Hold Me Close (Ryker Falls #5) - Wendy Vella Page 0,88

pretty. Plus, your daughters didn’t win, so your plans are toast anyway.”

Mary Howard spluttered, protested, but gave in ungracefully.

Fin looked around at their friends who were all reliving the game. Hands were gesturing, voices raised. Around them was noise coming from every corner. But he only saw Maggie.

Turning her in his arms, he thought, why not? and kissed her long and slow right there in front of the entire town of Ryker Falls.

“My heart is broken,” he heard Mrs. L cackle.

Chapter 36

They drank cups of mulled wine or hot spiced lattes. Ate food from the stalls and enjoyed the revelry, and Maggie did it all with Fin a few inches away.

He loved her.

“You okay?” Fin looked down at her.

“How could I not be okay?”

“True that. Just checking.” He kissed her softly. “This love stuff is new to me, so I may ask that a few more times, and it’s all good if you do the same.”

“You okay?” She kissed him back.

“Peachy.” He smiled. “I’ll be back soon; don’t go anywhere.”

She watched him walk away and knew she had a silly smile on her face.

“Remember when we used to do stuff like that in public, sweetheart?” Joe said to Bailey. In his arms was Benjamin, who was eating a candy stick. “Smile so sweetly it makes your teeth hurt just watching?”

“I remember.” Bailey sighed. “It was when we had uninterrupted sleep, right?”

“Right,” Joe agreed. “But seriously, you two look good together now you’ve wised up, Maggs.”

Maggie dug about in her pockets for a tissue. Fin’s declaration of love had made her weepy. Feeling the note she’d put in there at the gallery earlier, Maggs remembered she needed to get it to Chief Blake.

“Tell Fin I’ll be back in a minute,” she said to Joe.

“Where are you going?”

“I just need to give Chief Blake something.” Maggie left Joe’s bar and found Bas outside the doors.

“Hey, Bas, nice eye.”

“It’ll get me lots of love and care at home, so I don’t feel too bad about it, but don’t tell Joe. He’s giving me free food and drink.”

“Your secret is safe with me. You seen Chief Blake?”

“He muttered something about teens giving him grief and headed in that direction.” Bas pointed down the main street.

Following the direction of his finger, she walked. She was so damned happy, she could sing, which said a great deal as her singing was at best terrible.

Fin loved her, and for now that was enough. They had things to sort out and would, but today she could bask in the fact she’d given her heart to him, and he’d given his to her. Smiling, she did a little skip.

Findlay Hudson was her man.

The street had opened to cars now, but she knew there would be celebrations long into the night. Picking up the pace so she could get back to Fin, Maggie hurried past people who wanted to stop and chat. She ran across the street. Maybe Chief Blake had returned to the station.

The sound of a bottle smashing had her slipping between two shops. Chances were it could be teenagers, and that meant Chief Blake could be there. Slowing at the end of the alley, she walked the last few feet softly, not wanting to alert anyone she was there. If Chief Blake was dealing with unruly teens, she didn’t want to distract him. But she did want to get this information to him ASAP.

“She knows nothing. They’re initials.”

“She knows something, I saw it in her eyes.”

Maggie froze at the words, sure that was Linda Foster’s voice.

“We have to stay calm. Nothing has incriminated us so far, and that’s not changing because of your note.”

Noel Linbar was talking to her; Maggie was sure of that too.

“No one knows my middle initials, and my parents are too consumed with Simon’s body being found to mention it. Nothing and no one can link us to his death. Stop panicking, Linda.”

“You said you looked for Simon’s wallet before you buried him.”

“I did, but I was in a hurry for obvious reasons. I must have missed it. Some animal then carted it down the mountain with that femur is my guess.”

“It’s turned into a nightmare.” Maggie could hear the panic in Linda’s voice.

“We just act normal and it will all go away. Maggie Winter has not connected you to the handwriting and won’t.”

Dear God! She edged back a step, slowly working her way out of the lane, looking down to make sure she didn’t tread on anything. She had to speak with