“Just be careful,” he said, grabbing my hand as I started to stand. “This is a sensitive subject, and the family might not want to drag it up after all these years.”
“Not even to find a killer?”
“That’s the thing about a small town. No one wants to think that anyone they see every day could be a killer.”
It definitely was different. In a city, you wouldn’t know even half the people you saw on a daily basis, but here…Everyone knew everyone. I’d have tobe careful how I proceeded. I didn’t want any gossip getting out in terms of where I was in the investigation. That would only spook the killer.
If he was still here.
“Hey, is there a list somewhere of people who have moved away?”
“I could talk to Bea at the station. She might know.”
“Thanks.”
“Anything to help my hot detective wife,” he grinned, tugging me onto his lap.
“Fiancée,” I corrected. “We’re not married yet.”
“No, but we should think about it. I’d like to be married before the baby comes. What do you think?”
My stomach churned at the idea. Not because I didn’t want to marry him, but because that meant calling my family, and that was something I wasn’t looking forward to.
“Uh…you know, we don’t have to rush.”
I pushed away from him, but he tugged me back. “What do you mean, we don’t have to rush? The baby won’t wait forever.”
“No, but I’m not old-fashioned. I don’t care if we’re married first.”
Wrong thing to say. His jaw hardened as he stared at me. “I do. I’d like the baby to come into the world with a mother and father.”
“The baby will have a mother and father,” I rolled my eyes. “What’s the difference?”
“The difference is that I want to set a good example for my kid.”
“Well, you probably shouldn’t have knocked me up first, then,” I teased.
“I’m serious, Blake. This is something I want. Why are you fighting me?”
Groaning, I slumped in my chair. “Because then I have to tell my brothers. And trust me, they won’t take it as well as your family.”
“Blake, you’re a grown woman. It’s not like they can throw you out of the house.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about!” I shouted, getting to my feet. “Do you know what they’ll do to you?”
He snorted at me because he had no fucking clue how bad it would get. My brothers were fiercely protective, and the fact that Parker had knocked me up would only piss them off.
Even if they did like him.
“Baby, I can handle your brothers. They love me!”
“Well, they’re not going to love you when they find out that I’m pregnant. They take this stuff seriously.”
“Baby, I know. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”
Sighing, I climbed back onto his lap and kissed him. “Fine, but when they strap you to the bed of the truck and drive you around in the cold completely naked, don’t come crying to me.”
He laughed. “I hardly think it’ll come to that.”
