Next Girl Missing (Thomas Shepherd Crime Thriller Fiction Book 8) by Dan Padavona

Author:Dan Padavona [Padavona, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

21

Thomas hoped to arrive home before Chelsey and surprise her with dinner, but her Honda Civic was sitting in the driveway when he pulled up to the lakeside home. After working late the last few days, he’d given himself a break today and left the station on time. The mayor had scheduled the vigil for this coming Friday night, which gave him a few more days to work out any snags and ensure his deputies kept Emma safe.

Jack was the first to greet Thomas inside. The gigantic dog set its paws on his chest and licked his face.

“Are you the same pup who was afraid to come out of the brush?” he asked.

Thomas had discovered Jack on the trail leading up to the state park when the dog was a third of its current size. Would he grow larger? Pretty soon, the house would be too small for the wolflike canine.

He’d barely hung his coat when Chelsey emerged from the living room, a sheaf of papers in hand. The A-frame's open layout allowed the late-day light to filter through. She hadn’t started cooking. Good. He pulled ingredients from the fridge.

"I saw your car in the drive," Thomas said, setting a pot on the stove. "How was your day?"

Chelsey set the papers on the kitchen island and sighed. "Eventful. We ramped up security for Elliot Saunders, and we spent time on your serial kidnapping case. It's all hands on deck now."

"Thanks for the help. It means a lot."

He moved around the kitchen, choosing the perfect spices from the cupboard. As he chopped vegetables and plopped them into a pot, the room filled with the aroma of cooking. The activity grounded him and helped him forget the horrors he faced every day.

"So," she said, resting her back against the counter, "I was thinking about the wedding. Maybe we could start looking at invitations?"

The question hung in the air, mingling with the scent of garlic and onions. A frown creased his forehead. "Yeah, of course. Invitations."

Chelsey noticed the shift in his demeanor and the way his hands stilled over the cutting board. "Hey, if it's too much right now, we can figure it out later. I just thought . . ."

"No, no, you're right." He set aside the knife. "Let's talk about the wedding. I want it to be perfect."

"It will be. But it's okay to take it one step at a time. How about we start with something simple? Like the color scheme?"

"Sounds good. Maybe something aqua blue? That was your favorite color in high school."

She touched his cheek and planted a kiss on his lips. “Still is. Thank you for remembering.”

“All right, we’ll work on the invitations after dinner.”

“Really?”

“I promise.”

She kissed him again.

He wouldn’t let her down, though the prospect of writing invitations all night made him tense. They would have to settle on a guest list, and that was the worst part. Who to invite? Who to leave off the list? He didn’t want the pressure or to disappoint anyone.

As

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