“What phone call?” Chase asked before she could.
“Jasmine called Andrea. She told her she would be joining her soon. That was our break.”
“So, you knew who she was talking to that night? Why didn’t you tell us? I’ve been out of my mind. I broke up with Chase to protect him!” Jena was furious.
“You wouldn’t have been a good enough actress to fool that one, Jena. He would have run.”
“Now, my sister’s going to jail, isn’t she?”
“I wish I could tell you she wasn’t. That will be up to the prosecutor. Of course, you can count on me to put in a good word for her. Trevor used her. Hopefully, the D.A. will go easy on her. No money from the insurance company has changed hands yet, so there was only intent. That will help her, but not Richards. We have a sheet so long on him the Devil would blush.” Mrs. R. took her hand. “I’m truly sorry, dear, but I’m not sorry about being there to watch over you. There is one thing you must never question. I’m very fond of all of you. I hope someday you will forgive me.”
Jena didn’t reply. Forgiveness? She wasn’t there yet.
“Knock, knock.” Detective Burrows poked his head in. “I have someone here to see you.” He stepped aside to allow Andrea around him, running as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Jena collapsed in grateful tears.
“Aunt Jen, why are all the police cars here? Mama said to go with Mr. Burrows.” She motioned for Jena to lean down and she whispered, “I saw them carry a dead guy.”
Jena glanced at Chase in time to see him cover a smile. “He wasn’t dead, honey, only hurt.”
How was she going to explain all of this?
****
“Chase, can I have a minute?” Detective Burrows shot him a look signifying it wasn’t an option.
He followed him into the hallway. “What’s up?”
“They’re getting ready to transport your sister-in-law to the station,” he said, sounding apologetic. “You have a lawyer you could call? I’m not sure the little lady is ready to represent her sister.”
Chase hesitated. “Yeah. Sure. Let me think.”
Braden walked up beside him, resting his hand on his shoulder. “Got it covered, Dude. I put in a phone call to the band attorney and he’s calling a buddy of his. I hung up with him a couple of minutes ago.”
“I owe you big time, Braden. Thanks.”
“Yes, you do and I’ve already started composing a list.”
“I’ll be heading out shortly. Can I give you a lift?” Detective Burrows asked Braden.
“It’s nice to see you two getting along,” Chase grinned at them.
“Well, the detective found a guitar player can come in handy.” Braden turned to Burrows. “Man, you should have seen it. I took out that muscle guy with a ridge hand. Totally awesome!”
“Okay, great.” Burrows rolled his eyes. “Chase, I’d like to stop by the house in a while. Ask a few questions.”
“We’ll be at my place. How long do you think they’ll keep Jasmine?”
“Honestly? Depends on if the judge considers her a flight risk and what the D.A. has to say. Sorry I can’t give you an answer.”
“I understand. The important thing is my girls are all safe. The rest we’ll have to deal with. One more thing…where’s Richards?”
The detective adjusted his ball cap nervously before responding. “He’s on his way to the hospital with a bullet wound to the arm.”
“That’s not the Richards I was referring to. I think you know that.”
“We don’t know where he is. Took off, but I have all my men out there looking for him. We’ll find him.”
“I hope you find him before I do.” Chase’s eyes narrowed. “Jen’s not safe until he’s out of the picture.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, kid,” Burrows warned.
“Me? Wouldn’t think of it. Braden, I’ll call you later.” He opened the door and went back to his family. Jena was doing her best to explain to Andrea why they were taking her mother away. The little girl was crying and it broke his heart.
Chase cleared his throat and two faces turned in his direction. “Andy, you’re getting to be a big girl,” he said as he sat down beside them. “I’m going to be honest. Your mom’s in some trouble, but we’re going to do our best to help her. We’ll get through this together, okay?”
Andrea nodded. She sniffed and wiped the tears off with her shirt, clinging to her uncle. Jena smiled at him through her tears. He pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “Let’s go home, Beautiful.”
Epilogue
“Do you, Chase Alexander Reiss, take Jena Lynn Shea to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
This was really happening. Jena stood beside Chase in the little church by the beach where they had held her sister’s memorial service. Things were a little different this time. They were still surrounded by loved ones, tears were still streaming down her face, and Chase was still as handsome as ever…but this time there were no goodbyes, only new beginnings.
Lost in Chase’s eyes, she barely heard a thing the minister was saying. This moment was between the two of them. The ceremony was a formality. She belonged to Chase from the moment she met him over a decade ago.
Jena took in every inch of him. She never wanted to forget how incredibly sexy he was in his black tuxedo, how he smelled, the feel of her hands in his, and the way he looked at her as if they were the only ones in the church.
“I do,” Chase responded, never taking his eyes from hers. Those eyes…the very ones she could lose herself in.
“Do you, Jena Lynn Shea, take Chase Alexander Reiss to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
What a stupid question, she thought as she smiled. She bit her lip when she noticed the moisture in Chase’s eyes.
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife…”
Chase cradled her face in his hands. He said only loud enough for her to hear, “I love you, Mrs. Reiss.”
“I love you,” she breathed.
His kiss promised her of things to come. The applause reminded them of their audience and he grinned at her with teasing eyes. Her need pulsed through her veins as her face filled with heat.
“Shall we skip the reception?” he winked.
“Very tempting, but you don’t want to miss the party. I hear there’s a great band playing.”
Jena caught Mrs. R. waving from the front pew. She laughed as they went forward to greet her and the detective before leaving the church.
It hadn’t taken Jena long to forgive her. Ellen Reynolds had become a surrogate mother to her. Her former housekeeper had been spending more and more time with the detective.
Uncle Fred had walked Jena down the aisle. The burly detective had a sensitive side and she knew he and Mrs. R. would be in their lives for a long time to come.
Jena turned to retrieve her flowers from her sister. Jasmine made a plea deal for evidence against Trevor Richards. The district attorney had been kind to her. She was let go with community service and two years’ probation. Jena was grateful. Jasmine, with some help, was turning back into the sister she remembered. She kissed her sister and kneeled down to her niece.
She couldn’t love this little girl any more if she were her own. Andrea was finally able to go home and live with her mom. Chase had taken care of the back payments and their lives were returning to normalcy.
Braden and the band stood in the first pew on the opposite side of the church. Jena watched as Chase embraced him. “Thank you, man, for all you’ve done.”
“Don’t get all girly on me and cry on my tux,” Braden joked. “Seriously, my pleasure.” He thumped Chase on the back and said, “Don’t be late for band practice on Monday.”
“I think you’ll have to work around me. I have better things to do.”
Jena shook her head with a smile. “What am I going to do with you?”
Chase held out his arm. “I have a few ideas. Are you ready, Mrs. Reiss?”
“Oh, I’ve been ready.”
“Keep that up and we won’t make it to the reception.”
They opened the doors to the front of the church and rays of sunshine covered them. She thought of her parents and Collin. She knew, instinctively, Chase was watching her. Jena turned to him and was greeted with that killer smile and his signature wink.
He embraced her as they stood, alone, outside the church. He stepped back, looked deeply into her eyes, into her soul, and tenderly ran the back of his hand over her cheek. He paused, smiling softly, and whispered “Welcome to my world, Mrs. Reiss. We’re going to make beautiful music together.”
A word about the author...
Lisa DeVore has dreamed of being a published author since she penned her first story at age eleven. She is an avid reader (thanks to the encouragement of her elementary school teacher) and passes on that passion as a reading tutor in her NE Ohio community.
She splits her time utilizing her accounting degree, writing, and spending time with her husband, two teenage sons, and a soon-to-be teenage daughter.
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