Page 22 of More Than Meets the Eye

Susan was laughing so hard by then she held up a hand for me to stop. “No. Please. I can’t. Anyway, no proposal ideas. But if you didn’t already buy the ring or have one made with your sapphire, I have thoughts about that.”

She pulled her phone out and scrolled through her photos before handing the phone to me. “When we went shopping a couple of years ago, looking for Christmas presents for Ruby and my granny, we stopped in a jewelry store at the mall. Tess fell completely in love with this ring—she said she didn’t much care for diamonds, but shelovedthe setting. I don’t know why I snapped a photo, but I just had a feeling she might want to see it again one day.” She shrugged. “Anyway, if you know a jeweler or can find one, you can ask her to do something like this.”

It was a beautiful ring. Simple, but elegant, with clean lines. Exactly Tess’s style. As soon as I looked at it, I could tell why she loved it.

And I was glad to hear about the diamonds, because I’d gone back and forth about sapphire or diamond until I was tired of myself.

“Susan, this is perfect! Thank you so much. I know a jeweler. I … do you think it’s too soon?” I heard the uncertainty in my voice, but this was Susan, who’d become one of Tess’s closest friends. “If you think it is, I can postpone, maybe.”

“Jack. It’s not too soon. You two are great together.” She sighed, and even in the dark, I could see the wistful sadness in her eyes. “If I find someone one day who’s as perfect for me as you two are for each other, I’ll snap him up in a heartbeat. Even if I have to handcuff him to do it.”

“Susan. I say this with great sincerity and respect, even knowing that you carry a gun. If you offer to pull out your handcuffs, he’ll be a very lucky man.”

She grinned at me. She might have been blushing, too, but it was too dark to tell. Then she gave me a quick hug, surprising both of us, just before we heard Lizzie and Reynolds coming back from their walk.

“We’re all set,” the deputy said, trying but not succeeding too well at hiding her nerves. “I’m going on my first full moon run tomorrow. If that’s okay with you, Sheriff! I mean, my sheriff.”

“I understood,” Susan drawled. “Yes, of course. And it would be a good idea for you to put the full moon days in the calendar for the year, too, so we’re sure not to schedule you to work those days.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to make it a three-day period,” Reynolds said. “When we first shift, the moon holds more sway than it does later. Lizzie will be tired, at the least, on the day after, and too revved up to work efficiently on the day before.”

“Got it.” Susan shook Reynolds’ hand. “Let’s keep the lines of communication open. On this case, and on any shifter stuff I need to know.”

“Sounds good.”

I watched them leave in the Dead End and Riverton sheriff’s cars, and my phone pinged. When I looked, I found Susan’s text with the photo of the ring.

While I had my phone out, I forwarded the picture to a guy who owed me a pretty big favor.

Then, I called my granddad.

“Jed? Tess is in danger. I know you’re leaving tomorrow, but I could use some backup.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Millie?”

“She drove back to Orlando to deal with some things and finish packing.”

“This won’t mess with your flight?”

“Jack. You and Tess are my family. Los Angeles can wait. I’m on my way.”

I put my phone on the seat of my truck and the sapphire inside a small, velvet-lined wooden box in my glove compartment. Then I shifted to tiger and prowled the borders of my territory.

The territory that an enemy had breached today.

Never again.

9

Tess

When I almost tripped over a tiger on the rug next to the bed, I didn’t pay much attention. Sometimes, after Jack patrolled, he liked to curl up and go to sleep in his big cat form so as not to disturb me. (I’m a sprawler when I sleep.)

But when I stumbled to the kitchen in search of much-needed coffee, I glanced out at the family room and saw another tiger, this one draped over the couch. Priorities firm, I continued on to the coffeepot.

A few minutes later, mug in hand, I wandered out toward the couch and looked down at my small cat sleeping on top of an enormous cat.

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