Where's the vase that Stacy hit him with?'
Stacy turned her head. 'I didn't hit him with the vase.'
Everyone went still.
The doorbell rang again.
Cooper walked to Stacy and hunkered down beside her. 'You didn't hit Edward with the vase?'
She shook her head, her wild hair flying about her face. 'I don't hit.' She leaned in with a conspirator's whisper. 'I'm not allowed.'
Cooper gave her a lopsided smile that Breanne felt to her toes. 'Good girl. How did Edward end up on the floor?'
'He did this.' Stacy stood up, clutched her chest, bugged out her eyes and stuck out her tongue, then fell sideways to the floor, gasping for breath. After three seconds of writhing, she sat up with a smile. 'Like that.'
Shelly clapped a hand over her mouth. 'Oh, my God.'
Cooper reached out and put a hand on Shelly's shoulder to keep her quiet, never taking his eyes off Stacy. 'And the vase?' he asked her.
'He grabbed it on his fall. It made a pretty noise. Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle…' she sang.
The doorbell rang again. Cooper leaned in and hugged Stacy. 'Thank you,' he whispered. 'You've been a huge help.'
Stacy beamed.
Breanne raced after Cooper as he walked to the door, her heart so full she could hardly stand it. 'Cooper.'
'I have to get-oomph,' he said when she flung herself at him. Fisting his hair in her hands, she pulled his head down for a quick kiss. 'I'm not just falling for you,' she whispered. 'I'm falling
Looking stunned, he stared at her.
'You.' She put a finger to his chest. 'Extremely lucky tonight.'
That tugged a staggered-looking grin out of him. 'Hold that thought.'
Three hours later, the police were gone, and thankfully, finally, so was Edward's body.
Once again, everyone gathered in the great room. Cooper looked around and realized what was different-the tension was gone. He looked at Breanne and got a brilliant smile.'
Heart attack,' Dante said, looking just as flummoxed as Cooper felt. 'Who'd have thunk it?'
'The coroner will have to say for sure,' Cooper warned. 'We're only assuming heart attack, but it makes sense.'
'The police thought so, too,' Breanne said. 'They figured Edward was yelling at Stacy, got chest pains, gripped the vase hard. She thought he meant to throw it at her and screamed. Patrick ran in, assumed the worst, and shot in self-defense.' She looked at Cooper. 'Sounds like that's what's going to stick.'
'It's unbelievable,' Dante said. 'No one's going to jail.' He looked at Cooper. 'You're not so bad. For a cop.'
Cooper smiled at the backhanded compliment. 'Thanks.'
'So what now?' Lariana asked. 'You two have half a week left. The weather is going to be gorgeous, and the skiing amazing. You staying?'
Breanne looked at Cooper. And with one smile, stole his heart.
'I could use a vacation,' she said. 'How about you?'
'A vacation sounds like just what the doctor ordered,' he answered. 'Starting right now.' Getting to his feet, he swept her off hers and into his arms. Turning back to the staff, who were all grinning from ear to ear, he said, 'I hear there's a hell of a honeymoon suite. With amenities. We'll be enjoying those tonight. Now that the road's cleared, you guys can all go home and take the rest of the week off. We'll be fine.'
They whooped and hollered while Cooper kissed Breanne, then carried her out of the room and up the stairs.
She slid her arms around his neck. 'Don't hurt yourself,' she warned, her mouth on his ear. 'I have plans for you.'
'And I for you.' He shouldered open the door to the honeymoon suite.
'My plans first-' she started, her words ending in a gasp as he tossed her to the bed.
With a grin, he followed her down, stripping off his shirt as he did. 'Sorry. But I'm bigger-'
She rolled him. He couldn't believe it but she rolled him, held him down, and smiled wickedly before going to work ripping off his pants.
'Okay,' he said, happily caving. 'You first-'
This ended in a groan when she took her mouth on a happy cruise down his chest, his flat belly, to the prize between his legs.
'Wait,' he gasped. She lifted her head.
'Earlier, when you said you were falling for me-'
'I meant it.'
'So this is-'
'Yes.'
'Say it.'
'I love you, Cooper Scott.' Her eyes stung with it, but she smiled because nothing had ever felt so right. 'Now, pretty please may I ravish you?'
'For as long as you want, Princess. For as long as you want.'
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jill Shalvis also lives in the Sierras, where she regularly survives huge snow storms while surrounded by quirky characters. But these characters are her family, and she hardly ever really finds dead bodies, so any other similarities to
