Drop Dead Gorgeous (34 page)

“I hope so.” He squeezed her hand. She frowned suddenly.

“Sean, after what happened, what about Ricky—”

“Ricky is in the clear. There will be questions, of course. Reports to fill out. An inquiry. But there was a scuffle; Jeff was threatening lives. As a police officer, Ricky was entirely in the right to prevent a life-threatening situation against innocent civilians.”

She nodded. “Good. And Brad and Jan—”

“I think they’ll be fine. And I think that Brad and I can really be friends now. And I may even get along with your brother.”

Sean and Lori laughed. “He was only protecting me,” she said.

“I know.”

“Strange, though. Poor Michael. I should have known anyone that good to animals couldn’t have been a killer. Did you know, Sean, he was the smartest among us. He told me that Jeff was a shark.”

“Did he?”

“Yes—I was afraid to be in my house with Michael, while Michael was the only one with the right instincts to know the truth about Jeff.”

“It’s just that Jeff was Mandy’s brother,” Sean said softly. “Jeff was very, very sick,” he added. “But it’s over, and we made it, and right now, Lori, just life itself seems awfully damn good. Get some rest, huh?”

Lori nodded, and closed her eyes, exhausted, and ready to sleep. Easily. He was at her side. They had a lot of pain to face in the days to come.

A lot of healing to do.

But now they could heal without lies or fear, and for the moment, that was enough.

e
pilogue

O
ne day, about three months after
the inci
dent at the rock pit, Sean and Brendan
were
fishing alone just offshore from Plantation
Key,
where they’d rented a beach house for the
week
end.

Brendan had just snagged a good-size snapper. He’d hauled it in, and while he put his fish in the ice chest, Sean rebaited his hook. Minutes later, after discussing the merits of his catch, they sat in silence again. Then Brendan startled Sean by asking, “Are you my father?”

Taken by surprise, Sean hesitated, studying the shore. He could see Lori stretched out on a towel on the beach, reading.

“Yes,” he said simply. Then he looked at Brendan and asked, “Do you mind?”

Brendan shrugged, then grinned. “I never knew Ian Corcoran.”

Sean nodded. “I guess there’s a lot we could really explain when you’re older—”

“I’m plenty old; you don’t have to explain anything. I love my mother, I don’t feel traumatized, nor do I have any psychological hang-ups about the situation,” Brendan told him, amused. Then he said, “And I’m glad you’re my father.”

Sean looked toward the shoreline. Lori had risen, and she was waving, pointing to the barbecue pit. Lean and tanned, blond hair tossed
in the breeze, she was indicating that it was time for lunch.

He looked at Brendan, then to Lori once again.

And he knew that it had been one hell of a long road, but he’d really, finally, come home.