Falling in Love Again: A Valentine's Day Proposal

Okay, so he hasn’t immediately shut me down, that’s a good thing. Lee is willing to help me out which is perfect. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him. I rub my forehead hard and try to remember everything in order. I reel off all that I can remember about the night, about the crime, about the man who committed it. I don’t know if it’s going to be enough, but it will have to do for now. I hope Lee can use it.

I even let him know that Raelyn is pretty sure that she saw him hanging around the police station today, because that might be a great way to find him. Especially if all else fails.

“Right okay,” Lee concludes. “I’m not going to make any promises, but I will see what I can find out about that. If I can discover the identity of the killer and everything there is to know about him, then we can make a plan from there. For now, I suggest you just stay under the radar and play it safe.”

He hasn’t told me to go straight to the police either, which just confirms that Raelyn and I have done the right thing. “Thanks, Lee, I really appreciate it, which obviously payment will show.”

“I’ll speak to you soon, Carter. As soon as I have anything for you.”

I blow out a breath of relieved air, nodding to myself. This is good, really g

ood. I feel much better letting Lee in on this secret to get his assistance. He’s far more capable than anyone else I know.

“I have someone on the case,” I tell Raelyn quietly as I head back in to the living room. “Someone who knows what they are doing. He will find everything out, and we can go from there.”

“What does your friend think that we should do for now?”

“Just wait it out. Don’t do anything rash. Don’t go to the police yet.”

“Wait here then. Hide out until further notice.”

“Pretty much.” I love the smile on her face as I say that. “I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather be stuck indoors with.” I sit beside her on the couch. “We can make the best of a bad situation, right?”

“You have plenty of security?” I nod. “Okay, then let’s do it.”

I flick the television on and find a movie for us to watch. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t think Raelyn is too bothered either. We sit together and snuggle in, trying our hardest to forget about what’s going on. As her head nestles against me, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to us when all of this is over. It’s pushed us together, probably much quicker than we would have normally.

I hope we don’t end up pushed apart at the end of it.

28

Raelyn

It’s sorted. A warm glow surrounds me as I take that in. Not sorted forever, but for now.

I know this will come back around, I’m very aware that we’re going to end up in trouble once more, but it’s nice to know that we have a night off. I’ve been worried and stressed all day. I almost reached the peak of my stress when I thought that Abbi wasn’t going to take me away from the police station. I was so scared that she was going to force me right into the lion’s mouth, but thankfully she ended up respecting my decision.

I lean in closer to Carter, loving the way the heat of his body shrouds me. It feels amazing. It highlights his strength, his power, the way that he’s protecting me. I adore him more and more by the minute…

I might actually be falling for him. Really falling for him. I’m not just talking about liking him a lot. I’m talking about loving him. I never thought that I would end up here, falling for this man, yet here I am. My heart sings for him, my whole body reacts in a very strong way, in this moment I could see it lasting forever.

The man from work… the man who is definitely wrong for me in every single way. The complicated situation that doesn’t just risk my heart, but risks my business as well. There are so many reasons why my feelings shouldn’t end up here, but they are anyway. Completely out of my control.

Carter just isn’t what he seems. He isn’t this gruff man who hates women and responds to anything with rudeness. He isn’t closed off and nasty, ruthless to the end, that’s just a front that he puts up. A front that he’s developed because he has been badly hurt in the past. Hurt badly by his ex-wife. Actually, he’s a really nice person with a good heart and a protective spirit. He’s someone that I can really respect.

Perhaps, despite everything, Carter Lace is everything I want and need.

Abbi was right, I think to myself with a secret smile. I hate it but she was.

When she isn’t so mad at me, I will tell her. That will make her laugh. This might not be a typical rom com style romance, but in a way, it is just as she said it would be. I wanted to swear off dating and I ended up falling for someone. The person who I least thought I would in the whole entire world.

I wonder what Mom will think of him, I ask myself idly. Once all of this danger is out the way.

I already met Carter’s mother and she seemed to like me a lot. Of course, that wasn’t in a romantic capacity, that was just as a business partner, but I have a feeling that she wouldn’t be mad about it…

“What are you thinking?” Carter asks, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Oh, nothing in particular.” There’s no way I can tell him the truth! He’ll think that I’m insane for dreaming about our potential future when we’re in the middle of this chaos. “Just watching the movie.”