Trinity Harbor 3 - Along Came Trouble (39 page)

Only after Walker and the deputy had led Arlene away did Mary Elizabeth final y face him, her expression drawn.

“That’s that, then,” she said. “That chapter of my life is over. I can final y move on.” Her gaze met his, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I knew you’d find me in time.”

“I don’t like to think about how close I came to being too late,” he said with a shudder, drawing her to him until her head rested against his chest. “I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.”

She lifted her gaze to his. “You’re not ever going to have to find out.”

“Come on,” he said, tucking her hand into his. “Let’s go get that statement over with and go out on the town like two normal people.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” she asked wistful y. “Can we ever have a normal life?”

“I’m going to see to it,” he promised. “Stick with me, Mary Elizabeth. Your troubles are over.”

A smile played across her lips. “In that case, it could be that yours are just beginning, Sheriff.”

Tucker laughed. “I can live with that.”

Liz couldn’t quite bring herself to celebrate that night, as she and Tucker strol ed along the boardwalk with the happy sound of carousel music fil ing the air. Too many lives had been ruined. She counted herself lucky that hers hadn’t been one of them, though she knew in time she’d have to face the guilt of knowing that in an odd way
she
had caused Arlene to focus on Larry and ultimately kil him.

But that struggle was down the road. Tonight she could only be grateful to be alive herself.

She glanced at Tucker and tried to gauge his mood. Everything he’d said earlier and over dinner tonight suggested that he was already envisioning the future, but he was holding something back, some doubt he clearly didn’t want to get into. Final y, when she could bear it no longer, she drew him to a stop and looked him in the eye.

“Okay, what’s going on in that head of yours?” she asked. “You’ve been acting weird al night.”

“Nothing that can’t wait.”

“Tucker Spencer, don’t make me drag it out of you,” she retorted. “If we’re going to have a clean slate, we need to erase every bit of this, including whatever lingering doubts are gnawing at you.”

He regarded her intently, then shrugged. “Okay, then, there’s one thing about al of this that I just can’t seem to shake.”

“And it has to do with me?”

He nodded. “Come on over here,” he said, leading the way to a bench at the edge of the sand. “Back at the beginning of al this, when you first came to me, why were you so determined to have my help? Why didn’t you go straight to the police station or cal nine-one-one?”

Liz debated trying to convince him that she’d been afraid, that she’d turned to him instinctively because she had believed she would be the primary suspect. But that was only a tiny part of what had taken her to his house that night. Tel ing him the rest would mean al owing herself to be vulnerable to him. But after he’d opened up and told her how he’d never stopped loving her, didn’t she owe him the same?

“I was afraid,” she began. “Not of being railroaded for Larry’s death. I believe in the system, and I knew I wasn’t guilty and that the truth would come out, no matter how long it took.”

“Then what were you afraid of?”

“What the investigation would do to us.”

He regarded her with confusion. “There was no
us.
”

“I know, but the whole time I was in Europe thinking about divorcing Larry, I kept seeing your face. I kept remembering what we had, the kind of man you are. I wanted to come back here with a clean slate and see if there was anything left between us.” She touched a hand to his cheek. “You were so much on my mind that when I found Larry that night, the only thing I could think about was coming straight to you, that you would keep me safe, that you would make everything al right.”

Her lips curved. “And you did.”

“I almost let you get yourself kil ed today,” he said with self-derision.

She shook her head. “That was my fault. I took a stupid chance. I should never have walked away from the house knowing that Arlene wasn’t in custody.”

“I guess we’ve both made our share of mistakes, then.”

She regarded him with surprise. “What was yours?”

“Letting you marry Chandler without a fight. If I’d fought harder, maybe I could have changed your mind and none of this would have happened. But my pride was hurt, and I took your decision as final.” He looked into her eyes. “So, what about it? Do we get that second chance? After this, I think we can weather just about anything, don’t you?”

Hope spread through her. “I want to believe that. I want to believe the past, al of the mistakes, are behind us.”

“And the future’s just beginning,” Tucker said. “If you’re sure it’s what you real y want. Do you want to be with me forever?”

“I’m more sure of that than of anything in my entire life,” she told him. “Are you? Wil you ever be able to trust me again?”

“I’ve known you were the woman for me since the fifth grade,” he assured her.

“And your family?”

“They’re already coming around. I spoke to Bobby earlier. He dropped off a batch of your favorite cinnamon rol s this afternoon. He told me Daisy’s already planning a dinner to celebrate the way things have turned out.”

“That leaves King.”

“You won him over the other day.” Tucker chuckled. “Besides, Daddy has his own romance to deal with. He’s final y convinced Frances to marry him. I imagine she’l keep him in line. Besides, he’l be ecstatic once we tel him we’re talking about having kids.”

Liz felt as if her heart might burst with sheer joy. “Are we talking about that?”

Tucker lowered his head and captured her mouth. “We wil be, but first things first,” he whispered against her lips. “I could do this for a very long time.”

“In a minute,” she said, her expression suddenly thoughtful. “Maybe you and I should help Frances and your father along, make sure they take that walk down the aisle in the very near future.”

“You want us to meddle in my father’s love life?”

“Why not?”

Tucker’s grin spread. “Why not, indeed? This could be the most exciting entertainment to hit Trinity Harbor in years.”

“Except for one thing,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“This.” She resumed the kiss she’d broken off, deepening it until it was darn close to X-rated.

“Hey, you two, take it off the boardwalk,” Bobby grumbled, nudging the two of them apart. “This is a family venue.”

“Go away,” Tucker told him.

“Do I have to cal a cop?” Bobby inquired, sounding amused.

Tucker sighed and looked up at his brother. “I am a cop. I’m official y back on active duty as of this afternoon.”

“Al the more reason for you to be setting a good example out here.”

Tucker’s gaze narrowed. “Tel me something, do you patrol out here every night?”

“Only when there’s a rumor that someone in my family is making a spectacle of themselves,” Bobby assured him.

Liz chuckled at Tucker’s horrified expression.

“My God,” he said to his brother. “You’ve turned into King.”

Now it was Bobby’s turn to look shocked. “Bite your tongue.”

“It’s true,” Tucker said. “You’re turning into our father.”

“Did I hear somebody talking about me?” King asked, strol ing up, hand in hand with Frances. Each of them was eating a grape snow cone, and the syrup had tinted their lips.

“Not a word,” Bobby ordered Tucker. “Or I’l tel what I saw.”

Liz couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. “You guys are too old to be tattling on each other.”

“Especial y when they have me around to do it,” Daisy announced as she and Walker joined them.

“What the devil’s going on?” Tucker grumbled. “Are we having a damned family reunion?”

“Somebody heard there might be something to celebrate,” Daisy said. “We al came to find out.”

“Aside from Daddy’s engagement to Frances?” Tucker inquired slyly.

“Old news,” King said. “I spread the word on that earlier. We’re hoping for something a little more recent.”

Tucker glanced at Liz. “Do we have anything to share?”

Amused at the finding herself almost engaged without ever having been formal y asked, she shrugged. “Up to you.”

His gaze narrowed. “You’re not going to make a liar out of me later, are you?”

“For goodness’ sakes, boy, haven’t you gotten around to asking the woman to marry you yet?” King groused. “Want me to do it for you?”

“He’s getting pretty good at it,” Frances chimed in. “I made him practice several times on me.”

“Come on,” Bobby encouraged. “Ask her, Tucker. Here and now. I think it’s fitting that a Spencer get engaged right here on my boardwalk.”

Tucker uttered a resigned sigh and turned to face her. He tried his best to keep his expression somber, but his lips were twitching as he asked solemnly, “Mary Elizabeth, wil you do me the honor of marrying into this impossible family?”

Liz gazed up at King and Frances and winked. “I’l think about it.”

Tucker frowned at her. “Mary Elizabeth.”

She laughed at his evident frustration. “Okay, okay, I’l marry you.”

Bobby grinned at them. “What-say I commandeer the carousel, and we take a family ride and see if Tucker can catch the brass ring?”

Jenna pointed over her shoulder. “I think Tommy and Darcy are one step ahead of you. They’ve already got the carousel waiting.” She reached for Liz’s hand and led the way. “Bobby and I got the first ride and it brought us luck. I know it wil do the same for you and Tucker.”

A whole line of people had to step aside to let them pass. There were a few grumbles, but when they learned the Spencers were celebrating not one, but two, engagements, the crowd began to applaud in time to the organ music as the carousel spun.

Tucker sat astride a white horse with Liz in front of him. She leaned back against his chest.

“Aren’t you even going to try for the brass ring?” she asked when they’d circled past it for the second time.

“Nope,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ve final y got you right where I want you and I’m never letting go.”

A whoop behind them settled the matter anyway. King had just latched onto the brass ring. He made a production out of passing it along to Frances, who handed it to Jenna, who passed it to Bobby. Eventual y it made its way around to Tucker and Liz.

“See,” he told her as she clutched it. “The best things in life always come to you, if you’re patient.”

Liz shook her head. “Not always. Sometimes you have to reach out and grab them.”

“Care to go home and debate that?” he inquired.

“I wouldn’t mind going home,” she said. “But a philosophical debate is the last thing on my mind.”

Tucker’s gaze clung to hers. “In that case, what are we waiting for?” He signaled to Tommy and the carousel operator. “Stop this infernal contraption. We’re getting off.”

“Wonder where they’re off to in such a rush?” Bobby inquired loudly.

“Better fish to fry,” Tucker cal ed back over his shoulder.

Then he took Liz’s hand, and together at long last, they headed for home.

Epilogue

K
ing wasn’t one bit happy about the turn of events that brought him into church on a Saturday morning in October. He’d expected to walk down the aisle himself before his son got around to it, but Tucker and Mary Elizabeth were in some sort of rush. Frances had flatly refused to steal the limelight from them by scheduling their wedding until at least a month later.

No question, though, that Tucker was happy about something. King suspected he knew what it was, but darned if he could pry a thing out of his son or anyone else. He’d had the whole family working on it, but Mary Elizabeth and Tucker were as tight-lipped as any two people King had ever known.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Mary Elizabeth and Frances had suddenly gotten to be thick as thieves. Every time he turned around, the two of them were looking at him as if they were about to dissect him under a microscope. If he were prone to hives, he’d be itching al over by now.

Tucker told him he was just getting his due after the way he’d meddled in al their lives, but King didn’t see it that way. A conspiracy was a conspiracy, plain and simple, and he didn’t like it one damn bit.

Of course, when Frances tucked her hand in his and looked up at him as if he’d hung the moon, he supposed he could forgive her for whatever she was up to. Something told him that whatever it was, in the end he was going to count himself the lucky one.

He listened to the solemn exchange of vows and felt his heart fil to overflowing. The words took on new meaning when he was contemplating saying them himself in the not too distant future. When he gazed at Frances and saw tears shimmering in her eyes, he could tel she was feeling the exact same way.

“Our turn next,” he whispered, just as Anna-Louise pronounced Tucker and Mary Elizabeth husband and wife.

“I can’t wait,” Frances whispered back. “But there is something we have to talk about.”

King’s heart began to thud dul y. “You’re not backing out on me, are you?” he demanded, oblivious to the bride and groom, who were going down the aisle in a shower of flower petals.

“Not a chance,” Frances assured him. “But Mary Elizabeth and I have been talking about planning something a little different.”

“Different how?” King inquired suspiciously.

Frances frowned. “Maybe now’s not the best time to get into this. We’l talk later.”

She started out of the pew, but King held her back. “Tel me now,” he commanded. “I’m getting old. I can’t handle many shocks.”

“Oh, stop it,” she scolded. “You’re only as old as you let yourself be.”

“Tel me.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sakes, it’s not like I want to get married jumping out of an airplane.”

“Thank the Lord for that,” King said, though he supposed he would have gone along with it if she’d insisted. He was of a mind to give Frances just about anything she wanted these days.

“I was thinking about…” She gazed at him hesitantly. “Wel , I was thinking about the new bingo hal .”

While King’s head reeled, she went on in a rush.