Past Forgiven Read online

  Susan took several deep breaths, attempting to stifle her racing heart from the fear of shooting a deadly weapon for the first time, and with the desire that coursed through her veins. With one more pull of air, Susan held it. “Ready.”

  “Okay, sweetheart, watch the end of the muzzle. See how it moves in a kind of figure-eight pattern? This is due to the beating of your heart. When it gets to the bottom, pull the trigger.”

  Adrenaline flooded her system as she readied herself to fire, scared of the intimidating and heavy weapon in her hands. Seeing her hesitation, Dominick whispered in her ear, “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. I’m right here with you always, right by your side. Trust me.”

  And she did. Imagining that it was Dalton on that target, sneering at her like he’d done for years under his imprisoning employment, determination and anger took the place of her fear. Lining up the sights, she focused on her target and the shaky figure eights. Once her hand made it to the bottom, Susan squeezed the trigger.

  The explosive, ear-splitting bang, followed by the powerful kick-back, nearly knocked the wind out of her. She never expected the handgun to have that much power behind it, judging by its size alone. It was definitely different from the movies she’d watched. With the flood of adrenaline and the fear that resurfaced after the unexpected outcome, Susan was overcome with tremors.

  Dominick carefully extracted the still loaded weapon from the girl’s trembling fingers and flicked the safety back on. He placed it back on the counter behind them and rushed back to the frozen girl. His arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her into the protective cage of his body.

  “You did it!”

  Strong hands turned the stunned girl, lifting her up and twirling her around in dizzying circles. “Great job, Suzie Q. I’m so proud of you!” Caught up in the moment, the elated man placed several wet kisses on the side of her neck as he held her up. Dominick gave her one last squeeze before setting her back down on the mossy earth. That’s when he noticed her petrified expression for the first time.

  “It’s all right, sweetheart. You're okay. I know the first time is a bit daunting, but look… you fired off your first shot beautifully.”

  Finally able to suck in a breath, Susan’s once flushed cheeks paled. “I don’t want to do it anymore. I… I can’t. It’s too much for me. Please. I’m no good at this.”

  Dominick cupped her quivering chin, moments away from shedding the tears he knew she was holding back, and lifted her head up to meet his eyes. The fear behind them broke Dominick’s heart. He wished she didn’t have a need for this. She didn’t deserve the hell Dalton had brought into her life. He wished he could erase the past for her and give her the promise of a happy future. He would, too… in a heartbeat.

  With gentle hands, the detective cradled her face, and with fierce determination, his eyes penetrated hers, willing his strength and courage to infect her like a virus. “Yes… you can, and you did. The hard part is over. Now, you know exactly what to expect for the next time. With practice, it’ll become second nature to you.”

  The frightened girl kept shaking her head in refusal until Dominick took hold of her stubborn chin and turned it toward her target. “You’re a natural, Susan. You got him square in the gut. It’s an extremely painful way to go.”

  Susan let a small smirk appear. I did it. I got the bastard.

  “I’ll bet you could get him dead center in the chest the next time around.”

  Looking up at Dominick’s smiling face, Susan couldn’t help but smile back at him. He was beaming with such pride for her, she felt a need to continue. She wanted to keep that look on his face. She liked having him this close to her.

  The initial blast must have shocked and jumbled up her brains because she couldn’t seem to remember the steps they’d gone over for the tenth time. As if reading her mind, Dominick spoke up, “Let’s go over it again, and again. If you ever, for any reason, have to use this, I want you to hear my voice in your head. Only my voice. Focus and follow my steps, Susan.”

  Susan nodded in compliance. This would be an easy task, as she always had his voice in her head and lodged deep within her heart.

  “I promise.”

  Dominick leaned in closer, the look of determination in his eyes making her heart accelerate. “Good girl.” Susan watched as he tilted his head, dipping it to hers, shocked when his lips brushed lightly against hers. Susan held her breath.

  Did that just happen?

  Feeling her stiffen beneath him, Dominick pulled back, eyeing her carefully.

  Without thinking, Susan questioned him, “What was that for?”

  Dominick’s eyes were hypnotized on the movement of her lips as she spoke. “I’m tired of fighting against myself, Susan. Tired of trying so hard to keep my distance from you. That’s the last thing in the world I want to do.”

  Susan’s heart soared hearing this. I knew it.

  “Then don’t.” Raising up on tiptoes, she gripped the back of his neck, pulling him back down to her impatient lips. Dominick wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to his body. Their mouths crashed together, longing to feel the lips of the other in the kiss they’d both been dreaming of.

  Desperation drove Dominick to deepen the kiss, his tongue diving into her mouth, needing to taste her, to feel her. Susan’s hands gripped his hair, tugging to the side for easier access, desperately wanting to open up to him. The only noise around was their heavy panting and the crackling of the fire. Susan wanted to stay in this moment forever; everything else faded away. All the fear, responsibilities, and reality ceased to exist while wrapped up in Dominick's tight hold.

  A shrill ring brought them down and out of the clouds. Dominick pulled his cell out of his pocket, and for a brief moment, Susan tried to stop him from picking it up, unwilling to come back to reality. Pulling on his bottom lip with her teeth, she whispered, “Let it go to voicemail, Detective.”

  Dominick groaned in frustration, gripping her hips tighter and grinding against her. “I want nothing more than to take you into my room and tear off all your clothes, sweetheart, but this could be important.”

  Susan's eyes shot open, thinking of her mother and brother. Reluctantly, she unwound her hands from around his neck and took a small, yet agonizingly too far, step back. “You’re right.”

  Dominick brought the phone to his ear and growled out in growing fury, “What is it?”

  “Nice to talk to you too, Detective. I’m calling to say congratulations! You have yourself a new roommate. They approved my early release. Could you pick me up tomorrow? I’ve tried calling Eva, but she’s probably at work. She’s not answering so I’m going to surprise her.”

  “That’s great news Giddeon. Yeah, I’ll be out front tomorrow. Congrats, man.” Dominick's mouth turned up into a proud grin, despite the interruption.

  “All right, Detective, I’ll see you tomorrow. Take it easy.”

  The line ended, and Dominick stalked closer to Susan, a devilish smirk growing on his face. “Looks like our trip is going to be cut short, sweetheart. We better get some more practice in while we’re here.”

  Susan gripped his shirt, arching into him suggestively. “Practice… or practice?” She winked at him and giggled.

  “Both!”

  Behr and Ellora

  Isle of Skye, Scotland

  “Scowl at me all you want, but I’m still coming with you. I’ve got nothing scheduled today, and I want to see what Gavin’s been raging about.” Seeing Behr’s frustration and not understanding the cause behind it, Ellora decided to break out the big guns and convince him.

  Behr ran his hands through his thick unruly hair, then stopped the motion once he caught a glimpse of Ellora strutting seductively his way with heat from her smoldering gaze seeping into him.

  “Besides, I missed working by your side, watching while you work up a sweat, getting down and dirty. Don’t you want to get your hands dirty with me, Behr?”

  Ellora ran he
r hands up his solid chest, nipping playfully on the spot just below his ear. Behr groaned, gripping her hips and pulling her tight against him.

  “Aah, love, you donnae play fair, do ya?”

  Cupping his stubbled face, Ellora brought his face down to hers and placed a sinfully sweet kiss on his full lips. “Please, Behr. I need you.” Those five words tipped the scales in her favor. He’d do anything for his raven-haired beauty.

  “As you wish, love.”

  “Good! Let's get going then, lots of work to do.”

  Behr watched her bounce out the door as if she hadn’t riled him up to the point of bursting. Little tease, she’ll pay for that. Behr locked up her shop and reluctantly made his way to his truck and toward a past that haunted him. He was only going through with this dreadful meeting in order to make a better future for himself and his beloved wife-to-be. The inevitable was about to happen, his past and future colliding together, and there was nothing Behr could do to stop it from happening.

  Ellora took her time touring the vessel, with Behr following close behind carrying a very long list of repairs the ship needed. She went over each one with him to make sure they were on the same page.

  “All right, so I’ve got some rot on the deck commonly seen on these older models.” Ellora waved her hand around in a circle, still holding her pen and pointing with it at key spots that caught her eye.

  “We’ll replace it with newly treated wood. We’ve got some leaks in the cabin that seem to be coming from the hatches and ports, so we’ll seal those suckers up real good, then hose her down to make sure we didn’t miss any small cracks or crevasses. There are a few spots on the rubric where the fittings have corroded, so we’ll replace them, too.” Ellora looked up from her notepad and turned in a full circle, taking in the sad state of the ship around her.

  “Boy, she sure did take a beating over the years, huh? There are several hairline cracks in the stern drives that need to be checked as well. What do you have to add to this list, Behr?”

  Chuckling lightly, and impressed with his girl, the man spoke up while eyeing her graciously. “Aye, love, there are some engine issues that I’d already expected to see in a vessel of this age, and some crowded wires within the fuse box that need to be reorganized. The oil and fuel need to be replaced. It’s been sitting for far too long. Aye, it’s practically sludge at this point.”

  Ellora shook her head at the overwhelming work that lay ahead of them.

  “Not to mention a fresh coat of paint and updated figures… this is quite the project, Behr. You’re brave.”

  Running his hands through his messy locks out of habit, the hopeful man peered over at Ellora through thick lashes and asked reluctantly, “You think I’m in too deep, love? Am I a crazy fool for wanting this ship so badly?”

  A small smile crept up on her stoic face as she looked into his hopeful eyes. She knew Behr. He belonged on the water, and she wanted him to have this one, especially if it meant reconciling with his father. “I think this ship has been lying in wait for its rightful owner… and you’ve finally arrived. Let’s get her home.”

  Behr snatched Ellora up off her feet and twirled her around, showing all who watched just how happy her answer had made him. “I love ya, Lor. Wish I could whisk ya away n’ marry you right this second.”

  Ellora blushed as her very own grizzly Behr looked over every inch of her with hungry eyes. “Soon enough, I’ll be yours, in every way possible.”

  Behr’s eyes fell at her whispered promise. The small words had so much weight behind them that he could feel each one lodge deep within his heart. “I cannae wait to truly make you mine, love. You’re my everything… I am nothing without you standing by my side through life.”

  Their lips were a breath away from colliding when they heard a throat clear behind them.

  “I’m glad to see ya back ‘ere, Behr. Thought for sure you wouldnae come back. Aye, I was certain of it.”

  Behr brushed past Ellora with malice forming across his rigid expression. “I donnae abandon things once I’ve given my word. I know how to keep my promises. Unlike you, I donnae walk away from anything worth ‘avin’.”

  Ouch.

  Ellora had never seen Behr like this. His vicious words only proved how hurt he was, even though her lethal grizzly Behr would never show it. Her heart broke for Mathew, too. He took every venomous strike without saying a word back. He looked at his son like he wanted him to give it his best shot as if he knew that he deserved every word of it. Ellora could see Mathew’s sorrow and regret as clear as the water the ship floated on.

  Using a feather light touch, Ellora captured his attention, placing her hand on Behr’s forearm. Behr clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t want to act like this in front of her.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you. My name is Ellora Belle Sutherland, daughter of Joseph and Bonnie Sutherland. I’ve finally come home to take over my father’s old hardware store.”

  “Miss Sutherland, I’m Matthew Buchanan, Behr’s father. Pleasure meeting you. I’ve heard so much about you from the townies around Skye. It seems you’re somewhat of a celebrity ’round these parts. It was a kind thing you did for Grady, helping him out the way you did… just what your father would’ve done, I’d say. He’d be proud of you, lass.”

  Ellora forced a few tears back at the mention of her father. “Thank you, Mathew. That means a lot to me.”

  “Aye, donnae you think on it. That be the truth, nothin’ more.”

  She couldn’t help herself; Ellora kissed the old man on his sun-scorched cheeks.

  “Are ya finished with your mile-long repair lists yet? My wife, Rose, has a lunch spread awaitin’ us. Aye, she’ll hear no refusals, and I’ve learned not to contend with the woman who puts food on the table. Come n’ ‘ave a bite to eat with us… I beg you.”

  Ellora shot Behr a no way in hell are you getting out of this so don’t even try, death to any refusals glare. The man groaned his reply and turned on his heel toward the truck without saying a word.

  “We’d love to. Thank you, Mathew. We’ll follow you.”

  Mathew’s eyes never left his son as he watched his retreating back. “Aye, the boy knows the way sure enough. We’ve lived in the same house for forty years.”

  Behr navigated the truck down the streets he’d played in as a kid, dreading walking back into that house.

  “I cannae believe you’re making me do this,” he ground out while tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

  Ellora paid no mind to his sour mood, chuckling instead. “I didn’t make you do anything, but it is a reunion that was bound to happen.” Ellora triumphantly flashed a devilish grin in his direction.

  “You’re a wicked little thing, aren’t ya’?”

  They pulled up to a charming little house that looked more like a cabin than anything else. Behr remained still as the truck sat idling in the car park. Ellora placed her hand gently over his, running the pad of her thumb back and forth and trying her best to sooth him.

  “I’ll be right by your side the whole time. Always with you. If this visit takes a turn for the worse and gets heated, we’ll leave, okay?”

  Behr engulfed her hand inside his and ran tender kisses on each knuckle and her palm, nodding absentmindedly. He looked so vulnerable in this moment, like he’d gone back in time and was that sad little boy whose parents had disowned him. Closing his eyes, Behr took a heavy breath in.

  “Let’s get this over with before I change m’ mind altogether.”

  Behr stepped out of the truck and made his way around to Ellora’s side, then helped her down. Gripping her hand, his anxiety showed by the crushing force of his tight hold. Ellora winced at the painful pressure.

  “I love you, Behr. So much.”

  That declaration put a smile back on his brooding face. They were nearly to the door when it was thrown open. There stood a tall, slender woman with graying hair pulled back in a neat bun. Her kind eyes shimmered with tears as she cast her loving mot
herly adoration on her only son. Hustling down the stone steps, she opened her trembling arms and wrapped her large boy up in her tight embrace.

  Behr reciprocated the hug, murmuring solemnly, “Hello, Mother.”

  The sound of his broken voice brought on sobbing from the delicate older woman. “Oh, m’ sweet baby boy, I thought I’d never see you back ‘ere again. I prayed every day since that you’d come home. Aye, n’ ‘ere you are. My, you’ve grown into such a handsome man.”

  “Ma, I’d like you t’ meet my fiancé.” Stepping out of her arms, Behr grabbed Ellora’s hand in his and presented her proudly. “Ellora Belle Sutherland, this is my mother, Rose Marie Buchanan.”

  Ellora smiled brilliantly and took the woman’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  The delighted woman gasped with joy and drew Ellora in for a warm hug, “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I will not have my future daughter shaking my hand like some common acquaintance.”

  The women held on to each other, feeding off of their shared excitement in finally meeting. Ellora was moments away from crying, missing her own mother. Mathew waltzed in during their emotional scene and huffed in exacerbation.

  “Rose, darlin’, don’t go making our company cry. Poor girl… they came to eat, not drown in your tears, love.”

  The old woman sidled up next to her husband, wiping away her tears. “Aye, forgive me. Let’s eat.”

  Lunch went smoothly, and Behr seemed to lighten up after a hearty lunch and some simple laughs. Rose eyed Mathew after a short pause in conversation, and the room grew awkwardly quiet. Ellora and Behr both knew something was about to happen. Mathew cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

  “Thank you for coming today, son… erm, Behr. There’s somethin’ I wanna get off m’ chest n’ I’d better do it now before I lose my nerve. I know I’ve been a terrible person and an even worse father to you. What I did to you was unimaginably wrong. ’N I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know. I’m so proud of ya, boy. You’ve made quite a life for yourself. You’re everything I wish I was at your age.”