Page 47 of I Do, or Dye Trying
“We’ll have enough cake for each guest to have five pieces,” I said, thinking about the massive cake we ordered. I smiled when I thought about the topper Josh had custom-made to look like the two of us. The thing was hand painted and freaking precious.
“I’ll work out the details and be in touch,” he said before he hung up. He called me back the next day to let me know that two of his deputies would be present for both the rehearsal and the wedding.
“Gabe?” Adrian asked, pulling my attention to him. “I asked if you were worried about De Soto.”
“Yeah, of course, but I feel better after talking to Matthews.” Then I told Adrian about the extra guests that would be attending the rehearsal and ceremony. “I’m going to try and let it go and enjoy time with our families and the wedding festivities.”
“It’s not easy to do under these circumstances but trust us to have your back,” Adrian said.
“Don’t forget the two weeks in paradise,” I added. I definitely wanted to live long enough to see Josh in those sexy Speedos he bought. I asked him to model them off, but he refused.
“Yeah, I can tell by the look on your face where your mind just went,” Adrian said then snorted. “Keep thinking those thoughts, and you should be just fine.” Adrian snatched the checks up when Daniella dropped them on the table. “My treat, and there are to be no arguments.” He laughed on his way to the register after he evaded my attempt to snatch them back.
I shook my head and checked my email on my phone to make sure I had the confirmation for the rental car I reserved for our parents. I wanted to pick them up from the airport, but they didn’t want to “trouble us” and said they’d rent a car. It did make sense for them to have their own transportation to come and go as they pleased but not at their expense. I rented the car and refused to listen to their arguments, sort of like Adrian did with me. I wanted my parents to accept my gesture, so I did the same with Adrian.
“Excuse me, Detective.” I snapped my head up and met the timid gaze of Felicity Wallace, wife of the jackass county commissioner. “Can I bother you for just a minute?”
“You’re not bothering me, Mrs. Wallace,” I told her. “Have a seat.”
“Well, you don’t know what I’m about to say,” she replied uneasily. “Um, it’s about your house and the vandalism that happened after Georgia died.”
I sat up straighter in my chair. That vandalism was my only unsolved case, and one I wanted to solve since it involved the house I called home. “What do you know about it?” Adrian turned from the counter and started heading our way until he saw who sat across the table from me. I exchanged a brief look with him that asked him to give me a minute. He nodded and headed outside to wait for me.
Tears filled Felicity Wallace’s eyes, and she said, “I know who vandalized your house and why. I should’ve said something after it happened, I should never have covered for him, but he was just so hurt about what he learned.” I knew who she was talking about and the identity of the vandal.
“It was your son, Christopher, wasn’t it?” I asked gently.
“Yes, Detective,” she said then looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to us. It was late enough in the afternoon that the usual lunch crowd had mostly passed through already. “I know about Rocky and Jack; I’ve known for quite some time. I kept thinking that it was a phase that Jack was going through but it’s not a phase, is it?”
“No,” I said softly. “Is Commissioner Wallace aware that you and Christopher know?”
She shook her head slowly before she replied, “If I acknowledge it out loud to him then our marriage will be over; I’m not ready to do that, Detective. Anyway, Christopher overheard Jack talking to Georgia or Rocky—he wasn’t sure which one—about the photos. He heard his father say that he hoped the truth came out that he was in love with another man. He came to me, and I told him that I had known for a long time and I was trying to find a way to come to terms with it before I decided what I wanted to do. After Georgia died, Christopher broke in and ransacked her house looking for the pictures, but he never found them. He confessed to me what happened and was going to turn himself in, but I wouldn’t let him. Maybe it was the wrong decision, but we were dealing with so much at the time.”
I felt sad for Felicity and her son, but there wasn’t anything I could say that would make her feel better. Well, except for one thing. “This won’t go any further than between you and me, Mrs. Wallace. I wish you and Christopher nothing but the best.”
“But not my husband?” she asked with a crooked smile that said she knew there was no love lost between Jack Wallace and me.
“I’m not a big fan,” I admitted to her. I knew that coming out was hard for people but cheating on his wife the way he did was unforgivable in my eyes. However, it wasn’t my life, so I had no say. “Anyway, tell Christopher that I’ll give him this one pass.” I rose slowly to my feet and offered her a kind smile. “Take care, Mrs. Wallace.”
“Thank you, Detective. I hope you and Josh have a happy life.”
“We will, Mrs. Wallace, and you deserve the same.”
I left the diner with a sense of closure. I felt better knowing the identity of the vandal, even if the police department never would. The kid was looking to protect his family and was no threat to Josh or me. Adrian raised his brow in question when I approached him.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“I’m not telling you anything until you get off my car,” I said, gesturing to where he leaned against the hood. Adrian rolled his eyes but straightened away from my car. “It was her son who broke into the house after Georgia died.” It would seem to some that I broke my promise to Felicity Wallace, but Adrian was my partner and I didn’t keep secrets from him.
“Christopher?” Adrian asked in surprise. “Did he find out about the affair and blackmail attempt?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “I can’t blame the kid. He was just trying to protect his mom.”
“Well, at least now you know it wasn’t something seedier that could come back and cause problems for you guys later,” Adrian said. “Let’s head on back to the station and see if there have been any new calls. If not, you should just head on home and enjoy your last night of peace before the chaos arrives.”
As much as Josh and I loved our folks, it would be an adjustment to having overnight guests under our roof. There’d be no sex on the couch or up against the foyer the second I got home. In fact, their visit would probably put a damper on our sexcapades, so I thought Adrian had a damn fine suggestion.
When I got home, I discovered that Josh was of the same mind. “Quick, in case they show up a day early,” he said, leaping into my arms.