“Can I get the buffet?” Sage asked.
“Of course,” Dwight said, smirking. “Load up on fuel. We have a long drive ahead of us.”
“I want the buffet, too,” Maddie said, hopping to her feet. “Let’s do that together and let the boys have their coffee and decide what they want. I can’t wait.”
“Okay.”
Nick watched the women shuffle toward the buffet table, Sage chatting away as if she’d known Maddie her entire life instead of a few hours. He had no idea what they were talking about, but they both seemed happy.
“How is Maddie?” Dwight asked.
“She’s good,” Nick replied. “She bounces back really quickly and she’s not even remotely upset about what happened yesterday. All she keeps saying is that Jackson acted normal even when he was doing crazy things.”
“Yeah, Sage hasn’t really talked about what happened and I don’t want to pressure her,” Dwight said. “I talked to the dean this morning and he says Sage can finish the rest of the semester online and then start fresh after the new year.”
“That’s good,” Nick said, reaching for the coffee carafe. “That will allow her to spend some time with you and your wife.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait,” Dwight said. “My wife is practically bouncing off the walls. Sage called her last night and they cried on the phone for an hour. I finally had to make them hang up so Sage could get some rest.”
“Maddie didn’t even move her head when I put her in bed,” Nick said. “I stripped her shoes off and that was it.”
“I’m going to miss her,” Dwight said, his eyes taking on a far-off quality as he stared at Nick’s blonde. “I didn’t realize how much I already missed her until I saw her again.”
“You don’t have to miss her,” Nick pointed out. “You could call occasionally. Blackstone Bay is a great place to visit in the summer, too. We have a lake and guest rooms. You could bring your wife.”
“I might just do that,” Dwight said, grinning. “Of course, if you guys have a wedding we’d be happy to drop everything to drive up for that.”
Nick tried to muster a scowl … and failed. “Christmas,” he said finally, keeping his voice low. “I’m going to give her the best Christmas ever.”
Dwight’s grin was so wide it almost swallowed his entire face. “I figured,” he said. “I knew it was coming. I’m glad to know it’s coming soon.”
“I love Maddie more than anything,” Nick said. “I want this to be the best proposal ever.”
“Oh, son, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself,” Dwight said. “Maddie is already happy. I didn’t know she could be this happy. You could throw a ring at her and say ‘so, what do you think?’ and she would be ecstatic.”
“Oh, there’s an option I didn’t think about,” Nick said dryly.
Dwight barked out a laugh. “You’re going to make an amazing husband and father,” he said. “I hope I’m around to see both.”
“Of course you will be,” Nick said. “You’re part of the family now. We’re like the mob. Once you get in, you can never get out.”
“YOU take care of yourself,” Maddie said an hour later, smoothing Sage’s hair as she embraced the girl in the hotel’s parking lot. “Once you come back to the area after the holidays, we’ll set up a time for you to come to Blackstone Bay. You can see the magic shop and meet my grandmother.”
“I’d like that,” Sage said, flashing a shy smile in Nick’s direction. “Thank you both for everything you did to help my father. I don’t think he would’ve held it together without you.”
“Oh, I think he would’ve done just fine,” Nick said. “We were glad to help, though.”
Maddie’s eyes were already glassy when she moved closer to Dwight. “You take care of yourself, too,” she choked out. “I’ll miss you, Detective Kincaid.”
“I’m going to miss you, too, Ms. Graves,” Dwight said, fighting off his own set of tears as he pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“I didn’t save her,” Maddie argued. “I just kind of found her. Sort of. Although not really.”
Dwight laughed, delighted. “You be a good girl and keep a smile on this guy’s face, okay?” He inclined his chin in Nick’s direction.
“That’s the plan,” Maddie said. “Will you come and visit again? I mean maybe pick a time when we can actually have some fun and relax?”
“I think that’s definitely something that will happen,” Dwight said, running his hand down the back of Maddie’s head. “Who knows? You might see me sooner than you think. I have a daughter to visit up here, too. Actually, I kind of feel as if I have two daughters to visit.”
Maddie burst into tears and hugged Dwight tighter. Finally, worried that Dwight would never get on the road if he didn’t extricate her from the situation, Nick pulled Maddie to him and shook Dwight’s hand as a final farewell.
“Take care of yourself,” Nick said. “Take care of Sage, too.”
“You do the same,” Dwight said, winking. “Something tells me I’ll see you soon.”
Nick grinned. “Something tells me you’re right.”
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Books by Lily Harper Hart
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Grave Seasons (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 8) Page 20
