In Two Weeks (NY State Trooper Series) (20 page)

“I love you, Penny. Will you marry me?” Chuck wiped his eyes, then pulled out a ring from his pocket. His hand shook while he slid the ring on Penny’s finger.

As if on cue, every female at the table let out an “Aww,” followed by a sniffle.

Penny just sat there with her mouth gaping open and her chocolate eyes welled with tears.

“Say something, honey, anything.” He wiggled her hand.

“You want to marry me?” Penny’s voice cracked.

“Penny, I’ve been in love with you long before I ever had the courage to ask you for a date. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone other than you.”

“You loved me before we started dating?” She blinked.

He dropped his head to her hand. “Yeah. Will you please answer my question?”

Penny pulled her hand away and looked at the ring on her finger. “You need to know something first.” She took in a deep breath and leaned over and whispered in Chuck’s ear.

Chuck fell over onto his butt with a thud. His eyes were wide with shock, but the smile plastered on his face said it all.

“Did she say no?” Jared whispered in Ryan’s ear.

“You’re an idiot,” Ryan said.

“A baby?” Chuck swallowed. “Oh, my.” He blinked a few times, then shifted back to his knees. “The only thing this changes is the reaction my mother’s going to have.”

“Will it be bad?” Penny asked.

“Not if you think getting pampered and being treated like a queen for the next nine months is bad.”

Tears rolled down Penny’s cheeks, taking globs of mascara with them. “I thought you’d be upset.”

Chuck laughed. “I might be if you don’t answer my question.” He raised a brow. “So?”

“Yes! Yes! I love you.” Penny cupped his face and gave him a kiss that should only be done in private.

Everyone just looked the other way for a few moments until Randy cleared his throat. “Let me be the first to congratulate you.” He tossed an ice cube at Chuck. “Now stop that or get a room.”

“Hey.” Chuck wiped his lips, then sat in his chair, looping a protective arm around the soon-to-be blushing bride.

“You needed a little cooling off. Your public display of affection bordered on lewd behavior.” Randy chuckled.

“Oh, please.” Penny admired her ring. “This is beautiful. I love it.”

“I’m glad,” Chuck whispered. He pressed his lips against her forehead.

“Let me see it.” Ryan snagged Penny’s hand. “Wow.” Ryan gazed at the sparkling diamond, her heart hammering in her chest. The ring itself was simple, but the round diamond gave off a colorful glow. Perfect.

“Any morning sickness?” Tammy asked.

“Not yet.” Penny slipped her free hand under the table, giving Ryan a gentle squeeze. “I haven’t even gone to the doctor yet.”

“We should do that soon, right?” Chuck’s voice rose.

“We? I like the sound of that.” Penny’s smile brightened the room.

Ryan glanced over at Jared. His body was rigid, and his smile forced. He’d never been a big supporter of the happily-ever-after life. Never thought it mixed well with his choice of career. She was sure the baby thing had rubbed him the wrong way, considering the broken condom and all. Anytime anyone got married after the fact, he always assumed the woman had trapped the man.

“I can’t believe bratty little Pen is going to be a mother. Amazing,” Randy said, snapping Ryan out of her trance.

“Thanks a lot.” Penny guzzled her water as the waiter brought their appetizers.

Over the course of the next hour, the topic of conversation consisted of babies and weddings. Jared didn’t say much, and Ryan could feel the tension in his body. But to his credit, he didn’t let anyone else know how uncomfortable the whole thing had to be for him.

After the bill had been paid, Penny said, “I think I want to go home now.” She held up her finger and admired her new rock. “This is not something I want to celebrate with the likes of you people anymore.”

“Works for me.” Chuck jumped up from the table. “Thanks for coming, Randy. Don’t stay away so long.”

“Anything for you, man. Good luck.”

Ryan turned and watched the happy couple sway their way through the crowd, wiping her own tears from her face.

“I’m still hungry. Up for sharing some chocolate cake?” Ryan asked Tammy, not wanting to go home just yet.

“Oh, God. I’d love to.”

If Ryan had to rate the evening, she’d give it a ten, as long as she kept the focus off herself and on everyone else.

Randy was working his dream job and doing everything in life he’d set out to do, including getting over a broken heart. Jared laughed and joked with Randy all night and talked about how great this transfer would be for his career. Tammy even piped in about her so-called modeling.

Ryan forced herself to contribute to the conversation. Waving to her brother, she had to admit it felt good to brag about her life, even if it was incomplete. She wanted more; she wanted it all, and she wanted it with Jared.

Never going to happen.

Lightning filled the sky when Ryan took the coat that Jared offered her as they made their way to his car. The moon danced behind light gray clouds, but no rain threatened to fall. A clap of thunder echoed behind the mountains.

“I love nights like this,” Jared said, sliding his arm under her shirt. His fingers tingled across the small of her back, only adding to the bleakness of her emotions. “Do you think she might have done that on purpose? I mean, she doesn’t seem the type.”

Ryan glared at him. “I can’t believe you.” She ducked into the sporty BMW.

“There is such a thing called birth control.” Jared got in, then revved the engine, popping the clutch and peeling out of the parking lot. In seconds the car was safely tucked away in the garage, and they were walking toward the main house.

“Which can break,” she mumbled.

“You trying to tell me something?” The kitchen light flickered once before illuminating the room. Jared locked the door before kicking off his boots.

“No worries.” She swallowed her breath, wishing she could take back her words. Her period wasn’t due for a few days.

“Good to know.” He rubbed his jaw. “I hope they make it. They do seem like they love each other.”

“So, you do believe in love.” She closed her eyes. When would she learn?

“Never said I didn’t.” He stretched and leaned his arm against the doorjamb to the family room, crossing his ankles. “My parents have a great marriage, and they still love each other to the point of being embarrassing.”

Love would never happen for him. He was too closed off, no matter what anyone, including her, felt for him.

“They are smitten, aren’t they? I miss having them around. I wish they hadn’t moved so far away.”

“It was time to join the rest of the retirees. They love Arizona, but they’re still pissed as hell at me for selling this place.”

Ryan tossed her purse over the kitchen chair before looking at the man standing in her way. She really wanted to go upstairs and settle into a bed that didn’t belong to him. “Have you thought about renting it?”

“Too much work.” He looked around the room. “Besides, this place needs a family.”

“So, we believe in family, too.” She bit down on her tongue.

“Of course I do.” He scowled.

“But not for yourself.” She took a tentative step toward him, throwing her insecurities to the lake. “Why?”

He turned his gaze from her and glanced toward the ceiling. “There are a thousand reasons. Mostly because I don’t want to have to answer to anyone. My new job will be dangerous, and I just don’t want to have to think about how what I’m doing might affect someone else.”

“You’re afraid.”

He snapped his head and met her eyes with severe coldness.

“Love doesn’t have to hurt,” she whispered, gliding her hand up his muscled chest. “Not everyone dies.”

“Yes, they do.” He grabbed her wrist. “And love has nothing to do with my decision.” Glaring at her, he pushed her back.

“Bullshit,” she said boldly. “But you’re right about one thing.” She raised a mocking brow. “That kind of life wouldn’t mix with you.” She turned from him, lifting her mail in her hands.

“Don’t walk away from this conversation.” His hostile tone startled her, and her mail tumbled to the floor.

“There’s no conversation. You’ve made your choices.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Filling her lungs, she turned to him. “One has to be willing to put his own heart and insecurities on the line in order to find true love with someone. Not something you’re capable of.”

His eyes narrowed while his hand rubbed his scruffy face. His inability to come up with a retort told her she had hit the nail on the head.

She lifted the manila envelope and eyed it suspiciously. It was marked “Fragile, Don’t Bend,” but she hadn’t ordered anything recently. She flipped it over and looked back at the postmark. No return address, but it had been mailed from Lake George.

A lump formed in her throat, and fear gripped her heart. She chalked it up to damn paranoia and ripped open the envelope. She peered inside, then reached in and pulled out a photograph. “Oh, my God,” she mumbled, staring down at a picture of her and Jared in front of the fireplace in his family room with the words “I’ll get you” scribbled across her face and “He’ll die” over Jared’s.

A sudden flash of lightning filled the room followed by a loud clap of thunder. She leaped toward Jared, tossing the pictures to the floor.

“Jesus. What’s gotten into…shit.” His arms circled her body.

She could feel his body flex with tension as hers trembled out of control. “Why,” she cried. “Why me?”

He hugged her so tightly she thought she might suffocate. But she didn’t care. If he were to let go, she’d crumble to the floor in a heap of nothing. She struggled to contain her tears as he held her in his strong, comforting arms.

“Shhh, now,” he whispered, kissing her temple. His hand cupped her cheeks as he drew her face from his neck. “I’ll take care of everything.”

His eyes bored into her core so deeply she felt for one brief second they’d become one, then anger surged up into his pupils.

“I’ll enjoy beating whoever is behind this within inches of his life, then stuffing his sorry ass in jail.” His jaw clenched tight. “I need to call Detective Jenkins. Can you handle this?”

“Do I have a choice?” She glanced back at the scattered pictures. Their moment of pure passion and healing reduced to something dirty. “I’ll wait in the family room with some whiskey.”

“Stay away from the bottle.” He flipped open his cell phone, then pressed his lips against her cheek. “Think about coming to Rochester with me.”

Ryan walked mindlessly into the family room, flopped onto the sofa, and turned on the television. Under the circumstances, she didn’t have the energy to fight with him.

She blinked as she flipped through the channels and tried to find something interesting to watch, while she waited for Detective Jenkins to come and confiscate those nasty pictures. “Oh, my God!” She gasped.

“What?” Jared’s footsteps vibrated the floor as he stomped into the family room. “What now?” he said breathing heavily.

“The cameras.” She shook her head remembering Lisa snap the stupid thing in her face.

“Already on it, babe.”

“Don’t call me that!”

He narrowed his eyes. “Is something else bothering you?”

“Does something else need to be bothering me? Isn’t it enough that someone has taken dirty pictures of me, stolen my underwear—”

“I get it. Sorry.”

A single siren rang out in the background. Jared glanced over his shoulder, then back at her with confusion looming behind his usually confident eyes. “Nick’s here.”

“Do we really have to show him those pictures?”

“I’m not too keen on the idea, but yeah.” He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and turned. “I’ll go let him in.”

“My mistakes always come back and bite my ass,” she muttered, but watched him pause mid-step and knew he’d heard her. She opened her mouth to say something, but by the time she’d conjured up the nerve, he was gone.

* * * *

A roll of thunder rumbled through the night air. Lightning flashed in the distance. Still no rain, but the wind howled and the waters of Lake George rushed the shore, hurling its waves over the concrete break walls and onto the land.

Jared secured the front porch door and made sure all the windows were locked tight. Glancing out into the swirling dark lake, he rubbed his neck trying to release the built-up tension from the night’s events.

Seeing his and Ryan’s private moment captured for some wacko’s perversion only intensified his need to protect her. A feeling he wholeheartedly resented. He didn’t want to care, but he couldn’t leave knowing the moment he turned his back, someone would reach out from behind the shadows and possibly cause her bodily harm.

Yet, if he screwed up this transfer, he’d never be offered a job like this again.