Chapter 43
GRAE
Caden tugged me away from the fridge and into his arms.
“Hey,” I protested. “I need to make us breakfast. I thought you were starving.”
He grinned as he lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my ring. “Just needed a good morning.”
I stared at the diamond catching the light and throwing a series of rainbows around the kitchen. The ring was absolutely breathtaking, and I loved that it had carried his grandparents through over sixty years of marriage.
I brushed my lips across Caden’s. “Pretty sure you already said good morning twice and then a third time in the shower.”
He chuckled. “Better do it a fourth time just to make sure—”
His phone rang, cutting him off. Caden cursed. “Cockblock.”
I laughed. “Might be a good thing. Wouldn’t want either of us to pull a muscle.”
Caden shook his head as he moved to answer his cell. “We’re going to have to start a training regimen.”
I choked on a laugh as he pressed the phone to his ear.
“Caden.”
There was a pause.
“Sure, she can come through. Just give her a map to my place.”
I glanced at Caden in question as he ended the call. “Who?”
“Aspen. She probably wants to check on you.”
Guilt pricked at me. “I should’ve texted and let her know I was all right.”
Caden brushed his lips across mine. “You’ve had a lot going on. I bet Maddie brought her up to speed.”
I nodded, letting myself melt into his hold. “Things are going to be crazy for a while.”
“They will. But we’ll handle it together.”
“I like the sound of that.”
The doorbell rang, and Caden released me. “I’ll get it.”
I busied myself with making coffee as if that would somehow normalize things. Muted voices sounded from the front of the house, and then I heard footsteps. A second later, Aspen appeared. Her skin was even paler than usual, and worry lined her face. “Grae…you’re okay?”
I hurried toward my friend and pulled her into a hug. “I’m totally fine.”
I met Caden’s eyes over her shoulder, and we shared a concerned look. I gave Aspen one more squeeze and then released her.
“It was my day to take Cady and Charlie to camp. Lawson told me what happened when I picked up Charlie. I just needed to see with my own eyes that you were okay.”
“I am. I promise.”
Aspen’s gaze zeroed in on my throat, and she blanched. “I’m so sorry, G.”
I took her hand, squeezing hard. “It looks way worse than it is. I’ve always bruised super easily.”
That much was true. Thankfully, my voice was mostly back to normal.
“They arrested him?” Aspen pressed.
I nodded. “He’s in jail.”
Though I didn’t know for how long. Gabe had all the money in the world for a good lawyer. The thought made me shiver. At least with Lawson and Nash working at the station, I’d get a heads-up if they released him on bail.
Aspen looked down at our joined hands, and her eyes widened. “Wait, is that…?” Her words trailed off as if she were scared to even say them.
I laughed. “It’s been a somewhat eventful twenty-four hours.”
A little of the tension running through Aspen melted away, and her eyes shone. “This is just the thing to soothe the hurts. I’m so happy for you.”
She pulled me into another hug.
“Thanks,” I mumbled into her hair.
Aspen straightened, released me, and tried to brush away the tears. “Here I am, barging in on you, and it’s the morning after you got engaged. I’ll just be on my way. But let me know if you need anything. I can bring over dinner or anything at all.”
“You don’t have to go,” I assured her.
Aspen shook her head, the tears still coming. “I need to get to work anyway. I’ll see you later.”
She scampered down the hall before Caden or I could stop her, and the door slammed in her wake.
I glanced at Caden. “That was extreme, right?”
He nodded, his brow furrowing. “She was jumpy at The Brew the other day, too. I wonder if something’s going on.”
I stared down the hallway. “I hope not.”
My phone rang on the kitchen island, and I crossed to it. Lawson’s name flashed on the screen. I picked it up and hit accept. “Hey.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good, actually.” I glanced down at the ring on my finger, smiling at everything it meant. But I wasn’t about to tell my brother over the phone. This was an in-person reveal.
“Good. Doc checked you out?”
“Last night. And I’m going back for a recheck tomorrow, but she wasn’t overly concerned about anything.”
Caden sent me a look that called bullshit. But I just rolled my eyes.
“No concussion?” Lawson pressed.
“She didn’t think so.”
“Okay, but Caden’s keeping an eye on you?”
I smiled down at the counter. “Yes, Caden’s taking good care of me.” I paused for a second, the smile slipping. “How are things at the station?”
Lawson knew what I was asking without me saying the words. “Caden there, too?”
“Yeah.”
“Put me on speaker. I can bring you both up to speed.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and hit the speaker icon. “Okay.”
“I’m not point on the case since you’re my sister, but I’ve had the team keep me up to date.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry you’re off the case.”
“I should’ve taken a step back before now, but I wanted to help.”
Caden wrapped an arm around me. “Tell me you’ve got him.”
“The evidence is piling up,” Lawson said. “The crime scene team has been going through all the evidence we have, and they found a timing device in a closet at Grae’s house.”
A muscle in Caden’s jaw ticked. “Meaning someone wouldn’t have had to be physically present to set a fire?”
“Correct.” Lawson blew out an audible breath. “And we’ve been working on a timeline for everything else. He doesn’t have an alibi for any of it.”
I looked up at Caden. “Not even his fiancée?”
“Nope. Seems she gives him a pretty long leash. Didn’t care if he didn’t come home as long as he paid the credit card bills,” Lawson grumbled.
Caden stared down at me. “I’m so sorry, Gigi.”
My fingers dug into his waist. “We’ve been over this. His actions aren’t on you.”
“She’s right,” Lawson agreed. “You’ve been hurt by Gabe’s actions just as much. Now you have to take the time to put the betrayal behind you and heal.”
Lawson was speaking from an experience that had marked him, but I wasn’t sure he’d ever fully healed. I just hoped Caden could.
I stretched up onto my tiptoes and kissed him. “It’s you and me. Remember what we’re building.”
Caden’s eyes softened, and he wrapped his other arm around me. “You and me.”
Lawson coughed. “Please don’t start making out. I’ve been through enough in the past twenty-four hours.”
I choked on a laugh. “Then get off the phone so you don’t have to hear it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Can you come down to the station to give a more formal statement this afternoon?”
“No problem.”
“Thank you. Love you, G,” Lawson said, his voice gruff.
“Love you, too.” I clicked off and stared up at Caden.
“You okay?”
He nodded. “I need to go talk to my parents.”
I hated that he did but knew it would be better to get it over with. “Do you want me to come with you?”
Caden shook his head. “I’ll make it as quick as possible, and then we can go pick up some breakfast.”
“I’ll be here waiting.”
He kissed me long and slow, the kind that reminded me what we were fighting for. “Love you, Gigi.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”
Caden kissed the tip of my nose. “I’ll remember that.”
I slipped out of his hold. “Go before I make you stay.”
“Okay.” Caden grabbed his keys and headed down the hallway. “Lock the door behind me and set the alarm.”
I almost argued with him that we didn’t need to worry about that anymore, but with everything Caden had been through lately, I simply followed him to the door.
“I won’t be long,” he said as he headed down the walk.
“Take all the time you need,” I called.
As Caden slid into his SUV, I closed the door and locked it. Then I set the alarm. I made my way back to the kitchen, and as my ring caught the light, I smiled, my insides warming. Caden Shaw was going to be my husband.
I let out a full-blown, giddy squeal and then dissolved into laughter. Then I decided to make chocolate chip muffins. I set to work pulling ingredients from the pantry, humming while I did so.
Just as I opened the fridge, the doorbell rang. I closed the door and headed down the hallway. Peeking through the peephole, I grinned at the familiar face and disarmed the alarm.
I opened the door to the morning sunshine. “Hey—”
I didn’t get another word out because something hit me in the middle. Blinding pain ricocheted through me, making my muscles spasm and then give out altogether. I crumpled to the floor, and as darkness closed in around me, it was Caden’s name on my lips.