Chapter 13 #2
When she finally arrived at her townhouse and parked in the garage, the first thing she did was go shower.
Her home was cool, but it was the hot time of year in Texas, and dressing for the heat was a must. She chose slip-on sandals, a pale-green T-shirt, and a pair of white pull-up shorts.
They weren’t going out, and she seriously doubted if they’d be dressed all that long, either, so shorts it was.
As she settled in to wait, she was curious as to the confession Gunner said he was going to make and wondering what deliciousness he was bringing for them to eat.
* * *
Gunner was on a mission and had just picked up their food.
He hoped she liked Thai and sushi, because that’s what he was bringing.
He’d come a long way from his hamburger patties and french fries he preferred as a kid.
Living in a big city could do that to a man.
But he’d never found anyone here who made better pies than Pearl Fallon.
In Crossroads, she was the queen of cuisine, and he loved that she and his dad had reconnected.
It was going to be great living close to them again.
It was still daylight when he arrived at her house. He got out, grabbed his overnight bag and their food, and headed for the door.
He didn’t have to knock.
“You’re here!” Holly said and gave him a quick kiss. “Let me have your bag. I’ll leave it at the foot of the stairs. The little dining area is that way. I’m right behind you.”
Her energy was like stepping into a whirlwind. Before he had time to think, she’d parked his bag and was in the kitchen behind him. He put down the bag with the food.
“I’m gonna need to do this greeting thing all over again,” he said, then slid his arms around her and kissed her like he needed it to breathe.
When they finally came up for air, Holly was weak in the knees and uncertain whether it had to do with him or her lack of food.
Reluctant to let her go, he tunneled his fingers through her curls, marveling at their tendencies to curl around his fingers like vines. I’m already caught and don’t give a damn. God, she’s worth it. Then he kissed the middle of her forehead and let her go.
“I hope you like Thai and sushi. I didn’t get anything raw, though. Okay?”
She laughed. “I love it all, if it’s cooked.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. You get plates. I’ll get the boxes out of the bag.”
She brought the plates and flatware and then went to make their drinks. “Sweet tea, pop, or beer?” she asked.
“Sweet tea, please, and yes, I’m gonna need one of those forks. Me and chopsticks have never made friends.”
“This is so fun. Thank you for bringing it here,” she said and went to fix their drinks.
As soon as she sat, it felt just like the day she met him at the taqueria for an early supper. Like they were just picking up from where they’d left off all those years ago.
“They have little labels on the sides of the boxes with the names of the dishes, and the same with the sushi. One is a veggie roll, and one has smoked salmon. And the sauces are there, too.”
“Did you get wasabi?” she asked.
“Wow… Didn’t see that coming,” he said. “I sure did. It’s a must for me, too, when I want sushi. I think there’s some inside each tray of sushi.”
“Oh! Yes, I see it,” Holly said and scooped a little bit onto her plate along with a couple pieces from each roll.
They talked as they ate, adding a serving of something new when they’d made room on their plates.
Holly was eyeing the chicken-veggie stir-fry he was eating. “Is that good?”
He pushed his plate toward her. “Take a bite and see what you think. It’s spicy, but since you handle wasabi like a boss, I don’t think this will bother you.”
She tasted, then rolled her eyes in delight. “That’s delicious, and the sweet chili sauce with the chicken and veggies is the best.” She put some onto her plate, and the meal continued.
“What’s your day been like?” she asked.
So, he told her about the robbery, and the video, and then going to visit his boss.
“Also, Asher called with some news. I’m sure it’s all over the local news tonight, but I wasn’t watching. Remember I told you about how I suspected Burgess Dixon of being the one who put the hit out on me?”
Still chewing, she nodded, then swallowed and reached for her glass.
“So, they found him dead in his office this morning. I don’t know any details, but it appears to have been suicide. So whatever mayhem he might have still been planning, it’s not happening now.”
Holly gasped. “Oh, my lord! Is it wrong to call that good news?”
“Not from where I’m sitting,” Gunner said. “And there’s something else. About that confession I need to make.”
She reached across the table and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “Just spit it out and then it’s done. Nothing is ever going to change my opinion of you or how much I love you.”
“You would love me no matter what?” he asked.
“No matter what.”
“How can you know it’s not something bad?”
She shrugged. “Because I know you. You never could lie. You punched a kid for making me cry once. And you always gave me the biggest piece of your cookie. You’re one of the good guys.”
He smiled. “Best bat girl, ever. Okay… So here goes. You remember asking me about someone finally winning the Mega Millions lottery?”
She nodded.
“So… That was me. My lawyer and I went to the Dallas Claims Center. I told my family, my boss, and now I’m telling you.”
He was watching the disbelief in her face moving to shock, and then unmitigated joy.
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack, darlin’. I chose the lump sum. The payout is a little over four hundred and fifty-eight million dollars. It takes a few weeks for it to show up in my account, but I set up a separate account for it.”
Holly bolted from her chair. He knew she was going to land hard unless he stood up, and he was right. She launched herself into his arms, laughing and crying, and then laughing all over again.
“Oh my God, oh my God. How wonderful for you, sweetheart!”
He frowned. “Well hell, Holly. Not just for me. For us. We can go back to Crossroads without worrying about where we’re going to work.
We’ll be close to family again. I’ve already picked out a location to build on.
But I’m waiting for the money to get in the bank before I start spending some of it. ”
“You were given such a blessing!” she said.
He nodded. “And then the universe decided to make me earn it. Having a bounty put on my head left me wondering if I’d live long enough to claim it.”
“What a nightmare, and all this time you were carrying that concern alone. I’m so sorry.”
“But I’m not alone anymore, thanks to you. And now that Dixon offed himself, the danger to my life is over. I know that, too. So, that’s my confession, but I still need to keep it quiet.”
She nodded. “Done.”
“Thank you,” he said.
She frowned. “For what?”
“For loving me even when I was still a sitting duck,” he said.
Holly shrugged. “Couldn’t help it. I’ve loved you during all the years when half the population of Crossroads was still whispering your mother’s name behind your back.
I loved you more after you carried me across the baseball field to my mom and dad after I got hit on the head.
I have huge regrets for not being able to remember it.
And I loved you all over again when you put Carl Warwick in his place at Mama’s funeral.
Money or not, when you finally saw me as a woman and not a child, I could not see my life without you, either. ”
“I do not deserve you. But you have sealed your fate with me. I’m a hard man to love, and I know it.
I’ve shunned women for years because of nothing more than a lack of trust, and that all goes back to my abandonment issues as a kid.
I’ve gone to therapy about it, but it didn’t take…
until you. You didn’t just break down the wall I’ve lived behind.
You climbed over and made me look at you.
I love you, girl, but you’re the one in charge of how fast this all goes. Deal?”
“Deal,” she said.
He laid his cheek against the top of her head and hugged her.
His confession had become their dessert. After that kind of news, the meal was over. They stored leftovers together, cleaned up the kitchen together, and finally returned to the living room to watch some TV.
“What do you usually do in the evenings?” he asked as they settled down on the sofa.
“Watch TV. Sometimes, I read the paper online. Just normal stuff,” she said.
“Are you going to be okay with giving up your job and the big-city living?”
“Lord, yes. When I left work today, I took the old-fashioned way home, driving through city streets to get to my neighborhood because I wanted nothing to do with the Loop. All the way here, I kept thinking of where I grew up, and how we’d never had to deal with real traffic anywhere, unless we were in Amarillo, or on the road to some rodeo or horse show.
Crossroads doesn’t have traffic problems. Even Mom’s death had nothing to do with traffic.
Are you sure you want to give up law enforcement? ”
He shrugged. “When someone wants you dead, and you don’t know who to trust anymore, or who’s safe to turn your back on, then the job loses all of its shine.
I know someone in my family needs to be closer to my dad and Pearl.
They are fine right now, but with age comes hardships in mobility and health.
I don’t want them to be dealing with all that on their own. ”
She slipped her hand through the crook of his arm and laid her head on his shoulder.
“That’s how I felt about leaving Dad. Travis is going to college this fall, and I couldn’t bear thinking of him in that big house on his own.
When I found out Granny was going to come back to the ranch and live with him, it was the best news ever.
They’re both happy about it, which alleviates whatever guilt I had coming back here. ”