Chapter 20
Within three weeks, a local well driller out of Amarillo had drilled the water well for their home, and a pump installer had set the pump and provided the well house to cover it. A contractor and his crew were waiting to break ground the next week.
Gunner’s house was under contract, and the belongings they planned to keep were in a Dallas storage facility. The rest had been donated to Habitat for Humanity Resale.
Gunner had driven the Rubicon back to Crossroads yesterday with most of his clothes, left it at his dad’s, and flew back to Dallas the same day.
It was also Holly’s last day at work, and her coworkers gave her a personal wedding shower at the office while Gene was out showing a house.
The gifts were all sexy bits of lingerie.
Holly accepted them with the proper gasps and blushes, without mentioning they both slept in the nude, and drove to the room she and Gunner had reserved at a hotel near the airport where he would be landing.
A couple of hours later, she heard sounds outside her room, and then a click. Gunner walked in the room with an overnight bag.
“You’re back!” Holly said and rolled off the bed to meet him. “Did everything go okay?”
“Yes. The Jeep is parked at Dad’s. My clothes are unloaded in my room, and my Mustang is now in the parking lot of this hotel, gassed up and ready. We’re heading to the land of no Uber options, no DoorDash, and no freaking traffic jams,” he said and gave her a quick kiss. “What about you?”
“The girls at the office gave me a personal wedding shower.”
“What’s a personal wedding shower?” he asked.
She pointed to the display of stuff straight out of Victoria’s Secret. “Don’t ever expect me to wear any of that stuff,” she added.
“Good. I like you better nekkid,” he drawled. “I’m starving. Let’s go down to the restaurant, okay?”
“Whither thou goest,” she said and went to get her shoes.
While they were in the restaurant, Gunner got a text. “Hey, honey, it’s from Detective Frankie Adams. Remember her?”
“Yes! Read it. It might be important,” she said.
Gunner opened the text. There was a picture and the words THANK YOU FROM THE ADAMS FAMILY.
It was a picture of their home with a new roof, a shiny new handicap ramp, and a fresh paint job on the exterior of the house.
In the photo, Frankie and her sister were standing on the porch with their mother in her wheelchair between them. They were all giving him a thumbs-up.
“Look at this, darlin’,” he said and handed Holly his phone.
“That’s a great photo. Is that her family with her? What are they thanking you for?”
He shrugged. “I always knew Detective Adams was struggling financially. About four years ago, she moved back to her childhood home to care for her handicapped mother, as well as footing the bill for her younger sister’s beauty school.
The day she and Cliff came to the house, I got to thinking how much I had, and how much she needed help, so I called her that night and said I wanted to offer a little financial assistance, but I didn’t want to insult her.
She was shocked. Then she cried, but she wasn’t insulted.
She accepted it with gratitude and came by the next day to pick up the check.
I think that was the day you went home to pack some clothes. ”
Holly was in awe. “Just when I think you can’t get any better, I find out something like this.”
He shrugged. “I gave her the same amount of money that Burgess Dixon was offering to the first hit man who killed me. For me, it erased the ugliness of that. Now, when I think of that amount, I think of Frankie and her family doing okay. That’s a new roof and paint job on the exterior.
The handicap ramp she needed for her mother wasn’t there before, and her hair is blue, which means she’s still the model for her sister’s lessons. ”
Holly was in tears. She could only imagine what that must have meant to the whole family. “I just love you,” she said.
He grinned. “Thanks, I love you, too.”
“Give me a sec to powder my nose, and I’ll be ready to go,” Holly said.
While she was gone, Gunner replied to Frankie’s message.
Freakin’ awesome! Have a blessed life! Your hair is blue!
* * *
They woke up at daybreak. Gunner lifted a curly lock of hair away from the corner of Holly’s eye and then kissed her on the nose.
“Up and at ’em, sleepyhead! This is the day we get the hell out of Dallas.”
After that, it was a whirlwind of action. Packing up their overnight bags, eating a quick breakfast, and checking out of the hotel. It was just after 7:00 a.m. when they went out to valet parking. Because they were traveling together, but in two separate cars, they began discussing the trip.
“Don’t drive too fast and lose me,” Holly said.
“As if,” Gunner said. “If we get separated in Dallas traffic, it’s no big deal.
I’ll be watching our Life360 apps. I’ll know when you get on the 287 that takes us home.
If I’m ahead of you, I’ll wait for you to catch up.
If you’re ahead of me, just keep driving; I’ll catch up with you.
When you need to stop for any reason, flash your lights or pass me.
Then we’ll pull off together at the next exit. ”
“There comes my car,” Holly said, pointing to the white Chevy SUV pulling up.
“And mine’s right behind it,” Gunner said. “Do you need to gas up?”
“No, I did it before I got to the hotel last night,” she said.
“I’m good to go, too,” Gunner said. “Be careful. Love you,” he said.
“You’re the roadrunner. You be careful, and love you more,” she said.
They traded a hug and a kiss and then loaded up the bags, then drove away with Holly in the lead and Gunner tailing her up. Even if they got separated in traffic it wouldn’t matter. They knew the way home.
* * *
The drive turned out to be a combination of good weather and bad traffic, impeding the ETA Gunner and Holly had planned. But about ten minutes from home, Gunner got a call from his dad. “Just checking in on your progress,” Jacob said.
“We’re about ten minutes from home. There were a couple of traffic delays. See you soon,” Gunner said.
“Is Holly with you or—”
“She’s right behind me, driving her car and loaded for bear. I know she’s tired. We both are,” Gunner said.
“Garrett and Travis are here. I think one of them plans to drive her the rest of the way home,” Jacob said. “Make sure she knows it.”
“Good news, and thanks. I’ll see if they’ve already called to let her know,” Gunner said, disconnected, then called Holly. “Hey, darlin’, have you heard from your dad or Travis about meeting you at the Tumbleweed?”
She was laughing. “Travis just called me not a minute ago. I need a great big goodbye hug and kiss before we part company. There are going to be some lonesome nights for the both of us before that house is ready, but we’ll have the rest of our lives after to snore in each other’s ears.”
“I do not snore,” he said.
“Yeah, me either,” Holly said, and then they burst out laughing.
“Hug coming up in a very few minutes,” he said and disconnected.
Less than a quarter of a mile from Crossroads, they began seeing cars lined up on both sides of the highway and people standing beside them holding up big signs.
“What the hell?” Gunner muttered, then his phone rang. It was Holly.
“Gunner! What’s happening?”
“I don’t know. They’re holding up signs, and now I can hear horns honking and…
I’ll be damned,” he whispered. “They’re for us, Holly.
The signs are for us. Welcome home! Welcome home, Gunner and Holly!
Prodigals return! I don’t get it!” he said, and then they began slowing down and turning into the parking lot at the Tumbleweed.
Gunner was blocked from driving around back by the number of cars, and Holly had to pull in behind him just to get off the highway.
They emerged from their cars as both of their fathers came out of the bar. Pearl was beside them waving the Texas State flag, and Holly’s brother Travis was filming the whole thing with the camera on his phone.
Still confused by the unexpected welcome, they finally made their way to the top of the steps to where Jacob and Garrett were waiting.
At that moment, Pearl pulled out her bullhorn, gave it a blast, and the crowd went silent as Mayor Belker, who was also the owner of Belker’s supermarket, stepped out of the crowd and joined them on the steps.
“Gunner Kingston, welcome home! Chuck Norris has nothing on you. We understand you did suffer some injuries from that flying leap to catch a bad man, but that whole incident was amazing. Now to the reason for this welcome. Over the years, we have seen many young people grow up here, only to leave for further education or military service, or just a longing to see more of the world. And that’s how life usually goes.
But never in the history of Crossroads have we had young people come back here to live, and we are elated that you have.
We understand congratulations are in order for you and Holly, and that you are in the process of building your new home.
Holly Dillon, welcome home! You are a beloved daughter of Crossroads, and I know you had a great job in real estate in a thriving company that you gave up to come back here to live.
We all wanted you two to know how delighted we are.
You two are the first prodigal children of Crossroads to return to the nest. Welcome home! Welcome home!”
The crowd echoed his words.
All Holly and Gunner could do was smile and wave.
It was Pearl who thought enough was enough and ushered them both inside the bar, which triggered those gathered to get back to their cars and go home. But the moment they got inside out of the noise, Gunner went straight to Holly’s dad.
“Garrett, I’m not asking for permission to marry your daughter, but I am asking for your blessing. I worship the ground she walks on. I will never let her down or betray her and would give my life to keep her safe.”