The Wedding Gift Read online

  “Steve, I don’t care if it’s via carrier pigeon.”

  “Those seats are sold out. I’ll call you back in a few.”

  Preston paced like an expectant father and grabbed his cell phone at the first ring.

  “You are in luck. We’ve got a priority flight going out at eight. They have been working on the runways all night. It will take you to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. I also checked with our weather guys and this is supposed to stop around noon. It will take a few hours for the commercial flights to get back on track.”

  “Perfect! I’ll make arrangements to have a rental car pick me up, and it’s a four-hour drive home from there. I just need a way to get to Buckley.”

  “Already arranged. I’ve got a car picking you up within the hour.”

  Relief swamped his body. Getting home was getting closer and closer. “How can I ever thank you, Steve?”

  “I’m the one who will always be grateful to you for defusing that bomb before we all shook hands with the devil. The next time you are out this way, I expect to meet the woman who turned your life around. I’ve never seen you happier.”

  Preston was so relieved that he was leaving sooner than he expected, he totally forgot to text Cindi he’d gotten a flight home.

  Chapter 7

  Preston had expelled every curse and expletive he had ever heard and made up a few in the past six hours. Drive time from the air force base to home was estimated at four hours. Bullshit! It had taken less time for a flight halfway across America than it did to drive the goddamn interstate. No one had planned for a major accident to cause an unexpected delay. The rental car wasn’t as comfortable as his Aston Martin, so he had to make adjustments for his prosthesis. When he stopped for gas, he went into the convenience store to purchase a bottle of ibuprofen, coffee, and a burner phone. Somewhere between the hotel and the airport, he’d lost his phone. The sales clerk advised they were having problems with that particular phone and activation would take three to four hours. He was about to leave the station and get back to the interstate when he spotted a pay phone on the side of the building decorated in graffiti. More curses hit the air when he noticed the receiver and wire were missing. Goddamn kids. The painkillers relieved the ache in his hip and thigh, but did nothing to relieve his anxiety. All he wanted to do was get home to Cindi.

  The serene blue and white Christmas lights on Samantha’s house were a welcome sight when he drove down the dark country road and turned into her driveway, bordered on either side by low solar lights. He prayed his love was here and none of the Cindi patrol had taken her out for the evening. They were no longer needed to protect what was his.

  His knee almost buckled from sitting too long when he got out of the car, but he hurried into the house to be greeted by a not very happy Samantha. A long white apron protected her jeans and the white T-shirt she wore while baking. Every space of marble countertop was covered with trays or cooling racks of sugar cookies. The scent of vanilla lingered in the air.

  Sam removed a row of warm cookies cut in the shape of toy soldiers from a parchment-covered baking tray and carefully placed them on the cooling rack. It was the last batch that had to be baked. She turned from the butcher-block table in the center of the kitchen and jammed her hands on her hips. “Where the hell have you been? Cindi and I have been calling your cell, but it went directly to message. I cautioned her not to panic and said you were fine. Why didn’t you call?”

  He yanked off the quilted vest he wore over a tan wool shirt and hung it on the back of a ladder-back chair. “My flight was cancelled because of a blizzard, but a buddy of mine got me on a military transport to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. I lost my cell phone getting into a military Humvee, a leftover from Desert Storm, and I’m sure my phone has been run over by a snowplow. I managed to get a rental car the last leg of my journey home. I stopped for gas and ran into a convenience store to get a burner phone, but was told activation could take three or more hours. The only available pay phone was out of order.” Preston gratefully accepted the cup of coffee and cookie Samantha passed him. “An accident on the interstate had traffic literally stopped for almost two hours. Where is the love of my life?”

  “You have my sympathy. This undercover assignment has me driving an eighteen-wheeler, so I know how you feel. Your fiancée just went out to the barn to tend the animals. Before you go rushing out there accusing her of hiding things from you, take a step back. She’s had a hellish week and has been suffering a major case of guilty conscience.”

  Samantha paused and reached for her cup of tea on the kitchen table. It was a new holiday blend, cranberry spice, she’d wanted to sample. “Cindi’s not the only one carrying the weight of remorse on their shoulders. You, Lincoln, and me are also culpable. She’s tired from going out every night, but thought her friends were so considerate keeping her company while you were away. We haven’t been honest with Cindi.” Samantha wrapped her arms around her waist, forgetting about the flour on her apron. “Tell me we have just cause for keeping her safe.”

  Preston drank the last of his coffee and set the mug in the kitchen sink. “Our instincts were spot-on. He is following in his father’s footsteps. All his clients aren’t on the up and up, and I uncovered money laundering, but I believe it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Lincoln is aware of the situation and already contacted Nate Haines, his buddy in the FBI, to give him a heads-up on what I discovered. I am waiting for Reggie, the top computer guy in our New York office, to confirm one more piece of evidence. If it’s what I suspect, Leland connected me to his father’s conviction and we were right thinking he plans to use Cindi against me. You don’t want to hear what I’d like to do this guy.”

  He paused and took in the rows of soldiers strategically lined up like an army at parade rest. Gold buttons dominated the front of their military red jackets, and shiny black icing covered their tall hats and boots. “I saw a scene like this in an old Laurel and Hardy movie, March of the Wooden Soldiers. It’s my dad’s favorite Christmas movie. All the toy soldiers were perfectly lined up in this warehouse. They were six feet tall, but your sugar-cookie army appears just as formidable.” He grabbed his quilted vest and headed for the door. “Leland is a bad boy, but he’s not alone. Ever hear of Mommy dearest?”

  Before going to the woman he loved more than life itself and kiss her senseless, he had a few things to do. He’d approached this problem ass backward, and Cindi was suffering the consequences. Preston went up to the loft apartment in the barn they’d called home the past few months, grabbed the bag of marshmallows, the box of graham crackers, and Hershey bars. He gathered up the dark green fleece blanket from the bottom of the bed, and wet wipes. His next stop was the woodshed to collect split logs and kindling. Their favorite spot on the property was the bench by the pond. He hadn’t told Cindi that he’d purchased another twenty acres that adjoined their property. It included a pond and was part of her wedding gift.

  The crisp night air was a brisk twenty-eight degrees, the perfect weather for a fire in the portable fire pit and snuggling under a blanket. Once the kindling caught, he placed split logs on top and covered the flames with the fire screen. He walked up the short path and headed for the ground-level section of the barn where the animals were housed. His heart beat faster in anticipation of finally getting to Cindi, but the moment he opened the wooden door, he heard Cindi talking to their pets. The remorseful tone in her voice cautioned him to stop and listen to her soliloquy.

  “I am going to make a terrible wife! You guys don’t have to worry about hurting the one you love, but I get the prize. After I tell him what I didn’t tell him, he’ll have second thoughts about marrying me.” Her confession audience stood to the side of the wide aisle and knew enough to keep out of the way when Cindi was agitated. Every other pitchfork of soiled bedding hay missed the farm cart and landed on the concrete and hard dirt floor. When she’d come home from work, Samantha was in the middle of making sugar cook
ies for the Santa village that Cindi and Preston were scheduled to work at from eleven to three the following day, so Cindi took on the daily chore. She really didn’t mind working in the barn and had gotten past the offensive odor long ago, having helped out on her parents’ farm. She’d been so busy the past week that she hadn’t spent time with the animals, especially Donut, her pygmy goat, and Cherry Cheesecake, her pygmy donkey.

  “I’m probably number one on the naughty list. Santa will put coal in my stocking for sure. You guys wouldn’t know about that. Just after Thanksgiving, parents start to warn their kids. ‘You better behave, because Santa is watching and you’ll get coal in your stocking.’ It’s just a ploy to make them behave. The kids are so damn smart they go on the computer and Google Santa’s naughty list and search for their name. Now they have this cute Elf on the Shelf that has a direct line to Santa. It can’t be more effective than coal.”

  She stood back to make sure she’d done a thorough job. The critters’ stalls had fresh hay, feed, and water. Cookie, their rooster, was already in his nesting box beside side his main squeeze. Samantha decided to let the couple become parents. Cream Puff had been nesting for a week and only left the four eggs once a day. Cookie stood guard and protected his young’uns while she ate and drank. Cindi couldn’t wait to cradle their baby chicks in her hand. Pound Cake, their cow, had a look of contentment on her black and white face, while Brownie, her calf, suckled at her udder.

  Cindi lowered herself to the bed of fresh hay she’d laid for Donut and Cherry Cheesecake, and stretched out her jean-clad legs. Cupcake and Muffin, the sister ducks, made themselves comfortable next to her right thigh. Donut crawled up her leg, turned around twice, and took over her lap. Cheesecake used her nose to butt the straw hat that she always wore while doing chores in the barn from Cindi’s head, before leaning against Cindi’s shoulder in a loving gesture. Their surrounding warmth offered genuine affection. She brushed her fingers over the downy white feathers on the duck’s backs before transferring her hand to the brown and white fur on Donut’s neck. “You guys are the best. I can talk to you about anything.” Pound Cake seemed to understand, and gave a long, soft moo.

  “My friends—correction, my human friends—have been keeping me company while Preston has been away. They had no idea they were associating with someone on the naughty list.”

  Donut jumped up and licked her on the cheek in protest of her self-deprecation. “You’re just being nice because I’m one of the ones who love you, but thank you anyway.” When Donut settled back down and snuggled his head on her arm, she took it as a sign to continue to confess all. “It all started when this guy from my past sent me purple roses. They were beautiful and I couldn’t throw them away.”

  Cheesecake appeared to agree, and rested her head on Cindi’s shoulder. The pygmy donkey always wore a little hat, and Cindi had recently added small silk purple roses around the brim.

  “The next present was a big box of Godiva chocolates and a DVD of my favorite movie when I was in high school. You guys don’t know about chocolate. You could get sick if you ate it, but take my word, the flavor is orgasmic. I gave the candy to the teachers in the new daycare center at the Adams Security building.”

  Cupcake and Muffin waddled off the hay and struck up a duet of quacking in approval. Samantha had brought the ducks to the center as a treat for the children. “Speaking of orgasms, Preston is an expert at giving orgasms.” Cindi flipped her fingers in front of her hot cheeks. “He goes like a jackhammer. I had plans to watch the movie with him, but since there is a sad ending, we would never get to the end and I would jump his bones. Then my honey bunch would give me one of his very delicious orgasms, probably two.”

  Cookie let out three cock-a-doodle-doos in approval.

  “Since you haven’t fallen asleep listening to my feel-sorry-for-myself story, I’ll tell you about the last gift. He sent a picture of us at our senior prom. I looked so pretty, but I would have looked spectacular if Preston was standing next to me, so I fixed that problem. I cut the jerk out and replaced it with a picture of my love. You’re thinking it’s a very immature thing for a thirty-three-year-old to do. It looks a little odd because I’m in a pretty dress and he is in a pair of shorts and you can see his prosthesis, but we look perfect.”

  When her audience remained mute, she continued. “Then the sleaze ball called me to find out why I hadn’t accepted any of his stupid invitations to meet for lunch or dinner or breakfast. The scumbag had the nerve to say Preston didn’t care if I went on a date because my one true love didn’t challenge him about the gifts or invitations. Preston knows I love him and I would never cheat on him. My friends kept me so busy this week, I didn’t have time, even if I was tempted, and I wasn’t! My boss offered to have his wife Jessie, call me. He’s so sweet.”

  Cindi picked up Donut, kissed him on the top of the head, and looked at her very understanding confession committee. “I should be pissed off at Preston for not calling me. He left a message saying his flight was cancelled, but was trying to make other arrangements. I’m really worried. I’ve been calling all day and he hasn’t answered his cell. When he finally gets home, I’m going to have to confess all. Maybe that will get me off the naughty list.” Cindi covered her face with her hands and let tension-filled tears run down her cheeks.

  Preston leaned his head against the wooden doorframe and let Cindi’s confession play over and over in his mind. Guilt weighed heavy on his heart and shoulders. Samantha had been correct. They were very much at fault for putting Cindi through so much agony. He should have been honest from the start and let Cindi know his suspicions, but he didn’t want her to worry. Would she believe him when he told her the truth about Leland? Friends she looked up to, even her boss, had been part of the deceitful conspiracy. He had a great deal of explaining to do.

  Donut spotted Preston first when he took cautious footsteps into the open space. Cheesecake came over and expected a pat the head. Cupcake and Muffin circled him in welcome and offered up a chorus of quacks.

  Cindi’s head popped up and her tear-wet eyes widened. “You’re here!” She jumped up and plowed into him, almost knocking Preston over. Her arms locked around his neck and she attacked his face with wet, sloppy kisses. “You”—kiss—“are”—kiss—“home!” Kiss! “Why didn’t you call me?” Kiss! Kiss!

  His arms captured her close, and he buried his face in her shoulder. “I’ve missed you so much. Being away from you is pure hell. My cell phone got run over by a snowplow, so I wasn’t able to call you.”

  “I have so much to tell you,” she said, as the tears started again. “I’m a deceitful fiancée and you might change your mind about marrying me because I’ve been hiding something from you.”

  Preston breathed in her sweet scent before lifting his head, and used his handkerchief to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. “You mean about being on the naughty list? Here, blow your nose.”

  “Thanks.” She gave three good honks, and hesitated for a moment before giving him back his handkerchief. “How did you know about the naughty list?” It wasn’t her imagination that his body stiffened and guilt was written all over his face. The feeling that she’d had all week that something was going on behind her back became very real. She stepped back, making his arms fall away. “How long have you been here?”

  “Long enough.”

  “Long enough, meaning you heard everything I said to my confession committee.”

  “Is that what they are?” he said with a light chuckle. “Yes, I heard.”

  “You listened in on a private conversation and aren’t angry with what you heard?”

  Preston moved his eyes to her support group who had gathered at her back, and he got their message loud and clear. He was a deceitful shit.

  “Don’t look to them for your answer. They’re on my side.” Cindi crossed her arms over her chest and tapped a booted foot. “Why do I get the impression you weren’t surprised by anything I said?”

  “Do you w
ant me to lie or tell the truth?”

  “The truth, naturally.” Cindi continued to tap her foot.

  “I know what’s been going on this past week.”

  The truth slapped her in the face like a bucket of ice water. She stepped back, putting a good three feet between them. “You know about the gifts, the invitations. When did you find out? Better yet, who was the tattletale?”

  “From day one, and I prefer to call them the Cindi patrol.”

  This was getting better and better. It was a damned conspiracy! “That means all my wonderful friends were reporting to you behind my back, including my best friend and boss. If you knew, why didn’t you just come in and stop me from making an ass of myself in front of our pets?”

  “We have a very cute donkey, if you’ll recall.”

  “Don’t change the subject or try to distract me with a slick remark. You didn’t trust me! You had to hear the words come out of my mouth to confirm what they told you. You had to be sure I hadn’t fallen for my old boyfriend because of his sentimental gifts and accepted one of his invitations.”

  She was getting hysterical and, as usual, was blowing the situation out of proportion. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shoved his hand away. “You’ve got it all wrong. I trust you. Let me explain.”

  “Grrr! No, I haven’t got it all wrong. Use our friends against me to make sure I didn’t cheat on you!” Cindi backed up farther and spied the pitchfork leaning against the wood barrier of the cow’s pen. “I’ll show you the truth.” She picked up the farm tool, rammed the pointy-sharp tines into the soiled hay, lifted out a smelly heap, and pointed it directly at him. “This is shit. Real shit, and you are so full of it.”

  Preston’s eyes widened at the foul-smelling threat, and he took a cautious step back. “You wouldn’t.” From the wild look in her eyes, he wouldn’t put it past her to throw the dirty hay on him. He held his hands out in defense and backed up. “Cindi, be reasonable and let me explain.”