When I walked into the reception area, Colt was anxiously pacing. I headed straight to the front door, and he followed on my heels.

We walked side by side to his truck, and as soon as we got inside, I said, “Take me to Momma’s house.”

“What did you tell her?” he asked, his hands tight on the wheel.

“That my father confessed to killing Max Goodwin, Neil Fulton, and Steve Morrissey, and that I highly suspect he killed Rowena Rogers and her special friend.”

His body tensed and fear filled his eyes. “What have you done, Magnolia?”

“I told her the truth.”

“He’s going to kill you.”

“No,” I said as I stared out the side window. “I don’t think he will.”

“He might kill me,” he said quietly.

I reached over and grabbed his hand, threading his fingers with mine. “No. That won’t be happening either.” I squeezed his hand. “She didn’t believe me, but I asked her if Amy didn’t kill those men, then who did?”

“What have you done, Magnolia?” he repeated.

“I’ve tried to get yet one more of Franklin’s finest to find the serial killer.”

“This is dangerous.”

“It’s been dangerous. I’m just speeding the end along.”

We were silent for the rest of the short drive to Momma’s house—my house now. Colt looked around before he let me get out of his truck to go inside. He locked the front door behind us and set the alarm, then walked through the house, making sure no one had snuck inside to lie in wait.

After declaring the house safe, he opened the fridge and pulled out a half-eaten pie and two forks. He set it on the kitchen table and patted the spot next to him. “I have some things to tell you.”

“You think it will go better with pie?”

He gave me a sad smile. “Everything goes better with pie.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. “True enough.”

I poured two glasses of milk and set them down on the table, then took the fork he offered and sat down at the end of the table next to him.

“Whatever was in Momma’s safety deposit box had to do with Delilah, didn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes.” He dug his fork into the French silk pie and took a bite.

“She was the woman you loved. And lost.”

He took another bite.

“I understand that you have things you want to keep private, but there’s no judgment from me, Colt. I know you aren’t perfect. Maybe that’s why I feel so connected to you. Because we get each other.”

“It’s more than that, Magnolia. And what I found in that safety deposit box both frees Delilah and curses me.”

I dug my fork into the pie and forced a grin. “From what I saw, my mother had plenty of curses for you. She didn’t need a safety deposit box for that.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “True enough.” Then he turned serious. “Your mother found out the truth, both about who Delilah really is and how to free her.”

I set my fork on the table and asked quietly, “Who is she, Colt?”

His gaze lifted to mine. “You asked why your father chose me. Delilah is the reason.”

“He had something on her too, didn’t he? Something made up to hurt her?”

“Maggie, I’m scared this is the one secret that will be too much for you. The curse part.”

“Then I really need to know, don’t I?”

He turned to look out the back window and nodded.

“Did you love her?”

“Yes.”

I took a second before I asked, “Do you still love her?”

He chuckled, but his eyes were sad. “No. I let her go the day she turned away from me.”

“There’s a difference between letting someone go and not loving them anymore.”

He grimaced and gently said, “I guess you would understand that all too well.”

“Yeah.” I picked up my fork and took another bite of pie. “Did you purposely intend to hurt me with this secret, Colt?”

“No, Maggie. I swear. But I won’t be the only person you might be upset with after you find out the rest.”

“Momma? Daddy?”

He didn’t answer, just took another bite.

“I can handle the truth, Colt. Look at all the truths I just learned from Daddy. I’m sitting here eating pie instead of freaking out and sobbing in the corner.”

He reached over and cupped my face, looking deep into my eyes. “I know. It only proves that you’re stronger than me.” Then he dropped his hand and scooped another bite of pie.

I almost countered his claim—he’d proven he was plenty strong—but I could see he was working his way up to saying something.

“Delilah was caught up in the mess your father created. If it came to light, she’d lose her teaching license.”

“Teaching license?” I asked in confusion. “You said she was a waitress.”

“She was. She waitressed while she was in college. She’d wanted to be a teacher her entire life, and after graduation, she found a job as a first-grade teacher. We were talking about moving in together, and then I got arrested. Her school found out and rescinded their offer.”

“Couldn’t she have found another job? Someplace that didn’t know about your false arrest?”

“No, because they arrested her as an accomplice.”

“And a felon can’t get clearance to teach,” I said in defeat.

“That’s right. She blamed me for it, but the irony was that we were both arrested because of her sister. Your father got a two-for-one special with Delilah. He got me to work for him and kept her sister in line.”

Dread balled in my stomach and I forced myself to ask, “Who is her sister?”

He gave me a blank stare. “Belinda.”

“Belinda? But she’s an only child.”

He shook his head. “Belinda came to Nashville after her grandmother died, and she brought her sister with her. Delilah was in college. Now they’re estranged.”

“That’s why Belinda doesn’t like you.”

“Delilah blamed us both for nearly ruining her career and her life. Your father made sure to tell her why she’d been targeted. Your father threatened that he’d unseal her expunged records if I ever stepped out of line.”

“And Belinda?”

He shook his head, releasing a bitter laugh. “She was to keep Roy in line.”

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Belinda knew you were working for my father the entire time?”

“She didn’t know the details, but I’m sure she suspected.”

“And she never told my mother?”

“Maybe she did. In the letter the attorney read, your mother said she knew.”

“So what was in the safety deposit box?”

“Delilah’s arrest report and plea bargain. And a deposition from a retired police officer who said he knew Delilah and I had been falsely accused.”

“How did he know?”

“Because the arresting officer was still the retired cop’s friend.”

“Who was the retired cop?”

“Gordon Frasier.”

I put my fork down. “Who was the arresting officer?”

“Robert Mahoney. Do you know him?”

“No.”

“I had the pleasure,” Colt said bitterly. “Let’s just say I never want to see him again.”

I grabbed my laptop from the kitchen counter and did a quick search for Robert Mahoney. “He was killed in a hit-and-run about two months ago.”

“Right before you came back,” Colt said.

Of course. But this proved Brady was right. There had been at least one dirty cop on the police force. Were there more?

“So Momma knew you were working for Daddy, figured you were being blackmailed, and somehow found out about the false charges. Who would have helped her look that up?”

Colt’s eyes went round. He got up and ran out the front door, but before I could start to wonder where he’d gone, he returned with a packet in his hand. He pulled out the papers and started flipping through them. “Emily. She took his deposition. She sometimes did work as a public defender. She must have gotten access somehow.”

“Even so, that doesn’t explain how Momma got Gordon Frasier to give his statement in the first place.”

“A couple of months before you came back, a man came into the office a couple of times to see your momma. But he came in through the back door.” Colt pointed to my laptop. “See if you can find Gordon Frasier’s picture.”

I typed in his name. The top results brought up my father’s disappearance, but when I clicked on the images tab, several photos popped up.

“That’s him,” Colt said. “That’s the man who came to talk to your mother.” He turned to look at me. “That could explain why Emily was killed. She was getting too close.”

“And she’d been looking into my disappearance too. So we have Amy, who was blamed for Max Goodwin’s and Neil Fulton’s deaths, and Emily, who was looking into who framed you. Both crimes were perpetrated by my father.”

“And both Amy and Emily were killed by the serial killer,” he said.

I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to do with this, Colt.”

“Me neither.”

We sat in silence for a moment before I said, “This means you’re free from my father. He has no hold on you now.”

He looked mighty forlorn for someone who had just gained his freedom. “But where does this leave you and me?”

“You mean because of Delilah?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m still not sure why you didn’t tell me the truth this morning.”

“I swore to Delilah I wouldn’t tell a soul. But I called her after you left this morning and told her she was safe. She hung up on me.” He rested his forehead on his hands. “I’ve spent the past three years doing your father’s dirty work to keep her safe—all while she’s gone on living a normal life—and she couldn’t even say thank you.”

“She didn’t deserve you, Colt,” I said softly.

He glanced up at me, lowering his hands to the counter. “I didn’t deserve her.” A look of self-disgust washed over his face.

I reached over and covered his hand with mine. “No. My way was the right one.” I smiled softly. “Just remember I’m always right.”

He chuckled and hope filled his eyes. “I guess I’d save myself a shit ton of arguments that way.”

“I knew you were a smart man.”

“Some would argue against that,” he said wryly.

“Shut up and kiss me, Colt.”

He turned his hand over and held mine, then stood, pulling me to my feet.

I walked around the edge of the table and put my hand on his chest while I stared up into his eyes.

He watched me with a now-serious face. His hand dropped mine and lifted up to caress my neck, his thumb brushing my jaw.

A shiver ran down my spine, and an ache deep inside of me began to grow.

He wrapped his other arm around the small of my back and tugged me closer until I was pressed firmly against his body. Then he leaned down, his mouth inches from mine, as his hand tilted my head back.

Impatient, I lifted onto my toes to press my mouth to his. He grinned against my lips, but then took control. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his tongue tangled with mine, making me forget all the horrors of this night, the past month. The past fourteen years.

“I want you,” I breathed against his lips, then started to step backward, leading him upstairs.

He tugged me to his chest. “You’re giving me mixed signals, Mags. Pulling away while you tell me you want me.”

I grinned. “So you don’t want to go upstairs to my bed?”

“You don’t have to leave me for that.” He put his hands under my arms and lifted me up.

I laughed and wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. “Afraid I’ll change my mind on the way up the stairs?”

A sexy bad-boy smile lit up his face. “I’m not taking my chances.” He kissed me as he headed for the stairs, then lifted his head and grinned as he climbed.

My room was the first on the right, and he strode in, letting me slide down his body as he reached the bed. He sank one hand into my hair and gave me a long, leisurely kiss. When he lifted his face, he looked down at me with lust-filled eyes.

I reached for the top button of my shirt, but he pushed my hand down and started making quick work of the buttons. He spread my shirt open and rested his hands on my waist. Heat flooded my body and my breath increased, making my chest rise and fall. His gaze fell to my breasts as he pushed my shirt over my shoulders and let it drop. My bra was right behind it. His hands slowly skimmed up my sides, cupping my breasts.

He was still wearing his bartender’s shirt. I unbuttoned his shirt, pausing every few seconds while he distracted me with his hands on my body. A confident grin spread across his face as I tugged off his shirt.

I rested my palms on his chest and let my fingertips trail over his pecs. My gaze lowered to his eight-pack abs.

“When do you have time to work out?” I asked in awe.

He laughed. “I’ll tell you about my workout plan later.” Then he pushed me down on the bed and leaned over and unfastened my pants. He pulled them off leisurely, teasing me—no, from the look on his face, I could tell he was teasing us both. Then he grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a condom. He set both things on the nightstand before taking off his pants.

I reached for him, and he lay down next to me.

“You’re perfect,” he said, sliding his hand behind the back of my head and pulling my mouth up to his. His free hand roamed my body and the V between my legs, making me ache for more.

So why not take it?

I pushed Colt over onto his back, then straddled his waist.

His look of surprise and lust, tempered by a touch of amusement, gave me a thrill. I rested my hands on his shoulders and then lowered my mouth to his neck, kissing my way down over his sexy chest to his abs.

He grabbed my arms and tugged me up to his face, his lips reaching for mine. His lips and tongue danced with mine again until I rose up and snagged the condom off the nightstand.

“Impatient?” he asked, but I could see that he was impatient too.

I lifted a brow. “Complaining?”

He laughed. “Not a chance.”

I opened the package and rolled it onto him, reveling in the feel of him beneath my fingers. Then he grabbed my hips and I guided him into me, closing my eyes as he filled me.

“Jesus, Maggie,” he groaned, his fingers digging into my flesh.

He rolled me onto my back and pulled my leg up to his hip. He kissed me again as he drove deeper. I clung to him, each thrust pushing me higher until I shattered, calling out his name.

Colt gave one last thrust and collapsed on top of me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling him with me as he rolled onto his side. He kissed me again and then lifted his head. Brushing my hair from my cheek, he said, “I love you, Maggie.”

I lifted my hand to his face, but I couldn’t say it back. Not yet.