Not Forgotten (25 page)

The door at the end of the hall opened and Matt along with a gentleman in his late fifties stepped out of the office. Natalie felt herself suddenly standing, her feet moving of their own accord as if she was a passenger not the driver.

As she approached, Matt turned towards her. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her face but he stepped forward and placed a hand on her lower back.

“Superintendent Alec Harris, Doctor Natalie Miller,” he introduced.

Alec held out his hand and shook her own. “A pleasure, Doctor Miller.” He glanced down as he felt the bandage and quickly released her hand. “I’m so sorry.”

Natalie dismissed Alec’s dismay. “I’ll heal. I figure I got off easy. The night certainly could’ve ended much worse.”

Alec’s cornflower blue eyes were solemn. “Yes. How are you holding up?”

“Better, thanks to Matt. He has been my rock through all of this.” She caught the look Alec threw Matt. She wet her lips nervously and to her mortification tears sprang into her eyes. “Please don’t punish Matt. He doesn’t deserve it. He is a good cop and an even better man.”

“Natalie,” Matt said softly.

Natalie ignored him and focused on Alec. “Please,” she forged on. “He loves his job more than anything. You can’t take that away from him. I could never live with myself as I was the cause. He killed a man for me.”

“He did, and the investigation will prove he had no other choice.” Instant relief filled her. “But he also broke the rules,” Alec pointed out.

Her previous elation evaporated. “By sleeping with me, you mean?” Desperately, she continued, “It wasn’t his fault. I instigated that night.” She heard Matt release a deep breath and Alec’s eyebrows rose. Natalie blushed. “It was my choice. He shouldn’t suffer because of me.”

“He made his own decision and must accept the repercussions.”

Natalie’s heart stopped and she felt a hot tear roll down her cheek.

“Alec, stop,” Matt ordered. His tone was authoritative and her damp eyes widened.

Alec chuckled. “I’m so sorry, Doctor Miller, but your face was priceless. I couldn’t help but have some fun.”

She frowned. “He’s not to be reprimanded?”

“No. You were a consultant. Not that we encourage that sort of behaviour but it’s not as if you were a witness or a victim, at least not at the time,” he added, once again glancing down at her bandaged hands.

Natalie let out a relieved breath and went limp. Matt drew her against his body. She went willingly.

“So he’s not going to lose his job?” she clarified. She wanted to be clear on that point.

“No,” Alec said kindly. “You have a good one here, Murphy. Don’t let her go.”

“I don’t plan to.”

“No, I don’t think you will.”

Natalie heard ringing in her ears. Her relief was palpable. Matt wasn’t going to be punished for his indiscretion with her.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to discuss with you, sir, if you have the time,” Natalie said as she snapped back to reality.

“I’m at your disposal, Doctor,” Alec said and she heard the humour in his voice. He sounded as if he was enjoying himself.

Why should he not? Her face was burning. She would’ve loved to have melted into the floor but what she had to ask was much too important to allow her embarrassment to have control.

“I would like your support in removing Hallie Walker from Paradise Valley and into a stable home. I assure you, she is no danger to herself or others.”

“Do you have a home in mind?”

“Mine,” she replied firmly, as if the matter wasn’t up for discussion. It wasn’t. She had made up her mind. “Hallie is a good girl. She deserves a chance.”

“Of course. I’ll advise them immediately. Good luck. I have a teenager and they are not for the faint of heart. Though, I think you’ll do just fine.”

Natalie nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate your assistance.”

“Any time, Doctor Miller.”

“Natalie, please.”

He acknowledged her with a nod before excusing himself.

“Hope you know what you’re getting into. You’re going to have your hands full with that one,” he muttered to Matt on his way back to his office, snickering with amusement.

Natalie froze. She had temporarily forgotten Matt had been there. She slowly turned to face him and smiled when she found him grinning at her as he rocked back on his heels in that adorably annoying habit of his.

“I know.” She had made a fool of herself. Her embarrassment was still fresh. But she would do it all again if it saved him from trouble. Her gaze dropped to the carpet. It matched the floor of the interview room, she noted. “I’m sorry I interfered. I just couldn’t stand the thought of you losing your job because of me.”

“Natalie?”

He placed a finger beneath her chin and raised her head. She slowly made eye contact, afraid of what she might see. His beautiful eyes looked back at her kindly.

“Yeah?”

“I love you more.”

Her heart stopped beating for a moment then began to pound. He loved her? She was overjoyed. He loved her. She couldn’t believe it. Her euphoria dimmed as she replayed his last words and her eyebrows furrowed. He loved her more? More than she did him? How could he possibly know that?

“What?”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you more than my job.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “You do?”

Was she dreaming? She had to be dreaming. It seemed like a dream.

“How could I not?”

Her face broke into a smile. He loved her. How could she ever have doubted that? It seemed so fast. They hadn’t know each other long, but it felt right. She felt a connection only people who have known each other for years had. Matt was special. The only one for her. Her entire life, she had been waiting for him. He was the only man she could trust with her heart, her body, and everything in between.

“I love you too,” she declared. Her heart was so full. She was afraid it might burst.

Matt drew her closer then lowered his head even as she raised her own. Their lips met and she felt his love as he poured himself into the kiss. His tongue swept against her own and she felt the corresponding desire low in her belly. She kissed him back, matching his passion until she was no longer burning from embarrassment but from something entirely different and she was more than happy to be consumed by it.

The kiss ended all too quickly for her liking but then she feared if they’d continued he would’ve been lifting her up onto one of the nearby desks and the idea wasn’t at all unappealing.

“Later,” he murmured, obviously reading her thoughts.

Several cheers and wolf whistles came from her left and she heard Matt swear. He turned her slightly and this time she definitely wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

“Natalie Miller, I’d like you to meet my team. Amelia Donovan, Nicholas Doyle, and Dean Matthews,” Matt said. “You already know Darryl.”

“You owe me fifty, Doyle,” Amelia said and held out her hand.

Epilogue

One Year Later…

The wedding was a small, intimate affair. Natalie had invited Gary, and he’d wished them the best as he handed over a gravy boat. Alec Harris had brought his wife Caitlyn, both looking as much in love as if they’d only just met. Their daughter, Sophie, a perpetual troublemaker, had disappeared behind a thick hedge the moment she’d arrived. Her date, a young constable by the name of Cade Watson, awkwardly followed her.

Natalie, dressed in a beautiful ivory dress with small pearl beads down the back, looked about the botanical garden which served as both the location for the ceremony and reception. A buffet had been set up to her right, catered by Jed Tanner. His daughter Glory happily played bartender and Natalie was thankful she had so many friends to make her wedding a day to remember.

Matt wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her naked neck as they looked about the gathering. Her hair had been pinned to one side with a white satin clip, curls tumbling down past her shoulder. She felt like the beautiful princess her father had often said she was. A moment of sorrow filled her as she thought about how he and Aunt Maggie and Uncle Roger hadn’t lived to see her so sublimely happy. She hoped that they were looking down on her today and sharing this wonderful day that she’d been too scared to think was possible.

She was still haunted by her memories of that night with Harry but slowly over time the horror had dimmed slightly. She knew she might never get over it, the trauma too great, but she was coping with the help of Matt and Hallie. She wasn’t sure what she would do without them and hoped she never found out. She loved them both dearly.

Amelia had slowly warmed to her, and looked uncomfortable in her formal wear. She’d opted for dress pants and fuchsia shirt rather than a dress, the colour blending well with her mocha toned skin. Amelia had taken her role as bridesmaid as if headed for the firing squad and had shared the duty with Matt’s sister Kendall.

The three groomsmen, Darryl, Dean, and Nick had accepted her into their lives as Matt’s girlfriend and she had begun to think of them as the overbearing brothers she’d never had or wanted. They were even over protective of their ‘niece’ Hallie, not that they needed to be. Matt had that covered. Whereas a normal teenage girl would yell and scream, Hallie seemed to enjoy it, even when it exasperated her. Natalie was pretty sure Hallie secretly relished in the fact that someone cared enough to put restrictions on her. Thankfully, she was a sensible girl and never gave them cause to worry much.

Each of the men were dressed smartly in their suits and she was sure every woman in the room was busy undressing them in their minds, despite their married or underage status. Everyone, she thought, except herself. The men might be handsome but they didn’t hold a candle to her Matt. He was the most gorgeous man alive, inside and out.

Of all the horror that had come from Harry’s presence in their lives, he had least brought them all together. Without the Butcher, Natalie would never have met Matt or Hallie and her life would never have changed for the better.

Matt’s mother and sister had welcomed her and Hallie into the family with open arms and for the first time in years she had a family again. She felt as she had those long ago days with her aunt and uncle, and before her father had died.

Matt had proposed at a nice romantic Italian restaurant down near the promenade. The candle on their table had flickered in the warm breeze as they sat outside and she’d smelled the water in the bay nearby. Children had laughed as they’d run ahead of their parents as they made their way down to the beach. Fishermen leaned over the pier and sat on the end of the dock hoping to catch their dinner. The sun had begun to set, glowing red in the distance just over the horizon and Matt had reached into his pocket and produced a diamond ring as he’d knelt beside her.

Her breath had caught in her throat as he looked in her eyes and asked her to marry him.

“When I first met you, I was blown away. You’re smart and beautiful, kind and giving. I wonder every day how I could be so lucky to have you love me just as I love you,” Matt said and her heart swelled in her chest even as tears rolled silently down her cheek. “When I look into the future, all I see is you. I don’t want to live without you. I love you, Natalie Miller, with all my heart. Will you do the honour of being my wife?”

Natalie had smiled and replied adamantly. “Yes.”

She’d learned later that Hallie had helped pick out the ring, a simple gold band with a solitaire diamond that she couldn’t have loved more. Natalie glanced over at Hallie who was dressed in a strapless magenta maid-of-honour gown. Her hair was bundled on the top of her head in a fancy up-do. She sat giggling with Sergeant Robert’s daughters and Natalie was glad she was so happy.

Natalie remembered the day she and Matt had gone to collect her from Paradise Valley. It was a day she would always look back on fondly. Not only had she gained a daughter but it had been the day Matt had declared his feelings to her. They had gotten in the car after she’d been introduced to his team and she’d had another moment of anxiety. She hadn’t once thought to ask how Matt felt about her decision to remove Hallie from Paradise Valley and bring her home. She’d felt awful, considering her home at that moment had been his.

Natalie had turned in her seat and had apologised profusely.

Matt had smiled and told her to relax, that he’d known her intentions the moment she had asked Alec for support and thought it was a great idea. Natalie had been immensely relieved.

She had found Hallie staring out the window. The sun streaked through the glass and made the red of her hair burn bright. Hallie had turned when she caught Natalie’s reflection in the glass and smiled, the smile fading when she’d noticed Natalie’s hands were bound in bandages.

“He hurt you,” Hallie declared and the tone of her voice suggested she didn’t care for it.

Natalie looked down at her hands. “Barely grazed the skin.”

“Is he really dead?”

Natalie nodded. “He isn’t coming back, Hallie,” she promised. “Have the police been to see you?”

Hallie nodded and Natalie wondered how much Hallie had been told.

“Yeah. I know everything.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “How do I look at myself in the mirror knowing I’m related to that monster?”

Natalie moved towards her and knelt in front of her. Her bandaged hands rested on Hallie’s knees. Natalie’s heart broke for her and the pain she was feeling. It was too much for a teenager who had already lost everything in the world she held dear. Her life had been ruined because of a few bad decisions others had made.

“By knowing that you’re nothing like him.”

A tear spilled from Hallie’s eye and rolled down her cheek. Natalie wiped it away with the linen of the bandage on her hand.

“How could they have kept it all from me? Missy wasn’t my mum. Do you think they planned on lying to me my entire life?”

Natalie shook her head. “I don’t know, Hallie, and I don’t pretend to know how you’re feeling. But I do know family isn’t always blood. Love can come despite any familial ties. Missy was your mother in every way that matters. She loved you with all her heart.”

Hallie sniffled. “What happens now? With me, I mean,” she added.

“How would you like to get out of here?”

Natalie felt a moment of apprehension. What if Hallie didn’t want to go with her? Maybe her presence would constantly remind Hallie of this place and things best forgotten. How could she not have thought about that before? She’d been too wrapped up in her own feelings; she hadn’t bothered to think of anyone else. The idea of never seeing Hallie again hurt. The girl had burrowed deep into her heart and she feared it might break. But she would comply with what was best for Hallie. It had to be about Hallie. Always.

Hallie smiled. “For a couple hours?”

Natalie shook her head. “No. Not for a couple of hours. I was actually thinking along the lines of…” She shrugged. “A lifetime, maybe?”

“Are you being for real right now?” Hallie asked, her voice low. Natalie nodded. Hallie launched herself at Natalie and hugged her. “Hell yeah.”

In that moment Natalie had realised she had everything she could possibly want. “Come on, then. Matt’s waiting in the car.”

The three of them had fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Hallie’s adoption papers had been signed months back. Despite her only being a few months from eighteen, she and Matt had wanted to officially make her their daughter. Hallie had come a long way from the teenager she’d met at Paradise Valley. She had easily adjusted to her new home and life and had opted to continue her schooling at home with the help of a tutor and was exceeding both Matt’s and Natalie’s hopes for her.

The music died down and she was handed a champagne glass while Matt raised his own glass and toasted to her, his wonderful daughter and to his friends and family. Natalie’s eyes filled with tears at the lovely sentiment. Vanity at having her make-up ruined had her blinking them back. She couldn’t possibly love him more.

Matt then turned to his groomsmen. “You’re next, boys.”

He drank from his glass and everyone followed suit except for the three men. Dean, Darryl, and Nick all looked at each other, something akin to fear in their eyes.

“He’s joking, right?” Nick asked.

Amelia grinned at them, obviously relishing in their discomfort. “I don’t think so.”

Dean shook his head. “Nope. Not happening.”

“I like my bachelor status. No woman is tying me down just yet,” Darryl added.

Natalie gave them a dazzling smile. “You say that now. But just you wait and see.”