Free Seeking Justice by Rita Lawless Page B

Ben started to talk of their trip. He told them of London, making sure to play up their visit to the Tower of London. He was talking about seeing the Eiffel Tower when Justice's mind started to wander.
    Where would Zander take her on their honeymoon? That one thought made her think of everything that needed to be done before they could get married. There was the business of picking a date, and a place. She hoped it would be on the ranch, where she and Zander first fell in love. Maybe in the fall when the leaves started to turn and the air turned cooler.
    But fall would be upon them before they knew it. There were things she needed to do, like quit her job, move her things, and figure out where they were going to live. It was like starting all over again, and yet it wasn't. It was a new beginning, but she would bring things from her past. Like her mother. She would have to tell her mother, even though she wasn't happy about that idea. If she could get married, and then a few months down the line say, "Oh, by the way, I got married," that would be just fine with her.
    She was afraid her mother would want to help with the planning, play the mother-of-the-bride card, and take part in everything. That was something that didn't thrill Justice.
    "Justice," Zander's voice broke her concentration.
    Justice stared down at her plate. There were very few bites gone from it. One look at Zander's plate showed she'd been daydreaming for a while, and not eating. His plate was nearly empty.
    "Want to share with the rest of us?" Emily asked. "Dad asked you a question about three minutes ago, and that's when we all noticed you were staring into space."
    "It wasn't that long ago," Zander said.
    Justice looked at her future husband. She could tell by the look on his face that he knew what she was thinking. He winked at her, and then he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
    "What's going on?" Emily asked, suspiciously.
    Zander lifted his brows, and Justice nodded.
    "Well," he said, drawing the word out. "Today, Justice asked me to marry her. And I said yes."
    There was complete silence for about three seconds, and then the room erupted into cheers and laughter. Chairs were pushed back from the table, and seconds later Justice found herself enveloped in huge hug from her future father-in-law. Soon she'd hugged everyone, and when she got to Miss Agatha, the older woman was grinning like she'd just won the lottery.
    "You keep the house," she whispered in Justice's ear as they hugged. "Gut it, do whatever you want with it. It's yours now."
    "But…" Justice started to object, but Miss Agatha shook her head. "Unless you two decide you want to build somewhere else. But I like the thought of the two of you out there on your own, playing and making babies."
    Justice blushed. She wasn't sure what to say, but Miss Agatha's words had stroked a part of her that captured her heart.
    "I like that idea, too," she said. "Thank you, Miss Agatha, but I have to talk about it with Zander."
    Miss Agatha patted her cheek. "Just know the offer is there. But don't let all that playing keep you from finding out where the loot is buried. That's your primary objective right now."
     

Chapter Six
     
    The acceptance of Zander's family reinforced Justice's decision, and it made her feel warmer than she had in quite some time. It also made her wonder why she'd waited so long.
    After they'd settled down and finished dinner, Justice offered to help with the dishes, but she'd been rejected and told to go sit with Miss Agatha. This was Justice's night, Priscilla had said. In a few days' time, all the ladies would sit down together and discuss the wedding details.
    Justice's mind was so preoccupied with how much she had to do, that she didn't hear Zander sneak up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.
    "How's your bottom?" he whispered into her ear.
    A flush rose up from her chest, making her face and neck feel red-hot. "Stop that."
    "Why? You think my