by Emery Hayes
“No,” Lars said. “We want to have him. I thought I’d take him fishing.”
“He’d love that.”
“And you’re to worry about nothing. The ten days will fly by, and sometimes it’ll be all the fuel you have in your tank.”
“Marriage is that bad?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s everything else. The job, mostly. It’ll put a lot of pressure on your relationship. That’s really all the advice I can give you—be mindful of it, Nicole. Make sure you and MacAulay get time away from it. And time away from the kids too.”
“Kids? That’s plural,” she said.
He smiled, and it was Cheshire. “I read tarot cards too,” he said.
She snorted. “Don’t reserve a table at the county fair just yet.”
“We’ll see,” he said. “I told Jordan to grab his bag. It’s time to say good night.”
“We’re serving after-dinner drinks.” Capping it at one per guest so everyone had a safe drive home. And just to be sure, Jane Casper was doing sobriety checks at the door.
“None for us.” He pushed away from the railing.
Lars would be acting sheriff while she was gone. He was more than fit for the job. She’d asked him why he hadn’t challenged her at the last election, but he’d told her, “It didn’t feel right.” And she understood that. She was his boss, but he was her partner and friend as well.
“Call if you need me,” she said.
“I won’t, even if I do.” He turned, waved over his shoulder, and made his way back to his girls.
Nicole and MacAulay were honeymooning on the Big Island, with luaus and a hike up Kilauea and long naps on floating lounge chairs. Nicole was determined to slow down enough that she had plenty of memories to pull out if the going ever got tough. And MacAulay was ready. He’d had six weeks of PT and RT and only felt a twinge every now and then from the rib that had shattered on impact with a bullet meant to end Nicole’s life. A delicate shiver ran up her spine. She could have lost everything, her life included.
“Cold?”
MacAulay came up beside her. He had taken off his jacket and cuffed his sleeves. He’d chosen a soft beige tux with a silk vest and bow tie, and he’d looked both elegant and dreamy.
“No,” she said. “Think we can rush the gin and tonics?”
“I told the servers to fill the glasses only halfway.” He winked at her, a conspirator.
Behind him, Jordan approached. He had a duffel bag over his shoulder and had already changed from his tux to jeans and a T-shirt.
“You’re bringing a hoodie?” she asked.
He almost rolled his eyes. “Two,” he assured her. “And I’ll do my own laundry, clear my place at the table, and even wrestle Ellie for the frying pan.”
“You raised this boy right,” MacAulay said.
And she had, despite the odds.
Jordan opened his arms, and Nicole stepped into them.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said.
“Never gonna happen,” she said.
Nicole stepped back and looked at Jordan and MacAulay. Side by side, they were the gateway to her happiness.
ALSO AVAILABLE BY EMERY HAYES
Nicole Cobain Mysteries
Cold to the Bone
(writing as Suzanne Phillips)
Chloe Doe
Burn
Lindsey Lost
Author Biography
Emery Hayes is the author of the Nicole Cobain mystery series and the twice-monthly podcast, In My Town. Writing as Suzanne Phillips, her Young Adult novels command the attention of readers worldwide. She lives in Southern California with her family.
This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Suzanne Phillips
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Crooked Lane Books and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-64385-598-1
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-64385-599-8
Cover design by Nicole Lecht
Printed in the United States.
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Crooked Lane Books
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New York, NY 10001
First Edition: July 2021
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