Page 107 of Speak of the Devil

“Easy. In the beta cases, the license is being honored. Complete the second step, and you’re good to go.”

“What’s the second step?”

“Getting married.”

36

Shane

Get married.

Roberta makes it sound so easy.She even said it. “Easy. Get married.”

What the fuck am I going to do? Cat’s not going to want to get married. Not when we’ve been trying to get divorced this whole time.

Fuck.

I pull into the parking lot of Parkdale Retirement Home and lock up her Toyota. Though it’s tempting to let thieves steal it. The air-conditioning is shit, the check engine light is on half the time, and the steering wheel is tight on the turns.

Spying my Ferrari parked away from other cars, I smile, knowing she’d taken good care of it this morning on her drive in.

The buzzer sounds, alerting me before the doors slide open. I nod at the camera in thanks before stepping inside and catching Cat’s eyes. She waves, my pretty girl, my gorgeous wife.Mine.

I’m a fucking caveman, but I have no shame. I’m not losing her, not again.

Holding her finger in the air, she nods. I catch her drift and detour to a table by the window to wait for her to finish with her patient. Staring out the window, I think about how I’ll tell Cat about us not being married. Or if I just let it go and pretend I never heard different than we did before.

“Mr. Big and Strong is back.”

I turn to find the little lady from last time standing behind the chair next to me. “Mrs. Winston, right?”

“You can call me Maggie.” She eases into a chair like she was invited. I don’t mind. She was entertaining last time. She looks over her shoulder like she’s making sure no one’s eavesdropping, and then asks, “You’re here to see Nurse Cate?”

“I am.” I glance across the room at her, sitting beside the patient and holding her hand. She’s the kindest soul I’ve ever known.

“Love runs deep like a river through your veins. No matter how long you’re apart, the other person is always with you.”

I’m feeling seen in ways that make me shift in the chair, but I push past that and reply, “It does for me.”

“It does for her, too. She doesn’t talk about you because she’s always so uptight.” I smile along with her, appreciating those qualities about Cat now that I know where they stem from—strength. “But I also see the change. She’s a pretty girl, but she carried sadness in her eyes that even a smile couldn’t hide.”

“I don’t remember sadness. I only remember sunshine.”

Touching me gently on the wrist, she says, “That’s because she shines for you. That’s how love works when you find your person.” I have a feeling she knows this for a fact. She checks her watch. “Want to watchWheel of Fortunewith me?”

Cat looks like she’s going to be caught up for a while. “I’d love to, Maggie.” I stand and then assist her getting up.

She quickly latches onto my arm, leading me straight for the ugly beige couch in the middle of the room. “Invite me to the wedding.”

“What wedding is that?”

She looks back at Cat. When she turns back to me, she smiles. “I’m not going to live forever, so hurry up and make her your wife.”

“I intend to.”

Thirty-five minutes later. . .

Maggie has sleptthrough the show more than she’s watched it. But every time her eyes opened, she looked to make sure I was still here. So I stay until I get a tap on my shoulder. “Hi,” Cat whispers. “Want to go outside?”

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