Page 101 of The Wish List
Shauna and Helena had moved the children to the far side of the aisle, where the minister had joined them. Trinity’s heart thumped a little lighter knowing they were safe.
Then she heard Ash reading Dave his rights while her ex-boyfriend moaned an incoherent response, facedown in the aisle.
Greer turned to face Trinity. “You’re okay now. It’s all okay.”
Before she could answer, Freya threw her arms around him. “You big dummy. Literary agents aren’t supposed to be heroes.”
“Beth,” Ash called. “Declan is going to need stitches.”
“I’m fine,” the new bar owner said when Beth rushed toward him.
Trinity took a step forward then May was at her side. “Let me have Thomas, Trinny. You’re squeezing him awful tight.”
She relinquished the baby to her mother and watched as her no-nonsense, unemotional oldest sister burst into tears and planted a deep kiss on Declan Murphy.
“If I’d known all it would take was a little blood to turn your head.” Declan let out a shaky chuckle. “I would have set something up a lot sooner.”
“You turn my head. I love you,” Beth said, kissing him again then tugging on his arm. “Now let’s go get those stitches.” Beth glanced back at Trinity. “You good, Trin?”
Trinity nodded, although her head felt wooden.
A moment later, one of Ash’s deputies charged through the church door.
“I need the handcuffs, Jordan,” Ash shouted to him.
The young man nodded at Beth and Declan then joined Ash on the floor.
Trinity breathed a sigh of relief when Dave was handcuffed, not that she thought he was any match for Asher Davis.
“Want me to take him in on my own?” the deputy asked his chief.
“Put him in the back of the squad car,” Ash commanded. “I’ll be there in a second. I’m going to take great pleasure in booking this loser myself.”
As the deputy hauled Dave off the floor, Trinity got her first look at his beaten and bloody face. He was only semiconscious as the deputy led him out of the building. Then she noticed that Ash’s knuckles were bleeding.
He followed her gaze and shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants. “Are you really okay?” he asked gently.
She nodded, and he looked past her to his mother-in-law. “Helena,” he called, “I’m going to leave the keys on this pew here.” He pulled a set of car keys from his pocket. “I’ll see you and Michaela at home.”
“Way to get the bad guy, Daddy,” his daughter called.
“Thanks, honey.” He returned his gaze to Trinity. “Way to stand up to the bad guy.”
She felt the ghost of a smile curve one side of her mouth. “Thank you for helping me to realize I could.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but nodded. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said and walked down the aisle.
A moment later, Freya and May surrounded her once more, and Trinity knew that no matter what challenges or scary monsters she faced in her life, she’d wouldn’t ever again have to do it alone. Somehow that made everything worth it. Though still shaky, she’d never felt stronger than she did in this moment.
EPILOGUE
ONAWETand rainy Friday night in January a month later, Beth clinked a silver fork against her champagne glass to get the attention of the small crowd gathered in the living room of the Wildflower Inn.
She smiled as a hush fell over her family and friends with all eyes turning toward her.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” she said, inclining her head toward the bay window that looked out onto the inn’s front lawn. “And in less-than-ideal conditions. I’d hoped the temperature might drop enough for Magnolia to receive the same snowfall that blanketed the town at Christmas, but no such luck.”
Michaela, who sat on the arm of a chair next to her father, led Timmy and Zach in chanting “snow day” a few times.
