Hearths of Fire (45 page)

“Mandy?” Charlotte hadn’t expected to see her sister, but the moment she’d caught sight of her brought tears to both of them. They held each other until a light cough could be heard and then Charlotte drew away, placing her hands on Mandy’s cheeks. “It’s over. We’re safe.”

“I’m so, so sorry,” Mandy said, her bloodshot eyes evident that it would take a very long time for her to get over what had taken place. “Becky was taken because of me and they almost k-killed you. I didn’t want to believe it, even when I’d overheard those women at the compound. But now—”

“They didn’t succeed,” Charlotte reassured her, pulling her in for another hug. “I’m here. Becky’s home safe and you never have to see those awful people ever again.”

Charlotte knew it would be hard for Mandy to cut ties with a young man that she’d thought would be her husband one day. Regardless of what a person has done, the feelings you had for him or her didn’t just fade away into nothing instantly when you learn they aren’t who you thought they were. They remained like litter after a parade and she would eventually have to deal with the mess. The only thing Charlotte would be able to do was be supportive and be there for when Mandy was truly ready to let it all out.

“Robert and Garreth are being charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, and so many other counts that they’re too long to list.” Neal spoke from his chair at the kitchen table. When Charlotte released her hold on Mandy she turned to see the man that she hoped would hear her out when they had time alone. There were many things she wanted to tell him, but for now being close to him would have to do. Her heart lifted when he held out his hand. She gratefully took it and the comfort he gave by wrapping his arm around her waist as he drew her to him, although his gaze was set on Mandy. She’d folded a leg underneath her as she sat in one of the chairs, shredding the tissue that she held in her hands as she listened to what Neal had to say. “There are several of their followers, such as Sally Jenkins, who will be charged as well. In fact, many of the inner circle are trying to make deals to limit the amount of time they’re looking at. Bottom line? Ashes to Dirt is done.”

“I still can’t believe Sally has been involved with the cult this entire time and reporting my whereabouts, Mandy’s, and basically any information she could gather to the Ashes.” Charlotte pulled away from Neal only to take the seat next to him. Their hands had stayed connected and when he squeezed them lightly, Charlotte knew that things were going to work out just fine. “What about the other members that didn’t have a clue as to what Patricia and Robert had planned?”

“They’ll be released and looking for somewhere they can belong. They all lost everything they had when they hooked up with the Ashes.” Neal shifted so that he could easily address both her and Mandy. He looked well rested and Charlotte knew he’d fallen asleep with her, but not how long he’d been awake. She glanced at the stove to see the display reading six o’clock in the evening. “Let’s hope they make a better choice next time around, although it’s doubtful. They certainly won’t get their money back. The Ashes had little cash on hand, so whatever they obtained from their followers has been spent.”

“And Becky?” Mandy asked, looking between the two of them for answers. Brad must have dropped her off recently since she was still asking questions. Charlotte had wanted to personally thank him for what he’d done as well, but it looked like it wouldn’t happen today. “How is she? Is she mad at me?”

“No, kiddo, she’s not mad at you.” Neal was shaking his head at Mandy’s question, although Charlotte could see that his answer meant the world to her. “The federal agents took her to the hospital to get checked out. The Ashes didn’t harm her and they fed her three times a day. Physically she’ll recover just fine.”

“You said she was kept underground in a—”

“Mandy,” Neal said in a gentle tone that eased Mandy’s tension, “why don’t you go over to her house? She was asking about you and I promised her that once you got home you would be right over. I think it’s important for the two of you to be together right now. I’ll take you over there though, since I don’t think it’s wise for you to be alone just yet. If you want me to come back to pick you up later, I will…or you can spend the night. Either way, just let me or Charlotte know.”

Mandy was nodding her head but looking at Charlotte for confirmation. There was an unspoken question that hung in the air. That’s when she understood that Mandy was worried about her physical and mental condition as well.

“Mandy, I’m fine. They didn’t get a chance to hurt me. It was all over in a couple of hours.” Charlotte reluctantly released Neal’s hand and leaned forward to place her fingers over Mandy’s. “Go spend time with Becky. Neal’s right and I think it will do the two of you good. Then when you get home, you and I can huddle up under our favorite blanket on the couch and talk about our futures—whether that’s tonight or in the morning, it’ll be our time.”

“Okay,” Mandy said in agreement, clearing her throat twice. She still looked a little skeptical regarding Charlotte’s claim of being okay, but she didn’t know how else to reassure her sister. Being in this kitchen with the two people who meant everything to her was validation she was alive and well. “But I’d like to come back here in a few hours if that’s all right? I just need to be home.”

“I’ll come back for you around twenty-one hundred hours. That’s nine o’clock for you civilians. That’ll give you two girls some time.” Neal waited for Mandy to stand before he did, and then he lingered in the kitchen for Mandy to collect her phone that was in the living room. The moment she was out of sight Neal reached for Charlotte’s hand and pulled her out of the chair. “I’d hoped you would have slept longer. How do you feel?”

“I’m glad you’re still here,” Charlotte whispered the truth, searching his green eyes for any evidence that he was thinking of leaving tomorrow. She wanted to ask where the team had gone but she wasn’t sure she was ready for that answer. “Thank you for taking Mandy over to Becky’s house. I’m going to take a quick shower while you’re gone and then I’d like for us to talk.”

Neal’s facial expression was hard to read, but Charlotte could see that he wasn’t tense like before. His shoulders were relaxed and there seemed to be a calming aura that surrounded him. It gave her hope that he would really listen to what she had to say and when he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, she breathed deeply and inhaled his clean fresh scent. She’d known from the damp ends of his hair that he’d already taken a shower. She breathed in once more, wishing she could bottle his smell.

“Be good,” Neal murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Charlotte felt him pull away and she had no choice but to let him go. Neal walked through the doorway and into the living room, his voice fading as he and Mandy left the house. She wrapped her arms around her waist, looking around the kitchen she’d grown up in and had made her own home. She loved Hearth, but it had taken her a very long time and a life threatening event to understand that a town wasn’t home—it was the people you were with. Would Neal forgive her for past mistakes and agree with her now? Or was it too late to change things?

*

Neal used the
spare key to unlock the door, and even though Robert and Garreth Ashe were in custody, Neal still took the time to look around the neighborhood. The sky was clear so the moon shed its light on the areas where the streetlights didn’t. The nights were now getting downright cold and the dead leaves had started to fall. They were rustling in the slight breeze that had picked up during the day as a northern low pressure weather front blew in. The houses surrounding Charlotte’s residence were lit from within and he could even see a couple of television sets broadcasting the nightly news through the open windows.

Everything was as it should be with nothing ominous in the air. Evil had been thwarted last night and the townsfolk could rest easy. Neal breathed in deep, loving the smell of autumn and burnt hardwood logs that carried through the air. This was his hometown, but it wasn’t his home anymore. He had a new life in California…and he didn’t want to go back alone because technically San Diego wasn’t home either just yet. His place was with Charlotte, but could he ask her to give this up?
Her
home? The bookstore? Her life-long friends and neighbors? There was only one way to find out—he had to ask.

Pushing open the front door, Neal entered the warm house and listened for sounds to indicate if she was still in the shower. He couldn’t hear any running water so he quietly closed the door and made sure the deadbolt was turned. He tossed the keys on the side table in the entry hall as he continued through to the living room and further on into the kitchen, down the back hall until he came to her bedroom. And there she was…waiting for him.

“How is she?” Charlotte asked from her place on the bed. Her damp hair hung over one shoulder and her freshly cleaned face made her look years younger. She was wearing a small white terry cloth robe and what he hoped was covering her lack of anything else underneath. Her concern for Mandy was automatic and that was one of the things he loved about her. “It’ll take a while, but I think she’ll come out of this stronger in the end.”

“With you looking out for her, Mandy will do just fine.” Neal leaned against the doorjamb, taking in the beauty that he’d missed out on for over eight years. “And you? You’ve got more strength than any six women I’ve ever met combined. It’s me I’m worried about.”

“You?” Charlotte’s voice raised an octave and her lips remained parted as if she wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Neal started the process of removing his shoulder holster, wanting to get more comfortable for what lay ahead. It didn’t take her long to rebound and want clarification. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Well, let’s spell it out.” Neal pushed himself off the frame and made his way closer to the bed. He stopped briefly to lay his weapon on the dresser, where he also leaned down to untie his boots. “One, Hearth is now safe for the townsfolk, including you and Mandy. Two, Mandy is now free to live her life and go to nursing school without the threat of Garreth hanging over her head.”

Neal finally removed both boots and placed them alongside the dresser. He then reached for the sweater he’d put on earlier and drew it over his head, making sure he pulled his T-shirt along with it. He let them drop to the floor.

“Three, you have your bookstore, your neighbors, your friends. This is where you’ve lived your entire life.” Neal unhooked the button of his jeans. Something stirred inside of him as Charlotte had kept her eyes glued to his every movement. Her blue eyes had deepened and her fingers were now stroking her damp hair, which was drying at a rapid pace and springing into those natural waves he loved so much. It was time he told her so. “Me? I have until the beginning of next week before I return to San Diego—basically a ninety-six hour liberty pass. The team was given additional leave for pulling off not one but two successful missions. Unfortunately that means I’m returning to an empty apartment—by myself.”

“And you don’t want that?” Charlotte whispered in a hopeful tone that made his breathing a little easier. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be at even the tiniest of suggestions, considering he’d basically told her that he wasn’t sure he could forget how easily she’d walked away before. Time had put things into perspective…that included the time they’d spent together these past six days. She shook her head and pursed her lips, causing his step to falter as he walked toward the bed. “Wait. Before you answer that, let me say something.”

Charlotte rose on her knees and scooted over to the edge of the bed, holding out one hand. It was then that he realized she held something in her other. He was distracted though when she grabbed his fingers and brought him closer to her. She tilted her head back and looked up at him with eyes that he’d seen every night in his dreams. Was she about to send him back to those or make them a reality?

“Making the decision to not marry you back then…I don’t know if it was a mistake or not. The man you are today is maybe not the one you would have been had we married. I might not have turned out to be the woman I am. If we spend the rest of our lives on
what ifs
and not living it to the fullest, well, we’d be cheating ourselves.” Charlotte raised one hand and traced the edges of his tattoo, which seemed to have become a focus for her. “I didn’t make that decision because I didn’t love you. I made it because I did and if I know one thing…it is that my love for you has never faded. It’s as strong as it was the day we were to be married. Standing in that clearing, waiting for that knife to end my life, made me see that
we
are worth fighting for. And the home that I thought you would never return to? It isn’t Hearth. It’s me…and I now know that you will always come home to me…wherever that may be. I love you, Neal Bauer.”

Neal had to grit his teeth to keep from interrupting her and saying that he agreed with every word she said. He could see this was something she needed to say, but that wasn’t what kept him silent. It was what was in her hand and what she was now holding up for him to see. It was her engagement ring from so long ago. The gold ring with a single small marquise cut diamond that was all he could afford back in the day had taken his breath away. She’d kept it all this time. With a tremor in his fingers, he took it from her.