Page 126 of Mistletoe and Malice
“Mr. Everett thinks so. Quite the roller coaster for him. Relieved to know Shane will be getting out as soon as all the paperwork goes through—since the DA’s filing it himself—butgrief-stricken his other son killed an innocent girl out of revenge. Told John he feels responsible.”
“That’s not true.”
“Not a bit. After our interview with them, John checked the court records from twenty, thirty years ago. Mr. Everett filed several times to get Warren, but the judge never awarded him full custody.”
“So sad.”
“Speaking of the mother, they’re reopening her death investigation. To see if it truly was a suicide or if Warren might have had a hand in it. Apparently, several people reported doubts about the suicide ruling at the time, but the police didn’t agree.”
Riley shook her head. “His mother, Cait, Shane, his girlfriend, Terence. And me. He considers anybody expendable if they get in the way of his agenda. That’s some kind of evil.”
A true statement. They’d all breathed a sigh of relief when he agreed to the plea deal. His confession in exchange for life without parole. No death penalty, but at least he’d never be free to harm another person.
Riley sighed. “I hope John’s getting some sleep after working all night and today.”
“I’m sure he is. He left when I did, and we were both going straight home.”
After all the drama, the Petersen folks packed up the control center while the police worked the crime scene in the lobby and outside, where it all ended. Once Tech Ops shut down, he joined Riley in the ballroom, as did Nowell, Trevor, Paul, and several other Petersen personnel, ready to celebrate the successful end of the operation. The law enforcement guys acting as waiters, valets, and the photographer stuck around too. Said a lot about them that they finished out the party in their designated roles instead of leaving the staff shorthanded.
After leaving Avery with a New Year’s kiss, John had to report to the precinct to process Everett, who was under arrest even while being treated for his wounds. Colton joined him after seeing Riley home just before dawn, bringing breakfast he’d picked up on the way. By the time John had completed his interrogation that afternoon, they’d both been about to drop and left each other with a congratulatory handshake before heading home.
Riley laid her head on his shoulder again and snuggled in. “My girls were amazing last night. This morning. Whenever it was. God really blessed me with them.”
“Four peas in a pod.”
“Not the first time I’ve heard that.”
He put his cheek against her head and watched the flames lick the logs. He should probably put more on, but he didn’t want to get up, content right where he was.
“So, tell me. If you’re not going to have to work on the Everett appeals case, can you take some time off in the near future? Like, maybe a month?”
She pulled back and grinned at him. “To go golfing in Arizona?”
“Actually, I was thinking Hawaii.”
“Hawaii? I’d love that.”
“I can get a place there for a few weeks, say, around April? May? A friend of mine has a bungalow on Kauai, and I’ve used it several times to get away. Very secluded. Right on the beach. Very romantic.”
“Sounds wonderful. Two bedrooms?”
“No, but I think I have it covered. I figured we’d need at least a couple of months to plan a proper wedding, after all.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that a proposal?”
“Maybe not the most romantic one, but yes. If you’ll have me.”
“You want to marry me?”
He chuckled. “I thought that much was pretty clear.”
“Boy, when you make up your mind, you really make up your mind.”
“Having second thoughts?” His teasing grin belied the knot in his stomach. She’d said she was in love with him, but marriage was a whole different game.
“No. I want to be with you. I just need to know you’re absolutely sure. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
“I’ll sign anything you want me to or your family asks me to. This has nothing to do with your money.”
