I’m not sure who’s happier to be back home, Jezebel or me. We’re cuddled up on the couch, her head in my lap and a book in my hand, when there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I say, knowing it’s Mitchell.
He opens the door, and the smell of the Chinese food greets my senses. “I brought lunch.”
“You’re the best,” I say, putting my bookmark in the book and placing it on the side table.
Jez jumps down from the couch to give Mitchell a proper hello.
“How’s my favorite girl?” Mitchell asks her. He puts the food on the counter and bends down to scratch both sides of her face. He gets a big kiss in response.
“Give me the details,” I say, walking into the kitchen to help Mitchell plate the food.
“Terrance was processed for all four murders. He pled guilty, which I suppose was his consequence for losing this game to O’Neil. O’Neil, on the other hand, has pleaded guilty to attempted murder now. He’s not getting out of jail anytime soon. We’re splitting up the duo. Terrance will be sent to a maximum-security prison in New Jersey.”
“I guess the guards and the warden don’t want to deal with those two scheming behind bars,” I say.
“Exactly. How did Mrs. Spencer take the news?” he asks, pouring iced tea for us both.
“How you’d think. She’s happy we caught Terrance and still grieving her dead husband. I didn’t tell her Hugo was helping Terrance because Terrance threatened her. I want her to be able to move on from all this, and I figured that would give her nightmares for life.”
“That was sweet of you, Piper.”
“What can I say? Sometimes I can be thoughtful.” I carry the two plates of food to the couch.
“I’m still not sure how Terrance was able to fool Amelia into dating him.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” I say as I sit. I put the plates on the coffee table. “Amelia never suspected Terrance Hill of being the awful person he is because she thought the fact that he was helping out kids with nowhere else to go meant he had to have a good heart. Plus, he was her best friend’s uncle. Of course, that was why she felt the need to hide the relationship. I’m pretty sure Terrance convinced her Olivia would never speak to either one of them again if she found out.”
Mitchell sits beside me in Jez’s usual spot. “So that meant they couldn’t tell anyone, which was exactly what Terrance wanted.”
“Yup. The guy had the whole thing planned out. He would have gotten away with it if O’Neil hadn’t decided to get back at him.”
Mitchell raises his glass of iced tea and hands me mine. “To another closed case.”
I don’t clink my glass with his. “We lost three people on this case. I don’t really feel like celebrating.”
“We saved Rebecca Crane and locked up a serial killer. I’m willing to celebrate that.” He clinks his glass against mine. “Besides, there’s something else to celebrate.”
“What’s that?” I cock my head at him.
“I’m pretty sure you admitted you like me.”
“When did I do that?”
He puts down his glass and then takes mine and places it on the table as well. “Let’s see. How about all the times when you didn’t pull away from me or when you actually touched me. You held my hand more than once.”
I open my mouth to make a witty comment about the case screwing with my head, but then I close it. I look down at Mitchell’s hand on his leg, which is very close to mine. My pulse races as I reach for his hand and lace my fingers through it.
He stares at our hands and then meets my gaze. Part of me expects him to totally push his luck and try to kiss me. Instead, he says, “I was thinking we should take Jez to the new dog park.”
Jez comes over with her tail wagging and places her head in Mitchell’s lap.
“How does she understand everything?” he asks me.
“She’s smart. Plus, she loves you.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” He smiles and pats her head, but he doesn’t let go of my hand.
“I’m pretty sure all females love you, so don’t act so surprised.”
“Not all,” he says, “but at least the important ones seem to like me. That’s more than enough for me.”
“We should eat before our food gets cold,” I say, pulling my hand from his. I bring my plate onto my lap, but not before I see the look of disappointment on Mitchell’s face. I let him in for about sixty seconds and then erected my wall again. I put the plate back on the table and turn to face him, our knees touching. “I’m sorry. I know I said I didn’t want to talk about it, but I think it’s almost worse not to. So, here it goes.” I take a deep breath, but the words won’t come to me. I’m about to berate myself for being such a coward when I get a better idea. Very slowly, I lean forward and press my lips to Mitchell’s. It’s the softest, barely-there kiss in the history of kisses, I’m sure—even though I’m not the expert on kissing by any means. When I pull away, I smile, because I didn’t accidentally read him or throw myself at him. Maybe Mitchell was right about us all along.
“I like your method of talking,” he says with a smirk.
I laugh, and I can feel my cheeks heating up.
Mitchell runs his thumb over my right cheek. “Don’t be embarrassed.”
It takes all my effort to hold his gaze. “I’ve never…” I can’t bring myself to tell him I’ve never made the first move before.
“Do you want to punch me now? You can if it will make you feel better.”
Jez whines, and I pet her, cupping her face in my hand.
“Jezebel is right. There will be no punching.”
“More kissing?” Mitchell asks with a boyish charm that almost makes me give in. Almost.
“Tell me more about the dog park.”
He dips his head and then looks into my eyes. “Are you pushing me away again?”
“Since I’m planning on going with you, I’d say no, I’m not.”
He laces his fingers through mine. “Piper Ashwell, are you saying this will be an official date? One where other people would see us together and we wouldn’t be pretending?”
I say something I’ve never said before in my life. “Yes, it’s a date.” Lord help us both!
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