The Gun Runner (Mafia Made) (19 page)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Terra

I walked the row of kennels twice with no preconceived notion of what I was looking for. Several of the dogs were active, some barked incessantly and others were fast asleep. There was one puppy lying down who was awake, quiet and not very active.

But he was adorable.

As I walked past his kennel the first time, he lifted his head slightly and watched me. As soon as I passed, his head flopped down to the floor between his front feet.

His body was completely brown, and his front feet were white. Just above his shoulders, the brown stopped and his entire neck and head were white—except for one brown eye.

The skin all over his body was loose and wrinkly.

And his eyes were sad.

On my third trip along the row of kennels, he lifted his head again and stared. I stopped and stared in return. He opened his mouth wide, yawned and flopped his head down on the floor.

A girl wearing a T-shirt that said
I
Love Cats
approached me. She smiled and tilted her head toward the kennels. “Hi. I’m Nichole. Having any luck?”

I pointed toward the wrinkly pup. “What about that little guy?”

She smiled. “Hank? The English Bulldog?”

“The little wrinkly guy. Is that what he is?”

She nodded.

“His name’s Hank?”

“Yep. Hank. He’s a rescue pup.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, it was a strange situation. The owner got arrested or something, I don’t know for sure. You know. Rumors and stuff. But. The entire litter was abandoned, left in the home unattended. The mother was left outdoors, and the pups inside. The mother, or at least we think it was the mother, was hit by a car and killed. The entire litter died except him. He hadn’t eaten in over a week. Our vet said it was a miracle he lived, but he did. We named him Hank. It’s short for Hank the Tank. You know, because he’s indestructible.”

My throat tightened. He was the perfect pup. I glanced at him again. He lifted his head, this time for only a few seconds. When it fell to the floor of the kennel, I chuckled and turned toward the girl.

“He’s uhhm. So he’s an orphan?”

“I guess that’s one way of putting it.”

As I didn’t see making Michael part of my family was in my immediate future, I felt we needed to make a family of our own. At least until I could figure out a way to reveal the truth. Seeing my father leave Michael’s shop provided all the reassurance I needed to believe that Michael was the one who saved Peter. As proud as I was of him for doing so, knowing my father knew Michael and had made offers to him regarding
business
made revealing the truth about who I was that much more difficult.

Until I figured out what to do, I guessed he and I could share our home together in secrecy. In my way of thinking, I’d already given myself to Michael, and giving him the puppy would be as close to providing him a family as I would be able.

And I wanted him to have a family.

“He can’t seem to hold his head up. Is he okay?” I asked.

She grinned and nodded. “He’s fine. They’re a lethargic breed. He’s lazy. You want to go see him?”

I nodded eagerly.

We walked inside, past all of the other dogs, and to Hank’s kennel. After she unlocked the door, he stood, shook himself off, waddled up to me and flopped down between my feet. I looked at Nichole.

“He likes you.”

I glanced down at Hank. Without lifting his head, he shifted his eyes up and stared.

“Hank,” I said sharply, hoping he’d at least lift his head.

His mouth snapped open. “Woof!”

“I’ll take him,” I said.

“You can spend some time with him, and see if he’s really what you want...”

I felt like such a girl, but the thought of getting the puppy and having even a likeness of a family with Michael almost brought tears to my eyes.

“No,” I said. “I’m sure.”

I bought the puppy, a portable kennel, a box full of toys, grooming supplies, food and a bed. After the journey home, I arranged everything, and Hank curled up in his bed.

While I waited for Michael to come home from work, I wondered what my father had proposed to him. If he accepted it, what effect it would have on our relationship once I figured out a way to reveal the truth?

Not opening up to Michael was making me sick, and one way or another, I knew I couldn’t hold out much longer. I felt like the lies were building up, and soon they’d explode, making my life a complete mess.

I relaxed on the couch with Hank lying in his bed on the floor beside me. In a short period of time, we were both fast asleep.

And I dreamt of Michael and me having a normal life.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Michael

I struggled with my decision regarding Agrioli’s deliveries, and after a long discussion with Cap and Lucky, decided to give it a try. Agrioli was grateful for even a trial run, and felt confident afterward that I would agree to provide the service full-time.

Tired, sick of the tension and in need of a relaxing evening, I parked my car in the garage, lowered the garage door, and walked inside the house.

The sweet smell of my home reminded me I needed to buy more candles. Many more. I inhaled a deep breath, peered through the kitchen and into the living room, and was surprised Terra hadn’t greeted me yet.

“Terra?”

Silence.

I cleared my throat. “Terra!”

Woof!

What the fuck?

I walked around the corner of the island, and was greeted by the cutest English Bulldog pup I had ever seen. His skin fit loosely over his barrel-shaped chest, and hung down from his jowls.

As a kid, I’d always wanted a dog, but my living arrangements as an orphan prevented it. In the military it was impossible, and although I told myself I would get one when I was discharged, I hadn’t done so yet.

Filled with wonder over what was going on, I lowered myself to the kitchen floor and patted him on his overly large head.

A camouflage collar with matching camouflage tag hung from his neck. I reached for the tag and lifted it into my view.

“Hank” Tripp

648 Timbercreek

Shawnee Mission, KS 66203

My heart filled with warmth. The thought of having a pet of my own had been a lifelong dream. The pup collapsed at my feet.

“Terra!” I shouted.

She sat up, peered toward me over the back of the couch and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“I’ve got one for you, too.”

“Yaaay!” She jumped to her feet. “Mine first.”

Hidden behind the kitchen island, I stood with Hank at my feet.

“I hope you like it,” she said. “I just...” She glanced around the living room nervously. “Well...”

“What are you looking for?”

“I have a surprise. It’s, well, it’s...crap. Can you come help me?”

I picked up the pup and walked toward the living room. Crawling on her hands and knees, and looking underneath the couch and love seat, she appeared frantic.

“Looking for this little guy?” I asked.

“Shit!” She stood up. “I wanted to surprise you. So, uhhm.” She twisted her hips back and forth nervously. “I hope it’s okay, but I wanted us to have a family.”

“It’s more than okay. I’ve always wanted a dog. He’s cute.”

She pursed her lips and nodded her head eagerly. It seemed she was about to cry.

I cradled the lazy pup in my arms. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I just wanted to tell you. But.”

“Tell me what?”

She wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m such a girl.”

“What?”

“He uhhm. His mom and all his family died. He’s a little orphan. We’re his only family.”

It probably shouldn’t have made a difference, but it did. My throat went dry, my heart filled with love, and I knew—absolutely knew—that the little pup and me would be the best of friends. My mind went to thoughts of taking him to work with me, taking him to the park, and teaching him how to do all of the things a puppy should learn to do.

My chance to raise a son in a manner I wish someone would have raised me.

“I love you,” I said. “Thank you.”

I leaned toward her and kissed her with Hank sandwiched between us.

She looked over my shoulder and toward the kitchen. “What’s my surprise?”

“It’s not in there,” I said.

“Where is it?”

“A long way from here,” I said.

She pushed her hands into her back pockets and twisted her hips back and forth. “Oh really?”

“Do you have a passport?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, I do.”

“Can your little Long Island shoe store live without your consultations for a few weeks?”

Her eyes widened. “I think so, why?”

I hoisted the pup to my chest. “Well, as long as they don’t mind us taking Hank with us, we’re going on a little vacation.”

The look in her eyes told me my decision to take some time off was the right thing to do. Terra had seemed stressed out lately, and I suspected moving in together was to blame. Too much change too quick. She wrapped her arms around me, held me tight and kissed me like it was her last chance.

And I cradled Hank in my arms the entire time.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Terra

Blindfolded, I was led up some steps, through a doorway and into a room. A very familiar scent caused my nostrils to flare. The aroma gave me an immediate feeling of comfort, even though I was blind to my surroundings and in a strange place.

I heard Michael let Hank out of his crate and then I felt him fumbling with the blindfold. After a few-seconds-long struggle, the cloth was removed, and I gazed around the room. Dimly lit and illuminated by candles, and only candles, the small space felt romantic and possessed a certain warmth.

That smell...it’s...

I gasped. “But. They’re Jo Malones. How...”

“I had them shipped down here and paid a guy to set it up. What do you think?”

I
think you just melted me into a puddle.

“I think I love you.”

I knew we were on an island of Belize, but that’s all I knew. After arriving at the airport and taking a shuttle to another island, Michael insisted that I allow him to blindfold me for the last leg of our journey.

I felt like I did when I was a little girl and it was finally Christmas morning. It was all I could think to compare it to. I gazed around the room and inhaled slowly though my nose. As my nostrils filled with the wonderful aroma, my heart swelled with love for the perfect man providing me the perfect getaway.

He smiled the dimple-producing smile I rarely got a chance to see. “I love you, too.”

He kissed me. The candles flickered in the otherwise dark room, reminding me that although we had reached our destination, it was late at night, and I was exhausted. I bet Hank and Michael were, too.

“Where are we?”

“Caye Caulker, Belize. It’s a small island. And this...” He waved his arms around the open room. “This is our home for two weeks.”

“Are we close to the beach?”

He opened a pair of French doors. A veranda looked out to the beach, which the home was positioned directly on top of. The ocean was our backyard.

“Oh my God. This is...”

“Perfect?”

I closed my eyes and listened to the waves wash ashore. “Can you imagine living here?”

“I can.”

I turned to face him, draped my arms over his shoulders, and thanked God for his existence in my life. “I can’t even...I just...I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

It had taken us twenty hours of flights, layovers and shuttles to get where we were, and neither of us slept the entire time. As exhausted as we were, we should have probably gone right to sleep. Instead, we cuddled in a hammock on the veranda, and listened to the sounds of the ocean.

Silently, and in each other’s arms, we swayed back and forth until we finally fell asleep. I didn’t think of my father or Michael’s dealings with him, but my need to clear up the mess of lies that seemed to be piling up at my feet seemed to linger.

After some thought, I decided that I would, without a doubt, resolve the issue once we returned to the States, allowing our trip to be exactly what it was intended to be.

A romantic getaway.

That night, a life with Michael—free of lies and deception—was my last conscious thought.

* * *

I pulled my newly purchased straw hat down over my eyes. “I really don’t care, as long as they bring it to me, but I am
not
moving.”

“I’ll walk up and get it. Fish or shrimp?”

“Tacos?”

“We don’t have a lot of options if you’re not going to get up.”

I lifted my hat, tilted my head to the side and opened my eyes. Blinded by the sun, I squinted, wishing I hadn’t forgotten my sunglasses in the house. Michael stood ten feet away, dressed in knee-length swimming shorts and nothing else. The tan he’d obtained over the past twelve days made him look like one of the locals.

“Shrimp. With lime. I had fish yesterday.”

“To drink?”

I admired Michael’s muscular torso. It was difficult not to. “One of those pineapple things.”

He laughed. “The one that made you dizzy?”

“Yeah.” I scanned the beach. As far as I could see, it was completely void of people. “Maybe we can bone after.”

“We’re supposed to go snorkeling at two, remember?”

I sighed. “Fine. Get me one anyway. And don’t feed Hank any more tacos, I mean it.”

He returned a shitty glare.

Caye Caulker, Belize was an amazing place to be. Clear water, plenty of warm sunshine, and a plethora of activities to keep us busy from sunup to sundown. Our late-night partying with a few of the dive instructors and their respective wives left little time for us to sleep.

But I had no interest in sleeping.

I was truly in heaven. Being away from everyone and everything allowed me to understand just how much I wanted to make my life with Michael official. After our second night on the island, I decided as soon as I got home that I was going to tell my father about Michael, and simply deal with his reaction like a responsible and perfectly capable adult. No excuses. I’d find a way to tell him, resolve it completely and make him accept it. Then, and only then, I’d tell Michael the truth.

More than anything, I wanted my life with Michael to be free of any drama, secrets or surprises.

The intensity of the sun in Belize was much different than in the United States. The cool island breeze made sunbathing a relaxing activity, and the 80-degree weather disguised just how close to the equator the island was.

Several times since we met, Michael had mentioned retiring in Belize, and now that I had the opportunity to experience one of the islands, leaving wasn’t something I was looking forward to.

He returned with our lunch, and we ate the tacos on the beach. Later, we relaxed in the beach house we rented for the length of our vacation, and then went snorkeling in the afternoon. The various colored fish, starfish and gorgeous seashells we encountered were a far cry from the landscape of Kansas City, and as much as I wanted to miss my home, I didn’t.

After we snorkeled, we walked along the beach, hand-in-hand. I held Hank’s leash and followed Michael, not really paying attention to anything, but loving everything. The gentle waves washed away the footprints the puppy and I left behind, making me feel like everything was just a dream.

Michael stopped and turned away from the ocean and faced inland. A few hundred feet away the sand ended. Palm trees, dense foliage and thick grass filled the landscape.

It looked like what I had always called paradise. “How far did we walk?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Half a mile.”

I turned toward the ocean. Crystal-clear water did little to hide the beauty of the coral reef that was immediately offshore. I turned inland. Snow-white sand separated us from the beautiful jungle. The large leaves of the palms swayed back and forth in the breeze, and the grass rustled lightly.

I inhaled the smell of the beach and tried to memorize it.

I never wanted it to end.

“What do you think about this?”

“The beach?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “This? This exact spot.”

I glanced to my left. The beach was void of anything but sand. To my right. The same. It was as serene a place as anyone could ever find on earth.

I sighed. “I love it.”

He grinned his dimple-revealing smile. “We own it.”

I coughed. I thought he said
we own it
. “What?”

He grinned and nodded. “We own it.”

I looked around me. “We own what?”

He waved his arms in each direction. “This. It’s where I went yesterday while you were taking a nap. I got everything signed, and the money’s been wired. It’s final. Well, less signing a few documents.”

I was so excited I felt like I was going to pee. “You’re serious?”

“Completely,” he said. “It’s more than I wanted to spend for land, but after seeing it, I had to. It’s the perfect place for...well, for us.”

My heart rose into my throat. “Oh my God. You’re serious?”

He smiled a prideful smile. “I’ll have to do some serious saving to fund building the perfect house on it, but yeah. This is ours.”

I released Hank’s leash and tackled Michael. Together, on the place where one day we’d have a home, we rolled until we were covered in sand while the puppy looked at us like we were nothing but fools.

And the unthinkable happened.

I fell even more in love with Michael.

Evening soon came, and after we ate dinner, we stood on the veranda and faced the ocean.

I inhaled the sweet scent of the beach. “I love this place. It’s going to be impossible to get me to leave tomorrow.”

He smiled. “One day you won’t have to leave.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

He took a drink of his beer and gazed out at the ocean. “My dream? My dream is standing beside me. I just had to find the perfect place for the perfect woman. And now, we have it.”

It was the perfect vacation with the perfect man. My imperfectly fucked-up life had somehow drifted into the perfect dream, leaving me breathless, head over heels in love, and grateful.

“I fucking love you,” I said.

While staring out at the darkening horizon, he grinned. “I fucking love you.”

The island we were on was between San Pedro, Belize, and Belize City. Michael had insisted that we stay on the side of the island that faced west, so we could enjoy the sunsets. As the sun prepared to set I grew sad knowing that it was our last night on the island.

“This is beautiful,” I said, tossing my head toward the sunset. “If there’s a way we could...”

I wanted one more day. Just one. But the beauty of it all caused the words to escape me. He knew what I meant. To be with Michael permanently on the island would be my dream come true.

He walked into the house and soon returned, grabbing my hand in his as he stepped on the veranda. “Come on. The sun’s about to set. Our last sunset here. Let’s spend it on the beach.”

“Hank?” I asked.

“Leave him here.”

Barefoot, we walked to the beach hand-in-hand. We both waded out to where the ocean met the land, and walked along the edge of the water. I closed my eyes and allowed the soft waves to wash along the tops of my feet as I followed Michael, holding his hand the entire way.

“Open your eyes,” he said.

He placed his hands lightly against my upper arms and turned me to face the sunset. His hands fell to my waist. We swayed back and forth in the warm breeze while my feet slowly sank into the wet sand.

“Watch the sunset,” he said.

“I am. I can’t help it.”

I gazed over his shoulder and watched in amazement as the pinks, purples, oranges and yellows melted into the wet horizon.

“Tell me when it’s the most beautiful. When it’s perfect,” he said.

I got lost in the moment. I stared out over the ocean while the sound of the waves came ashore. In a moment, the colors of the sunset blended with the few clouds that had gathered out along the horizon, making the entire horizon seem as if a child had painted it with finger paint. The sky slowly started to darken, leaving only a slight reflection on the water, and the bright colors in the sky.

I peered over his shoulder and smiled so much it hurt. “Now,” I said.

He released my shoulders and lowered himself to one knee.

I looked down at him as if he were foolish for not turning around and enjoying what I believed to be most beautiful sight on earth.

“I love you, Terra.”

“I love you too.” My eyes shot out to the horizon. “Get up. Look at this. You’re going to miss it.”

“Terra?”

The colors were magnificent. The time was perfect. “Look,” I said. “It’s the perfect time. Right now.”

“Terra Wilson.”

My eyes fell from the horizon to Michael. “Yes?”

With his back to the sunset, he glanced over his shoulder and met my gaze. “A life with you in it is as beautiful as that perfect sunset. Before it’s gone, answer me this.”

“Okay.”

He fumbled with his shorts and pulled out something sparkly. “Terra, complete this beautiful moment, and say yes.”

Oh my God.

“Will you marry me?”

You can’t tell him.

Not now.

I’d dreamt of the time coming since I was a little girl. My mouth went dry. My head spun in circles. I shifted my eyes from the ring to him, to the horizon, and back. My eyes welled with tears.

I opened my mouth. The words didn’t immediately come.

I wanted it more than anything. But.

I was filled with guilt.

“Terra?”

I raised my index finger.

I
have something to tell you
,
but not until we get home.

A tear escaped my eye. I nodded. My lips parted slightly.

I had gotten myself into a terrible fucking mess, but I wanted a life with him so badly.

I fought against the tightness in my throat. “Nothing on this earth would make me happier,” I said. “Of course I will.”

With a shaking hand, he slipped the ring onto my finger.

And, despite the increasing darkness, I saw something I never would have guessed I’d see in a lifetime of lifetimes.

A tear rolled down Michael Tripp’s cheek.

* * * * *

Look for more of Tripp and Terra’s story in
THE GAME CHANGER
,
coming Fall 2016 from Scott Hildreth and Carina Press!