by Danger Cove
Ha! She didn't know me at all if she thought I could be silent about anything. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to invest in my future. You and Jonathan are going to be just fine."
Allyson nodded. "I told him there was no way you'd agree to the silent part. Anyway, we're headed back to San Francisco tonight, but I wanted to say thank you for not using the knowledge you had about Jonathan against him."
"That's not who I am." Curious, reckless, and commitment phobic more accurately described who I was rather than manipulator. I had no desire to enter that power struggle.
"I know, but still wanted to say thanks."
"You're welcome. Best of luck to you and Jonathan in the future."
She nodded. "You too, wherever life may take you."
As she gathered her purse and jacket, I thought about where life was taking me. I'd managed to beat the odds and escape death. It brought into sharp focus that life was short and there were no guarantees. I'd been given a second chance and didn't want to blow it.
She reached down, took my hand, and squeezed. "Good-bye, Lilly. Try to stay out of trouble."
Like that was going to happen.
* * *
Twenty-four hours later, I smoothed my dress for the thousandth time. Why was I so nervous? After being released from the hospital, I'd called to check on everyone at the tavern and let them know I'd be back in to work tomorrow. Tanner had asked to come over after work, but I told him that I was working on his graduation gift and I wanted it to be a surprise when I gave it to him. We briefly talked about the events at the greenhouse. I was grateful he was supportive and didn't fuss at me. In all fairness, this time I'd stumbled into the middle of the hornet's nest, rather than walking toward it with purpose.
Agnes had also called to check on me. She wanted to thank me for helping her through this mess and for the heads-up about the tea. The test showed the tea had been tainted with poison from a hydrangea plant. Nausea, vomiting, and weakness were symptoms. Her thought was Rico had wanted her feeling sick all the time, so she'd be more dependent on him. Guess we'd never know for sure.
I'd also called my mom to fill her in—the abbreviated version—and assure her I was fine. I had to promise to call her every day for the next week to check in so she would know I was okay. It would be a pain, but I kind of liked having her fuss over me.
Once that was done, I'd headed to the store and picked up the items necessary to make Tanner's meal. I double-checked the items in the pan on my stove. It was the first time I'd used both a skillet and a saucepan for one meal. Yeah, totally grown-up now. Okay, making progress on the grown-up, domestic front is more realistic. This meal had sentimental value, which I hoped Tan would appreciate.
I jumped at his knock on the door. Two in the afternoon exactly. Right on time, that was my man. I opened the door and drank in the sight of my lunch date. Black jeans, white T-shirt, and a fake tie clipped on the collar.
"I didn't overdress, did I?"
I laughed. "You're perfect. Love the tie."
"Well, I had to work with what I could manage on my lunch break. My boss has been out sick due to a brush with death, so I've been covering for her at the bar. I know she likes these jeans. The shirt, well, you know I always keep a spare. The tie Ashley helped me find in a box somewhere—a prom leftover."
"You look fantastic. Come on in. Lunch is ready."
He stepped in but then stopped when he took in the table setting with a candle in the middle. His gaze traveled to the stove. "You cooked?"
"Yes. I told Mandi to let you know I was making a meal."
Tan laughed. "I thought that meant you'd order and pick up the food." He looked at the table again. "You really cooked?"
Now I was nervous. "Well, don't get your expectations too high. It could be a long fall down from that pedestal. Shall we sit before it gets cold?"
He nodded. "Sure."
After he sat down, I put the food on our plates and then joined him at the table. I heard the rumbling in his stomach. "What is this? It looks delicious."
"That was part of my plan. Make you wait until two for lunch, so you'd be starving. I know you can stomach anything when you're hungry."
"Very funny." He reached across the table and took my hand. "I can't wait to eat this, not because I'm hungry, but because you made it. That means a lot to me."
Those darn tears started rising to the surface. I thought there might have been residual poison in my system, lessening my control. In order to avoid crying in front of him, I returned to his question. "Well, that's mac and cheese, no big surprise there. I can boil water. The rest was following the instructions."
He smiled. "And the sandwich?"
"Gram called them specialty sandwiches. They were her favorite comfort food. You fry an egg, making sure the yolk is broken and fried along with it, pick your favorite deli meat and warm it on both sides, then top with cheese. Put them all together on toasted bread with mayo, and voila, you have a specialty sandwich. I used sliced turkey. Hope that's okay."
"It's more than okay. It's perfect. Thank you for this wonderful gift."
"You should try it before you dole out too much gratitude. It has been a while since I made them. Gram and I had a lot of happy memories over those sandwiches. Making them after she died was too painful, but I figured it was time."
I watched as my handsome not-boyfriend took his first bites of my culinary creation. As he'd promised, he chewed slowly and seemed to savor each bite. I nibbled on mine. Not because it wasn't good, but because I was still nervous about giving him his gift. Once he'd finished half the sandwich, my lack of patience won out. "Are you ready for your graduation gift?"
He wiped his mouth and smiled. "I thought this fantastic meal was it."
"This—" I gestured to the food. "Was a thank you for not fussing at me for getting involved and putting myself, even if it was unknowingly, in danger again." I reached under the table and pulled out a gift-wrapped box. "This is for your graduation. I'm so proud of you. And no matter what you decide about the job in Chicago, the gift remains yours."
He ripped at the paper and lifted the top off the box. I should've had my phone out to capture a picture of the confusion on his face.
He held up a toothbrush and an empty key ring that had a red Mustang charm on it. "Umm, thanks, Lilly. This is great."
"The toothbrush is for when you spend the night. You won't have to worry about bringing your own."
He blushed. "Oh…"
I grinned. "And the key ring is for your key to whatever place I find when my lease expires. I reached out to Blake late yesterday evening, and he's going to start looking for a small place I can call my own."
Tanner dropped my carefully planned gifts, stood, and moved to my side of table. He pulled me into a hug. "Thank you so much, Lilly. I promise we're still going to take it slow, but just knowing you're willing to move forward—that's the real gift."
I gave up trying to fight the tears and let them trickle down my rosy cheeks. "The offer stands even if it's only when you come home for a visit from Chicago. You were patient and let me follow my path. I'm going to do the same for you. If you go, I'll be here waiting for you when you come home. I just wanted you to know that I'm ready to call Danger Cove my home."
The feel of his soft lips against mine assured me I'd made the right choice. I pulled him closer into my embrace and relished the joy of being alive and, dare I say, in love. A girl could get used to this. No matter what choice Tan made, I was confident in the fact I had made the right one.
Life was good, and I couldn't wait to see what new adventures would be waiting for me around the next turn. I pulled back slightly, much to Tanner's disappointment. I offered a slight smile. "There's one more thing I want to tell you. I…" I needed to say the words and prayed they wouldn't come out sounding anything but sincere and from the depth of my still-a-little-scared heart. "I love you."
Tanner smiled and pulled me close again. "I love you too."
EP
ILOGUE
Friday. My first day back to work after my latest adventure. There was a lot of catching up to do, so I'd arrived very early. I sat down at Hope's desk with a steaming cup of tea ready to catch up on paperwork, pay bills, and try to come up with a new specialty cocktail. I'd had enough trouble with tequila to last a lifetime.
There were two envelopes on my desk, both with my name on them, but different handwritings. The first looked to be Tanner's handwriting. My gut clenched as I realized this was most likely his resignation letter. I knew I'd told him his decision wouldn't change anything between us, and that was mostly true. Still, my heart sagged at the thought of him leaving. Drawing a deep breath in and exhaling slowly, I opened the envelope.
Lilly,
Please accept this letter as a request to cut my hours to weekends only. I've accepted a job in the Seattle school system teaching fifth-graders. It's the perfect opportunity for me and allows me to remain close to my home in Danger Cove with my family and friends.
If you need to find someone to replace me, I'll understand (at the tavern only, not as your boyfriend—that's right—I'm official now.) No more not-boyfriend status for me.
Otherwise, I'll be happy to train someone to work through the week and then help you out on the weekends. Just let me know your decision.
All my love and respect, Tanner
I folded the letter and held it close to my heart. He was going to stay. He'd make a great teacher, molding young minds and teaching them to be responsible just like he always was.
Before I could open the next envelope, the phone rang. "Smugglers' Tavern, this is Lilly."
"Hi, Lilly, it's Hope. How are you?"
For the first time, I wasn't worried that she'd called to fire me. Not going to lie—it felt pretty good. "I'm doing great. How are you?"
"I've never been happier, and I have you to thank for that—at least in part. You've been doing a great job running things there."
I blushed, mostly because she obviously hadn't been brought up to speed by Ruby on my latest hiring fiasco. "I'm trying, but finding a gardener has been tough. The last one…"
Hope laughed. "Is in jail."
Okay, maybe Ruby had brought her up to speed. "Yeah, he's in jail. You wouldn't think it would be that hard to find someone, but it has been. I'm starting the search again today."
"You'll find just the right person. Trust the universe to guide you. I know it's been guiding me to my latest decision. I hear you were approached about investing in a restaurant in San Francisco."
The fun nature of the conversation flip-flopped, taking my stomach with it. "I never seriously considered it."
"Relax, Lilly. I want to make you an offer to invest in a different restaurant."
My mind scrambled trying to figure out where Hope was headed with this. I should've drunk more tea before I had answered the phone. "Oh? Where?"
"I want you to become part owner of Smugglers' Tavern. I can't let her go completely—it holds a special place in my life and led me to so many wonderful people and things. I would be more of a silent partner. You could still call for advice, but we'd own it together. I've asked Attorney Pohoke to draw up some papers for you to review. How much you invest will depend on your percentage of ownership. I'm offering up to fifty-one percent if you want it."
I didn't know what to say—literally.
"Lilly? Are you still there?"
Her words brought me out of my whirlwind of thoughts. "Yes, I'm still here. Thank you so much for believing in me and for this opportunity."
"Thank you for giving me the chance to pursue my path to happiness while still holding on to the joy of my past. Once you've had a chance to review the papers, call me with any questions, and we'll talk. Okay?"
Me. Part owner of Smugglers' Tavern. What couldn't be okay with that? "Sounds good. Tell Harvey I said hello."
"Will do. Give everyone there a hello for me as well."
I'm not sure how long I sat there after I hung up. Life was changing and quickly, but it didn't scare me like it did before. Maybe that meant I was growing up. I took another sip of my tea. It had gone cold. Guess I'd been sitting here for a while, dreaming of what my new future might look like.
Enough dreaming for now though. Time to get back to the paperwork at hand. I opened the next envelope and pulled out a newspaper. It was a paper from Chicago. The headlines read that the Giovanni family crime syndicate had ended. Giovanni senior had died of an illness, and sources said that testimony provided by a number of key witnesses led to enough arrests of the senior members to leave the once strong dynasty in crumbles.
This had to be a message from Abe, my former gardener and friend. Maybe this meant he might be free to pursue a normal life again. Only time would tell. One thing was certain—if he returned to Danger Cove, the job of gardener was his.
I heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Tanner standing there looking happy as ever. He had a bag from the Cinnamon Sugar Bakery. "I brought a cinnamon scone to celebrate my new job. Care to share it with me?"
"You mean you only brought one?" I stood and made my way over to him. "I'll have you know that I deserve the whole scone, even if you are the one who got a new job."
He pulled out the scone and handed it to me. It was still warm. I truly was a lucky girl to have him in my life.
"Why do you deserve the whole scone if I'm the one we're celebrating?"
I allowed myself a couple of bites before I gave him a crumb-filled smile. "Because I have to find a new security guy and gardener."
"As long as he's not too cute. I won't be having my girlfriend distracted by eye candy while she's trying to do her job."
I hugged him tightly. "You're the only eye candy I'm interested in, pretty boy."
The warmth of our embrace sealed in my happiness. There was one thing I needed to know though before I let go. "You didn't turn down the job because of me, did you?"
"No. The opportunity in Seattle gave me room to grow and learn more, along with a nice benefits package. It also had the advantage of giving me the best of both worlds. Being able to pursue my new career and still be close to my family. I think you and I both have learned how important family is. I don't want to be that far away from mine or…" He lifted his head from my shoulder to look into my eyes. "From the people I care about."
I kissed him and allowed myself to get lost in the happiness of the moment. It would be a change, but life was about change and growing with the ups and downs that were sent your way. Plus, it would still allow us to ease into this next phase in our relationship. The perfect solution.
Tanner ended the kiss. "Guess I need to get started on my workday. Don't want to get fired before my new job starts."
"That was a great kiss, but you're still not getting the scone."
He laughed and pulled another one out of the bag. "Always prepared, I am. Do I know my girlfriend or what?"
"Indeed you do. Now let me finish this treat and my work before I have to report to the bar. I have new employees to hire and a new cocktail to create."
Tanner blew me a kiss and left me to get back to my work. Once I'd wrapped up the necessary paperwork, I walked through every area of the tavern, slowly assimilating the fact that I could be part owner of this wonderful establishment that had come to mean so much to me.
One thought stood at the forefront of my mind as I soaked everything in: tomorrow might not be promised, but today—life was good.
* * * * *
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DANGER COVE BOOKS
Secret of the Painted Lady
Murder and Mai Tais
Death by Scones
; Four-Patch of Trouble
Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai
Killer Closet Case
Tree of Life and Death
A Killing in the Market (short story in the Killer Beach Reads collection)
Killer Colada
Passion, Poison, & Puppy Dogs
A Novel Death
Robbing Peter to Kill Paul
Sinister Snickerdoodles
Heroes and Hurricanes
A Death in the Flower Garden
Divas, Diamonds & Death
A Slaying in the Orchard
A Secret in the Pumpkin Patch
Deadly Dirty Martinis
A Poison Manicure & Peach Liqueur
Not-So-Bright Hopes (short story in the Pushing Up Daisies collection)
Tequila Trouble
* * * * *
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Nicole is the USA Today bestselling author of the contemporary romance series, Heroes of the Night. She has been an avid reader and lover of books from a very young age. Starting with Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and Black Beauty, her love for mysteries grew and expanded to include romance and suspense. A Midwest girl, born and raised, her stories capture the love and laughter in her real world heroes and heroines.
Visit Nicole online at: http://www.nicoleleiren.com/
USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Ashby was born and raised in Danger Cove and now uses her literary talent to tell stories about the town she knows and loves. Ms. Ashby has penned several Danger Cove Mysteries, which are published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. While she does admit to taking some poetic license in her storytelling, she loves to incorporate the real people and places of her hometown into her stories. She says anyone who visits Danger Cove is fair game for her poisoned pen, so tourists beware! When she's not writing, Ms. Ashby enjoys gardening, taking long walks along the Pacific coastline, and curling up with a hot cup of tea, her cat, Sherlock, and a thrilling novel.
