Back then, we didn’t listen to her. We just remained friends. That remained the case all the way up until a couple of days ago. Ever since I agreed to go out on a date, my mother wouldn’t shut up about how excited she was.

  If I was being honest, there was a chance that this date meant more to her than it did to me. That was saying a lot. Despite all of my anxieties, I wanted to fall in love.

  I just happened to have my reservations. My mother, meanwhile, had never been more confident about anything in her entire life. Nothing could stop her from leading the charge to get Scott and I together.

  I wasn’t sure where this gut instinct of hers was coming from. I was the one in the family known for having great instincts.

  “Mom, the date is still a few hours away,” I said.

  “Don’t you mean, it’s only a few hours away?” she replied.

  “Go ahead and phrase it however you want. It’s not here yet.”

  “Hold on a second. Are you honestly telling me that you’re not counting down the seconds until he picks you up?”

  “No.”

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Mom, will you take it easy on me?”

  My mother’s voice filled with concern as she replied, “Honey, are you feeling all right?”

  “Yes. I’m fine.”

  “Just fine? You mean, you’re not over the moon?”

  “Not quite.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ve just had a rough day at work.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but your work day is over now. You should put it all behind you.”

  “How can you say that? You don’t even know what happened.”

  “And I don’t want to know. I’m sure it’s terrible,” my mom replied. “It always is.”

  “Then you should realize that I need time to transition.”

  “Melody, do you realize how important tonight is?”

  “Please don’t put pressure on me.”

  “It’s too late for that. I expect big things from this date.”

  “Mom, you need to let things play out naturally. If good things are meant to happen, they will.”

  “What do you mean, if? You and Scott are meant for each other.”

  “That’s what you say.”

  “Of course I feel that way. I’ve been banging this drum for twenty years.”

  “Loudly, I might add.”

  “Hey, sometimes you need to make some serious noise before anyone listens to you.”

  “Well, I hear you loud and clear.”

  “In that case, get excited. Your romantic life is about to change forever.”

  “I sure hope you’re right.”

  “Melody, have I ever steered you wrong?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly. And I’m not going to start now. So, get pumped up. This evening is going to be magical.”

  Chapter Six

  There was a saying about enthusiasm being infectious. In my mother’s case, that was definitely true. My mood drastically improved while I was on the phone with my mom. To the point where my depression about the custody case left my mind completely.

  By the time I arrived home, my focus was squarely on the date that I had that evening.

  As I entered my bedroom, I opened my closet and started the process of picking out an outfit.

  I wish I could tell you that was an easy decision. Instead, I overanalyzed things. I probably spent about fifteen minutes too long deciding what I was going to wear that night.

  Finally, when I had picked out the perfect dress, I went into the bathroom.

  It was time to get started on my hair and makeup.

  That process also took a decent chunk of time. As a matter of fact, it was a good thing that I had left work early. By the time I finished everything up, there was only a few minutes to spare. I used that time to say a quick little prayer that the date went well.

  At exactly six o’clock, my doorbell rang. Talk about punctuality at its finest. Of course, I didn’t expect anything different from Scott. He had always been on time for everything. The only thing that could derail him was an emergency.

  I immediately got up from my bed and headed toward the door. I didn’t want to keep him waiting.

  That said, before I swung the door open, I did take a deep breath.

  After that, I opened the door.

  That was when I saw Scott standing on my doorstep holding a bouquet of flowers. The roses were absolutely lovely.

  Scott’s eyes lit up as he looked at me.

  “Wow,” he said.

  He seemed to be awestruck. As if I looked completely different than he was expecting.

  Honestly, his reaction took me a little by surprise.

  “Wow, what?” I replied.

  “You just look so great,” he said.

  “Really? You think so?”

  He nodded. “Oh yeah.”

  I blushed. Then again, how could I not? It wasn’t every day that someone paid me a compliment like that.

  “Thanks for saying that,” I replied.

  “I’m just being honest. You look so gorgeous.”

  “You don’t have to go overboard.”

  “I’m not. That’s the absolute truth.”

  “How kind of you to say that. By the way, you look really handsome.”

  “Thanks.”

  I then focused on the bouquet that he was holding. “Are those flowers for me?”

  He had been so caught up gazing at me that he almost seemed to forget about the roses he was holding.

  “Oh. Yes. Of course. Here you go.”

  He handed me the bouquet.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off of the flowers.

  “They’re beautiful,” I said.

  “Not as beautiful as you are.”

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into you tonight, but I really like it.”

  “What can I say? Romance is in the air.”

  ***

  As Scott and I drove away from my house, I was full of excitement. There was a buzz making the rounds that gave me a serious rush of energy.

  Now, usually uncertainty gave me anxiety. This time, even though I had no clue what was in store for us, I just felt elated.

  At the same time, I couldn’t help my curiosity from getting the best of me.

  “So, what do you have on tap for us tonight?” I asked.

  Scott smiled and then gave a vague answer. “You’ll see.”

  My nose scrunched. “Wait. You’re not going to tell me?”

  He shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  “How come?”

  “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

  “Look at you, being all withholding.”

  I folded my arms.

  He chuckled as he glanced at the impatient look on my face.

  “It’s killing you to not know where we’re going, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “Of course, it is.”

  He laughed.

  I shrugged. “What’s so funny?”

  “You have zero patience.”

  “I wouldn’t say that—”

  “Melody, I’ve known you for the majority of my life. During that time, I’ve met very few people who are as impatient as you are.”

  “All right. You got me. Guilty as charged. I’m impatient.”

  “I’m glad that you finally admitted it.”

  I held my pointer finger up. “In my defense, I’m an investigator. I solve mysteries for a living. So, it’s only natural for me to want answers to all of the questions that pop into my mind.”

  “Like I said, you’ll find out soon enough.”

  “You’re really not going to give me anything?”

  “I’ll say this. I think you’re going to have a great time tonight.”

  Chapter Seven

  I couldn’t believe it. He really did keep me in suspense. By the time we reached Maddox Street, I was beside myself. Scott wasn’t kidding about lack of patience. It was out of control.

  As Scott made his way down Maddox Street, I had a hunch where he was taking me. My hunch was confirmed when he pulled into the parking lot of Leonardo’s Restaurant.

  My jaw nearly dropped as Scott parked his car.

  Scott squinted at me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m just in shock.”

  “Really? That I’d take you to a restaurant?”

  “Scott, don’t be silly. This isn’t just any restaurant. It isn’t like you took me to Tolliver’s Diner.”

  “Wait a minute. Did you honestly think I would take you to Tolliver’s Diner on a date?”

  “I hoped that you wouldn’t, but I also know that you’re a down to Earth guy. You’re not big on splurging.”

  He put his hand up. “I have to correct you on that one. I don’t tend to splurge on myself. When it comes to other people, it’s a different story. Especially when I’m trying to impress someone that I care about.”

  “Well, I’m definitely impressed.”

  “Good.”

  I remained wide-eyed. “I still can’t believe you’ve brought me here.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because this is Leonardo’s. I’ve only ever been here on special occasions.”

  “In my mind, this is a really special occasion. I don’t exactly go on a lot of dates.”

  “Neither do I. But this one has definitely started out with a bang.”

  ***

  The food at Leonardo’s was second to none. At least, when it came to Majestic Cove. My hometown didn’t exactly have a grand culinary history. It was a tourist town. There were a lot of affordable restaurants and diners that catered to families.

  Leonardo’s was the exception to that. In my opinion, they were just as good as any fine dining restaurant in the big city. Of course, my experience with high-class restaurants was rather limited. Still, I loved the Italian food that they served here. In fact, it was such a treat to eat here that I had trouble picking out just one item from the menu.

  There was no telling when I would be back here again. I wanted to get something that was absolutely delicious. In the past, the chicken parmigiana had never let me down. Then again, I had eyed their penne a number of times before and never pulled the trigger.

  One thing was clear. I was definitely getting an order of garlic bread. I didn’t know how they managed to make it so tasty, but it was out of this world.

  Ultimately, I decided to go out on a limb and try the penne. It seemed like it would pair well with my bread. Besides, breaking new ground seemed to be the big theme of the evening. Why go against the grain?

  It turned out that it was worth it to branch out. All I had to do was take one bite of the penne and I was hooked.

  “Judging by the expression on your face, I’m guessing that you like your dish,” Scott said.

  “Without exaggeration, this is the best pasta I’ve ever tasted,” I replied.

  “It’s good to hear that.”

  “How about your ravioli? Is it good?”

  He nodded. “It is something, all right.”

  “Wow. It looks like we both lucked out with our orders. It’s nice to know that trying new things pays off sometimes.”

  “I’ll say. Luck has been on our side this evening.”

  “Maybe we should buy lottery tickets.”

  “If you feel like it’s worth it, we can definitely do that.”

  “There are worse ways to spend a couple of bucks.”

  “I haven’t had any luck with the lottery in the past.”

  “Neither have I. Maybe that means we’re overdue. After all, luck does seem to be smiling on us tonight.”

  “If I’m being truthful, I feel like I’ve already playing with house money.”

  “How so?”

  “To start, you said yes to this date. In addition, the food is amazing. On top of that, the evening is going really well. Talk about lucking out.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “You just suppose? Are you not sure?”

  “I guess I could have phrased that better. I completely agree with you. Things are going even better than I expected.”

  “Hold on a second. How did you expect things to go?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I was hoping for the best.”

  “You feared the worst, though, didn’t you?”

  “It was in the back of my mind. I tried to push it out of my thoughts completely, but it just stuck around. Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.”

  “Why not?”

  “After everything you’ve seen on the job, it’s understandable that you’d have skepticism. From what you tell me, you’ve witnessed relationships rip apart right before your eyes.”

  “I certainly have.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you if your skepticism never went away.”

  “Thanks for being understanding. I’m going to do my best not to let the experiences from my professional life bleed over into my personal life.”

  “I’m going to do the same. But that isn’t always easy.”

  “Speaking of which, were you confident that things would go so well?”

  “Since you’ve been so truthful, I’ll do the same. I was pretty nervous going into this.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Why do you look so surprised?”

  “Because you’re a big tough police detective. I thought you had nerves of steel.”

  “I do…when it comes to some things.”

  “Just not this?”

  “We have just been friends for so long. But what if we didn’t have the romantic chemistry that I thought? Would that ruin our friendship? Would things be awkward between us?”

  “That’s a good point.”

  “I know. That’s why it was so hard to dismiss that thought outright.”

  “The good news is that you got an answer to your question. It turns out that we have great romantic chemistry.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “And, much to my delight, the date is going great.”

  There was an old saying about not jinxing things when they were going well.

  I probably should have paid more attention to that saying.

  Unfortunately, just when things were going incredibly well, a call came in on Scott’s police radio.

  Uh-oh.

  My heart sank the moment I heard the radio beep.

  One of the big problems with being a police detective was the on-call aspect of the job.

  There was only really one time when Scott had definitive time off. That was when he was on vacation.

  Other than that, he could theoretically get called in to work at any time.

  Talk about a weird way to live. At least, in my mind.

  There was a chance that Scott was used to having his personal life being constantly interrupted.

  That was something that I could never become accustomed to. No matter how often it happened.

  As a matter of fact, hearing his radio go off in the middle of our date was a nightmare scenario to me. This evening had been a long time coming. We had known each other for decades. Only now were we finally giving romance a go.

  For our special moment to be interrupted seemed like a cruel joke by the universe. I couldn’t figure out why life wouldn’t just leave me alone. Had I done something to make the universe mad at me?

  Then again, there was a chance that I was getting ahead of myself. There were a lot of different types of calls in the police world. Some involved Scott dropping everything and heading out. Others weren’t quite so urgent in nature.

  I did know this, though. It wasn’t just a random social call. He didn’t get those on his police radio. Some form of criminal activity was definitely taking place.

  He grimaced as he reached for his radio. “I’m sorry, but I need to take this.”

  “I know,” I replied.

  “Thanks for being understanding.”

  “Do I really have a choice in the matter?”

  “You could have put up a stink.”

  “I guess, but that wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere.”

  “Either way, thanks for not being upset.”

  “Hey, an emergency is an emergency.”

  “There’s a chance that this isn’t quite that serious.”

  “How big of a chance are you talking?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” He got up from the table. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  ***

  All told, it took him longer than sixty seconds to return to the table.

  I spent the entire time praying for the best.

  I prayed that Scott wouldn’t have to leave. That we could continue our date. Not just because I was having a good time, but also because it would break my heart if our romantic evening ended early because of an emergency.

  I wanted things to quiet down in Majestic Cove. I craved peace in my hometown. I hated that so many tragic things were happening lately.

  In addition, the idea that some heinous crime might have taken place during the same evening that Scott and I were having a first date was the sort of thing that made my skin crawl. After all, if we became a couple, the events of this evening would be a part of our story forever.

  Who wanted tragedy to tarnish the night?

  Over the years, I had spent a lot of time praying. It was to the point where I worried if I was asking too much from God sometimes. I felt guilty asking for so much.

  At least, I normally did. That evening, I was feeling bold. Or maybe desperate. The important thing was that I really wanted this particular prayer to be answered.

  ***

  Five minutes after Scott left the table, he returned.

  When I looked at his face, I couldn’t tell if he had bad news to share with me.

  “So, what’s the deal?” I asked.

  “Apparently, I filled out some paperwork incorrectly,” he said.

  “Are you serious?”

  He nodded.

  “Is that all?” I asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Wow. That was not what I was expecting you to say.”

  “I’ll bet you weren’t.”

  “Scared the daylights out of me. By the way, couldn’t that call have waited?”