“I’ll deal with it as soon as he signs the guardianship over to us.”
“Then deal with this, too: I love you, Bruiser Mackey, and I think you love me.” Mac held her breath.
One corner of Bruiser’s mouth lifted up in a half smile. “You’re damn right, honey. I love you.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He kissed her hair and murmured sweet words in her ear, words meant only for her, words he’d never said to another woman and the most honest, heartfelt words he’d ever spoken.
Finally, he lifted his head and laughed. “How do you feel about being Mac Mackey?”
* * * * *
For the next few days, the detectives sifted through the soil in the garden next door until they finally found something. A bone. A human femur. Followed by more bones, then a pelvis. Finally, a skull. Dental records confirmed what they all knew.
The metal box dug up earlier by Sonja and Ben held a gun and bullets. They might never know why he’d been murdered. A love triangle gone horribly wrong? Life insurance money?
Regardless, the mystery of his disappearance was finally solved, and Mac’s brother could be put to rest. Relief washed over her along with deep sadness.
Bruiser stood by her side the entire time.
Chapter 24—Game Over
Bruiser and Mac married three weeks later. Brett was Bruiser’s best man, and Kelsie was Mac’s maid of honor. Elliot sat in the front row between Zach and Tyler, grinning for all he was worth. Never much for the details when it came to girlie stuff, Mac had stood back and let the She-Wolves handle the wedding planning. They didn’t let her down, and Bruiser happily provided the blank check.
Just yesterday, the custody agreement had been signed. Elliot’s uncle had been arrested following a tip from Bruiser and a police investigation. Sadly, there’d been other little boys. At least they’d gotten Elliot out of there soon enough.
The Steelheads had won two out of their next three games, well on their way to a division title.
Where There’s a Will Detective Agency was opening its doors next month. Craig immersed himself in learning the business. He and the grumpy retired detective heading the agency got along great, arguing one minute, best buddies the next. They hired a second retired detective who’d previously worked on Will’s case to do part-time legwork.
Mac put her house up for sale. She loved the place but found herself unable to live that close to her brother’s murder scene. They found the perfect house on five acres near Rachel and Derek’s farm. Since it was vacant, they moved in immediately. Mac went wild purchasing plants and doing the landscaping. She also enrolled in college for the next quarter to finish her horticulture degree.
Elliot started in his new school and appeared to be doing well. Bruiser had made a point of taking him to school his first day and enrolling him. The secretaries swooned and principal asked for his autograph. Kids had gathered around Bruiser like he was the second coming. Bruiser promised to come back and speak at an assembly on the importance of looking beneath the surface. He should know that story better than anyone.
Sonja and Ben were charged with first-degree murder, at which point Ben sang like a bird and pointed fingers at Sonja, swearing she was the mastermind, and he’d just been the clean-up guy. After all this time, Mac hadn’t expected it to hurt as much as it did, despite her relief to finally know the truth.
At least she had Bruiser to share the pain as they helped each other heal from similar tragedies.
She surrounded herself with friends and family, learning how to live like a normal person again. Along with her dad and Elliot, she invited Shanna and Eunice to attend Bruiser’s games with her, finding out—much to Bruiser’s shock—they were big fans and could recite Bruiser’s stats from memory. They critiqued every game, and he tolerated their criticism with as much grace as he could muster.
Mac didn’t know what the future held, but she knew Bruiser and Elliot would be in it.
Mac was in love, and Bruiser loved her back.
That was all that mattered in her book.
~ THE END ~
Thank you for spending time in my world. I hope you enjoyed reading this book. If you did, please help other readers discover this book by leaving a review.
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Complete Booklist
The following Jami Davenport titles are available in digital and many are available as trade paperbacks. These books can be read as standalones.
Scoring Series—Introducing the Puck Brothers
Shutout
Blocked
Playmaker (Summer 2020)
Icing (Fall 2020)
Seattle Sockeyes Hockey
Skating on Thin Ice
Crashing the Net
Love at First Snow
Melting Ice
Hearts on Ice
Bodychecking
Goaltending
Penalty Play
Shutdown Player
Shot on Goal
Deflected
Seattle Skookums Baseball
Bottom of the Ninth
Men of Tyee
Sacked in Seattle
Tackled in Seattle
Seattle Steelheads
Kickoff (The Originals)
Snap Decision (The Originals)
Offsides (The Originals)
Draw Play (The Originals)
Hot Read (The Originals—Summer 2020)
Comeback Route (The Originals—Fall 2020)
Blindsided
Game Changer
Fumble Recovery
Gone Missing Investigations
Gone Missing
Evergreen Nights Series
Save the Last Dance
Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?
The Gift Horse
Standalone Books
Madrona Sunset
About the Author
Subscribe to my newsletter to receive free digital books and be notified of new releases, special sales, and contests: https://eepurl.com/LpfaL
USA Today bestselling author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary, new adult, and sports romances, and has recently dived into Romantic Suspense with her new series, Gone Missing.
Jami lives on a small farm in the woods near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland drool monster, and a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat.
Jami worked in IT for years and is a former high school business teacher but recently achieved her lifelong dream and is now a full-time
