The Detective and Her Bachelor

Chapter 29

I reached for a cracker, pondering the information that had been so freely given.

This is the type of information I've been searching for! This gives us new leads! New suspects! New possibilities—

"Whoa! Careful!" Andrew snatched my hand away from the snack bowl so fast that I let out a startled squeak.

I blinked, staring up at Andrew, confused. He tilted his head towards the bowl, dark strands of hair falling into his face, framing his concerned-filled eyes. "Those are peanut butter. They have peanuts in them."

My face turned a deep red, embarrassed that I had slipped up so badly. Andrew had saved me by remembering that I was allergic to nuts. 

We stared down at our hands for a beat, his warm, long fingers wrapped around mine, a safety blanket. Then Andrew gave my hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. "I think we should exclude a hospital visit from today's date."

I nodded, quiet for a moment, flustered. Thankful and terrified that Andrew had saved me, protected me when I had completely forgotten to protect myself. Luke pulled the bowl off the table. "Okay, let's get rid of the killing snacks..." He walked back to the cupboard. "Do chickpeas kill you too, or just nuts?"

"Just nuts," I replied, still embarrassed. Luke went about prepping another snack bowl as I turned to look back at Andrew. "What happens when it's done? What if you don't find someone worth marrying... which is a pretty high possibility for a reality dating show."

Andrew raised a brow. "You just insulted yourself."

Luke snorted, shouting from the kitchen. "She sure did!"

"It's called being realistic, or having a backup plan," I countered.

"Once it's done, if I still haven't found someone to marry..." Andrew trailed off.

"He'll be home free!" Luke said with a smile, plopping back down, a bowl of chickpea puffs now sitting on the coffee table. "It's the final demand they can make of him. Kind of a genius move in its insanity, really. Make a public mockery of a family tradition, while still following the rules."

Andrew sipped from his nearly empty glass. "I've been known to be clever."

I stared down at the wooden floor, piecing together a new tapestry of Andrew. A man playing in a family game, suddenly forced to pull in oblivious pawns, potentially breaking hearts along the way. "So what about all the contestants? Are you just mocking them too? Using them as pawns in your family battle?" 

I was surprised to find myself defending the women on the show. But I was sure some of them came on the show hoping for something more than celebrity even if it was a bit misguided. Andrew turned to look at me, hurt flashing in his sea eyes.

"You aren't a pawn," Andrew replied softly.

But Andrew is... If he isn't a murderer, I will have done the same exact thing to him. 

I itched to bite my lip, but knew it would be a tell of guilt. I settled for letting out a slow breath before looking up at Andrew, face serious, trying to ignore the way his eyes filled with concern. "I'm not worried about myself," I said quietly. "But I know others would be crushed if they knew why you were doing this."

Andrew looked away, a muscle working in his jaw. "I'm not against finding love. I would just like to have the freedom to do it on my own terms. And if this show process helps me find love, great. If not, well then I'll go out into the real world and try again... and again... and again until I get it right. It's worth fighting for your chance to find your forever person, right?"