Death on Heels (42 page)

“No kidding,” Cherise said. She grinned. “Did you know that crazy Muldoon put out a special edition of his rag?” Her sister produced a thin newspaper: D
AILY
P
RESS
A
LUMNI
R
EPORTER
R
OPES
K
ILLER
. There was a photo of Lacey with Sheriff T-Rex and Rico Firestone, taken the day she returned to town on horseback.

“It could be worse.” Lacey grimaced.

Vic picked up the paper. “Another memento for the scrapbook.” He started reading. And laughing. Lacey ignored him. She was eager to change the subject.

“You were on your own special mission today, you guys. Saving Vonda McKay. How did that go?”

“We had a nice lunch and got to know her. Met her aunt,” Rose said. “Cherise called to let her know Emily is safe and all the bad guys are in jail.”

“You also did a little shopping, didn’t you?” Lacey stared down at the floor. “Boots! You bought boots.”

A new pair of sleek mahogany brown cowboy boots with cream accents graced Rose’s feet. She turned her ankle for the full effect. “It’s not like I’ll get back to F. M. Light in Steamboat anytime soon.”

“And guess what?” Cherise said. “They cost more than mine did!”

“Don’t tell your father.” Rose winked.

Lacey and Vic finally escaped for a semi-intimate dinner for two at El Caballero Loco, the best Mexican restaurant in Sagebrush, where the sizzle of hot fajitas perfumed the air and the margaritas came in fishbowl-sized glasses.

They sat on the same side of the bench in a secluded booth. After the day she’d had, Lacey didn’t want to be far away from him. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

“It was a little rough out there today,” Vic said.

“This has always been a tough town. But you knew that, Chief Donovan.” His proposal felt like a distant memory, punctuated by gunshots.

“I swear my heart stopped several times today,” Vic said, lifting his margarita.

“And yet you look so alive. You were amazing. So when did this heart-stopping thing happen?”

“When the bullets started flying. And when I was waiting for your answer. You know, that question I asked you? That marriage thing. You did say yes, didn’t you, sweetheart?”

Lacey snuggled closer and sighed. “After your incredibly romantic and creative proposal, how could I say no? Bullets whizzing over my head? Death stalking outside the door? Isn’t that the proposal every woman dreams of?”

Vic ruffled her hair. “Today, when that idiot started blowing holes in the door, I suddenly realized
this might be it.
What if this really was it? What if this was all there was of it? And I knew I wanted to spend the rest of it with you. I can’t imagine living without you.”

It reminded Lacey of what Emily had said to her, only hours before. When Emily thought she was going to die, she kept thinking,
Is this it? Is this all there is of my whole life?
Lacey felt her own heart ache again, remembering Emily’s words:
I didn’t get to do anything I really wanted.

Well, that
wasn’t
all there was of it. Emily had her whole life ahead of her now, a chance to make a new choice. Redemption was all around. They all knew they had a second chance: Emily and Cole Tucker, and Lacey and Vic.

Life was short and often brutal, and always heartbreaking in some ways. But sometimes, if you were lucky, love was waiting around some corner. She wasn’t going to pass Vic by, to run away from love the way she had in the past.

“I want to spend the rest of it with you too, Vic.”

“I was biding my time, but today time almost ran out.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. “I love you, Lacey Smithsonian. I had to ask you today. I couldn’t wait another minute.”

“Now that we’ve rehearsed that question, darling, I
remember something about flowers and moonlight? And a beach?”

“Maybe I’ll surprise you.” He picked up her left hand. “Now what about a ring?”

“If a woman’s going to wear a ring every day of her life, she should like the ring. Not just
love
it. Really
like
it.”

“You want to help pick it out?”

“You’re so perceptive, Vic. If you don’t mind.”

“Got it. No surprise gumball machine ring. Take your lady out jewelry shopping. Keep proposing to her at random intervals. See, I’m making notes.” He traced a ring around Lacey’s finger. “Would your answer change if I asked you again? With moonlight and champagne, instead of boots and bullets?”

“No. It wouldn’t change. I love you, Sean Victor Donovan.”

He looked her in the eyes. “You ready to be engaged? To me?”

“To be engaged, yes.”
To be married? Not so sure.
Lacey believed in long engagements. Long,
long
engagements.

“You don’t feel like suddenly leaving town, do you? Like you did after the last proposal you got in Sagebrush?”

“This town? Oh, Vic, leaving this town is all I’ve been wanting to do ever since I got here. As long as you’re leaving with me.”

He kissed her long and slow, ignoring the waiter arriving with their fajitas. When they broke the embrace, Vic caught Lacey grinning. He grinned back.

“Now what?” he said. “Did you remember something?”

“Yes. I always wanted an unforgettable proposal, Vic. Today I pretty much won the lottery for unforgettable. And I won a lot more than that. I won you.”