Four days later

Halloween

 

 

The gifts came. The town wanted to thank their hero. Every morning since that night at the church, Simon would walk out on his front porch to find little gifts, note cards attached, some hand-drawn by children, thanking him for what he’d done. Neighbors left food of all kinds, balloons, flowers, jars filled with coins, even cash stuffed down in envelopes.

News outlets kept calling, national and local, trying to get the elusive ex-Army Ranger who’d taken out the man threatening kids to give them an interview.

Simon refused.

Or rather Gilly did. He wouldn’t answer the phone, which was even now ringing off the hook.

“That’s it, we’re changing numbers, home, mobile, the works.”

“It’ll die down,” Gilly promised. “You just have to give it time.”

“The phones are bothering the kids.”

Gilly hid a laugh while folding a stack of clean towels she’d taken out of the dryer. The kids were oblivious. Mostly. But she knew the constant calling was driving Simon nuts. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to put an end to it all.

“At least Seth is healing nicely. His vocal cords will eventually get back to normal. Quentin says he’ll probably be able to give a sermon in four weeks or so.”

Simon ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a good thing Cord and Ryder didn’t waste any time getting him to the hospital.”

He couldn’t see, she thought, his role in the way things turned out. She tried to get his mind on something else and held up two costumes for the kids. “What do you think? Delaney in pink as a little princess and Jayden in a silvery metallic ninja outfit.”

“We’re taking them trick-or-treating?”

“Of course. And I suggest if you don’t want to be mobbed by your adoring fans, you find a suitable disguise to wear. You can’t hide in the house forever, Simon. Tonight, we go door-to-door with the kids before heading out to half a dozen parties we’ve been invited to attend. Faye has offered to babysit. For free. I think she has a crush on you now.”

Simon groaned. “This is getting way out of hand. How about we just take the boat out and anchor it in the middle of the harbor until all this nonsense ends?”

Shifting topics yet again, Gilly handed him the dishtowels to put away. “Has Brent found anything out about Del Rio?”

“Only that he’s homeless and living out of an old RV in the desert, miles from town or any cell phone service.”

“He wasn’t drunk or stoned when he called you?” Gilly asked.

“Nope. He’s just broken, lost, and not doing very well.” Simon began to pace. “No Apache warrior should be homeless.”

“When are you leaving to bring him back?”

“I’m thinking of moving up my ticket to this afternoon.”

“Oh, no you don’t, mister. You’re getting out there tonight and facing your neighbors like a man.”

“Your Nurse Ratched side is showing, Gilly.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s just an evening out with friends. And this is Delaney’s first Halloween, your first holiday of any kind with her. Don’t let anything or anyone spoil it for you. We’ll get dressed and take lots of pics documenting the night to show her later.” 

“Are you wearing your ball gown?”

She made a face. “No way, I took that back. Too many bad memories. I think most of us plan to get rid of whatever we had on that awful night.” She went into the utility room and brought out a large bag, held up a simple shirt and captain’s hat. “This is your skipper outfit. I’m going as Mary Ann.”

He grabbed her around the waist and nibbled her ear. The stack of towels she’d been neatly folding, toppled over and fell to the floor.  “I’ve always thought Mary Ann was a whole lot sexier than Ginger.”

“Good because I want you to go get dressed.”

“But it’s only four-thirty.”

“Rookie. These days kids start trick-or-treating at five o’clock before it even gets dark. I’m feeding them hot dogs and then we’ll take off.”

They made the rounds, going from house to house on Tradewinds and then hitting most of the shops along Main Street. They walked until the kids were too tired to go on. Even Jayden had tuckered out by seven-fifteen and forced Simon to carry him.

Faye was waiting for them on the porch when they reached the house. She took one of the bags out of Gilly’s hand and looked inside. “Wow, you guys really cleaned up. There’s enough candy here to last till Christmas.”

“Take it,” Gilly offered. “All of it. I don’t think I can look at another Tootsie Roll Pop or candy bar.”

“That’s okay. The kids might want…”

Gilly shook her head. “I’m putting Delaney down. She conked out thirty minutes ago and I need to get her pajamas on.”

Simon followed her inside. “There’s not much to do since both kids are completely wiped. We won’t be gone long, probably back around nine-thirty.”

“Take your time. I have homework to do. Uh, what do you want me to do with this?”

Simon started up the stairs with Jayden and stopped. “With what?”

“This note I found with the candy.”

“I don’t remember anyone adding a note to either kid’s bag. Let me see that.” With his free hand he flipped the folded piece of paper open.

You were here for a reason, the best reason of all. No one could’ve taken that shot but you. No one could’ve saved the future but you. Keeping that summer on the Cape alive in your heart was your ticket here, Delaney’s ticket to a new life. And now you have a brand-new family to help you through the tough times. Try not to blow it. You’ll be tempted to take people for granted. Don’t. Take it from me, life is too short to leave things unsaid. Seize the small moments. They might not come around again.

It was signed by Scott.

How could a ghost put his name on anything? Simon wondered.

He turned to Faye and took out his wallet from his back pocket and handed her a twenty. “Sorry, Faye. But we’ve decided to stay in the rest of the evening. Wait for me to put Jayden down and I’ll walk you home.”

“That’s okay. I just live on Cape May.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’d feel better if you waited.”

“I’ll call Beckham. He’ll do it.” The girl took out her cell phone.

“Okay. But I want to see him show up. Don’t take off without him getting here.” He needed to explain the change of plans to Gilly anyway, so he climbed the stairs to Jayden’s room and started getting the boy undressed, trading the costume for Batman PJs.

Gilly tiptoed into the room behind him. “Delaney’s sacked out.”

“I told Faye she should go home.”

“Why? Simon, you have to get out and mingle some time.”

“It’s not about that. I…want to be alone with you tonight.”

“That’s sweet. Fine, I’ll go call Kinsey and tell her we won’t be coming.”

“Gilly?”

“What?”

“You’re the one for me, Gilly. The one I need. I want to make Jayden mine, give him my last name, the whole bit.”

Sensing the seriousness of what he’d just said, she slid down onto Jayden’s bed. “For real?”

“For real. This may not be the perfect moment to ask, but…I want you to marry me.”

She opened her mouth but found she couldn’t form the words. Her mouth had gone dry. Maybe she was dreaming. “Is this real?”

“It is to me. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes I will because I want it all. You. I want so badly for Delaney to be mine. I want us to be a real family.”

“That’s what I want, to make a life together for the four of us. I know now that’s all that matters. It’s all that ever mattered.”

She held his face in her hands. “I love you, Simon Bremmer, my reluctant hero.” When he started to speak, she pressed a finger to his lips. “No argument. You are to me. You’re everything to me.”

“I can handle that. I’ll go run Faye home and when I get back…”

“Beckham showed up to walk her home.”

“Already? Then want to go make out under the stars?”

“Absolutely. Every night for the rest of our lives.”