wheel as if in thought. “Well, you’re going to have to wait because I only share that kind of information with the woman I’m going to marry.”
She felt herself flush. “I’m never sure what to believe with you.”
“Believe that this time,” he said, looking over at her, “I’m not letting you go.”
Charlie’s gaze locked with his for a moment. She felt such love that it brought tears to her eyes. Her heart drummed in her chest as a pleasurable warmth rushed along her veins. He had no idea how badly she wanted to believe that they were going to get a second chance.
* * *
AMANDA CAME RUNNING out of the hotel as they drove up—beating even the valet to Shep’s pickup, almost before he’d come to a stop. “Come on. You’re late. We have so much to go over.”
Charlie turned as if to say something to Shep but Amanda cut her off. “She’ll see you later. We have a lot of do and the day is more than half over.” She shoved a sheet of paper at him. “There are all the times and places where you need to be.” She practically dragged Charlie out of the truck.
“Your keys, sir?” the valet said and Shep handed them over. Getting out, he retrieved Charlie’s bag and his own and let the valet drive away before he walked through the hotel entrance.
Inside, he took a moment to look around...and realized he was looking for Lacey. He’d told himself that she couldn’t know about the wedding, that this weekend he didn’t have to worry, but he still did. Until she was caught, he would keep worrying.
His cell phone rang as he reached the reception desk. He saw it was Paul Wagner and stepped away to take the call. “Mr. Wagner.”
“Call me Paul,” the elderly man said. “After you left, I got to thinking. I was so sure my boys didn’t know those girls. Did you have a chance to talk to my stepsons?” Before Shep could answer, Wagner went on, “I found something. It’s a photograph from a box the boys left behind when they moved out. Figured I could store it better than them, I guess.” He grumbled under his breath for a moment. “Anyway, I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything. But it appears my boys knew one of them well enough to have their pictures taken with her. If you’d like to swing by.”
“I’m out of town. But are you telling me your stepsons knew Charlie or Lindy?”
“Not Charlie. At least she’s not in the photo. But I’m holding a picture of two of my stepsons posed in a photo with the blonde between them. They’re both grinning like they just scored a six-pack of Bud. I would imagine a friend took the photo. I can’t imagine the oldest, Allen, being involved in any tomfoolery. Like I said, I don’t think it means anything. But it might jar their memories, not that they probably can help much.”
Shep felt a small jolt. He hadn’t tried to call two of the stepsons back and they hadn’t returned his calls. He’d been thinking that once they found Lacey, they would have their killer. Now here was Paul Wagner giving him more suspects. Possibly. Just because the stepsons were photographed with Lindy, that didn’t mean one of them had anything to do with her death. The photo could have been a one-off.
Still... “Is there any way you could text me the photo?”
Wagner’s laugh was high and shrill. “Text? I might be able to take a photo of the snapshot and email it. I’ll give that a try. If I fail, maybe I could get my neighbor to help. She’s much more techie than I am.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He gave Wagner his email address, disconnected and walked back over to the registration desk to check in. As he got his key, leaving Charlie’s for her at the desk in case he missed catching up to her, he wondered where she was right now. Heading for the elevator, he thought he’d drop off the bags and find her.
He couldn’t shake the bad feeling he’d had since Wagner’s call. What if Lindy’s killer wasn’t Lacey? What if it was someone that Shep wouldn’t even recognize if he passed him in the hotel hallway—and neither would Charlie?
More than ever he wanted to see the photograph of the man’s stepsons and Lindy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“I’M SURE it’s just cold feet,” Charlie said not for the first time as she poured them