Bikinis in Paradise (Tj Jensen Pardise Lake Mysteries) (26 page)

Deciding to stop off at the post office while she was in town
, Tj returned to her SUV to drop off her packages, then headed on foot toward the county buildings.

The mystery surrounding Fenton Ridley and his son never really did get sorted out. Fenton had told Roy that he had proof that Porter had killed Tonya
, but after Kiara’s father was exposed as the killer, Fenton recanted his statement and Sheriff Boggs let him do so without so much as an explanation. Tj suspected that Fenton and Porter had been butting heads since Porter showed up on his doorstep. Perhaps Fenton really believed Porter was guilty of killing Tonya, or perhaps he simply saw the murder as a way to get his son out of his hair. Either way, the last she’d heard, Porter had been given a promotion and a raise, so apparently Fenton was continuing the tradition he’d established of buying his son’s forgiveness.

“Afternoon
, Hazel,” Tj said as she arrived at the post office.

“Tj
, I’m glad you stopped by. You have a certified letter. I was just about to leave you a message.”

“
A certified letter? For me?”

“Has your name on it,” Hazel confirmed. “You’ll need to sign right here before I can hand it over. It looks like it’s from a law office. I hope there is
n’t any trouble.”

Tj signed where Hazel instructed and looked at the address. It was from a law firm in Los Angeles. Occasionally
, someone suffered a slip and fall at the resort and attorneys got involved, but those letters were always addressed to her dad. She couldn’t imagine what an attorney in Los Angeles—or anywhere else, for that matter—would want with her.

Tj knew that Hazel hoped she’d open t
he letter right there, but she decided to wait until after she’d left the scrutiny of one of the biggest gossips in town. Taking the pile of mail Hazel handed her, Tj walked out the front door and headed toward a picnic table in the shade, set on a slight hill. It provided a view of the lake while ensuring a modicum of isolation from the hustle and bustle of the sand lining the water.

Tj tore open the letter and began to read. When she looked back at this moment
, she would remember with total clarity the moment her life changed forever. Tears began to stream down her face as she stared blankly at the white parchment. The sound of children’s laughter in the background faded as Tj felt her entire world collapse around her.

“Tj.”

She looked up to see Dylan standing beside her.

“Are you all right?”

Tj stared at him blankly. She knew she should respond, but somehow she couldn’t form words.

“Has something happened?”
he asked.

Tj wasn’t sure why she didn’t
step into his arms, but for some reason she didn’t understand, she slid the manila envelope under the pile of mail and forced a smile to her face.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “I’ve just had one of those days and I got a letter that kind of threw me for a loop, but I’m fine.”

“I hoped we could talk.” Dylan seemed to hesitate, as if he realized she might dissolve into a puddle of mush at any moment.

“Have a se
at.” Tj motioned to the bench next to her. “What’s on your mind?”

“My sister and I had a long talk last night.”

Tj’s heart began to pound. She knew that everything she’d shared with Dylan, everything she hoped to share in the future, had come down to this instant.

“And?” Tj could barely whisper the word.

Dylan paused. He looked Tj directly in the eye. “Are you sure you want to do this now?”

Tj nodded
. The tears she’d unsuccessfully tried to control slid down her cheek. If his news was good, he’d come right out with it.

“The good news is that Allie has admitted that it
’s best for Justin if I’m an everyday part of his life. He needs a man to help guide him.” Dylan looked directly at Tj. “He needs me.”

“I know,” Tj whispered
.

“Although Allie has agreed that I
’m a vital part of Justin’s life, she confessed that, try as she might, she just isn’t comfortable with my being an officer of the law. I don’t know if she can ever get over what happened to Anna, what almost happened to me, and what could have happened to Justin if he’d been at our apartment on the day of the shooting.”

“You
’re quitting your job?”

“I handed in my resignation this morning.”

“You’re going back to Chicago?” Tj was certain she knew the answer but had to ask anyway.

“No, we are
n’t going to live in Chicago.”

Tj felt hope
, only to have it dashed within seconds.

“I’ve taken a job with a home and b
usiness security software firm in San Francisco. I have an appointment to list my house this evening.” Dylan looked longingly into her eyes. “We plan to be fully relocated before school starts in the fall.”

Tj bit her lip and tried to
suppress the tears that refused to be quelled.

“I’m so sorry.” Dylan could no longer hide the grief on his face.
“I really care about you. I’d hoped we’d have a chance to see where our relationship might go, but this is something I have to do.”

“I understand,” Tj
said, and she did. Maybe more now than ever. When it came to relationships, the children in your life always had to come first. Tj wanted to say something more, but there were no words to convey her emotions. She watched as Dylan stepped back and waved at someone behind her.

“I have to go.” He
leaned forward, kissed her soundly on the lips, and walked away.

Hunter sat down next to her
. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wept. Hunter held her, whispering words of support, until all her tears were spent.

“What are you doing here?” Tj finally
looked up and asked.

“Dylan called me,” Hunter admitted. “I think I
’m your consolation prize.”

Tj laughed. She wiped away the tears that had wet her face. “Consolation prize?”

“Dylan saw you sitting here from his office window. He knew what he needed to do and figured this was as good a time as any to do it. He didn’t want you to be alone, so he called me to ask if I could come over. I was at the hospital, so I agreed. If he had stayed, I’m sure he would have fought for you, but since he had to leave, I think that having me show up was his way of giving you to me.”

“
Giving me to you?”

“Symbolically
.”

Tj rolled her eyes.

“He really cares about you,” Hunter pointed out.

“I know. I care about him too.”

“So what do you think?” Hunter spread his arms, as if presenting himself. “Do I make an acceptable consolation prize?”

Tj laughed while tears began to fall again. She cupped Hunter’s cheek and looked di
rectly into his eyes. “You’re much more than a consolation prize.”

Hunter smiled, a look of sadness on his face. “But not the grand prize either?”

Tj sighed. “I don’t know. I love you. I’ve always loved you and will always love you. But honestly . . . ?”

“Yeah
.” Hunter squeezed her hand. “I know. We had our time.”

“We did. And maybe we
’ll have another time. Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I think I need to remain attachment-free until I can figure things out. Things have suddenly become really, really confusing.”

Hunter put his arm around her. “Can I help?”

Tj handed him the certified letter. He opened it and began to read.

“Tj
!” Gracie came running up as Hunter made his way through the document. She catapulted herself into Tj’s arms and gave her a sloppy kiss. Ashley, Kristi, and Kari were doing cartwheels across the lawn, with Jenna trailing behind.

Jenna had
taken all four girls to a movie and then the arcade. It had been a full day and her little family couldn’t wait to tell her about it.

“Look what I got you.” Gracie proudly handed Tj a small stuffed dog. “I won it all by myself.”

“You did?” Tj smiled. “I love it. It’s the best present anyone ever gave me.” She hugged Gracie with all her might.

“You can put it on your bed,” Gracie s
aid.

“I
’ll definitely put it on my bed.”

“His name is Sebastian,” Gracie informed her.

“Sebastian is the most perfect stuffed doggy name I’ve ever heard.”

“We’s going to get ice cream
. Do you want to come?”

“More than anything.”
Tj boosted Gracie into position as she wrapped her legs around Tj’s waist and her arms around her neck. Tj held her close and breathed in the scent of her recently washed hair. It had been a difficult day, but Tj found comfort in Gracie’s embrace as the others began talking all at once.

She glanced at Hunter
, who gave her a look that assured her that whatever happened in the future, he’d be there for her. He tucked the letter back into the envelope and returned it to the stack of mail as Ashley told Tj about the movie and the cute fourth-grade boy who’d sat in the row just in front of them. Hunter stood up and gave Tj a quick but firm hug before transferring Gracie to his back.

Tj too
k Ashley’s hand as the group headed toward the beach and the ice cream truck. She rested her head on Hunter’s arm and watched the day come to a close. As the sun set behind the distant mountain, she took comfort in her firm belief that at the end of the day, righteousness prevailed and love conquered all.

Kathi Daley
lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and Bernese mountain dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn’t writing, she likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese), and garden (planting and planning, not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she’s not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. 

Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries. 

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