Yule Be Magical (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 8) by Sara Bourgeois (popular novels TXT) 📗

quickly into the evening that I might have been wrong about that. There were an awful lot of people at the vigil holding little white candles in their hands and saying nasty things about Pepper with their mouths.

Some of the rumors I heard were just things like her dating several guys and not telling any of them about it. I thought that was kind of a silly one because in a small town like Coventry, it would be nearly impossible for someone to do something like that. I wrote it off as cattiness.

I heard a few people accuse her of being a thief. “You couldn’t leave anything valuable out if she came in your house,” a woman said as I passed by.

While I really wanted to stop and ask her what she meant, I could tell by the expression on her face when she caught me looking at her that she wouldn’t say a peep about it if asked directly. I moved on through the crowd and heard another tidbit about Pepper having a secret baby when she was in high school. Apparently, she’d gotten “fat” during the school year and had disappeared during the summer. When she started the next school year, she’d been thin again. Pepper and her high school sweetheart were supposed to get married after graduation, but something had happened. He’d dumped her, seemingly out of nowhere, and left town. That story was intriguing, but it hit a little too close to home for me.

The vigil was held in the square, and it was getting crowded. Too crowded for me, so I moved out to the edges and walked around the outside of the gathering.

Eventually, I got my wish and nearly ran right into Thorn. I held my breath and waited to see how he’d react to me. When his face softened and he smiled, I let out the air I’d been holding. Relief washed over me, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“I was hoping I’d run into you,” I said.

“I’m glad,” Thorn said. “I’d hoped to see you as well, but it would be nice if we could get a chance to talk when I’m not working.”

“You could come over when the vigil is over,” I suggested hopefully. “You could come home.”

Thorn’s breath hitched when I called it home in a way that I’d seen him do a few times. He hadn’t said much, but he didn’t need to for me to pick up on what he was feeling. I could read him like a book, and what I saw was that he’d been waiting for this moment.

“I’d like that,” he said. “Do you really believe we can get past this? I hate to ask, but my heart can’t take much more of this, Kinsley. I can’t stand the thought of losing you, and it seems like you’re always a moment away from slipping through my fingers.”

“But I’m not,” I countered. “I’m really not, Thorn. I love you, and I’m committed to us. I’m sorry that I asked you about the evidence against Azriel. It was unfair, and I was wrong.”

“You weren’t, though,” Thorn said.

“What?” I asked and took a step back.

“No, not like that. I don’t mean I set him up. I mean you weren’t wrong to worry. You weren’t wrong to question everything. I get so wrapped up in my pursuit to protect you and the baby that I forget that it’s your job to protect you too. It’s your job, even more than mine, to protect your child. You have every right to worry and want assurances from the man you want to marry. You want a guarantee that I am the right man to spend your life with and raise your… our child. I’m sorry that I haven’t given that to you. That’s my fault.”

“Thorn…”

“Just tell me that you love me,” Thorn said. “We can put this all behind us. I think we’ve proven one thing, and that’s that we’ll never give up on each other. What more do you need to make a marriage survive?”

“Nothing,” I said. “I love you, Thorn.”

“I love you too, Kinsley. I love you both with all of my heart, and I will endeavor to do every day what is best for my family.”

“I know you will,” I said. “I believe in you.”

“Then I think it’s settled,” Thorn replied. “I bet I could go drum up a judge from this crowd.”

“A judge?”’

“To finish the wedding,” Thorn said. “I’m sure there’s a judge around here somewhere. Or we could go to Vegas.”

“Thorn, it’s a candlelight vigil for a murdered woman. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go looking for a judge to get married. Or to have these people act as our witnesses. And, we can’t just fly off to Vegas. You’re on duty,” I said with a chuckle. “Why don’t you just come home after you’re done working, and we’ll figure out something for tomorrow?”

I thought he would be okay with that, but I could see the sting in his face. Thorn was hurt and embarrassed at my rebuff of wanting to get married on the spot. I’d thoughtlessly stepped in it.

Again.

“Thorn, I didn’t mean…” I started to say.

“It’s fine,” he said, but his expression was grim. He swallowed hard, but his cheeks were still stained with red mortification.

He’d tried to make amends and offer me a grand gesture, and I’d just told him we could deal with it tomorrow. But he was the one who had walked out on our wedding, and of course, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

“You walked out first,” I said. “You left me at the altar, Thorn. You can’t get mad at me for this. I’m not turning you down. I just think there’s better timing.”

“Yeah, Kinsley. I get it. By the way, I thought we were going to put everything behind us and move on, but you just threw it in my face again.”

“It’s a pretty big deal,” I said. “You left me at the altar.