she investigated her husband’s murder. With mistrust running rampant, a dark cloud settled over her desire to completely allow herself to trust him.
As she uncovered more facts about her late husband, Emily questioned her own judgment. If Evan was not who he had led her to believe he was, how could she know for certain that Colin was who he claimed to be?
She had wanted to trust Colin fully, give him her whole heart, but she was not convinced until the previous night, at his going-away party, that he was who he claimed to be. Her conversation with Ernie, the Paradise Valley police officer who had known Colin his whole life, had put her suspicions to rest and set her free to love Colin without reservation.
As he sat across the table from her, Colin’s questioning stare was unrelenting. She had to tell him something.
“I knew early on that I was falling for you, but I suppose it wasn’t until you first left to go back to San Francisco that I felt this enormous, gaping hole in my heart—and in my life. I knew then that I didn’t want to live without you.”
A satisfied smile spread across his face and he reached over and laid his hand on hers. “I’m sorry this visit has been so short and that I need to get back, but you have to know I feel the same way. It’s agony being away from you.”
“That’s a good word for it—agony.” Emily smiled weakly, willing back the tears again.
He waved at the waitress to bring their bill.
~*~
Colin drove her back to her home in the charming older part of town and walked her up to her front porch to say their reluctant good-byes. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close, studying her striking turquoise eyes and her rosy lips, not knowing when he would see them again.
“Don’t cry, Emily. I’ll be back before you know it.” He wiped a tear from her cheek and pushed a golden curl back from her face.
“Promise?” Her watery eyes looked into his. “San Francisco is such a long way away.”
“But I didn’t leave my heart in San Francisco, Emily, like the song says. My heart is in Paradise Valley, with you.” He kissed her deeply and fervently, as if it might be their last.
They were both very aware that life can be fragile and no one is promised tomorrow.
~*~
Before leaving, Colin agreed to phone her while he was on the road and also to let her know when he arrived at his folks’ house. “And please, Emily, keep your doors and windows locked.”
“I will,” she assured him.
“And remember that black sedan that’s been tailing you—keep your eyes open. We still have no idea who it could be.”
“I will, I promise.”
“Call Ernie, or my friend Decker at the Boise PD, if you need anything.”
“Yes, yes, I will.”
“Call me if—”
“Please, don’t worry about me, Colin. I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl—I can take care of myself. Remember? I’m a pistol-packing—”
“Smokin’ hot lady PI. I know. I know. But I can’t help but worry about you, Babe.” Being protective was in his blood. Colin had once been a marine and then he had been a policeman in San Francisco, rising to lead police detective for five years before moving to Paradise Valley. Taking over as their new police detective had been a fresh start for him, and an opportunity to heal from the loss of his fiancée.
“I know. I’ll call you if anything happens,” she promised. “You need to get going.”
“All right, but make sure you call me.”
She waved as he drove away in his red Jeep, doing her best to keep a brave smile spread across her lips. Once he had gone, she wiped a couple of tears from her cheek.
During their last morning together, she hadn’t wanted to remind Colin about the suspicious black sedan or that someone had broken into her house a couple of times searching for something. She knew it would only cause him to worry. Still, with no mention of it from her, he didn’t seem to be able to leave without warning her again.
Emily wished she knew what her stalker was after. All she could do was speculate that it had something to do with Evan and the surprising things she had recently uncovered about him, particularly the suspicious handgun, a Beretta pistol, she had found hidden in his secret safe deposit box.
Sadly, she watched as Colin drove out of sight. She