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It never once crossed her mind that she was jumping off a cliff into the unknown, because she knew wherever she landed, Aaron would be there to catch her.
Many things had happened by sunset of discovery day.
Cameron and the searchers had laid a large piece of plywood over the opening into the old cellar and then erected a large camping tent over all of it.
A forensic pathologist and his team were on the way to Jubilee, as were federal authorities to recover the box. Due to the historical content involved, Cameron was covering all the bases.
Once Sheriff Woodley was informed of the discovery of the body, ancient though it may be, he’d sent an officer to stand guard until proper authorities arrived.
Ray and Betty Raines’s property had become a thoroughfare, so to make life simpler for everyone, he moved his livestock to another pasture for the time being and left all the gates open at the house for a direct route to the site.
B.J. was home, swaddled in comfort, well fed, and resting. But the incident had changed him. When they’d first come to Pope Mountain, he’d felt like an outsider. Being related to people he hadn’t grown up with was like straddling a fence. He had one foot in the past and one in the present, and hadn’t known how to get to his own future. He didn’t know what he was meant to do. He didn’t have a set goal like his brothers. He was nearing twenty years old and delivering cakes and cookies.
Falling into that cellar with Meg had been like falling into his own past. It was the first time he’d ever thought about hell being where you were in life, not some unknown place for dead sinners.
Whether by accident or by God, he’d been the one marked to find her.
Him. Named for the man who’d loved her.
He would never take life for granted again. He was headed to the CIA—the Culinary Institute of America. It would involve moving to New York, but he was willing to do whatever it took to become a first-class chef. And thanks to dividends from PCG, Incorporated, paying for it was no longer an issue.
Down in Jubilee, the tourists oblivious to the drama on the mountain continued their vacations. The musicvenues sold out every performance. All of the restaurants and cafes were packed, and karaoke night at Trapper’s Bar and Grill was a huge draw.
Bullard Campgrounds was a hot spot for families, and its little water park drew its own share of profits from the tourist trade, and all of the people who came to Jubilee to see the sights kept the police department and the hospital busy.
But the residents of Jubilee who lived beyond the hustle and bustle were quietly going about the business of life. Coming home from work. Making meals. Feeding their families. Refereeing fusses. Paying bills. Fighting amongst themselves. And some were in the throes of newly discovered love. It was life with all its messes and successes, in all its tragedies and its glories.
The clothes Aaron brought were now hanging in the closet beside Dani’s. Their shoes were placed side by side on the floor below. His toothbrush was in the holder next to hers. His shaving kit was lying on the counter beside the hairdryer and her brush.
They’d made a meal together.
Cleaned up the kitchen together.
And now they were curled up in bed together.
Aaron was exhausted from the day, but as at peace as he’d ever been.
Dani had fallen asleep with her arm across his chest and her head cradled against his shoulder. She’d dreamed of the inevitability of this moment, but had never taken it for granted. Like Aaron, she was at peace.
Daybreak was still testing the boundary of dawn when Aaron rolled over, bumped into Dani, and realized where he was and that this wasn’t another dream.
He opened his eyes and then smiled. She was not only awake, but had been watching him sleep.
“Good morning, darlin’.”
“Yes, it is, and I know how to make it better,” she said, and slipped her arms around his neck.
One thing led to another, and then another, until he was inside her, rocking her world.
Making love was the most glorious, blood-rushing, mind-altering act there was between a man and a woman, but with Aaron, a little insanity was involved. He took her once, then twice to the point of losing her mind before he let himself go.
By the time the sun was up, they’d gone back to sleep. It was Aaron’s optimum answer to having the day off.
But they weren’t the only ones who had awakened early.
Cameron was up by dawn to take Ghost for his run.Had breakfast with Rusty, filled her in on the day ahead, then left to meet the forensic team at the Serenity Inn. They were standing outside beside their van when he drove up.
“Welcome to Jubilee. I’m Cameron Pope.”
