Euphoria Lane (31 page)

Andi nodded.

Meg ran up to her. “We did what you said! We called your sister after fifteen minutes.”

Roxie sashayed up the driveway in her spandex pants and stilettos. “We called Luke, too. He had my other remote. I figured we’d need it to get inside.”

“I am so happy to see you two.” Andi hugged them both at the same time. It felt so good to be safe and alive. The reverend would soon be released, and the real killer would be tried and convicted.

Luke walked away without saying a word.

Panic rose in her chest. “Don’t go!” Andi left her friends to run to the man she still loved. The man who had risked his life for her. She couldn’t read his serious expression.

Is he angry at me?

“You saved my life.” She stepped forward, but her efforts did little to close the distance physically and emotionally.

“You had the situation under control,” he answered. “You didn’t need me.”

“You opened the garage and distracted him. If you hadn’t, I would be dead.” She leaned close and planted a kiss on his cheek. His posture straightened.

“You broke your promise,” he accused. “You swore you would stop investigating and that you wouldn’t go to Owens’s condo again. I can’t trust you.”

“You can’t trust
me
?” She couldn’t believe he had the audacity to say such a thing. “You betrayed
my
trust! You told half the neighborhood that my sister was a police officer.”

“It was an honest mistake. She walked up to the pond with two police officers following her. You, on the other hand, made a conscious decision to break a promise.”

He was right. She should have never made a promise she had no intention of keeping. She just didn’t want him to interfere. Words failed her as he walked away. Her heart broke all over again.

The next board meeting a long, lonely month later, didn’t draw the usual crowd. Half of the seats were left empty, and no one wore a red “Anti-Board” T-shirt. Valerie took over Harry’s position as board president. After learning he had been removed from the board by the petition started by Meg and Roxie, Harry decided to visit relatives in Maine. Andi hoped he’d move there for good, but Valerie doubted he would.

The cowboy was recovering nicely from his injuries and explained he had stared at Meg the day they hid out in his condo because she reminded him so much of his late wife during her younger years. Andi regretted thinking he might be a killer because of his bad temperament. In fact, now that Harry was out of town, the cowboy smiled frequently.

Andi stood near the door, holding a platter of homemade sugar cookies in the shapes she had first intended to make when she bought her condo on Euphoria Lane: small cottages, an assortment of flowers, and colorful butterflies. She pulled back the plastic wrap and offered them to her friends and fellow board members. Valerie took one and then sashayed up to the front table.

Meg reached for one and smirked. “What? No gingerbread cookies? We could still chomp off Harry’s cookie head for the fun of it.”

“With Harry no longer a threat, I have decided to focus on happy things,” Andi said.

“I’ll second that.” Luke stood in the open doorway.

“What are you doing here?” Roxie asked.

“What
are
you doing here?” Andi echoed. “We were expecting the new property manager.”

He shifted his briefcase to his other side. “I
am
the new property manager. With Harry officially off the board, I decided to take back the account.” Amusement played with his expression. “Although I hear the new board can be quite a handful.”

His smile sent a shiver up her back. Andi tried not to let it show.

Does this mean he has forgiven me?

She had forgiven him. He was right—he had made an honest mistake when he revealed Jessie’s undercover status. Anyone would have thought her assignment was over when she showed up with two police officers.

“I believe this board can be quite reasonable, when working with the right man,” she said.

Meg and Roxie both smirked. They obviously had high hopes for their relationship.

A most grateful reverend reached for a cookie. “I hope this board will remember to love thy neighbor and to treat others the way they wish to be treated.”

“Amen to that, reverend.” Roxie snapped a flower cookie in half, ready to pop one end into her mouth. “You can start by making nice with Helen. She’s coming home now that the real killer is behind bars.”

Reverend Nichols nodded. “There are many changes I need to make. I’ll start with Helen.”

“Andi,” Luke said softly, “can I speak to you in the hall?”

“Sure.” She hoped this was a good sign. If he gave another “I want to be friends” speech, she would scream.

After glancing around to make sure they were alone, Luke placed his briefcase on the tile and took both of her hands in his. “I miss you.”

She resisted the urge to cry. “I miss you, too.”

He stared down at their joined hands and rubbed his thumb over her knuckle. “I did a lot of thinking, and I understand why you didn’t feel the need to keep your promise to me. I broke my promise to you.”

“It was an honest mistake. I get that now.”

He nodded his understanding. “This morning, I remembered how I felt when I realized you were almost killed. I decided life has handed us an opportunity to give our relationship one more try. That is rare. We shouldn’t throw this chance away.”

She sniffed back her tears. “I agree.”

He stepped back, straightened his posture, and then reached out his hand to shake hers. “Hello, I’m Luke Ryder, the property manager. It’s nice to meet you.”

Her heart warmed, wanting to explode. They weren’t getting their second chance—it was their third, maybe even a fourth.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she managed to say despite the lump forming in her throat. “Would you like to join me for coffee after the meeting?”

His gaze met hers. His eyes darkened with emotion and unspoken promises. “I would love to.”

He brushed a tender kiss on her lips. Every worry she ever held about their relationship melted away.

“I love you, Andi.”

Her heart exploded with joy.

“I love you, too.” She jumped into his arms and planted a long, firm, passionate kiss on the man she intended to keep for the rest of her life. The sound of the door opening forced her to her feet, back away from Luke, but not before Meg caught them.

“Sorry.” Embarrassment flickered across Meg’s face. “I didn’t mean to interrupt a private moment. Valerie wants to start the meeting.”

“We’ll be right there.” Luke waited for the door to shut before he gingerly placed the palm of his hand on Andi’s cheek. “I guess it’s time to get to work.”

She touched his hand and gazed into his eyes. “This is one board meeting I don’t mind attending.”

“I’m looking forward to the part where the meeting ends and we can be alone again.” He winked, then opened the door and followed her up the aisle to the table where the rest of the board waited for them.

Judging from the murmuring in the small group gathered for the meeting, Meg must have announced what she saw when she opened the door. Their grins said they approved of Andi’s romantic relationship with Luke. A smile tugged at her lips. She approved, too.

“Speaking of the neighborhood,” Roxie said, watching Andi and Luke sit at the end of the table. “I hear Mrs. Spitzer has been acting strange lately.”

“I bet her ex-husband is threatening her again.” Meg’s eyes narrowed. “He’s a horrible man.”

Meg passed the plate of cookies around while exchanging glances with Roxie, Valerie, and Reverend Nichols. They all turned to watch Andi.

Their unspoken words asked if she planned to investigate.

“No. No. No.” Andi shook her head and held her palms out in gesture that said “back off.” “I am hanging up my detective shoes. Spring break is over Monday. I will be too busy grading papers and planning lessons.”

Ignoring their looks of disappointment, she bit off a piece of cookie and wondered how long the woman had been having trouble with her ex.

A giggle escaped her lips. “Summer break is only two months away. I might have time then.”

Roxie and Meg both offered their assistance.

Luke took a cookie she offered and added, “I have vacation time coming. Perhaps I could help.”

Andi grinned, wondering if she had ever been this happy before. She had finally found her euphoria.

Tina Swayzee McCright is a multi-award winning author of romantic mysteries. Her writing was influenced by watching hours of
Murder, She Wrote
and
Diagnosis: Murder
. She lives in Arizona with her wonderful husband, in an HOA community where she once served on the board. She has a BS in Communications and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction. Although she has been an educator for over twenty years, she believes her greatest accomplishment was raising an amazing daughter. You can read more about Tina at
www.BooksbyTina.com
.