Stolen(77)

“Yes, I am. And this seems like a very suspicious time for you to propose.”

“Suspicious in what way? Since when did you become anti-marriage? You’re the one whose folks were happily married. I’m the one with the asshole father who led a double life and ruined my mother’s.” He realized he sounded as defensive as he felt.

“That’s what I mean about suspicious timing. You just delivered the news to your mother, today. Then you drop on one knee and tell me, in different words, but I can read the subtext, that you’re nothing like your father.”

“Because I’m not.” His hands fisted at his sides.

“I already know that, Spense. You don’t have to marry me to prove it. I believe in you. I believe in us. But this seems like a dare.”

“That’s nuts. Yes, I’ll admit my mother influenced me a little. She told me not to let you get away. But Caity, this ring has been burning a hole in my pocket since our very first case. The only reason I waited this long to ask you to marry me is because I was worried you’d think I was rushing into it. Then, after I talked with my mother, I realized that was wrong. Life is too short. I’m ready to marry you right now. Tonight if you want. To hell with timing and convention.”

“I think you’re daring yourself to get married. You want to prove to me and maybe to your mother that you really are the man you wish your father had been. But this won’t undo the past. You have nothing to prove. You are a better man than your father.” She stepped in and met his eyes. “I believe in you. I love you. And I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive Jack—for your own sake, because holding onto that anger is going to eat you alive.”

He could feel his brain starting to go fuzzy. “This has nothing to do with my father. I asked you to marry me because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be the mother of my children. And if you don’t believe that, then maybe you don’t really know me at all.”

“Spense, I love you, but . . . it’s a no . . . for now.”

“For now?” He could hear his voice rising. “A no is a no. This isn’t a standing invitation for whenever you get around to deciding. Either you love me, or you don’t. So I’m going to ask one last time, Caity. Will you or won’t you marry me?”

Her face went ashen. “Are you seriously giving me an ultimatum right now?”

He opened his mouth, but before he could reply, he heard the front door opening and footsteps coming down the hall.

The moms.

“Oh my stars!” The moms bolted in, all smiles. “Agatha forgot her glasses, is it official yet?”

Though he felt as if someone had reached inside his chest and yanked his heart out, he forced himself to smile a greeting at his mother and Arlene. Then he went and sat down at the table. “Not yet. Caity needs some time to think,” he said as calmly as pass the gravy.

“Well, that sounds reasonable to me.” Arlene put her arm protectively around her daughter.

“Of course it does,” his mother said. She pulled up a chair next to Spense. “Everyone sit down. I’ll be darned if we’re letting this expensive rib-roast go to waste.”





Chapter 40





Sunday, October 27

8:00 P.M.

Hostel Digs

Denver, Colorado



Yesterday, after Kourtney Kennedy had read her note on SLY news, Laura used her loaner tablet and the free Wi-Fi at the Digs to e-mail Dr. Caitlin Cassidy—and that had been no easy task. The wireless service at the Digs was not only slow, it was overburdened by too many users, which meant Laura had been kicked off the internet midtask on multiple occasions. It had taken her all afternoon to get Cayman’s passport pages and the fun-booth photo scanned in, and to complete sending the large files.

Today, the internet had gone down completely. Armed with the dates of her travels, she itched to complete an online search for the victims . . . but a blond wig was hardly sufficient disguise for a woman currently headlining every news show in the country.

The Digs were no longer a safe place for her.

She powered up her tablet, took a deep breath and tried once more to connect to the wireless. When the familiar “no signal” light appeared, a tear fell onto her loaner tablet. She slowly set it on the desk in her hostel room, feeling as though she’d just let go of a lifeline, and was now drifting further and further out to sea.

Laura had plenty of reason not to trust the authorities, but at the moment, she had no choice. Cassidy and Spenser seemed her only hope. If anyone was going to put things together, it would have to be them. She could only hope they were as clever as the news stories suggested, and as honest as her heart longed to believe.