kiss of gratitude, but as soon as her lips touched his, his arms enveloped her once more.
When he let go of her, she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. “As much as I would enjoy kissing you all night, there’s something I want to show you.” She stepped out of his hold and took him by the hand. She led him through the kitchen, laying the roses on the table as they passed by, and took him out the back door to the deck and the garden.
“Is that ribs I smell?” Colin asked, craning his neck as he glanced back toward the kitchen, while she pulled him out the door.
“Yes, but that’s not the best part.”
Holding her hand, he stood still, in quiet awe, gazing across the garden. “Oh, Emily, this is beautiful.” He slowly looked around at all she had done. The table was set for dining, with candles lit, and the garden sparkled with twinkling lights. “You’ve never brought me out here before.”
“You’re right, I haven’t. I couldn’t before. But now, well, I thought it was time.”
“You even put some lights on the gazebo.” He gazed down at her with a glint of recognition in his eyes, and she was certain he understood what she meant by that gesture.
“I see you decided to get a man instead of a dog to protect you, Emily.” Mr. Cooke, her neighbor, was peeking over the fence at them. “That’ll keep those peeping Toms away.”
“What peeping Toms?” Colin asked, glancing from Mr. Cooke to Emily.
“Thank you, Mr. Cooke, for watching out for me. Now, go and have a good evening.”
“It is going to be a pleasant night tonight,” the elderly man replied, glancing up at the sky.
“No, really, go.”
“Emily,” Colin lightly scolded.
“I can take a hint, young lady.” The neighbor chuckled. The sound of the door closing told them he went back inside his house.
“What did he mean about the peeping Tom?”
“You know how someone has gotten into my house a couple of times, looking for something related to Evan’s death? At least that’s what I believe it is.”
“Yes.” Colin crossed his arms as he stared into Emily’s face, apparently waiting for the rest of the story.
“My neighbor saw some guy peeking into my windows one morning and he yelled at him and scared him off. That’s all.”
“That’s all? You say it like it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, but I didn’t want you turning it into a big deal, especially since there wasn’t a thing you could do but worry from so far away.”
He gathered her in his arms. “Well, I’m not in California now.” He kissed her neck and leaned his cheek against her temple. “We’re going to figure out who this character is and put a stop to him.”
“Mr. Cooke saw the guy get away in a black car with Virginia plates, which Isabel and I think must belong to our mysterious FBI guy, Jethro.” Emily told Colin about Isabel’s lunch with Jethro that day and how she was able to stick a tracking device on his car while they were in the restaurant.
“Have you been tracking his movements since this afternoon?”
“Yes, but he went straight home.” Emily leaned her head on his shoulder, but pulled it away as she remembered having seen Jethro after that. “Well, that is, until right before you got here. I did see a black BMW on the street when I peeked out the front window, looking for you. I’m pretty sure it was him.”
“But you didn’t see if the tracker showed it was him?”
“No. I’ve been so busy getting everything ready for this evening, then you showed up. You know, this didn’t all happen on its own.” She gestured toward the deck and garden with a sweep of her hand.
“It looks wonderful, Emily, and I appreciate it, but we will have to check that tracker.”
She nodded her agreement. “Later.”
His lips turned up in a mischievous smile as he snaked a hand around her waist and planted another kiss on her lips. “By the way, did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?”
“No.” She dipped her chin and looked up at him through her lashes.
“Well, you do. I can’t take my eyes off of you, Babe, or my hands.” He pulled her into another passionate embrace, standing in the faint glow of the tiny lights and the sun setting at twilight. He kissed her so deeply her knees went weak.
A loud blast emanated from the kitchen, sounding like a small bomb going off.