Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
"He confessed?" Sterling asked excitedly.
"Not at first, but what he said to you at the restaurant gave us probable cause to search him, and we found a bite mark on his leg. When we took his fingerprints, they matched the ones left at your house, along with several other crime scenes around the city. He was too cocky to even wear gloves during his crimes. When he knew he was caught, he confessed to everything to lessen his jail time."
While I was frustrated that the bastard would spend less time in prison, I was glad that Sterling wouldn't have to go through the stress of a trial. He could move on and put this terrible ordeal behind him.
"Thank you so much," Sterling replied.
"Thank you. Your identification is the reason we caught him. Who knows how long he would have been free, or how many other people he could have hurt before he faced justice. Because of you, the city is a little safer tonight. I'll keep you updated on the case, but for now, I need to make phone calls to his other victims."
"Thank you," Sterling repeated. "Have a good night." He hung up the call and beamed at me. "Can you believe it?"
I answered by wrapping him in a tight hug. "I am so proud of you! How do you feel?"
"Relieved, mostly," he shrugged. "Every time we went for a walk, I worried that he'd be there. I was scared he would know I was an easy target and come back. I was scared that Cooper would get hurt." I ran my hands up and down his back in support. "But now I don't have to worry about that."
He pushed away gently to give his pup a good pat. "You're safe, buddy. I'm proud of you too; you recognized that bad man, didn't you? Now we don't have to worry about him any more."
"Neither does anyone else," I pointed out. "Sterling, you helped so many people; not only the people he hurt who have been needing answers, but any future victims as well. He thought that you were an easy target, but you are the one who got him locked up. You showed him and everyone else how amazing you are. I am convinced that you can do anything in this world."
"Thank you," he told me with a huge smile, "For believing in me, and for supporting me when I needed you. You made me feel safe, and that everything would be okay as long as we're together." He kissed my lips before adding, "I want to celebrate. Let's go back to Shake Shack and get giant milkshakes."
I looked at the time on my phone and told him sadly, "I'm sorry, they just closed." His face fell, but I had another idea to cheer him up. "Let's go to the all-night grocery store and buy ingredients for ice cream sundaes. We'll get every topping they have. We can make a special ice cream cup for Cooper too."
"That sounds perfect. Then we can take the celebration - and the chocolate syrup - into the bedroom."
I jumped from the couch quicker than I knew my body could move. "I'll get my keys."
Chapter Eleven
2 Years Later
“This is Sterling’s group,” I told Charlotte and Jackson when the University President announced it was time for the ‘hospitality degrees’.
We were all seated together in the university’s gymnasium, watching the graduation ceremony. There were hundreds of students receiving their diplomas, and it had taken hours so far to get through each group.
We waited patiently and clapped politely for each student as they crossed the stage. Except for when Arnie Hammond took his walk; then I stood up and cheered like I was at the World Series. His graduation meant that he was officially someone else’s problem. Although, I had a lot to thank Arnie for; without him, Sterling and I never would have met.
Our long waiting was all about to pay off, because the love of my life was getting ready to receive recognition for the past two years of hard work he’d put in. Just like he planned, Sterling enrolled in Evanston’s Associate’s Degree in Tourism.
He didn’t do well in his classes; he excelled. His teachers were all impressed by his insight and passion as he learned about business travel, event planning, customer service, and tour management. I helped him study every night, but he didn’t need me; he was a natural.
He was so good that one of his professors reached out to a local travel agency to tell them about Sterling’s ideas on making tourism more accessible to all. They were impressed, and wanted in on the ground floor of something amazing, so they contacted him with a job offer. He would start in two weeks.
He had enough money in the bank that he didn’t have to worry about working; he was doing it because he wanted to spread joy to others. He was planning on keeping part-time hours so that he’d still have plenty of time to devote to Cooper, and days to continue their walks and meet me for lunch.