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Epilogue
Sharlee stood at thefront of the converted living room in her home and held up a bottle of ten-year Wild Turkey. “This, my friend,” she smiled at Garrett, “will make you weep.”
Garrett laughed. “Not sure Wild Turkey has the capability to do that, but I’m game.”
“You’ll see,” she said.
She set the bottle down and gathered the bathroom-sized paper cups that had become a tradition from the first completed mission involving saving a member of their growing family.
When everyone had assembled, even Ivy looked content. No small feat after the last few days. Jac took his wife’s place in front of the crowd and swept his gaze over the men and women that meant so much to him. His family. Not by biological blood but by blood, sweat, and tears. He looked at Ryker, who had Oakley in his lap. She was his all, and the relief they all had that Audra was confined to a criminal mental institution for now, awaiting possible trial, was physical.
“So, I know we all are pretty much up on what happened with Audra, but let’s review so we have earned our whiskey and dinner.”
Sharlee spoke up. “Right. That’s my cue. Oakley helps first responders and veterans navigate their mental health once a traumatic event happens. In her first year of practice, she helped a young fireman. He had watched as a young family was burned alive in a building that was too engaged to be safe for anyone to enter. He had difficulty dealing with that reality, and Oakley was trying to help.”
“That was Walt. He ultimately committed suicide,” said Oakley.
“Yes, well, he had a sister. Her name is Shandra,” said Sharlee. The sudden intake of breath that swept across the room told of the level of surprise at that piece of information.
“So are you saying that Shandra was holding that against me, and that’s why she became my office manager so that she could what? Sabotage me? Ruin me?” Oakley was clearly becoming agitated, and Ryker murmured in her ear, rubbing her back and holding her close. It seemed to do the trick.
“Well, it becomes clearer when we add in information that was even more surprising than that.” Sharlee threw Bella’s picture up on the wall monitor.
Kaden took over. “We all know this is Bella, Oakley’s best friend since college. She moved to Lexington with Oakley the year she opened her practice. It seems that Walter was just beginning to date Bella when he had that traumatic incident and ultimately took his life.”
“What the hell?” exclaimed Jessie. Mark reached over and spoke to her ear, but her expression didn’t change. In fact, as Ryker looked around the room, he saw that all the women had outraged expressions to different degrees. These women stayed by each other closer than any blood relative ever would. These women had skills of all kinds. When people talked about women having a posse, this is what they meant. He smiled because this was the type of people he wanted around his Oakley, those who would make sure to take care of business.
“But this doesn’t make any sense because I would’ve known if she were dating someone.”
“Possibly,” said Kaden. “But since the time coincided with the time you were actively opening your practice, you might not have known, or she might not have told you because she wasn’t sure they would last, or any number of reasons.”
“Because your confidentiality is so carefully maintained,” said Ryker, “it stands to reason that she wouldn’t have known that her boyfriend or the guy she was dating, was seeing you professionally.”
“Okay,” said Oakley. “What about him telling her?”
Callie spoke up. “Again, a new relationship they were just starting; they weren’t even a thing or an item yet. It really does make sense.”
“And so now, what happens with those two?”
“Officer Linton has just arrested both women. Not unexpectedly, they were found together, unhappy with recent events.” Jac continued. “Shandra is singing like the proverbial canary. While they weren’t the masterminds in all this, they certainly did what they could to influence the outcome. For example, when Audra was upset, Shandra gave her an appointment, and they agreed on a different name so that she could go in and talk to you.”
Garrett spoke. “Evidently, Shandra would not have allowed harassing calls from Audra to go through like she did, but because she wanted to torment you, she did. She was focused on making her brother’s suicide your fault. And making you suffer was her end goal. Like she suffered.”
“So Bella was trying to get your boyfriend from you because she lost hers, she believed, because of you?” Callie asked.
