Page 61 of Seducing the Sheriff
Greg raised his head and kissed me tenderly. “I should go if I’m going to have any chance of seeing you for dinner this evening.”
I gave a rueful nod. He was right. Even with my newfound delegation skills, I was invariably late for dinner.
“I need to swing by the hardware store, then visit Dex,” he said. “He’s going to help me fix my place for the new sheep.”
“I thought you were fixing up the house first.”
“I can multi-task,” he assured me, “and he’s taking me to an auction next month. We’re looking at rare breeds.”
I shook my head. “I’m never going to see you if you become a farmer.”
Greg chuckled. “We’ll always have porch time, and besides, where are we going to find our next mystery?”
Epilogue
Greg
I sighed. Not the exhale of a frustrated or sad man, but one who was content beyond my wildest imaginings. I’d already fired up the chiminea, put the sheep away for the night, and poured some wine in anticipation of Cash’s return home. There had been a minor accident on the highway into town, so he’d called to say he’d be late for porch time.
I grinned and took a sip from my glass. Even though Cash had finally moved in last month, we still loved to spend time unwinding together on the deck whenever the weather permitted. It had become our way of reconnecting after a busy day.
There were also the gatherings we’d had over the summer. We now had actual friends, people to invite to the house to share a meal or have game night with. To say my life had changed since moving to Charming would be the understatement of the century. Aunt Bonnie was thrilled and kept threatening to visit.
The sound of gravel crunching in the driveway brought my heart rate up a tick. Cash was home, and all was right with the world. I set down my glass, covered it with a napkin to keep the fruit flies away, then hurried through the kitchen to greet my man.
The closer I drew to the front door, the stronger the scent of curry became. My stomach growled. I’d waited to eat so we could have dinner together, and he’d promised to bring something from the new Thai place that had opened in town. It was a first for the area, which meant it had been impossible to get in to try it out.
I rounded the corner, the once dreary foyer now brighter from all the renovations I’d completed. I’d painted the walls on two sides in a sandy beige, and the other two—including the one where the staircase was—a light salmon. Hanging from the high ceiling was a vintage cast-iron, mission-style chandelier that had been electrified.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Cash smiled as he plucked his hat off and hung it on one of the hall tree hooks. He held up a large take-out bag. “I called in our order as soon as I was released from the scene. I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you.”
I slipped an arm around his waist and gave him a quick, but thorough kiss. When I drew away, I took the bag from his hands.
“You know what I like.” I chuckled. “Besides, since we haven’t been able to get near the place yet, I wouldn’t have any idea what they have.”
Cash trailed behind me as I made my way to the kitchen, giving my butt a hearty pat as we traveled. “I’ll confess I over-ordered. I couldn’t make up my mind.”
“That’s perfect.” I grinned, placing the bag on the center island I’d installed. The kitchen was much roomier since I took out the breakfast nook and opened up the room. “Since you have two whole days off in a row, we’ll have plenty of leftovers. I refuse to leave this house for any reason.”
Cash grunted, leaning against the counter. “I doubt the sheep will appreciate that when it’s feeding time.”
I smirked. “You know what I mean. I consider the property to be part of the house.”
Cash winked. “Good. I was hoping we could wander around a bit, maybe take a picnic to that creek on the other end of your land.”
I drew my eyebrows together. “Our land.”
Cash averted his eyes and fiddled with the cuff of his shirt. “Sorry. Can’t get used to that.” He gave a small shrug, then lifted his gaze. “Someday, I want to do it proper.”
“Proper?” I tilted my head. “I mean, we could get you added to the deed. After all, you’ve helped finance several projects.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Like that extra fancy jet tub in the bathroom. That definitely hadn’t been in my original plans, although it’s gotten plenty of use.”
Cash pushed off the counter, his expression much too serious. He reached me in two short strides, pulling me into his arms. He took my mouth in a heated kiss, his sweaty musk and salty taste making me crave something other than curry. Right as I was starting to grind against him, he abruptly broke the kiss.
“Proper means will you marry me?”
I gasped. “We’ve never talked about that before.”
As always, I was the expert at stating the obvious.
