Walton moved to stand in the shadow of the barn. He knew that she was here, and the sooner he got her, the faster he could get out of town. He wasn’t sure how that was to work yet, but once he had his little boy he’d be home free. Things would finally start to go his way. He saw her before she turned and was glad that he’d been here to see it. Ginger was there, and she was holding his son like she was somebody.

“I know you’re there.” He turned to look, but it could only have been him that she was talking to. “You’ve been stalking me for three days, and it’s time we finished this. I’m going to tell you now, you’d be better off running. But knowing you, instead of running from the trouble you’re causing, you’ll head right to it.”

“I want him. You give me little Walton and I’ll go away without hurting you. I know you’re here all alone—stupid as usual on your part—but I want my son.” She told him she wasn’t going to give him up. “You will when I kill you.”

“Will you? I don’t think so. And besides, you have always thought me stupid, and yet here I am, the person that your poor dear mother left everything to.” That shocked him, and he told her that she lied. “I’m not. Don’t you read the papers? I’m an heiress. People are lining up to tell me how glad they are that you didn’t get the money. There was quite a bit of it too, Walton. More than enough to take care of her grandson.”

“You’ll have to sign that over to me, Ginger. It’s my son and money. My mother wasn’t anything but a stupid cow who murdered my father. You don’t deserve it any more than she did.” She told him it was hers in the first place. “Yes, yes, I heard that too. But Father had to take it from her because she was so bad with it. All women only want to go shopping, and I would imagine that my mother was no different. He saved her from being poor.”

“You think that, do you? From what I’ve been made to understand, she ran a multimillion-dollar company while under his rule, and when he told her that she was to sign over her holdings to him, she didn’t. Your mother was brave in that. He might well have lost it like he did most of the holdings he had before they were married.” Again, he called her a liar and asked why she’d say such thing. “It’s the truth, whether you want to believe it or not.”

“It doesn’t matter who had what. It should have come to me, and I want it. I’ll need it to raise my son.” She told him no and laid the little bundle at her feet. “What are you going to do now? Fight me? Good. Come on, Ginger. It’ll be like old times. I’ll knock you around until you’re out cold, then I’ll take my son and we’ll all be happy.”

“You’re not taking him. I’ve decided that I don’t want you around either. I’m not going to be looking over my shoulder at every dark shadow that might be you.”

He laughed, not sure where all this bravado was coming from, but he’d surely knock that out of her soon enough. Taking a step toward her, he was surprised when she didn’t back away. It was a game that they had played all the time when she’d been with him. It made the chase more fun when she was afraid of him.

“What’s gotten into you? You used to know the rules of the game. You need to play with me or it’ll not go well for you. Come on now, I’ll hit you and you’re going to cower on the ground.” She said that she wasn’t afraid of him any longer. “You’d better be. I’m going to knock the shit out of you and take my son. Then you’re going to be a good girl and give me what I want.”

“I’m never giving anyone what they want again. You’re nothing to me.” He lunged toward her and she moved. It was fast, like she was prepared for anything that he put out. Well, he wasn’t having it. Not today. When she was far enough away from the baby, he snatched him up. Looking down at it, he saw that it was nothing more than a kid’s doll. A girl at that.

“What the fuck is this?” She laughed, and he had a moment of fear. It didn’t sound at all like Ginger. “What are you doing with my kid, Ginger?”

“Not Ginger.” While he watched she changed from his wife to something else. The creature standing before him looked like a giant bug, one that had wings and sparkled when they moved. “I’m Winnie. Someone that you should fear, but I know you won’t. You are stupid, aren’t you?”

“Where’s my son? Where is Ginger? Tell her that I want her to bring him here, and my money. It’s mine, you fucking cunt!” She asked why he had to resort to name calling. “You called me stupid.”

“No, I said that you were, I didn’t call you that. And I’m not going to get her here, you won’t get that precious little boy, and you are never going to terrorize anyone again.” She laughed, and he felt that same shiver of fear run over him. “You really should pay attention to your surroundings, Stupid. And yes, that time I did call you Stupid.”

He turned around when she nodded to his left. And when he did, Walton quickly turned back to stare at the woman, or whatever the fuck she was. But when she walked by him, taking the little dolly with her, he turned too. There were five of the biggest fucking dragons that he’d ever seen—of course, he’d only seen one before, but they were fucking huge. The man with them came toward him, and he knew it was one of the Mannings. It occurred to him that all the rumors were true. They were dragons.

“Hello, Walton. I’ve been waiting for you to come here. It’s a shame that you had to make it today—we’re sort of pressed for time.” He said he’d come back. “No, no. I’d rather get this over with, wouldn’t you?”

“What do you think you’re going to do? Kill me? Not going to happen. I don’t know how you’re making those dragons, but you won’t let them hurt me, will you?” The man just nodded, and one of them blew a stream of fire so close to his feet that he jumped back from it. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You could have killed me.”

“That’s the plan, you see. We’re going to make sure that you’re dead before we go to the gallery tonight.” He asked where Ginger was. “Oh, she’s feeding Wendall. And then she and her sister are going to get dressed for the opening tonight. It’s really too bad that you can’t be there. Well, it’s not—you weren’t invited anyway. But you’re going to die today, and that’ll be the end to all your terror.”

“Just like that? You think you’re going to kill me like I’m nothing at all. People know that I’m here.” He said that they didn’t, nor did anyone care. “They do. I’ve got plenty of friends that’ll avenge my death.”

“Doubtful. You have no friends, and the crew that you hung out with are all in prison, where you should be.” He said that he’d been released. “No, you escaped, and that’s a big difference. And the police have said that we might handle this in any way that we wish. Nice of them, don’t you think?”

“I want to go back to jail.” The dragons took a step toward him and he felt the ground rumble with their weight. “I don’t want you to kill me like this. I have no idea how you think you’re going to manage this, but you can’t do it.”

“Oh, but we can.” The dragons were standing around him, each a different hue of blue. He might have thought it was pretty but for the fact that he was about to piss his pants. “Walton Conrad, the last of your family, the worse man that I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. I hereby sentence you to death by fire—the only way that my family can be safe, the only way to rid this world of your reign.”

The first flame of fire touched his face. It wasn’t so bad, but he felt the heat of it on the rest of his body before he could laugh in their faces. Then they all sprayed their heat at him, and it was then that he realized he was going to die. When they suddenly stopped, he lay on the ground; there wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t hurt. And when Ginger or her sister, he could no longer tell, came to stand in front of him, she threw cash at him.

“This is all you wanted. Blood money.” He tried his best to grab it all up before she laughed at him again. “Even with your own death staring you in the face, you cannot let a little of the money you fought so hard to steal get away, can you?”

“Son,” he said as best he could, and she only shook her head. “Want. Son.” His lips no longer worked. He couldn’t even lift his hands to see what was the matter with them. He was going to die, and he wasn’t sure right now that he cared. He hurt that badly. “Son.”

“You have no son. He will never know of you. For as long as I live, I will never tell him that you were his father. He’ll never be like you. Never be the man that you are. He’ll be good and kind. He’ll be my son, and I’ll raise him the way I want.”

The flames hit him again; this time he was sure they were making him suffer. The pain was incredible. He hurt so badly that he wasn’t sure there was anywhere they’d missed. As he lay there, his body on fire, he thought of his son and wondered if he’d remember him despite his mother. No, no one would remember him at all.

Closing his eyes, or attempting to, he could still see the dragons. They were finished, he thought—no more fire came his way. As the biggest came forward, he prayed for help, but was sure that the only help he was going to get was death. Walton didn’t think anyone could come back from this much fire.

The shadow of the dragon’s foot covered him. In that last moment of his life, Walton thought of his son, and wondered once again if he’d remember him fondly. Then nothing.

~~~

Grace went to find her sister after the body was taken care of. What she had done, said to the man, was the bravest thing she’d ever seen. She’d stood up to her tormentor and then walked away. But Grace knew what it had cost her, and when she found her on the back deck, she didn’t say anything but sat down beside her.

“What do you suppose my son will say when he finds out that I had his father killed?” Grace was trying to think of an answer when Ginger continued. “Not only did I watch him be killed, but I denied him his dying wish.”

“Do you think he would have done the same for you had you been dying by his hand? You think he would have shown you any mercy at all when he murdered you and Mattie?” Ginger said that he’d have not hurt her. “Yes, he would have. She was in his way. He would have taken her, used her to get you to bring him Wendall, then he would have killed you both. He hurt her before.”

“But I stood by while he suffered.” This time she didn’t answer her. “He killed a lot of people, just to get to me. And he would have done more too, wouldn’t he?”

“Yes. He was determined to get his little boy, as he called him. And to get back at you. I’m serious when I tell you that he would have taken Mattie and killed you both.” Ginger laid her head on her shoulder, just like when they were kids. “I’m glad that you got to have closure with this. And to know that he’ll never bother you again. I’m so proud of you, Ginger.”

“I’m proud of you as well. My little sister is making a name for herself.” Grace pointed out that she was only twenty minutes older than her. “Yes, well, having two kids and a maniac chaining me to a bed, making me service him all the time, makes me considerably older than those lousy minutes.”

They were both laughing when the men and women joined them. Winnie commented on how even she was proud of Ginger, and that she’d done a very good job of making sure he knew who was boss. Carson said that she might not have been able to do something like that and was jealous of her bravery. All in all, Grace realized that having support like this was the best thing to have.

Ginger went in to feed Wendall and Grace headed out to the studio. Yesterday the men had finished putting in the insulation for her to have warmth in the winter months, and the air conditioner and furnace were done as well. Going into the drying room, as she’d begun to call it, she looked around at the empty area. The paintings had been picked up last night.

Someone was coming in today to make her several large canvases. And she was excited about getting a start on the next series. The muse was being quiet for a change, so Grace painted what she wanted, and that was her sister and her two children. It was fun for her to be able to make this gift for her, and she wanted it to be perfect. By the time Lincoln joined her, she had them marked and ready for detail to be put in.

“There was a phone call for you. Ginger took it. It was your parents.” She turned and looked at him, the painting forgotten. “They just read about your sister being a new mom and seemed to have not known about Mattie. How is that possible?”

“They are usually too into whatever they’re doing to realize that they have children. Ginger and I left home when we were sixteen. We’ve not been back to see them since. So, it’s been twelve years.” He asked what they were doing. “Whatever shiny thing that came along. They weren’t good to us, thinking that since we were no longer requiring them to feed us or change our diapers, then we were old enough to fend for ourselves. So, we did. It’s small wonder that they even took the time to call.”

“That does not sound like a loving grandparent, or even parent for that matter.” She said they weren’t and put her brushes away. “I’ve ruined your mood. I’m so sorry.”

“No, I am sorry. I don’t want them to come here. And I’m betting that Ginger doesn’t either. I’d expect them sometime, but they’ll neither stay long nor will they be very proud of either of us. Not my accomplishments, nor the fact that Ginger has money.” Lincoln asked if they’d try to take money from them. “Oh no, that’s not their style. They won’t even ask, even if they thought that they could convince us to give it to them. They just don’t care about anything we do or what we might have that they don’t. They’re cold, heartless people.”

“Wow, I’m truly sorry.” She smiled at him. “That doesn’t look like a friendly smile, love. What are you planning in that head of yours? Trouble?”

“No, but I’m betting that Ginger wishes she’d not taken the call for me.” He laughed. “Garrett wants me to be at the gallery at five for a preview of what he’s done. I told him that I trusted him and he’s happy with that, but wants me to come in. He’s also told me that he wants the wolf paintings too.”

“I’ve got a photographer coming in the morning. Are they dry enough to move? I think he wants to take them outside for better lighting.” She said that they’d be all right. “And I have the drywaller coming tomorrow as well. They’ll hang the last of it while we’re in town if that’s okay with you.”

“Yes. I’ll make sure that everything is covered so that no dust gets onto anything. And thank you for the garage door. It’ll make getting some of the smells that linger out of here faster. Not to mention I’ll be able to move my work to the doorway when it’s not too cold out to paint by natural sunlight.” He bowed to her. “Have I told you lately that I love you? I do. Very much so.”

“And I love you. Very much so.” He hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and let him hold her. “So, we’re done talking about your parents?”

“Yes. They aren’t in our lives anymore, and that’s the way we’ll keep it. If Ginger doesn’t get talked into inviting them here.” He asked if she would. “I don’t know. She’s still on a pretty good high about Walton being gone. Not that he’s dead, but the freedom of not having to worry about him any longer.”

“All right then. We’ll deal with it if we have to.” She thanked him. “Mark is coming next week. He is excited to see the Conrad estate. If this works out for him and Ginger, he said that he’d travel to the other homes and deal with them as well. I don’t know that he has any idea what sort of things are in this house in town, but you can bet he’ll make her the best deal on it all.”

“I thought they were going to have an auction.” Lincoln said that Mark was going to buy some of the pieces himself and then have an auction. “That’ll be good. She said that whatever she makes off this, she’s going to set up a fund at the high school in Molly’s name, the Molly Conrad Foundation. Whatever it is, I’m going to donate to it as well from the sale of my paintings.”

“We will as a family too. Cooper has been talking about college funds for a couple weeks now. This will be a good one for us to start on.” She moved to clean up her area and he sat down on the table. “Sadie is coming over when we get back. She’s talked to Winnie—I guess they knew each other before she helped my dad. Winnie has convinced, or partially so, Cooper that she really has something of our dad’s and wants to make sure that he gets it. I’m curious what it could be.”

“I would be too. I mean, your father has been gone for a very long time, hasn’t he?” Lincoln told her more years than they could count. “I hope whatever it is brings you all joy. To have something from someone that loved you that much would be amazing. Especially after all this time.”

Ginger came out to talk to her about their parents, and Lincoln said that he had to go into town for some projects he had to get going. Grace asked her what they wanted now. And were they coming here.

“I didn’t get that they wanted anything. They read about your showing and told me how they knew you had talent. I don’t know how they would have, but I didn’t say anything. And they are coming, but only for a day or two. They have other commitments.” Ginger laughed. “They want to drive on out to the coast before it gets too terribly cold, then they’re headed back home. I guess Dad finally got a job, and he worked until he retired and they’re spending all his pension on travel. And I’m quoting her here, ‘they only have a few years left to do all the things they want.’ I asked about seeing the kids and they said if they have time—they’ve never really liked children.”

“Good old Mom; never be tactful when being rude can do it so much faster. Did she hurt you with that?” Ginger said no, she had expected it. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I don’t care if they come or not. If they do, then okay, we’ll see them, and they’ll move on. If not, what are we out? Nothing. They’re the ones that did this to us, and I’ve no desire to see about patching things up with them now. I’m a bigger person, and a much better mom.”

“You are at that. The best mom there is, as a matter of fact.” They both laughed, and it felt good. “Did Lincoln tell you that Mark is coming next week? You’ll be able to get rid of all that crap now. And I heard that the local used clothing store is taking all the clothes from the house for you.”

“Yes, it’s really nice how they’re even going to come get them. Someone needs to be there. They prefer a police officer, just so we can’t say they took something that didn’t belong to them.” Ginger snorted. “Whatever they wanted to take, I’d be glad to get rid of it. It’s all going anyway.”

They talked about nothing much while she gathered up her list of supplies that she needed ordered. She had applied for a sales license and gotten it. Now she was ordering in bulk, and it was really nice to have so much on hand that she didn’t have to not finish a painting because she didn’t have the right color or brush.

“I was thinking about this showing tonight.” Grace asked if she was going. “I am. But I wanted to ask if you had a dress I could borrow. I want to look fabulous tonight. I have no idea, but you know how it is, you want to look pretty for yourself.”

“Yes, you can borrow anything I have, you know that—and you are pretty. Beautiful even. And you are an amazing person. You don’t treat yourself like you know that anymore.” Ginger thanked her. “You’re very welcome. And I think I have the perfect dress for you. When I was trying some on for this thing, the lady sent out a bunch of them for me to try on. I took the black one, and you can wear the white that looks just like it.”

“You think that’ll be all right? I mean, we’re twins. Won’t it be childish for us to wear matching clothes?” Grace told her that they were adults, and they could damn well do what they wanted. “You’re right. I’m game if you are.”

Going up to her room, Grace got the dresses and took them to Ginger. They were going to start getting ready for this thing anyway; they might as well make a girls’ afternoon of it. She told Lincoln what they were doing. Not the dresses, but that they were getting ready.

Mark has made it early. He’s going to the gallery with us. I hope you don’t mind. She said that she didn’t. Good. Also, flowers arrived for you from your parents. I read the card because—well, I didn’t know who would be sending my girl flowers. And I understand now about them.

What did the card say? He read it to her. Yes, well that’s them in a nutshell. All right, we’ll be ready in a couple hours. You will be completely blown away by how beautiful we are.

I am every time you come into a room. And it doesn’t matter what you have on either. I think you’re the most gorgeous creature ever created. She told him she loved him. You are my heart, Grace, and will be forever.

Closing the connection, she told Ginger that Mom and Dad weren’t going to come after all. Then she told her what the note said. They both got a good laugh over it.

“They actually said, ‘We’ve thought it over and we don’t want to see the children. They’re very messy. Maybe next time we come through.’” Ginger shook her head. “Not even a love, just a simple Mom and Dad. They’re so wonderful, aren’t they? Not really.”

Tonight, they were going to have a good time, despite their parents being assholes. Messy indeed. As they got dressed, she wondered about her sister and finding someone to love. She of all people deserved it.