"Oh Chris," she stammered. "What about the FBI?"
"Forget the FBI. I'm finished with that. I quit."
"You quit? But what about Agent Rodriguez?"
"What about her?"
"Well I thought, I mean, she's been your partner," Diane looked uncomfortable.
"Forget her."
"Is she upset?"
"Are you kidding? She took all the credit for capturing the Blowtorch so she got the promotion I was hoping for." He smiled and kissed her again.
Diane pulled away and sputtered, "She took your job?"
"I don't want it anymore. They wanted a woman in the position anyway, but never mind all that. Will you marry me?"
"If you're not in the FBI, what are you doing for a job?"
"Sam Woodruff has hired me. I'm going to be working for his private security company. Can I please have an answer? Do you want to be Mrs. Christopher Owen?"
"Of course I do, Chris. I love you."
"I love you too." He leaned in, kissing her passionately once more. Their lips parted and he asked, "Are you okay with moving down to Floyd? I can sell the house if you don't want to."
"No! Don't sell it. I love Floyd." Then she gave him a look. "As long as no one is shooting at us, or kidnapping us."
"Sweetheart, finding Floyd was good for me, but finding you was infinitely better."
"Oh Chris, I love you."
"I love you too. Okay, now, can I ask you to do one other thing right away?"
"Yes Chris. Anything you want. What is it?"
"Please stop watering my shoes."
She looked down, realizing she was still holding the hose. It had soaked his feet and legs to the knees. "Oh dear!" She tossed the hose behind her and threw her arms around him, holding on as tightly as she could.
* * *
"I wonder what all those young folks are doing up in the Grove today," asked Ralph.
"Oh, I'm sure they're keeping busy." Julia put down her book and smiled. "I do hope that nice Mr. Owen stops his procrastination and asks Diane to marry him. She's such a lovely girl."
"I don't know about these young kids today," grumbled Ralph. "Hell, they're not kids anymore. You're right about that Owen fellow. He should marry Diane and move down here into that big house he built. They're all of them good kids, but in my day we sure didn't waste any time."
Blushing, her blue eyes twinkled with pleasure as she held out her hand to admire the sparkling diamond on her finger. "You're right, dear. They're not at all romantically impulsive like you are."
"Romantically impulsive, I like that," chuckled Ralph.
The couple sat together on Julia's spacious back porch, enjoying the perfect weather. They'd spent time over morning coffee, planning their day together, finally lapsing into a comfortable silence. As the people of Floyd made their way to work, they could hear the distant hum of traffic. Julia put down her empty cup and took up the paperback she was currently reading.
After a while Ralph rose and stretched. He retrieved his empty over-sized mug and picked up Julia's cup. "Can I get you more coffee, Dear?" he asked.
"That would be lovely. Thank you."
He glanced at her book. "Reading another of those romance novels?" he wondered absently.
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"Women seem to love those, don't they?" he said. "What's that one called?"
Julia smiled and displayed the book cover. "Romances do provide a diversion. The ladies over at the library call this sort of thing brain candy."
"Ralph examined the book. On its cover a young man was dressed as a continental soldier, his tri-corn hat perched at a jaunty angle. A musket in one hand, he stood with his arm around a blond blue-eyed girl. "Love in Rebellion, by Tori Baxter," he read, chuckling. "About The Revolutionary War?" he asked. "And who is Tori Baxter, I wonder."
"She's very popular," said Julia. "It takes place during the Revolution in New York. Close to where you're from. By the way, didn't you say the tavern you owned was called, Paulding's Rest?"
"That's right."
"Well, one of the characters in the book is a John Paulding. Is there any connection, do you know?"
"Oh yeah. There certainly is." He laughed. "I'll be right back with your coffee and I'll tell you all about it."
The End
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Finding Floyd Page 24
