In Dark Water (Rarity Cove Book 3)
Page 25
“There’re four bedrooms and two full baths,” Noah said. “The master suite has a sitting area and its own fireplace.”
Mercer stood at the window. The backyard had a gazebo and a private dock that extended into the marsh. “This place is plenty big, if you ask me. Does whoever bought it have children?”
“Not yet,” Noah said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
Mercer tilted her head at him. “Are you sure you want to take that directorship at the center? I’m thinking that you missed your real calling. You could have a full-time career in home renovation.”
“Well, I did put a lot of extra work into this place. Actually, I’m the one who bought it.”
Mercer stared at him in surprise. Moving to stand in front of her, his hands slid up her arms.
“It’s for us, Mercer.” He spoke to her in a gentle, hopeful tone. “At least, I hope that it is. I want us to live here in this house together. It was a real fixer-upper when Steve and I bought it. But the more work we did, I just kind of fell in love with the place. I kept imagining us here.”
At his words, Mercer’s pulse spun. “What’re you saying? That we should move in together?”
“I’m saying that I want to marry you.” He took her hands in his. “I want us to have a family together. We’ve been using birth control but I think maybe it’s time.”
Mercer’s throat thickened with emotion. “Is that why you’re leaving the Charleston Police Department? Because you think I wouldn’t want to be married to a cop? I don’t want you to change careers because of—”
“I want this. All of this,” he assured her. “I want us to live a good, long life together. I want to be the kind of husband who comes home to you every night and isn’t pulled out of bed at three in the morning to go to a crime scene. I think the job at the center will fulfill me in a way that police work hasn’t. And I think it’ll be good for me to get away from the darkness that’s part of being a cop.”
Nearly giddy with happiness, Mercer tried to get her bearings.
“I love you,” Noah said tenderly.
“I…love you, too, Noah.”
He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. It wasn’t the first time they had expressed their love for one another. But while they had talked loosely of the possibility of marriage someday, until now it had been in the abstract.
“I’ve been banking my share of the money from renovation projects for years.” Noah shrugged. “And you’ve seen my apartment. I haven’t exactly been living above my means. I didn’t pay for the house outright, but I was able to make a sizable down payment. I didn’t want to do this with your money. That was important to me.”
She felt wrapped in warmth as Noah slid his fingers through her hair. “You’re only about ten minutes away from the St. Clair here. Since the center is on this side of Charleston, my commute won’t be too bad. But if you don’t like this place, just tell me and I’ll—”
“It’s perfect,” she assured him, her throat tight.
His eyes searched hers. “Then say you’ll marry me.”
Mercer saw vulnerability on his face. She nodded eagerly. “Of course, I’ll marry you, Noah. I love you more than anything.”
“Don’t say that just yet. I might have some competition.” Taking her hand, he smiled as he led her past the kitchen to a closed door.
“What’s this?”
“Open it and find out.”
Mercer looked at him, then turned the knob and pushed open a door that led onto a large, screened-in porch with a cushioned patio swing that faced the marsh. But it was the wicker basket that sat in the porch’s center that caused her fingers to fly to her mouth. A puppy, a golden retriever, looked up at her from inside it. A large red bow adorned its neck.
“Oh, my goodness! He’s gorgeous,” Mercer exclaimed as she bent to pick up the puppy. It wriggled in her arms.
“She,” Noah corrected.
“And she’s ours?”
“All the St. Clairs have dogs. Even Olivia and Anders have that tiny designer dog. I figured that I better get us one, too, or we’d be left out of all the family dog park activities. I’ve got a friend whose dog just had a litter and they offered me one.”
“You haven’t left her here alone all this time, have you?” The puppy looked up at Mercer with adoring, chocolate-brown eyes, causing her heart to melt. “She’s just a baby.”
“Corinne brought her here a little while ago. I gave her a spare key and she texted me when she left.”
Mercer nuzzled the puppy against her cheek. She had been seeing Corinne a lot lately. Mercer had introduced her to Mark and the hotel’s executive chef, and she was now supplying fresh organic produce and flowers to the St. Clair. Corinne made the deliveries to the hotel herself, and she stopped by Mercer’s office whenever she was there. Mercer had seen her earlier that week. Corinne had been keeping a lot under her hat.
“Corinne’s had the puppy at her place for the last few days, although she’s giving me hell about it because she says that now she’s going to have to get Finn a dog.” Noah rocked slightly on his heels. “What do you think of the bow?”
She nuzzled the puppy again. “I think it’s about two sizes too large for this poor little…”
Her voice halted, her stomach fluttering as she saw the ring that had been secured in the center of the satin bow the puppy wore. The ring was simple in design, a white-gold band with a square-cut diamond. Noah peered at her uncertainly.
“Corrine helped me pick it out. Just like the house, if it’s not what you want, we can—”
“It’s exactly what I want.” Mercer was nearly at a loss for words. “I…just can’t believe all this.”
“I know you’re not a fan of surprises, but I hope this was a good one.”
“It’s the best. All of it is.”
Stepping closer, Noah removed the bow from the puppy’s neck and slid the ring from where it was secured. Mercer sat the puppy on the floor. It scampered off to a bowl of water that Corinne must have placed there. Mercer beamed up at Noah, her world full.
He had unlocked her heart and soul. He had brought her back from that lonely, desolate place that she had gone to after Jonathan’s passing. She would never forget Jonathan. He would always be her first love, always be in her heart. But in Noah, she had managed to find love again. She blinked back tears of joy as he somberly slipped the ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly. And as different as they were from one another, it seemed that they were the perfect fit, too.
Mercer thought back to that fateful afternoon at the art gallery. It had been the start of the nightmare that had brought Noah into her life. But he was the good that had come from such dark things. She vowed to always be his light. She wanted to have his children, wanted to make a family with him, grow old with him.
He was her second chance at having the life she dreamed of.
Noah placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “So, what do you want to do now? We can go tell your family, if you want. I nearly spilled the beans to Carter earlier, truth be told.”
“We will tell them. Eventually.” Her heart ached with love and gratitude. “But right now, I’d just like to sit here for a little while and be with you.”
Taking his hand, they walked to the swing that faced the marsh. The sun had dipped lower on the horizon, weaving streaks of mauve into the fading sky. Sitting together, Noah put his arm around her, pulling her closer as the puppy played with a chew toy at their feet. Looking out over the marsh, Mercer laid her head against Noah’s shoulder, certain that it was the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading my Rarity Cove series. I hope you’ve enjoyed Mercer’s story, IN DARK WATER. If you’ve read any of my earlier books prior to the Rarity Cove series, you know that I’ve always enjoyed writing law enforcement heroes, and Noah Ford was a welcome return to that for me.
There are several people I wo
uld like to thank for their assistance with this book. They include Katherine Knight, my friend and walking “buddy” who is also a fantastic beta reader and sounding board, authors Larissa Reinhart and Michelle Muto, as well as Sally “R,” a special reader and friend from “across the pond.” I’d also like to thank my husband, Robert, for his love and companionship for over three decades. Here’s hoping for many more years together.
Most of all, I’d like to thank you, my readers. As always, you’re the reason I write, and I’m so appreciative of your ongoing enthusiasm and support.
About the Author
Leslie Tentler is also the author of BEFORE THE STORM, LOW TIDE, FALLEN, and the Chasing Evil Trilogy (MIDNIGHT CALLER, MIDNIGHT FEAR, and EDGE OF MIDNIGHT). She was a finalist for Best First Novel at ThrillerFest 2012 and is a two-time finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence.
Leslie is a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Novelists, Inc. A native of East Tennessee, she currently resides in Atlanta.
If you enjoyed reading Leslie’s work, please consider leaving an online review, however short. Of course, simply telling others you enjoyed this book is also sincerely appreciated. Word of mouth is the best promotion.
Visit Leslie and sign up for her newsletter at www.LeslieTentler.com.
Other Works by Leslie Tentler
Before the Storm (Rarity Cove Book 1)
Low Tide (Rarity Cove Book 2)
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Fallen
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Midnight Caller
Midnight Fear
Edge of Midnight