Epilogue #2
“I’m honored you said that, sir, but…” Tucker shook his head as he angled his head at Mallory and Chip. His life was here now. “My family needs me.” It made his heart swell to call them that.
“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” Pete drawled. “Speaking of family, I’ve gotta flight to catch.”
“Home?” Tucker could hardly believe the man had gone this far out of his way to deliver Chip to Heart Lake in time for Christmas.
“To Paris, actually.” Pete made a rueful sound. “Got a kid studying art over there who’s expecting me before nightfall.”
“Wow! Paris. Safe travels, sir.” Tucker knew next to nothing about the guy’s personal life. Whew! Paris. It was a long way to go.
“Thanks.” Pete gave him a two-fingered salute and took off.
Tucker watched him jog down the porch steps and hop into the passenger side of an unmarked black SUV. The driver gunned the motor and roared down the driveway, skidding a little in the snow.
Tucker bolted the door shut and turned around. “So, uh…” He faced Mallory and Chip, who were chatting animatedly about college, of all things.
“Just as soon as you earn your GED,” she jabbered excitedly.
“Homework shwomework,” Tucker scoffed, jumping with both feet into the conversation. “I’ve got something a lot more fun to show you.” He walked down the hallway, beckoning for them to follow.
Fortunately, Mallory had been so busy tending to the herd while Evans Ranch was between ranch hands she hadn’t darkened the door of the guest room in days.
Heart Lake, here I come.
A.J. Pike set his G.P.S. for the cozy small town in the foothills of the Christmas Mountains, sensing he was closer than ever to making an arrest. The dirty deputy he’d been tracking for over a year seemed to think that giving up his badge and renting a lake house was the perfect way to lie low.
A.J. couldn’t wait to prove him wrong…and hopefully recover the latest stash of diamonds the scoundrel had stolen.
Through some careful negotiating, and no small am ount of finagling, A.J.
was renting a studio apartment over the garage two doors down from the man who thought he was lying low.
A.J. had also secured a job as a mechanic at the shop a few blocks past the lake.
In a few hours from now, he was going to be all over his target like white on rice. The only downside was that the man he was about to place in handcuffs was the brother of the woman A.J. was dating.
No, not just dating. A.J. was in love for the first time in his life. He was daydreaming about ring shopping and getting down on one knee. But only if their relationship survived what was coming.
Please, God. We need a miracle.
Eh, who was he trying to kid? He needed a whole string of miracles. Maybe the fact that it was Christmas would give him a small advantage in the miracle department.
White snowflakes fluttered down onto the windshield of his pickup like icy little morsels of hope. He held off turning on his windshield wipers as long as he could. Eventually, though, he had to turn them on.
Watching the snowflakes fly off the glass felt like a bad omen.
“Wow!” Chip stood in the doorway of the guest room, which Tucker had completely transformed. Though he’d splurged on a decent mattress, he’d personally built the bed frame from trashable treasures he’d scrounged from the barn and elsewhere.
The base was crafted from old wooden pallets. An equally rustic desk anchored the opposite wall, but not some run-of-the-mill, boring old desk. It consisted of a refurbished door resting atop two ancient barrels.
“This is great! Really great!” Chip stepped into the room and dropped his backpack on the floor.
“It comes with a laptop,” Mallory sang out, dashing from the room and returning with the device he’d first started studying for his GED on.
“And a TV.” Tucker stepped across the room to tug on the dark blue sheet he’d used to hide the flat screen from view. It was mounted with a bracket that allowed the TV to be pulled away from the wall and turned toward the gaming chair tucked in the corner of the room.
Chip looked ready to pass out. “I don’t know what to say.” His voice shook.
“You don’t have to say anything.” Mallory stepped closer to sling her arm around his waist. “I promised your mom I’d look after you.”
The last Tucker had heard, Martina and Dexter were attempting to negotiate a lighter jail sentence in exchange for giving up the locations of several cartel members.
It was a dangerous undertaking that had landed them in federal witness protection.
It was unclear whether Chip would ever see them again.
“Sounds like her.” He blinked rapidly, swallowing hard.
“You’re gonna make all of us proud,” Mallory added softly. “I can feel it in my bones. But to earn your keep, I’ll be relying on you to pick up the slack with the bookkeeping.” Not for free, though, like his mom had done. Tucker knew she would pay him an honest wage.
“Yeah, sure. No problem.” Chip sounded dazed as he swung in a full circle, taking in the room and its furnishings.
“We’ll let you get settled in.” From behind Chip’s head, Tucker signaled for Mallory to return with him to the living room. “I’m gonna whip up some eggs and waffles soon. Just follow your nose when you’re ready to eat.”
“I will. Thanks, man!” Chip’s voice had a faraway quality as Tucker and Mallory left him alone in the newly refurbished guest room.
“When did you find the time to do all of that?” she hissed.
He’d made the time, that’s what. She and Chip were worth it to him. He threaded his fingers through hers as they stepped back into the living room together.
“Uh-oh!” He dropped her hand to rush to the aid of the kittens, which were tumbling out of their overturned box. Had Braveheart knocked it over?
However, Mallory stopped him by grabbing his hand back. “Wait,” she whispered.
They watched in silence as Fox crept around the corner of the box, hissing and batting at Braveheart.
To his credit, Braveheart kept his head resting on his paws.
The only evidence that he was enjoying every second of the altercation was the way his tail landed against the floor every so often. Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Ohhh,” Mallory breathed when Fox caught sight of Braveheart’s tail.
The next time the dog thumped it, Fox pounced on it.
Mallory pressed her face against Tucker’s arm to muffle her explosion of hilarity. “They’re the best!”
“You’re the best.” He dipped her over his arm to claim her lips in the tenderest of kisses.
He loved her so much…and the life they were building together.
In a few minutes, he would fire up the kitchen stove and take his new Christmas gifts for a test drive. Then he, Mallory, and Chip would sit down to their first Christmas meal as a family.
It didn’t get any better than that. It just didn’t.
Thank you for reading
Steers and Stowaways.
A mechanic working as an undercover detective is two snaps away from making an arrest…and losing the woman he loves in
Barbed Wire and Burglary .