Free Raspberry Creme Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 14 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott Page A

blazer on a day like today. He came   to her door and
opened it for her.
    “Good
evening, Miss Gladstone,” he greeted her. “We’ve been expecting you.”
    “Really?”
Missy asked before she could stop herself, then covered her blunder. “Thank
you,” she recovered, trying to act as though such things happened to her all
the time.
    A
concierge met her at the door as the valet drove away in her car. “Come with
me, Miss Gladstone,” the elegant gent offered his arm.
    When
he opened the door, Missy heard the strains of her absolute favorite Elvis
song, “ Can’t Help Falling in Love, ” being played live, with a smooth
jazz touch. The lights were low, and candles flickered on every table. She was
astonished when she glanced at the main stage which was strung with hundreds of
firefly lights, and saw Chas, decked out in a fine Italian suit, standing in
front of the musicians’ box, beckoning to her. Spellbound and more than a bit
startled, she allowed the concierge to guide her toward the stage, where her
handsome detective waited. Not realizing or caring that every eye in the room
was on her, she practically floated onto the stage.
    Chas
took her hand and gazed into her eyes, a look on his face that she’d never seen
before. It was as if every bit of emotion that he kept carefully hidden, along
with the heart that he guarded so closely, was shining there in his cobalt
eyes, for all the world to see.
    Unable
to look away, Missy whispered, “Chas, what’s happening?” as the band softly
played the last few notes of her favorite song.
    “I
love you,” he said, taking both of her hands in his, his words filling the
room. She saw that he had a tiny microphone fastened to his lapel.
    “I
love you, too,” she replied, her eyes moist.
    “When
I first met you, I knew you were special. I wouldn’t admit it to myself at the
time, because the thought scared me, but I knew that you were The One,” he
smiled tenderly, caressing her cheek with his thumb and kissing her lightly.
Missy blushed and grinned up at the most handsome face in the entire world.
“Any time that you’ve ever been in danger, I feel like if I lost you, life
would have no meaning. I could go on, I just wouldn’t want to. I’ve known for
quite a while now that I want you to be by my side, forever.”
    The
tears that had welled in Missy’s eyes slipped slowly down her cheeks and he
wiped them away with a fingertip. “Oh Chas, I want that too,” she admitted with
all of her heart.
    “And
because of that…I’m going to ask you a question that I never thought I’d ask
anyone.” Chas reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box
and Missy gasped as she finally realized what was happening. Her beloved got
down on one knee and opened the box to reveal a heart-shaped diamond ring that
had probably cost more than Missy’s car and house combined.
    “Melissa
Gladstone, will you make me the happiest man on earth? Will you marry me?” he
asked, his own eyes shining as he placed his ring on her finger.
    The
crowd in the restaurant erupted when she said a vehement and heartfelt yes, and
the house lights came up to reveal all of her friends and loved ones. Echo was
there, at a table with Ben and Cheryl and the rest of her staff from both
shops. The mayor was in attendance, as were the remaining members of her book
club, including Sam, and people with whom she’d laughed, cried and done
business. Everyone and anyone who was precious to her was there, and at the
moment, they were all on their feet applauding, many of them with tears on
their cheeks. Now all of the weird behavior from Echo, Cheryl and Chas made
sense, they’d been plotting together to surprise her, and had succeeded
admirably.
    When
Missy realized the thoughtfulness and planning that it had taken to make this
happen, she was overwhelmed and felt truly loved – by friends, loved ones, and
the man who’d just become her fiancé. Her tears flowed freely as Chas took