Page 89 of Last Date
I wasn’t so sure that was true. But if it made Merrick happy to believe that, I guess that was okay. “I’d invite you to stay the night and thank you properly, but I’m pretty banged up.”
He recoiled. “What? No. I… I didn’t come here expecting that. I didn’t tell you I’d broken up with Peter for that reason. I just wanted you to know that Peter knows I’m moving on.”
As you’re known to do.
“I guess my condition forces us to move slowly.”
“We should anyway,” he said.
“That isn’t really your style, usually.”
His gaze flickered. “No. But it’s yours. We’ll go at the pace you want, Kip.”
That comment comforted me. Merrick wasn’t trying to rush me into bed so he could put another notch on his headboard. This thing between us was very new and fragile. If we were careful with each other, maybe old wounds would completely heal and the scars would fade away.
I brought our hands up to my lips and kissed his knuckles. His smile was boyish as he watched me. I thought about when we’d been younger, thought about sunsets at the beach, and all the good and bad times I’d shared with Merrick and my brother. I’d started out trusting Merrick when I was a kid, but somewhere along the way, he’d turned on me and become meaner. I’d never understood why he’d changed toward me, and maybe that was why trusting him now was such a challenge.
I wanted to try though. Something in me yearned to rediscover those old boyhood feelings when I’d thought Merrick was the bravest, funniest, most honorable person on this planet. I wanted to merge the boy I’d cared for then with the man who stood before me now, asking me to trust him.
He touched my cheek, watching me closely. “You look tired. Should I go, Kip?”
I shook my head and put my arms around him. I pressed my face into his chest and inhaled his familiar scent. With a lump forming in my throat, I whispered, “No, Merrick. Stay.”
Epilogue
It took six weeks for my cracked rib to heal, roughly the same amount of time it took for Pearl Cove to get back to normal after all the drama.
Selena was sentenced to community service because she was a minor and was perceived as merely following the directive of her criminal father. Since Captain Roscoe was going to be in prison for a very long time, and Selena was under eighteen, she was shipped off to live with an aunt in New York. I felt bad for her. She’d seemed to have the perfect life, but then everything in her world had been ripped away through no fault of her own.
Bob Tiegerman was found guilty of fifth-degree felony theft and sentenced to six months in jail and fined a thousand dollars. He railed in court about being framed by Ascot Development Company, which, of course, was nonsense, but also raised the subject of bribes at City Hall, which wasnotnonsense. His rowdy accusations made Ascot Development so nervous, they decided Plunder Cove wasn’t a suitable spot for apartment buildings after all and withdrew their plans.
Nick KonKoly, Allister’s obsessive ex, was sentenced to thirty years in prison, which Merrick grumbled didn’t seem nearly long enough. Nick showed zero signs of remorse for killing his ex-lover and professed deep regret for not succeeding in killing me too.
The strangest outcome of all the cases was that of Timothy Gable aka Fake Elon. Timothy was in danger of being put away for false impersonation, but the Green family stepped in and paid for an overpriced lawyer from LA. The fancy lawyer was able to get the charges dropped, and rumor had it Ken and Mary Green now wanted to be a part of Timothy’s life. I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but perhaps having lost both of their sons, they were in need of a true-blood heir. In the end, it seemed Timothy might get his wish of being accepted as a real Green after all, and not just the illegitimate spawn of some horny rich guy.
Then there was Merrick and me.
I was racing around at that very moment, boiling pasta and making a salad because Merrick was coming to dinner tonight. When the doorbell rang, sweat broke out on my face. Or maybe I was just overheated from standing over the stove, stirring marinara sauce.
Spot stood at the door waiting for his beloved Merrick. I opened the door, and Merrick held out a bottle of cabernet.
“I brought wine,” he said cheerfully.
I took the wine, feeling oddly shy. “Thanks. It looks expensive.”
“It is.” He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it neatly over the back of my new armchair. The blood-soaked chair Captain Roscoe had christened was long gone.
He followed me into the kitchen, loosening his tie. “Smells good in here.”
“Thanks. I hope it tastes good.” I returned to the stove and picked up the wooden spoon. I felt nervous tonight. Maybe because my injuries were all healed, and I wasn’t sure if that meant Merrick would make a move on me tonight or not. It wasn’t like I didn’t want him to. I definitely did. But that would take us forward into dangerous territory. The deeper we got into this dating thing, the more entangled my emotions would become. I wasn’t too proud to admit I was afraid of getting hurt.
“You had a doctor’s appointment today, right?” Merrick asked casually.
“Yep. My rib has healed nicely.” I carried the pasta to the sink, where the colander was. As I drained the noodles, the steam billowing around my head made conversation difficult.
Merrick opened the wine and set it on the table. I brought the sauce and pasta to the table. The salad was already there. I was relieved the food turned out well. Merrick and I talked about work and drank the wine he’d brought. The usual buzzing animosity I’d felt for him for so long was missing. It was a wonderful evening, and it only made me like him more.
Once the dishes were done, we sat on the couch and had some more wine. I opened a box of chocolate-covered peanut clusters for dessert. I was feeling a little tipsy, and even Merrick seemed to be a bit drunk.
