65

Talia Devine's POV

Lake Superior Home

Friday, December 24, 2021

"Nice workout, baby."

I smiled as David turned off the endless pool and moved over to hug me. My arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist as he leaned in for a kiss. We were engaging in a serious game of tonsil hockey when Lisa's voice came from the hot tub. "No time for that, Talia! Gerald will be here any minute!"

I rolled my eyes and let my legs drop to the bottom of the pool where the underwater treadmill sat as I thought back six weeks. I'd spent a week in the hospital after leaving Intensive Care before I could go 'home.' I'd already ended the lease on my apartment, so my parents expected me to move in with them while I continued my physical therapy. David had other ideas. I listened to their first family argument while pretending to sleep. "Look, other than periodic doctor visits, she can do her therapy anywhere there is a therapist," he told them. "More importantly, she's in a wheelchair. Your home isn't ADA-compliant; the doorways are too narrow, you don't have crash bars in the bathroom, and there's no ramp up the front stairs. My house has everything she needs, including all the exercise equipment I used in my rehabilitation. She can see a neurologist in Duluth, and I can have physical therapists make house calls."

"Her mother should be taking care of her," William objected.

David didn't back down. "She can stay as long as she wants. Look, my house is less than four hours away. You can visit on weekends, Dad."

"Your house is already full! You've got the sisters and their housekeeper staying with you."

"The girls plan to leave early next year once their house sells and the new passports arrive." David had told me of the Brickline sisters; he was such a sweet man to help them, and I didn't mind. It wasn't like he was using the place staying down here with me. "They've already moved some extra single beds in. It will be tight, but Margarite has everything under control. In the meantime, there's plenty of help. You realize Lana is a doctor, and Lisa is pre-med, right? It's not like they are a burden or useless to us."

"She should be here with her doctors," Fiona said.

I'd had enough. "Did anyone think about what the PATIENT would want?" Their eyes got wide as they realized I'd been listening. The cute little snoring noises were the key to being left alone. "I want to look out over the lake from David's hot tub."

And that's why Christmas here was going to include nine people, a dog, and a cat!

David spotted me as I climbed the stairs out of the back of the pool. My muscle control had improved a lot since I started physical therapy. My left arm was 90% recovered, with physical therapy focused on regaining fine muscle control. My left leg was only 50% back. In physical therapy, I was up to eight steps with a walker. I still used the wheelchair most of the time.

My brain was healing slowly. I'd still get migraines, but they were down to one or two daily. Once or twice a week, I'd get a seizure that would lock the leg muscles up. I fell or nearly fell a few times before we noticed Rocky's behavior just before them. He'd get agitated and try to push me down. We brought in a specialist dog trainer who explained that Rocky could sense the seizure coming and was trying to protect me. With more training, he'd be a qualified service animal who could warn me to sit or lie down before I hurt myself.

My cat? No such luck. Patches would keep looking out the window at the birds and squirrels. My cat was better suited to help me emotionally. I'd started to get glimpses of the dungeon in my dreams and would wake up screaming. I'd never allow myself to be tied up again.

I made it out of the pool with minimal assistance. Laura was waiting for me. She put my left arm around her shoulder and helped me walk to the shower and sit on the bench. "I'll get her showered and changed if you want to get dressed," she told David.

"Thanks." I watched him head off, disappointed he had to wear trunks with the girls around. With him gone, the girls tossed their suits on the rails to dry, and we all cleaned up. With their help, I showered, used the bathroom, and dressed before going back on the chair.

Lisa pushed me through the home to the kitchen, where Margarite and Mom were well into feast preparations. I saw David and my Dad out on the covered deck, hovering over the smoker where the twenty-pound prime rib roast was cooking.

Patches ran in and jumped on my lap with Rocky behind him. The two pets were good friends now, but Rocky was too big to put anything but his head on my legs. He moved to the stove and sat down, waiting for any fallen food. He didn't get anything before his sensitive hearing picked up something outside, and he ran barking for the front door. "That must be Gerald," Lana said as she headed for the door.

"And his date," Lisa said. "Awful ballsy of him to bring a new girlfriend to a holiday party with a bunch of people she doesn't know."

"Be nice to her," Laura cautioned. "She's probably as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs."

My jaw dropped when I saw the pair come into the kitchen. Gerald Costley was pulling a hand cart with two wrapped presents with one hand and holding Misty Butz's hand in the other. "WHAT?" I looked between the two, then stared at Misty. "How?"

"Well, it turns out Gerald is good for a lot more than settlement negotiations," Misty said with a grin. "We've been going out for three weeks now." The girls had moved aggressively to make amends with those hurt by their father, including me. The city was paying my medical bills, but the money meant my net worth was now greater than David's. I was set for life, though I was technically still on medical leave from the St. Paul Police Department. Misty also reached settlements with Detective Pierce and Sergeant Edwards for their injuries. The Hardin Book killings were another thing; they'd settled with Tracy's parents since Laura's husband was involved, but they were still negotiating with the other families.

Something popped into my head, and I started laughing. "What?"

"If you get married and hyphenate your name, you could be Misty Costley-Butz," I said to giggles.

"They all are," Gerald said with a sigh, making everyone laugh.

I followed our guests into the living room, where they added their presents to the growing pile under the big tree in front of the picture window. Outside, the bright sun reflected off the lake. The bright sunshine was the only good part of the below-zero weather. I smiled as David walked in with my coffee. "AHHH! COLD HANDS!"

"Not as cold as your butt at night," he replied.

William laughed. "It's genetic. Sometimes I think I'm snuggling with a frozen Butterball turkey."

"I HEARD THAT," Fiona yelled from the kitchen.

"I meant you to," he laughed back.

David sat in the chair next to me, holding my hand. He smelled like cherry smoke and beef, a great combination. "How is the prime rib looking?"

"Temperature is on track for a noon meal. If I open the Trager's lid, I lose twenty minutes of cooking time, so I have to trust the process." He'd rubbed it up yesterday and put it on the smoker early this morning. I pulled him into a kiss while the sisters came in, and we drank wine and talked until it was time to eat.

You could barely see David's dining room table under the plates and food trays by the time we sat for the meal. We all held hands as David led the prayer. "Lord, we humbly thank you for your blessings in these turbulent times. This past year was beyond anything we could have imagined, with more suffering and pain than we could bear alone. You gave us new friendships, love, family, and your healing grace through all the challenges. We ask you to bless this meal and us as we face a new future together. In Jesus' name, Amen."

"Amen," I said, squeezing his hand. "That was beautiful."

"You're beautiful. I spent an hour writing that," David replied.

An hour later, you could have rolled me to the living room like the Oompa-Loompas rolled Violet Beaureaugard. David's prime rib was fantastic. The sides were my childhood favorites from Mom, plus the Central American traditions Margarite brought. I watched football and drank wine with the guys while the ladies cleaned up from the meal.

Opening presents was more fun than I'd had in years. We gave my parents a week's stay at an all-inclusive resort in Saint Thomas with first-class airline tickets. For the sisters, it was a 10-day sailing yacht charter to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Laura and Lisa told me how much they liked the weather in the Bahamas, plus a sailboat would be more private than a resort. Gerald got a week's vacation at a Cancun resort, which Misty was happy to share.

My parents bought us a snowmobile and trailer, saying it was something the two of us could enjoy together over the long winter months. It was a great idea since my leg wouldn't hold me back on a sled. The three sisters gave us a four-wheel-drive van with wheelchair lift, making my old Ford Edge surplus. Gerald and Misty gave us three cases of Napa Valley wines and a case of Honduran cigars. "Not in the house, you guys," I warned them.

The pile of presents was gone, and Mom got up to take the garbage away. "Wait, there's one more," he said.

David pulled the felt box out of his pocket as he got on one knee in front of my wheelchair. I started crying before he opened the box to a stunning diamond solitaire ring, and I wasn't the only one. "Talia, I've loved you since our eyes first met. No matter what happens, I know I'm better with you by my side. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I looked at him, tears streaming down my cheeks, and nodded. "YES! I love you, David!" He pushed the ring onto my finger, and it fit perfectly.

I launched myself out of the wheelchair and into his arms. Our lips came together as everyone clapped for us. I looked down at the ring, thinking my life was now perfect.

Chapter 62

Talia Hardin's POV

Windward Islands, Eastern Caribbean

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

"It's so beautiful with the mountains and the trees, and the ocean is the perfect turquoise color," I said as I looked out the plane's window as we lined up for the airport.

"Volcanoes will do that, and Dominica has nine of the sixteen active volcanoes in the Caribbean. That's why the interior is so rugged, and almost everyone lives in small coastal towns. The entire island of Dominica has about the same population as Woodbury, about 76,000," David replied.

Woodbury was the suburb of St. Paul where I'd lived while I was a cop. Those times were over now. Six months after taking a bullet to the noggin, I'd been medically retired from the Saint Paul Police Force. The doctors wouldn't clear me for duty with a plastic section of my skull, occasional debilitating migraines, and infrequent seizures that would lock my leg up.

I took a partial pension and medical benefits, just like David. Our badges and service awards hung on our respective "I Love Me" walls in the hallway leading to the front door. I had more bling and a gold Detective badge, but he had plaques from five New York Time bestsellers.

The news about my body wasn't all bad. I'd recovered function in my left arm and hand, though therapy continued to develop fine motor skills. My leg was 90% back, and I now walked with a cane unless it was a long distance. I had a powered wheelchair and a van with a lift back home, so I could do most things independently. I was alive, and everything else was a bonus.

Rocky whined and nuzzled into my lap from his spot between my legs. He didn't like flying, and the big baby did everything but crawl into my lap during takeoff. Rocky was an official service dog now, vest and all, trained to spot and warn me of impending seizures. He was also a suckup who used his eyes to get treats from the cabin crew.

I petted our dog with my left hand, admiring the look of the two-carat oval diamond with emerald accents of my wedding band set. David and I had tied the knot in his backyard in May. We would have married earlier, but he had a lot of travel for his book tour, and I couldn't handle that just yet. I stayed with my parents while he was out of town for weeks at a time. The hard work paid off; by late spring, I'd recovered enough to walk down the aisle with my father. Our wedding was beautiful, as was the train tour to Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies we did for a honeymoon. Why drive when the sleeper cab and observation car brings the scenery to you?

I felt the landing gear go down as my right idly stroked over my lower belly. I smiled as our daughter kicked and moved around inside me. I quickly moved David's hand in place so he could feel it. At 20 weeks, my stomach was nicely rounded but not unwieldy yet.

When the girls invited us to stay with them for six weeks over Christmas, I'd leaped at the chance. Trading below-zero wind chills and heavy snow for beaches and eighty-degree weather? Hell, yeah! I loved Lake Superior when it was warmer, but it turned nasty come wintertime. David agreed we should travel before the pregnancy made plane rides uncomfortable. We celebrated with friends and my parents early, got in a well-baby visit where we found out we were having a girl, then headed to the airport.

I felt guilty about the extended stay, but Laura insisted we use the guest room. "This house is HUGE, and we'd love to have you here." They were so eager to share their new lives with us. Laura's daughter, Lori Jean Hope, was born on June 10

th

, and I'd only seen her on our video calls. She was six months old now and growing fast. Margarite was with them as a surrogate grandmother, and the younger girls helped when they could.

The plane flared out, and Rocky whined as the wheels touched down at the Douglas-Charles Airport on the island's east side. It wasn't long before we'd taxied to the terminal and stopped. The flight attendant helped me to a waiting wheelchair while David followed with our carry-on luggage. As soon as we cleared the secure area, Lisa was hugging the hell out of me. "I can't believe you're here! Ohmigod! Look at that bump!"

"Good to see you, Lisa. Congratulations on your graduation!"

"Thanks," she said. "It's so good to see you again!" David and Rocky finally got their hugs, and she moved to push the chair to the exit. A few minutes later, our bags were in the back of the Jeep Wrangler, and I was sitting in the open backseat with Rocky. Since Dominica was a British colony, they drove on the left side of the road. "Lana's working now, but Laura's home with Lori and can't wait to see you."

It was late December, but it was still eighty-five and humid, and I was sweating already. "When does the hot weather end?"

She just laughed. "Dominica has two seasons, Talia. Hot and Damn Hot. It never gets above ninety or below sixty-eight, so it's just a matter of how much humidity and rain you're dealing with."

"That seems boring."

"The humidity does go from humid to muggy to oppressive, so there is that. I saw the weather at Two Harbors before I left. I'll take this over eight degrees and snow."

She had a point. She wasn't the pale college student now; her skin was deeply tanned, but in the way of a farmer, not a beach bum. She spent a lot of time outside. "How far to your house?"

"It will take almost an hour since we have to cross the island. On the good side, you'll get to see the sights. You guys aren't afraid of heights, right? No motion sickness? These mountain roads aren't like driving in Minnesota."

"We should be fine," I said.

It didn't take long to drive through Wesley, the nearest town. "This place is tiny," I said.

"Two thousand people," Lisa replied. "The airport is here because it's the only flat land big enough for this runway on the island, not because it's near anything. Portsmouth, just north of our home, is about twice this size. It's a quiet life, and we like it. Nobody cares about what happened back in Minnesota, only who we are now."

"I'm glad," David replied. "I still get stared at, though I don't know if it's because I'm a successful author or a murder suspect."

We followed the coast north before curving to the west. After fifteen minutes, the road headed into the dense vegetation and hills between the Devil's Peak volcano to the north and Diablotins to the south. The latter was the tallest on the island at 4700 feet, and the top was shrouded in clouds and rain. "Are you worried about living near a volcano?"

"Pretty much everyone on this island is within five miles of a volcano," she replied. "Devil's Peak is dormant, and Morna Diablotins hasn't erupted for thirty thousand years. The active volcanoes are clustered east of the capital on the southern tip."

The 'roads' we were on were nothing like I'd been on before. Lisa didn't fear the steep drops and tight turns like I did, and my hands were getting tired from handing on to the sissy bar and my dog. We got a good view of Portsmouth and the surrounding villages as we came out of the mountains. "It's so beautiful," I said.

"It wasn't five years ago," she told me. "Cat Five Hurricane Maria almost wiped the island clean. Ninety percent of homes lost their roofs; damage was 226% of GDP. Hundred and sixty mile-an-hour sustained winds will do that."

"Damn," I said. Now that I knew what to look for, I could spot the debris piles, damaged homes, and new construction. "You're keeping busy, then."

"There's never enough time or money to do it all, but we try," she said with a grin. "Maybe I got more from Dad than I thought." When they moved here, Lisa had partnered with a local church to build housing for the poor. It turned out she loved the job, and six months later was running a crew of volunteers.

My jaw dropped when we turned off the coastal road and through a gate in the fence. The driveway led to a home on a rocky point above the end of a white sand beach. "Holy SHIT! Your pictures don't do this justice!" The two-story home of concrete and stone commanded the landscape like a medieval castle. It reminded me of a walk-out rambler from back home. Snow loads didn't allow the twelve-foot-wide deck covered by the lower portion of the dual-pitch metal roof. It was a common design in the tropics, enabling you to move where the shade and the winds were best. Outside furniture and hammocks were spaced around it. Rocky took off to sniff around and mark the territory.

"Six thousand square feet of living area," Lisa said. "Lana, Margarite, and I share the lower level with the chick cave and the gym. Lauren and the guest room are on the top floor with the kitchen, dining, and living room. There are another two thousand square feet of living space on the deck and patio, plus the pool. The beach is only a hundred feet away, and the water is nice and warm. We practically live outside when the weather is good." Lisa wheeled me up the short ramp to the deck, then into the air-conditioned space.

The house had an open floor plan that took advantage of the ocean views. Floor-to-ceiling windows along the back meant you could see the ocean from anywhere. I spotted an outdoor kitchen, pool house and bar on the patio, plus tables, chairs, and loungers around the pool and in the shade. A stairway from the back deck led down to the pool area.

Inside I'd expected stone and paint, but it was surprisingly homey. There was plenty of wood inside to warm up the space along with colorful tapestries and wall hangings. "This is wonderful," I said as I looked around.

Margarite ran up the stairs from the outdoor kitchen to give us an emotional welcome. "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes, so I hope your hungry," she said. "I can't wait to hear about everything."