One Summerhill Day (The Summerhill Series Book 1) (22 page)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ryan tossed the flowers on the counter next to her phone. The dog ran into the house and sat in front of him, barking, as if to signal something was wrong. “I know, girl, I know,” he said. He took out his cell phone and called Jake and told him Caitlyn was missing, then climbed into the car and headed for the station. He was halfway there when the phone went off through the car’s Bluetooth system.

“Yeah.”

“Ryan, it’s Jake. We just got a report of suspicious activity from Caitlyn’s bank. Good thing you contacted them before. There have been three different hits at ATMs…each one for the max amount of cash.”

“From where?”

“Right here in Summerhill.”

“I’m on my way. They must have her with them.”

“Sarge has called in five guys to stake-out the other banks. Hurry up.”

Ryan flew down the road until he got to the precinct. He ran into the building and found his captain. “Anything? They have her. We have to find her.”

“I know, Ryan. I have every available officer working on this case. Sarge is on top of everything. We already have officers at most of the banks. We’ll get them.”

The phone rang, and the dispatcher answered. “Where?” Silence while her pen flew. “How many?” Silence again. “Description?” Silence as she wrote.

Ryan glanced over her shoulder to look at her notes. “State Street bank. Just left. Black Ford Mustang, female, 30s, male….”

He tore out the front door, headed for his car.

“Ramsay!” his captain yelled.

Ryan turned around and his captain threw him a set of keys. He nodded, ran out, and climbed into the cruiser. As soon as he started the car, he called Jake and gave him the information. “What’s your 1020?”

“We just passed the location. We saw a black mustang leaving the bank heading east.”

Ryan heard the squeal of tires through the radio as Jake turned around and flipped on his siren.

“Unit 35 in pursuit, half a mile heading east on State Street.”

Ryan called in. “Unit 40 in pursuit behind Unit 35.” It didn’t take him long to catch up with Jake. His siren was on and all traffic cleared for them both. Hell, she had to be all right. The thought of finding her dead made him want to vomit.

He’d held his best friend as he took his last breath. It just couldn’t happen with the woman he loved. He couldn’t handle it. Not Cait, not his Cait.

He floored it.

***

Cait’s side was sore from banging against the hump on the floor. Lynn and Bill Jenkins had hit four ATMs so far and were planning on finding at least two more.

Lynn pulled out into the street. “Shit.”

“What?” Bill said.

“Cops. Fuck. Hang on. I can get us clear of them. We’re heading to the city now.” Lynn stepped on the gas and Caitlyn was thrown around in the back seat. She heard sirens and Bill opened his window and started firing a gun.

“Bill, what the fuck? Stop.”

He swung back inside and pointed the gun at Lynn. “No. I need my fucking fix. I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.” He stuck his head back out the window and fired again.

Caitlyn panicked. She was going to die for sure. Her breathing sped up, and she tried to calm herself, but she just couldn’t. Her eyes darted every which way and she tensed up, making the hits her body was taking even more painful. Tires squealing, gunfire, screaming, police sirens—all were doing a fine job at increasing her sense of panic.

Lynn kept screaming, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, this wasn’t supposed to happen this way. You dumb ass, stop shooting.”

Cait’s vision dimmed, and a little voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, missy angel. Ryan’s coming. Trust your guarding angel.” Loki. Tears rolled down her face just at the sound of his voice. It was him. She was sure of it. Knowing how important it was not to go into fight or flight mode, she took a deep breath, followed by several more.

Bill pulled back inside the window and waved the gun at Lynn. “I hit one car already.”

Ryan. No, please, not Ryan.

He stuck his head out again and fired two more shots. Lynn clipped something on the side of the street and swerved the car, braking to try to regain control. Bill pulled his head back in and said, “Don’t you dare stop this car. Step on it.”

Lynn said “No, we’re done, stupid. Get rid of the gun. You can’t shoot policemen, you idiot. You’ll have every cop in fifty states after us. That was never part of the plan.”

“Stop calling me names! Stupid? Idiot?” He turned on Lynn. “I’ll show you idiot.”

Caitlyn heard the gun go off and Lynn screamed—a piercing sound that faded into silence. With no one at the wheel, the car hit a guardrail first, then slid across the road and struck a pole.

Bill flew out the window on impact.

***

Ryan knew the fool was shooting, but that wasn’t about to stop him. A bullet hit Jake’s car once, and the vehicle careened to the side. Ryan flew past them as they struggled to right their car—both Jake and his partner seemed fine, he was relieved to see. Then he saw the perp stick his head back inside the car and discharge his weapon. A lump the size of a watermelon lodged in Ryan’s throat. Not Cait, please not Cait.

The car careened out of control, which gave him hope he had shot the driver instead of Cait. A female is what dispatch had said. Had the guy gone crazy enough to shoot his own partner? The car seemed to move in slow motion as it hit the guardrail, then bounced off and spun to the opposite side of the street, hitting the telephone pole. As soon as the car connected with the pole, the shooter flew out of the car and hit the ground. Ryan stopped his car right in front of the guy, then opened his door and crouched behind it, gun in hand. “Police. Drop your weapon. Hands in the air!” Ryan yelled at the perp.

The perp rolled on his side, and Ryan couldn’t tell whether he was still holding his weapon. He repeated himself. The guy stopped moving, but Ryan didn’t think he was dead. All of a sudden, the man stood, his back to them.

Ryan yelled. “Drop your weapon. You’re under arrest!” Still no weapon on the ground.

The fool swung around, his gun outstretched, and he fired.

But Ryan hit him first, right between the eyes. The guy crumpled to the ground and his gun fell away from him. Jake and Dave came up on either side of Ryan, then charged the perp when the gun fell away.

Ryan ran to the car and opened the door, praying he would find her. In the back seat, tied up, beat up, but the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, was Cait, tears rolling down her face.

“Cait, thank God.” He climbed into the back seat and removed the duct tape from her face, then cradled her in his arms. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, and collapsed onto his shoulder sobbing. He picked her up and carried her out of the car, over to his. He sat in the back seat and held her on his lap. “I love you, Cait.” He brushed the hair back from her face. “You scared the shit out of me. I’m never leaving you again.”

She sobbed and sobbed, and in the middle of her hitching, she whispered, “I love you, too.”

He smiled and cupped her face, kissing her. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” She shook her head, still hitching and sobbing. He untied the bindings on her hands and feet and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. And he just held her as she cried, wanting to never let her go.

More sirens echoed all around them. Jake stuck his head in the backseat. “She all right?”

“Yeah, beat up and bruised, but nothing serious.”

“Cait, you need to see the EMT?”

She lifted her head long enough to shake it, then buried her face back in Ryan’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

It was Memorial Day weekend in Summerhill, and it was one beautiful day.

The town had just finished the dedication of the new Summerhill Veteran’s Memorial Wall on the hill at the top of Orenda Lake, dedicated to Ian McCabe, Caitlyn’s dad, and Chad Armstrong, Ryan’s best friend. The wall was shaped in a V, each side facing the water, and names were etched across its surface. Lights were arranged to illuminate the surface at night, so those names would never be in darkness.

The entire town had shown up for the dedication, and Ryan, Jake, and his dad and grandfather stood together in uniform during the dedication. Cait, Gram, and Lorraine stood proudly with them. The monument stood tall, and it was topped with the American flag and a flag for each branch of the service, just as he and Cait had requested. More and more names would be added to the wall—people’s ancestors as well as their fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, cousins, and friends.

As the crowd dispersed, Ryan James Ramsay, Jr., strode up to his son and clasped his shoulder. “Son, today is all about heroes. I want you to know you didn’t have to save Caitlyn to be a hero to me.”

Ryan jerked his head to stare at his father as he squeezed Cait’s hand. The expression on his dad’s face surprised him. Not sure what to say, studying his father, contemplating what had made him say such a thing.

“Any man who carries his dying comrade to safety through a barrage of gunfire and mortar rounds is a hero, Three. But I think you know that.” He leaned over and kissed Caitlyn’s cheek. “You make me proud to have you as a member of the Ramsay family, Caitlyn. The ceremony was lovely.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Ryan said. He had never heard those words from his father before, but he would never forget them. For some reason, he didn’t mind his old nickname of Three today.

After they said their goodbyes to the others, Ryan grabbed Cait and they strolled down toward the water. They found a secluded spot and sat on a bench overlooking the crystal clear waters of Orenda Lake. He wrapped his arm around his wife. “Cold, Cait?” The crisp spring day was beautiful, with just a cool breeze blowing across the water.

She shook her head. “No, not with you next to me.”

She smiled at him, a smile he would never tire of seeing. They had married just two weeks ago. Cait hadn’t wanted another big wedding, and he had happily agreed with her. He wasn’t the showy type of guy. With all his siblings, there would be plenty of big weddings in the Ramsay-Grant household.

His other reason to shy away from the large wedding had been fear of his spells, though he had kept this fear to himself. He still had occasional episodes of PTSD, but they were less frequent. Caitlyn was always there to help him through them.

“When you saw the crowd that showed up for this, Ryan, are you sorry we married so quickly? Did I deprive you of a big wedding in your hometown?” She rested her head on his shoulder, their hands intertwined.

“No. I loved our wedding. Just family. Quiet, not a big production. I’m not much into productions. I just hope you don’t regret it.”

“No. It was just the way I wanted it.”

They both stared out at the lake in silence.

Finally he spoke, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. “Do you know how long I waited for you to come into my life, Caitlyn McCabe?”

She lifted her head from his shoulder to gaze into his eyes. “How long?”

“Forever. It’s hard for me to explain it, and I’ve never been a man who’s very good at expressing my feelings, but my soul felt like I waited for you forever. And when we stood up there at the dedication, all I could think about was how happy I am to call you my wife.”

He thought for a moment before he continued, carefully choosing his words, feeling a need to share with her. He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

“I’ve just felt so alone ever since the accident. I lost my purpose, my best friend, my leg… I don’t know how a guy with eleven siblings could feel alone, but I did. And then one snowy day in Summerhill, there you were.” He stared back over the water, noticing that she was swiping at the tears forming on her lashes.

“Oh, Ryan. You’re going to make me cry. You know how much I love you.”

“I’m glad we didn’t wait to get married. I waited too damn long for you to come into my life as it was.” He turned back to her and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Caitlyn Ramsay, and I know I will love you forever.”

Epilogue

A month after their wedding, Ryan was playing tug of war with Lucky in front of the hearth, when Lucky stopped and ran over to pull the blue plaid blanket from its spot on the back of the couch. The puppy wrestled it and tugged it over to the door as if she were waiting for someone.

“Cait?” he called to her in the kitchen.

Cait washed her hands and dried them on the towel. She had just finished making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. “Yeah?”

He kept his eyes on Lucky as he got up off the floor and sat on the edge of the couch. “Why does she do that?”

“Do what?”

“Haven’t you ever seen her grab the plaid blanket for no reason and bring it over to the sliding glass doors? Then she sits there and waits like she thinks someone is out there. Look, she just did it now.”

***

Cait smiled as she watched Lucky. She knew what she believed, but she hadn’t been able to tell Ryan about Loki yet. He would probably think she was out of her mind. She strolled over to the door and stood behind Lucky.

A few minutes later, Lucky’s tail started to wag and she nudged the blue and green plaid throw.

“What do you think she’s looking at?” Ryan asked with a furrowed brow.

Cait believed Loki was nearby, and somehow the dog could sense it. After all, Loki and Growley had saved the puppy from near death, so she didn’t expect the lab would ever forget Loki’s scent or Growley’s. Was it possible that the two came around once in a while just to check up on them?

Ryan walked over to the glass door. “There’s no one out there.”

Lucky raised her paw up to the door and looked at Ryan at the same time, crying to go out.

“Why don’t we let her out and see,” Cait said. She opened the door and Lucky flew down to the water’s edge, barking twice before she sat down, her tail still wagging. Cait held her hand out to Ryan and said, “Are you open-minded, Ryan Ramsay?”

“What? Of course, I am.”

“No, I mean really open minded.” She leaned in and kissed him. “Do you believe in guardian angels? Because I think Lucky and I have one. And maybe he’s yours, too.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “What are you talking about?”

She led him down to the water’s edge next to Lucky before answering. “I was never truthful about where Lucky came from,” she said at last. “Do you remember the awful day I had after you and I broke up and I was told to change jobs at the hospital?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to go through that.” He tugged her in close and wrapped his arm around her so he could caress her bum.

“Well, I was a bit depressed and I came down to the dock. Come on, I’ll show you.” She grabbed his hand and led him out onto their dock. When they reached the end, she stopped and they gazed out over the sparkling waters of the Finger Lake. “I was standing right here when, out of nowhere, a young lad came out from under my dock and told me he was my guardian angel. And he brought Lucky to me.”

Ryan looked at her, aghast. “Come on, Cait, You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? A guardian angel? I mean, I’m not saying I don’t believe in them, but I’ve never heard of one appearing in front of people before. That’s a little far-fetched. I love you and all, but really? Don’t you think it was a dream?”

Cait just smiled, grabbed his hand, and curled up against him. She laughed, and Lucky barked. As soon as she did, a huge splash landed right in front of them.

“What the hell?” Ryan’s eyes were as big as saucers.

Cait grinned and bent over the water. “Hello, Loki.”

Loki Grant stood up in the water, sputtering and brushing his wet hair out of his eyes. “My laird, must you push so hard? I think I could get here on my own.” He stared up at the clouds in the sky.

Ryan looked at her in shock. “Where did he come from? I didn’t even see him on the grass. Where does he live?”

She turned to him and shook her head. “Ryan, meet Loki Grant, my guardian angel. Or maybe
our
guardian angel.”

Loki ran out of the water and said, “Missy angel, I told you I am a
guarding
angel, not guardian. Wasn’t I guarding you when you were in the car with those bad people, the one who lied and said she was your friend?”

Ryan just stared at the imp. The information about Lynn being her former friend had never been released. “How does he know about that?”

“Thank you for that, by the way, Loki.” Cait smiled at him, so happy to actually see him again, and moreover, for Ryan to meet him.

As soon as Loki got out of the water, Lucky ran over to him and licked everywhere she could, sending Loki into a fit of giggles. Then he stopped laughing and turned to Ryan, his hands clasped behind his back. Before he spoke, he tipped his head up to the sky and said. “Aye, I will, my laird. I promised.” He leveled his gaze back at Ryan and said. “Hello, Master Ryan Ramsay. My name is Loki Grant and I am missy angel’s guarding angel and yours, too.”

Ryan just stared at him. Caitlyn moved toward the lad, tugging Ryan behind her.

Once they stepped off the dock, Loki ran over to them and said, “Missy angel, watch this.” He waved at them. “Stand back, please. I don’t want to get you wet from my big splash.”

Caitlyn grinned and stood back, squeezing her husband’s hand.

The boy scrambled down the dock and yelled, “Watch this!” With that, he hurled himself into the air off the end, landing with a huge splash. Lucky followed him to the end and barked at him. Loki’s head popped out of the water and he yelled, “Come, Growley. ‘Tis no’ so cold.” A Scottish Deerhound popped up next to him, swimming frantically to the water’s edge before climbing out to shake the water off his fur.

“Holy shit.” Ryan said. “Any more?”

Cait shook her head. “No, just Loki and Growley.”

Lucky ran over to Growley and bounced in excitement around the big hound as he lumbered across the lawn. Growley nuzzled the smaller dog, then lay on the grass.

Loki climbed up the ladder and stared at them. “Master Ryan, missy angel, watch this one and tell me which one was bigger.” He walked to the end of the dock, but then stopped. “Wait. I need to run, it’ll be a bigger splash.” He scooted back to the beginning of the dock and paused. “Are you watching, missy angel?” Then he launched himself down the dock and into the air, shouting, “Watch me!” as he hit the water. Lucky chased him again, her tail wagging in glee.

When he came up for air, his face had changed from joyful to serious. He whispered, “I know, Papa. I’m coming.”

He trudged out of the water and shook himself off. “Missy angel, I can’t stay long this time. I only came for two reasons. One is to meet Master Ryan and ‘troduce myself.” He stood directly in front of her and peered up at her, wide-eyed and grinning.

“And the other reason? Because I really don’t need you this time,” Caitlyn said. “But I’m glad you came to meet Ryan. Lucky told me you were coming.”

“I know. I told her. And I know you missed me.” His face lit up again at this last comment. He scampered up the lawn and toward the house.

“Loki, what’s the other reason?” She followed him back toward the house, tugging a befuddled Ryan behind her.

Loki opened the door and ran into the house, then came out with a small container. When he ran past her, he stopped and ran back to hug her, Ryan, and Lucky. As soon as he was done, he took off running toward the water again.

“Loki? The reason?”

He giggled. “Chocolate chip cookies. You make the best ones, missy angel. We don’t have any where I come from and I promised Lily and Torrian they could have a warm one.” He yelled back over his shoulder. “They cannot get sick anymore where they are now. Come on, Growley.”

As he continued toward the lake, he tipped his head to the heavens, “Coming, my laird.” He peeked back at her, shouting as he pointed to the sky. “I think my laird wants one, too.”

Loki and his lumbering friend ran toward the water. Before they jumped, Loki turned back to her. “Missy angel?”

“Yes, Loki?”

“This is where you belong.” He and Growley jumped off the end of the dock and disappeared in midair.

Caitlyn swiped at her tears and said. “I know, Loki.” She wrapped her arms around her husband and allowed herself to indulge in the peace and happiness of finally being home.