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.“Put the gun on the floor, Bekki,” Nick said calmly.Bekki immediately put the gun down on the floor, out of Larry's reach.From behind Bekki several officers surged forward to take custody of Larry.Bekki stumbled to her feet, still in a bit of shock, and instantly Nick's arms were around her.“Are you okay?” he breathed as he held her close.“I am now,” she murmured and looked up at him with amazement.“How did you know?”“I didn't,” he replied and then murmured his next words.“Well, I didn't know for sure,” he amended.“When you turned me down earlier, I knew that you were up to something.I saw you near the shop earlier, and then you disappeared.I couldn't find you anywhere, so I walked down the back alley to see if you had decided to do some investigating.I heard the gun shot,” he added, his eyes showing a little fear.“He shot at you Bekki,” he said under his breath as he stared intently at her.“Do you have any idea what it would do to me if anything ever happened to you?”Bekki was touched by his words, and only resisted kissing him because the room was flooded with police officers.She knew that Nick was waiting for an explanation, but she had to get everything out first.“That money over there,” she pointed to the duffel bag that Morris had already found.“That's from a winning lottery ticket that John bought, and then left in the pocket of his jacket.Larry found it, he claimed the prize money, and when John came back looking for his jacket and the ticket, he shot him so that he wouldn't lose his fortune.John really was innocent, Nick,” she searched his gaze for his agreement.“Now we have the proof.”“And was it worth it?” Nick asked as he tugged her gently away from the other officers around them.“Was it worth it to risk your life for a man's reputation, who's already dead?” he asked with growing frustration.Bekki thought of the way that John had helped people.She knew that Nick would never understand why it had been so important to her that she had put her life in danger.But John was a good man, he had lived as a good person, and he deserved to be buried as a good man, too.“Yes,” she finally answered, drawing a groan of annoyance from Nick.“This conversation is not over,” Nick warned, but his tone was loving.He kissed her forehead gently and then whispered against her skin.“Is it illegal to make you wear a bulletproof vest everywhere you go?”“I don't think it would go with my purse,” Bekki smiled and kissed his cheek tenderly.“I'm safe Nick.Larry is going to be behind bars for a very long time.John can rest in peace now, and I have a feeling that he'll still be giving from the grave.”“What do you mean?” Nick asked curiously as he continued to hold her more tightly than usual.She knew that his protective instincts made him never want to let go.“Just have Morris go to John's house and check through his mail,” Bekki replied mysteriously.“I think what's there will prove to be interesting and important to John's estate, especially once we prove that he was the one to purchase the winning ticket.”“How do you know this?” Nick started to ask and then just sighed with defeat.“Never mind, I shouldn't ask,” he laughed quietly and then kissed her firmly on the lips.“The important thing is that you're okay,” he admitted in a whisper.“Thanks to you,” Bekki replied and met his gaze with gratitude.“You were doing pretty well yourself,” he smiled with subtle pride.“It never hurts to have backup,” Bekki pointed out with a grin.Chapter EightBy the next morning the ticket purchase had been verified and the stolen funds were legally returned to John's estate.It was Christmas Eve and it seemed to be the perfect day for the memorial that was conducted in the center of town for John.The ladies of the Big Hat Club were there, each with a different large hat decked out in black lace, black satin, and lilies.Bekki had to wonder if these were simply hats they had on hand, or if they were made specifically for John's memorial.Ms.Martin had a balled up tissue in her hand and was wiping at her eyes before the ceremony even started.She was shivering a little in the cold air, the temperature had dropped yet again.Bekki tugged her wool scarf free from her neck and walked up behind Ms.Martin.She draped it gently around the woman's neck and shoulders.“Oh thank you, Bekki,” Ms.Martin said in a trembling voice.“I still can't believe he's gone.”“I know he cared a lot for you Ms.Martin,” Bekki murmured.“He may be gone, but I promise you, he's always with you.”“That's a nice thought,” Ms.Martin nodded, but Bekki could see from the strain in her expression that she did not believe her words.The mayor was conducting the memorial which struck everyone in town as unusual, considering that John was just a real estate agent, and not involved in politics.“Today we honor a man who acted with kindness, even when no one else noticed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]