The two seagulls that had been circling above landed about thirty feet away and sat on the sand, as if they wanted an up-close-and-personal view of the scene playing out on the beach.
Offshore, the seal belched and a dolphin executed a series of perfect jumps, leaping out of the water in a graceful arc.
Zach hitched up one side of his mouth and motioned to the menagerie. “We have an audience.”
“They’re waiting for the finale. So am I.”
“Then let’s get to it.” He held on tight to the ring with his unsteady fingers. “Over these past few months, everything I intuitively sensed about you has proven to be true. Your kindness, enthusiasm, clear sense of priorities, and ability to turn every day into a holiday have become the sunshine that warms my days—and my heart. I don’t want to rush you, but waiting won’t make me any more confident than I already am that we belong together. I love you more than I can say—and I’d be honored if you’d agree to be my wife.”
In reply, she held out her left hand.
Her fingers weren’t steady either.
“Is that a yes?”
She nodded as a tear spilled over her lashes and trickled down her cheek.
Throat tightening, he slid the ring on her finger. “Shall we seal this engagement with a kiss?”
When he leaned toward her, she pressed a hand against his chest. “Wait.”
He cocked his head. “Second thoughts already?”
“Not even close. I just . . . I wasn’t expecting this today. If I had been, I would have prepared a speech too.”
“No speech necessary. I’ll take a kiss instead.”
“But I want to tell you how much I . . . how blessed I feel to . . . what an honor . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she exhaled. “Could I be any less articulate? Your speech was beautiful.”
“It should be, after all my practice. And I get the gist of what you’re trying to say.”
“Let me try again anyway.” She took a deep breath and locked gazes with him. “Zachary Garrett, I love everything about you. You’re principled, caring, brave, hard-working, funny, kind—and you have your head on straight. You also respect me and never try to dominate our relationship or take control of my life. If you’d waited any longer to ask me to marry you, I might have been tempted to take the lead.”
She scooted toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her beautiful, expressive eyes inches from his—and filled with longing and love. “Let’s make this official—and then let’s get married as soon as possible.”
“I like that plan.” Without further ado, he pulled her close and leaned down to claim their first kiss as an engaged couple.
Somewhere in the distance, a seagull cackled—but his focus was on the woman who’d become the center of his world.
And as he folded her into the shelter of his arms, his heart overflowed with gratitude.
For who could have imagined, back in his fast-paced, wheeling/dealing Chicago career, that he’d find his true calling—along with love and contentment—in a tiny town on the Oregon coast?
God’s hand had to be in it.
And perhaps Josh’s.
All at once, Charley’s revelation about his brother from months ago replayed in his mind.
“He didn’t pray for himself, Zach. He prayed for you.”
The world began to fade away as the magic of their kiss sucked him in—but in the last moments before he succumbed, he gave thanks. For his new life in a charming town with the perfect name. For the gratifying reconciliation with his father. For the much-loved and much-missed brother who was cheering him on from heaven.
And for the amazing woman in his arms, who would fill all his tomorrows with love and laughter and light.
They wanted her to take on another undercover gig?
No way.
Not happening.
But if both her boss and the head of the Crimes Against Persons unit were ganging up on her, getting out of the assignment would require finesse.
Brain firing on all cylinders, St. Louis County detective Cate Reilly crossed her legs, clenched her hands together in her lap, and surveyed the sergeant behind the desk—and the lieutenant seated beside her. Five seconds. That was all she needed to formulate a diplomatic, persuasive refusal.
Sarge didn’t give them to her.
“We’re aware you prefer not to do more undercover work, Cate. It’s not for everyone, and we appreciate you giving it a try this year.” He rested his forearms on his desk and linked his fingers. “But this is a . . . . unique . . . situation, so I’d ask you to hear us out. Lieutenant?”
The commander of the unit picked up the cue. “It goes without saying that what we discuss here stays here, no matter how this meeting ends.” He locked gazes with her.
“Of course.” After ten years with the St. Louis County PD, she knew when to zip her lips.
He gave a curt nod. “Two months ago, Gabe Laurent’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Stephanie, disappeared from a private girls’ boarding school in the far western portion of our jurisdiction, along the Missouri River. You know who Laurent is, I assume.”
“Yes.” In an era when badge holders were often painted as the bad guys, every County PD employee was aware of the software executive’s staunch—and vocal—commitment to law enforcement. “Why haven’t I heard about the girl’s disappearance?”
“We were keeping it under wraps until we determined whether it was the runaway situation it appeared to be. Only the detectives assigned to the case were privy to the details.”
“Was it a runaway?”
The lieutenant shifted in his seat. “That was our conclusion. All the pieces fit. Her backpack was gone. Her boyfriend also went missing—as did his backpack and car. Everyone our people spoke with agreed she was troubled and unhappy. That’s why her father sent her to Ivy Hill Academy. He didn’t like the crowd she was running with—or her boyfriend, slipping grades, and attitude. In addition to being a prestigious all-girl college-prep school with high academic standards, Ivy Hill is known for its rigid discipline.”
“Is the investigation still active?”
Sarge leaned back in his chair. “We’ve been keeping an eye out for her, but it hasn’t been our highest priority.”
No, it wouldn’t be.
Teen runaways were disturbing, but the County’s heavy homicide caseload and other serious crime investigations took precedence. The detectives were already stretched thin, and the long hours couldn’t expand much more without significant fallout—like a major decline in morale or a mass exodus.
“So why are we talking about it now?”
The lieutenant rejoined the conversation. “We’ve been asked to dig deeper.”
“By whom?”
He held up a hand. “Let me back up first. Gabe Laurent wasn’t satisfied with our conclusion or our promise to continue our efforts to locate his daughter as resources allowed. He ended up hiring a PI who turned up one piece of information that suggests there may be more to the story than a mere runaway situation.”
Ouch.
That put County in an awkward position.
“What did the PI find?”
“Two days before he disappeared, the boyfriend had been in touch with a counselor at one of the community colleges about registering for the spring term.”