“Let’s use the old Western Boulevard gates.”
“I knew I was getting involved with a rebel.” As they walked, he shot her a sidelong glance. “About getting involved... Is today bad timing? We said we’d talk some more once you were sure my head was mended.”
She laughed. “I’m satisfied that your head is in working order.”
“Good.”
When he didn’t say anything else, she looked at him in bemusement. They reached the gates and called the dogs over. Spencer wrinkled his nose.
“Seriously, Boris. When you decided to stage a rebellion, did it have to be a stinky one?” He groaned as a thought struck him. “We still have to get fertilizer boy here home in the car.”
“Deep breath in, hold it, exhale through the mouth,” Katrina advised. “I’ve traveled with a lot of smelly dogs.”
By the time they’d gotten home, bathed Boris, fed all three dogs and eaten dinner, it was late. Katrina was ready to curl up in front of the TV, but when she reached for the remote, Spencer halted her with a hand on her arm. “I want to talk to you, remember?”
The look in his eyes was so intense it made her throat constrict. “Okay.”
“I’ve thought of a dozen different ways to say this and none of them sound right, so I’m just going to talk and see where it takes me.” He took her hands in both of his. “I was in a dark place when we met. I’d been there for a long time. Then you came along, and you showed me that I didn’t have to be scared. It took me a while to admit it, but you had me completely almost from the moment I saw you. I love you, Katrina. I need your hand in my hand, your lips on mine, your body next to me at night—” He broke off as his voice started to shake.
“Spencer, it’s okay. I get it. I didn’t know I was lonely until I found you to make my life complete,” Katrina said. “I thought I could hide behind my fears and pretend I didn’t need another person at my side but when I’m with you, I feel at peace. I’ve learned to trust you, but loving you came naturally.”
“And I know that love requires risk, but I’m happy to take chances if that means I have you next to me from now on.” He kissed her. “I thought it might be too soon, but we’ve been through so much together, I know we can face anything. Will you marry me, Katrina?”
She caught her breath, stunned at the sheer rightness of the unexpected question. “Yes, Spencer. I would love to marry you.”
“Even though you said you were glad you’re not a Colton?” His smile was teasing.
“For you, I’ll live with it.”
He crushed her to his chest in a tight embrace. “And you know what one of the best things is? I get part ownership of two cute dogs.”
She rested her head against his chest with a groan. “And I get a share in a stinky one.”
* * *
The following morning, Spencer was planning to go to the AAG ranch to interview Micheline Anderson about Kenyon Latimer. It signaled the start of his phased return to duty.
He was still undecided about the role the AAG and its leader had played in Eliza’s death and the threats against Katrina, but he felt the matter required further investigation.
Just as he was about to leave the house, his cell phone buzzed. He frowned as he saw the name on the display. Holden St. Clair was his former army buddy who was now an FBI agent. Spencer couldn’t remember the last time they’d spoken.
“Holden? It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. You know how it is. I’ve been meaning to call you, but things have been busy. I’ve been working on the beauty-pageant killings,” Holden said.
“I’ve been hearing about that. It sounds nasty.”
“Yes. Two contestants have been killed in the past month in two Arizona counties. The Ms. Mustang Valley Pageant is the only one taking place in July and I have a bad feeling about it. The killer may be in town, or on his way there, waiting to strike. That’s the reason I’m calling. I’ll be in Mustang Valley working undercover at the pageant next month.”
Spencer frowned. A killer at a beauty pageant? It was the last thing the town needed with everything else that was going on. “You can count on me and my team to be available if you need us.”
He ended the call to Holden and headed out to his car. Katrina had returned to work that day and they planned to go shopping for a ring on the following weekend. Everything in their personal life was perfect.
Professionally, there were still so many loose ends. They were no closer to discovering who had shot Payne Colton, or who had hired Harley Watts to send the email to the Colton Oil board members. And one of Spencer’s biggest concerns was the way the AAG appeared to be involved whenever there was a problem. But was that true, or was he just seeing trouble where there wasn’t any?
When he arrived at the AAG Center, he was immediately enveloped in the calm atmosphere. Micheline Anderson was a talented lady who knew how to use her skills to create a haven for people to feel wanted. The fact that she had turned this skill into a successful business was to her credit.
When Spencer entered the lobby, Leigh Dennings was waiting for him with her pretty smile already pinned in place. “Micheline is in her office.”