Page 77 of Kiss Marry Kill

I’d naively hoped Royce might get home at a decent hour. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking because the first day of a murder investigation would probably be one of his longest, roughest days. Needless to say, he didn’t come home at a decent hour, so I had to keep my exciting news to myself.

I ate a salad for dinner, fed Grumpy, and then around midnight, I gave up waiting for Royce and went to bed. By the time he crawled under the blankets with me, the clock on the nightstand said 3:00 a.m.

“You’re home,” I said, stating the obvious.

He grunted and moved closer to me. We wound around each other, and I enjoyed the heat of his body next to mine.

“What time do you need to go in tomorrow?” I asked.

“Early.” His voice was husky from exhaustion.

I stroked my hand down his back, wishing I could help him somehow. Of course, I couldn’t. “Any chance we can have lunch together tomorrow?” He probably wasn’t going to be up early enough for us to really talk in the morning. It was more important that he got some sleep.

“I’d love that. Even if I don’t have time, I’ll make time.”

I smiled. “What a good boyfriend you are.”

“I know, right?” He sighed, tension leaving his muscles. “I could sleep for days.”

I was bursting to tell him about the offer I’d made on that property Mrs. Numi had shown me. But he was half-asleep, so it wasn’t the time. After seeing the property, I’d gone back to Mrs. Numi’s office, and we’d written up a contract. Reginald had forty-eight hours to accept or counter my offer. Mrs. Numi was positive he’d take the offer, but I was a ball of anxiety.

I’d felt so at home the minute I’d walked into that building, it was a little surreal. For the first time since moving to Rainy Dale, I felt at peace with owning a piece of it. I couldn’t believe it even had a pool. I’d never in a million years dreamed I’d find the perfect spot and that it would have a pool. I kept worrying something would go wrong, and it was making me neurotic.

Royce’s breathing deepened, and I knew he’d fallen asleep. I smiled and rested my head on his chest. If Reginald accepted my offer, I’d definitely be all in with Rainy Dale. The thought of that was crazy to me. I’d hated it here so much when I’d first arrived. Now this town was everything to me because Royce was everything to me.

When I’d first stepped out of that taxi my first day in Rainy Dale, if someone had told me I’d end up buying land here, I’d have laughed in their face. The way I’d seen Rainy Dale then and the way I saw it now were like two different dimensions. I’d dismissed this little town as a smelly hellhole, and now it was where I’d found the love of my life. How was that possible? How could I actually feel excited about settling down here? But I was.

Royce mumbled something in his sleep, and I smoothed my hand over his chest in a comforting gesture. It would be weird not to live with Royce once I got my own place again. I felt a pang of melancholy at the thought of not waking up to him each morning or going to bed together. I’d never lived with anyone since being an adult, until Royce. We’d melded together so much easier than I’d ever have suspected.

I’d miss his company. I’d miss seeing him anytime I wanted. I’d miss hearing him whistling cheerfully in the kitchen when he made coffee in the morning. Life with Royce was so different from my life in LA. I didn’t feel lonely anymore. I hadn’t even realized how lonely I was until Royce and I almost split. Before Royce, I’d accepted my future would be devoid of love. Because of my struggle to connect emotionally with people, I’d assumed I’d live and die alone. Royce had swept all of that dreariness away simply by loving me. He made happiness look easy, and I was helplessly drawn to him.

I closed my eyes but jerked when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Royce stirred, mumbling his displeasure, and I carefully disengaged myself from his arms to answer my cell.

“Hello?” I whispered, tiptoeing from the room. I went into the living room, hoping I’d have less of a chance of disturbing Royce’s sleep.

“Dr. Thornton, this is Merry from Helping Hands Exchange.”

“Oh, okay.” I rubbed my face, trying to shake off my grogginess.

“A call just came in from a Janelle Brady. She’s complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.”

It took me a moment to realize who she was talking about; then it clicked in my brain that was Janelle’s new married name. “Did you tell her to call an ambulance?” I moved back toward the hallway.

“We did, sir, but she refused. She was very insistent that she needed you.”

“Really?” I frowned and quietly reentered the bedroom. “Do you have an address for me?”

Merry rattled off the address.

“I’d like you to call an ambulance regardless and send them to that address for me, please.” As I spoke, I grabbed clothes from the closet. “I’m also heading over right now.”

“Very well, Doctor,” Merry said cheerfully. “Have a wonderful night.” She hung up.

I set my cell on the edge of the bed, wondering how Merry thought I’d have a wonderful night after being dragged out of bed at this hour. Once I was fully dressed, I tucked my cell into my back pocket, and I headed toward the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” Royce’s voice was thick with sleep.

I gave a startled laugh. “Oh, damn. I woke you?”