Page 142 of Say Yes to the Death

They held each other, for once perfectly in sync, holding nothing back. Luke’s eyes were unreadable. Relief, fear, lust, all mixed together in a storm of blue and green.

There were no rats, no rank dumpster, no pile of crates. There was only the two of them.

They rose and crashed together, holding each other as though they were the last two things tethered to the earth, in danger of falling and spiraling into the sky.

Luke collapsed next to Claire, a sheen of sweat on his stupid, perfect forehead.

“I guess that’s a yes,” she said weakly.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

To Do:

- Fix stupid lighting issue for Dr. W proposal

- Call the florist

When Luke arrived in the bedroom the next morning with a breakfast tray, Claire had her hair in a bun, notepad in one hand, cell phone in the other.

“You’ve got your concentration face on, but you seem surprisingly calm this morning,” he said, setting the tray with a plate of eggs and bacon on the bed.

“That looks amazing, thank you,” she said with a genuine, relaxed smile. “All this banging must be great for my stress levels.”

“What are you doing?” he asked as he slid back into bed next to her, then planted a kiss on her bare shoulder.

“A few little things for the escape room proposal. We have the whole flow figured out, but I still need some artwork and a few more candles and—” She sighed and pressed her palms to her eyes.

He squeezed her leg. “I’ll leave you to it. Unless you want to talk about it,” he said, pausing half-crouched on the bed.

“I’m good. Thank you.” She offered a quick kiss and a smile before he walked out of the room. It was amazing how quickly they had fallen back into their old patterns. After their talk the night before, she had lain awake in his arms, glowing from the inside out.

Finally, finally, he was being honest with her. Even about the hard stuff. She could hardly believe it. They had more to work on—it wasn’t like her daddy issues had disappeared overnight—but what a step in the right direction.

Her phone rang, and she groaned at the caller ID. Speak of the devil.

“Yes, Jack?”

What did he want now?

“They found part of Kayley’s remains. Right where Barney said she would be.”

“They did?” Claire leapt out of bed and nearly toppled the breakfast tray. Her stomach twisted violently, and she clutched the nightstand for support. Nothing about this felt like a victory. She sank to her knees beside the bed. “So, he was telling the truth. Her poor family. What a bittersweet day this will be for them.” Her heart ached. “Thanks for the update.”

She ended the call before Jack could ask her to go back to the prison for more information. Her forehead pressed into the mattress. Sure, she had helped coerce a killer into telling her where he hid a body. Maybe being able to lay her to rest would bring her family some comfort in time. But she had just effectively erased the last bit of hope the Herrolds had. They would never see their daughter alive again.

“Claire?” Luke’s voice came from downstairs, an edge of panic cutting his words.

“What? What’s wrong?” She crossed the room in seconds and flung the bedroom door open. Her heart hammered in her throat. Surely he hadn’t heard the news about Kayley already.

“I need you to stay upstairs. Lock the door.”

The tablet fell from her hand. The edge of her vision went dark for a moment as she slammed the door, leaning against it and clutching at her heart. Had ESA finally come to take her? There was no time for panic attacks. She needed to act.

Claire threw on her clothes haphazardly. She tore the room apart until she found a hockey stick that Luke kept underneath the bed. Saying a silent prayer, she flung the bedroom door open, hockey stick held like a baseball bat.

“Yeah, I need an officer at 204 Stone Bridge Road. Someone dropped something off on my porch that looks a lot like a human heart.” Luke’s voice carried up the stairs. “I have a security system. No, the alarm didn’t go off. I don’t think they’re in the house. Listen, my girlfriend is Claire Hartley. She’s here. Send Detective Smith.”

Claire crept down another hardwood step, still holding the stick aloft. The step creaked, and Luke turned around. He gestured at her wildly, attempting to shoo her back up the stairs. She shook her head, coming to stand next to him.

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