Chapter Fifty-Two
Kaylee
Kaylee patted her mom’s back when she sporadically hugged her for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few hours.
After the FBI arrested the Pit Vipers and the coroner collected Ansel’s body, Kaylee went to stay with Josie for a few days while Rick and some of the other guys from town stripped her floor and put in new planks so that she wouldn’t have to come back to a bloodstained floor.
It wasn’t something that she wanted to think about, but the fact that Ansel was no longer in the world to torment her gave her some peace.
Pumpkin had gotten a clean bill of health from his veterinarian, but the doc told her Pumpkin could lose a little weight. Kaylee took him home and gave him a few extra carrots. He’d survived an encounter with a sociopath, and there was no way she was going to thank him by putting him on a diet.
The biggest Christmas miracle had been Rick getting in touch with her parents and flying them to Pocatello so he could pick them up and bring them down to spend the holidays with her.
It had been two years since she’d seen them, and the minute that they stepped out of the car, she’d thrown herself in their arms, taking their lectures and their frustration and their bear hugs all in stride.
Her parents were both a little grayer and heavier, but other than that, they were the same loving, kind, slightly overbearing people who raised her.
Rick and her dad had bonded while going out to track down a last-minute Christmas tree for them, while her mother, Josie, and she had sat around the table making handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments.
Kaylee was particularly proud of her popcorn string and how beautifully it turned out with the cranberries.
The only issue was Pumpkin liked to try to climb the tree and eat her garland, the little imp.
Her brother and sister had called to tell her how happy they were that she was safe and would arrive later in the afternoon. Until then, it was just her parents, Rick, and herself.
Kaylee pulled away from her mom’s embrace and squeezed her hands. “I’m so sorry that I kept you in the dark.”
“I know you are.” Her mom smoothed a hand over her face, as if she couldn’t believe Kaylee were real, and the guilt weighing her down grew heavier.
“I understand if it takes time to forgive me.”
Her mom shook her head. “I just hate that you’ve been going through all this alone for the last two years.
The minute that we can get you home, I swear, we’ll make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
You can finish up your last term in college online, and we’ll help you look for a house and a job—”
“I am already planning on doing that, Mom, but from here.”
Her mom’s gaze sharpened. “What do you mean?”
And here came the conversation Kaylee had hoped to put off a little longer. “I’m not coming back to California.”
“Why not?” she gasped, horror leaching the color from her face. “That’s where your family lives. It’s your home.”
“No, it’s your home. My home is here in Holiday.” Kaylee hugged her again, whispering against her ear, “I love you and Dad with all my heart, but I’ve grown up a lot over the last several years, and I’ve realized that what I need is this place. I hope you can understand and accept that.”
Her mother pulled away, her hazel eyes stormy. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this. You’re my daughter. You’ve been missing for two years, and I want you close to me.”
“I mean, it’s a fifteen-hour drive in the car, or you can hop on a plane and I can pick you up from the airport in half that time.
” Kaylee squeezed her mother’s hands, wishing she could make her understand, but if their roles were reversed, how would Kaylee feel?
“I don’t want this to spoil our reunion at all, but I want to be very clear that I’m staying here. ”
“You’re right,” her mom said, patting her cheek. “I don’t want to spoil today. I’m just happy to have you back.”
Josie knocked on the door before poking her head in. “Is it time for presents yet?” she asked.
“Almost,” Kaylee said, extracting herself from her mom so she could preheat the oven. “We’re just waiting for Dad and Rick to get back from wherever it is they ran off to.”
“They said something about going to the inn,” her mom said, pulling out cinnamon rolls from the fridge. “Rick left something there that he needed.”
“Can you grab me a handful of carrots and about a cup of lettuce while you’re in there? Pumpkin deserves Christmas breakfast, too.”
Her mother rolled her eyes but gathered up the items she requested and handed them to her. Kaylee went into the living room and sprinkled them in Pumpkin’s enclosure.
“Merry Christmas, buddy.” The guinea pig’s bite saved her life, and she’d always be grateful to him.
“You’re going to make him fat,” her mom scolded.
“I like him fat.”
Rick came through the door carrying a small brown bag, with her dad close behind him. “We’re back!”
“Oh, good, presents!” Josie said, holding out a festive box to Kaylee. “Open mine first.”
Kaylee laughed as she pulled off the bow and popped the box open. Inside was a beautiful diploma frame.
“I know you only have one semester left, so I’m hoping that in the spring we can fill this and hang it on your wall.”
Kaylee’s eyes shimmered with tears, and she reached out, giving her friend a one-armed hug. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” Kaylee pointed to a pink-and-green festive bag. “Yours is that one.”
“My turn,” Rick said, holding out the bag to her.
“Wait a second.” Kaylee laughed, taking the bag from him. “Why am I opening all the gifts?”
“Because it’s Christmas,” Rick said, as if that were any kind of legitimate answer.
Kaylee shook her head. “You don’t have to go overboard like this.”
“This isn’t overboard. It is just enough.”
Kaylee hesitantly opened the bag in her hand and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box. She slowly took it apart piece by piece until she could open the lid, and nestled in red tissue, she saw the ornament that reminded her so much of Pumpkin inside.
“You snuck back and bought this?” she asked, holding it up for everyone to see.
Rick grinned sheepishly, his dark eyes sparkling. “You’re not very observant. I had the bag with me the whole time, but you were too busy shoving snow in my face to notice.”
Kaylee giggled, got up, and hung the ornament on the tree.
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” She stood on her tiptoes and slipped her fingers into his hair, bringing him down for a kiss.
When her father cleared his throat, they broke apart, and she kept him close so she could whisper in his ear, “I can’t give you your gift until later. ”
“Oh really?” he said.
“Yeah, see, it involves me putting on that little green nighty that I bought and doing things to you that I can never tell my dad about.”
Rick’s expression warred between excitement and horror as he glanced toward Kaylee’s dad. Kaylee thought she was being quiet, but when she followed his gaze, her dad looked a little green around the gills, and she knew that she’d failed.
“Honey, do we have any alcohol so I can scrub my ears with a Brillo pad?”
Kaylee and Josie laughed.
“So, Rick, when do you go back to California?” her mom asked.
“After New Year’s. My vacation will be over, and I’ll be there for two weeks, wrapping things up.”
“What do you mean, ‘wrapping things up’?” her dad asked.
“I’ve decided to leave the bureau.”
“What?” Kaylee asked loudly.
“I’m quitting the bureau.”
“But why? You love it. You want to solve white-collar crime and make a difference.”
Rick shrugged. “It’s what I used to wanna do, but I decided I’d rather live a quiet life with somebody who I care about.
When I wanted to be an FBI agent, it was about getting away from my life, but now I see my life turning out differently than I used to think it would, and this town and you are a big part of that.
Besides, Wilma told me she’d give me a great deal if I want to stay at the inn until I find a place.
Kaylee couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You’re going to leave for two weeks, get your affairs in order, and come back here and live at the inn?”
“Until something opens up,” he says.
“But you’re going to come back here and do what?”
“Well, I thought I’d apply for the Holiday police department, if you’re talking about what I’m going to do for work. As for what I’ll do in Holiday, I’m hoping spending time with you is at the top of my list.”
Kaylee threw herself against him, kissing his face all over before their lips finally met. Kaylee forgot that Josie and her parents were in the room, watching them, until her father cleared his throat. Loudly. They broke the kiss, but Kaylee stayed in Rick’s arms, too happy to let him go.
“How long have you known each other?” her father asked, a very disapproving dad tone in his voice.
Kaylee laughed. “Two years.”
Her mom watched them with a worried expression. “But how long have you been dating?”
“Three weeks,” he said.
“Don’t you think this is all happening rather fast?”
“If I’ve learned anything, Mom, it’s that you aren’t promised tomorrow, so if something feels right, you gotta jump in feet first.”
“In that case, how is my splash?” Rick teased.
“Ten out of ten, would recommend.”