything that had gone on while they were away. Chevy swore he was never leaving Colorado again, and Leni and Lorna disappeared into Ford’s bedroom for a few hours, the two sisters needing time together to talk through all that had happened.
Judy Fitzgerald stopped by after lunch and had asked to speak to them, and Mack took Lorna’s hand as the three of them stepped out onto the porch.
Lorna could barely meet the other woman’s eyes. “I’m so ashamed of the way Lyle treated you, Judy. And that you saw him treating me that way.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Judy told her. “And don’t you dare apologize for that ass-wipe. I’ve known men like him before, and I knew something wasn’t right the minute you walked into my office.”
“So, did you come out here to tell us that the paperwork went through?” Lorna asked. “Does the shop belong to Lyle now?”
Judy huffed and shook her head. “No, I came to give you this.” She handed Lorna the paperwork that she and Lyle had signed. “If either of you would have looked closer at the document, you would have seen that although this form does say ‘transfer of ownership’ on it, it’s used to transfer ownership of assets from a deceased person to their heirs. It was the only one I could think of that looked similar to the real business one and had a place to fill in an address. I thought that would make it seem more legit. But Lyle actually signed his name on the line for the deceased.”
Lorna gaped at her. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am. And even if I had used the right form, it would absolutely have had to have been signed in front of a notary. And I don’t care what Lyle says, it’s against the law for a notary to stamp their seal if they didn’t actually witness and record the signatures.”
“I knew that wasn’t how it was done.”
“So, what does this mean?” Mack asked. “Did you still request the deed to be sent up here from Denver?”
“Oh no. I made all that up, too. The deed for the building is in a file in my office. I just knew something Lyle was pulling something shady, and I was trying to buy you some extra time.”
Lorna threw her arms around the woman. “Thank you so much.”
Judy hugged her back. “Don’t you worry. The building is still in your name, the coffee shop is still your business, and as far as the clerk and recorder’s office is concerned, this whole thing was just one big clerical error that is now corrected and will soon be forgotten.”
Mack gave her a hug too. “You are one crafty clerk.”
Judy shrugged. “I know.” She squeezed Lorna’s hand. “You take care of yourself. You’ve got a good man now. Don’t let the fear of the past stand in the way of your present happiness.”
Lorna nodded. “Thank you.”
Judy waved as she headed back to her car. “See you next week, Mack, for Dylan’s next horseback riding lessons.”
“You bet,” Mack called back. “As many as he wants.”
Lorna slumped against him as Judy drove away. “I can’t believe it. When I saw her at the door, I was sure she was here to tell me my business was gone.”
“She’s one clever lady,” Mack told her. “She gave me some pretty good advice the other day, too. She said if you find your person, the one who makes you happy, and who you can’t imagine living your life without, they’re worth doing the work to have a relationship with.”
“Yeah, so that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about today,” Lorna said, taking a seat on the porch steps and patting the spot beside her.
His heart filled with dread as he sat down next to her.
He’d been here before.
This was the part where she’d say he wasn’t worth it, that she and the kids didn’t want him in their lives anymore.
Lorna turned her body toward his. “I wanted to tell you that I’m not interested in pretending to be a couple anymore.”
He knew it.
“Okay, I understand,” he said with a resigned sigh. “But before you go, I just want you to know that even though we were faking the whole couple thing, the feelings were all real to me.”
“You don’t understand—,” she tried to say, but he cut her off.
“Please, let me get this out, then you can go, and I’ll never say another word about it. But I have to tell you that I am in love with you, Lorna Gibbs. And I’m in love with Max and Izzy, and even that scruffy dog, too. I know we haven’t been together for very long, but I fell for you the first day we met. I thought you were so great those first few months we were hanging out together. And when we were apart, I thought about you every day. Since I’ve been back, and we’ve been spending time together, I’ve fallen even harder. I understand this is a lot for you, and that you told me you just wanted to be friends, and I didn’t honor that. But I swear, I’ll try to abide by it now, because I can’t imagine not having you and the kids in my life. Even if it’s just as friends.”
“You didn’t let me finish. And you’re the one who doesn’t understand. I’m trying to tell you that I don’t want to be a pretend couple anymore…because I want us to be the real thing.”
He blinked at her, afraid to believe what he was hearing. “You do?”
“Yes, I do. I’m in love with you, too. I’ve been trying to fight it, trying to protect my heart because I couldn’t bear to have you break it and to have another man leave me and my kids. But I couldn’t do it. Time and time again, you’ve been there for me, for us. It’s not easy taking on a single mom with two kids, and most men wouldn’t want to. But you’ve shown me how much you care, not just about me, but about Max and Izzy, and I’m putting my trust in you that you want leave or hurt us.”
“I won’t ever leave you,” he said, still dazed from hearing she was in love with him too. “I know what it’s like to be left behind, and I’m not that guy. I’m the one who stays. I’m here for you, and I’ll always help you with whatever you need.”
“I just need you . I love the way you are always willing to help me, and everyone else?—.”
“Being useful is what makes people want to keep me around.”
“That’s not true. Your willingness to help is a wonderful quality about you, and the way you anticipate my needs makes me feel cherished and cared for, but that’s not the only thing I love about you. You are kind and thoughtful, and you make me laugh. You care about me and my kids, and you don’t just tell us, you show us by listening and being there. I don’t want you because you help me clean the kitchen, although I don’t want you to stop doing that—it’s sexy as hell when you load the dishwasher—or because you’re willing to clean my gutters or mow my lawn. I can hire a handyman for that. I want you for you.”
He ducked his head, not used to hearing this kind of praise. But her words meant everything to him. “Thank you. That means a lot. But I’m still going to clean the gutters and mow the lawn.”
“As long as you do it with your shirt off…”
They laughed together, then she reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. “I know this isn’t gonna be easy or perfect right away. I’m terrible at folding the laundry, and Leni says I occasionally snore. I make great spaghetti, but we tend to rotate the same five meals every week, and I’m ridiculous about clipping coupons. I hate sharing popcorn at the movies, and Max can have a total meltdown if he gets too tired. So, we still have plenty of things to figure out.”
A grin tugged at his lips. “Something I learned from playing checkers with your son is that when it’s your game, you can make up the rules, and we can play it however we want.”
She grinned back. “He is a pretty smart kid.”
He picked up her hand then drew in a breath and released it. “I’ve spent my whole life wishing for a real family. Growing up, I always felt lost. Like I was always the one on the inside looking in. The lost kid who no one ever bothered to find. Then last year, I learned I had three brothers and a grandfather who lived on a ranch in Colorado. I came out here hoping to find a family, but I never imagined that I’d find a home. And that’s what I feel when I’m with you and Max and Izzy. That I’m finally home.”
“I love you, Mack Lassiter. You’re not a lost cowboy anymore. We found you, and we’re not letting you go.” Lorna climbed into his lap, put her arms around him and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. “You’re stuck with us now, a rambunctious six-year-old, an adorable infant, a scruffy dog that might possibly have fleas, a baby cow named Kevin, and a hot mess of a single mom.”
“Sound perfect to me. And I told you before, darlin’,” he said, laughing as he nuzzled her neck. “Hot messes are my favorite kind.”
The end…
…and just the beginning.
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