Page 89 of Whiskey and Whispers
It didn’t really matter when, as long as she was with him.
Cooper and Jane kissed, and everyone cheered while Piper threw more rose petals in the air over their heads. Her heart squeezed in her chest so hard, and her throat clogged with emotion. They looked so incredibly happy. Their lives were only just beginning.
Zack popped open a bottle of champagne, and they all toasted to the couple’s happiness and health. The smooth golden liquid slid over her tongue, and the bubbles tickled her nose. Soon, they’d all go into the hotel for lunch and more champagne.
“They look pretty happy,” Tate said, reaching out to wind a stray strand of hair around his finger before leaning down to press their lips together. “Almost as happy as we are.”
“We got our second chance, and they did, too. It makes a person grateful because you know it doesn’t always end up like that.”
“I’m very grateful. I could have lost you.”
Yes, that day could have gone differently.
Winnie had been taken into custody, admitting that she’d shot Tyler that morning. She said it had been easy to slip out of the kitchen, where everyone was busy cooking, pretend to go tothe bathroom, and then hide behind the trees. She knew where the security cameras were located as she’d been there the day they’d been installed.
She’d known that Tyler would be outside. He’d mentioned helping Josh and Rachel by taking their trash to the curb as soon as he finished getting dressed.
In truth, she hadn’t expected her chance to be that morning. She’d actually been hoping to get him alone the night before, although she didn’t have any particular plan. She’d put her handgun into her purse and waited for an opportunity. She swore she hadn’t wanted to kill him. She wanted to scare him, make him see that she was serious.
Tyler couldn’t be with anyone else. He belonged with her. He just didn’t understand that.
Then everyone believed the intended victim had been Josh, so she simply went with it. She rented a blue SUV like Rachel’s and ran him off the road. She hoped the investigation would swing to Rachel, and they’d ignore her and Tyler completely.
Due to her fragile mental state and increasing paranoia, Winnie had been evaluated by mental health professionals and deemed fit to stand trial. Finn had told them before they left for Hawaii that he didn’t think there would be one. He was hoping for a plea deal, but it was too early to tell.
Her husband, Glen, had already filed for divorce and was dating Lindsey, the local dog groomer.
Josh and Rachel were taking a trial separation and in marriage counseling. They both expressed hope to save their relationship, but Rachel had purchased a condo last week, so reconciliation was up in the air. Josh had custody of the couple’s dogs at their residence.
Josh hadn’t admitted to any affairs, telling his wife she was paranoid. He’d simply been stressed about work. Whether that was the truth, Cat didn’t know.
“I think we might just get our happily ever after,” Cat teased, running her fingertip along his jaw. “This time we’re older and smarter. We know what we want.”
“I just want you,” Tate declared. “But you are a woman who knows what she wants. And I’m going to be there every step of the way to help you.”
“Can you help me with my algebra homework?” Cat asked. “Math is not my strong suit.”
She’d turned down the skincare contract. She hadn’t really wanted to do it. She wanted to look forward, not back.
After what had happened with Winnie, Cat had marched down to Winslow University the next day and signed up for fall classes. She was planning to be a teacher. The same career she’d gone to school for fourteen years ago, but hadn’t finished.
She would this time.
“If I can’t, then I’ll hire you a tutor. I’ll do anything to make you happy. I love you, Cat. More than you can ever imagine.”
“I love you the same. I loved you then, and I love you now.”
The second time it was more. More of everything.
They’d wandered separately, but they’d found their way back to one another.
With love to guide the way.
Six weeks later…
Sam Winslow didn’t think he was the only one who thought hospitals sucked. Sure, the maternity ward was probably a joyful place, but the rest of the building seemed to always have that scent of antiseptic, desperation, and tears.
He’d been pacing the floor of the waiting room for hours, wanting to make a break for it through the nearest exit, but that wasn’t what he was going to do.
