Secrets in the Shallows (Book 1: The Monastery Murders) (22 page)

Julie walked around the corner from the kitchen. “Where are you guys going in such a rush? What are you up to?”

George replied quickly, raising his voice slightly, “I want to show him my new lobster pots.” He led John into the workshop and quietly said, “Okay, let’s see it.”

Sticking his hand into his pocket, John pulled out the small black velvet box. As he lifted it to George’s eye level, he reached for the lid and opened it slowly. The brilliance of the
princess
cut diamond immediately came alive as rainbow colors escaped from the stone.

“Wow! John, where did you get such a fancy one?” George asked.

Putting on his reading glasses, George cautiously picked it up to study it closer. In his hand, the proud father held the beautiful ring that represented his daughter’s future. The one-carat white diamond reflected the light and cast multicolored prisms all over his face. Seeing his own image in the white gold band, George smiled.

“This is one of the most beautiful rings I have ever seen. I wish I could have afforded to give Julie one like this when we got married.”

“Let’s just say, I have a friend of mine who is a jeweler in town. He owed me a favor a while back, and I knew he could find me the perfect diamond.”

George carefully returned the ring and inserted it in the box. Handing it back to John, he asked, “Do you know how you’re going to ask her?”

“I haven’t quite figured that out yet, but I’ve got a couple of ideas. I may drop it in her champagne glass.”

“Let’s hope she doesn’t swallow it!”

John and George laughed.

“Good point. I’ll just ask the maître d’ what he suggests. I’m sure he has a lot of ideas.”

George chuckled. Reaching out, he shook John’s hand and added, “Good luck, son. I guess I need to get used to calling you that.”

“Thanks, George. She means the world to me.”

George gave John a bear hug.

“Well, you’re practically our son already.” Tears began to swell up in George’s eyes as he said, “Take care of my Katherine. Do you hear me? If you ever hurt my baby girl, I’ll sink you at the bottom of the ocean with one of my new lobster pots.”

John had a puzzled expression on his face.
Sink at the bottom?
Looking at George, he chuckled, “I really don’t think it will come to that. I could never hurt Katy on purpose.”

George and John walked back in to the living room and were both amazed at how beautiful Katy was. She twirled around and asked, “How do I look?”

John smiled and replied, “Katy, you look beautiful.” John walked over and kissed her gently on the lips. “Yummy!...Sweetie, you smell good. What is it?”

“It’s called,
Take me, I’m yours.
”

“Oh, believe me I will!” John nibbled on her neck teasingly and said, “Mmmmmmm ... That tastes good.”

Embarrassed, Katy giggled. “Stop! Not in front of everyone.”

“Is that all you do?” Jason patronized them.

Katy laughed and replied, “Yes, we walk around with our lips stuck to each other all day long.”

John took Katy by the hand and twirled her around. “Mmmmmm Wow! You are one sexy lady. My, oh my, oh my! Isn’t my baby a knock out tonight?”

The delicate sequins on her dress shimmered, casting soft rainbows of light on John’s face as he slipped an arm around her waist. “
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship
,” John mimicked in his best Humphrey Bogart voice. He chuckled and then reverted to his normal voice. “You like that?”

“It’s not the best I’ve ever heard,” Katy laughed.

“That’s why I’m a lawyer, and not an actor.” John chuckled as he glanced at his watch. “We better get going. Our reservations are set for 7:30 p.m..”

John picked up Katy’s full-length coat and held it open for her to put it on. Katy slipped the coat on and grasped her small, matching clutch. John put on his overcoat and then opened the door. Holding out his elbow, he escorted her to get into the car. He smiled at her, as he admired the beautiful with whom he wanted to spend his life with.

George and Julie gazed out the window, watching John and Katy get in his car. Julie’s eyes welled up as she realized that it wouldn’t be long before Katy would be leaving the nest.

Lovingly gazing at his wife, George kissed her on the side of the check and wrapped his large arms around her waist. “Remember when we were dating?” he whispered.

“Yes.” Julie turned around and looked directly at him. “I sure do... And you know what?”

George continued to hold his wife by her waist. “What’s that?”

“We still are.”

Turning once again towards the window, Julie commented, “I’m so glad they’re getting married.”

George nodded at her and replied, “Yes, he’ll make a good son-in-law.”

Outside, the car engine came to life as John turned the key. The young couple pulled out of the driveway and onto the dark, foggy highway as they headed towards town.

C
HAPTER
20

Pulling into a parking space in front of
The Lighthouse Restaurant
, John turned off the car and announced, “Here we are, baby!”

Katy glanced over and smiled at John. Secretly, she hoped that it would be the night.
All he has to do is ask me and put a beautiful ring on my finger. It won’t take any convincing. God, I love him so much.
Placing her hand on the door handle, she almost pulled it when John gently touched her on the shoulder.

“Wait right there.”

John got out and briskly walked around the car to open the door for her. Extending his hand towards her, Katy took hold of it and stood up. John lovingly kissed the top of her fingers and said, “You are so beautiful. You know, when we walk in there, everyone will turn their heads to see you. You are luminous.”

Shyly, Katy glanced down at the ground by her feet and smiled. John held out his elbow for her, and escorted her to into the restaurant like a gentleman.

“After you, sweetheart,” John said as he opened the door.

Katy smiled and replied, “Thank you.” Walking in the door, she grabbed his elbow again as they approached a small pedestal.

A short man in his mid-thirties approached the couple and smiled. Dressed in a black tuxedo with a white slim bow tie, the maître d’ greeted them warmly. “Good evening. Table for two?”

“Yes, reservations for John Smith.”

The maître d’ picked up a pair of reading glasses, and then lifted them to his eyes. As he looked downward, the thinning hair on the crown of his balding head formed a near-perfect circle. Scanning the reservation list quickly, he raised his head and smiled widely. Picking up two dinner menus and a wine list, he directed, “Right this way, Mr. Smith.”

Hand-in-hand, John and Katy followed the maître d’ to their table. Pulling Katy’s chair away from the table, the maître d’ said, “Miss.”

“Thank you,” Katy said as she sat down while he assisted her in sliding up to the table. As John sat down across from her and rested his wrists on the table, she stretched out both arms and took hold of his hands.

Handing the dinner menus to each of them, the maître d’ asked John, “Would you like to see the wine menu, sir?”

John gladly accepted the menu and said, “Absolutely.”

Gesturing for the maître d’ to lean forward, John whispered in his ear. Nodding in response to the secretive message, the maître d’ offered the wine list to John, then looked over and nodded at a young waiter with short, dark brown hair, who quickly approached the table.

“Paul will be your waiter for the evening. I hope you have a wonderful time tonight.”

Less than a minute later, a waiter approached their table with a smile. “Good evening, my name is Paul, and I will be your server this evening. Have you selected a wine, sir?”

Pointing at a semi-dry selection on the list, John replied, “We will take a bottle of this Pinot Grigio.”

“Very good. I will return with it shortly,” the waiter said as he scurried away.

As John held Katy’s hands, he rubbed her left finger. He grinned and said, “Look’s kind of bare, don’t you think?”

Before Katy could comment, Paul returned with his left arm draped with a small white towel. Holding an ice bucket out in front of him, the couple saw a wine bottle peeking out from the top. Upon approaching the table, Paul set the bucket on the far corner and then used the towel to grasp the bottleneck. Taking out his corkscrew, he opened the bottle and grabbed John’s wine glass, pouring a sampling of the white wine into it.

Taking the glass, John swirled it slightly for aeration and then took a small sip. “Oh, that’s excellent.”

“Wonderful choice, sir,” the waiter said.

Paul picked up John’s wine glass and filled it about half full. Placing the glass back down near John’s plate, he then did the same for Katy. Replacing the wine bottle in the ice bucket, he draped the towel around the bottleneck. The waiter looked at them and said, “Are you ready to order?”

John opened the menu and said, “So many tasty entrees. How do we choose?”

The waiter opened up his black book and asked, “May I suggest something from our menu, sir? If you’re in the mood for fish, our grilled Red Snapper is superb.”

Smiling, John looked at Katy and said, “I think we know what we want don’t we?”

“I already knew what I wanted this morning,” she smiled.

“Then you go ahead, darling,” he replied.

Turning to the waiter, Katy said, “I’ll take the one-and-a-half pound lobster dinner with a side of steamed green beans and a baked potato.”

“Would you like butter and sour cream on it?” Paul asked.

“Yes, please,” Katy replied.

Looking at John, the waiter asked, “And for you, sir?”

“That sounds good. I think I’ll have a two pounder with the green beans; and I’d like to have garlic mashed potatoes instead, with butter on the side.”

“Very good, sir. I will put in your orders right away.” The waiter smiled as he scribbled a few notes on his note pad and added, “Please let me know if you need anything. I hope you enjoy your evening.” He smiled politely as he bowed slightly from the waist, then walked toward the kitchen.

As Paul walked away, John reached across the table and gently took Katy’s hands. “God, you’re gorgeous. I need to show you off a little to these lovely people. Would you like to dance, sweetheart?” John asked with a warm, sweet smile on his face.

Katy took John’s hand and they went to the dance floor. Together, they were lost in a world of their own, surrounded by slow jazz music. She rested her cheek on his chest as they glided across the dance floor.

As they danced, she whispered in his ear, “I love you so much. No one else has ever made me feel like a princess the way you do ... Not to mention how incredibly sexy you are tonight.”

John smiled as he thought,
God, I love her
. He looked at Katy and the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin. “I’m never letting you go.”

Katy gazed in to his eyes. “I won’t let you go either.”

The music ended, and the sound of clapping brought them back to reality.

“Wait right here, honey.”

John picked up an empty glass off the nearest table and tapped it lightly with a knife. “Might I have everyone’s attention, please?”

The maître d’ looked over and smiled at John reassuringly. He nodded at the singer, who then gave a cue to the musicians. The band readied their instruments to play.

Katy was startled as John left her alone on the dance floor as the lights dimmed.

John approached her slowly and looked Katy directly into the eyes. “To do this properly, I want everyone here in this restaurant to know how much I love you, sweetheart.”

Everyone started to clap and cheer as John knelt down on one knee. Katy covered her mouth with her hand, as her eyes welled up. She thought,
I can’t believe this is finally happening.
Her heart felt like it was about to explode. She beamed with happiness.

Joy filled John’s eyes as he saw Katy’s reaction when he pulled out a little black velvet box from his pocket. He cleared his throat, and slowly raised his head as he gazed into her eyes.