by Kayt Miller
Agatha has given me back that sense of family and unconditional love. Not only that, she cooks for me. Sure, that sounds kind of sexist, but that’s not how I look at it. Growing up, my mom was always cooking and baking sweet things for me and my dad. It’s how she showed love and probably why the sweet tooth is so strong in this one. So, when Agatha surprises me with a plate of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or with a roast, potatoes, and carrots, my heart swells. One night she made her own homemade lasagna, her Mom’s recipe, and I wanted to drive her to Vegas right then and marry her. So, yeah, food = love, for me, at least. It’s why I make her breakfast every morning and by make, I mean I drive to Sadie Cakes Bakery or to the store to get things she likes.
Besides our domestic changes (i.e. bliss) post embezzle-gate, our careers have had to shift as well. My employer certainly wasn’t happy about the change, but I assured them that I could hop on a plane from wherever I lived. My boss at Phoenix was impressed with Agatha’s work too. So much so she offered her a job working right alongside me and Jason on jobs dealing with embezzlement. Agatha was a real asset when it came to following the money trail. When I told her she had a job if she wanted, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so excited. “OMG!” she squealed. “I’m going to be a real-life private dick!” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands furiously. By the time she ran to me and threw herself in my arms, I was almost as excited as she was. But no one could be as enthusiastic as my girl right then. “We should totally start our own detective agency. We could call it Burke-Palmer Investigations,” she said Investigations in breathless anticipation. It was hot as fuck.
In the meantime, she’s been doing the books for Beth at Class Act Catering at a very discounted price. When I asked Agatha why she’d do the work for so little, she said, “Because Beth gave me a job even after hearing I was accused of stealing money. She told me ‘her gut believed me’ and that was that. I’d do it for free, but Beth insist I charge her something.” Who can fault any of that? I sure can’t.
Not only that, at the encouragement of her sister, Lainie, Agatha has also taken up writing. She’s currently knee-deep in a mystery novel about a murderous embezzler. I’d find it funny except I’ve already read her first three chapters and I have to admit, I’m intrigued.
The good thing is she’s got some time now thanks to the settlement from H&S, specifically Brad Mills. Mills didn’t even bother with attorneys. A little over a week after Miriam, Camille, and Victor were arrested, a courier showed up at Agatha’s door with legal documents and an offer to settle. She was just going to sign the damn papers without reading them as soon as she saw the six-figure sum, just north of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I intervened, urging her to read the small print. She read it and so did I. Neither of us found anything out of the ordinary in the contract. No surprise, there was non-disclosure wording stating she would not be able to speak with the press or write a tell-all about the ‘incident.’ There’s no chance Agatha would do either of those things and since the press had already gotten wind of the embezzlement story, it’s even less likely. I theorize Drake was the one who spilled the beans. Three days after signing, a large check arrived by the same courier and her writing career began.
Now she doesn’t have to worry about money, at least for the time being. But her financial security doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share expenses. Am I right? Especially if those expenses increase. That is, if I can talk her into buying a bigger place. While I love the cozy aspect of her tiny bungalow, the place makes me feel like a giant living in a hobbit’s house. The good news? I’ve nearly got her talked into doing it. Nearly is the operative word. One minute she thinks it’s fun to look at new house listings on the internet, the next minute, she doesn’t. Honestly, I think she’s holding back because she’s afraid to make such a big move without a definite commitment from me. I get that. I do. I guess I already feel committed. It’s why I drove down to Phoenix like a bat out of hell to put up a for sale sign on my place. I was ready.
I am ready. I also think it means I’m going to have make a decision. And a move. I need to make a grand gesture, so she knows I’m in this for the long haul, and I’ve got just the thing.
Chapter 35
Ian
“Ian? What are we doing up here at this time of night?”
“Having a picnic.”
“A picnic? At midnight? At Lake Powell?”
“Sure, why not? The weather is perfect and it’s Saturday night. Neither of us has to get up early in the morning. I thought it’d be romantic.” I set the picnic basket down and pause. With my hands on my waist, I ask her, “Wait. Are you saying you don’t like romance?”
“Of course, I love romance, especially when it’s you, Ian. It’s just—it’s sort of cold up here. May in northern Arizona is nice during the day. At night?”
“Here.” I pull off my thick cardigan sweater and hold it open for her to slide inside. I knew she’d need it. She’s right about the cold nights.
“Thanks.” She eagerly slips the sweater on, pulling it close to her body. Once it’s wrapped around her, she shoves her hands into the side pockets. Suddenly, she freezes and stares at me.
“What’s wrong?” I already know but I want to see what she says, does.
Slowly, one of Agatha’s hands moves out of the pocket. She seems to be clutching something. I wonder what it could be? Turning her hand until her palm is up, she slowly uncurls her fingers. It’s then that I see it. Something shiny and diamond-like in her open palm. “What’s this?” she says in a raspy voice.
“Hmm.” I tap my chin. “Let me take a look.” I remove the ring from her palm and kneel in front of her. I look up and see that her hands are over her mouth. Her eyes are huge and watering. God, I hope that’s a good sign.
“Honey?”
A sob escapes her, but she says nothing.
“‘Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me.’ Jack Kerouac ended that quote by saying ‘as is ever so on the road.’ If I could rewrite the ending for us, I’d say, ‘Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever’ with my Agatha. I’ve never felt so lucky, so happy, Agatha. I thought my chance at finding love, true and lasting love, had long since passed, but the minute you looked at me on the street that day, I had hope.” I reach out and take her left hand in mine. “Make me the happiest man in the entire world and marry me, honey. Please?”
I watch her swallow, her throat bobbing up and down as she does. She squeezes her eyes shut and a tear slides down her cheek. I’m holding my damn breath. Is she going to say no?
“That was, hands down, the most romantic proposal I’ve ever heard. The fact that it was for me, directed at me, makes me want to pinch myself. I wish you’d recorded it.”
“We did!” yells a familiar female voice from somewhere beyond the tree line.
Agatha’s smile turns into a smirk, then back to a smile. “You invited my family? To our proposal?”
“I did, but they aren’t allowed to come out from hiding until you’ve said yes. So, the ball’s in your court. Do you want to drink the champagne I brought, or do you want to punish them for loving you almost as much as I do?”
“Oh, Ian.” Agatha wraps her arms around me, whispering in my year. “Let’s make ‘em wait. Yes, I’ll marry you, you sexy old man.”
“I’m not old. I can keep up with you.” I reach back behind her to pinch her bottom.
“Ouch,” she giggles. “You can more than keep up with me. Thank you for this. It’s perfect. The fact that you included my family in this tells me everything I need to know. Only my person would do that for me.”
“Your person.” I say, knowing what she means. I’ve read the letter from her Mom. I know what that expression means to her.
“You’re my person too, Agatha.”
We kiss under the moon overlooking Lake Powell.
“Good. Now, let’s put them out of their misery. Pop the cork, fiancé.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Standing up, I yell, “She said yes!”
“Thank fuck,” mutters one of her sisters. Keely, if I had to guess. She’s got a mouth like a sailor.
Once her father, four sisters, Keeton, and Sadie’s pompous boyfriend, Andrew, all stand around us, we toast and drink champagne as we look down over the lake that is perfectly illuminated by the moon. I don’t ever remember a time when I’ve been happier. While I don’t know the Palmers all that well yet, I know they’re happy for us too. There’s also an underlying sense of sadness, like someone is missing. I know what it is. While everyone else is talking and drinking, I pull Agatha a few feet away, so I can say, “I love you, honey.”
“I love you too, Ian.”
“Is it okay that we’re up here? That I proposed up here?” I look out over the lake.
“Oh.” She looks up into my eyes. I can see her gray eyes shimmer. “Ian. It’s perfect. I feel especially close to her up here so it’s like she’s with us right now.”
I nod then lean down to kiss her lips. “That’s one reason why I chose this place.”
“What’s the other reason?”
I swear she can read my mind.
“The first time we came up here…that’s the moment I knew I loved you.”
I hear her sniffle, so I wrap my arms around her and hold her close.
“Me too, Ian. Me too.”
“Mom would have totally loved you.” Agatha says on the ride home.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah. And it’s not because you’re hot, or because of the romantic proposal at Lake Powell, or because your favorite book is On the Road, or that you kept me out of prison.” She laughs. “It’s because she trusted me, well, all of us, to find the kind of love that she and Dad had—the real kind.”
I turn to gaze at my girl. “You think I’m hot?”
Agatha’s hand moves to her mouth as an uncontrollable giggles escape. “That’s what you got from that? You want to know if I think you’re hot?”
I shrug. “Sure. Why not? I’m old. I need all the encouragement I can get.”
She releases an adorable cackle, “You’re not old, honey. You can keep up with me.”
“I more than keep up with you. How do you feel about having sex on your front porch? Do you think your wicker can take it?”
I listen to her laugh all the way home. It’s the loveliest, most joyous sound I’ve ever heard, and I know I’ll get to hear it for the rest of my life. How did I get so lucky?
Chapter 36
Agatha
I’m engaged!
Not only that, I’m engaged to the absolute perfect man for me. And his proposal? Also perfect. Yes, I know I keep saying that word, but if the shoe fits…I can’t believe he proposed and, not only that, he proposed at Lake Powell. My heart is so full right now. He even invited my family. How did I get so lucky? I never thought I’d meet a man like Ian Burke, ever. Not only is the man hot and sexy, that’s not even the best part of him. No, the best part, or should I say parts, are his heart and his head. His heart because it’s filled with love for me, and his head because A) brains are sexy and B) because he thinks of everyone else before he thinks of himself.
I look down at the ring and sigh. It’s beautiful and rather delicate.
“Do you like the ring?” he asks tentatively.
“I do. It looks old.” Ian’s driving us home from Lake Powell when I look over at him. His face is serious. I think I may have said the wrong thing. “I don’t mean it looks old. I mean it has an antique look about it.”
“It is old. It was my mom’s and her mother’s before that.”
“Oh, Ian,” I squeak, trying my best to keep my emotions in check. But, why should I? The man just gave me his mom’s ring. “Th-thank you.” I’m sniffling now, doing my best to keep the tsunami of tears that are threatening at bay.
I feel his warm hand over mine, so I turn my hand, palm up, until our fingers are intertwined. “I’m glad you like it.”
Wait one dang second. “You didn’t give this ring to Catherine?”
He looks over at me again with an expression that says everything I need to know. “One,” he pulls my hand up toward his face and kisses it. “I’d never give you Catherine’s ring. Two, I never had the inclination to give Catherine this ring. It never occurred to me.”
“It didn’t? Why not?”
Ian chuckles. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re trying to tell me something. We can go pick out a different ring, honey. I just thought…”
“No.” I squeak again, but I recover because I don’t like where this conversation is going. “You know how much family means to me, Ian Burke. You had to know what giving me this ring would mean to me.”
“Yes. I thought it would mean a great deal to you––as much as it means to me.”
“Okay.” I release a sigh. “Then don’t ever, ever, ever, think I want another ring. I love this one so much and not only because it’s a family ring. I love it because you gave it to me. My question was just about you and Catherine. Why didn’t you give this to her?”
“My sweet girl…” He pauses. “To be completely honest, I don’t know why I didn’t give her the ring. I meant what I said, it never occurred to me. Maybe I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“She would never have appreciated the gesture. Besides, she wasn’t my person.”
I gasp. “Really?”
“Really. It would have felt wrong giving this to her,” he says, looking down at our joined hands. “I’m not sure I ever felt like Catherine and I were going to ride off into the sunset together. But, you, my sweet Agatha,” he kisses my hand again. “You’re it for me.”
Oh, holy shit. My chin is quivering and I’m not going to be able to keep my voice even, but I try when I say, “Ian, you’re it for me too.”
“So, you like the ring?” he asks again and that makes me laugh.
“I love the damn ring, Ian. Geesh.” And I do. It’s a simple solitaire diamond set in either white gold or platinum. I’ll ask him about that another time. The diamond is impressive. Oh, hell, I’ll ask. “How many carats are we talkin’ here, stud?” I might as well try to make light of it.
“I don’t know a lot about the ring, but I read the certificate when I got it from my safety deposit box. The main stone is about one carat and with the smaller diamonds on either side of it it’s over that, obviously. It’s got a platinum band in an Art Deco design. It was made in 1921. I’ll let you read more about it. There’s also a letter from my mom to my future bride.”
“Really? That’s so sweet.”
Ian gives me a gentle smile. “She was sweet. You’d have liked her. She…”
I wait for him to finish.
“She was a wonderful mom, just like you’re going to be.”
I gasp. Twice in one car ride. It’s got to be a record. “We’ve never talked about kids, have we?”
“Nope. Not yet.”
“You want them? Kids?”
“Do you?” he asks tentatively.
“I do. Of course I do. How many?”
Ian chuckles. “Are we deciding that now?”
“We might as well. You’re not getting any younger.”
I watch as Ian throws his head back and a rumbling, sexy laugh emerges. “True. How ‘bout six?”
“Kids? Six kids? Are you crazy?”
“I was always taught to start high.”
“You are high if you think I’d push out six children.” I giggle at my own statement. “How about one kid?”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Three.”
“Really?” He’s smiling from ear to ear. “Three?”
“I’m open to three, but let’s start with one and see how that goes. I think parenting is harder than it looks.”
“Agreed. Let’s start working on that tonight.”
“I’m on the pill. It’ll take a while for that to get out of my system. Do you really w
ant to start right away? Before we’re married?”
“Yes, honey. I want to start everything with you as soon as you’re ready.”
Oh, my God. He’s so sweet.
“But first, we need to look for a larger house. One that’ll hold us, three kids, and a couple of dogs.”
“Dogs?”
“I had a dog when I was a kid and I’ve always wanted another one.”
“Well, you’ve got it all figured out, now haven’t you?”
Pulling into our driveway, Ian shuts off the car and turns to face me. “I didn’t. Not until I met you, Agatha. Before you, I thought I’d live alone, never realizing what was possible, but you’ve shown me what happiness looks like. I want to jump in, head-first, with you, Aggie.”
“Okay,” I whisper. “Okay, Ian. Head-first.”
I’ve been engaged for two weeks now and I’ve never been happier. Ian is here with me full-time now, since his place sold so quickly. I’m not sure that’ll be the case with mine. We listed it five days ago and we’ve only had one showing so far. I guess not a lot of people want a tiny bungalow with one bathroom and barely two bedrooms, but we’ll see.
In the meantime, Ian is ready to buy. He wants to use the money from the sale of his place for a down payment on our new place, so we’ve been house hunting since the day after the engagement. It’s all happening so quickly. We found a place just outside of town that we both love. The owners are ready to part with the four-bedroom, four bath home for a great price. Ironically, it was Miriam’s rental property out on Reflection Canyon.
Speaking of Miriam and her gang of hoodlums; they’ve all been arraigned and, from what Ian said, are all out on bail. Each of them has to wear an ankle monitoring device while they await trial. I know that first-hand because I ran into Camille one day when I was shopping in Flagstaff. She was wearing shorts and flip flops, so you couldn’t miss the clunky device. My immediate response was to wave and run over to her, but then I remembered we weren’t best friends anymore, so I stayed put.
