Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies (21 page)

I closed my eyes again and focused on his death, preparing myself for the worst. I found myself plunged into the scene. I was in Mason’s car, parked in front of his mother’s house. The hands that opened the door were his. As I climbed out, a wave of overwhelming grief hit me. Before I could focus on that, another vehicle pulled up beside me. I heard several pops, and then I was plunged into darkness.

When I roused from the vision, I was back in Mason’s arms.

My eyes flew open. “You’re murdered outside your mother’s house.”

His hold on me tightened. “What did you see?”

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath. I’d just experienced Mason’s death. Tears bubbled up, but I stuffed them back down. I couldn’t afford to let myself cry. I needed to focus on saving him.

I parted my lips, about to tell him what I’d seen, but something tripped me up. What had upset Mason in the vision? Could he have just found out about my role in the crime world? If I told Mason about the weird wave of grief, he’d probably figure it involved me. Then he’d focus on keeping me safe rather than protecting himself. “Umm … it was a very short vision. It was night and you were in your car outside your momma’s house. You’d just gotten out, and a car drove past. I heard several popping sounds, and then there was nothing.”

“So I was shot.”

I looked in his face, horror washing over me. “How can you say that so matter-of-factly?”

He gave me a weak smile. “I’m not going to lie to you. Hearing about my death freaks me out. But we need to focus on averting it, right?”

I nodded, trying to get a grip on my emotions. “Yeah. Obviously you should stay away from your mother’s house at night, but how else do we stop them?”

He was still for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“You should run away, Mason. Go somewhere far away, where you’re safe from all of this.”

“And leave you here to face this alone?” he asked, sounding incredulous and hurt. “Do you really think I’d do such a thing?”

“No,” I said softly, reaching my free hand out to touch his cheek. His warm skin was a sharp contrast to my cold hand. “But I had to try. I don’t know what I’ll do if …”

He gave me a tight smile. “We’ll stop it, okay? Trust me, I don’t have a death wish. I want to grow old and gray with you.” His smile became more genuine. “I have plans for us.”

I reached up and kissed him, our emotions pouring into our kiss, then I leaned back and stared into his eyes. “I think we should stay home. We can stay dressed up, but I can cook, and we can just have our date here.”

He shook his head. “No. I really want to take you out, and besides, we’ll be in a public place. In fact, we might be safer at Jaspers than we are here at the farm.”

“That’s a comforting thought.”

“The truth of the matter is, if someone wants to kill me, they’re going to try, as evidenced by your vision. Short of going into witness protection, there’s not much I can do beyond being as careful—and as prepared—as possible.”

“Maybe we should hire a bodyguard for you.”

“That sort of thing is expensive. But if we don’t make more progress in the next day or so, I think I’ll hire someone to at least watch us at night while we sleep.” He held me close. “If it makes you feel better, maybe I’ll see if Randy is willing to come and act as my bodyguard tonight.” He grinned. “I’ll pay for his dinner. I bet he won’t turn me down.”

“Will he sit with us?” I teased.

“No.” He looked mischievous. “Most definitely not.” When I hesitated, he added, “But if you would rather stay here, I understand. I want you to be comfortable.”

“Let’s go. I hate that other people have so much control over our lives. This can be us saying we’re gonna live our lives no matter who’s threatening us.”

He stood and pulled me to my feet. “Good. I feel the same way. I’ll go call Randy to make sure he’s up for it. Then place a call to the detective.”

“Okay.”

He leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss that had the potential to lead to more. But he lifted his head and smiled softly. “We’ll save that for later. I have plans for you first.”

J
aspers wasn’t very crowded
on a Wednesday night, so Mason had no problem getting a table for Randy, who had jumped at the chance to play bodyguard. He’d even offered to do it without having his dinner comped.

He met us in the lobby, wearing dress pants and a shirt and tie. I smiled and tilted my head. “Why, Randy Miller, you clean up quite nicely. Still no girlfriend?”

His face turned pink. “No, ma’am.”

“We’ll have to work on that. Maybe you should go hang out in the bar later. As handsome as you look, I’m sure you’ll catch some lovely woman’s attention.”

He turned even redder.

“Rose,” Mason said with a laugh. “The goal is for Randy to be looking for danger, not his next date.”

I feigned a haughty look. “Haven’t you ever heard of killin’ two birds with one stone? If he’s lookin’ around the place anyway, he might as well be checkin’ out the single women too.”

Randy seemed to have recovered. “Mr. Deveraux, I wouldn’t compromise your safety by checkin’ out women.”

“I know you wouldn’t, Randy,” Mason said. “But Rose does have a point. If I anticipated any serious trouble, we wouldn’t be here. You’re just a precaution.”

The hostess called our names and led all three of us back into the dining room. She sat Mason and me in a dark corner table lit by candlelight, and placed Randy several tables away. His back was to the wall, and he could see the entrance as well as the hall that led to the kitchen, bathrooms, and bar. It was perfect.

Randy took his seat, ignoring us, while Mason helped me remove my coat and then pulled out my chair. It amazed me how we were still able to find these pockets of peace and joy amidst the misery and chaos that had swirled around us for months.

The waitress came over and introduced herself while pouring our water. Mason ordered a bottle of wine before she walked away.

He reached across the table and curled his fingers over mine. “Tonight, let’s not talk about Kate, Joe, J.R. Simmons, or me losing my job.”

“Or my arrest or my business. Not even my sister or Neely Kate.” Even though I was worried about her something fierce. “Tonight it’s only you and me.”

He lifted his water glass and held it up. “To you and me.”

I picked up my water and clicked it against his, my heart bursting with joy. We spent the next hour and a half enjoying a leisurely meal. We were just Mason and Rose, two people in love who wanted to spend our lives together, not Mason Deveraux, the former Fenton County ADA whose life was in danger, and Rose Gardner, who had been wrongly charged with orchestrating her mother’s murder. Or even the Lady in Black. Part of me had worried that when the craziness finally faded away, we’d be left with nothing. My experience with Joe and his secrets had scarred me. But tonight, as the rest of the world fell away, it was nice to feel this confirmation that we had a solid foundation and that the connection we shared was deep and strong.

After our dinner plates were cleared away, Mason insisted we order dessert, even though I protested I was too full. There was a strange look in the waitress’s eyes—almost like excitement. Were the desserts here really that good? “The special, Mr. Deveraux?”

He studied me for a second, then turned back to her. “Yes, please.”

While we waited, he glanced around the hall, an anxious look on his face.

I turned around to see what he was looking at, but there was nothing in particular there. “Are you okay?” I asked. “You seem on edge.”

His eyes widened slightly. “No.” He grabbed my hand and smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

But I could tell there was something amiss.

A minute later, the waitress returned with a bottle of champagne I hadn’t remembered Mason ordering and a tiny cake I knew Jaspers didn’t offer on the menu. The round cake was about six inches wide with white, sparkly frosting and tiny pink roses around the base. But it was what was in the center that took my breath away. More tiny pink roses surrounded a white gold engagement ring with a round diamond in the center and smaller diamonds on either side of the band.

Mason got out of his seat and knelt on one knee beside me. “Rose, I know this is terrible timing. I wanted to do this in the spring, at my uncle’s cabin when the dogwood and redbud trees are in bloom, but I didn’t want to wait.”

Tears shimmered in my eyes as I stared down at this man who would literally do anything for me.

“I love you, Rose. I know without a doubt that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When this mess is all sorted out, we can get married with all our family and friends. I don’t care about my job or where we live. As long as I’m with you, I’ll have everything I need.”

Then he took my hand. “Rose Anne Gardner, will you marry me?”

I nodded, my tears finally escaping. “Yes. Yes.”

He reached over to the cake and lifted the ring, staring at the frosting on the band like he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Laughing, I handed him my cloth napkin, and he wiped off the sugary mess. He picked up my left hand and slid the ring onto my finger. The fit was perfect.

I stared at the sparkles on my hand, barely able to make out the design of the ring through my happy tears. “It’s beautiful.”

Then he pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arm around my back, beaming. “You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world.”

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his mouth to mine. His hold on me tightened, and it was only when he lifted his head that I realized the people in the restaurant were applauding and cheering and offering their congratulations.

Randy sat at his table, grinning ear to ear, and I could tell he’d been in on it.

“When’s the wedding, Mr. Deveraux?” a woman called out from across the restaurant.

He kept an arm wrapped tight around my waist, as though he was worried I might change my mind and take off. He looked down at me, his gaze full of adoration. “We’re not sure yet.”

“In the spring,” I said, staring up at him, knowing I would normally feel embarrassed about all the attention. For once I didn’t care. I wanted the world to see how happy I was. “When the dogwoods and the redbud trees are blooming. We can have it at the farm.”

I knew there were plenty of obstacles to that plan, but I chose to believe we would overcome every single one of them. Mason and I could overcome anything if we continued working together and fighting for each other.

The waitress popped the cork on the bottle of champagne and filled our glasses. After holding out my chair out for me, Mason took his own seat.

Once we were both settled, he handed me a glass and lifted his. “To forever.”

I clinked my glass against his and took a sip, then glanced down at my ring. “It’s gorgeous, Mason. It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.”

He reached for my hand and touched the band. “Does it fit right? I guessed on the size, but they said they can resize if need be.” He paused. “I had it specially made, but if you would rather have another ring, you—”

My mouth dropped open. “You had it specially made?”

“Yeah, in Little Rock. When I had your Christmas present made, I talked to the jeweler about making you an engagement ring. They came up with the design and emailed it to me a week later. I told them to make it, and they’ve been holding it for me for a little while now.”

“Mason.”

He looked apologetic. “I knew you wanted to wait, and if you feel pressured, we can make this a longer engagement. I know it’s kind of silly to want to be engaged. We’re living together already. I just wanted …”

I squeezed his hand. “No. I understand, and I don’t want to wait. I know what I want, and it’s you.”

“I had the cake made at Dena’s. I called her on the way back from Little Rock this afternoon. I wasn’t sure she’d be able to fit it in, but she was thrilled to help. She even ran it over here.”

“It’s beautiful, and this is so wonderful.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe you did this.” I cocked my head. “Why did you look so nervous while you were waiting for the waitress to bring out the cake?”

He chuckled. “I was worried you’d say no. A few months ago, we decided to wait.”

“And that was a few months ago. Besides, things have changed.”

He took my hand. “I still want to wait to have kids,” he said, looking sheepish. “But when things settle down, I want to just relax with you and catch our breath.”

“You know I want kids, but I agree. We should wait.”

He looked relieved. “Good.”

I stared at my ring again. “Do you mind if I call Neely Kate? She’ll be so excited.”

“That’s a great idea. She’s with Mom, so we can tell them together.” Mason dug out his phone, scooted his chair next to mine, and then video called his mother.

She gave him a disapproving look, but we could see the twinkle in her eyes. “Mason, you’re supposed to be on a date. What are you doing calling?”

Mason’s smile lit up his face as he held up the phone between us. “Rose and I have something to tell you. Is Neely Kate there?”

Neely Kate appeared next to Maeve, streaks of flour on her face and in her hair. “I’m here. Did y’all have Kate arrested?”

“No,” I said, sneaking a glance at Mason before glancing back to the screen. I held up my hand, showing off the ring. “We’re getting married!”

The squeals of excitement made my heart burst even more, and I reached up and gave Mason another kiss.

“When?” Neely Kate asked, bouncing with excitement. “When’s the big day?”

“This spring,” I said. “Out at the farm with everyone. It’ll be a party.”

“It will be a celebration,” Maeve said, sounding subdued. “A celebration of overcoming the insurmountable.”

Mason grabbed my hand and squeezed tight. “As always, my wise mother is right.”

“You two go enjoy your night,” Maeve said, making a shooing motion. “Muffy is fine, and Neely Kate and I are making bread, although she’s taken to wearing it as well. We’ll have a loaf waiting for you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Mom,” Mason said. “We just couldn’t wait to share the good news with the two of you.”

“Congratulations!” Neely Kate shouted as Mason hung up and put the phone into his pocket.

He looked down at me with the type of hunger that food wouldn’t satisfy. “I know we’ve barely had our champagne, but let’s box up the cake, pay the bill, and go home.”

My skin flushed. “Yes.”

He flagged the waitress down and asked for the check while I spun the band around on my finger. Some of the frosting was still on the band, making my skin sticky.

“While you pay, I’m going to go to the restroom.”

“Okay. I’m going to ask Randy if he’ll follow us home. Just to be on the safe side.”

“Oh, good idea.”

Both of us stood, and Mason took me into his arms and gave me a soft kiss. “Thank you for agreeing to be my wife.”

“I can’t wait to become Rose Deveraux.”

A huge grin spread across his face, and I kissed him again, grabbed my purse, and headed down the hall. As I passed the entrance to the bar, I saw someone I thought I recognized in my peripheral vision, but when I backtracked a few steps to look in the bar area, whoever it was had already left. I shook off the sensation that something wasn’t right and headed to the bathroom. The one-person restroom was empty, so I used the toilet and then washed my hands, rubbing on the back of my band to get the rest of the frosting off. I didn’t dare take it off, worried it would fall down the drain.

After I dried it off, I lifted my hand, examining the design of the ring. It was much more detailed than I’d realized. The larger center diamond was probably about one third of a carat, with two smaller diamonds on either side. But carved into the metal were tiny swirling roses. It was so beautiful and thoughtful. The fact that he’d had it made for me made me love it and him even more. But now that the joy and excitement of the moment had dissipated a little, a cloud of guilt hung over my head.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. All I could see was the face of a liar. I couldn’t help thinking that I wasn’t the woman he thought he was marrying. He considered me sweet and fairly innocent, untouched by the criminal world. But even without Skeeter, it had left its mark. My stint as the Lady in Black had changed me more than I’d ever anticipated.

As I stared at the frightened woman in the mirror, I struggled with what to do. Part of me insisted it wouldn’t be fair to marry him without telling him my secret. I couldn’t bear for him to be blindsided by the truth if it ever came from someone else. He deserved to hear it from me. And besides, he would get his old job back, whether here in Fenton County or somewhere else. He needed to know.

I’d tell him. But not tonight. Tonight I was going to go home with the man who adored me, make love to him in our bed in the farmhouse—the most loving home I’d ever known—and bask in my happiness, however fleeting it might be.

I took a deep breath and assured myself this would all work out. I just had to believe it.

I picked up my purse off the counter and pulled out the burner phone. I nearly dropped it when I saw a text from an unknown number.

I will meet you tomorrow night. 10 pm. Name the place.

It was on.

This was good news. Despite my fear, I was hopeful. My vision indicated that Mason would die before the weekend. I hoped to God this meeting would save him.

Feeling better about the whole thing, I opened the door and headed into the hall, ready to go home with Mason. But as soon as I left the bathroom, I noticed the hallway was much darker than it had been before. A moment of confusion made me stumble, and it was exactly then that someone grabbed me from behind, pulled me against his chest, and put a rag over my face.

My adrenaline kicked in, and I fought like a banshee and screamed into the rag as he dragged me backward down the dark hall. I scratched at his arms, but he had on a black leather coat. He was taller than me, and he was pretty solid too. But I only had a few seconds to register that because a sweet, chemical smell filled my nose, and as my lungs begged for a breath, I sucked in a lung-f of something cold. My arms and legs began to go numb, and every one of my senses was fading. In a last-ditch effort to save myself, I reached back and sunk my nails into his cheek, digging deep.