by Cindy Bell
“You too, Suzie,” he said sternly. “Tomorrow, we'll get together, and I'll tell you some stories about that passage.”
“I'm sure they are stories that I'd like to hear,” Suzie laughed a little. Jason nodded and walked over to a few other officers to make sure that everything was getting wrapped up.
Suzie watched Paul for a long moment. It amazed her that he had no idea she was in danger, and yet when she had needed him, he was there. When she walked over to Paul, he turned towards her with warmth in his eyes and his arms already open. He embraced her, his strong grasp soothing to Suzie as she was still trembling from the confrontation. She sighed against his chest and reveled in his warmth.
“It's okay now,” he murmured beside her ear. “It's all over now.”
Suzie had never felt so secure before. She was used to fighting her own battles, but she had to admit that having someone else to lean on for comfort was very soothing.
“I'm so glad that you came home,” she said in a whisper.
“So am I,” he replied and nuzzled her cheek. “I just wish I had gotten here a little sooner, maybe then you and Mary wouldn't have been in such a terrible position.”
“It was my fault,” Mary sighed as she walked over to the two of them. “I thought we could trust Dominic.”
“So did I, and we weren't wrong,” Suzie pointed out. “He didn't kill his daughter. It was Baylor that did that. Maybe without Baylor in his life, Dominic could have been an entirely different person.”
“I guess it's possible, but with his family history I doubt it,” Mary nodded. “And getting involved with him sure put us in a bad position.”
Detective Brown made his way over to the trio. He nodded to Paul, to Suzie, and smiled warmly at Mary.
“Quite an adventurous evening,” he said. “The important thing is that you both made it out safely,” Detective Brown said with a sigh of relief. “Things could have gone very differently.”
“They would have, if it weren't for our heroes,” Mary said and gave Detective Brown's hand a light squeeze.
Detective Brown blushed a little. “Just doing my job,” he said quietly.
“You didn't have to look out for us,” Mary pointed out. “You went the extra mile to make sure that we were safe.”
“I just wanted to make sure no one got hurt,” Detective Brown explained. “I'd hate to see such a lovely, kind woman as yourself get mixed up in such a dangerous situation.”
“Oh, well, thank you,” Mary said, obviously flustered.
Suzie raised an eyebrow and winked at Paul. Paul pursed his lips and then smiled.
“Detective Brown, perhaps you could join us for a celebratory dinner tomorrow?” Suzie suggested. “At least now we know that Antony and Daria's killer will be behind bars.”
“I'd like that,” Detective Brown agreed. “But it's Wes, call me Wes.”
“Wonderful, Wes,” Mary said. “We can meet at Dune House if you'd like.”
“I would,” he nodded. “Maybe we could take another shot at that walk on the beach?” he suggested. “It always helps to calm my nerves.”
“Mine too,” Mary admitted.
As the two walked off together, Suzie felt her protective instinct kick in. She wasn't sure if she trusted Detective Brown. She wasn't sure if he was the right man for Mary to be interested in. Like a big sister, she wanted to shield Mary from any more hurt. She tensed in Paul's arms.
“Shh,” Paul murmured with a faint chuckle. “I can see your mind whirling.”
“Can you?” Suzie asked and met his eyes.
“Sometimes, my sweet Suzie, things have to slow down,” he murmured.
“But that seems impossible when my mind is going a million miles a minute,” she sighed.
“I can help you with that,” he assured her. Suzie looked at him skeptically, but in the next moment his velvety lips were pressed against hers. She melted into the kiss, and her mind slowed until the only thing she could think of was his arms around her. When she surfaced from the kiss, her first instinct was to look for Mary. She found her in a patch of moonlight that was playing along the sand. She was wrapped up in Detective Brown's arms, her lips lightly caressing his. Her auburn hair streaked with silver was drifting back from her neck, catching the moonlight perfectly. With the sea sprawled out beside them, Suzie was struck by how the scene looked exactly like the cover of a romance novel. But Mary would never know that. She would never need to. She didn't need to see a picture on a cover of a book, when she was living out the story.
Suzie closed her eyes and rested comfortably in Paul's arms. She was starting to think the life of a fisherman might be a little less eventful than the life of a bed and breakfast owner and operator.
The End
From the Author
Thank you very much for reading Dodgy Dealings, the fifth book in the Dune House Cozy Mystery Series. If you enjoyed the book and would like to be updated when I release a new book you can sign up for email updates at http://www.cindybellbooks.com/newsletter. I will never share your email and you will only receive emails from me when I have released a new book, am offering a discount or when I have giveaways.
If you did enjoy the book and would like to leave a review at Amazon I would appreciate it. Reviews help other readers who might be interested in the book.
You can connect with me at my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/cindybellauthor.
About the Author
Cindy Bell is the author of the cozy mystery series Bekki the Beautician, Dune House, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com/newsletter.
More Books by Cindy Bell
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Dune House Cozy Mystery Series
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest