Ryker took several deep breaths. “So, hmmm.” He took Zara’s hand in his. “Here’s the deal. I love you, you love me, and I think we should make it permanent.” He pulled out a ring box and flipped it open. “Figured I’d do this in front of family. I called your granny and got her blessing last week.” His voice trembled just a little, and he dropped gracefully to one knee. “You’re the entire world to me, Zara. I’ll never be worthy of you, but I’ll do my damnedest to be my best. I already asked once, and you said yes, but I wanted to do it right. Marry me?”
Anya leaned closer to get a look at the ring. Diamonds and sapphires. Beautiful.
Zara breathed out. “Ryker.” Tears filled her stunning eyes.
“That’s another yes. The final yes.” Ryker took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. “Good. That’s done.” He stood.
Zara laughed, love in the sound. She held out her hand. “It’s stunning.”
“You are.” He leaned in and kissed her, his large body all but dwarfing the woman.
Denver hustled up with a tray of champagne and glasses. “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” he said, handing them out.
Zara laughed again. “How many proposals are you going to give to me?”
Ryker paused with the glass halfway to his mouth. “Two. That’s it. We’re final.”
She smiled, happiness cascading from her. “Perfect.”
He grinned. “Nailed it.” Then he drank down his entire glass and wiped off his forehead.
Anya snuck a peek at Heath. He held his champagne and took a quick drink, his gaze blazing over the glass and focused on her. The ring on her finger felt like a boulder, and she refused to look. Their engagement wasn’t real, and having just witnessed the real thing, she wanted nothing more than to take off the beautiful jewelry.
Only the hard look in his eyes stopped her.
This time.
Heath shifted the knife against his calf and tried to appear interested as the elderly lady across the reception desk in the decoy office finished describing her lost dog. “We’ll get right on it, ma’am. As soon as you send us a picture of Snuggles.” For Christ’s sake.
Mrs. Burnaby squinted through thick glasses, her painted pink lips trembling. She clutched her flowered purse to her chest. “Do you need a retainer?”
Denver snorted somewhere behind Heath.
Heath forced a smile. “No, ma’am. As a new business, we’re happy to find lost dogs free of charge. Just tell your neighbors and friends about us if any of them require a private detective.” Even though the offices were just a decoy, he’d be out looking for that lost dog as soon as humanly possible.
Her massive purse buzzed, and she rummaged around to tug out a flip phone. Her arthritic hands shook as she opened it. “Hello?” she yelled into it.
Heath fought a wince.
“Gerty? Really? Oh my. Thank you.” She hung up and dropped the ancient phone into her purse. “I’m so sorry.”
Heath stood and came around the desk to help her from the seat. Relief loosened the knot of tension in his gut. “I take it Gerty found Snuggles?”
“Oh my, yes.” Her tiny arm felt like a twig in his hand. “Snuggles went visiting, I guess.” She tittered and smiled up at him. “You are quite a handsome young man.”
“Thank you.” Heath helped the lady outside and across the sidewalk to a battered Buick. He’d seen her drive up. Making sure she didn’t slip on the ice, he got her safely ensconced in the vehicle. “Drive carefully.”
“Thank you, good lookin’,” she said, flashing new-looking dentures. “I’ll be back if I need help.”
“Excellent.” He shut the car door and stood on the sidewalk to watch her drive away through the snow. Keeping his smile in place, he looked around. A bar sat next to a recreational outfitting store across the street, and both were lightly busy this afternoon.
His nape prickled, and he looked around again. Nothing. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody was watching him. Tuning in with his odd senses, he still couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. With another hard look around, he turned on his boot and reentered the agency. “Something is off,” he said quietly.
Denver looked up from his computer. “What?”
“Dunno.” Everything in him wanted to force Anya to safety. “Just a feeling.”
Denver stood and stretched his back. “I’ll go for a quick walk and see if I sense anything.” Drawing his coat from the chair, he loped for the front door. “Ryker and Zara went upstairs to review surveillance tapes from the area around where Carl was murdered. Don’t ask how we got our hands on those.”
