by Kathi Daley
“Your dad shot Bristow?”
“Isn’t that what you already figured out? Isn’t that why you ran?”
“Until this moment I thought it was you.” My heart began to pound. I’d hoped to talk Sterling into letting me go, but there was no way he was going to do that with his father’s freedom at stake.
I closed my eyes and waited for the shot. What I heard instead was a scream. I opened my eyes to find Echo on top of Sterling with the man’s arm clenched in his mouth. I got up slowly and approached him. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. What a baby. Echo had a firm grip on him, but he hadn’t even drawn blood. I took the gun from the man’s hand, then commanded Echo to stand down. He let go of Sterling’s arm and took a step back, though he continued to growl. That was fine with me. He’d been planning to kill me. He deserved to feel the terror of having a 130-pound dog standing over him with teeth bared. I took out my phone and called Roy. Talk about a crazy end to a crazy mystery that had almost been the end of me in more ways than one.
Chapter 19
Saturday, August 19
It was the night of my big date with Kyle. A night I was sure would be filled with fresh flowers, candles, expensive wine, and romantic music. I’d dreamed of making love with Kyle as the moon shone down on the still lake and through the bedroom window. I’d had so many expectations after building up this night in my head for the past few weeks, I supposed part of me realized I was bound to be disappointed. But as I glanced out the window and saw the moon on the lake just as I’d imagined, I realized that while things hadn’t gone exactly as planned, this truly was a perfect moment I would hold forever in my heart.
“Despite everything, this is nice,” I said as I sat on the bed with a glass of milk while Gracie slept in my lap.
“It is.” Kyle smiled back at me.
As it turned out, Gracie had chicken pox. My dad was pretty sure he’d never had them and my grandpa couldn’t remember whether he had, so I’d brought Gracie over to Kyle, whose mother had confirmed he’d had them when he was four. Ashley had gone to Sacramento with Kyle’s mom as we’d planned, while Kyle and I played nursemaid to a very sick and very cranky little girl.
“I feel so bad for her,” Kyle said as he stroked her hair. “The poor thing is about as miserable as I can remember anyone being.”
“She does seem to have a pretty bad case. She should sleep through the night now, though. I followed all of the directions her pediatrician gave me and was assured that once we’d completed all the steps, she’d sleep for at least eight hours.”
“I didn’t think kids got chicken pox anymore,” Kyle said. “Isn’t there a vaccine nowadays?”
I nodded. “There is. Apparently, my mom never got around to having Gracie vaccinated, and I guess after she came to live with me I didn’t think about it. I still don’t have all this mom stuff down.”
Kyle leaned over and gently kissed Gracie on the side of the head. She didn’t even budge, proving she was out completely.
“Thank you for everything,” I said. “Thank you for letting us stay here, and thank you for playing the role of Gracie’s maid all day. Thank you for keeping me sane when I wanted to scream in frustration, and thank you for rocking Gracie for hours on end when nothing else would calm her.”
“I was happy to help. You know that. I love Gracie. I’ll always be here for her.”
“Even if she throws up all over your lap again?” I teased.
“Even then.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Kyle really was one of a kind. He was not only handsome, smart, and caring, but he had the kindest of hearts.
“It’s killing me to see her so sick,” Kyle said in a soft voice. “When we have children, let’s be sure to remember to get the vaccines.”
“Do you think about that?” I asked.
“Vaccines?”
“No, silly. Children. Our children, to be more specific.”
Kyle’s smile faded just a bit. He lifted the hand that had been stroking Gracie’s hair and ran a finger down my cheek. “Will it freak you out completely if I confess that I do think about us having children together?”
I smiled. “Not at all. I think about it too.”
Kyle’s face lit up. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips. When he pulled back, I glanced down at Gracie, who was asleep between us. “I think she’s out for the time being. Should we attempt to extricate ourselves from her limbs before it’s too late and we’re forced to sleep this way? I’m not sure my back can take it.”
Kyle nodded. We worked together to carefully lift her limbs so we could move without waking her. Once we were free, we tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway.
“Hang on. I have something for you,” Kyle said as he jogged into his bedroom, which was next door to the one occupied by Gracie.
I was half-expecting him to return with flowers or a bottle of wine, but instead he had a bag from the drugstore. He handed it to me. I peeked inside. “A baby monitor?”
“I know you’re concerned about Gracie. I am too. I thought if we could keep an ear on her from anywhere in the house, we could head downstairs and try to salvage what’s left of our evening.”
I almost cried. Lots of men had given me flowers, wine, and chocolates, but no one had ever given me a baby monitor.
“You know,” I said as I handed the monitor back to Kyle, “while a baby monitor is a great idea, maybe we should stay close until we’re positive she’s asleep.”
“Okay, whatever you think is best,” Kyle said, although he looked surprised. “I can bring a couple of chairs into her room if you’d like.”
I took Kyle’s hand in mine. “I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m sure she’s out for the night, but if she does call out, we should be able to hear her from your room.”
Kyle frowned. I could see he was trying to read my face. “Okay. I guess we can lay down for a while. You must be tired after the long day.”
I put my arms around Kyle’s neck. I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him deeply. “Actually,” I whispered against his lips, “I’m not tired in the least.”
Kyle’s eyes grew big as he began to understand my intent. He raised his hand and used a finger to caress my cheek. “You know I want to be with you more than anything in the world, but I thought you wanted to wait until it was perfect.”
I ran my hands down Kyle’s back until they settled just below his waist. I looked deeply into his dark blue eyes. “I did and it is.”
The Tj Jensen Mystery Series
By Kathi Daley
The NEXT book in the series:
THANKSGIVING IN PARADISE (#10)
The FIRST book in the series:
PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (#1)
Ready to binge a new mystery series?
From Agatha-Nominated author, Kendel Lynn, comes the PI-in-training dubbed “the Stephanie Plum of the South.” It’s a seaside romp of mischief and misfortune you do not want to miss.
BOARD STIFF (#1)
A richly textured mystery with an amateur sleuth who finds herself painted into a corner when she finds a dead body in her garden and a homicide detective on her doorstep.
FATAL BRUSHSTROKE (#1)
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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband, Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than seventy-five books in eight series including: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteri
es, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries, Writer’s Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com.
