CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
‡
Christmas morning dawned two days later, bringing with it sunshine that came through the shutters. Its brightness had nothing on the colorful lights strewn around the Christmas tree or the vibrant wrapping paper that littered the floor. The only thing to give the brilliance any competition was Brody’s new Hawaiian shirts. Lord, they were loud.
“Why do you keep you looking over at Brody?” Shailyn asked, tilting her head up to receive an answer. She radiated happiness, regardless that the stitches in her side and back had to be sore. Her smile faded somewhat at his silence. “Has something happened with the investigation?”
Townes had stayed by her side for the past thirty-six hours, allowing the team to handle the remaining holes of the investigation. The other victim in the car accident that had given Moss an opportunity to drag Townes away had been one of his followers from way back when he was serving his sentence. The woman was now in custody, but she would most likely end up in front of a jury after her stint in the hospital. Her lawyer was claiming insanity. He sure as hell wasn’t wrong about that. She was crazy as a loon. Her condition turned for the worse when she received word that Moss had been gunned down and was roasting in hell.
“No,” Townes replied, stroking her arm in reassurance. He motioned that she should eat the blueberry muffin Brett had made at an ungodly hour of the morning to signify that it was Christmas morning. “Eat. You’re going to need your stamina when your parents come to visit.”
Shailyn pursed her lips, telling him that she didn’t believe his denial. He shot another look Brody’s way, but the man shook his head in answer to Townes’ silent question.
His Christmas present for Shailyn had yet to arrive. It was supposed to have been delivered thirty minutes ago, but no vehicle had approached the perimeter as of yet. There were still around ten sentries roaming the property, but that had more to do with the media than anything. He would gradually take that number down to five or so, always having the men and women on hand in case an acolyte decided to show up and try to finish what Moss started.
“Here,” Sawyer called out, reaching for a rectangular box wrapped in silver and white paper. It was complemented by a rather large silver bow. “Calvert. This one is for you.”
He frowned, wondering what the team was up to now. Everyone had opened their presents, though this year was rather sparse considering the amount of time they’d spent away from home.
“Put it back under the tree,” Townes demanded with a wave of his hand. “It probably contains the receipt for the bonus Brody gave himself for the additional admin work he’s been doing, and this is how he’s breaking it to me.”
“Oh, that money is already in my bank account,” Brody countered with a laugh. He rubbed his fingers together to indicate the large amount. “And I also gave myself hazard pay since my ass isn’t supposed to be in the field. Thank you, Calvert, for your overwhelming generosity.”
Townes muttered a few choice words before leaning forward and taking the proffered gift. Shailyn had set aside her blueberry muffin. It needed butter, anyway.
She was now watching him a little too intently. That made him suspect this gift was from her. He recalled her doing some online shopping with the other women, but he thought those gifts were for her parents. As a matter of fact, those two boxes were wrapped and still tucked underneath the tree somewhere.
“You realize that you’re going to be buying the donuts for the entire month of January, right?” Royce said with a smile, rubbing in the fact that he’d been purposefully buying only one of a particular kind of donut and letting Keane and Brody fight over it. “Keane, looks like you’re shit out of luck.”
Keane shot Brody the bird before closing the lid on the new watch Ashlyn had gotten him for Christmas. Everyone had pretty much already exchanged gifts, even Remy’s special present to Brody. She’d gotten him an autographed Hawaiian shirt worn by Tom Selleck himself during the show’s eight-season run.
It only served to remind Townes that Shailyn’s gift hadn’t arrived on time this morning.
“Townes?” Shailyn’s hand rested gently on his. Her softening gaze made him realize this present was from her. His chest tightened with emotion as he glanced down at the silver and white present wrapped so perfectly. He wanted to savor this moment. “Merry Christmas.”
Those two sweet words had almost been stolen from them.
“Please, Townes, open it.”
He slid a finger under one of the corners, the tape tearing away from the wrapping paper instantly. The heat from everyone’s gazes were on him, but he didn’t mind. These men and women were his family. There was much more to be said regarding loyalty than blood.
The bow and paper slid to the ground. In his hand was a white box. He slowly lifted the lid and shifted aside the silver tissue paper. His throat constricted at what lay inside. He recognized the hard-crafted work carved into the wood. He should. The man had constructed the house they all sat in to celebrate this Christmas.
Home.
The word wasn’t alone. Underneath, it listed Shailyn’s and his names…as well as the entire team.
“Thank you, freckles,” Townes managed to say around the constriction of his throat. “We’ll hang it up on the front porch today.”
Townes brushed his fingers over her cheek, staring into those emerald green eyes that now held the sparkle he’d so longed to see. He pressed his lips to hers, ignoring the applause from the surrounding group.
“Calvert, you’re up.”
Brody’s declaration had Townes carefully setting aside his present so that he could guide Shailyn outside. Everyone fell in line, not wanting to miss out on what was about to happen.
The coolness of the morning wasn’t enough to warrant sweaters or jackets due to the warm sunshine. The sound of a vehicle broke through the American Elm trees lining the long, private lane. A large white van finally broke in the clearing past the guard shack.
“What did you do?” Shailyn asked with a laugh, following Townes down the wooden stairs.
Townes remained silent, allowing the driver to put the van in park before exiting. He got out of the vehicle with a smile, understanding that this had been kept a secret. He opened the back doors.
Out came a bundle of fur in the form of a yellow Labrador Retriever. The red bow around her neck signified she was the one chosen for Shailyn. The driver started walking forward with the excited puppy in his arms.
“Townes?” Shailyn whispered in awe, covering her lips with her hands. She quickly turned and lifted herself up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. He leaned down to make it easier for her, not wanting her stitches to pull. “He’s mine?”
“She is yours,” Townes corrected, pressing his forehead against hers. There was something he needed her to know. “Unconditional love comes in many forms, Shailyn. Mine included.”
“I love you, too, Townes Calvert. With all my heart.”
The driver closed the distance, causing Shailyn to turn and take the bundle of joy from his arms. The puppy licked her chin and cheeks excitedly, wagging her tail as if she understood this was her new home. Shailyn held onto the little furbaby with a smile that rivaled the sun. Her laugh rang out when everyone closed in to meet the new member of the family.
“Merry Christmas, freckles.”
~ The End ~
Thank you for reading Deadly Premonitions and joining me in the conclusion of the Safeguard Series!
I hope that you’ll love the Kendall family—coming in January 2018—as much as you loved the SSI team members.
You can read all about the Keys to Love series below and can also preorder your copies