Christmas Getaway (23 page)

“That they were revenge-type threats,” the detective finished for him. “It seems they weren't. Apparently the night Vincent died he told a nurse to tell his wife that his son knew where the stuff was. Only of course Erica was already dead. And because he'd just referred to it as ‘stuff'—not diamonds—the nurse forgot about it. But it seems when Connor got desperate as to where the stones were, he went back and grilled the nursing staff. The girl remembered. So Connor decided then that he had to get the information out of Charlie. Somehow. As soon as our
colleagues in the U.S. figured it out, they let the Australian Feds—that's us—know to watch out for the kids. They knew O'Bannion's threats were deadly.”

They all looked at Charlie. He was adjusting a yellow paper hat on his head. He looked eight years old again, Molly thought. Until now he'd looked too old for his years. He'd sounded too old for his years. But now he looked like a kid without a care.

This could work, she thought mistily. Connor O'Bannion's vicious menace disappearing into the realm of nightmares past. A great big house somewhere. Maybe not here. Too many memories. But somewhere near the sea. Somewhere where she and Joe could do a lot of work from home.

A nanny flat for Mandy had to be included. Mandy was here to stay, she thought with pleasure, watching the girl giggle with the kids.

And a granny flat for Ruby? Maybe not. Ruby had the look of a lady who moved around according to need.

But… Maybe a nursery.

She felt Joe's foot apply pressure. She glanced at him and she saw her thoughts mirrored in his eyes. He smiled at her and she smiled back and…

“Why is everyone looking at me?” Charlie asked and then amended his statement. “Everyone except Molly and Uncle Joe. They're looking goofy.”

Joe and Molly did their best not to look goofy. Joe turned to Charlie while Molly tried hard to get her blush to subside.

“Your dad might have hidden some diamonds here,” Joe said, trying to sound like it was no big deal. “That's why those guys came last night.”

“They were looking for diamonds?”

“Yes.”

“I don't think Dad had any diamonds,” Charlie said.

“Did he have a safe or a secret hiding place?” the detective asked.

“Only the spot where he put the insurance.”

“Insurance,” Joe said, and everyone—except Zoe and Lily who'd found strawberry ice cream—held their breath.

“Three steps forward, eight steps to the right from the big tree at the corner of the pavilion,” Charlie intoned. He frowned. “I think. Is it important?”

“Maybe,” the detectives said as one, and would have left the table straight away except Ruby brought them up sharply.

“Have some respect. Molly made this pudding herself. Pudding first, diamonds a very poor second.”

 

S
O THERE THEY WENT
, straight after pudding. Three steps forward, eight steps away from the big tree. The younger detective dug gently down. The earth was soft, as if it had been dug not too long before, and a foot down was a plastic ice-cream container.

“That was strawberry, too,” Zoe said in satisfaction, checking out the container.

Joe stooped and lifted it out of the ground. “It's yours to open,” he told Charlie, and Charlie did.

Inside the carton—a small chamois pouch. Charlie lifted the pouch and emptied it into his palm.

They looked like pebbles lying in Charlie's small hand. Rough, uncut stones, straight out of the earth.

“They're not even sparkling,” Charlie said in disappointment. “They're not special.”

“No, they're not,” Ruby said, and she hugged him in approval. She was already hugging Mandy. There were relationships being formed everywhere here, Joe thought. Any minute now Ruby would invite the detectives to join the family, as well.

Well, why not? It seemed there was family to spare. Joe tried to conjure up last Christmas in his bachelor pad in Sydney…and couldn't.

“All this tragedy,” Molly whispered. “For this.”

“For this,” he said, and he tugged her close and held. “For this.”

“It's not treasure,” Lily said, puzzled.

“These stones aren't,” Joe said, and he couldn't help himself; he swept Molly up into his arms and kissed her, right there in front of them all, a declaration as loud and as firm as any wedding vows. “Connor had it all wrong. He thought treasure was stones. But we've found it. You kids and me and Molly and Ruby and Mandy.”

“What's treasure?” Lily asked.

“Strawberry ice cream,” Joe said. “And Christmas pudding and the very tasteful orange spotted tie you gave me this morning. And messy kitchens and the possibility of puppies and the lovely Mandy, who's going to be nanny for us for as long as she wants to be. And weddings,” he said then, with laughter in his eyes as he smiled down at Molly in his arms. “Brides with hoops and purple flower girls.”

“No!” the two little girls yelled together, and Zoe said, “I want to be pink.”

“Does this mean you and Molly are getting married?” Charlie demanded, and Joe nodded.

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

“I don't think you've asked me,” Molly said.

He set her on her feet. He sank onto one knee.

“Molly, my love, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“You want us to go away?” the detectives said, grinning.

“I want witnesses. Molly, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she said. What was the point of saying anything else? Not in front of witnesses.

“There you go then,” Joe said, rising and tugging her against him. Kissing her hair. Smiling and smiling. “The perfect end to a perfect Christmas.”

But there was more. There was a whoop from the house, people calling. “Joe. Joe, where are you? It's Ellie.” And… “Molly, Molly, hell, are we too late?”

“Ellie,” Joe said faintly. “My foster sister.”

“Sam,” Molly whispered. “My brother. And my maid of honor.”

And there they were, two couples running over the lawn toward them, hand in hand. Jean and Sam. Ellie and a man Joe didn't recognize. Worry was disappearing from their faces as they approached, to be replaced almost instantly by the radiance Joe felt himself.

“You're safe. You're safe! Hell, we came as fast as we could,” Sam said, moving to kiss his sister. Which was tricky as there was no way Joe was letting her go. “But there were no rental cars to be had for love nor money. In the end we met together at a rental agency in Townsville. We hired a bus! Behold, you're being rescued by four people in a bus.”

“They're already rescued,” Ruby said serenely, hugging Ellie.

“Everybody, this is Fitz,” Ellie said, almost bursting with pride. “Any rumors you may have heard that I intended to marry anyone but Fitz have been greatly exaggerated. You guys think this is your adventure, but we started it. Fitz kidnapped me for Christmas.”

“And then rescued you?” Ruby demanded.

“Yes,” Ellie said, and beamed.

“Like Sam rescued me,” Jean said mistily.

“This seems like it might take months to sort out,” Joe said, thoroughly confused…but then he grinned. A man had to get his priorities right, and he knew exactly where his priorities lay right now. “It's great to see you guys, but I believe there's pudding left over,” he said. “I'm sure you're hungry. Now we need to do a bit of organizing. Officers, I'm sure you need to do something with these stones. Kids, there're presents to play with. The rest of you… I bet you haven't had Christmas dinner. Mandy, Ruby, do you think you could feed these guys? Keep 'em occupied for a bit?”

“Why?” Ruby asked, but her eyes were twinkling.

“Because Molly and I need an afternoon nap,” he said, sweeping her off her feet and into his arms again. “Or something.”

“Definitely something.” Molly chuckled. “Oh, Joe, they've only just arrived. How can we leave them?”

“By the look of them, I'm thinking they'll be understanding,” Joe said, smiling back at the linked hands, the goofy smiles. “Very understanding indeed.”

And then, to laughter and to applause, and very properly ignoring any further protests, her love strode back around the swimming pool, into the ransacked house…carrying his love into their future.

“Merry Christmas, my love,” he whispered. “And happy new life.”