Bad Habit (29 page)

Angel motioned the emergency
medical tech over. “Is Kelso going to be okay?” he asked. The EMT
shrugged. Angel turned to the officer accompanying the gurney.
“This man is under arrest. He tried to kill my fiancée. Make sure
to read him his rights and keep him under guard until he’s in a
cell or in the morgue.”

“
Your fiancée?” A grin spread
across her face.

He turned on her, his hands on his
hips. “Just who did you think you were? Do you imagine that I go
around seducing witnesses with no thought to the
future?”

She felt a bubble of joy rise in
her chest. “I was hoping for a romantic proposal. Do you think I
could get that, you know, to tell our children?”

Angel gathered her in his arms. “Yeah, I can give
you that...when the time is right.”

“
What will make it the right time?”
she asked.

“
When someone hasn’t just tried to
murder you.”

“
Okay, then,” she said. “I have two
things to look forward to.”

A uniformed officer accompanied the
gurney to the ambulance. Another police officer was assigned to
guard the damaged door and Seymour managed to locate someone who
would replace it at that late hour.

Angel supervised the people coming
and going and held on to Teri as though she might evaporate if he
let go. When the locksmith had gone, he secured the new
door.

“
I know what Mr. Kelso wanted.”
Teri whispered. “Angel, I know what he was looking for. I had it
all along but I didn’t know what it was until tonight.”

“
What are you talking about?” He
cupped her chin in his palm.

“
The list. I found it in the blue
bag, but I didn’t know what it was. It’s Colin’s handwriting so I
kept it. Apparently it’s part of this whole mess.”

She related what Kelso told her
about the money and the accounts. Retrieving the list from under
the tube of Thalo Blue paint, she held it out to Angel.

He took the paper from her and
tucked it behind his badge. “We’ll figure this out tomorrow. This
will probably get you off the hook for the cash you so generously
donated to the church. In the meantime, I’m starving.”

“
I cleaned out the
refrigerator.”

“
Wonderful,” he said, grinning at
her.

“
I bought groceries. I was going to
cook.”

“
I can cook,” he said.

“
We can do it together,” she
said.

He dropped a kiss on her lips and
said, “I think we’re alone now.”

“
And the new door is
locked.”

He dropped down on one knee. “Is
this romantic enough for you?”

Teri grinned as he reached in the pocket of his
pants. “Yes, I think this is romantic enough.”

“
Will you, Teresa Slaughter, do me
the honor of becoming my wife?”

She giggled. “Do you mean forever
and ever until death do us part?”

“
That’s what I’m proposing,” he
said.

“
Yes, I want you to be my husband,
my forever man.”

“
I didn’t have time to shop for a
ring, but, as a token of my love, I offer you these earrings that
have been worn by two previous generations of Garcia
brides.”

“
Your grandmother’s earrings,” Teri
said. “How come you have them?”

“
My mother gave them to me...for
you, Mia.”

“
Why do you keep calling me Mia?”
she asked.

“
I’ve been telling you all along
that you’re mine.”

A flush of pleasure swept through
her. “I guess you’re right. I’ve been yours from the
start.

#####

About the author:

J.D. Faver lives near Houston, Texas with
two spoiled, rotten cats, Emily and Daisy, and a rescue dog,
affectionately called Heart of Darkness, Horrible/Adorable, or Minx
for short. She writes humorous contemporary romance and romantic
suspense, both seasoned with plenty of steamy passion. Even the
darkest murder/suspense is riddled with numerous snarky sentiments.
She is actively involved in several writer’s organizations,
including National RWA and three of its local chapters, West
Houston RWA, Houston Bay Area RWA and Northwest Houston RWA. She
also belongs to Bay Area Writer’s League and Houston Writer’s
Guild. She loves to spend time with family and friends. She writes
daily but has time for other interests including painting, cooking
and gardening.

She Tweets.
http://twitter.com/#!/JDFaverauthor

She FaceBooks.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Faver-Author/

She loves to hear from readers.
jdfaver.com

#

Available soon from Smashwords:

TEMPTING FATE

By J.D. Faver

Worlds collide when a Sex in the City girl
meets a little House on the Prairie guy. Mel Hannigan is a slick,
savvy New York City commercial photographer who knows what she’s
doing and where she’s going…that is, until she heads upstate for a
little drive time and ends up with her sports car in a ditch.
That’s where Helmut Engle finds her. He is a solid, down to earth
farmer. In spite of their differences, Mel and Helmut give in to an
irresistible magnetic attraction and share an exciting, intimate
interlude. She returns to the city but can’t get him out of her
mind. She attempts to drag him into her world by the scruff of his
red neck and he tries to remodel his world to suit her.