Unconscionable, A Rich Coleman Novel Vol 3 Page 38

  Chapter 37

  Homecoming

  A bright ray of morning light struck Matt’s eyelid. He turned over to avoid the glare and felt Candy’s warm body next to him. His eyes blinked open, and a feeling of immense gratitude came over him. He silently thanked God again for returning her to him. He cuddled up close and held her tightly. She sighed in satisfaction and took his hand in hers.

  Now that he was awake Matt couldn’t go back to sleep, but Candy felt so good next to him that he didn’t want to get up just yet. He was enjoying the energy flowing between their naked bodies. It was a blissful feeling that he hoped would never end. Eventually Candy turned over and peered up at him.

  “Can’t sleep, huh?” she asked.

  “No, but I’m enjoying just lying next to you.”

  “Hmm. Me, too. Let’s stay in bed all day.”

  “I’m afraid we can’t do that. We’ve got to pick up my parents from the airport.”

  She sighed. “Okay, but you can’t make a woman wet with desire and then leave her longing for fulfillment.”

  Matt laughed. “Did I do that?”

  “Yes. You’ve been squeezing and caressing me for the last twenty minutes. Didn’t you think I’d notice?”

  “I thought you were asleep.”

  Candy closed her eyes. “I was trying to,” she whispered.

  Matt rolled over on top of her and kissed her breasts gently. She moaned in delight and pulled him into her. They made desperate love, losing all track of time and the world around them. They were experiencing the enhanced pleasure that comes after being on the brink of losing it all. Matt hadn’t believed he could ever find love again after Lynn’s murder and hadn’t allowed himself to fall in love with Candy. But now he had a new perspective. Love wasn’t something you could control. He had found love again, and he promised himself he wouldn’t squander a moment of it ever again.

  The rude metallic ring of the alarm clock brought them back to reality. Matt had set the alarm because he had feared they might oversleep. He didn’t want his parents standing on the curb at passenger pickup waiting for them. They got up, dressed quickly, and headed for DFW. When they arrived at the luggage gate where Rich and Erica were expected to emerge, they were met by a large contingent of media.

  “Mr. Coleman, how do you feel now that your father has been exonerated?” a reporter asked.

  “Very happy and relieved,” Matt replied.

  “Ms. Kane. Were you hurt at all when you were kidnapped?” another reporter asked.

  “No. Not physically. I was just scared to death. I thought I was going to die,” Candy recalled.

  The reporter shook her head.

  “Mr. Coleman. Will you be assisting the FBI in the prosecution of Samantha Jones and RMS?”

  Matt smiled. “Yes. I’ll help in any way I can.”

  The baggage belt began turning, and the American Airlines flight from Mexico City flashed on the screen. A few moments later passengers began streaming out into the baggage area. Matt spotted Rich and Erica and began moving with Candy in that direction. Finally they made it through the throng and embraced.

  “Dad, thank God you’re home,” Matt said, smiling broadly.

  “Oh, man. It’s great to be back. Argentina is beautiful, but it’s not America.”

  Candy and Erica embraced. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” Erica said. “I was devastated when I heard the news that you’d been kidnapped.”

  “Yes, there were moments when I thought my life was over,” she confessed, tears flowing down her cheeks.

  “Let’s get your luggage and get out of here,” Matt suggested.

  “Mr. Coleman,” a reporter asked. “How does it feel to be exonerated?”

  Rich smiled as he hugged Erica. “Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic.”

  “Mr. Coleman,” another reporter asked. “Are you angry that your old friend was going to let you take the fall for Martha Collins’s murder?”

  Rich shook his head. “No. I understand why he did it and I’ve already forgiven him.”

  Erica pointed to their luggage coming around, so Matt pulled it off the belt. A porter came up and offered to handle it for them. Matt nodded, and the porter had it quickly loaded and ready to go.

  “Mr. Coleman,” another reporter asked. “With a New York Times Best Seller under your belt, is there another book in the works?”

  Rich laughed. “Not yet, but I certainly have plenty of new material for one.”

  Ten minutes later they made it back to Matt’s car and were driving out of the airport. When they finally made it to Rich and Erica’s neighborhood, cars were lined up all along the street. The paparazzi were camped out in front as usual, so Matt pulled the car into the alley and parked in the garage. When they came into the house there was a chorus of applause.

  “Welcome home!” Ryan said, giving his mother a hug.

  “Oh, Ryan. I have missed you so,” Erica replied, squeezing him tightly.

  Friends, neighbors, and family were everywhere and they quickly closed in around Rich and Erica to welcome them home. Soon the party was under way and it went on for hours as a twenty-five-year nightmare was finally over. As the party was winding down there was a knock on the door. Ryan went to answer it and was shocked to see Amanda there.

  “What are you doing here?” Ryan spat.

  Amanda looked around nervously then replied, “Your father called and said I should come.”

  Ryan frowned. “What? My father called you?”

  “Uh-huh. A half hour ago.”

  Ryan turned and spotted his father going into the kitchen. “All right. Come on in. Let’s find out why in the hell he invited you.”

  Amanda followed Ryan into the kitchen where they found Rich opening a bottle of champagne.

  “Amanda,” Rich exclaimed excitedly. “I’m so glad you came.”

  Rich poured her a glass of champagne and handed it to her. She took it and smiled broadly.

  “What’s this all about, Dad?” Ryan said irritably. “Why did you invite Amanda after all that she’s done to you?”

  Rich smiled warmly. “Because I wanted to thank her.”

  Ryan grimaced and Amanda looked confused. “Thank her? What are you talking about?”

  “For helping me solve Martha Collins’s murder. What happened the night she was murdered has haunted me for over twenty-five years. You don’t know the anguish that it has caused your mom and me over all those years. If Amanda hadn’t come along and forced me into publishing The Pact, I’d still be having nightmares about it and I’d continue to have them until the day I died.”

  Amanda nodded.

  “But Dad,” Ryan protested. “She fed the story to the Inquisitor and had you ambushed on Leno.”

  Rich laughed. “That was brilliant. You’re one hell of an agent, Amanda.”

  Amanda smiled tentatively. “But, if you approved of what I was doing, why didn’t you say something?” she asked. “That certainly would have made my life a hell of a lot easier.”

  “But if I’d have let on that I knew what you were up to and approved it, the Inquisitor wouldn’t have printed the story. They would have considered it just a publicity stunt. It was the fact that you believed you were going behind my back and that Erica and I were about to be humiliated on national TV that made it a great story.”

  “But what about the trial? You could have been convicted,” Ryan said.

  “I don’t think so. I knew your mother didn’t do it. She’s not a killer and she’s already been tried for it. And I knew I couldn’t have done it, so I figured somehow we’d figure out who the real killer was.”

  “But you lost two million dollars when your bond was revoked. How can you forgive her for that?”

  “Revoked but not forfeited. My attorney says since the charges were dropped before the bond was forfeited I’m not likely to lose a dime.”

  Ryan didn’t say anything. He stood there in shock and disbelief.

  “What about Eri
ca?” Amanda asked. “Does she still hate me?”

  Rich nodded vehemently. “Oh, yeah. I’d stay clear of her for a while.”

  They all laughed.

  “But she’s a woman who has always had an appreciation of money. She’ll get over it as the big royalty checks roll in.”

  Ryan nodded and gave Amanda a hard look. She looked right back at him, and the two just stared at each other for a long moment. Then Amanda asked, “Can you ever forgive me? I know what I did was stupid and selfish, but I never intended to hurt anyone. I truly thought we would all profit by what I was doing.”

  Ryan thought about it a moment. “I guess if my father can forgive you after everything you did to him, I should be able to. Just promise me there won’t be any more secrets between us. I have to be able to trust you. And don’t even think about representing my dad on a second book!”

  Amanda shook her head. “No. No way . . . Unless, of course, he just begs me to do it.”

  Ryan shook his head, took Amanda’s hands, and pulled her toward him. They embraced.

  “I’ve missed you,” Ryan whispered in her ear.

  “Me, too,” Amanda replied, tears rolling down her cheeks.