Midnight in Montana - Chapter 19

Emilio All the good vibes of a few moments before ground to a halt. Emilio’s shoulders tensed as he waited for Cass to share whatever it was she was learning on the call. But a moment later, she hit the button for speakerphone. “Can you repeat that, sir, so my friend can hear?” Cass stared at him, her blue eyes giving away nothing. “I put the call on speaker.” Was it news good or bad? His heart thudded fast as he waited to learn for himself. “Certainly. We’re pleased to report we have the suspect in custody and we’d be grateful for Cassandra to come into the station to pick out the perpetrator in a lineup.” In St. Paul. Minnesota. Emilio’s heart sank at the realization that his time with Cass had come to an end. He barely processed anything else from the phone conversation between her and the sheriff’s office. She promised to set up a date as soon as she returned home. He wanted to go to her. To pull her against him once more, the way he had done without a thought when he’d walked into the pool house tonight. Yet everything felt different now. The clock on the wall ticked, a sound he’d never noticed in the place until tonight. She drew in a breath to speak, but Emilio cut her off, unwilling to hear the words that would end it all between them. “You can’t go.” * Cass In a night of surprising news, Emilio’s words caught her completely off guard. “Excuse me?” She didn’t want to misunderstand him. She’d already been hurt by his defection once. She wasn’t sure she could weather another false read on his affections, only to have him up and vanish. “Cass.” He took her hand in his and led her over to the small sofa flanked by two overstuffed armchairs. When she sat on one cushion, he lowered himself to sit right beside her. Their thighs touching. “I’m not ready for this to end.” She warned herself that wasn’t a declaration. He was simply mourning the loss of a good time, the same as her. Disappointment squeezed her in a vise. “I’m not ready either, but we knew the end would come.” The words felt wooden and heavy. Awkward. But she couldn’t afford to let him see how much she craved something more than he was prepared to offer. “At least they have that creep in custody now.” She tried to focus on that instead of thinking about how much she’d wanted from Emilio eight years ago, only to have him disappear. He certainly hadn’t made her any promises this time around. Still, it hurt to raise her eyes to meet his gray-green gaze. Eyes that had become so familiar to her once more. “And I’m glad they have a suspect,” Emilio explained to her now, his hand wrapping hers more tightly in his. “But that doesn’t mean you have to return to St. Paul permanently.” Blinking, she tried to guess what he meant. “I already told you—I have a life there.” She thought about the girls she coached and how she genuinely missed them. Still, a hockey team didn’t fill her heart quite the same way as this man had over the past week. “And you’re making a life here now too. One that includes me.” His jaw flexed as he leaned closer. “Don’t give that up just as we’re starting to really see how great we could be together.” She couldn’t imagine returning to Silent Spring only to be Emilio’s permanent booty call. She deserved more than that. They both did. “I thought I could keep things light between us, Emilio,” she began, hoping she could hold her emotions together enough to get through this conversation, “but I don’t think I can—” “I don’t want anything light with you, Cass.” He let go of her hand to take her by the shoulders. “Marry me.”