The Door at the Top of the Stairs (37 page)

"It's about time, Sleeping Beauty." Morgan closed the book and called out, “Ryland, she's awake."

After a few minutes, Ryland came in, pulled the chair back up to the bed and sat. "So are you ready?"

Jesse sat up a little more in bed. “Ready for what?"

Ryland chuckled. “You don't think that after—what, six months—of working through issues, you get to disappear with Richard for three weeks and we're just going to pretend nothing happened, do you?"

"Ryland—" Jesse sounded exasperated as she sank back into the pillow.

"Yes?"

Morgan chuckled.

Jesse looked at her. “What?"

Morgan reached down and messed Jesse's hair. “It's just good to have you back, that's all."

Ryland crossed her legs. "First, an easy question. Morgan and I have been trying to figure out how you got back to us when you were so sick."

"I don't know… I took Richard's car and drove until I figured out where I was, then headed this way. I ran out of his money about a hundred miles from here, so when I ran out of gas I left the car and hitched a ride with a trucker."

Ryland nodded. She wanted to ease into the questions about Richard. "I guess we should start with what's going on right now.

We didn't want to upset you with anything while you were so sick.

Morgan has hired off-duty deputies to protect the house twenty-four hours a day. Once you came back, neither of us could sleep very well at night."

Jesse said quietly, "He's dead, Ryland...they're all dead." She leaned over until she felt her shoulder brush up against Morgan. "I killed Guillermo and...and Richard came after me down in the room. He threw himself at me and I drove his fucking nose up into his brain." She paused and looked away, then turned back to Ryland. "He's dead. I made sure he was dead this time."

Ryland and Morgan shared a relief so intense that they left Jesse to herself and went out into the living room together. Morgan sank down into the couch and Ryland tucked herself up under her friend's arm and began to cry. She hadn't realized how terrified she'd been that Richard would be back, and with a vengeance this time. She let it all come flooding out, and Morgan gathered her into her arms and held her very close.

Morgan rubbed her cheek on Ryland's hair. “I'm sorry I didn't protect you. I should have protected you. Shhh...I'm so sorry...I am so sorry."

Ryland cried until she was exhausted. The afternoon sun had fallen below the tree line, and the room began to fill with shadows and memories. "Morgan?"

"Hmm?"

"If you had protected me, and he had killed you—" She put her hand to her eyes. “I thank God you didn't protect me."

Morgan rolled Ryland's words around in her head a while, then smiled. “I'm not quite sure what to say to that. You're welcome that I didn't protect you?"

Ryland chuckled and they were quiet a while longer until Ryland sighed. “I guess you can tell the deputies they can go home. We don't need them anymore, and our life can maybe start to get back to normal. What do you think?"

Morgan kissed the top of her head. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

Jesse, who'd been standing in the hallway listening, limped in and sat down on the other side of Morgan. She leaned up against her, reached over and took Ryland's hand in hers. “There's something I've been meaning to ask you guys."

The serious tone in Jesse's voice concerned Ryland, who put her hand on Jesse's cheek. “What's that, Hon?"

"Do you think we could ask Mary if she'd like to come nurse me back to health? Maybe bring me some dessert?"

Morgan threw her head back and laughed while Ryland pulled Jesse's smiling face close and playfully tapped her on the head with her knuckles. Life had started down its own path to normal, and Ryland knew all they could do was hang on for the ride.

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To find more books by Alison Naomi Holt go to www.alisonholtbooks.com

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