Page 22 of Tice’s Kind of Trouble (Obsessive Protectors #2)

TWENTY-TWO

Tice

The next twenty-four hours are a sweet kind of heaven I didn’t ever imagine could exist.

It’s a blur of lovemaking, long talks by the fireplace, puppy antics, and my heart growing painfully large.

And when Chase calls with news that he caught the person who hired Billy, he demands a celebration.

With food.

Man’s always thinking with his stomach.

To keep him and the others out of my house, I suggest Bethany’s favorite restaurant—which everyone agrees to. Amen.

My fiancée is on the lawn, crawling around with the tiny gray and white puppy, my engagement ring sparkling in the light.

God. The visceral gravity of the moment makes my lungs contract.

The woman is going to keep me short of breath—I can just feel it.

I tug her to her feet and introduce her to Kelly, the town’s most sought-after pet sitter. The one who said yes to my over-the-top offer for a last-minute job.

Then I grab Bethany’s hand and drag her away, because even a moment alone with her feels like a stolen diamond right now.

Kenneth’s Grill is packed, as usual for this time of evening.

“How did we get in so easily?” Bethany asks as I guide her to the 6-top table in the back.

“I have some pull.”

She gives me a cute grin. “Man of many talents. I like the ones you showed me this morning the best.”

“ Ah! ” I warn. “Careful. You’ll wake the beast.”

“Oh no.” She feigns innocence. “It’s a good thing your truck has a really big back seat.”

“Bethany.”

We make it to the table as everyone watches us approach. So maybe we were a little late because I couldn’t stop kissing her. If I have my way, we’ll try out a new position or two in the truck before we get home.

“Chase,” I tip my chin at the 6’4” former SEAL, trying to ignore the heat thudding in my cells. “Excellent work on finding out who hired that idiot. You too, Kane. Can you believe the guy wanted to scare her away so he could turn the rescue building into a gas station?”

Everyone grumbles their disbelief.

I huff out a frustrated sound. “Anyway, you guys showed up right on time yesterday. Thanks for taking charge, my head was…”

“Screwed on sideways,” Chase says in a distracted tone, his attention elsewhere—laser-focused on the back hallway by the restrooms where the exit sign glows in the dim area.

“Everything okay?” Kane asks, cluing in on the thundercloud building over Chase.

“Not sure.” He unfolds, standing to his full height, muscles rippling below his T-shirt. “That waitress—the one who has the flowers tattooed on her arm. I saw something I don’t like.”

“What did you see?” I ask, as I pull out a chair for Bethany.

Chase is already striding away when he calls over his shoulder, “I don’t know. But I’m about to find out.”