Epilogue
It was Saturday, a sunny September morning with only a slight breeze blowing in off the Puget Sound.
Ethan sat on the comfortable overstuffed sofa in Val’s cozy living room.
He’d been staying there since he’d been released from the hospital.
Val had insisted he needed her help to mend. He wasn’t about to argue.
Even after he’d gone back to work, neither of them had wanted to end the arrangement. Two weeks ago, he’d given up the lease on his apartment, making their living together official.
Ethan still hadn’t asked Val to marry him.
Not yet. It had taken all his willpower to keep his mouth shut, but he wanted to be absolutely certain she’d say yes.
He understood her misgivings about the kind of work he did, knew she wasn’t crazy about marrying a guy who carried a gun.
Being shot hadn’t exactly helped matters.
They had talked about it, though, which was a major step. She knew how important his job was to him, knew she had to accept what he did for a living if they were going to make it work.
He’d promised her from now on he would try to take cases that wouldn’t get him shot or killed, couldn’t believe she actually seemed satisfied with that.
Val was working part-time at the animal clinic and had started back to school. She was busy and so was he, but they still managed to have plenty of time for each other.
Ethan looked over to where she sat on the floor playing dolls with Hannah.
Snoozie curled in the sunshine a few feet away.
Val didn’t have much family, just Mom and Pops.
He’d met them at the hospital, then again at their small family farm.
He thought they were great. Fortunately, they seemed to like him, too.
Val laughed at something, and Hannah giggled. Val didn’t have much experience with kids, but during his stay in the hospital, she and Hannah seemed to have bonded.
Val helped the little girl dress her Barbie doll in some kind of long sequined gown that reminded him of the dress she had worn on the local morning news and the hot sex they’d had later.
Ethan felt a jolt of heat and found himself smiling.
It had been seven weeks since the shooting. The case was wrapped up good and tight, everyone rounded up and sitting in jail for a list of crimes a foot long. Everyone but Stern, who had died in his house that day.
Bick Gallagher, aka Ray Bickford, had turned state’s evidence and rolled on his former lover, Myra Latham Stern; her twin brother, Peter Latham; and his wife, Alessandra, also neck deep in the diamond smuggling operation. Julian Latham was a major player, now locked away.
Because the case involved international crime, they were all considered flight risks, so none had been granted bail.
Ethan hoped they all rotted in prison.
On the home front, Pete was healing, doing occasional work for BOSS, Inc.
Allison had fought the DUI charge, which turned out to be her second.
With the help of an expensive lawyer her daddy paid for, she’d managed to get off with three months’ probation, rehab classes, and two hundred hours of community service.
Not wanting more trouble, Ally had agreed to full joint custody of Hannah, which included a visitation schedule that gave Ethan plenty of time with his daughter. No way would Allison be giving him any more hassles.
Leaving Hannah to play with her doll, Val wandered over and sat down beside him on the sofa. Ethan gently brushed a lock of golden hair off her cheek. “You two having fun?”
She gazed down at Hannah. “I had a great childhood, but all the bad stuff later kind of blocked it out. It’s fun playing with Hannah.”
He chuckled.
She lifted his T-shirt to check out the scar on his side. “It’s looking better all the time. I think your doctor wanted to keep you looking pretty.”
“Looking sexy, you mean.”
She laughed. “You know . . . I never asked you how you got that other sexy scar on your shoulder.”
Ethan managed to smile. “I never told you?”
“No.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I fell off my trike when I was a kid.” No way was he telling her it was another bullet hole. He was still on shaky ground as it was.
“I see . . .” But she didn’t look convinced. “So when are you going to ask me to marry you?”
He grinned. God, he loved her. “You sure you’re ready to say yes?”
She smiled. “More than ready.”
“Will you marry me?”
Val grinned so big her dimples popped out. “I’ll think about it,” she said.