Framed Shadows: Shadows Landing #6 by Kathleen Brooks (well read books TXT) 📗

“This is going be a very fun wedding,” Paxton said with a smile and Tinsley laughed. It was the best sound he’d ever heard.

“Here we go!” Miss Ruby said as she and the rest of the knitting club held up a large blanket with a block letter K in the middle for Kendry.

“That’s beautiful,” Paxton said, truly touched. Maybe the knitting club wasn’t so bad. “How long have I been out? That had to take you all forever to knit.”

“We each knitted a section so it was done in no time,” Miss Mitzi told him as they carried it to the bed.

“We couldn’t have you recovering with nothing but a hospital sheet to keep you warm,” Miss Ruby told him.

“Do you think getting shot trying to save Tinsley would get me two apple pies a month?” Paxton asked innocently before reaching down to his wounded leg. “Ow. It hurts a lot and apple pie would make it feel better.”

“Oh, you poor, dear boy,” Miss Ruby said, glancing back to the knitting club. “We’ll take good care of you.”

“Thank you all. Knitting clubs are the best because they have the biggest hearts.” Paxton held open his arms and Miss Winnie and Miss Ruby came in for a hug. Over their shoulders he saw the Faulkner and Davies men staring at him in disbelief. He winked at them and their mouths dropped.

“Come on, ladies, let’s get baking.”

The room was quiet as the knitting club left for the night.

“You’re going to share, right?” Ridge asked. “I mean, I’m going to be your brother now.”

“Nope. This is to get you back for what you put me through when I wanted to date Tinsley. Revenge isn’t a dish best served cold. It’s a freshly baked apple pie, boys.”

Paxton smirked. Having brothers and cousins was going to be fun. Although it surprised him that it was Ryker who burst out laughing first. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever heard Ryker laugh.

“Oh, this is going to be fun. Welcome to the family, Paxton,” Ryker said.

Paxton reached for Tinsley’s hand and ran his thumb over the engagement ring. Home. Family. Love. He had found it all right here in Shadows Landing and he couldn’t be happier.

31

Three months later . . .

Tinsley hadn’t felt this nervous since she’d been kidnapped. It had taken months, but with Olivia’s legal help, Paxton’s FBI connections, her Keeneston family’s political connections, and a few bribes on Ryker’s part, Tinsley had traced the history of the art collection they’d confiscated from the Myriad. Not only that, but she’d found the rest of the collection—another twenty pieces that had been scattered all around the world.

She’d been lucky. During her research, she’d discovered the great-granddaughter of a former local government official who had not only kept impeccable records, but had saved them from the Nazis to show the devastating destruction of life and property during WWII. There, in the documents, was a full list of paintings from a collection that a family of generations of art dealers had on display a month before their gallery was shuttered by anti-Jewish policies.

With that paperwork in hand, Tinsley had the original owners’ names and began a worldwide search for the surviving members of the family.

Tinsley and Paxton had gone to battle with the FBI to get the paintings released into her custody. Then she’d gone to battle against countries to get several stolen paintings back. She’d threatened heads of states, museum directors, and even a very wealthy private collector. Some owners of the artwork had been horrified to find out their art was stolen by the Nazis during World War II and had given them back with no strings. Other times, she’d had to raise money to buy the art, or at least reimburse buyers for what they paid for it. She’d even rushed into the middle of a live art auction in New York City at one of the most prestigious auction houses to prevent a painting from being sold.

But now her was mission was complete.

“We are meeting the head of the museum,” Olivia reminded them. Olivia and Ryker had come along since they’d done so much work on the case, and considering it was Ryker’s private jet they were flying in. Also he’d threatened some people on her behalf and paid off others. “It’s Ms. Rachel Katz. Are you ready, Tinsley?”

She took a deep breath. Paxton smiled at her proudly as they stood up.

“I’m ready.”

Tinsley had been a woman on a mission. She’d delayed any talk of a wedding until she could get this collection to the rightful owners. Paxton hadn’t argued once. Instead, he had helped in every way he could.

The plane door opened and Olivia went down the stairs first. A woman in a dove gray suit with a light blue silk blouse stood waiting for them by a luxury SUV.

“Olivia Townsend,” Olivia said, holding out her hand as she began the introductions. “Tinsley Faulkner, Paxton Kendry, and Ryker Faulkner.”

Tinsley reached out and shook hands with the woman in her early forties. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a twist and the excited smile on her face matched Tinsley’s. “I am Rachel Katz. Shalom and welcome to Israel. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

“You, too, Ms. Katz.”

“Rachel, please. Come this way. We are very excited to be of assistance in this endeavor. Your actions to get the artwork back to their rightful owners are very admirable. Everyone in the art community is talking about it.”

A uniformed driver held open the door to the SUV. Ryker sat up front, while Olivia and Paxton climbed into the third row, and Tinsley sat next to Rachel in the second row. “I didn’t do this to be talked about. I did it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Rachel reached out and touched Tinsley’s arm. “I know. That is even more reason we are excited to work with you.”

Rachel pointed out landmarks as they drove through Jerusalem to the