peeked out the front window, looking for you. I’m pretty sure it was him.”
“But you didn’t see if the tracker showed it was him?”
“No. I’ve been so busy getting everything ready for this evening, then you showed up. You know, this didn’t all happen on its own.” She gestured toward the deck and garden with a sweep of her hand.
“It looks wonderful, Emily, and I appreciate it, but we will have to check that tracker.”
She nodded her agreement. “Later.”
His lips turned up in a mischievous smile as he snaked a hand around her waist and planted another kiss on her lips. “By the way, did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?”
“No.” She dipped her chin and looked up at him through her lashes.
“Well, you do. I can’t take my eyes off of you, Babe, or my hands.” He pulled her into another passionate embrace, standing in the faint glow of the tiny lights and the sun setting at twilight. He kissed her so deeply her knees went weak.
A loud blast emanated from the kitchen, sounding like a small bomb going off.
“What on earth?” Mr. Cooke’s voice could be heard from over the fence.
Emily and Colin shot each other a look of surprise, dropped their hold on one another, and ran into the house.
“What do you think that was?” she asked, her gaze bouncing around the kitchen as they walked through it, making their way through the rest of the house. She ran to her bedroom and checked the nightstand for her gun. It was there, undisturbed.
Colin checked the living room, then the front porch.
Emily looked in the guest room, then met him back in the entry. “I can’t imagine what that was.”
“A car backfiring, maybe?” Colin shrugged his shoulders.
“It sounded like it came from inside the house.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Colin planted his hands on his hips. “We’ve checked everywhere.”
“Well, before they burn, I’d better check on the ribs and the potatoes. Maybe having dinner will calm us down. Why don’t you pour a couple of glasses of wine? The food should be ready in a minute.” Emily meandered back to the kitchen to see about the food, with Colin close behind.
She opened the oven to take the ribs out. “I found it!” she exclaimed.
“Found what?” Colin peeked over her shoulder.
“The source of the explosion.”
A deep belly laugh roared out of Colin. Emily had forgotten to pierce the baking potatoes and they’d exploded all over the inside of her oven.
Emily grimaced. “I guess we’ll be having ribs and salad tonight.” She began to laugh too, but her laughter soon turned to tears. She had wanted the evening to be perfect and she’d messed it up.
“Emily,” Colin said tenderly as he put his hand gently under her chin and lifted her face, kissing her cheek where a tear had trickled down. “I can have potatoes anywhere, any time. The only thing I want tonight is you.” He encircled her with his strong arms and held her close.
They stood in each other’s arms for a prolonged moment.
“Sorry to be such a cry baby.” She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the beat of his heart, feeling safe in his arms. “I’m so glad to have you back.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” He lightly kissed the tip of her nose and let her go.
Colin poured two goblets of red wine and took them out to the deck. Emily plated the dinner and carried the dishes to the patio table.
“Mmm, the ribs look amazing. I didn’t know you knew how to barbecue ribs.”
“I don’t. Remember your suggestion for take-out?”
Colin laughed. “Either way, they look delicious.” He licked his lips and grinned at her.
“Maybe later we can have dessert.”
Colin’s eyes perked up.
“Down boy. I meant Camille’s chocolate torte.”
~*~
After dinner, they went inside and settled on the sofa. He stretched his arm across the back of the couch and she curled into the curve of his arm. They talked about his starting his job
“But you didn’t see if the tracker showed it was him?”
“No. I’ve been so busy getting everything ready for this evening, then you showed up. You know, this didn’t all happen on its own.” She gestured toward the deck and garden with a sweep of her hand.
“It looks wonderful, Emily, and I appreciate it, but we will have to check that tracker.”
She nodded her agreement. “Later.”
His lips turned up in a mischievous smile as he snaked a hand around her waist and planted another kiss on her lips. “By the way, did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?”
“No.” She dipped her chin and looked up at him through her lashes.
“Well, you do. I can’t take my eyes off of you, Babe, or my hands.” He pulled her into another passionate embrace, standing in the faint glow of the tiny lights and the sun setting at twilight. He kissed her so deeply her knees went weak.
A loud blast emanated from the kitchen, sounding like a small bomb going off.
“What on earth?” Mr. Cooke’s voice could be heard from over the fence.
Emily and Colin shot each other a look of surprise, dropped their hold on one another, and ran into the house.
“What do you think that was?” she asked, her gaze bouncing around the kitchen as they walked through it, making their way through the rest of the house. She ran to her bedroom and checked the nightstand for her gun. It was there, undisturbed.
Colin checked the living room, then the front porch.
Emily looked in the guest room, then met him back in the entry. “I can’t imagine what that was.”
“A car backfiring, maybe?” Colin shrugged his shoulders.
“It sounded like it came from inside the house.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Colin planted his hands on his hips. “We’ve checked everywhere.”
“Well, before they burn, I’d better check on the ribs and the potatoes. Maybe having dinner will calm us down. Why don’t you pour a couple of glasses of wine? The food should be ready in a minute.” Emily meandered back to the kitchen to see about the food, with Colin close behind.
She opened the oven to take the ribs out. “I found it!” she exclaimed.
“Found what?” Colin peeked over her shoulder.
“The source of the explosion.”
A deep belly laugh roared out of Colin. Emily had forgotten to pierce the baking potatoes and they’d exploded all over the inside of her oven.
Emily grimaced. “I guess we’ll be having ribs and salad tonight.” She began to laugh too, but her laughter soon turned to tears. She had wanted the evening to be perfect and she’d messed it up.
“Emily,” Colin said tenderly as he put his hand gently under her chin and lifted her face, kissing her cheek where a tear had trickled down. “I can have potatoes anywhere, any time. The only thing I want tonight is you.” He encircled her with his strong arms and held her close.
They stood in each other’s arms for a prolonged moment.
“Sorry to be such a cry baby.” She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the beat of his heart, feeling safe in his arms. “I’m so glad to have you back.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” He lightly kissed the tip of her nose and let her go.
Colin poured two goblets of red wine and took them out to the deck. Emily plated the dinner and carried the dishes to the patio table.
“Mmm, the ribs look amazing. I didn’t know you knew how to barbecue ribs.”
“I don’t. Remember your suggestion for take-out?”
Colin laughed. “Either way, they look delicious.” He licked his lips and grinned at her.
“Maybe later we can have dessert.”
Colin’s eyes perked up.
“Down boy. I meant Camille’s chocolate torte.”
~*~
After dinner, they went inside and settled on the sofa. He stretched his arm across the back of the couch and she curled into the curve of his arm. They talked about his starting his job
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