by Cindy Bell
“Remember that thing about staying out of harm's way?” Nick asked as he grabbed her firmly around the waist.
“Maybe,” she murmured, still shaken up by her encounter with Victor, who was beginning to stir on the floor.
“Well, I don't think you stayed out of it,” Nick smiled slightly, but his eyes were searching hers with concern. Other officers began to fill the salon, but Bekki barely noticed them. Her eyes were on Nick, and only on Nick. He had made her feel as if she would always be safe, as long as he was with her.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I know you're always having to rescue me.”
“And you're always solving my crimes,” Nick grinned and placed a light kiss on her lips. “So, I guess that makes us even, hmm?”
“Maybe,” Bekki replied with a soft laugh. As Nick led her out of the salon, Bekki felt her heartbeat finally begin to settle. She couldn't bring Bryan back to Emma or his child, but at least she had been able to prevent Victor from taking everything he wanted. Bryan had died, but his family was safe, and that was all she could offer.
“How did you know I was in trouble?” Bekki asked Nick as she looked into his eyes. She was beginning to think he had a sixth sense about rescuing her.
“I didn't,” he replied honestly. “When I woke up and found your note about going into the salon, I just thought I'd drop in with some lunch,” he explained and pointed to the bag from the corner deli that he had dropped on his way in the side door. “I had no idea Victor would be here. But when I tried the front door and found it locked I thought it was strange, so I went around to the side. I'm glad I did,” he frowned as he locked eyes with her. “Although I think I might have actually rescued Victor, if you had managed one more strike, I think he'd be in a lot worse shape than he is now.”
“You know me far too well,” Bekki grinned as she looked up at him affectionately.
“I take that as a compliment,” Nick replied with a mild smile.
“I didn't even see you come into the salon,” Bekki said with a shake of her head. “Are you sure you aren't hiding some kind of super powers from me?” she demanded with a grin.
“No super powers,” Nick promised. “I just had a feeling that if the door was locked something was wrong, so I stepped in quietly. I heard everything that Victor had to say, so we will be able to use it against him at the trial. But I didn't realize you were in danger at first, not until I heard you gasp. And I didn't get there in time,” he added and brushed his fingertips lightly along the curve of her cheek, “to prevent you from suffering.”
“Sure you did,” Bekki countered. “I wasn't even hurt.”
“He shouldn't have been able to touch you, or frighten you,” Nick frowned as he raked his gaze across her features. “I wish there was a way I could protect you from everything bad in the world.”
“You do,” Bekki smiled slowly as she held his gaze. “You provide me with everything good in the world, with moments so beautiful that the bad things can't come close to comparing. That is how you protect me.”
“I'm so glad you feel that way,” Nick sighed and kissed her again. He stared hard into her eyes as if trying to decide something and then shook his head slightly. “I've got to help take care of the scene and fill out some reports,” he said calmly. “I'm going to call your mom to pick you up, okay?”
“Okay,” Bekki nodded a little, but she wished he would stay with her. She understood why he couldn't and she was glad that he was there to handle the situation with Victor.
“I know it's crazy,” she admitted sadly. “But all of this is so sad. Emma had two men in love with her, one obsessed, and now she'll still be alone.”
“It's better that she is, than to be with a man like that,” Nick said firmly as he glared over his shoulder in the direction of the salon. “Could you imagine if she had fallen for his affection? If he had gone on to marry her and raised Bryan's child?” he shuddered at the idea.
“You're right,” Bekki nodded and smiled as she kissed his cheek gently. “I'm glad at least it's over.”
“Me, too,” Nick sighed and met her gaze. “Don't you have some packing to do?”
Bekki blinked as she realized that she was supposed to leave the next day with her mother for the Bahamas. She looked longingly at Nick.
“Don't you think you could come with us?” she asked hopefully.
“Sorry,” he shook his head. “I'm saving up my vacation time for something special.”
Bekki frowned a little as she wondered what it was. She had hoped that going to the Bahamas with her would be special enough, but she knew it was short notice for him to take the time off work.
“All right, can you meet me in the morning to say goodbye?” she asked.
“Of course I will,” he replied and embraced her once more before heading back into the salon to help with the crime scene.
***
Bekki's mother was there within minutes. “Are you okay?” she asked urgently as she hugged her daughter.
“Yes,” Bekki replied and gave her mother a firm squeeze to prove it. “Just glad we get to go on our vacation.”
“Oh good, I was still hoping you wanted to,” Marie replied with relief. “Let's get you home, okay?”
Bekki nodded and settled herself into her mother's car. As they were driving back to Bekki's house her mother filled her in on all the amenities of the resort they were staying in. “I booked us a big suite,” she said gleefully.
“I can't wait,” Bekki sighed and let her mind drift into fantasies of the beach.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, as they got ready to leave for the airport, Bekki texted Nick several times. Finally he texted back, and informed her he was tied up at work, and apologized for not being able to be there. Bekki was very disappointed but she tried not to let it put a damper on her mother's excitement.
“Here we go!” her mother cried out as they climbed into the taxi that was taking them to the airport. Bekki struggled to be enthusiastic, but she hated leaving without saying goodbye to Nick. At the airport she could tell that her mother was acting a little strangely. She wouldn't let Bekki go near the ticket counter and insisted that she would take care of it. Bekki thought this was odd, but she decided it was probably just because her father was not coming along. In fact, she was fairly certain that her mother had never taken a vacation without her father. Especially, not so far away.
“You okay, Mama?” Bekki asked her with genuine concern as she sat down beside her to wait for boarding.
“I'm okay,” Marie replied with a smile on her lips. “I'm just excited,” she added in an attempt to explain her jittery behavior. “I promise, I'm okay,” she assured her daughter again. As they went through the line of passengers, Bekki didn't notice a familiar face following along behind them. The familiar face noticed them however, and made sure that neither of them spotted him.
Once Bekki was settled on the plane she found herself thinking of Nick. She was going to one of the most beautiful places in the world, but that wasn't enough. She wished she could just be at home laying in bed beside Nick. She missed his touch, his voice, his closeness, and the way she felt as if the world was beautiful as long as he was right there beside her. She was judging herself for being so silly and romantic, but she couldn't help it. The truth was, her heart ached as the plane took off into the sky. It ached because she was leaving him behind. She couldn't wait to get to the Bahamas and call him as soon as they checked into the resort.
“And what about you, are you okay?” Marie asked as she saw the sorrow flicker across her daughter's features.
“Yes, I'm okay,” Bekki nodded slightly and managed a smile. “I'm sorry Mama, I am really looking forward to this trip, I don't mean to seem down.”
“It's okay, Bekki,” Marie said with a secretive smile. “I miss your father, too.”
“Even after all the arguing?” Bekki asked with surprise. “You're not angry with him?”
“Don't you and Nick eve
r argue?” her mother asked in return. “How long do you stay mad?” she grinned.
Bekki winced as she recalled some of the heated arguments they had in the past. “Yes, I guess we did,” she nodded a little. “We don't so much anymore. But even when we do, I can't stay angry for long.”
“And there will be times that you argue more often, and times that you don't,” her mother explained with a small smile. “But that won't change the love you have for each other, not if it's real, not if it's the kind that lasts a lifetime.”
Bekki smiled at that comment. She was certain that her love for Nick would last a lifetime. She was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him.
***
When the plane landed they were greeted by cheerful faces. The airport was so crowded that Bekki didn't notice someone getting off the plane behind her. In fact, she didn't notice as that same person followed them out of the airport. The resort was situated close enough to the airport that they could take a tram from the airport to it. So Bekki and her mother watched the beautiful scenery drift by as the tram made its way to the resort. The resort was a compilation of white buildings, which stood out brilliantly against the blue sky, and were accentuated with just a splash of yellow, a testament to the glowing sun. Bekki was getting more excited. After they picked up the key to their bungalow, she was ready to dive right into paradise.
The first thing she did after dropping off their bags in the luxurious bungalow was head for the view. When Bekki stepped out onto the back deck which gave her a view right out over the calm aqua waters, she was startled by just how beautiful it was. She had seen pictures of course, and movies, but being there was completely different. She was used to the lush foliage of the mountains, and the heady scent of pine, but she was not so used to the expansive glimmering sand, the sparkling water, or the amazing scent of sea in the air. It all seemed to be designed to make her feel more peaceful than she had ever experienced before. As she released a slow sigh, she found herself wishing that Nick was there to share it with her.
“Bekki, I'm going to head to the clubhouse to check on the chairs for the beach tomorrow,” her mother called out from inside the bungalow.
“Okay, take your phone,” Bekki called back, still engrossed in the scenery before her. She had no idea that someone was studying her just as closely, someone just out of view.
When Bekki heard the door close to the bungalow, indicating that her mother had left, she took another deep breath and allowed her body to begin to relax even more. She did miss Nick but she was determined to make the best of her time with her mother. With so much changing in life, with so many ways that time seemed to just disappear, it was a memory she was going to treasure. She had so many memories to look forward to, and she had found herself imagining them more and more lately. She thought of Nick beside her as they raised a family, which she was feeling a stronger desire for. Maybe it was being around Emma, or maybe she had just reached a time in her life that the thought seemed more appealing, but she could see Nick being an amazing father.
As Bekki played out these images in her mind she didn't notice the shadow that fell across the sand. In fact, what she did notice was some soft music playing. It was in the distance, perhaps coming from one of the other cabanas, and it was beautiful. It lulled her into a more peaceful state.
Bekki stepped forward off the deck and kicked off her shoes as she did. She was dying to feel the warm sand beneath the soles of her feet. However, Bekki wasn’t expecting to step on a seashell. When it cut into the delicate skin on the sole of her foot she let out a light yelp and lifted her foot off the sand. She was nearly knocked off balance, but a hand closed gently around her elbow to steady her. Bekki looked up with surprise and a little bit of fear, as she hadn't been expecting anyone to be close enough to catch her. She looked right up into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. But they were not unfamiliar eyes.
“Nick,” she breathed as he pulled her gently into his arms. “What are you doing here?” she stammered. She was stunned that she had just been wishing for him, and suddenly he appeared. A part of her wondered if she was dreaming. Perhaps she had fallen asleep on the plane and they had not even arrived in the tropical paradise yet.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he glanced down at her foot.
“Sure, it was just a shell,” Bekki replied, her voice soft and dream-like. She still couldn't believe he was holding her. “I'm so glad you're here,” she said gently, instead of asking again the how and why questions. She just wanted to enjoy the fact that he was there, even if it was just a dream.
“I wanted this to be a surprise and to happen somewhere special,” Nick explained tentatively as he stared into her eyes. She noticed the uncertainty that was blooming there, and the nervous way he was rubbing his hand across her back.
“Nick, are you okay?” she asked with confusion. “You wanted what to happen somewhere special?” she didn't expect a dream to make perfect sense, but from the throbbing of her foot where the shell had cut through, she was fairly certain that Nick was real, that all of this was real.
“Bekki,” Nick cleared his throat and pulled slightly away. “I'm in love with you.”
“I know,” Bekki grinned a little. “I should hope so anyway,” she added with a smile. “You tell me you are all the time.”
“I don't want to just tell you,” he explained gently as he held her gaze with the same level of intensity that he used when he was trying to convince her not to walk into a dangerous situation. She was starting to feel a little anxious as she wondered what he meant.
“Show me,” she replied, her tone amiable and accepting.
Nick smiled and then lowered himself down onto one knee. He reached into the pocket of the black pants he was wearing and pulled out a small, black box. Bekki's eyes widened as she saw him drop to his knee, and then widened even more as she saw him pull out the ring box. Her heart was racing as she wondered if what she thought was happening, might really be happening.
“Bekki,” Nick said again as he looked up at her with admiration in his eyes. “We fell in love when we were just kids, and we were too reckless to hold onto it. But I don't think that love ever faded. I'm in love with you now, just like I was in love with you then, and I want to be in love with you every day, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” he asked as he opened the ring box and held it up to her.
Bekki stared at the diamond ring he was offering her, then she looked back at him. She could see beads of sweat collected along his forehead, a redness in his cheeks that she rarely spotted, and the slight quiver of his lips, as if he was preparing words to convince her to agree. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, and the moment could not have been more perfect. In all of her life she had never expected to be proposed to in such a romantic way.
“Yes,” Bekki said suddenly as she realized she hadn't answered yet. “Yes, of course I will,” she shrieked and reached for him. He tried to get the ring out of the box, but she was too busy wrapping her arms around him and crushing her lips to his to even notice the flashy diamond. All she wanted was Nick, his arms around her, and the rest of their lives before them. When she finally pulled away from him, her brow furrowed sharply.
“Wait a minute, you all planned this together, didn't you?” Bekki asked with surprise. Her suspicion was confirmed when Nick texted her mother.
She said yes!
“Maybe,” Nick replied as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I didn't think you'd agree to take a spur of the moment vacation, so we hatched a plan.”
“Wow, some detective I turned out to be,” Bekki laughed, her eyes dancing as she looked into his. “They staged the argument, didn't they?”
“Yes,” he nodded with a smug smile. “That was my idea, actually. Sammy didn't think you'd buy it.”
“Well, I didn't at first,” Bekki sighed and then shook her head. “I guess that I was fooled.”
“I'm glad you were,” Nick replied and kissed he
r forehead gently. “Or you would have ruined the surprise with your amazing powers of deduction.”
“I think I would rather be surprised,” Bekki sighed as she laid her head against his shoulder and turned to look out over the water. “I can't believe that you and I get to spend a vacation in paradise. And the rest of our lives together.”
The End
More Cozy Mysteries by Cindy Bell
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
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations