Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies
Page 74

“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.”
Chapter 21
Jaspers 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.