Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96641 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I said. “Go get one. Be nice and charming.”
“I’m always charming,” he grumbled, reaching the door.
I looked back. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
Muttering something I was sure wasn’t complimentary, he slipped outside. Actually, Basanelli looked pretty hot in his dark jeans and green sweater. I was just messing with him at this point.
Humming happily, I searched his cupboards for his nicest place settings and had to settle for gray stoneware. Then I dug through the drawers near the stove, not finding any placemats. Hopefully, the retired banker would take one look at Nick and figure he needed placemats, too. The silverware was okay, and knowing Nick, I’d also purchased candlestick holders—gorgeous silver ones—at the antique store. I placed those on the counter and pulled out the white tapers.
The door opened, and Nick moved back inside, holding a very nicely pressed white linen tablecloth and two shiny silver placemats. “She made me take the placemats, too.”
“Smart woman,” I murmured.
As he put the tablecloth and placemats on the table, I quickly brought over the plates, napkins, and silverware. “All right.” I put the candlesticks in the middle. “I think you should do something fancy with the roses. Like put eight of them in a vase in the middle and make a path with the rest of the petals.”
“With the petals?”
“Yeah.” I was trying to think of the cool proposals I’d seen on TV.
He looked at the roses. “All right.”
“You do have a vase, don’t you?” I asked.
His gaze fell.
“That’s all right. We’ll find something.” I scrabbled through his cupboards and found a really cool old glass that may have been a beer mug. “This is pretty. What exactly is it?”
“I have no idea. One of my brothers left it here after a Superbowl party years ago.”
Good enough. I secured scissors from his junk drawer and grabbed eight of the roses, snipping off their ends and placing them in the mug with water to put on the table. It was charming and a nice contrast to the fancy goblets. “Okay.” I took the scissors and started cutting petals off the remaining roses.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but it’s going to be cool.” I scattered them across the tablecloth and then, shrugging, tossed them onto the floor leading to the door. It looked pretty romantic, and I knew the scattered petals would appeal to Tessa’s whimsical side.
Nick glanced at his watch. “She’ll be here in thirty minutes or so. The food had better get here soon.”
“I’m sure it will. This is so exciting.”
“You don’t get to stay.”
Oh, to be a fly on the wall. “I know.” I would love to see the proposal. Tessa was going to be so happy. “What are you going to say to her?”
“That’s between us.” Basanelli pushed a hand through his dark hair. He glanced at the table. “You sure that’s okay?”
What a sweetheart. “Yes, it’s perfect. Tessa will love it, and she’ll adore that ring as well as both bands.” I kind of wished I could try on the ring, but I knew he wouldn’t let me.
He took a deep breath and leaned against the marble island. “What’s up with the case against me?”
I didn’t want to talk about it when we had so much romance around us, but we did have a few minutes. “I snuck in and watched Pierce’s interview with Wayne Wilson. His brother, Spencer, is his lawyer.”
Nick grimaced. “I remember seeing Wayne skulking around town looking for anybody who had a clue where Imogen had gone. He ended up drunk in an alley one night and nearly drowned in a mud puddle. The entire town was talking about it.”
I winced. “Just watching him earlier, I think he still loves her. How?”
Nick shrugged. “Don’t know. Somebody called his brother, who was on a boat somewhere, I think. The guy came to town and took care of Wayne. They put up posters from Silverville to Spokane, asking for help in finding her.”
I swallowed. “Wayne said they talked to you, and you told them to stop looking. Like you knew she’d never be found.”
Nick sighed. “Yeah, they talked to me. I did tell them to stop looking. Said that if my asshole father and Wayne’s dumbass wife wanted to leave town, it was better for all of us.” He winced. “I didn’t know they were dead, obviously. But I sure didn’t want my dad coming back to town.” He looked off into the distance as if lost in old and bad thoughts.
I tapped his shoulder, trying to bring him back to the present. “I talked to your mom. She corroborated your recollection of that night’s events, which wasn’t a surprise. Also, Sheriff Franco gave me the autopsy report.”
Nick brightened. “You have the autopsy report?”
“Yeah, and a preliminary finding from forensics on the crime scene.”
He gestured toward the door. “I have time to read it.”