Death by Proposal by Jaden Skye Page B

dedication.
    “That’s
what first made me fall in love you with Mattheus,” she said, playfully.
    “In
love with me?” He truly looked surprised. “What made you feel that way?”
    “The
fact that you care about what you’re doing, and do it with all your heart.”
    Mattheus
took a few steps back, held Cindy at arms distance and smiled. “That’s what intrigues
me about you,” he murmured, “the way things go up and down with us, high tide, low
tide.”
    “It’s
natural, isn’t it?” asked Cindy.
    “Maybe,”
Mattheus replied, “but also a bit dangerous.”
    “Dangerous?”
the word struck at Cindy.
    “Yes,”
Mattheus said softly, “it can be rough and confusing never knowing what’s
coming next.”

CHAPTER
12
     
     
    Cindy
felt put in her place as she and Mattheus left their room and went straight to
the gym on the third floor.
    “Sean’s
waiting for us there,” Mattheus mentioned as they got into the elevator. “It’s
high time someone talked to him.”
    “What
did you find out about him so far?” Cindy asked, switching into professional
mode.
    “Not
much yet,” said Mattheus, “I’ve been busy investigating Kate and Clay and their
families first. Nothing worth reporting. Everything with them is on the up and
up. They both come from terrific families, had everything they ever needed.
There’s nothing in either of their backgrounds that would lead to this.”
    The
elevator door slid open and Cindy and Mattheus walked down the hall to the gym
at the end. They walked through large double doors and Cindy looked around. The
gym was a huge and well equipped with big glass windows, overlooking the ocean.
Right now it was practically empty with a few people on treadmills and a guy
doing weights.
    “We’re
here to talk to Sean McKenzie,” Mattheus said to the young woman who was sitting
at the front table. “He’s expecting us.”
    “Yes,
he told me to tell you he’s boxing in the back,” she said, casually, as if the
visit were the most natural thing in the world.
    Mattheus
nodded and Cindy glanced around. Two punching bags hung down at the end of the room
with someone in the distance, skirting around. It had to be Sean.
    “He’s
over there,” Cindy motioned to Mattheus.
    “Figures
the guy would be punching something out,” said Mattheus.
    “There’s
all kinds of ways to get frustration out,” said Cindy. “Don’t be too quick on
the draw.”
    Mattheus
smiled, put his arm around Cindy and hugged her for a second.
    “Okay,
I won’t,” he said. “And I hope you’re not upset with what I said a little while
ago.”
    Even
though she knew what he was talking about, Cindy pretended she didn’t. There
was no reason to make a big deal about it now.
     
“What did you say?” she asked lightly.
    “About
our relationship changing all the time, high tide and low tide,” Mattheus
reminded her.
    Cindy
laughed. “Oh yes, you said it was dangerous.”
    “It
can be dangerous when the tide comes in and you’re not expecting it,” Mattheus
joked back.
    “Life
is dangerous, Mattheus,” Cindy said then, “but it’s also amazing. Low tide is
beautiful and high tide is too.”
    “Yeah,”
he replied, “as long as you’re not thrown up against the rocks by it. As long
as you’re not found dead on the pavement early in the morning right after you
just got engaged.”
    “Even
that,” Cindy responded, “it’s amazing, too. It’s worth the risk, isn’t it?”
    Mattheus
looked at her and smiled, impressed.  “You’re right,” he said. “Forget it, I
mouth off sometimes.” Then he zeroed in as they approached the figure in the
back, now punching the boxing bags for all he was worth.
    As
Cindy and Mattheus came closer, Sean wiped the sweat off his face with the back
of his arm, tossed his dark hair off his forehead, and looked up at them.
    “What
brings you two here?” he started, his feet still dancing around.
    “How
about we go and sit and the bench near the window?”