Fearless Encounter

Chapter 17

Amazingly, Meg was unharmed. She was back to work within a week, and Dwaine Schwartz was glad to have her back. In fact, he was so appreciative of her brilliant work and her heroic efforts that he made her a partner in the business. He claimed that the advancement was overdue, and he apologized that it had taken such a dramatic incident for him to make it official.

Meg was busier than she’d ever been—and happier. Despite her long hours, she had frequent lunches with Brooke. There was so much to catch up on, and the friendship was as strong—likely stronger—than before. Brooke was pleased to have her fearless friend back healthy. Her company was in the process of marketing uncrackable encryption software, worth a fortune. As a partner, Meg would profit nicely.

Daniel Fontenot did not fare so well. He was charged for his crimes and held in prison until the trial. The CEO intended to file a civil suit, separate from the criminal charges the authorities had pressed. It was certain that he couldn’t affect Meg or the company any longer and had been effectively barred from inflicting harm. Since the Russians had cut ties with him, all the money he’d hoped for had gone down the drain, including the initial payment from his Swiss account that the government had confiscated.

For years, the feds had been trying to capture Yakov Petrov and document his ties to Russian Mafia. The new information Abe provided moved the agency closer to success. That included a few enlightening insights that Weston had garnered from his searches on the dark web—including the real identities of a few in Petrov’s inner circle. That fact was satisfying, but Weston went right back to work on new cases without allowing the accolades to go to his head.

Amalie was all smiles about the outcome. Plus, she’d kept Brooke’s purse secure and proudly returned it to her. She’d known it would be a good day when she did that, as it meant that Brooke was home and safe. Over the course of the investigation, she had helped in significant ways, including the original lead that helped identify Meg. And not long after, she finished her training and was employed at Guardian Investigations as a private investigator.

It seemed that all Brooke had done for days was talk to Lisle. She’d shared what happened in great detail, and in true best friend form, Lisle had plied her for more—including absolutely everything about Gabriel. When Brooke needed a few days off, Lisle covered for her. At least, she made sure to defrost pastries as needed. And Japer was very supportive also. After all, the restaurant became the place to go once the fearless pastry chef’s encounter was in the media. It was quite the tale, and customers wanted to catch a glimpse of Brooke—or at least taste one of her pastries.

Brooke was finally able to go on the highly anticipated dessert hop with Gabriel. She had selected a few prime locations to test the specialties of local pastry chefs. First was what she swore was the best king cake in New Orleans. And since it was still carnival season, the delicate dessert was topped with green, gold, and purple sprinkles. And second was a rich dessert of s’more petit fours that tasted like decadent chocolate cake.

At the third restaurant, Gabriel suggested ordering coffee with dessert. “I don’t know about you,” he said, “but the Cajun Kringle is going to slow me down.”

Brooke laughed. “I’d say a slice with caramel glaze and pecans would pair well with coffee, preferably espresso.”

Gabriel reached for her hand, ignoring his dessert. “I love you.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of you saying that.” Brooke glanced at the lovely silver bracelet on her wrist with the engraved message: Gabriel & Brooke Forever.

Lifting her hand, he kissed her fingertips then the bracelet. “I mean, that, you know.” He’d had the bracelet designed for her to replace her tracker. “I don’t need you to wear a tracker. My heart is linked to yours.”

Brooke’s eyes filled with tears that she wiped with her free hand. “You touch my heart. I love you so much. And I just can’t believe my good fortune.”

“And mine,” Gabriel said, “if you’ll have me.” He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and set it on the table. Gently, he opened it and slid it closer for her to view. “Brooke, my love…will you marry me?”

Through blurry eyes, Brooke stared at the sparkling diamond band, certain it was the most beautiful ring ever. She put her hand over her heart as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Is that a yes?”

Brooke nodded. “Yes… Yes!” Then she stood and fell into Gabriel’s arms. He hugged her and buried his face in her hair. He kissed her tenderly, conveying much more.

With one arm still around her, Gabriel removed the ring from its case and placed it on her finger. Brooke’s heart overflowed with love.

Gabriel pulled her closer. “Suddenly, I’m not in the mood for coffee,” he said, his expression filled with emotion.

Through tears of joy, Brooke smiled. “I’m not either. Let’s go home.” She liked the sound of that.