My toes caught in the discarded outfit on my floor—jeans and a Vote for Davis shirt. I’d handed out more political propaganda in the past eight hours than I’d ever seen in my life. The election booths were open until seven, but Adrian’s rally at my new office building started at five. If I hurried, I could dress for his victory dinner now and vote on my way there.
A smile spread over my face. Adrian Davis could be the mayor in a couple of hours. I shook my head. The kid who made mud pies with me under my parents’ house might run the town. What was the world coming to? Up was down. Left was right. I snagged my phone off the counter when it buzzed.
Four messages. Jeez. How long had I been in the shower?
Adrian: Results are pouring in. I’m ahead by 4
Claire: Meeting Max for drinks. See you at the big dinner.
Adrian: Beau’s pulling ahead of me. Where are you? Call me. Bring liquor.
Sebastian: Finalizing some paperwork. Meet you at the rally.
I dashed a towel over my hair and squeezed the excess water out before dialing Adrian, setting the phone on speaker and tossing it onto the counter. I raked a leave-in conditioner through my hair while the call connected. He didn’t answer. I redialed and moved on to makeup application.
Five rings later, Adrian answered in a panic. “Patience?”
I pinched my lashes in the evil grip of a metal curler. “The one and only.”
“Where are you? I need you.”
“Well, I walked the streets all day, handing out your buttons and bumper stickers. I came home for a shower, but don’t worry. I’m on my way as soon as I get ready for the dinner and go vote.”
He groaned. “You didn’t vote yet? Why didn’t you do that first?”
“Why don’t you thank me for smiling and being nice to people all day?”
“That’s your job.”
I dropped the eye shadow pallet on my counter. “That is not my job. That was me doing you a favor.”
“For saving your life.”
I pursed my lips and curled my fingers at my sides. “Did you ask me to call so you could pick a fight? If you want, I can stop getting ready, put on my jeans and continue this stupid conversation all night.” Wouldn’t be the first time.
Silence.
“Well?” I ran lip gloss over my lips. I had him.
“Just get here. You don’t have to thank me for saving your life again. If you did that every time I saved you, we’d never have time to talk about anything else.”
I hung up on him and finished my makeup before blowing out my hair. Tonight was a special occasion. No ponytails allowed. I pinned crystal-encrusted combs into the hair over each ear and created soft spirals in the length with my giant curling iron. Sexy. I approved. Now for the dress.
Claire had picked the dress out for me. Without her there to approve it, I’d never have left the store with anything so expensive. Claire made me brave. Brave in the confident, feminist heroine way, not the run-headlong-into-danger way I was known for. That wasn’t brave. That was impulsivity with a dash of hardheadedness. After seeing my best friend cut by a lunatic wielding a cranial saw in an abandoned funeral home, I’d gained a measure of perspective on the difference between the two. When Todd called it a cranial saw, I’d almost vomited. Brave and stupid were very different.
I dusted powder over my face and texted Claire. Have fun. Can’t wait to see you two.
I meant it. Seeing her was wonderful. Seeing her with Fargas was refreshing. I didn’t understand where their relationship came from, but it looked good on them. She was radiant in his presence, and he was confident in hers. They gave me hope.
I slid the dress off its hanger. The soft lining caressed my body. The midnight blue color had dazzled me from the moment I saw it in the store window. Claire coerced me into trying it on, despite the hefty price tag. The gentle shine of material twinkled when I moved. Sheer layers danced over my thighs, hanging a touch longer than the slip underneath. My favorite part was the halter neckline, where a small keyhole at my breastbone made for easy cleavage appreciation. Thanks to modern-day undergarment technology, my bosom appeared more ample than the usual borderline sufficient. I danced through a few sprays of perfume on new heels. Wide black ribbons tied around each ankle like a dark fairy tale. They were the perfect addition to my dress. I blew a kiss to my mirror.
Time to go. The Prius was released from impound after Leo the Lucky admitted to shooting my windshield. That was the only crime he admitted to, probably because he was caught on camera, thanks to The Watchers’ ridiculous number of hidden devices. Once the agents finished sifting through all the captured footage, they’d have enough to put him and Jesse away for a long time. Jimmy the Judge would probably get a triple life sentence with the file of warrants they had on him. Sebastian would go to court and testify against both in cases he worked while undercover for Jimmy’s crime family.
All in all, after a wretched few months, we were all out of danger and things had finally set up to be the island life I expected when I moved home.
* * *
The line for voting was short and, after pulling up to the curb three blocks from Adrian’s rally/dinner, it was easy to see why. Most of the island was already there. The sun had set before six, leaving a gorgeous and unseasonably warm night in its wake. Twinkle lights lined my new office, the stage and the perimeter of the yard. Melinda and Missy were decked out in cutie-pie Sugar & Spice aprons, dishing out the most delicious smelling food ever. I drifted toward them.
“Wow.” Melinda’s mouth dipped open. “You look like a movie star.”
I laughed. “Then you don’t get out enough.”
She frowned. “That’s kind of true.”
I hugged her and then Missy. “Look at you two, running a successful business, catering to politicians.”
Missy smiled. “Don’t look now, but here comes our beloved mayoral hopeful.”
My eyes scanned for him. A few feet away, Adrian moseyed past a group of women in cocktail dresses. His gaze drifted over my bare shoulders and down the line of my body to my shoes. I returned the gesture. He looked like billboard fodder, instead of some small-town mayoral candidate. I perked with pride for knowing him. Sometimes being in Adrian’s life felt like an honor. More often, it felt like we were stuck on a playground, but tonight, I was honored.
“There you are.” He kissed my cheek. “Watch yourself,” he whispered. “No lingering.”
I whacked him with my clutch and narrowed my eyes. I’d cornered him outside Flick’s Funeral Home and threatened his life should he ever mention his imagined lingering, the fact that our lips had touched this decade, or anything else that could scare Sebastian away. Anyway, there hadn’t been any lingering on my part. He’d imagined it. I’d assured myself of this thought so often, I almost believed it. Denial was wonderful like that.
His dimple caved in, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “I know something you don’t know.”
I eyeballed him as he led me away from my friends. “What do you know?”
“It’s a surprise.”
I rolled my eyes. Not this again. “Your last surprise was a television show that brought chaos to this island and nearly got me killed. So, dish, or I’ll pull your hair.”
He rolled his eyes. Mocking me or having picked up another of my bad habits, I couldn’t say. “This one kills me a little, but you’re not in any danger.” A crooked smile changed his face. He nudged me with his elbow. “You’ll like this surprise. I promise.”
“Fine. What is it?”
He shook his head and did a big stage sigh. “Not my secret to tell.”
I whacked him.
“Ow.”
“What’d you bring it up for then?”
Adrian laughed a big belly laugh. “How many times can I tell you, s
weetheart? I love to get your goat.”
Fire bloomed over my cheeks. “Stop calling me pet names.” Why did I let him get to me? We needed a change of subject. This was his night, after all. “How are the numbers looking?”
He checked his phone. “Pretty good. I’m not sure how long until the final votes are tallied, but right now it’s close. I have a small lead at the moment.” He indicated a small measure with his thumb and first finger.
I patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ve got this. Look around. This fancy-shmancy party is all for you. All these faces are your constituents. You like how that sounds?”
“Constituents.” His smile grew. “Man, I really want this. More than anything else right now. I know I can do the job. I love this place and these people.” His gaze moved over the crowd. For a moment, he looked like the Adrian I knew, the one few other people saw. The playful showman stepped away for one heartbeat and a sincere, caring, tenderhearted Adrian took his place. Pride graced his features. Not pride for himself, but for them. The islanders.
The look on his face was the reason I’d done nightly calls to everyone on the island the last few days, made trips to the hospital and nursing homes in his name and delivered gifts from my parents’ shop as little enticements to help undecided voters see things my way. I believed in Adrian, and the few citizens who were still undecided, for whatever reason, seemed to believe in me, so I intervened to bridge the gap. If he found out about all my unsolicited efforts, he’d make a huge deal out of it, so I kept it to myself.
“Ah.” Adrian made a funny face. “I’m going to go see if I can get more updated numbers from someone. Just so you know, I may throw up from nerves soon. If I do, can you cover for me?”
I tried to look serious. “Absolutely. If you get sick, I’ll announce you’ve suffered silently from the flu all day but put on a brave face, despite your illness, to come and show your devotion to this island.”
He pointed at me. “That’s brilliant. Please say that.”
I laughed. “Whatever. Go puke.”
He grabbed my hand and squeezed before walking away. “Here comes your surprise.”
Weird.
Sebastian’s voice startled me. “It’s shockingly easy to find you in a crowd this size. I simply look for Adrian.”
“He is tall.” I swiped a drink off the tray of a passing hostess and took a gulp. The night felt hotter.
He rested his hands behind his back. “Nice dress. You look beautiful.”
A blush warmed my cheeks. Compliments from Sebastian were few and far between, but when he uttered them, he meant them. The fact he mentioned the dress meant he liked it. A lot. I smiled. “You think so?”
“No.” Seriousness flattened his features. He extended a hand and pulled me close. His voice lowered to a heated whisper. “I think you look more than beautiful, and the dress...” He traced the line of my side with the back of his fingertips. “The dress is sinful. It’s a good thing I brought my gun. I can think of a few men I might need to fend off before the night’s end.”
“Right.” I caught his lapels in my fingertips. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“Not if you don’t mind a guy with a limp.”
My fingertips grazed his hip. He’d lied to me on the phone Halloween night. He wasn’t nicked by a couple of bullets. He was shot three times. The bullet in his shoulder barely missed a major artery that would’ve ended his life in minutes. The hit he took to the thigh tore through muscle and ligaments that might never heal properly and would surely cause him endless pain in physical therapy. I could’ve lost him, and I had no idea how to deal with that. If he wanted to leave the FBI, I wouldn’t cry for long. A selfish thought, given the number of people he’d saved.
I stared into his dark eyes, hoping for a clue as to how he really felt about his life. We hadn’t talked about his job or future since the night he was shot. Emotions were high that night. People often think irrationally under stress that intense. He loved protecting people, putting criminals away and defending our laws. Despite my own qualms, I wanted Sebastian to be happy.
“Hey, you!” Claire arrived on Fargas’s arm. She was stunning in her fitted yellow maxi dress. She pointed a fabulous toe from beneath her long hem.
“Ohhh.” I gawked at the pretty blue heel. Reflections of twinkle lights danced off its shine.
We’d seen the shoes at the mall when I bought my dress. “I thought those were too expensive. Did you change your mind or come into some money this weekend and not mention it?”
Her lips curved into a very ornery smile. “Remember when I collected signatures from The Watchers cast for handwriting samples?”
That we never needed. “Yeah.”
Fargas jumped in. “She sold the shirt to a fan for two thousand dollars.”
Claire smiled. “You can worship my brilliance later.”
“Can I borrow the shoes?”
“Maybe.” She looked at Sebastian. “Where’d you disappear to today? I looked for you.”
I anchored a fist against one hip. “I thought you were at work today.”
Sebastian frowned at Claire before looking my way. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yes, you did. You said you had to do paperwork at the office.”
“No. I said I had to finalize some paperwork.”
“Whoa.” Claire fanned her face, despite the cool night breeze off the harbor. “Who needs a drink?”
Fargas raised a hand. “We’ll be back.” He escorted Claire away.
I didn’t say goodbye. I aimed my best liar-liar-pants-on-fire face at Sebastian and waited.
His lips quirked. He scanned the crowd and rolled his shoulders back. “I wasn’t going to do this here, but I don’t think you’ll let this go.”
I raised my eyebrow. Darn skippy. He lied. There was no backpedaling out of it. He’d claimed he was late due to paperwork, but Claire said she hadn’t seen him at work. I wanted the truth. He seemed to be unaccounted for too often lately. Before, whenever he wasn’t around I’d assumed he was chasing leads, but now the leads were caught. Why the secrets?
Sebastian dipped a hand behind the material of his jacket and retrieved a small velvet box. My heart stuttered a moment before taking off double time.
I pointed at the box. “Whatcha got there?”
He placed the box in my hand and covered my fingers with his. A small tremor played over my hands and Sebastian pulled his fingers away. A tiny gasp escaped me. The tremor wasn’t mine.
He pulled in a deep breath and released it slowly. Was he nervous? If he had what I thought he had in this box, he should be nervous because I couldn’t handle a proposal. He cleared his throat. “With Jimmy behind bars, I don’t need to stay here anymore.”
My mind raced. Adrian had looked at Sebastian when he arrived and told me my surprise was here. Did Sebastian tell Adrian about this? My gaze darted over the crowd. My folks laughed and held hands, dancing with others to the small band on stage. Adrian stood near the microphone, ready to make an announcement. He winked. I snapped my eyes back to Sebastian. Oh no.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said.
“What?” I focused my attention on Sebastian. What did he say?
“I like it here. I like being near you, and I’m not ready to leave.”
“I don’t want you to leave.” I squeezed the box in my hands. “Stay.”
“Patience.”
Breath caught in my throat.
“This is probably a little soon. I’m not sure about relationship protocols. This is the first time in years I’ve given them any thought.” He huffed, reorganizing his thoughts. I recognized the expression. Words weren’t easy for him. That was okay.
I stroked his sleeve. “Take your time.” I meant that on so many levels.
He nodded. “I know things are complicated right now.”
So far, this was the worst proposal ever. I looked at the stage. Adrian smiled wildly at a paper in his hands.
Sebastian gripped my fingers again. “Open the box. If it’s too much, I’ll take it back until you’re ready for it.”
I opened the box lid with shaky hands. The top clicked into position, revealing a pink key on a red ribbon. I lifted my gaze to him in confusion.
“I bought a house. I want you to feel free to come and go anytime and as often as you like. You’ve been nothing but accommodating to me since the first day I came to the island. You let me crash on your couch and infiltrate your life without question, and I like it.” He stepped into my personal space. “I like us. A lot.”
“You bought a house?”
“Yes.” He laughed. His wide arms wrapped around my waist. “I bought a house here. I can’t imagine staying anywhere else, and I hope you might spend more of your time with me.”
My brain whirled with hope, joy and possibilities. “You’re moving to Chincoteague?”
He kissed my nose. “Yes.” He kissed my forehead. My temple. My lips. “Patience Peace Price, will you accept this key?”
My head bobbed. Sebastian had bought a house on my island. He wanted to be here. Not for me, but for him. He saw what I saw when I looked around. Home. Friends. Community.
“Hello, Chincoteague.” The microphone screeched with feedback. Adrian handed the microphone to our current mayor.
I swung my face back to Sebastian, whose eyes trained on mine. “Yes.” A tear spilled over my lid. “I accept the key.”
His eyes drooped at the corners. “You’re crying.”
“I’m happy.”
“Happy?” Sebastian’s face lit in a truly rare smile.
“Kiss me.” I bounced on my toes as he leaned down and pulled my chest against his. My arms wrapped instinctively around his neck. My fingers burrowed into his hair.
Murder in Real Time Page 27