by Lara Lacombe
Her thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the doorbell. She opened the door to find Micah on the stoop, Chunk at his feet. The dog’s tail began to thump against the floor as soon as he saw her, and Bea swore he was grinning, at least as much as his saggy jowls would allow.
She smiled, unable to remain pensive while Chunk was around. She’d never considered herself a dog person before, but there was something about Chunk that gave her the warm fuzzies.
“Come in,” she said, taking a step back. Man and dog both entered her apartment. Micah veered off into the kitchen to deposit the grocery bag he was carrying, while Chunk headed for the living room and her couch.
“How are you feeling today?” Micah called out. She heard the sack rustle and figured he was unpacking food. He’d proved himself to be an adequate cook over the last few days, and while Bea felt a little strange about being waited on hand and foot, she wasn’t quite up to cooking for herself just yet.
“Not bad,” she said. She locked the door and headed for the kitchen.
“Any pain?”
She paused in the doorway and shrugged, then immediately wished she hadn’t as the movement tugged on her stitches. “Only if I move wrong.”
“Are you staying on top of your medication?”
“Yes, Nurse Nightingale,” she said sweetly.
Micah eyed her suspiciously. “I hope you’re telling the truth. Otherwise, I’m liable to turn into Nurse Ratched.”
She laughed, then gripped her side with a grimace.
“That’s it.” Micah set down the can he was holding and moved toward her. “Off your feet.” He led her into the living room and hovered over her while she sat on the couch. Chunk gave her a friendly swipe with his tongue and settled in beside her for his afternoon nap.
Micah brought the ottoman over and lifted her feet. “Here you go,” he said, propping them up on the padded surface. “Now, stay put and I’ll get you something to drink. Have you had lunch yet?”
“No,” Bea said, knowing it was pointless to resist. Truth be told, a small part of her enjoyed the fuss. It was nice to be the sole focus of Micah’s attention, even though it was only temporary.
Actions speak louder than words, her heart said. And no matter how worried Bea was over their block in communication, it was clear Micah cared for her very much.
He returned a few minutes later with a glass of ice water and sandwiches. “I took the liberty of making one for myself. I didn’t get a chance to eat yet, either.”
“Busy morning?”
He nodded and sat in the chair next to her. “Oh, yeah. We closed your case, but we’re no closer to finding the Groom Killer.”
“I take it Angelina didn’t see anything that night?”
Micah shook his head as he chewed. “Nope. And we know from the forensic evidence our killer is right-handed. Since she’s left-handed, that clears her as a suspect.”
Bea frowned. “Did you really think she killed Joey? She was so distraught—she was ready to commit suicide over his death.”
“True, but that didn’t necessarily make her innocent. It was possible she killed him and then felt bad about it.”
“I suppose.” She took a bite of her sandwich. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a cop. I’m not suspicious enough for the job.”
Micah chuckled. “You learn real quick not to take people at face value.”
“Does that bother you?”
He took a deep breath, and for a second Bea expected him to clam up. It was exactly the type of question he normally shied away from answering, and she wanted to kick herself for asking it.
But to her surprise, Micah nodded. “Yeah, sometimes it does. I don’t like cynicism, and there are times I have to actively fight against becoming too jaded. I don’t want to burn out, or become the lonely old guy who never found love because he was too afraid to connect with people.”
A candle of hope lit in her chest and she hardly dared to breathe for fear he would stop talking.
Micah met her gaze, his green eyes bright and earnest. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said the other day. About how I’m patronizing you by not sharing parts of my life. And I want you to know that’s not my intention. I want us to be together—hell, I need you now more than ever.”
“I need you, too,” she said quietly.
Micah nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.” He paused, as if weighing his words. “After the letters, I never really had a long-term relationship with a woman. I dated some, but things were always casual. No one ever wanted to hear my thoughts or really connect with me the way you do. And the guys in my unit, we didn’t do the whole touchy-feely thing. I spoke to my therapist, but it was his job to listen to me.”
“What are you saying?”
He sighed. “I’m saying I’m not used to having someone in my life who expects me to share the way you do. That’s not a bad thing—I know communication is important in a relationship. It’s something I’m going to work on, but I need to know if you’re willing to give me time to figure this out.”
“Yes.” She said the word before he’d even finished speaking. “Yes, Micah. I will. We will work on it together.”
“You mean that?” She heard the note of hope in his voice, an echo of her own.
“I do. I don’t expect you to be perfect.”
“That’s good, because I know I’m going to make mistakes.”
Bea pushed herself up and stepped over to him.
“Whoa,” he said, reaching out to steady her. She dropped into his lap, needing to touch him.
“We’re both going to make mistakes,” she said, stroking the side of his face with her fingertips. “And we’ll work through them together.”
He pressed his forehead to hers and wrapped his arms around her. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that.”
She smiled and kissed him softly. “Oh, I think I have an idea.”
He sighed and she melted against him. “Seeing you on the floor took years off my life,” he said softly. “I can’t lose you, Bea. Not again.”
Her heart was so full she thought it might burst in her chest. “I’m not going anywhere, Micah,” she said. “Not without you.”
He kissed her then, tenderly, almost reverently. Tears stung her eyes as she kissed him back, trying to pour all her love into the gesture. After a moment, she pulled back.
“Stay with me tonight?”
Micah’s eyes widened. “I don’t think that’s what the doctor had in mind when she told you to rest.”
Bea smiled. “Then just hold me. I don’t want you to leave.”
Understanding shone in his eyes. “Then I won’t. But I should warn you. Chunk snores.”
The dog in question let out a sleepy snort, and they both laughed.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said, leaning in for another kiss.
“Oh? What’s that?”
She nibbled on his bottom lip and spoke the words against his mouth.
“You do, too.”
* * *
“Any other updates?” Finn glanced around the room, waiting to see if anyone would respond. When no one did, he nodded. “Okay. I have one more thing and then we’re done.” He glanced at the paper in his hand. “We have a request from a filmmaker who is working on a documentary piece about the Groom Killer. Her name is Esmee da Costa, and she’s been bugging me nonstop to tag along with one of the officers working the case.”
A low grumble erupted from the assembled group, and Finn held up his hand. “I know, I know. I told her it was too dangerous, not to mention counterproductive to my team. But the woman’s relentless. She said she’d settle for interviewing one of you. Wants to talk to someone related to Demi Colton, since she’s hoping to get a personal take on things.”
Everyone’s head swiveled to foc
us on Brayden. Micah watched as the tips of his friend’s ears turned red.
“No,” he said, shaking his head firmly. “No way.”
“I don’t blame you,” Finn said. “And I’m not going to throw you under the bus and insist you talk to her. But be aware she’s quite persistent, and she might come looking for you on her own.”
“She can look all she wants,” Brayden said. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to talk to her.”
“Fair enough,” Finn replied. “Like I said, I can’t force you to do anything.” With that, the team meeting was over and everyone dispersed to their desks. Micah walked over to Brayden.
“You okay?”
Brayden shook his head. “Fine. I just can’t believe the nerve of some people.”
“You know the drill. Sex and murder sell. This is getting to be a famous case. Stands to reason people are going to want to find a way to cash in on it.”
“Maybe so,” Brayden replied. “But I’d never sell out my sister for the sake of a buck.”
“I know that.” Micah clapped his friend on the back. “Just stay strong. If you ignore her long enough, she might go away.”
“You really think I’ll get that lucky?”
Micah laughed. “You can hope.”
Brayden eyed him suspiciously. “You’re in an awfully good mood today.”
“Am I?”
“Don’t play coy. You can’t pull it off. I take it things are going well with Bea?”
Micah couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face. “Yeah. Really well.”
Thanks to Bea’s injury, they couldn’t do much physically. So they’d spent the last week talking, reconnecting with each other both intellectually and emotionally. He’d started to tell her about his time in the war, and she hadn’t flinched when he’d shared some of the tougher stuff he’d dealt with in the desert. She’d told him all about the business, her fears and worries, and what she hoped to accomplish in the future.
He was surprised by how good it felt to open up to Bea, to share with her some of the things he’d rather forget. Micah had expected telling her about his darker moments would cause him to relive them, but that wasn’t the case. He felt lighter after their talks, almost as if the act of speaking had robbed the memories of some of their power.
It wasn’t just the talking that eased him, though. He knew from his therapy sessions that telling someone about his experiences helped, but it was the fact that he was talking to Bea that made all the difference. She was his safe place, his haven. His home. And today, he was going to show her just how much she meant to him.
“I’m happy for you, man.” Brayden’s voice interrupted his thoughts, and Micah tuned back in to what his friend was saying.
“Thanks,” Micah said. “Let me know if you need help with the filmmaker.”
A sour look crossed Brayden’s face. “I can handle her.”
“I know you can. But I’m here if you need me.”
He walked back to his desk and logged off his computer. Time to visit Bea. Chunk rose from his bed, clearly aware of the time, as well.
“Ready to go, buddy?”
The drive passed in a blur. Micah was so focused on seeing her again, he barely noticed his surroundings. He helped Chunk from the backseat and practically ran to her door. Anticipation and excitement thrummed in his veins, making him almost giddy.
She opened the door before he could ring the bell, greeting them both with a smile. “I was getting worried.”
“Sorry,” he said, reaching for her. “We had a meeting. Ran a bit late.”
She tilted her face up for his kiss. “No worries. I’m just glad you’re here now.”
She closed the door behind them, and when she turned back to face him, Micah was struck by a wave of love so powerful it nearly brought him to his knees.
Now. It has to be now.
He fumbled in his pocket and dropped to his knees. Bea’s eyes widened as he took her hands.
“I meant to make this special for you, but I can’t wait another minute.” His stomach danced with nerves, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Micah?” She whispered his name, a hopeful question that made him nod.
“I love you. I never stopped loving you. And I know I never will. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
He held up the ring and she clapped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted from it to his face. “Oh!” Tears welled in her eyes and she knelt before him, then threw her arms around his neck.
“I take it that’s a yes?”
She pulled back and kissed him soundly. “Yes!” Another kiss, and then another. “Of course it’s a yes!” She leaned forward to kiss him again, but Chunk’s tongue swiped their cheeks before their lips met. They both turned to look at the dog who was sitting right next to them, tail thumping madly.
“I suppose you can be the ring bearer,” Bea said with a laugh, reaching out to scratch behind the dog’s ears.
Chunk closed his eyes and sighed, apparently accepting his new role.
Micah took Bea’s left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. She stared at it for a moment, turning her hand this way and that so the green stone sparkled in the light.
“It was my mom’s,” he said. “My aunt took it after she died, probably because she knew my dad would pawn it for booze money. She left it to me, along with the house.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I know it’s not a diamond,” he said, feeling suddenly shy. “I can get you one if you want. But I wanted you to have this first.”
“I love it.” She cupped his face in her hands. “The emerald matches your eyes.”
“Think so?”
“Yes.” She smiled, but then a shadow crossed her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but...” She trailed off and his stomach twisted with worry.
“What is it?”
“The Groom Killer,” she said, gripping his shoulder. “Should we keep this quiet until after you solve the case? I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you were a target because we’d gotten engaged.”
The tension drained from his body along with his breath, and he felt almost light-headed with relief. “We can do that, if it makes you feel better.”
Bea nodded. “It does. Believe me, I want to shout from the rooftops that we’re engaged, but I don’t want to risk your safety.” She slipped his ring off her finger and transferred it to her right hand. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
Micah smiled. “If it makes you feel better, I’m fine with it. But I can take care of myself, you know.”
Bea kissed him gently, her fingers tangling in his hair. “I know. But we’re partners now. And partners take care of each other.”
Micah drew her against his chest, feeling whole for the first time in years. “I like the sound of that.”
Bea laughed, her body vibrating against his. “I’m glad to hear it. Because I’m going to keep saying it for the rest of our lives.”
“Promise?”
“I do.”
* * * * *
If you loved this suspenseful novel,
don’t miss the previous books in the
COLTONS OF RED RIDGE miniseries:
COLTON’S DEADLY ENGAGEMENT
by Addison Fox
COLTON BABY RESCUE
by Marie Ferrarella
Available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!
And look out for the next installment in this saga,
COLTON AND THE SINGLE MOM
by Jane Godman.
Keep reading for an excerpt from CONARD COUNTY REVENGE by Rachel Lee.
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