words and his touch.
“I love you, too,” she answered. What more was there to say? They held each other for the longest time, or at least that’s how it felt. He kissed her again, then released his embrace.
“These are for you.” Colin held out the bouquet of chocolate roses he had brought for her. “I could have gotten red ones, but these will last a lot longer.” There were three dozen of them.
Emily grinned with delight at his thoughtful gift. He knew of her fondness for anything chocolate. She would smile and think of him each time she stuck one in her mouth and thoroughly enjoyed it. She took the bouquet from his hand and pushed up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss of gratitude, but as soon as her lips touched his, his arms enveloped her once more.
When he let go of her, she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. “As much as I would enjoy kissing you all night, there’s something I want to show you.” She stepped out of his hold and took him by the hand. She led him through the kitchen, laying the roses on the table as they passed by, and took him out the back door to the deck and the garden.
“Is that ribs I smell?” Colin asked, craning his neck as he glanced back toward the kitchen, while she pulled him out the door.
“Yes, but that’s not the best part.”
Holding her hand, he stood still, in quiet awe, gazing across the garden. “Oh, Emily, this is beautiful.” He slowly looked around at all she had done. The table was set for dining, with candles lit, and the garden sparkled with twinkling lights. “You’ve never brought me out here before.”
“You’re right, I haven’t. I couldn’t before. But now, well, I thought it was time.”
“You even put some lights on the gazebo.” He gazed down at her with a glint of recognition in his eyes, and she was certain he understood what she meant by that gesture.
“I see you decided to get a man instead of a dog to protect you, Emily.” Mr. Cooke, her neighbor, was peeking over the fence at them. “That’ll keep those peeping Toms away.”
“What peeping Toms?” Colin asked, glancing from Mr. Cooke to Emily.
“Thank you, Mr. Cooke, for watching out for me. Now, go and have a good evening.”
“It is going to be a pleasant night tonight,” the elderly man replied, glancing up at the sky.
“No, really, go.”
“Emily,” Colin lightly scolded.
“I can take a hint, young lady.” The neighbor chuckled. The sound of the door closing told them he went back inside his house.
“What did he mean about the peeping Tom?”
“You know how someone has gotten into my house a couple of times, looking for something related to Evan’s death? At least that’s what I believe it is.”
“Yes.” Colin crossed his arms as he stared into Emily’s face, apparently waiting for the rest of the story.
“My neighbor saw some guy peeking into my windows one morning and he yelled at him and scared him off. That’s all.”
“That’s all? You say it like it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, but I didn’t want you turning it into a big deal, especially since there wasn’t a thing you could do but worry from so far away.”
He gathered her in his arms. “Well, I’m not in California now.” He kissed her neck and leaned his cheek against her temple. “We’re going to figure out who this character is and put a stop to him.”
“Mr. Cooke saw the guy get away in a black car with Virginia plates, which Isabel and I think must belong to our mysterious FBI guy, Jethro.” Emily told Colin about Isabel’s lunch with Jethro that day and how she was able to stick a tracking device on his car while they were in the restaurant.
“Have you been tracking his movements since this afternoon?”
“Yes, but he went straight home.” Emily leaned her head on his shoulder, but pulled it away as she remembered having seen Jethro after that. “Well, that is, until right before you got here. I did see a black BMW on the street when I
“I love you, too,” she answered. What more was there to say? They held each other for the longest time, or at least that’s how it felt. He kissed her again, then released his embrace.
“These are for you.” Colin held out the bouquet of chocolate roses he had brought for her. “I could have gotten red ones, but these will last a lot longer.” There were three dozen of them.
Emily grinned with delight at his thoughtful gift. He knew of her fondness for anything chocolate. She would smile and think of him each time she stuck one in her mouth and thoroughly enjoyed it. She took the bouquet from his hand and pushed up on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss of gratitude, but as soon as her lips touched his, his arms enveloped her once more.
When he let go of her, she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. “As much as I would enjoy kissing you all night, there’s something I want to show you.” She stepped out of his hold and took him by the hand. She led him through the kitchen, laying the roses on the table as they passed by, and took him out the back door to the deck and the garden.
“Is that ribs I smell?” Colin asked, craning his neck as he glanced back toward the kitchen, while she pulled him out the door.
“Yes, but that’s not the best part.”
Holding her hand, he stood still, in quiet awe, gazing across the garden. “Oh, Emily, this is beautiful.” He slowly looked around at all she had done. The table was set for dining, with candles lit, and the garden sparkled with twinkling lights. “You’ve never brought me out here before.”
“You’re right, I haven’t. I couldn’t before. But now, well, I thought it was time.”
“You even put some lights on the gazebo.” He gazed down at her with a glint of recognition in his eyes, and she was certain he understood what she meant by that gesture.
“I see you decided to get a man instead of a dog to protect you, Emily.” Mr. Cooke, her neighbor, was peeking over the fence at them. “That’ll keep those peeping Toms away.”
“What peeping Toms?” Colin asked, glancing from Mr. Cooke to Emily.
“Thank you, Mr. Cooke, for watching out for me. Now, go and have a good evening.”
“It is going to be a pleasant night tonight,” the elderly man replied, glancing up at the sky.
“No, really, go.”
“Emily,” Colin lightly scolded.
“I can take a hint, young lady.” The neighbor chuckled. The sound of the door closing told them he went back inside his house.
“What did he mean about the peeping Tom?”
“You know how someone has gotten into my house a couple of times, looking for something related to Evan’s death? At least that’s what I believe it is.”
“Yes.” Colin crossed his arms as he stared into Emily’s face, apparently waiting for the rest of the story.
“My neighbor saw some guy peeking into my windows one morning and he yelled at him and scared him off. That’s all.”
“That’s all? You say it like it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, but I didn’t want you turning it into a big deal, especially since there wasn’t a thing you could do but worry from so far away.”
He gathered her in his arms. “Well, I’m not in California now.” He kissed her neck and leaned his cheek against her temple. “We’re going to figure out who this character is and put a stop to him.”
“Mr. Cooke saw the guy get away in a black car with Virginia plates, which Isabel and I think must belong to our mysterious FBI guy, Jethro.” Emily told Colin about Isabel’s lunch with Jethro that day and how she was able to stick a tracking device on his car while they were in the restaurant.
“Have you been tracking his movements since this afternoon?”
“Yes, but he went straight home.” Emily leaned her head on his shoulder, but pulled it away as she remembered having seen Jethro after that. “Well, that is, until right before you got here. I did see a black BMW on the street when I
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