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or pizza with Cormack anywhere, at any time, let alone on this sacred day devoted to love.

ā€œWhat did you read in the book, Cormack?ā€ I ask as my patience begins to wane. My eyes flit to the entrance for any sign of Fiona, but thereā€™s none just yet.

Cormackā€™s hands snake around my body, and I carefully pluck her off, much to her dismay.

ā€œFine,ā€ she pouts. ā€œOn page thirteen, Bambi states she had an infamous friendship with the famed Verity Prescott, which went off like a bottle rocket then dissipated just as quickly.ā€

Lottie scoffs. ā€œThatā€™s hardly any evidence.ā€

ā€œOh yeah?ā€ Cormack takes a step in Lottieā€™s direction. ā€œAnd then she said, ā€˜Verity Prescott has hair that I would kill for.ā€™ā€

Lottie chokes on a laugh. ā€œCormack, I read that, too. Itā€™s hardly a motive for murder.ā€

ā€œNo, itā€™s not a motive.ā€ Cormack shoots daggers at Lottie. ā€œItā€™s a confession.ā€

ā€œAll right.ā€ Everett rocks back on his heels. ā€œGood effort, Cormack. But the killer was Juliet Jackowski. Her family canned jam for a living, and she had working knowledge of botulism.ā€

Lottie nods. ā€œBotulism is an adverse effect of canning gone wrong. Juliet confessed to killing Verity in order to keep from going to prison over the fact she was stealing from the Craft Emporium. Verity was using their theft as leverage over her. And it was Juliet who was sending those cryptic messages to Evie. But then, you probably have no clue about the other component to this case.ā€

Cormack gasps. ā€œYou mean there were two killers? I donā€™t even know how that works.ā€ She looks my way. ā€œDonā€™t worry, Big Boss. Iā€™ll be at your place later and you can teach me a few lessons on how to improve my sleuthing skills.ā€ She licks her lips. ā€œAnd Iā€™m not talking about detective work.ā€ She takes off before I can reject the offer.

ā€œDonā€™t worry, Lot,ā€ I tell her. ā€œI have a deadbolt, and Iā€™m not afraid to use it.ā€

My attention shifts to Everett for a moment. ā€œWould you mind if I had a private word with Lottie? Just for a moment?ā€

Everett takes a breath, and I can tell heā€™s as stressed out as heā€™s ever been.

ā€œNo problem.ā€ He glances to the door. ā€œI think Iā€™ll head out front and see if I can spot Fiona.ā€ He brushes a kiss to Lottieā€™s cheek. ā€œIf he tries to steal second base again, knee him in the cookies.ā€ He takes off, and Lottie presses out a shy smile.

ā€œIā€™ve been given strict orders,ā€ she teases.

The music shifts to something moodier, and I hold out a hand her way.

ā€œCan I have this dance?ā€

ā€œI would never deny you,ā€ she says, falling into my arms, and it feels right.

As if it were a reflex, I plant a kiss over the top of her head.

ā€œHappy Valentineā€™s Day, Lottie.ā€

ā€œSame to you, Big Boss.ā€ She gives a cheeky wink, and we share a warm laugh on Cormackā€™s behalf.

I swallow hard as I take in her beauty. ā€œThe thing I wanted to tell you is thatā€”you own me, Lottie Lemon.ā€

ā€œAnd you very much own me, in a very strange way, Noah Fox.ā€ She shrugs. ā€œIā€™m sorry.ā€

ā€œDonā€™t ever apologize for giving me the best news ever.ā€

Her stomach jumps, and I feel it up against my hip.

ā€œWhoa.ā€ I land a hand over her stomach and canā€™t help but grin. ā€œHappy Valentineā€™s Day to you, too, kiddo. I guess weā€™re going to meet you soon enough.ā€

ā€œNoahā€ā€”Lottie breathes my name in a sighā€”ā€œitā€™s all happening so fast, I canā€™t bear it. And yet it canā€™t get here fast enough all at the same time.ā€

ā€œI feel the exact same way.ā€

ā€œAnd donā€™t worry.ā€ She gives my tie a playful tug. ā€œI want you to know that whether or not this is your baby, you are going to play a vital role in its life. Just like you are with Evie.ā€

I give a solemn nod. ā€œThank you for that.ā€

Lottie blinks up at me with those doe eyes of hers, and I canā€™t help diving in and getting lost in them.

Here I hold the holy grail to Everettā€™s defense, and a small, selfish part of me says donā€™t give it. Let him go away so I can have Lottie all to myself. And try as I might to stomp that horrible, fiery thought out of my mind, the flames keep popping right back up again.

A part of me wishes someone else had thought up the defense, that the burden of Everettā€™s future lay in anyone elseā€™s hands other than my own. But at the end of the day, Essex Everett Baxter is my brother just as much as Alex is. And I need to protect him. I need to save him from this unfortunate position that I landed him in to begin with.

Lottie pulls my head down to hers, and for a moment I think sheā€™s going to plant one on me. Not that I would stop her. Not that I could stop Lottie Lemon from doing just about anything. But she rests her forehead against mine instead, and I appreciate the proximity to her lips nonetheless.

ā€œNoahā€ā€”she whispersā€”ā€œIā€™m so very grateful to have you in my life.ā€ She sniffs back tears. ā€œI donā€™t think I could bear to not have you in it. You live in my heart now and you will forevermore.ā€

And just like that, Lottie gives me the best gift I could ever ask for.

A cool breeze moves past us, and we look up to see Everett and Fiona Dagmeyer stepping this way.

Itā€™s showtime.

Everett

Noah has his arms wrapped around Lemon as if he were about to pull her from a burning building. No doubt Iā€™m the raging fire looking to burn down Noahā€™s world.

I can relate, I thought the same of him for almost the entire duration of time he was with Lemon.

Fiona clears her throat, and Noah is slow to remove his grip on Lemon.

ā€œDetective Foxā€ā€”Fiona lifts her chinā€” ā€œif you donā€™t mind speeding things along, I donā€™t like to hang out in haunted houses any longer than need be. What

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