Been busy but haven't forgotten you. Going home to celebrate my b'day in style. Only another month and I'll be back where I belong and so will he.

Reparata

Joneses Chapter 21

Penny curled up in a little ball and sighed. She ached in places where she hadn't had stuff in her in ages. She had no idea that when Donnie had carried her to their bed and dumped her there saying, "This will do nicely," that in fact it would.

It was their first attempt at coitus. She cringed at the word but not the way he performed. Oh, no. The premature problem was definitely a thing of the past and the way he'd played with her, well, her toes still hadn't uncurled.

And finally he'd said what she longed to hear, those three words that ensured her a future: 'I love you'. It wasn't said in the height of passion as his cock spurted his seed into her. Nope. It was said almost in passing as he got up to use the bathroom.

"You know I love you, don't you, Pam? It's just not easy for me to say after…after all that went on between us. I'll work on it, though. Just be patient. I feel it even if I can't just spit it out like you do."

The next few days flew by for Pam. She made lists and lists of things she wanted them to do before she went back to California. It was something they never talked about – her 'vacation' ending. She tried to cram as much living into those weeks as she possibly could. She also tried to cram Donnie into her as often as possible.

They made one more trip to the mall and then stopped by the Kroger and bought things for Christmas dinner. Instead of a turkey, Pam opted for the traditional ham that her family served with all the trimmings. Donnie wasn't dumb. He knew that turkey brought up bad memories for Pam and so he just nodded and let her plan the holiday meal.

Pam baked cookies and rolls and a pie. Actually she baked 4 pies but the first three were disasters. Donnie left her alone when she was baking. She was worse than he was when he was working on a problem and couldn't quite reach the optimum solution and he knew better than to ask her 'how're things going, Pam?' when she was in a baking mood.

Communications Center
Hidden Valley, PA
Christmas Eve 9pm

Lindsey Morton knocked on the door and when she identified herself and explained that she was just 'dropping off some Christmas cheer', she was buzzed in. She shot the marshal on duty and then wrecked the communications gear and disabled the closed circuit surveillance cameras. She checked off the first item on her revised 'To Do' list and chuckled.

Next, she drove out to where she knew Paul was holed up in his cruiser and knocked on his window, startling him awake. She held up two glasses and a bottle of whiskey and he got out and started to say something when she shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. She drank a shot to calm herself and poured the rest over Paul and then went back to her car.

Two down and two to go.

Penny was making 'fried mashed potato fudge' in a big cast iron skillet like her grandma used to when the back door crashed open and Lindsey Morton strutted in, waving her shotgun back and forth. Donnie was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of hot chocolate and he did the first thing that came to mind – he threw the heavy china cup at her head. She easily side-stepped his throw and walked right into 'Slugger's' cast iron skillet. The shotgun went flying one way and some of Lindsey's face went flying another. She was dead before she hit the ground.

Pam dropped to her knees and started a keening wail that made the hair on Donnie's neck stand up and he wrapped her up in a hug and took her into the living room and set her on the couch and wrapped her in an afghan.

"Stay put. I need to call this in, Pam. Remind me never to piss you off, sweetheart, at least not when you're frying fudge. I have to call Paul."

He dialed Paul's cell and it went to voicemail. He next called the emergency number for the communications center that monitored all calls and got a busy signal.

"Pam, run upstairs and put on the warmest clothes you can find, grab some for me and then meet me in the kitchen."

He turned and walked back into the kitchen and checked for a pulse on the former marshal but even he knew that she was dead. Pam's skillet had caved in the side of her head and there was no doubt that she was gone. He dragged her body out onto the porch and then started cleaning up the bloody mess. 'Pam doesn't need to see this. She'll freak out!'

He finished mopping up the floor when Pam walked in and sat down, his clothes in her lap. He knew she was just barely holding it together and he wasn't far from freaking out either.

"Pam, listen to me carefully. Paul gave me a map and directions to a safe house that's off the books and we're going to head there. We'll be there by morning and we'll have our Christmas by the ocean. It's a nice place and it's got a fireplace and no one knows about it but Paul."

"But Donnie, this is our home! We can't leave here. What will we do for – oh, yeah, right. Get dressed. I'll make us some sandwiches and coffee for the road. Do you think she killed poor Paul?"

"He's not answering his cell. The communications center isn't answering either so yeah, I think she killed them all. Crazy woman."

"Do you think she's in it with Escobar, Donnie?"

He hadn't thought that far ahead. Just how crazy was the dead marshal? Would she contact Escobar and rat them out? If so, then why the 'personal touch'? He wasn't sure and that bothered him. Donnie wasn't taking chances with his wife so he opted for cautious optimism.

"Don't know but if she did, why get down and dirty herself? Nope, but let's play it safe and head for the Jersey Shore."

Donnie drove into town and took the maximum he could out of the ATM and then they headed south towards Philadelphia and then across to New Jersey. Pam dozed and he woke her at about 4am and they went into a truck stop and grabbed breakfast and coffee and bought a thermos and had it filled with coffee and then they were back on the road with Pam driving.

They stopped for gas and the restroom twice before reaching the 'barrens' between Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey. It took forever to find the place. Paul might have been a great deputy but was a lousy mapmaker. It was almost noon before they found #9 Ocean Breeze Drive in Melrose, New Jersey, population 89.

Donnie unloaded the bus while Pam checked out their new home away from home. It was a cozy one bedroom cottage that had a wrap-around screened and covered deck and a boat dock. There was a 28' Beltram Searider tied up to a dock and it was obvious that Paul had planned to spend time here soon. Poor Paul.

He sorted through the food and laughed. She'd brought their entire Christmas dinner with her. Pam was practical if nothing else.

"Donnie, I'm tired and I know you're dead on your feet. I made the bed and it's just waiting for us. Bad news though. There's no tub, just a shower."

He smiled. There was a hot tub out on the rear deck. When they were more relaxed, he'd check it out. But for now…sleep.

She was lying naked on her side facing him, holding up the blankets. "Jesus, Donnie, get in here. I'm freezing my tits off!"

He warmed her up and later murmured "I love you, Penny," and fell asleep. She waited until she was sure he was asleep before slipping out and getting his Christmas present from the suitcase and leaving it on the kitchen table. Chilled, she snuggled up against him and fell asleep wishing that they were still back in Hidden Valley instead of in the midst of a nightmare.

Only one more chapter to go. Already deep in my next hearttugger.