AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because of Marcy, you mean?”
Sitting back, she saw the threat of tears in his eyes and gently kissed them away. “Yes. I wouldn’t have done this to you, but it truly was an accident.”
“I know, I was there, remember? But there’s nothing accidental about us. We’ve made choices all the way, and except f
or the brief lapse into idiocy when I told you good-bye, I happen to believe they’re the right ones.”
He hugged her again tightly. “I admire the way you remember Sam. From now on, I’m going to focus on the happy memories too, rather than dwell on the pain.”
It made her proud to think she’d taught him such a valuable lesson. “Thank you, but I do have one more confession. I’m about as impulsive as an abalone, but I just couldn’t resist you.”
He laughed and ignored the resulting pain in his chest. “I have the same problem with you.” He hadn’t been so wonderfully content in years, but then his stomach began to growl.
She eased off his lap. “I’m starved too. I’ll get the steaks.”
As she started toward the house, she caught sight of Joyce turning away from her side gate. “Joyce, wait, come on in. I want you to meet Luke.”
“Are you sure?” Joyce entered and crossed the grass with tiny steps.
Luke grabbed hold of the table to haul himself to his feet. “How do you do? Please excuse my appearance. I got into a knife fight last night, but I intend to avoid them in the future.”
Startled, Joyce stopped several feet from the deck. “I thought maybe you’d been in a car wreck. Who won the fight?”
“I did. The other guy’s in jail,” Luke replied with a ready grin.
“Oh, Catherine, even with a black eye he’s cute.”
Luke laughed at her compliment. “Thank you, but I hope to look a lot better by the wedding.”
Joyce squealed and hurried to give Catherine a hug. Then she whispered, “I told you he might be thrilled.”
While that hadn’t been precisely Luke’s reaction to news of a baby, Catherine’s joy shone in her smile. “I want you to help me plan. I’ll give you a call in a couple of days.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Joyce hugged her again, waved good-bye to Luke and nearly skipped out the gate.
Catherine went in the house to get the steaks. The coals glowed with the perfect heat, and she put the meat onto grill. “This seems so incredibly normal.”
Luke walked over to her and slid his right arm around her waist. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“Yes, especially after last night. What do you think will happen to Dave?”
“The Lady in Red was becoming a celebrity, so some hotshot attorney will take the case for the publicity. He’ll liken Dave to Zorro, who only killed those who deserved to die. Who knows, he might go free.”
“Zorro is a fictional character, so that might not work,” she chided. “You’re also forgetting Dave tried to kill you. Won’t a jury have to find him guilty of attempted murder?”
“Maybe not. I hit him first, and we were fighting over you. A clever attorney could spin our rivalry into quite a romantic tale. I was also his therapist and obviously totally ineffective. That’ll also help Dave’s defense.”
“I can’t tell if you’re being cynical or optimistic.”
“A little of both, I’m afraid.” He nuzzled her neck and placed a teasing kiss in her ear.
She giggled. “Are we really moving back east?”
“No, I’ll stay at Lost Angel. I was just trying to outrun myself again, something you once warned me against. California’s home, and it’s still a good place to raise kids. I keep thinking your Sam must have been a hell of a man. If we have a boy, would you like to name him Sam?”
Catherine burst into tears. “Oh, Luke, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. You’re a hell of a man too.”
He drank up her eager kisses and then whispered, “I’m sorry not to have offered a more romantic proposal, but at least I get some things right.”
