16. Epilogue
Epilogue
K evin Armstrong drove into downtown Hope Lake feeling a settling come into his bones. The first snow still lay in patches on the valley floor, existing in shady spots under trees near the lake and in clumps from where the plow had removed it from the road. Mountains in the distance gleamed white and sparkling as if ice giants looked out over the town.
He had missed this place.
Glancing at the glove compartment where he had locked his gun and badge, he sighed. Only a year into the FBI and he already had to take a paid leave of absence. The latest kidnapping case had hit him too close to home, and he poured himself into it so much he stepped over too many lines.
He had saved the girl, though. Didn’t that count for something?
The cost didn’t matter to him. That girl was now home with her family, playing with toy horses in her pink frilly room rather than chained to a heater vent in a bathroom.
His hands clenched the steering wheel until the ache in his forearms had him releasing his grip. The locals walking along the street stopped to peer into his windows and then wave with recognition.
A small chuckle escaped him. The entire town would know he was back by dinner.
He had thought about going back home to his parents’ ranch, but when he called Derrick to let him know what was going on, he urged him to come back to Hope Lake. Besides, he didn’t really want to tell his dad that he was on paid leave…pending an investigation.
He pulled up in front of the Sheriff's station, and a pang of longing filled him. Why had he thought being a big, bad FBI agent would be better than this?
As he parked, a familiar car pulled past him and he swore he had seen that same car multiple times on his drive to Hope Lake. He shook his head. His time in the FBI had made him paranoid.
“Armstrong!” Derrick greeted him from the entrance of the station.
Kevin released the crazy thoughts in his head and smiled at his old boss, a man he had come to see as a friend. “Hey, boss,” he said, meeting him at the steps and giving him a slapping man hug. “Looks like fatherhood is treating you well.”
“It’s the best, but my wife is amazing and gets up with the baby to let me sleep.”
“Well, you did win out with Chasity.”
“I agree.” Derrick laughed. “Come inside. Everyone will be excited to see you.”
He greeted Bertie and Tony, had a few minutes of small talk, then Derrick invited him into his office. “You haven’t told them?”
“Of course not. That’s your business, man. You tell the people you want or don’t tell anyone.”
Kevin sat in the chair on the other side of his desk, placing his cowboy hat on his knee. “So, uh, no other excitement after I came to pick up those perps who caught Jordan’s gal?”
“Back to the same old boring Hope Lake, only mountain lion calls and complaints about out-of-towners.”
“Ah, the good ol’ life.” Kevin chuckled.
“How’re you holding up?” Derrick asked quietly.
Kevin shrugged. “It’s tough on the ego, you know, but what I did saved that girl. I wouldn’t change it.”
“Sounds like the right call to me.” Derrick pushed back in his chair and studied him for a moment. “If you ever decide that the big city life of the FBI wasn’t what you thought it would be, you’ll always have a place on my force. Even if I have to make a position.”
Kevin smiled sheepishly. “Thanks, boss.”
“Call me Derrick, please.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Derrick shook his head. “How’re your parents and the ranch?”
“They’re good.” His leg shook, bouncing his hat. “I haven’t told them.”
“Why worry them until you know what the decision will be?” Derrick shrugged.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Hang out here. Tyler and Megan’s house on the lake is open right now, and they said they’d be happy to have you stay there. Free of charge.”
“Oh, I can pay.”
“It’s their way of saying thank you,” he said. “And tonight you’re coming to Jordan’s restatement of vows celebration.” Derrick stood up and Kevin rose with him.
“I am?”
“Yep. There’s an open invite to all locals of Hope Lake. Our town really stuck together to save Caitlin, and Jordan wants to honor them.”
“That’s very hospitable of him.”
“It will be fun, plus Mrs. Manning’s niece will be there.” Derrick elbowed him. “She came in last month, and it looks like she might be here for a while.”
“Oh, uh, that’s nice.” Kevin pulled at his collar, doing his best to let the heat that traveled up his neck escape.
He pictured the sweet face of the woman he had met several times while dealing with her nosy, but well-meaning aunt. Angelica.
A funny quivering feeling started within him as he thought of seeing her again…and at a wedding of sorts on top of it.
“Hey, everything happens for a reason, man.” Derrick slapped his back as they walked out onto Main Street. “You remember where Chasity’s old place is, right?”
“How could I forget?”
Derrick handed him a set of keys. “Make yourself at home. Get all gussied up and be at Jordan’s by four.”
“Really? Are they sure? I was planning on getting a room.” He waved toward the hotel across the street.
“Just be there at four. You can thank them yourself then. The whole town will be there.”
Kevin held onto the cool keys, stunned at the hospitality of the small town he had fled…and for what? To save that girl. He squeezed the keys, letting them dig into his palm, then glanced back at Derrick once more. “I’ll be there.”
“Good. You won’t regret it.” Derrick waved and stepped back into the warmth of the office.
Kevin sat in his car, staring at the keys to the little house on the lake that had started it all…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to come back to this town.
It took him less than two minutes to pull into the driveway where Chasity, Derrick’s wife, had stayed until they married. Then he thought about the perps they picked up, both the one after Chasity and the one after Megan. A shiver went through him, wondering if this place had bad karma.
He stepped out of the car and waved a greeting to Mrs. Fields who peered at him from her porch swing.
“Is that you, Officer Armstrong? Well, welcome back to town.”
“Thanks, ma’am. Looks like I’ll be your neighbor for a bit.”
“Well, then I imagine I won’t have to call Derrick to come tell you to be quiet, will I?”
“No, ma’am. You’ll hardly know I’m here.” He tipped his cowboy hat to her, then went inside, liking the way the sun came through the slider at the end of the house, lighting it with a warm welcome.
A little card on the table drew his attention. It held a brief welcome and thank you from Tyler and Megan.
He set down his duffle and relaxed back into the recliner, letting his gaze fall on the sun-sparkled lake and glistening mountains. Life could get a lot worse than this.
Thank you for reading Hoping on Forgiveness. I love Jordan and Caitlin’s story of strengthening the bond of their love.
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