Tony and Alex sat staring into the glowing fireplace at what Tony regarded as their home. He thought Alex probably did, too.
She only seemed lovelier to him. Simple in the way she presented herself, her hair dark and curly, her eyes greenish and curved upward at the outer corners, like Lily’s, her mouth soft in repose, everything about her natural, compact and perfect for him. How plain would she have to be not to be perfect for him? He almost grinned but controlled the urge. He loved this woman.
‘You doing OK?’ he asked, knowing she couldn’t be but that she would not give in to fear.
She sat beside him on the couch in the breakfast room and shifted closer beneath his arm. ‘I am for now. Horribly worried about Annie, yes, but doing OK.’ She turned her face up to his. ‘Look at us. How could I not be?’
‘That’s how I always feel with you, but I have to be careful not to get soppy or you’re likely to slap me down.’
She rewarded him with a sharp elbow to the ribs. ‘We should probably get some sleep. It’s late and tomorrow isn’t going to be easier than today. Nasty thought.’
‘We’ll both be OK. I believe in Annie.’
‘So do I,’ she said. ‘But I’m also a realist, Tony. I could never have expected her to decide to escape from the police. It’s unbelievable. Sometimes the people we trust the most shock us.’
‘Just keep on trusting,’ he told her, although he was more than nervous about what they would confront. ‘Wells Giglio was something I never expected, but it sounds as if he was murdered.’
‘I feel guilty for being happy like this, but not letting myself take the moment won’t solve anything.’ Alex just kept her face tipped up to him. He smiled and rested his mouth against her forehead.
She pulled his hand down, opened his palm, his fingers, and placed a piece of paper there.
Tony frowned slightly. ‘What’s this?’
She pressed a finger to his mouth and he started unfolding the sheet.
‘You can keep that for later,’ she said, her lashes lowered. ‘Just pop it away for now. I don’t want to keep it to myself anymore, that’s all. I’ll be relieved when we get Annie back. She’s too tense already. Hugh was obviously strung pretty tightly, too.’
He smiled and brushed her hair away from her forehead. ‘And you aren’t one bit upset, hm?’
‘Of course, I am but … why pretend, I’m very worried. This thing with Annie frightens me. But I’m even more worried thinking about what’s behind all this and whether we’re going to face more … well, you know what I’m thinking. Is someone else going to die. It’s horrible, Tony.’
‘Please relax.’ He pulled her even closer. ‘We’ll do whatever we need to do. And I trust the police to do the same. Most of all I’d like to hear they’ve found Annie. How the hell did she get away without anyone noticing? Was she snatched? What?’
‘I don’t think Bill and his people have any of the answers to that. I don’t have any idea why or how she left the police station, but she wouldn’t go if she didn’t want to – unless, well, unless she was forced. That’s something I believe. I’m trying not to think of her hurt and in danger.’
‘Tomorrow is another day,’ Tony said, and laughed. ‘Not original, especially when it’s already tomorrow. But it is true. And in the morning we’ll be better able to see all this more clearly. Or I hope so.’
She settled against him, thinking, and trying not to consider what she’d given him. The sound of him unfolding the piece of paper and shaking it out put any idea of waiting a little longer aside, but it wasn’t right to keep it from him.
Alex closed her eyes while she knew he was reading.
He was quiet for longer than it would take for him to absorb what the letter said.
‘Alex,’ he said softly.
‘Mm.’
‘Whether we do or don’t have children – biological children – makes no difference to how much I want to be part of your life. For as long as possible.’
She held onto him.
‘You know how I feel. I’ve told you often enough. Thank you for this – this report. It would never have made any difference, but I’d really like us to have children if you want them, too. Alex, can we get married? I’d really … damn it, girl, I’m fed up with trying to be so carefully unromantic. I want us to marry because I’m in love with you. I have been for longer than you can imagine. What do you say?’
‘Hmm.’ She smiled against his chest. ‘That’s all a bit soppy but I liked it. I say yes. Yes! But we do have some problems to deal with first.’
‘Right.’ It wasn’t easy to sit still and be cool.