Epilogue
On a blazing August afternoon, Mackenzie walked out of the judge’s chambers with Gideon beside her. The sunshine was glorious, but she buttoned her suit jacket anyway. Warmth was a commodity she could never seem to get enough of.
Six months after their ordeal in Oakleaf, and she was almost healed from the bumps and lacerations and pneumonia she’d contracted after they were airlifted out of the flood zone.
Gideon had fared better, but he was several pounds lighter and his face still had a slightly hollowed look.
Even after another surgical repair, his shoulder pained him, though he wouldn’t let it show.
A weight had been lifted off her when the robbery charge was dropped in lieu of community service.
The court was lenient since Gideon vouched for her and she was cooperating with the police in all parts of the investigation.
Sergeant Rodriquez put in a good word for her too. Her punishment was minimal.
Frank Soliel’s body had finally been unearthed from where it was entombed under a massive fallen tree a full month after their rescue.
Mackenzie knew his crime ring might not have died with him.
Another criminal could have stepped in to take his place.
The authorities had asked her not to share any details on social media while they continued their investigation.
She’d acquiesced and paused her podcast with a short broadcast relating the facts about the flood and Bullseye’s death but omitting any reference to Cordelia and Katie.
Her days as a social media crusader would continue, she’d decided.
There were many cold cases left to be solved, but the inquiry into Frank Soliel’s drug trafficking activities belonged solely to the police now.
Sergeant Rodriquez had been instrumental in having the charges against her contact Lorraine dropped.
Mackenzie had visited her after her release and followed through on her promise to help both Lorraine and her mother relocate to Jamaica, where they’d have a fresh start.
Kevin was rebuilding his family home. Mackenzie wondered exactly how he had explained everything to the wife he adored.
Gideon took her hand and kissed it. “You look pretty sharp in that silk suit.”
She pulled her hair loose from the neat bun and let it fan out around her face. “I can’t wait to exchange this outfit for jeans and waders. You promised me a fishing trip after things were settled, and my calendar is now officially clear.”
“I’m ready when you are. We can go right now, if you want.” He waved a thermos. “This contains Hearty Chicken Gumbo. It’s the second recipe in chapter five from the Three Hundred Sixty-Five Soup Recipes book.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m beginning to wish you hadn’t located another copy of that thing.”
“Well, mine was lost in the wilderness, as you know, so it was purely due to my cyber diligence that I found another. This baby is out of print so it’s a collector’s item coveted by soup lovers everywhere.”
“Just how much soup can a person be expected to consume in one lifetime?”
“There’s no limit.” He arched a brow. “You’ve loved all the soups I’ve made so far.”
“Not exactly. The gazpacho wasn’t a winner.”
“Humph. You’re a robber, so what do you know about fine dining?” He assumed a wry expression. “And I’d like to register a complaint. The justice system has become entirely too soft. A couple days of community service was a puny punishment for a woman who knocked me down and demanded my wallet.”
She laughed. “I’m reformed, I promise. And I’m going to work with the cops on solving their cold case backlog until I figure out what to do with the rest of my life.”
“That sounds safer, though I’ve no doubt you’ll find a way to get into trouble.”
She pushed her hair behind her ears. “Will you be there to get me out?” She shot him a quick side-glance, gratified when he tugged at their joined hands.
“You know I will, Zee.”
It was her turn to smile. And blush. They strolled out into the sunny parking lot. “What’s the latest word from Cordelia?”
“Katie’s adjusting well in their apartment.
” They’d rented a unit not ten miles from Mackenzie’s parents’ home.
To be cautious in case any of her father’s crime syndicate might still be active, she was using an assumed name and probably always would.
The local police were apprised of the situation, which further eased Mackenzie’s mind.
“Cordelia’s planning to come next weekend to introduce Katie to my parents while she looks for a new location for her stable.
” The thought of it, their grandchild, her niece, the best part of Aaron and Cordelia, made a lump form in her throat.
She’d already been picking out a few toys and activities she could share with Katie when they arrived.
She intended to be the best auntie ever to hold the title.
“My parents want you to come for dinner tonight, by the way,” she said, suddenly feeling butterflies in her stomach.
He gave her a wondering look. “Really? All these months and you haven’t exactly wanted me around the old homestead.”
Her cheeks warmed. “I wasn’t sure about . . . things.”
“I am.” The shifting light turned his frank gaze from brown to honey. “You know how I feel, Zee, don’t you?”
She did. He’d told her he loved her, wanted a future with her, but he wasn’t going to push. The notion of being loved by and loving Gideon Landry thrilled her.
But she’d needed time.
To be sure her head was on straight.
To accept that Bullseye was officially dead.
To be certain the feelings pulsing in her heart were not a knee-jerk reaction to a harrowing escape. She was finally certain. Completely.
She took a breath and turned toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m sure now.”
He tilted his head and looked at her with such intensity her stomach flipped. Before speaking, he quirked a brow. “Would you like to expound on that?”
“I love you, Gideon. I think maybe part of me always has.”
His grin was as bright as the summer morning as he rocked her in his arms. “It’s ’cause I’m a stud, right?
You want to hitch your wagon to a rising star?
Gonna be a civilian and run a mega-successful wilderness survival company?
And I’m also super handsome? And I know the nutritional value of a praying mantis?
And I make the best cup of coffee in the civilized world?
Right? Those are only a few of the many reasons you love me? ”
“No,” she said quietly and put her finger to his chest. “It’s because of what you’ve got in here.”
His expression softened to an inexpressible tenderness before he kissed her. “I never thought God would give me a chance with you.”
“Maybe he figured if we survived, we belonged together.”
“We do. For now and for always. I love you, Zee.”
She knew she could never hear those words enough even if he said them a million times. “I love you too, Gid.” His kiss was long and lingering.
“This is the best day of my life,” he said.
“Only one thing would make it better. Are you ready to go fishing?” she said, breathless.
He swung her around and kissed her again. “As long as you promise to keep us out of the water. I’ve had enough of that.”
“Okay,” she said, reveling in the joy of her new beginning. “But if you fall in, I promise I’ll rescue you.”
“Counting on it.”
Thermos in hand, he tucked her into the circle of his arm and led the way.