AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Obviously, this client must have found out what Liam did. In retaliation, Liam got a bullet to the head—an execution-style shooting. In checking out a lead, the client—or his employees—must have found my gun in the shed, used it on Liam, and snuck it into a bedroom to frame Elizabeth—the former girlfriend. The forensic evidence cleared me of the crime, as Elizabeth knew it would.
As for Elizabeth, I’d helped her escape. I’d managed to stall the police until she could flee, and later, she provided the tips to set the police on Aaron.
The fake-death trappings won’t hold up if the police indict Aaron. He’ll find out she’s still alive and wanted as a witness, but with any luck, it’ll never get that far, and Elizabeth will finally have what she always wanted: her freedom. I’ll give her Maeve’s message, but I’m not sure she needs it. Maeve wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know. The money might make her smile, though.
As for my money, I have enough to renovate the house and start my own business. That’s a sweet, sweet spot to be.
Speaking of sweet spots to be...
Tom rolls into the driveway just after five. I set down my hammer and stroll over, and he’s out of the truck before I get there. He swoops me up in a kiss.
“Porch looks good,” he says as he sets me down.
I glance at it. “Porch looks like crap.”
He laughs. “It looks like a work in progress, and I am visionary enough to see the end result, complete with rocking chairs.”
“And shotguns?”
“Unloaded ones.”
We talk for a few minutes, standing there in the drive. We’re good at talking, never seeming to run out of topics. The one thing we don’t discuss is Elizabeth. He can’t forgive her for what she did to me. I understand that. I wouldn’t have forgiven her if she’d hurt him, either.
Tom cares more about what she did to me than what she did to him. I care more about what she did to him than what she did to me. As forecasts for relationships go, that one seems like an excellent predictor of success.
At a break in the conversation, Tom takes my hand and starts leading me toward the house. I pause and point at the pile of equipment in his trunk.
“Taking up lawn service on the side?” I say.
“Nah, that is for a very special, top-secret project.” He leans in, lowering his voice. “I’m going to clear a safe path out back for some daredevil lady who likes to jog there.”
“Sounds like a very nice gift. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
“Mmm, she may appreciate it a little less when I ask her to help me build wooden boardwalks over the wet parts.”
“I think she’ll be okay with that.”
“Good. It’s all part of my plan to give her reasons to stick around long-term.”
I laugh. “Pretty sure she’s already got all the incentive she needs.”
“True. It is a very nice house. Or it will be, when she’s done.”
I kiss his cheek. “Nice house. Nice property. Nice boy next door. I might even ask him to move in.”
“Seems like he’s half moved in already. If you want to make it official, though, he may expect a ring.”
“I could probably dig one up somewhere.”
He glances over, checking to make sure I’m not just extending the joke. I smile back and give him a kiss meant to erase all doubt. When we part, he holds the front door open for me, and I pause to look back at the road, taking in the scenery.
A place I never thought I’d come back to. Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine leaving. When I gaze at the front window, I picture Elizabeth, looking for peace and being trapped instead.
I hope you’ve found your peace, Elizabeth.
I look out at the dusty road and the empty fields beyond, feel the humidity settling in, the lazy weight of it, and I glance over at the man holding open the door. I walk through, and it feels right. It feels like home. It feels like forever, and I am fine with that.
