Page 101 of Watch Me

I waved an awkward goodbye and walked to my car.

Talking to Jack seemed to be exactly what I needed. My heart and gut felt as though it was all over with. I just hoped Ethan had enough evidence to keep this Katrina woman behindbars.

Forever.

Life hadn’t slowed down over the past few weeks.

Shawn and I continued working on the Lakeshore Killer case, and we got all the evidence needed to keep Katrina Carpenter behind bars. Her home computer was analyzed, and the hacking program was found. Her hair was a match to the one found at Fiona’s murder, and the wood found in her basement was a match to all of the wood plaques. We found the knife she used for her stabbings, and a 3D printer that had files to print keys was discovered. What put her nail in her coffin was we found her list.

Her watchlist.

Reagan gave her two-week notice at Judy’s. I didn’t blame her. While it was the key that started our relationship again, I understood that being a bartender was only temporary for her. She still hadn’t heard from any precincts, but I knew, in time, she’d find aposition.

Given that Christmas was less than a month away from when Reagan and I had returned to Chicago after Michigan, we had little time to find a place big enough for ourfamily.

Ourfamily.

In the back of my mind, I had never given up hope that one day we’d get back together. Then Judy’s made it happen, and my family had since dubbed it the bar that brings true loves together. I wasn’t going to argue with that. Reagan had always been the one I wanted to build a life with. We might not have experienced everything in the past together, but we would in thefuture.

Since we needed a bigger place as soon as possible, we decided to look for houses to rent instead of purchase, at least for now. We found a place not far from my parents and my boys. To get our house ready, my family helped us move in and unpack. We really were a family, and Reagan and I had the house we always wanted—even if it wasn’t one weowned.

And I had plans to make itlegal.

Before we left Michigan, I’d pulled Maddison aside to ask for her permission to marry her mother.“I don’t really need to speak with you about the other night,”I’d said as we walked out into thehall.

“Oh?”She’d drawn her headback.

I’d rubbed the back of my neck nervously.“I actually wanted to ask you if you’d be okay with me asking your mom to marry me.”

Maddison’s eyes had widened, and it looked as though she was trying to suppress a squeal.“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,”I’d stated.“I’ve wanted to ask her since—well, since forever.”

“She told me what happened when the two of you broke up when she was in college.”

“Yeah,”I’d sighed.“But now we’re back together, and I want to spend forever with her as my wife.”

Maddison had smiled. “You, for sure, have my approval.”

“Okay, don’t say anything. I still need to get a ring and all that.”

“My lips are sealed,Dad.”

I’d chuckled.“I guess I will be, huh?”

“Yeah, but I’m excited.”

“Me too.”

Since I had Maddie’s blessing, it was time to make it official, and therefore, I needed to call the most romantic dude I knew.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Rhys asked the moment heanswered.

“I need your help.” It was silent on the other end of the line. “Rhys?”

“Did I just hear that you needmyhelp?”

“Yes.”