When a Secret Kills (29 page)
Read When a Secret Kills Online
Authors: Lynette Eason
Six months later
Colton smoothed his sweaty palms down his suit-clad thighs. Him. With sweaty palms. He never would have imagined it.
The last six months had been heartbreaking—and amazing. His aunt had gotten a thirty-year prison sentence. Colton ached for his cousin, but frankly didn’t feel the sentence was long enough. He knew his aunt would probably die there, but she’d gotten off easy in his opinion. He would continue to try to visit. Maybe one day she’d let him see her.
Dominic and Serena’s Christmas wedding was followed by Alexia and Hunter’s Valentine’s Day nuptials.
Dominic and Alexia’s father had passed away the last week in September, and it looked like their mother and her pastor might tie the knot before much longer.
Grayson had taken a job with the Columbia PD and word had it that he and Katie might make a go of it.
Colton breathed a laugh and shook his head.
As for Jillian and Meg, he loved them more and more each day.
Which brought him to the sweaty palms.
Jillian and Meg would be there shortly.
Bert and Ernie watched him pace, their eyes following him back and forth. Colton stopped in front of them. “Okay, guys, just like we practiced for the last four weeks, right?”
Bert yawned and Colton groaned.
The knock on the door made him flinch and his heart flip into overdrive. “Showtime,” he whispered.
Jillian waited for Colton to answer the door. Meg shifted from one foot to the other. “Can I go down to the creek with Bert and Ernie?”
“Maybe in a little bit. Colton said he had a surprise for us, so let’s find out what it is, okay?”
Meg sighed. “Okay, but if it’s a dorky surprise, can I go?”
“
May
you go?”
“Why are you asking me?”
Jillian groaned as the door opened. Her groan turned to a gasp. “Why are you so dressed up?”
Colton grinned at her. “Because I had been looking forward to our reunion dance and it kind of got blown up. So, I decided to re-create it here.”
Jillian looked down at her winter boots and jeans. “I’m not exactly dressed for it.”
“Me either,” Meg said.
“Come right this way, ladies.”
Jillian and Meg followed him down the hall into one of the bedrooms. Another gasp escaped her and even Meg was impressed. “Wow.”
Two sparkling gowns graced the bed. Colton smiled. “Will you?”
“Colton—”
“You bet we will,” Meg said as she placed both hands on Colton’s stomach to push him from the room. “We’ll be just a few minutes.”
Colton’s laughter echoed even after Meg shut the door. Jillian laughed. “What is he up to?”
“Who cares? Get changed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Fifteen minutes later, they emerged from the bedroom. Jillian had on a green silk gown with pearl beading. Meg’s dress was a long-sleeved pale yellow velvet with a sweetheart neckline. Her gold locket necklace, white tights, and white shoes completed her ensemble.
Colton had his head next to Bert and Ernie’s and appeared to be in a deep conversation with them. Meg’s laugh caused him to turn. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Jillian walked up to him and tapped it shut.
Colton clicked the remote and music filled the room. A slow, bluesy tune without any lyrics. He placed a light kiss on her lips, then looked at Meg. “May I have this dance, Miss Carter?”
Shyness seemed to overtake Meg and she ducked her head even as she held out a hand. Colton took it and led her in a dance around the room.
Jillian watched, hands clasped in front of her, heart filled to overflowing with love for the man who had taken the time to get to know her all over again—and allowed her to get to know him.
Added joy had been watching him win over his daughter’s heart.
Meg pulled away. “Your turn, Mom.”
Jillian slipped into Colton’s arms and nestled her head against the base of his throat. She felt him kiss the top of her head.
After they finished their spin around the room, Meg said, “What’s Bert got in his mouth?”
Jillian pulled back as Colton dropped to his knee and clicked the dog over. “Here, boy.” Bert padded over and Colton held out his hand. The dog dropped the object into his palm, then sat, tongue lolling. Jillian couldn’t see what it was the dog had given Colton and shifted for a better look, but she was too late.
Colton made a sweeping motion with his hand and Bert bolted over to lie down beside Ernie in front of the fireplace.
Colton stayed on his knees and waved Meg over. Curious, Jillian watched as Meg crossed to stand next to her. “What is it?”
He looked up at Jillian and held up his hand. She gaped at the ring staring back at her.
Meg laughed. “Wow! That’s huge!”
Jillian clapped a hand over her daughter’s mouth. “Colton . . . it’s . . .”
“Gorgeous,” Meg mumbled against Jillian’s palm.
“Gorgeous,” Jillian repeated. She dropped her hand and stared at the man in front of her.
He said, “I’ve had this ring for over ten years now. I was going to give it to you the night of graduation.” He glanced down at it. “It’s not exactly your style now, but I couldn’t . . .” He stopped and bit his lip. “Back then I thought you needed a huge ring. I . . . I thought that I had to prove how much I loved you by how big the ring was. Only now . . .”
“I would have loved it.”
“Would have? What about now?”
“What about now?”
“What kind of answer is that?”
Meg sighed. “You haven’t asked the question yet, Dad.”
He blinked. “Oh.” Back to Jillian, he asked, “Will you marry me?”
Jillian choked out a strangled “Yes.” She looked at Meg, who nodded. “Yes. We will.”
The relief in his eyes almost made her laugh. He slipped the ring out of the box and onto her finger. A beautiful square-cut diamond. “If you want something different, we’ll go shopping—”
She laid a finger over his lips. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Meg squealed and clapped her hands. “We’re getting married!”
Colton laughed and said, “Yes, it appears we are.”
“But you forgot one thing,” Meg said.
“What’s that?”
“You haven’t kissed her. I imagine when people get engaged, they gotta kiss.”
Colton turned his green eyes back to Jillian. “I imagine they do.”
He lowered his head and covered her lips with his, and Jillian reached behind her to cover Meg’s eyes as she kissed him back with every ounce of love she had in her.
When he raised his head, he asked, “Short engagement?”
Breathless, Jillian nodded. “Definitely.”
“Okay, now that we got this mushy stuff taken care of, can I go to the creek?”
Colton laughed. “Sure. Take the dogs with you.”
“And change your clothes first,” Jillian said.
Three minutes later, Meg was out the door, the dogs on her heels, and Colton had Jillian back in his arms. “I love you, Jillian Carter.”
Emotion made it hard to force the words out, but she managed a strangled, “And I love you, Colton Brady.”
“For a lifetime?”
“A whole lifetime. Whatever time God gives us.” She wiped a stray tear and sniffed.
“Well, he sure has gone to a lot of trouble to reunite us. I figure we’ve got a good fifty or sixty years left.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” she said.
“Yep, no plan B needed,” he agreed.
Jillian threw back her head and laughed.
Thank you once again to Jim Hall, police officer extraordinaire. I appreciate so much your willingness to take the time to read each book and give me your expert feedback.
And thank you to Drucilla Wells with the D2L Behavioral & Investigative Consulting Services, LLC, and retired FBI Special Agent.
Thank you to my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency, for all your work on my behalf.
Thank you to the crimescenewriters yahoo group for answering my numerous questions.
Thank you to Cara Putman, who took time out of her busy schedule to read and give me feedback. I appreciate it!
Thank you to the fans who buy the books. Without you, I couldn’t do this!
Thank you to my family for your understanding and encouragement, for believing in me and letting me follow my dream.
But most especially, I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the best job in the world.
Lynette Eason
is the award winning, best-selling author of several romantic suspense novels, including
Too Close to Home
,
Don’t Look Back
, and
A Killer Among Us
. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Lynette graduated from the University of South Carolina and went on to earn her master’s degree in education from Converse College. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.
W
OMEN
OF
J
USTICE
Too Close to Home
Don’t Look Back
A Killer Among Us
E
BOOK
S
HORTS
Gone in a Flash
D
EADLY
R
EUNIONS
When the Smoke Clears
When a Heart Stops
When a Secret Kills
