I Do…

Her Accidental Engagement

Michelle Major

A Bride’s Tangled Vows

Dani Wade

The Unexpected Honeymoon

Barbara Wallace

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Her Accidental Engagement

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

A Bride’s Tangled Vows

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

The Unexpected Honeymoon

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Copyright

Her Accidental Engagement

When the local police chief comes to a single mom’s rescue—with a pretend marriage proposal!—fake sparks become all too real in Michelle Major’s newest Special Edition story, Her Accidental Engagement!

Julia Morgan is in the midst of a nasty custody battle, trying to prove she provides a stable environment as a single mother for her son, Charlie. When the opposing lawyer starts to play dirty, she has a few tricks up her own sleeve…one that involves the hunky, most eligible bachelor in town.

As Brevia’s police chief, Sam Callahan is used to saving others, so when he sees a cute, sassy blonde in need of help, he gladly plays hero. Not only will pretending to be her fiancé help Julia’s case, it will also get his father off his back about finding “the one.” But what happens when pretend doesn’t seem so—well—pretend anymore?

MICHELLE MAJOR grew up in Ohio, but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at www.michellemajor.com.

To Mom and Dad: for your love,

support and the years of off-key harmonies

Chapter One

Julia Morgan lit the final match, determined to destroy the letter clenched in her fingers. She was well aware of the mistakes she’d made in her life, but seeing them typed on fancy letterhead was more than she could take at the moment. She drew the flickering flame toward the paper but another gust of damp wind blew it out.

The mountains surrounding her hometown of Brevia, North Carolina, were notoriously wet in late winter. Even though it hadn’t rained for several days, moisture clung to the frigid March air this afternoon, producing a cold she felt right to her bones.

With a frustrated groan, she crumpled the letter into a tiny ball. Add the inability to burn a single piece of paper to her colossal list of failures. Sinking to her knees on the soggy ground, she dropped the used matchstick into a trash bag with all the others.

She ignored the wail of a siren from the highway above her. She’d pulled off the road minutes earlier and climbed down the steep embankment, needing a moment to stop the panic welling inside her.

For a few seconds she focused her attention on the canopy of pine trees below the ridge where she stood, her heartbeat settling to a normal rhythm.

Since she’d returned to her hometown almost two years ago, this love of the forest had surprised her. She’d never been a nature girl, her gypsy existence taking her from one big city to another. Thanks to her beautiful son, Julia was now rooted in Brevia, and the dense woods that enveloped the town gave her the sense of peace she hadn’t known she’d missed for years.

The makeshift fire hadn’t been much of a plan, but flying by the seat of her pants was nothing new for Julia. With a deep breath, she smoothed the wrinkled letter against the grass. She’d read it compulsively over the past week until the urge to destroy it had overtaken her. She knew the words by heart but needed the satisfaction of watching them go up in flames.

Unfit mother. Seeking custody. Better options.

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. Burning the letter wouldn’t change the potential it had to ruin her life. She’d tried to dismiss the contents as lies and conjecture. In a corner of her heart, she worried they were true and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself against them.

Suddenly she was hauled to her feet. “Are you hurt? What happened?” A pair of large hands ran along her bare arms, then down her waist toward...

Whoa, there. “Back off, Andy Griffith,” Julia sputtered as parts of her body she thought were in permanent hibernation sprang to life.

As if realizing how tightly he held her, Sam Callahan, Brevia’s police chief, pushed away. He stalked several yards up the hill toward the road, then turned and came at her again. Muscles bunched under the shoulders of his police uniform.

She had to work hard to ignore the quick pull of awareness that pulsed through her. Darn good thing Julia had sworn off men. Even better that big, strong alpha men were so not her type.

Julia gave herself a mental headshake. “What do you want, Sam? I’m sort of busy here.”

She could have sworn his eye twitched under his aviator sunglasses. He jabbed one arm toward the top of the hill. “What I want is to know what the hell you’re doing off the side of the road. Again.”

Right. She’d forgotten that the last time Sam had found her, she’d been eight months pregnant and had wrapped her ancient Honda around a tree trunk. He’d taken her to the hospital where her son, Charlie, had been born.

That day a year and a half ago had been the start of a new life for her. One she’d protect at any cost.

Sam had been new to Brevia and the role of police chief then. He’d also been a whole lot nicer. At least, to Julia. He’d made the rounds of the single ladies in town, but ever since Charlie’s birth Sam had avoided her as though he thought he might be the first man in history to catch a pregnancy. Which was fine, especially given some of the details she’d heard about his history with women.

“Julia.”

At the sound of her name, she focused on his words.

“There are skid marks where your car pulled off.”

“I was in a hurry,” she said and swiped at her still-moist cheeks.

His hands bunched at his sides as he eyed her bag. “Do I smell smoke?”

“I lit a match. Lots of them.” Her chin hitched. “Wanna call Smokey Bear for backup?”

He muttered something under his breath at the same time a semi roared by on the road above.

“I didn’t quite catch that.”

Sam removed his sunglasses and tucked them into the front pocket of his shirt. He was almost too good-looking, his blond hair short but a little messy, as if he needed a trim. The effect softened his classically handsome features and a square jaw that fell just short of comic-book chiseled. His gaze slammed into hers, and Julia knew if ice could turn molten, it would be the exact color of Sam’s blue eyes.

“You were on your knees,” he said slowly.

Julia swallowed. “I lost a contact.”

“You don’t wear contacts.”

“How do you...? Never mind.” She bent to retrieve the bag of worthless matches.

His finger brushed the back of her arm. “What are you doing out here, Jules?”

Something about the sound of her name soft as a whisper broke through her defenses. She straightened and waved the letter at him. “I have a meeting in town and needed some fresh air to collect my thoughts.”

“At the salon?”

She shook her head. “No. Hair dye doesn’t require much mental fortitude. I have a real meeting, with an attorney.”

He didn’t ask for details but continued to watch her.

“It’s about Charlie,” she offered after a minute. “About my custody.” To add to her humiliation, she choked on the last word.

“You’re his mother. Of course you have custody.”

“I know.” She lifted the letter. “But Jeff and his parents think—”

“Who’s Jeff?”

“My ex-boyfriend.” She sighed. “Charlie’s father.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “The one who’s never set eyes on him?”

“He’s a college professor and travels the world doing research. His dad runs an investment firm in Columbus, Ohio, and his mom is a retired cardiologist. They’re rich, powerful and very intellectual. The whole family is off-the-charts smart. I guess they have...concerns. For Charlie’s future and my ability to provide the right environment. Jeff wants a new custody arrangement.”

“Have Jeff’s parents met Charlie?”

“No. They called a couple of times after he was born. They didn’t approve of me when I was with Jeff, and since he didn’t want anything to do with the baby...” She paused then added, “I let my mom deal with them.”

That made him smile. “In my opinion, Vera is also off-the-charts smart.”

Julia ignored the shiver in her legs at his slow grin. Her mother, Vera Morgan, was a pit bull. But also keenly intelligent. Everyone in her family was smart. Everyone but her.

“Jeff’s mother is here with their family attorney to meet me. To make sure everything’s okay—that Charlie is in good hands.”

“Of course he’s in good hands.” Sam’s voice gentled as he repeated, “You’re his mother.”

“I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life, made a lot of mistakes. Jeff knows the sordid details and I’m sure his parents do, too.” Emotion clogged her throat.

Sam was not the man she wanted to have see her like this. She made a show of checking her watch. “What I could use is some damage control for my reputation. White picket fence, doting husband, pillar of the community stuff. It’s a little late for me to join the Junior League.” She shook her head. “Anyway, thanks for your concern today, but as you can see, I’m peachy keen.”

“You shouldn’t talk to anyone until you get an attorney of your own.”

“Frank Davis said he would help me, but I hope it won’t come to that. I’m sure the Johnsons want what’s best for Charlie. I should at least hear them out. That boy deserves everything this world has to offer.” She gave a humorless laugh and started back toward the road. “What he’s got is me.”

As she moved past Sam, his hand reached out, but she jerked away. If he touched her right now she’d be a goner, and she needed to keep it together. For Charlie.

“You’re more than enough,” he called after her.

“From your lips to God’s ears, Chief,” she whispered and climbed up to her car.

* * *

“Who are you and what have you done with my father?”

Sam shifted in his chair at Carl’s, Brevia’s most popular restaurant, still reeling from his unbelievable afternoon. From the bizarre encounter with Julia he’d been called to a domestic disturbance that ended up being a chicken loose in Bobby Royall’s kitchen. It had made him almost thirty minutes late to dinner with his dad. Now he wished the bird hadn’t been so easy to catch.

Joe Callahan adjusted his Patriots baseball cap and chuckled. “It’s me, son. Only better.”

Said who?

His father had been a police officer in Boston for almost forty years, most of which had been spent working homicide. Joe Callahan had dedicated his life to his career, and his family had suffered from the on-the-job stress and risks he took daily. Although it wasn’t intentional, Sam had modeled his own life after his father’s. Sam had put his job before everything and everyone in his life—just like Joe.

Recently, though, Joe had begun conducting programs for police departments on emotional awareness. Sam had resisted his father’s repeated attempts to help him “get in touch” with his feelings. But now Joe was here and impossible to ignore.

“The boys down at the precinct loved my seminar. At least four of ’em were in tears by the end. I got thank-you notes from a half-dozen wives.”

“That’s great, Dad.” Sam took a long drink of iced tea, wishing he wasn’t on duty. A cold one would be mighty helpful tonight. “I don’t see what that has to do with me or your unexpected visit to Brevia.”

His father pulled a flyer out of the briefcase at his feet and pushed it across the table. “While I’m down here, I thought we could organize a workshop.”

Sam glanced at the pamphlet. His stomach gave a hearty gurgle. Law with Love, Presented by Retired Police Captain Joseph Callahan. A picture of Joe hugging a group of uniformed officers filled the front page. Sam couldn’t remember ever being hugged by his craggy, hard-nosed father. Holy mother of...

“I don’t know. It’s only me and one deputy on the force.”

Joe tapped the sheet of paper. “It’s for firefighters and paramedics, too. We could bring in neighboring towns—make it a regional event. Plus civil servants, city council. You’re looking at a long-term reappointment, right? This could make quite an impression as far as your potential.”

At the mention of his possible future in Brevia, Sam lost the battle with his temper. “My potential as what? I’m the chief of police, not the hug-it-out type.”

His father’s sharp intake of breath made Sam regret his outburst. “Sorry. You know what a small town this is and—”

Joe held up a hand. “Don’t apologize.” He removed his bifocals and dabbed at his eyes with a napkin.

“You aren’t going to cry,” Sam muttered, disbelieving. “You don’t cry.”

“Yes. I am going to cry. To take a moment and feel my pain.”

Great. This was the second time today he’d brought someone to tears.

After a loud nose blow, Joe’s watery gaze met his. “I feel my pain, and I feel yours.”

“I’m not in pain.” Sam let his eyes drift shut. “Other than a raging headache.”

Joe ignored him and continued, “I did this to you, Sammy.”

Sammy? His father hadn’t called him Sammy since—

“When your mother died my whole world collapsed. I didn’t think I could live without her. I didn’t want to. It broke me a little more every day to see you and your brother that sad. I did the only thing I could to survive. I shut off my heart, and I made you do the same. I was wrong. I’m here to make it right again.”

Sam saw customers from the surrounding tables begin to stare. “It’s okay. Let’s go outside for a minute.”

Joe followed Sam’s gaze and shook his head. “I’m not embarrassed to show my feelings. Not anymore.” He took another breath, this one steadier. “Ever since the incident with my ole ticker.” He thumped his sweatshirt. “They say facing death can make you reevaluate your whole life.”

“It was indigestion, Dad. Not a real heart attack. Remember?”

“Doesn’t matter. The change to my heart was real. The effect on my life was real.” He readjusted his glasses. “I want the same change for you. I want you to be happy.”

“I’m fine.” Sam gulped a mouthful of ice and crunched. “Happy as a clam.”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Alarm bells went off in Sam’s head. “I...sure...am actually. She’s great.” He looked away from his father’s expectant face, unable to lie to him directly. He glanced around the crowded restaurant and his gaze landed on Julia at a booth in the back. He hadn’t noticed her when he’d first walked in, but now he couldn’t pull his eyes away.

This must be the meeting with her ex-boyfriend’s family she’d told him about. The faces of the two women seated across from her were blocked, but Julia’s cheeks flamed pink. Her palm smacked the table as if she was about to lose control.

Easy there, sweetheart, he counseled silently.

As if she’d heard him, her eyes met his and held for several moments. His pulse hammered against his throat. Then she squared her shoulders and folded her hands in her lap.

He turned back to his father. “You’d like her. She’s a real spitfire.”

Joe smiled. “Like your mother.”

Sam forced himself not to look at Julia again. “I was ten when she died. I don’t remember that much.”

“This one’s different than your other girls?”

Sam caught the waitress’s attention and signaled for the check.

“Because I think you need a new perspective. After what happened with...”

“I don’t want to rehash my relationship history.”

Joe reached across the table and clasped Sam’s hand in his. “I know you want to find love and settle down.”

Sam heard a loud cough behind him and found the young waitress staring. Her look could only be described as predatory. Fantastic. Sam had dated some when he’d first come to town but had kept to himself recently, finding it easier and less complicated to be alone. The way gossip went viral in Brevia, he’d have a fresh line of eligible women in front of his office by morning.

“I told you,” Sam said, loud enough for the waitress to hear. “I’ve got a girlfriend. We’re very happy.”

The waitress dropped the check on the table with a humph and stalked away.

“It’s serious?” Joe asked.

Sam’s gaze wandered to Julia again. “Very,” he muttered as she jabbed a finger across the table. This time his mental warning to not lose control didn’t reach her. Her voice grew so loud that people at surrounding tables turned.

“I want to meet her,” his dad said, rubbing his palms together, oblivious to the commotion behind him. “Why don’t you give her a call and see if she can meet us for dessert? If she’s so wonderful, I can help make sure you don’t blow it.”

At the moment, Sam wasn’t worried about screwing up anything himself or producing a nonexistent girlfriend for his dad to fawn over. Instead he felt the need to avert someone else’s disaster. “I’ll be right back.”

Joe grabbed his arm as he started past. “Don’t be sore, Sammy. I was joking. You’re a great catch.”

Sam shrugged out of his father’s grasp. “I need a minute. Stay here.”

He darted around a passing waiter as he made his way to Julia, who now stood in front of the booth.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” she shouted. All eyes on this side of the restaurant were glued to her.

Just as he reached her, Julia picked up a glass of water from the table. Sam leaned in and wrapped his fingers around hers before she could hurl it at anyone.

“Hey there, sugar,” he said as he pulled her tense body tight to his side. “I didn’t realize your meeting was at Carl’s tonight. You doing okay?”

“Let go of me,” she said on a hiss of breath. “This is none of your concern.”

“Well, I am concerned,” he whispered then plastered on a wide smile. “I haven’t met your new friends yet.”

She squirmed against him. “They aren’t my—”

“Howdy, folks,” Sam interrupted, turning his attention to the two strangers staring at him. “I’m Sam Callahan. A...uh...friend of Julia’s.”

The woman in the corner practically screamed “old money,” from her sophisticated haircut to her tailored suit. A thick strand of pearls hung around her neck and a massive diamond sparkled on her left hand. The way her gaze narrowed, she must be Charlie’s paternal grandmother. Next to her was a younger woman, tiny and bookish. Her big owl eyes blinked from behind retro glasses. Faint streaks of color stole up her neck from the collar of her starched oxford shirt as she watched the two of them.

“Friend?” The older woman scoffed. “Latest conquest, no doubt.” She nudged the woman beside her. “Are you taking notes on this? She’s now flaunting her boy toy in front of us.”

Boy toy? Sam’s smile vanished and he worked to keep his voice pleasant. “Excuse me, ma’am, you have the wrong idea—”

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Can you imagine what my grandson’s been subjected to when his mother is obviously a tramp? When the judge hears—”

Sam held up a hand. “Wait just one minute, lady. If you think you can waltz in here—”

Julia’s fingernails dug into his arm. “I don’t need your help. Walk away.”

He glanced down at her and saw embarrassment shimmering along with anger in her expression. And fear. At the mention of the word judge, he’d felt some of the fight go out of her. He wished he hadn’t interrupted, that he’d let her handle her own problems, the way she’d wanted to in the first place. But a part of Sam needed to be the hero just so he could feel something. It was what he was used to, one of the few things he could count on. That part of him couldn’t walk away.

He released Julia and leveled his best law-enforcement stare at the grandmother. As he expected, she shrank back and darted a nervous glance at her companion. “I’m Sam Callahan, Brevia’s police chief.” Hands on hips, he held her gaze. “To be clear, I am no one’s boy toy and would appreciate if you’d conduct yourself in a more civilized manner in my town. We don’t take kindly to strangers spreading malicious rumors about our own. Do I make myself clear?”

Several beats passed before the studious-looking woman cleared her throat. “Mr. Callahan—”

Sam squared his shoulders. “You can call me Chief.”

The attorney swallowed. “Chief Callahan, I’m Lexi Preston. I represent the interests of Charlie Morgan’s father, Jeff Johnson, and grandparents, Dennis and Maria Johnson. My father is the Johnsons’ family attorney and he asked me—”

“Get to the point.”

“Yes, well...” Lexi mumbled as she shuffled papers around the table. “I was simply explaining to Ms. Morgan the facts of her case, or lack thereof, when she became hostile and confrontational. My client is not to blame for this unfortunate disturbance. We have statements from a number of Ms. Morgan’s former acquaintances as to her character, so Dr. Johnson’s assertion, while ill-advised, is not without foundation.”

He heard Julia suck in a breath but kept his attention on the two women. “I don’t care what your so-called statements allege. You’re not going to drag Julia’s name through the mud.”

Preston collected the rest of the papers. “Why is Ms. Morgan’s reputation your business? Is she under investigation by local law enforcement?”

“This can’t get any worse,” Julia whispered so low only he could here. “Go away, Sam. Now.”

From the corner of his eye, Sam saw his father standing a few feet away, watching him intently. Sam was a good cop and he played things by the book, having learned the hard way not to bite off more than he could chew.

But some lessons didn’t stick.

He peeled Julia’s hand from its death grip around his upper arm and laced her fingers with his. “It’s my business, Counselor, because I’m not going to let you or anyone hurt the woman I intend to marry.”

Chapter Two

Julia thought things couldn’t get worse.

Until they did.

She glanced around the restaurant, as dumbfounded as the people who stared at her from the surrounding tables. She recognized a lot of them; Carl’s was a popular spot for Brevia locals.

Yanking Sam away from the table a few steps, she smiled up into his face, well aware of their audience. It took all her willpower to resist the urge to slap him silly. “Have you lost your mind?” she said, keeping her voice low.

The corners of his mouth were tight as he returned her smile. “Apparently.”

“Fix this. You have to fix this.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” He smoothed a stray hair from her cheek. “Trust me.”

No way. Julia didn’t trust men. She had a long line of heartbreak in her past. Mountains of collateral damage that made her sure she was the only person she could trust to take care of her and Charlie. “Don’t touch me,” she whispered through gritted teeth.

His hand dropped from her face. “I’m going to help you. But you can’t fight me. Not here.”

She glanced over his shoulder at the attorney and Charlie’s grandmother. For a fraction of a second, worry marred Maria Johnson’s perfect features. Julia didn’t understand the break in the ice queen’s armor, but it must have had something to do with Sam.

“Fine.” She reached forward and clasped both of his rock-solid arms, as if she could make him understand the gravity of her situation through a simple squeeze. “You better make it count. Charlie’s future is on the line.”

He searched her gaze for a long moment, then bent onto one knee. He took her fingers in his, tugging softly when she would have pulled away.

“I didn’t mean...”

“Julia Morgan,” he said, and his deep, clear voice rang out in the restaurant. “We’ve kept this quiet—no easy task in Brevia—but it’s long past time to make things official.” He cleared his throat, adjusting the collar of his starched uniform shirt. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Julia blinked back sudden tears. A marriage proposal was what she’d wanted, once upon a time. She’d wanted Jeff to see they could build a real life together. Foolishly sure he was the one, she’d been reckless and selfish. Then the universe had blessed her with a beautiful son. She was working day and night to make a good life for Charlie. Now that she wanted to do the right thing, she risked losing him.

Not for the first time, she wondered if he’d be better off with the Johnsons and the privileged life filled with opportunities they could provide.

She squeezed her eyes shut to clear her thoughts. She was Charlie’s mother, no matter what, and wouldn’t ever stop fighting for him.

Sam ran his finger along the inside of her wrist. “Are you going to answer the question? My leg is cramping.”

“Oh, no. Sorry.”

“No?” he asked over the collective gasp.

“I mean yes. Get up, you big oaf.” Heat flooded her face and her stomach churned. What was she doing? She’d learned not to rely on a man for anything and now she was putting her entire future in Sam’s hands. Impulsive as ever, she repeated, “Yes. My answer is yes.”

He stood, rubbing one knee. “Cool it on the name-calling. We’re in love, remember.”

“You betcha, honey-bunny.”

That produced a genuine grin from him, and she was again caught off guard by her body’s reaction as tiny butterflies did a fast samba across her belly. Oblivious to his effect on her, Sam turned to the booth.

Before he could speak, an older man wrapped them both in a tight hug. “This is amazing.”

Amazing? Not quite.

Sam caught her gaze, his eyes dark and unreadable. “I forgot to tell you earlier. My dad came to town today. Meet Joe Callahan, your future father-in-law.”

Uh-oh.

Joe cupped her face between his large hands. “You’re just what he needed. I can already tell.” Tears shimmered in eyes the same color as Sam’s, only sweeter and looking at her with such kindness a lump formed in Julia’s throat. “You remind me of my Lorraine, rest her soul.”

“Okay, Dad.” Sam tugged her out of Joe’s embrace. She took a step back but Sam pulled her against his side.

Joe turned to the booth. “I’ll buy a round to celebrate. Any friends of...”

“Julia,” Sam supplied with a sigh.

“Any friends of my future daughter-in-law are friends of mine.”

“We’re not friends,” Lexi Preston ground out. “As I said earlier, I represent her son’s biological father and his parents. They’re interested in exploring a more viable custody arrangement. The Johnsons want what’s best for the child. They can give him opportunities—”

“They want to take my baby,” Julia mumbled. Sam’s arm tightened around her waist.

If Joe was surprised to hear she had a child, he didn’t let on. His posture went rigid. “That’s ridiculous. She’s the boy’s mother.”

“Dad, this isn’t the time or place—” Sam began.

Joe wagged a finger at Lexi Preston and Maria Johnson. “Now listen here. I don’t know what all this nonsense is about, but I can tell you my son will take care of that child and Julia. He’s the law around here, for heaven’s sake.” He leaned closer and Lexi’s nervous swallow mimicked Julia’s. Joe Callahan might look like a teddy bear but he had a backbone of steel. “You’ll have to come through both of us if you try to hurt her. We protect our own.”

“I’ve had quite enough of this town for tonight.” Maria pushed at the attorney, who stood quickly. “I don’t care who you’ve got in your backwater little corner of the world, we’re going to—”

Lexi put a hand on Maria’s shoulder to silence her. “The less said tonight, the better. We have a court date next week.” She gave Julia a curt nod. “Ms. Morgan, we’ll see you then.”

“Take care of the check, Lexi.” Maria Johnson barked the order at her attorney before stalking out of the restaurant.

“Does that mean she’s leaving Brevia?” Julia asked.

“For now. I’ll stay for the duration of the process. The Johnsons will fly back and forth.” Lexi leaned toward Julia. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but a stable home environment could change the situation.” She clapped a hand over her mouth as if she’d said too much, then nodded to the group and scurried away.

Julia reached forward to hug Joe. “Thank you, Mr. Callahan. For what you said.”

“I meant it. Sam isn’t going to let anything happen to you.”

Sam.

Julia turned, but focused her attention on the badge pinned to Sam’s beige shirt, unable to make eye contact with him. Instead she looked out at the tables surrounding them. “Sorry for the commotion. Go back to dinner, and we’ll get out of your way.”

“Wait a minute.” Sam’s voice cut through the quiet.

Julia held her breath.

“As most of you heard tonight, Julia and I have something to celebrate.” He grabbed her hand and drew her back to him. Her fingers spread across his broad chest of their own accord. “We need to make this believable for the gossip mill,” he whispered against her ear.

A round of applause rang out in the restaurant followed by several clinks on glasses. “Kiss. Kiss. Kiss,” came the call from the bar.

Julia froze as Sam gazed down at her, his expression heated. “Better give them what they want.”

“It’s totally unbelievable and I had garlic for dinner,” she muttered, squirming in his arms.

“I’ll take my chances,” he answered with a laugh.

“Have it your way.” Cheeks burning, she raised her head and pressed her mouth to his, a chaste peck fit for the balcony at Buckingham Palace. When she would have ended the kiss, Sam caught hold of her neck and dipped her low. She let out a startled gasp and he slid his tongue against the seam of her lips. Ever so gently he molded his mouth to hers.

A fire sparked low in her belly as she breathed in the scent of him, warm and woodsy and completely male. Lost in her reaction, her arms wound around his neck and her fingers played in the short hair along his collar. She heard his sharp intake of breath and suddenly he righted them both to a chorus of catcalls and stomping feet.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” someone yelled.

“Okay, folks.” Sam’s gaze swept across the restaurant and he smiled broadly. “Show’s over. I’m going to see my lovely bride-to-be home.”

Julia pressed her fingers to her lips and looked at Sam. The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

When she turned, Joe watched her. “You’re a breath of fresh air if I ever saw one,” he said and gave her trembling hand a squeeze.

She led the group into the night but not before she noticed several members of the ladies’ auxiliary huddled in the corner. They’d have a field day with this one. The salon would be buzzing with the news by morning. Her chest tightened as she felt Sam behind her, frustration pouring off him like a late-winter rainstorm. Maybe he’d already come to regret his stupid proposal.

This entire situation was his fault. She’d told him she didn’t need a hero, and that was the truth.

Still, his announcement had rattled Maria Johnson and her attorney. She couldn’t figure out how a fake engagement would benefit Sam, but he wasn’t her problem.

Charlie was Julia’s only priority. She’d do anything for her son.

Right now she needed time to think, to figure out how to make this bizarre predicament work in her favor. “It’s been a long day, boys,” she said quickly. “Joe, it was nice to meet you. How long will you be—”

“We need to talk,” Sam interrupted, gripping her arm when she tried to break away.

“I thought I’d be around for a while. Give my boy some lessons in tapping into his feelings, finding his passion and all that.” Joe gave Sam a hearty thump on the back. “After that little display, I think he may have wised up on his own. You’re good for him, Julia. Real good.”

Sam’s hold on her loosened. He studied his father. “You mean one kiss convinced you I can do without a dose of your emotional mumbo jumbo?”

Julia swatted his arm. “That’s your father. Show some respect.”

Sam shot her a withering look. “I’ll remember that the next time your mom’s around.”

Joe laughed and wrapped them in another hug. “Not just any kiss. It’s different when you kiss the one. Trust me, I know. I bet they could see the sparks flying between the two of you clear down to the coast.”

Looking into Joe’s trusting face, she couldn’t let Sam’s father pin his hopes on her. She had to tell him the truth.

“Mr. Callahan, I don’t—”

“You’re right, Dad,” Sam agreed. “It’s different with Julia. I’m different, and I don’t want you to worry about me anymore.” He pinched the tip of Julia’s nose, a little harder than necessary if you asked her.

“Ouch.”

“Such a delicate flower.” He laughed and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. “What would I do without you?”

“Troll for women over in Charlotte?” she offered.

“See why I need her by my side?”

Joe nodded. “I do.”

Sam turned to Julia and rubbed his warm hands down her arms. “Where are you parked?”

Julia pointed to the blue Jetta a few spaces down from where they stood, her mind still reeling.

“Perfect. I’m going to walk Dad back to the hotel and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

She didn’t like the look in his eye. “I’m kind of busy at the salon tomorrow.”

“Never too busy for your one true love.”

Julia stifled the urge to gag. “I guess not.”

“Get going, then, sugar.” He pinched her bottom, making her yelp. She rounded on him but, at the calculating gleam in his eye, turned back toward her car. Sam and his dad watched until she’d pulled out.

Despite this peculiar evening, his announcement had served its purpose. Lexi Preston had said having Sam in the picture might change things. That could be the understatement of the year, but if it kept Charlie safe, Julia would make it work.

No matter what.

* * *

Sam took a fortifying drink of coffee and watched as another woman walked through the door of The Best Little Hairhouse. He knew Julia had worked at the salon since her return to Brevia two years ago, but that wasn’t why he avoided this place like the plague. It was too girlie for him. The bottles of hair product and little rows of nail polish on the shelves gave him the heebie-jeebies.

The one time he’d ventured into the Hairhouse, after the owner had reported a man lurking in the back alley, he’d felt like a prize steer come up for auction.

He adjusted the brim of his hat, buttoned his jacket against the late-morning rain and started across the street. He’d put the visit off until almost lunchtime, irritated with himself at how much he wanted to see Julia again. Part of him wanted to blame her for making him crazy, but another piece, the part he tried to ignore, wanted to get close enough to her to smell the scent of sunshine on her hair.

He scrubbed a hand across his face. Sunshine on her hair? What the hell was that about? Women didn’t smell like sunshine. She worked at a salon and probably had a ton of gunk in her hair at any given moment. Although the way the strands had felt soft on his fingers when he’d bent to kiss her last night told another story.

One he wasn’t interested in reading. Or so he told himself.

Sam opened the front door and heard a blood-curdling scream from behind the wall at the reception desk. He jerked to attention. He might not spend a lot of time in beauty salons but could guarantee that sound wasn’t typical.

“I’m going to choke the life out of her,” a woman yelled, “as soon as my nails dry.”

Nope. Something wasn’t right.

He glanced at the empty reception desk then stepped through the oversized doorway that led to the main room.

A pack of women huddled around one of the chairs, Julia in the center of the mix.

“Is there a problem here, ladies?”

Seven pairs of eyes, ranging from angry to horrified, turned to him.

“Sam, thank the Lord you’re here.”

“You would not believe what happened.”

“Congrats on your engagement, Chief.”

The last comment produced silence from the group. He met Julia’s exasperated gaze. “Not a good time,” she mouthed and turned back to the center of the cluster, only to be pushed aside by a woman with a black smock draped around her considerable girth. Sam tried not to gape at her head, where the neat curls framing her face glowed an iridescent pink.

“There will be time for celebrating later. I want that woman arrested,” Ida Garvey announced. Sam was used to Ida issuing dictatorial commands. She was the wealthiest woman in town, thanks to a generous inheritance from her late husband. Other than the clown hair, she looked like a picture-perfect grandma, albeit one with a sharp tongue and a belief that she ruled the world.

For an instant, he thought she was pointing at Julia. Then he noticed the young woman hunched in the corner, furiously wiping tears from her cheeks.

“Ida, don’t be a drama queen.” Julia shook her head. “No one is being arrested. Accidents happen. We’ll fix it, but—”

“She turned my hair pink!” With a screech, Ida vaulted from the chair and grabbed a curling iron from a stand. “I’m going to kill her!” Ida lunged toward the cowering woman, but Julia stepped into her path. The curling iron dropped, the barrel landing on Julia’s arm before clattering to the floor.

Julia bit out an oath and Ida screamed again. “Look what you made me do,” she bellowed at the now-sobbing stylist. “I burned her.”

Sam strode forward with a new appreciation for the simplicity of breaking up a drunken bar brawl. Ida looked into his face then staggered back, one hand fluttering to her chest. “Are you gonna arrest me, Chief?”

“Sit down, Mrs. Garvey.” He waved at the group of women. “All of you, back off. Now.”

Ida plopped back into the chair as the group fell silent again.

Julia winced as he took her arm in his hands. A crimson mark slashed across her wrist, the skin already raised and angry. “Where’s a faucet?”

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “Happens all the time.”

“I sure as hell hope not.”

“Not exactly like this. I can use the sink in back.” She tugged her arm but he didn’t let go.

“Don’t anyone move,” he ordered the women. “That means you, Ida.”

“I don’t need your help,” Julia ground out as he followed her to the back of the salon.

“You aren’t leaving me alone with that crowd.”

“Not so brave now.” Julia fumbled with the tap.

He nudged her out of the way. “I’ll do it. Nice ring. I have good taste.”

“I had it from... Well, it doesn’t matter.” Her cheeks flamed as she glanced at the diamond sparkling on her left hand. “I thought I should wear something until we had a chance to figure things out. Fewer questions that way. You know how nosy people are, especially in the salon.”

They needed to talk, but Sam couldn’t get beyond Julia being hurt, even by a curling iron. “Tell me what happened.”

“Crystal, the one in the corner, is our newest stylist. Ida came in without an appointment and she was the only one available. When she went to mix the color, Ida started barking orders. Crystal got so nervous, she mixed it wrong. Instead of a fluffy white cotton ball, Mrs. Garvey’s head is now glowing neon pink.”

Sam hid a smile as he drew her arm under the faucet and adjusted the temperature. She closed her eyes and sighed as cold water washed over the burn. He drew small circles on her palm, amazed at the softness of her skin under the pad of his thumb.

After a moment he asked, “Do you want to press charges?”

Her eyes flew open, and then she smiled at his expression. “Assault with a deadly styling tool? No, thanks.”

Her smile softened the angles of her face, made her beauty less ethereal and more earthy. God help him, he loved earthy.

She must have read something in his eyes because she yanked her hand away and flipped off the water. “I need to get out there before Ida goes after Crystal again.”

“Did you hire Crystal?”

“About three weeks ago. She came over from Memphis right out of school to stay with her aunt and needs a break...” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “You think I’m an idiot for hiring a girl with so little experience.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Everyone thinks Val’s a fool to leave me in charge. They’re waiting for me to mess up.” She wrapped her arms around her waist then flinched when the burn touched her sweater. “And here I am.”

Sam knew Val Dupree, the Hairhouse’s longtime owner, was planning to retire, and Julia was working to secure a loan to buy the business. She was acting as the salon’s manager while Val spent the winter in Florida. “No one expects you to mess up.”

“You’ve been in town long enough to know what people think of me.”

The words held no malice, but she said them with a quiet conviction. Sam wanted to take her in his arms to soothe her worry and at the same time shake some sense into her. “Was it a mistake to hire Crystal?”

“No.” She looked at him as though she expected an argument. When he offered none she continued, “She’s good. Or she will be. I know it.”

“Then we’d better make sure Ida Garvey doesn’t attack your future star again.”

“Right.” She led him back into the main salon, where Ida still pinned Crystal to the wall with her angry stare. Everyone else’s attention was fixed on Julia and Sam.

Julia glanced over her shoulder. “It’s been twenty questions about our relationship all morning.”

He nodded. “Let’s take on one disaster at a time.”

She squared her shoulders and approached Mrs. Garvey, no trace of self-doubt evident. “Ida, I’m sorry.” She bent in front of the chair and took the older woman’s hands in hers. “I’m going to clear my schedule for the afternoon and make your hair better than before. You’ll get three months’ worth of free services for your trouble.”

Mrs. Garvey patted her pink hair. “That would help.”

“Lizzy?” Julia called. A young woman peeked around the doorway from the front of the salon. “Would you reschedule the rest of my clients? Everyone else, back to work.”

“I’m sorry,” Crystal said from the corner, taking a step toward Julia.

Ida shifted in the chair. “Don’t you come near me.”

Sam moved forward but Julia simply patted Ida’s fleshy arm. “Take the rest of the day off, Crystal. I’ll see you back here in the morning.”

“Day off?” Ida screeched. “You’re going to fire her, aren’t you? Val would have fired her on the spot!”

Color rose in Julia’s cheeks but she held her ground. “No, Mrs. Garvey. Crystal made a mistake.”

“She’s a menace. I knew she was doing it wrong from the start.”

“She made a mistake,” Julia repeated. “In part because you didn’t let her do her job.” She looked at Crystal. “Go on, hon. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“I have half a mind to call Val Dupree this minute and tell her how you’re going to run her business into the ground.”

“I’d watch what you say right now, Mrs. Garvey.” Sam pointed to her hair. “Julia may leave you pink if you’re not careful.”

“She wouldn’t dare.” But Ida shut her mouth, chewing furiously on her bottom lip.

“Get comfortable,” Julia told her. “We’ll be here for a while.”

She turned to Sam. “I think your work here is done, Chief.”

He leveled a steely look at her. “We’re not finished.”

“Unless you want to pull up a chair next to Ida we are. The longer that color sits on her hair, the harder time I’ll have getting it out.”

“You don’t play fair.”

Her eyes glinted. “I never have.”

Chapter Three

Julia rubbed her nose against Charlie’s dimpled neck and was rewarded by a soft belly laugh. “Who’s my best boy?” she asked and kissed the top of his head.

“Charlie,” he answered in his sweet toddler voice.

“Thanks for keeping him today, Lainey.” Julia’s younger sister and their mother, Vera, took turns watching Charlie on the days when his normal babysitter was unavailable. “Things were crazy today at work.”

She couldn’t imagine balancing everything without her family’s help. Two years ago, Julia’s relationship with Lainey had been almost nonexistent. Thanks in large part to Charlie, she now felt a sisterly bond she hadn’t realized was missing from her life.

“Crazy, how?” Lainey asked from where she stirred a pot of soup at the stove.

“Ida Garvey ended up with hair so pink it looked like cotton candy.”

Lainey’s mouth dropped open.

“She freaked out, as you can imagine.” Charlie scrambled off her lap to play with a toy fire truck on the kitchen floor. “It took the whole afternoon to make it better.”

“I thought you meant crazy like telling people about your secret boyfriend and his public proposal.” Lainey turned and pointed a wooden spoon at Julia as if it were a weapon. “I can’t believe I didn’t even know you two were dating.”

Julia groaned at the accusation in her sister’s tone and the hurt that shadowed her green eyes. When she’d gone along with Sam’s fake proposal last night, Julia hadn’t thought about the repercussions of people believing them. Thinking things through wasn’t her strong suit.

She didn’t talk about her years away from Brevia with Lainey or their mother. They had some inkling of her penchant for dating losers and changing cities at the end of each bad relationship. When the going got tough, it had always seemed easier to move on than stick it out.

From the outside, Julia knew she appeared to have it together. She was quick with a sarcastic retort that made people believe life’s little setbacks didn’t affect her. She’d painted herself as the free spirit who wouldn’t be tied to anyone or any place.

But her devil-may-care mask hid a deeply rooted insecurity that, if someone really got to know her, she wouldn’t measure up. Because of her learning disabilities and in so many other ways.

Her struggles to read and process numbers at the most basic level had defined who she was for years. The shame she felt, as a result, was part of the very fiber of her being. She’d been labeled stupid and lazy, and despite what anyone told her to the contrary, she couldn’t shake the belief that it was true.

Maybe that was why she picked men who were obviously bad bets. Maybe that was why she’d been a mean girl in high school—to keep people at arm’s length so she wouldn’t have a chance of being rejected.

She wondered for a moment how it would feel to confide the entire complicated situation to Lainey. For one person to truly understand her problem. She ached to lean in for support as fear weighed on her heart. But as much as they’d worked to repair their fractured relationship, Julia still couldn’t tell her sister how scared she was of failing at what meant the most to her in life: being a mother to Charlie.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for half the town to find out at Carl’s.” No one in her family even knew about Jeff’s interest in a new custody arrangement.

She stood, trying to come up with a plausible reason she wouldn’t have shared big boyfriend news. “My track record with guys is common knowledge, and I didn’t want Sam to have people beating down his door to warn him away from me.”

Lainey’s gaze turned sympathetic. “Oh, Jules. When Ethan and I first got back together I didn’t want anyone to know, either. I felt like the town would hold my past mistakes against me and you were back and... Never mind now. I’m going to forgive you because it’s so wonderful.” She threw her arms around Julia. “Everyone loves Sam, so...” Lainey’s voice trailed off.

Julia’s stomach turned with frustration. “So, what? By default people are suddenly going to open their arms to me?”

Lainey shrugged. “It can’t hurt. Do you have a date?”

“For what?”

Lainey pushed away. “The wedding, silly. You’ll get married in Brevia, right?”

Julia blinked. “I suppose so. We’re taking the planning slowly. I want a long engagement. It’ll be better for Charlie.”

“Sure.” Lainey frowned but went back to the stove.

“Just enjoying each other and all that,” Julia added quickly, guilt building with every lie she told. “So in love. You know.”

“I want to be involved in the planning.”

“Of course. We can have a girls’ day out to look for dresses and stuff.” With each detail, the difficulty of deceiving her family became more apparent.

She reminded herself that it was only for a short time, and she was protecting everyone from the stress of the custody fight. “I should go. Thanks to the commotion today, I’m late on the product order I should have sent. If Charlie goes down early enough, I’ll be able to get it in tomorrow morning. A night full of numbers, lucky me.”

“Do you want some help?”

Julia tensed. “I can handle it. I’m not a total idiot, despite rumors to the contrary.” She saw hurt flash again in her sister’s gaze and regretted her defensive tone.

She did most of the paperwork for the salon when Charlie went to bed to minimize her hours away from him. She spent many late nights pouring over the accounts and payroll information, terrified she’d make a mistake or miss an important detail. She was determined no one would ever see how unqualified she was to run her own business.

“No one thinks you’re an idiot,” Lainey said quietly. “You’re doing an amazing job with the salon, but I know how things get when you’re tired. I’m offering another set of eyes if you need them.”

“I’m sorry I snapped.” Julia rubbed two fingers against each temple, trying to ward off an impending headache. “I’ll take it slow. It’s routine paperwork, not splitting the atom.”

“Could you delegate some of this to the receptionist or one of the part-time girls? Why does it all have to fall on you? If you’d only tell them—”

“They can’t know. No one can. What if Val found out? The deal isn’t final. She could change her mind about selling to me.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Lainey argued.

“Someone could take advantage, mix things up without me understanding until it’s too late.” Julia gathered Charlie’s sippy cup and extra snacks into the diaper bag.

Lainey shook her head, frustration evident as she fisted her hands at her sides. “Learning disabilities don’t make you stupid, Julia. When are you going to realize that? Your brain processes information differently. It has nothing to do with your IQ, and you have the best intuition of anyone I know. No one could take advantage of you—”

“Have you seen my list of ex-boyfriends?”

“—without you letting them,” Lainey finished.

“Point taken.” Even as much as Julia had wanted her relationship with Jeff to work out, she should have known it was doomed. He’d been the opposite of most guys she’d dated, and she should have known someone so academic and cultured wouldn’t truly want her. They’d gone to museums and gallery openings, his interest in her giving her hope that someone would finally see her for more than a pretty face.

She’d craved his approval and made the mistake of sharing her secret with him. None of the men before him had known about the severe learning disabilities that had plagued her since grade school. She’d managed for years to keep her LD hidden from almost everyone.

Only her family and certain trusted teachers had known the struggles she’d faced in learning to read and process both words and numbers. She wasn’t sure any of them understood how deep her problems were. The embarrassment and frustrations she’d felt as a kid had prevented her from letting teachers, interventionists or even her parents truly help her.

It had been easier to play the part of being too cool for school or, as she got older, not wanting to be tied down to a real job or responsibilities. Only for Charlie was she finally willing to put her best effort forward, constantly worried it wouldn’t be enough.

“Are you still working with the literacy specialist?”

“Every week. It’s a slow process, though. Between my visual and auditory learning deficiencies, I feel like a lost cause. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth it.”

“It’s worth it,” Lainey said as she lifted Charlie from the floor and gave him a hug before depositing him into Julia’s arms. “LD is complex and I’m proud of you for everything you’ve accomplished despite it. I’m here if you need me. Ethan and Mom can take Charlie, so—”

“Mom’s back?” Julia swallowed. She’d assumed her sister hadn’t heard about the engagement. But their mother had her finger on the pulse of every snippet of gossip from Brevia to the state line. “She wasn’t scheduled back until next week.” Long enough for Julia to get a handle on her mess of a life.

“She flew in this morning. I can help contain her, you know. You’ll need reinforcements for damage control on that front.”

Julia stopped in her tracks. Even though she’d worried about her mother finding out, hearing Lainey say it made her knees quiver the tiniest bit. “Mom knows? I thought she just got back.”

“She knows,” Lainey answered with an eye roll. “I think she’s waiting for you to call and explain yourself.”

Another layer of dread curled in the pit of Julia’s stomach. Her mother would support her. Vera was a big part of Charlie’s life and would fight tooth and nail to protect him. But she understood Julia’s limitations better than anyone. Julia didn’t want to know if her mom had any doubts about her ability to give Charlie a good life on her own.

Now was the time to come clean, but with Charlie in her arms, she couldn’t bring herself to voice her fears. It might make them too real.

“I’ll call her. She’ll understand. I’ll make her understand.”

Lainey only smiled. “Good luck.”

Julia needed a lot more than luck.

* * *

She tried to ignore the persistent knocking at her apartment door later that night. She hadn’t called her mother and silently debated whether Vera would make the twenty-minute drive to Julia’s apartment to rake her over the coals in person.

But Charlie had just fallen asleep after six verses of “The Wheels on the Bus,” and Julia wasn’t going to risk the noise waking him, so she opened the door, prepared for the mother–daughter smackdown of the century.

Sam stood in the hallway watching her.

Even better.

“Long day, Chief. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She tried to close the door but he shoved his foot into the opening. Blast those steel-toed boots.

He held up a white cardboard box and a six-pack of beer. “It’s been a long day for both of us. We eat first and then dig ourselves out of this mess.”

She sniffed the air. “Pepperoni?”

“With extra cheese.”

She took a step back and he eased around her into the tiny apartment. It actually didn’t feel so small with just her and Charlie in it. Somehow, Sam not only filled the room but used more than his fair share of the oxygen in it. Julia drew a shaky breath and led the way to the small dining area.

“Sorry,” she apologized automatically as she picked macaroni noodles from the maple tabletop. “Charlie’s been practicing his QB skills at mealtime.”

“Nothing wrong with starting early. Where’s the little guy?”

“Asleep. Finally.”

Sam put the box on the table and handed her a beer as he cocked his head. “Is that classical music?”

“Beethoven.”

“Sounds different than I remember. More animated.”

She picked up a remote and pointed it at the television on the other side of the room. “It’s a Junior Genius DVD.”

“Come again?”

“A program designed to increase a young child’s brain activity.” She clicked off the television. “They have research to show that it works.”

His brows rose. “I still hear music.”

She felt color creep into her cheeks. “I play a Mozart disc as he falls asleep.” She walked past him to the kitchen and pulled two plates from a cabinet.

“Are you a classical-music fan?”

She spun around and stalked back to the table. “Why? Do you think classical is too highbrow for someone like me? Would it make more sense if I was a Toby Keith groupie?”

He took a step back and studied her. “First off, don’t hate on Toby Keith. Secondly, it was a question.” He waved one hand in the direction of the bookcases that flanked the television. “You have more classical CDs on your shelves than I’ve seen in my entire life. It’s a logical assumption.”

“Sorry.” She sighed. “I like some composers but it’s mainly for Charlie. I figure he needs all the help he can get, living with me. You may have heard I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s a well-known fact in town. My mom will tell you I have ‘street smarts.’” She met his gaze with a wry smile. “I’m sure any number of my former friends would be happy to tell you how I skated through school by charming teachers or bullying other students into helping me.” She broke off as Sam watched her, worrying that she’d somehow given him a clue into her defective inner self. She plastered on a saucy smile and stretched up her arms in an exaggerated pose. “At that point my life’s ambition was to be a supermodel.”

“Personally, I wanted to be Eddie Van Halen.” He shrugged. “Were you really a bully?”

“I like to remember it as a benevolent dictatorship. I had my reasons, but have discovered that the kids I ordered around back in the day have become adults who are more than happy to see the golden girl taken down a few pegs.” She opened the pizza box and pulled out a slice, embarrassed at her silly adolescent dream. “I was the ring leader and the ‘pretty one’ in Brevia, but couldn’t cut it in the big leagues.”

“You started over. There’s nothing wrong with that. People do it all the time.”

“Right. I went to beauty school, dated a string of losers, partied too much and tried to live below my potential.” She tipped her beer in a mock toast. “And that’s pretty low.”

“Somebody did a number on you, sweetheart. Because the way you handled that mess at the salon today took some clever negotiation skills. Not the work of a fool.”

“We’ll see what Val thinks once Ida spins it.” She slid a piece of pizza onto his plate. “Sit down and eat. Unless the pizza was a ruse to get in the door so you could rip my head off without the neighbors hearing. Might be easier than going through with your grand proposal.”

His knee brushed against her bare leg as he folded himself into the chair across from her. It occurred to Julia that she was wearing only boxer shorts and a faded Red Hot Chili Peppers T-shirt with no bra. Bad choice for tonight.

“Such violent thoughts,” he said, sprinkling a packet of cheese flakes on his pizza.

She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. As soon as she’d realized she was braless, her nipples had sprung to attention as if to yell “over here, look at us.” Not something she wanted Sam to notice in a million years.

“Why did you do it? This crazy situation is your fault.”

He frowned. “You weren’t exactly convincing as the levelheaded, responsible parent. You were about to dive across the table and take out the grandma.”

“She deserved it.” Julia popped out of her chair and grabbed a fleece sweatshirt from a hook near the hallway, trying not to let her belly show as she pulled it over her head. “But I didn’t need to be rescued. Especially not by Three Strikes Sam.” She sat back in her chair and picked up the pizza. “We’re quite a pair. Do you really think anyone is going to believe you’re engaged, given your reputation?”

“What reputation, and who is Three Strikes Sam?”

She finished her bite. “You don’t know? Brevia is a small town. But we’ve got more than our share of single ladies. Apparently the long line of women you’ve dated since you arrived has banded together. The story is that you don’t go on more than three dates with one woman. You’ve got your own fan club here in town. The ladies blog, tweet and keep track of you on Facebook. They call you Three Strikes Sam.”

Sam felt as though he’d been kneed in the family jewels. Never mind the social-media insanity, what shocked him more was that Julia acted as if she knew the details of his dating history. That possibility was fright-night scary.

“You’re making it up.”

“I’m not that creative. You can log on to my computer and see for yourself. I only found out a couple of weeks ago, when Jean Hawkins was in the salon.”

Sam swallowed hard. Jean was the dispatcher for the county sheriff’s office. They’d had a couple of casual dinners last month but had agreed not to take it further. Or so he’d thought.

“She got a blowout and a bang trim. A ‘wash that man right out of her hair’ afternoon.” Julia wrinkled her pert nose. “You know how it is—stylists are like therapists for some people. Get a woman in the chair and she has to spill her secrets.”

“And she told you about this fan club?”

Julia nodded and took a drink of beer. “Three seems to be the magic number for you. You’re a serial get-to-know-you dater.”

Sam pushed away from the table and paced to the end of the narrow living room. “That’s ridiculous.” He ran a hand through his hair. “There’s no arbitrary limit on the number of dates I’ll go on with one woman.”

“A dozen ladies claim there is,” she countered. “They say you’ve more than made the rounds.”

“I haven’t dated a dozen ladies in Brevia. Besides, why would anyone gossip about dating me?”

“You’ve been in Brevia long enough to know how it works.” She laughed, but he found no humor in the situation. Sure, he’d been on dates with a few different women. When he’d first come to town, it had sort of happened that way. He’d always been a gentleman. If things led to the bedroom he didn’t complain, but he also didn’t push it. No one had grumbled at the time.

He wasn’t a serial dater. The way she said it made him sound like a scumbag. So what if he was a little gun-shy? Walking in on your fiancée with her legs wrapped around another guy would do that to a man. It had been almost three years now since he’d had his heart crushed, and he wasn’t itching to repeat that particular form of hell. “You’re telling me I’m a joke with these women because I’m not in a relationship?” His voice started to rise. “In case they haven’t noticed, I have a serious job. One that’s more important to me than my damned social life.”

“It’s not like that,” she said quickly, reaching out to place her cool fingers on his arm. A light touch that was oddly comforting. “No one is laughing at you. It’s more like a challenge. Scary as it may sound, you have a town full of women who are determined to see you settle down. According to my sources, you’re quite the catch.”

He dropped back into the chair. “I came to Brevia because I wanted a fresh start.”

“As Mick Jagger would say, ‘you can’t always get what you want.’”

“You think this fake engagement is what I need?”

“It was your idea to start. Plus, it’s quieted the gossips, and your dad seemed to approve.”

He nodded and took a long drink of beer. “My father loved you.”

“Who can blame him?” she asked with a hair toss.

Sam smiled despite himself. “He wants to help me tap into my emotions.”

She studied him as she took another bite. “Is that so bad?”

“I don’t need to be more emotional.”

“Your fans beg to differ.”

“Don’t remind me,” he muttered.

A tiny cry came from the corner of the table and Julia adjusted a baby monitor. “I’m going to check on him.” She padded down the hall, leaving Sam alone with his thoughts. Something he didn’t need right now.

He preferred his emotions tightly bottled. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have feelings. Hell, he’d felt awful after calling off his engagement. He would have made a decent husband: loyal, faithful...

Maybe those were better attributes in a family pet, but he managed okay.

In Sam’s opinion, there was no use wearing his heart on his sleeve. The scraps of memory he had from the months after his mother died were awful, his dad too often passed out drunk on the couch. Neighbors shuttling Sam and his brother to school and a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When Joe finally got a handle on his emotions, it had saved their family.

Sam would never risk caring for someone like that. Feeling too much, connecting to the feelings he’d locked up tight, might spiral him back into that uncontrolled chaos.

He looked around the apartment, taking in more details with Julia out of the room. The dining area opened directly onto the living room, which was filled with comfortable, oversized furniture covered in a creamy fabric. Several fuzzy blankets fell over the arm of one chair. A wicker box overflowed with various toys, most of which looked far more complex than he remembered from childhood.

In addition to the classical CDs, framed pictures of Charlie with Julia, Vera, Lainey and Ethan sat on the bookshelves. Sam had also noticed an impressive collection of books—several classics by Hemingway, Dickens, even Ayn Rand. For someone who clearly didn’t see her own intelligence, Julia had sophisticated taste in reading material.

The baby monitor crackled, drawing his attention. He heard Julia’s voice through the static. “Did you have a dream, Charlie-boy?” she cooed. “Can Mommy sing you back to sleep?”

Charlie gave another sleepy cry as an answer and a moment later Sam heard a familiar James Taylor song in a soft soprano.

He smiled as he listened to Julia sing. Classical for Charlie, Sweet Baby James for his mother.

Sam felt a thread of unfamiliar connection fill his heart. At the same time there was a release of pressure he hadn’t realized he’d held. In the quiet of the moment, listening to her sweet and slightly off-key voice, the day’s stress slipped away. He took a deep breath as his shoulders relaxed.

“I love you, sweetie,” he heard her whisper, her tone so full of tenderness it made his heart ache all the more.

He understood in an instant how much it meant for Julia to keep her son. Knew that she’d do anything to keep Charlie safe.

Suddenly Sam wanted that for her more than he cared about his own future. But he was a man who’d made it through life taking care of himself, protecting number one at all costs. No matter how he felt about one spirited single mother, he couldn’t afford to change that now.

Hearing footsteps, he quickly stood to clear the dishes from the table.

“I think he’s back down,” she said as she came into the kitchen.

Sam rounded on her, needing to get to the crux of the matter before he completely lost control. “You’re right,” he told her. “This deal was my idea and I’ll play the part of doting fiancé because it helps us both.”

“Doting may be pushing it,” she said, fumbling with the pizza box, clearly wary of his change in mood. “We don’t need to go overboard.”

He propped one hip on the counter. “We need to make it believable.” He kept his tone all business. “Whatever it takes.”

“Fine. We’ll make people believe we’re totally in love. I’m in. Whatever it takes to convince Jeff to drop the custody suit.”

“Will he?”

“He still hasn’t even seen Charlie. I get the impression his parents are pushing for the new custody deal. The attorney is really here to figure out if they have a viable case or not before they go public. Jeff didn’t want kids in the first place. He’d even talked about getting the big snip. They probably think Charlie is their only shot at a grandchild, someone to mold and shape in their likeness.”

“I don’t think that’s how kids work.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think they care. If we can convince Lexi that Charlie has a happy, stable home and that he’s better off here than with Jeff and his family, that’s the report she’ll give to them. It will be enough. It has to. Once I get the custody agreement—”

“You’ll dump my sorry butt,” Sam supplied.

“Or you can break it off with me.” She rinsed a plate and put it into the dishwasher. “People will expect it. You’re up for reappointment soon. It should earn extra points with some of the council members. Everyone around here knows I’m a bad bet.”

“I thought you and Ethan had been the town’s golden couple back in the day.”

“He was the golden boy,” she corrected. “I was the eye candy on his arm. But I messed that up. My first in a series of epic fails in the relationship department.”

“Does it bother you that he’s with Lainey?” Sam asked, not willing to admit how much her answer meant to him.

She smiled. “They’re perfect together in a way he and I never were. She completes him and all that.”

“Do you think there’s someone out there who’d complete you?”

“Absolutely.” She nodded. “At this moment, he’s drooling in the crib at the end of the hall.”

He took a step closer to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “We’re going to make sure he stays there.”

Her lips parted as she looked up at him. Instinctively he eased toward her.

She blinked and raised her hands to his chest, almost pushing him away but not quite. “We have to establish some ground rules,” she said, sounding as breathless as he felt.

“I’m the law around these parts, ma’am,” he said in his best Southern drawl. “I make the rules.”

“Nice try.” She laughed and a thrill ran through him. “First off, no touching or kissing of any kind.”

It was his turn to throw back his head and laugh. “We’re supposed to be in love. You think people will believe you could keep your hands off me?”

She smacked his chest lightly. “I’m surprised your ego made it through the front door. Okay, if the situation calls for it you can kiss me. A little.” Her eyes narrowed. “But no tongue.”

He tried to keep a straight face. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“My best offer,” she whispered.

He traced her lips with the tip of one finger and felt himself grow heavy when they parted again. “I think we’d better practice to see if I’ll be able to manage it.”

He leaned in, but instead of claiming her mouth he tilted his head to reach the smooth column of her neck. He trailed delicate kisses up to her ear and was rewarded with a soft moan. Pushing her hair back, he cradled her face between his palms.

Her breath tingled against his skin and she looked at him, desire and self-control warring in the depths of her eyes. He wanted to keep this arrangement business but couldn’t stop his overwhelming need. As out of control as a runaway train, he captured her lips with his.

Chapter Four

It should be illegal for a kiss to feel so good. The thought registered in Julia’s dizzy brain. Followed quickly by her body’s silent demand for more...more...more. Her arms wound around Sam’s neck and she pressed into him, the heat from his body stoking a fire deep within her. His mouth melded to hers as he drew his hands up underneath her shirt.

A man hadn’t kissed her like this in so long. As though he meant it, his mouth a promise of so much more.

A familiar voice cut through her lust-filled haze. “So, the rumors are true. Doesn’t seem right your mother should be the last to know.”

Sam’s eyes flew open as he stepped away from her. Julia let out a soft groan.

“Ever think of knocking?” she asked, pressing her hands over her eyes.

“No” was her mother’s succinct answer.

“Nice to see you, Mrs. Morgan.” Although Sam’s voice sounded a little shaky, Julia had to admire his courage in holding her mother’s gaze.

Almost unwillingly, Julia turned and met her mom’s steely glare. “I’m sorry, Mom. We wanted to keep things quiet a bit longer.”

Vera Morgan was a tiny blonde dynamo of a woman. Her hair pulled back into a neat bun, she retained the beauty of her youth mixed with the maturity of decades spent overseeing her life and everyone in it. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Until you could announce your engagement in the middle of a crowded restaurant?”

Julia cringed. “Not the exact plan.”

“I don’t understand what this is about. It sounds like one of your typical impetuous decisions. Your father and I raised you to be more careful with how you act. I thought you’d have learned to be more responsible about the choices you make. Have you thought of Charlie? What’s best for him?”

“He’s all I think about and of course I want what’s best for him. You have no idea...” Julia wanted to lay it all on the line for her mother—Jeff’s family, the attorney, her fear of losing Charlie. She paused and glanced at Sam. He nodded slightly as if to encourage her.

How could she admit her years of bad choices could jeopardize Charlie’s future? She knew her mother thought she was irresponsible, fickle and flighty. For most of her life, Julia had been all of those things and worse.

Her mother waited for an answer while the toe of one shoe tapped out a disapproving rhythm. Julia could measure the milestone moments of her life by her mother’s slow toe tap. She swore sometimes she could hear it in her sleep.

“I don’t expect you to understand, but this is good for Charlie. For both of us.”

Vera’s gaze slanted between Julia and Sam. “Having the hots for a guy isn’t the same as love. From what I just witnessed, you two have chemistry, but marriage is a lot more than physical attraction.”

Julia felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “I’m not a teenager anymore,” she mumbled. “I get that.”

“I worry about you rushing into something.” Vera paused and pinned Sam with a look before continuing. “Especially with a man who has a reputation around town. I don’t want you to be hurt.”

“I know what I’m doing. Trust me. For once trust that I’m making the right decision.” She hated that her voice cracked. She’d made some stupid choices in her life. So what? Lots of people did and they lived through it. Did she have to be raked over the coals for every indiscretion?

Sam’s hand pressed into the small of her back, surprisingly comforting. “Mrs. Morgan,” he began, his voice strong and confident. Julia wished she felt either right now. “Your daughter is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

Julia glanced over her shoulder, for a moment wondering if he was talking about her sister.

The corner of his mouth turned up as he looked at her. “You are amazing. You’re honest and brave and willing to fight for what you want.”

Charlie’s sweet face flashed in Julia’s mind, and she gave a slight nod.

“You’re a lot stronger and smarter than you give yourself credit for.” His gaze switched to Vera. “Than most people give her credit for. But that’s going to change. I want people to see the woman I do. Maybe we shouldn’t have hidden our relationship, but it wasn’t anyone’s business. To hell with my reputation and Julia’s, too.”

“I hear a couple town-council members are making a big deal about your single status as they’re starting to review your contract. They think only a family man can impart the kind of values and leadership Brevia needs.”

“Another reason we were quiet. I don’t want to use Julia and Charlie to get reappointed. The job I’ve done as police chief should be enough.”

He sounded so convincing, Julia almost believed him. At the very least, his conviction gave her the courage to stand up for herself a little more. “Sam’s right. We’re not looking for anyone’s approval. This is about us.”

“Have you set a date yet?” Vera asked, her tone hard again.

“We’re working on that.”

Sam cleared his throat. “I’m going to head home.” He dropped a quick kiss on Julia’s cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Coward,” she whispered.

“Sticks and stones,” he said softly before turning to Vera.

“Mrs. Morgan, I’m sorry you found out this way. I hope you know I have Julia and Charlie’s best interests at heart.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s my cue.” Sam scooted around Vera and let himself out the front door.

“I only want what’s best for you.” Vera stepped forward. “Your father and I didn’t do enough to help you when you were younger. I won’t make that mistake again.” She wrapped one arm around Julia’s waist. “I don’t understand how this happened and I don’t trust Sam Callahan. But I know Charlie is your number one priority. That’s what counts.”

Julia didn’t want her mother to feel guilty. As a child, she’d tried to hide the extent of her problems from her parents, as well as everyone else. They weren’t to blame. She let out a slow breath. “I’m doing this for Charlie.”

“You love him?”

“He’s my entire life.”

“I meant, do you love Sam? Enough to marry him.”

“Sam is a wonderful man,” Julia answered quickly. “I’d be a fool not to want to marry him.” Not exactly a declaration of deep and abiding love but it was as much as she could offer tonight. “I’m sorry you had to come over.”

Her mother watched her for several moments before releasing her hold. “You’re my daughter. I’ll do anything to protect you. You know that, right?”

Julia nodded. Once again, she had the urge to share the whole sordid mess with her mother. She swallowed back her emotions. “It’s late. I’ll bring Charlie by in the morning before I drop him at the sitter’s.”

Vera patted her cheek. “Get some sleep. You look like you could use it. You can’t keep up this pace. You’re no spring chicken.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” That was the reason Julia wanted to handle this on her own. Vera couldn’t help but judge her. It was in her mother’s nature to point out all the ways Julia needed improvement. She’d have a field day with the custody situation. Julia had enough trouble without adding her mother’s opinion into the mix.

She closed and locked the door behind her mother then sagged against it. She’d done a lot of reckless things in her life but wondered if this time she’d gone off the deep end.

The baby monitor made a noise. Charlie gave a short cry before silence descended once more. Her gaze caught on a framed photo on one end table, taken minutes after his birth. She’d known as soon as the nurse had placed him in her arms that Charlie was the best part of her. She’d vowed that day to make something of her life, to become worthy of the gift she’d been given. While she had a difficult time tamping down her self-doubt, she never questioned how far she would go to protect her son. She’d do whatever it took to keep him safe, even this ridiculous charade with Sam. If it helped her custody case in the least, Julia would become the most devoted fiancée Brevia had ever seen.

* * *

That commitment was put to the test the next morning when a posse of angry women descended on the salon. Two to be exact, but it felt like a mob.

She’d swung by her mother’s after breakfast then dropped Charlie with Mavis Donnelly, the older woman who watched him and one other toddler in her home. She’d gotten into town by eight-thirty, thanks to Charlie’s propensity to wake with the sun. She wanted time to look over the monthly billing spreadsheets before anyone else arrived.

No one outside her immediate family knew about her condition, and she intended to keep it that way, afraid of being taken advantage of or thought too stupid to handle her own business. She put in the extra time she needed to get each financial piece right. Sometimes she studied the numbers until she felt almost physically ill.

When the knocking started, she straightened from her desk in the back, assuming it was one of the stylists who’d forgotten her key. Instead the front door swung open to reveal two pairs of angry eyes glaring at her.

“How’d you do it?” Annabeth Sullivan asked, pushing past her into the salon without an invitation. Annabeth had been in the same high-school class as Julia, a girl Julia would have referred to as a “band geek” back in the day. She hadn’t been kind, and Annabeth, who now managed the bank reviewing Julia’s loan application, hadn’t let her forget it. Annabeth’s younger sister, Diane, followed her inside.

“Morning to you, ladies.”

“He never goes on more than three dates.” Annabeth held up three plump fingers. “Never.”

“Can I see the ring?” Diane asked, her tone gentler.

Reluctantly, Julia held out her hand. “It’s perfect,” Diane gushed.

“Kind of small,” Annabeth said, peering at it from the corner of one eye. “I figured you’d go for the gaudy flash.”

Julia felt her temper flare. “You don’t know me, then.”

Annabeth took a step closer. “I know you, Julia Morgan. I know you had your minions stuff my locker with Twinkies the first day of freshman year. And made my life hell every day after that. I spent four years trying to stay off your radar and still you’d hunt me down.”

The truth of the accusation made Julia cringe. “I’m sorry. I tried to make amends when I came back. I was awful and I’m truly sorry. I offered you free services for a year to try to repay a tiny portion of my debt.”

“A year?” Diane turned to her sister. “You never told me that.”

“Be quiet, Diane. That doesn’t matter now. What I want to know is how you cast your evil spell over Sam Callahan.”

“I’m not a witch. No spells, no magic.” She paused then added, “We fell in love. Simple enough. Is there something else you need?” She took a step toward the front door but Annabeth held up a hand.

“Nothing is simple with you. Sam is a good man. He went on three dates with Diane.”

“Almost four,” Diane added. “I thought I’d made it past the cutoff. But he got called to a fire and had to cancel our last dinner. After that, he told me he wanted to be just friends.”

“So, how come you two are all of a sudden engaged when no one even knew you were dating?”

“Even Abby was surprised and she knows everything about Sam.” Diane clamped a hand over her mouth as Annabeth leveled a scowl at her.

As Julia understood it, Abby Brighton had moved to Brevia to take care of her elderly grandfather. She was the police chief’s secretary and dispatcher. She didn’t know about Abby’s relationship with Sam, but the way Annabeth was looking at her sister, there was more to the story.

“Plus, you’re a little long in the tooth for Sam,” Annabeth stated, getting back to the business at hand.

Her mom had just said she was no spring chicken and now this. Lucky thing she’d chucked her ego to the curb years ago. “I’m thirty-two, the same age as you, Annabeth. We’re not quite over the hill.”

Annabeth pulled a small notebook out of her purse. “That’s old for Sam. He usually dates women at least four years younger than him.”

“And how old is that?”

“Don’t you know how old he is?” Diane asked.

Julia met Annabeth’s shrewd gaze. Calculated error on her part. “Of course. What I don’t understand is why you carry a notebook with Sam’s dating stats in it.”

Annabeth snapped the notebook shut. “I don’t have his dating stats, just a few pertinent facts. He and Diane seemed closer than any of the other women he dated. I want my sister to be happy. She had a chance before you came into the picture.”

Julia studied Diane and couldn’t begin to picture the dainty woman and Sam as a couple. “Did Sam break your heart?”

Diane scrunched up her nose. “No,” she admitted after a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s supercute and such a gentleman. But he’s a little um...big...for me.”

Julia’s mouth dropped open. “Big?”

“Not like that,” Diane amended. “He’s just...with the uniform, all those muscles and he’s so tall. It’s kind of intimidating.”

“I know what you mean,” Julia agreed, although Sam’s size appealed to her. She was five-nine, so it took a lot of guy to make Julia feel petite, but Sam did it in a way that also made her feel safe.

“You have real feelings for him.” Annabeth interrupted her musings.

“I... We’re engaged. I’d better have real feelings.”

“Frankly, I thought this was another one of your stunts to show up the other single women in town. Prove that you’re still the leader of the pack and all that.” She glanced at Diane. “I didn’t want my sister to fall prey to you the way I did.”

“I’m not the same person I was. I can apologize but you’ll need to choose whether to forgive me. I don’t blame you if the answer is no, but it’s your decision. My priority is Charlie. I want to live a life that will make him proud. I don’t intend to re-create the past. You’re married now, right?”

The other woman nodded. “Five years to my college sweetheart. He’s my best friend.”

“Why is it so strange to believe that I might want that for myself? My parents had a great marriage and you probably remember my sister recently married the love of her life, who just happened to be my high-school sweetheart. They’re happy and I want to be happy. Last time I checked, that wasn’t a crime in this town.”

Julia pointed a finger at Diane. “If your sister wants to find a man, she will without you hunting down potential suitors for her or tallying lists of how far ahead of other women she is in the dating pool. Sam is a real person, too. I don’t think he intended to become such a hot topic of gossip. He’s living his life the best way he can. We both are.” She stopped for breath and noticed Annabeth and Diane staring at her, eyebrows raised.

She realized how much she’d revealed with her little tirade and tried to calm her panic. Maybe she didn’t want to be known as the town’s head mean girl anymore, but she had a reputation to protect. She made people think she didn’t take things seriously so that they’d never notice when she got hurt. She plastered a smile on her face. “What? Was that a little too mama grizzly for you?”

Annabeth shook her head, looking dazed. “I didn’t realize that’s how you felt about things. Sam is lucky to have you.”

“I’m not sure—”

“I’m sure.”

The three women turned to see Sam standing in the doorway. Julia’s face burned. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that I agree with Annabeth. I’m damned lucky to have you.”

Annabeth and Diane scooted toward the front door. “If you’ll excuse us. We’ll leave you two alone.”

He didn’t move. “Is this going to hit the gossip train or however it works?”

Diane shook her head. “We weren’t the ones who started analyzing you. It was—”

Annabeth gave her sister a hard pinch on the arm. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s clear you’re not the person everyone thought.”

Sam eased to the side of the doorway. “I think that could be said for more than just me.”

Annabeth threw a glance at Julia and nodded.

“Maybe you should spread that news around.”

“I’ll get on it, Chief.” The two women hurried out of the salon, and Sam pulled the door shut behind them.

“I’m a real man?” he said, repeating Julia’s earlier comment. “I’m glad you think so, Ms. Morgan.”

Julia slumped into a chair, breathing as if she’d just finished a marathon run. Her eyes were bleak as they met his. “It’s pointless, Sam. This is never going to work.”

Chapter Five

Sam stared at Julia. Her blond hair curled around her shoulders and fell forward, covering one high cheekbone. His fingers itched to smooth it back from her face, to touch her skin and wipe the pain from those large gray eyes. She looked so alone sitting in the oversized stylist’s chair.

Sam knew what it felt like to be alone. Hell, he’d courted solitude for most of his life. He’d learned early on only to depend on himself, because when he relied on other people for his happiness he got hurt. First when his mother died and his dad had almost lost it. Then, later, in the relationship that had ended with his fiancée cheating on him.

He’d come to believe that happiness was overrated. He wanted to work hard and make a difference—the only way he knew to chase the demons away for a little peace.

When he’d heard Julia defending his character, something tight in his gut unwound. He was used to making things happen and having people depend on him. He prided himself on not needing anyone. It bothered him to know that women were spreading rumors about him, but he would have soldiered through with his head held high. Hearing Julia take on those ladies had made him realize he liked not feeling totally alone.

Her declaration that they couldn’t make it work made no sense. “Why the change of heart?” He moved closer to her. “You convinced Annabeth and Diane.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-three.”

“Why do you only date younger women?”

He stopped short. “I don’t.”

“Are you sure? I’ve heard you average women at least four years younger. I’m thirty-two. My birthday’s in two months.”

“I don’t ask a woman about her age before we go out. If there’s a connection, that’s what I go on.”

“You never asked me out.”

“I asked you to marry me,” he said, blowing out a frustrated breath. “Doesn’t that count?”

She shook her head. “I mean when you first came to town. When you were making the rounds.”

“I didn’t make the rounds. Besides, you were pregnant.”

“I haven’t been pregnant for a while.”

“Did you want me to ask you out?” The attraction he’d denied since the first time he saw her roared to life again.

She shook her head again. “I’m just curious, like most of the town is now. We’ve barely spoken to each other in the last two years.”

“I thought the idea was that we were keeping the relationship under wraps.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Green,” he answered automatically then held up a hand. “What’s going on? I don’t understand why you think this won’t work. You made a believer of Annabeth Sullivan, the town’s main gossip funnel.”

Julia stood and glanced at her watch. “The girls will start coming in any minute. I don’t know, Sam. This is complicated.”

“Only if you make it complicated.”

“What’s my favorite food?”

“How the heck am I supposed to know?”

“If we were in love, you’d know.”

Sam thought about his ex-fiancée and tried to conjure a memory of what she’d like to eat. “Salad?” he guessed.

Julia rolled her eyes. “Nobody’s favorite food is salad. Mine is lobster bisque.”

Sam tapped one finger on the side of his head. “Got it.”

“There’s more to it than that.”

“Come to dinner tonight,” he countered.

“Where?”

“My place. Five-thirty. I talked to my dad this morning. He didn’t mention delving into my emotions once. Huge progress as far as I’m concerned. He can’t wait to spend more time with you.”

“That’s a bad idea, and I have Charlie.”

“The invitation is for both of you.” He took her shoulders between his hands. “We’re going to make this work, Julia. Bring your list of questions tonight—favorite color, food, movie, whatever.”

“There’s more to it than—”

“I know but it’s going to work.” As if by their own accord, his fingers strayed to her hair and he sifted the golden strands between them. “For both of us.”

At the sound of voices in the salon, Julia’s back stiffened and her eyes widened a fraction. “You need to go.”

“We’re engaged,” he reminded her. “We want people to see us together.”

“Not here.”

He wanted to question her but she looked so panicked, he decided to give her a break. “Dinner tonight,” he repeated, and as three women emerged from the hallway behind the salon’s main room, he bent forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Her sharp intake of breath made him smile. “Lasagna,” he whispered against her mouth.

“What?” she said, her voice as dazed as he felt.

“My favorite food is lasagna.”

She nodded and he kissed her again. “See you later, sweetheart,” he said and pulled back, leaving Julia and the three stylists staring at him.

* * *

“Abby, how old are you?” Sam stepped out of his office into the lobby of the police station.

Abby Brighton, who’d started as the receptionist shortly after he’d been hired, looked up from her computer. “I’ll be twenty-eight in the fall.”

“That’s young.”

“Not really,” she answered. “Maggie Betric is twenty-six and Suzanne over at the courthouse in Jefferson just turned twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five?” Sam swallowed. He’d gone out to dinner with both women and had no idea they’d been that much younger than him. When did he become a small-town cradle robber? Jeez. He needed to watch himself.

“Julia’s in her thirties, right?” Abby asked.

“Thirty-two.”

“When’s her birthday?”

“Uh...” Wait, he knew this. “It’s in May.”

Abby turned her chair around to face him. “I still can’t believe I didn’t know you two were dating.”

“No one knew.”

“But I know everything about you.” She looked away. “Not everything, of course. But a lot. Because I make the schedule and we work so closely together.”

He studied Abby another minute. She was cute, in a girl-next-door sort of way. Her short pixie cut framed a small face, her dark eyes as big as saucers. They’d worked together for almost two years now, and he supposed she did know him better than most people. But what did he know about her? What did he know about anyone, outside his dad and brother?

Sure, Sam had friends, a Friday-night poker game, fishing with the boys. He knew who was married and which guys were confirmed bachelors. Did knowing the kind of beer his buddies drank count as being close?

“Do you have a boyfriend, Abby?”

Her eyes widened farther. “Not at the moment.”

“And your only family in town is your granddad?”

She nodded.

Okay, that was good. He knew something about the woman he saw every day at work. He looked around her brightly colored workspace. “I’m guessing your favorite color is yellow.”

She smiled. “Yours is hunter green.”

How did she know that?

“Does Julia make you happy?” she asked after a moment.

“Yes,” he answered automatically. “Why?”

“I just wouldn’t have pictured her as your type.” Abby fidgeted with a paper clip. “She’s beautiful and everything, but I always saw you with someone more...”

“More?”

“Someone nicer, I suppose.”

“You don’t think Julia’s nice? Has she been unkind to you?”

Abby shook her head. “No, but I hear stories from when she was in high school. I’m in a book club with some ladies who knew her then.”

“People change.”

“You deserve someone who will take care of you.”

“I’m a grown man, Abby. I can take care of myself.”

“I know but you need—” She stopped midsentence when the phone rang. She answered and, after a moment, cupped her hand over the receiver. “Someone ran into a telephone pole out at the county line. No injuries but a live wire might be down.”

Sam nodded and headed for the front door. “Call it in to the utility company. I’m on my way.”

He drove toward the edge of town, grateful to get out and clear his head. He’d done more talking about himself and what he needed and felt in the past twenty-four hours than he had in the previous five years. His dad’s fault, for sure.

This engagement was supposed to help Sam dodge his father’s attempts to make him more in touch with his feelings. Hopefully, this dinner would smooth things over enough so life could return to normal. Other than the pretend engagement.

It wouldn’t be as difficult as Julia thought to fool people. They’d hold hands, be seen around town together for a few PDAs and everyone would believe them. Kissing Julia was one of the perks of this arrangement. He loved her moment of surprise each time he leaned in. Sam hadn’t been with a woman for a long time, which must explain why her touch affected him so much.

He understood the importance of making this work. Tonight, they’d come to an understanding of how to get what they both wanted.

* * *

Julia lifted Charlie out of his car seat and turned to face the quaint house tucked onto one of the tree-lined streets near downtown Brevia.

“He even has a picket fence,” she said to her son, who answered her with a hearty laugh and a slew of indecipherable words.

“My sentiments exactly.” She kissed the top of Charlie’s head.

“Do you need a hand?”

Joe Callahan stepped off the porch and headed toward her.

“I’ve got it, Mr. Callahan. Thank you.”

He met her halfway up the walk. “Call me Joe. And you—” he held out his hands for Charlie “—can call me Papa.”

“Pap-y,” Charlie repeated in his singsong voice and leaned forward for Joe to scoop him up. Her son, the extrovert.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Joe was already swinging Charlie above his head, much to the boy’s delight. “What a handsome fellow,” he said. He smiled at Julia. “He favors his beautiful mother.”

Julia couldn’t help but return his grin. “Are you always this charming?”

Joe gave an easy laugh. “For decades I was a real hard—” He lifted Charlie again. “I was hard-nosed. A walking grim reaper. Sam and his brother got the brunt of that. I’ve learned a lot since then.”

“Wisdom you want to impart to your son?”

“If he’ll let me.” Joe tucked Charlie into the crook of his arm and the boy shoved his fist into his mouth, sucking contently. “You’ve already helped him start.”

It was Julia’s turn to laugh. “I don’t have much wisdom to share with anyone.”

Joe started toward the house. “Mothers have inherent wisdom. My late wife was the smartest, most insightful woman I’ve ever met.”

“How old was Sam when she died?”

“Ten and Scott was seven. It was a dark period for our family.”

“Was it a long illness?”

Joe turned and immediately Julia realized her mistake. “Sam hasn’t told you about his mother?”

She shook her head, unable to hide her lack of knowledge. “It’s difficult for him to speak about.”

Joe sighed as if he understood. “That’s my fault. After Lorraine passed, I was so overcome with grief that I shut down and made the boys do the same. Looking back, it was selfish and cowardly. They were kids and they needed me.”

Julia patted his arm. “How did she die?”

“A car accident,” he said quietly. Charlie rested his small head on Joe’s shoulder as if sensing the older man needed comfort.

“How tragic. I’m so sorry for all of you.”

“The tragic part was that it was my fault. I’d been on the force over ten years. I became obsessed with being the most dedicated cop Boston had ever seen. Like a bonehead, I took on the most dangerous assignments they’d give me—whatever I could do to prove that I was the baddest dude on the block. Lorraine couldn’t handle the stress. She begged me to slow down. I wouldn’t listen, brushed aside her worries and only focused on what I wanted.”

He ran his hands through his hair, so much like Sam, then continued, “She’d started drinking at night—not so much that she was falling-down drunk, but enough to numb her. I was tuned out and didn’t realize how bad it had gotten. I got home late one night and we fought. She went for a drive after the boys were in bed—to cool off. She wasn’t even a half mile from the house when she ran the red light. She swerved to avoid another car. Wrapped her car around a telephone pole. She was gone instantly.”

Julia sucked in a breath. The first time she’d met Sam had been when he’d found her after she’d hydroplaned on a wet road and gone over an embankment, her car slamming into a tree. She’d been pregnant at the time, and thinking the accident might have hurt her baby had been the scariest moment of her life. Sam had gotten her to the hospital and stayed with her until Lainey had arrived. She wondered if he’d thought about his mother during that time, or if it had just been another day on the job.

“How devastating for all of you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Joe. Charlie squealed with delight then wriggled to be let down.

“Okay.” She lifted him from Joe’s arms and deposited him on the porch.

Joe swiped at his eyes. “I would have followed her in a minute. I could barely function and had two boys at home who needed me more than ever. Instead, I threw myself into the job like I was tempting fate. If they gave awards for stupidity and selfishness, I would have been a top candidate.”

“Nothing can prepare you for something like that. I’m sure you did the best you could. Sam and his brother must know that.”

Joe held open the screen door and Charlie headed into the house. “It should have been a wake-up call but it took me another twenty years to get my priorities straight. I want to make it right by Sam.”

She looked into Joe Callahan’s kind eyes and her stomach twisted. Julia didn’t have much luck making things right by anyone, and if Joe knew the details of their arrangement, it would break his heart.

“Mama, come.” Charlie peered around the doorway to the kitchen. Charlie. He was the reason she’d entered into this deal in the first place.

“Where’s Sam?” She held out her hand to her son, who ran toward her to take it.

Joe smiled. “Grilling out back.”

She scooped Charlie into her arms and followed Joe down the hall. She’d guess Sam’s house had been built in the early 1900s, and he’d obviously renovated, drawing inspiration from the Craftsman tradition with hardwood floors throughout. In the open kitchen, beautiful maple cabinets hung on each wall. The colors were neutral but not boring, a mix of classic and modern traditions.

Joe led her through one of the French doors that opened to the back patio. It hadn’t rained for a couple of days, and while it was cool, the evening air held the unmistakable scent of spring, with the elms and oaks surrounding the green yard beginning to bud.

Sam stood in front of a stainless-steel grill, enveloped in smoke. He turned and smiled at her and her chest caught again. He wore a dark T-shirt, faded jeans and flip-flops. Julia hadn’t often seen him out of uniform, and while the casual outfit should have made him less intimidating, certain parts of her body responded differently.

“Ball,” Charlie shouted and squirmed in her arms. When Julia put him down, he ran toward an oversized bouncy ball and several plastic trucks stacked near the wrought-iron table.

Sam closed the grill’s lid and met her questioning gaze. “I thought he’d like some toys to play with over here.”

She nodded, a little dumbfounded at the impact the small gesture had on her.

“Sammy said you two are mainly at your place.”

“It’s easier that way.”

“Have you given any thought to where you’ll live once you’re married?”

“Here,” Sam answered at the same time Julia said, “Not really.”

Joe’s brows furrowed, so she added, “My apartment is a rental, so I assumed we’d move in with Sam.”

Sam came to her side and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’re going to make the spare bedroom into Charlie’s room.”

Julia coughed wildly.

“Can I get you a glass of water?” Sam asked.

“I’ll grab it,” Joe said and disappeared into the house.

Sam clapped her on the back. “Are you okay?”

“Not at all.” She drew in a breath. “Charlie’s room?”

“We’re engaged, remember. It’s going to seem strange enough that the kid barely knows me. I didn’t have any of his stuff or toys in the house and my dad started asking questions.”

At that moment, the bouncy ball knocked against Julia’s leg.

“Ball, Mama. Ball.” Charlie squealed with delight.

Sam handed Julia a pair of tongs. “Will you pull the steaks off the grill?” He picked up the ball and tucked it under his arm. “I’m going in for some male bonding.”

Julia watched, fascinated as Sam walked over to Charlie and held out a hand. Without hesitation, Charlie took it and Sam led him into the yard to roll the ball back and forth.

The only man in Charlie’s life was Ethan. Julia tried not to depend too much on him. Lainey, Ethan and Julia had a long history between them, and Julia didn’t want to push the limits of their relationship.

Charlie did his best to mimic Sam’s motions as he rolled and threw the ball, and Julia realized how important it was for her son to have a father figure.

“I knew he’d be great with kids,” Joe said as he handed her a tall glass of water. “Scott is a wild one, but Sam...”

“Why do you think Sam never married?” Julia asked, tapping one finger against her lips. Annabeth’s story about Sam’s record as a three-dates-and-done serial dater came back to her.

“It’s not for lack of trying,” Joe answered candidly then amended. “But I can tell you’re a better fit for him than Jenny.”

Julia tried not to look startled. “Jenny?”

Joe studied her. “His ex-fiancée. He did tell you about her?”

“He was really hurt when it ended,” she offered, not an outright lie but enough to cover her lack of knowledge. She and Sam had a lot they needed to get clear about each other if this charade was going to work.

Joe nodded. “Not that he would have told anyone. He bottled up his emotions just like I’d done when his mom passed. But Jenny’s infidelity was a huge blow to him.”

“I can understand why.” Julia’s mind reeled at this new information. Sam had been previously engaged and his fiancée had cheated on him. That might explain a little about his commitment issues.

“She wasn’t a good match even before that. Sure, she was perfect on paper—a schoolteacher, sweet and popular with his friends, but she didn’t get him. They were marrying what they thought they wanted without paying attention to what they needed.”

Julia understood that line of thinking better than most. It was what had led her to believe her ex-boyfriend could make her happy. She’d thought she loved Jeff but realized what she loved was the image she’d had of him, not who he truly was. Was that what Sam had thought about his ex, as well, or had this Jenny been the love of his life? The thought gave Julia a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Sam looked up from where he was currently chasing Charlie across the backyard. “How about those steaks, sweetie?”

“I’m on it,” she called and headed for the grill.

Much to Joe’s delight, Charlie insisted on sitting on Sam’s lap during dinner. Sam looked vaguely uncomfortable as the toddler fed him bites of meat but dutifully ate each one.

In addition to the steak, Sam had roasted vegetables and made a salad. She’d brought a loaf of bread from the bakery next to the salon, along with a bottle of red wine. The dinner was surprisingly fun and Julia found herself relaxing. Joe did most of the talking, regaling her with stories, of his years with the force and more recently of the workshops he facilitated around the region.

“Someone needs a diaper change,” she said as they finished the meal. At the look of horror on Sam’s face, she laughed. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Good idea,” he agreed.

“You’d better get used to stinky bottoms,” his father chided.

Sam’s eyes widened and Julia laughed again. “All in good time, Joe. For now, I’ll take the poop duty.”

Sam stood quickly and handed Charlie to her. “I’ll clear the dishes.” To her surprise, he placed a soft kiss on her mouth. Charlie giggled and Julia felt her world tilt the tiniest bit.

“Right,” she said around a gulp of air. She met Joe’s gaze as she turned for the house and he winked at her. Right. Sam was her fake fiancé. Of course he was going to kiss her sometimes. They’d discussed that it was all part of the act. It didn’t mean anything.

At least, not to her.

Right.

She changed Charlie’s diaper on the floor of Sam’s living room. Unlike her cozy apartment filled with well-worn flea-market finds and hand-me-downs from her mother, the furnishings in this room appeared very new and hardly used.

A sleek leather couch faced an entertainment center with an enormous flat-screen television and several pieces of stereo equipment. He had a few books scattered on the shelves, mainly fly-fishing manuals and guidebooks for the North Carolina mountains. A couple of pieces of abstract art hung on the walls. Unlike her family room, there wasn’t a single framed photo of any of Sam’s family or friends.

Julia loved the reminders of each stage in Charlie’s life on display around her house. It was as though Sam didn’t have a personal life. Maybe it was just a guy thing, she thought, but then remembered how Jeff had documented each of his research trips with photos spread around their condo in Columbus.

Maybe not.

She pulled on Charlie’s sweatpants and watched as he scrambled to his feet and headed back toward the kitchen.

“Hey, little man, where are you headed in such a rush?”

Joe picked him up as Charlie answered, “Ou-side,” and he planted a raspberry on the boy’s belly, making him laugh out loud.

“I’ll see you later, gator.” Joe put Charlie on the ground and he made a beeline for the back of the house.

“It was nice to spend time with you.” Julia gave the older man a quick hug.

“I hope it’s the first of many dinners. I’d love to meet your family while I’m in town. Sammy said your mom is famous around here for the animal shelter she runs.”

“It was a labor of love after my dad died.” The thought of Joe Callahan and her mother getting together made her want to squirm. Keeping their respective families separate would make the summer much simpler. The complications of this arrangement were almost more than she could handle.

“I meant what I said at the restaurant,” Joe told her. “Sam will protect you and Charlie. I don’t know the details of your custody arrangement, but I believe that boy is better off with you than anyone else in the world.”

Julia blinked back sudden tears. “Thank you. I better go track him down.”

Joe nodded. “Good night, Julia. I’ll see you soon.”

The front door shut behind him, and Julia thought about Joe’s last words. Charlie was better off with her. She had to believe that. He belonged to her and she to him. Nothing and no one was going to change that.

She turned for the kitchen just as Charlie’s high-pitched scream came from the backyard.

Chapter Six

Julia raced onto the patio, following the sounds of her son’s cries, her heart pounding in her chest.

Sam stood in the backyard, cradling Charlie against his chest with one arm. With his free hand he waved the tongs she’d used for the meat. A large gray dog hopped up and down in front of him.

“What happened?” Julia yelled as she sprinted down the back steps. “Is Charlie hurt?”

At the sound of his mother’s voice, the boy lifted his tear-streaked face from Sam’s shoulder. “Ball, Mama. No doggy.” He pointed a slobbery finger at the Weimaraner running circles in the yard, the deflated bouncy ball clamped in his jaws.

His eyes never leaving the dog, Sam scooted closer to Julia. “Charlie’s fine. Take him back to the house. I’ve never seen this animal before. He could be rabid.”

Charlie shook his head. “No doggy,” he repeated. “Charlie ball.”

Julia looked from her son to Sam to the dog bounding and leaping, his stubby tail wagging, clearly relishing this impromptu game of keep-away. Rabid? Overenthusiastic and in need of some training. Not rabid.

Julia had grown up with a variety of animals underfoot. Her dad had been Brevia’s vet for years, and the shelter her mother had built and run after his death attracted animals from all over the South. Her mom’s ability to rehabilitate strays was legendary—Vera had even written a dog-behavior book that had become a bestseller a few years ago. Julia might not be the expert her mother was, but she had a fairly good sense for reading canine energy. And every inch of the Weimaraner was shouting “let’s play.”

“Sam, the dog isn’t going to hurt you.”

“It bared its teeth. It’s a lunatic.”

“You’ve never seen it before?” Julia moved slowly forward.

“No. I told you to get back on the porch. I don’t want you or Charlie hurt.”

She gave a quick whistle. The dog stopped and looked at her, its tail still wagging.

“Julia, you can’t—”

“Drop it,” she commanded, her finger pointed to the ground.

“Dop.” Charlie mimicked her. “Charlie ball.”

The dog waited a moment then lowered the lump of plastic to the ground.

“Sit.”

The dog’s bottom plopped to the ground.

She held out her palm. “Stay.”

She took a step toward the dog. His bottom lifted but she gave a stern “No,” and he sank back down.

“I’m sorry about your ball, sweetie,” she told Charlie.

“Bad,” he said with a whine.

“Not bad, but he needs someone to help him learn.”

As she got nearer, the animal trembled with excitement.

“You shouldn’t be that close.”

“Do you have any rope?”

“I’m not leaving you out here. I’m serious. Back off from the dog.”

“What is your problem? This dog isn’t a threat.”

“You don’t know—”

As if sensing that her attention was divided, the dog stood and bounded the few feet toward her. The skin around its mouth drew back and wrinkled, exposing a row of shiny teeth.

“Get back, Julia. It’s snarling.” Sam lunged forward, but before he got the animal, the dog flopped at Julia’s feet and flipped onto his back, writhing in apparent ecstasy as she bent to rub his belly.

Sam stopped in his tracks. “What the...?”

“He’s a smiler.”

“Dogs don’t smile.”

“Some do.”

Charlie wriggled out of Sam’s arms and, before either of them could stop him, headed for the dog. “Good doggy. No ball.”

Julia put an arm around Charlie, holding him back, as Sam’s breath hitched. “You shouldn’t let him so near that thing.”

She offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “My mom runs an animal shelter, remember? Charlie’s been around dogs since he was born. I’m careful to supervise him and make sure he’s safe.” She tickled her fingers under the dog’s ear and got a soft lick on her arm for the effort. “This boy is gorgeous.”

“A good-looking animal can still be crazy.”

Julia’s shoulders stiffened. “What makes you think he’s crazy?” Before he’d left for good, Jeff had said something similar to her. He’d told her she was beautiful but a nut job. He’d thrown in a dig about her intelligence as icing on the cake.

Her mother was the expert on stray animals, but Julia knew a thing or two about being damaged on the inside. Her gut told her this dog had a heart of gold.

“He snarled at me.”

“He smiled at you,” she insisted. “Pet him. He’s a real sweetie.”

“I don’t like dogs,” Sam said simply.

“I wouldn’t have guessed it.” She ran her hand along the length of the dog’s side. “He’s way underweight. No collar and he’s dirty. I’d guess he’s been on his own for a while now. You haven’t seen him around?”

Sam shook his head. “A section of the fenced yard came loose in the storm a few nights ago. He must have smelled the grill and come in that way.”

She straightened. “Would you take Charlie for a minute? I have a leash in the trunk of my car.”

“You don’t have a dog.”

“Mom makes everyone keep an extra in case we come across a stray.” The Weimaraner jumped to his feet and nudged at Julia’s pants leg.

“Mama doggy,” Charlie said as Julia shifted him into Sam’s arms.

“No, honey, not mine. We’ll take him to Grandma in the morning and she’ll find a good home for him.”

Charlie frowned. “Mama doggy.”

Julia noticed Sam tense as the dog trotted over to sniff him. “Are you scared of dogs, Chief Callahan?”

“Wary, not scared.” He held Charlie a little higher in his arms.

“If you say so.” She headed up the steps toward the house and the dog followed.

“What if he runs away?”

“I have a feeling he’ll stick close by. Weims are usually Velcro dogs.”

“Are you going to keep him overnight?”

She nodded. “It won’t be the first time. Mom says the strays have a knack for finding me. The scrappier they are, the harder I work to bring them in. I’ve rescued dogs from Dumpsters, highway ditches—”

“Stop!” Sam shook his head. “The thought of you luring in unknown dogs from who knows where makes my head pound.”

“What can I tell you?” She laughed. “I have a soft spot for lost causes.”

Sam met her gaze then, and for an instant she saw the kind of longing and vulnerability in his eyes she’d never imagined from a man as tough and strong as he seemed. “Lucky dogs,” he whispered.

The hair on her arms stood on end and her mouth went dry. He blinked, closing off his feelings from her.

“Add this one to the lucky list,” she said, her voice a little breathy. Quickly, she led the dog through the house, grabbing a piece of bread off the counter for good measure. But she didn’t need it. The dog walked by her side, his early rambunctiousness tempered because he had her attention.

She pulled the leash out of her trunk and looped it over his head. He shook his head, as if he wasn’t used to a collar. “Easy there, boy,” Julia crooned and knelt to pet him. The dog nuzzled into her chest. “I bet you’ve had a rough time of it. If anyone can find you a good home, it’s my mom.”

She walked the dog back onto the porch, where she could hear the sound of the television coming through the open screen door.

“Is it okay if I bring him in the house?”

“As long as he doesn’t lift his leg on the furniture,” came the hushed reply.

She leveled a look at the dog, who cocked his head at her. “Keep it together,” she told him, and his stubby tail wagged again.

“I should get Charlie home and to bed,” she said as she walked into the family room then stopped short. Sam sat on the couch, Charlie nestled into the crook of his arm, their attention riveted to the television. An IndyCar race was on the big set, and Sam was quietly explaining the details of the scene to Charlie.

“Lubock thinks he’s got this one in the bag. He’s in the blue-and-yellow car out front.”

“Blue,” Charlie said, his fist popping out of his mouth to point to the screen.

“That’s right, but watch out for Eckhard in the red and white. See where he’s coming around the outside?”

Charlie nodded drowsily then snuggled in deeper.

“I thought you didn’t like kids,” Julia said quietly, as Charlie’s eyes drifted shut.

Sam glanced at the boy then tucked a blanket from the back of the couch around him. “I like kids. Everyone likes kids.”

Julia scoffed. “Hardly. Most people like dogs. You don’t.”

“That’s different.”

She watched the pair for several seconds then added, “Charlie’s father doesn’t like kids.”

Sam met her gaze. “His loss.”

“You’ve never even said hello to Charlie before this week.”

“He and I don’t run in the same circles,” he countered.

“You know what I mean.”

Sam picked up the remote and hit the mute button. He knew what she meant. Ever since he’d found Julia after her car crashed, he’d avoided both her and her son. That moment had terrified him more than it should someone in his position. He didn’t know whether it was the memory of losing his mother, or the strange way his body reacted to the woman sitting across from him. Or a combination of both. But when he’d lifted her out of that car and carried her to his cruiser, his instinct for danger had been on high alert.

Sam was used to saving people from mishaps. It was part of the job. But she’d looked at him as if she’d put all her faith in him. That had made it feel different. More real, and scary as hell. Charlie had been born that same day, and Sam had decided it was better for both of them if he stayed away. He had nothing to offer a single mom and her child. His heart had shut down a long time ago.

Holding Charlie in his arms, he felt something fierce and protective roar to life inside him. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily fall for this boy and his mother. He had to keep his distance but still play the part. His dad had spent most of the evening fawning over Julia and her son, leaving Sam blessedly alone.

He wanted to keep up the charade long enough for his father to leave town satisfied. When the eventual breakup came, Sam was sure he’d have a better chance of convincing Joe how heartbroken he was over the phone than in person.

“We should go over a few things before you leave,” he said, trying to make his tone all business but soft enough that he didn’t wake Charlie.

Julia nodded. “I can take him from you first.”

Sam shook his head and adjusted the blanket. “He’s fine. Thanks for bringing him. You saw how happy it made my dad.”

“He’s going to be devastated when this doesn’t work out.”

Sam shrugged. “He’ll get over it. You’ve given him hope that I’m not a total lost cause in the commitment department. That should hold him over for a while.”

Julia adjusted in her chair as the dog settled at her feet with a contented sigh. Sam had heard a lot about Vera Morgan’s exceptional skills with animals. It appeared the gift was genetic.

“He mentioned your ex-girlfriend.”

Sam flinched. If he didn’t have Charlie sleeping against him, he would have gotten up to pace the room. “Leave it to dear old dad to knock the skeleton from my closet.”

“We’re engaged. He assumed I already knew.”

“And you thought knowing my favorite color was going to be a big deal.”

“We need to understand the details about each other if this is going to work. Otherwise, no one is going to believe we’re legitimate.”

“Why not?” he countered. “People run off to Vegas all the time. Maybe you fell so head over heels for me that you didn’t care about the details.”

“Highly unlikely. You’re not that irresistible.”

Her comeback made him smile, which he realized was her intention. It was strange that this woman he knew so little could read him so well. “I was engaged for six months. She cheated on me a month before the wedding.”

“That’s awful.”

“I caught her with my brother.”

Julia’s jaw dropped. “Wow.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“What happened? Do you still speak to your brother? Are they together? What kind of awful people would do that to someone they both loved?”

“The way Scott explained it, before I kicked him out of my house, was that she was bad news and he was saving me from making a mistake. The way Jenny spun it before she followed him out the door was that he’d seduced her.” He expected to feel the familiar pain of betrayal but only emptiness washed over him. “They aren’t together and weren’t again as far as I know. Turns out he was right. I found out later it wasn’t the first time she’d cheated. She’d also been with one of the guys on the squad. Made me look like a fool.”

“She’s the fool.” Julia came to stand before him. She lifted Charlie from his arms and sat down, laying her son beside her on the soft leather. “And your brother?”

“Scott was in the army for several years. Now he works out of D.C. for the U.S. Marshals.”

She squeezed his arm and the warmth of her hand relaxed him a little. “I’m not interested in his job. What about your relationship?”

“My dad had a health scare almost two years ago. I passed my brother in the hall at the hospital. That’s the extent of it.”

“Oh, Sam.”

“We were never close. My dad didn’t encourage family bonding.”

“Still—”

“This isn’t helping our arrangement.” Sam took her hand in his. “How long have we been dating?”

“Four months,” Julia answered automatically.

“Favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“Where we going on a honeymoon?”

“A Disney cruise.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Because of Charlie.”

He laughed. “Fine.” Some of the tension eased out of his shoulders and he asked, “Big or small wedding?”

“Small, close friends and immediate family.”

“Who are your close friends?”

Her eyes darted away and she took several beats to answer. “The girls from the salon, I guess. A few of them, anyway. My sister.”

“What about your friends from high school?”

“I didn’t really have friends. Followers was more like it, and most of them have outgrown me.”

“Their loss,” he said, using his earlier phrase, and was rewarded with a smile. “What about your ex-boyfriend? Do you still have feelings for him? Should I be jealous?”

“Of Jeff? No. We were over long before he left me.”

An interesting way to phrase it. Sam couldn’t help but ask, “Could I kick his butt?”

She smiled. “Absolutely.”

“Good. When is your next court date?”

“Friday.”

“Do you want me to come?”

She shook her head and Sam felt a surprising rush of disappointment. “I might be able to help.”

“You already are.”

“You can’t believe the judge will award custody to Jeff and his family. Is he even going to be here?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t take any chances. Even if he gets joint custody, they could take Charlie from me for extended periods of time. I won’t risk it. Jeff made it clear he didn’t want to be a father, so I don’t understand why he’s letting this happen. He was never close to his family.”

“Have you talked to him directly?”

“I left a message on his cell phone right after the letter came. I might have sounded hysterical. He hasn’t returned my call.”

“You’re going to have to tell your family what’s going on before it goes too much further.”

She nodded. “I realized that tonight. If my mom finds out your dad knew before her... It’s all too much. I’m finally starting to get my life on track, with the salon and Charlie. For the first time in as long as I can remember, my mother isn’t looking at me with disappointment in her eyes. When she finds out...”

“Vera will want to help. This isn’t your fault.”

“It sure feels like it is.” She sank back against the couch and scrubbed her hands across her face. Sam saw pain and fear etched in her features. It gnawed away at him until he couldn’t stand it. Why was she so afraid of her mother’s judgment? Why did she think so little of herself, to believe her son was at risk of being taken away? Maybe she’d made some mistakes in her past but Sam didn’t know anyone who hadn’t. She couldn’t be punished forever.

He might not be willing to give his heart again, but he needed to give her some comfort. He wasn’t great with words and knew that if he got sentimental, she’d only use her dry wit to turn it into a joke. Instead, he placed a soft kiss on the inside of her palm.

She tugged on her hand but he didn’t let go. “You don’t need to do that now,” she whispered, her voice no more than a breath in the quiet. “There’s no one watching.”

One side of his mouth quirked. “It’s a good thing, too, because what I want to do to you is best kept in private.”

Her mouth formed a round oh and he lifted a finger to trace the soft flesh of her lips.

“Charlie.”

“I know.” He leaned closer. “You’re safe tonight. Almost.”

“We shouldn’t...”

“I know,” he repeated. “But I can’t think of anything I want more.”

“Me, too.” She sat up and brought both of her hands to the sides of his face, cupping his jaw. “This isn’t going to get complicated, right?”

“Other than planning a pretend wedding, a custody battle, my meddling father and a town filled with nosy neighbors? I think we can keep it fairly simple.”

She smoothed her thumbs along his cheeks and her scent filled his head again. “I mean you and me. We’re on the same page. It’s all part of the show, the time spent together, pretending like we’re in love. It ends when we both get what we want.”

He agreed in theory, but at the moment all Sam wanted was her. He knew telling her that would make her more skittish than she already was. He didn’t want this night to end quite yet, even if her sleeping son was going to keep the evening G-rated. So he answered, “That’s the plan.”

She nodded then licked her lips, and he suppressed a groan. “Then it won’t matter if I do this...” She brought her mouth to his and they melted together. When her tongue mixed with his, he did groan. Or maybe Julia did. Her fingers wound through his hair and down his neck, pressing him closer, right where he wanted to be.

He deepened the kiss as his hands found their way underneath her blouse, his palms spread across the smooth skin on her back.

“Stop.” Julia’s breathing sounded ragged.

His hands stilled and he drew back enough to look into her big gray eyes, now hazy with desire.

A small smile played on the corners of her mouth. “I want to make sure we both stay in control. No getting carried away.”

Like to his bedroom, Sam thought. All the wonderful, devilish, naked things he could do to her there ran through his brain. He wanted to know this woman—every inch of her—with a passion he hadn’t thought himself capable of feeling.

He didn’t answer, not sure his brain could manage a coherent sentence at the moment. They stared at each other and he wondered if Julia’s heart was pounding as hard as his.

He heard Charlie snore softly and let his eyes drift closed for a few seconds. He counted to ten in his head, thought about the pile of work waiting in his office and tried like hell to rein in his desire and emotions.

He withdrew his hands, smoothed her shirt back down and forced a casual smile.

“My middle name is control, sweetheart.”

She cocked her head. “That’s a good point,” she said and didn’t sound at all as affected as Sam felt. “What is your middle name?”

He shook his head slightly. “Matthew.”

“Mine’s Christine,” she told him, as if she had no memory of a minute earlier when she’d been kissing him as if her life depended on it. “I’m going to get Charlie home.” She stood and picked up the sleeping boy. The Weimaraner jumped to attention and stayed close by her side.

Sam felt off balance at her switch in mood but didn’t want to admit it. “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said, keeping the frustration out of his voice. This was a business arrangement, after all, passionate kissing aside. Maybe Julia had the right of it.

She nodded and grabbed the diaper bag, pushing it at Sam. “If you could carry that,” she said, as if she didn’t trust him with his hands free.

The night had cooled at least ten degrees and she shivered as she hurried down the front walk. “Do you want a jacket?” he asked, taking large strides to keep up with her.

“I’m fine.”

While it might be true that Sam hadn’t had any long-term relationships since moving to Brevia, and had stayed out of the dating pool totally for the past few months, his evenings never ended like this.

Usually he was the one who put the brakes on, sexually. More than once, he’d been invited back to a woman’s house—or she’d asked to see his place—on the first date and gotten a clear signal that she’d been eager to take things to the next level. Sam was cautious and tried to not let an evening go there if he thought someone wanted more than he could give.

Never, until tonight, could he remember a woman literally running out of his house when he so badly wanted her to stay.

Julia opened the back door and placed Charlie in his car seat then gave the dog a little tug. The Weim jumped up without a sound, as if he knew enough not to wake the sleeping boy.

Turning, Julia held out her hand for the diaper bag.

“Are we good?” Sam asked.

“Yep,” she said, again not meeting his gaze. “I’ll talk to you in a few days.”

A few days? They were engaged. He told himself it wouldn’t look good to the town, but the truth was he couldn’t wait a few days. Before he could respond, she’d scurried to the driver’s side, climbing in with one last wave and “Thanks” thrown over her shoulder.

Sam was left standing alone at the curb, wondering what had gone so wrong so quickly. He headed back to the house, hoping a cold shower would help him make some sense of things.

Chapter Seven

Julia swiped under her eyes and focused her attention on her mug of lukewarm coffee, unable to make eye contact with her mother or sister.

Lainey paced the length of Vera’s office in the All Creatures Great and Small animal shelter. By contrast, their mother sat stock-still behind her desk.

“That’s the whole story,” Julia finished. “The judge ordered us into mediation and that meeting is tomorrow morning. I don’t think it will do any good. I know what I want and Jeff’s parents know what they want. If we can’t come to an agreement with the mediator, there will be a final hearing where the judge makes a ruling.”

“Is Jeff going to be there?” Vera asked, her tone both soft and razor-sharp.

“I guess so, but it will be better if he isn’t, if it looks like it’s his parents who want this.” Her breath hitched. “The latest document I got from their attorney asks for an every-other-year joint-custody arrangement. There’s an opportunity for it to be amended if Charlie’s well-being is in jeopardy with one of the parties.”

“Every other year?” Lainey stopped pacing. “How can they think of taking him away from you for that long? You should have told us this as soon as you knew, Jules. Maybe we could have done something—”

“What, Lainey?” Julia snapped then sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you. But what could have been done? I hoped if I made it difficult for them, they might give up. The first letter said they wanted full custody and offered a hefty payment for the expenses I’ve already incurred in raising Charlie.”

“They thought you’d sell them your son?” Lainey’s voice was incredulous.

“That’s one way of looking at it. The last Jeff knew, I’d gotten pregnant as a way to keep him. He could have told his parents I didn’t really want to be a mother or wouldn’t be able to handle it on my own.”

“You’re not on your own.” Vera tapped one finger on the desk. “You have us. And Sam.”

Conflicting emotions welled in Julia’s chest again as she thought of Sam. He’d told her to talk to her mom and sister. She knew it was inevitable, so she’d called them both on the way home last night and asked them to meet her at the shelter before work. At the time, it had been a good way to distract herself from Sam and the way he made her feel.

He must have been baffled by her behavior after they’d kissed. Most women he knew could probably handle a simple kiss. Not Julia. Maybe it had been too long since she’d been in a man’s arms. It had taken every ounce of her willpower not to beg him to take her to bed. His touch had rocked her to her core and she’d had to beat a quick retreat so she wouldn’t do or say something she’d later regret.

When he’d proposed the pretend engagement, she’d had no idea how much her emotions would get in the way. She’d had no idea how it would affect her to see Sam cuddling Charlie against his broad chest. How much her body and heart would react to his arms around her. How quickly she’d come to depend on the comfort he gave her and how he made her feel strong by believing in her.

“I’m the one they’re going after,” she told her mom. “And Charlie.” A sob escaped her lips and she clamped her hand over her mouth.

Lainey rushed to her side and Julia let herself be cradled in her sister’s warm embrace. Silence descended over the trio. This was the time Julia would normally make a joke or sarcastic remark about her propensity to ruin her own life. But, right now, she was just struggling to not break down completely.

This was the reason she hadn’t told her family. Their sympathy and the disappointment she felt from them brought back too many memories of the past and the feelings that went with it. Her LD and the shame that went with it had made her put up walls against everyone around her. She’d gotten used to getting by, keeping secrets, not letting on how bad things really were. It was a difficult pattern to break.

From the time she’d been younger, Julia had made an unintentional habit of disappointing the people she loved. She’d let other people’s judgments guide the way she lived her life. The belief that she was lazy and stupid had stopped her from getting help so many times. It was easier not to open up to her family about her emotions. She was too afraid of being exposed as weak and lacking in their eyes.

Even when she’d shown up on her mother’s doorstep, pregnant, broke and alone, she hadn’t cried or offered long explanations or excuses. She just kept moving. Now she felt stuck in quicksand, as though nothing could save her.

Vera’s palm slammed onto the desk. “We won’t let this happen. Have you consulted Frank?”

Julia nodded. Frank Davis had been practicing law in Brevia for as long as she could remember and was a friend of her mother’s. After Sam’s suggestion that she see an attorney, she’d hired him to represent her. “He’s helping with the case.”

Vera nodded. “That’s a good start. You need to talk to Jeff. To understand why he’s doing this now when he had no previous interest in being a dad. Surely you’ll be awarded sole custody. You’re Charlie’s mother and you do a wonderful job with him.”

“I don’t know, Mom. Jeff’s family is arguing that they can give Charlie opportunities he’ll never have with me.”

“A child doesn’t need anything more than a loving family. Let them set up a college trust if they’re so concerned with opportunities.”

“What do you want to see happen?” Lainey asked.

That question had kept Julia up many nights. “I’ll support them having a relationship with Charlie. I’m sure as he gets older he’ll have questions about his father’s family. I want him to be surrounded by all the people who love him.” She paused and took a breath. “I’m afraid he’ll eventually choose them.”

“He won’t,” Lainey said softly.

“You can’t know that. But he needs to live with me now. Full-time. Swapping him back and forth is ludicrous.”

“I’m going to the mediation,” Vera announced.

Julia’s stomach lurched. As much as she appreciated and needed her family’s support, she was afraid it would only make her more nervous to have her mother with her. “That’s not a good idea. I appreciate the offer but I need to handle this on my own.”

Lainey squeezed her shoulder and asked, “Has Jeff contacted you directly or tried to see Charlie?”

Julia shook her head. “No. Neither have his parents, other than when I got messages about discussing the custody arrangement.”

“When did that start?” Vera came around the side of the desk.

“About a month ago. I ignored them until the certified letter arrived last week.”

“Ignoring your problems doesn’t make them go away.”

Funny, it had always worked for Julia in the past. She’d taken the easy way out of every difficult situation that came her way before Charlie. And thanks to the complexity of her difficulties processing both words and numbers, problems seemed to plague her. From bad rental agreements to unfair terms on a car loan, her inability to manage the details of her life took its toll in a variety of ways. Still, nothing had prepared her for this.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

“Come in,” Vera said.

A member of the shelter staff entered, leading in a gray dog. Or more accurately, the gray dog led her. Upon seeing Julia, the animal pulled at the leash, his stubby tail wagging. His lips drew back to expose his teeth.

“That’s quite a greeting,” Lainey said with a laugh.

“Sam thought it was a snarl when the dog first came at him.” Julia bent to pet him. The dog wiggled and tried to put his front paws on her chest. She body blocked him. “Down.”

“What’s the report?” Vera asked the young woman.

“We’ve done his blood work and tested him for heartworm and parasites. Surprisingly, he got a clean bill of health.”

“That’s great.” Julia felt relief wash over her. “Have you had any calls about a lost Weim?”

The young woman shook her head. “Not yet.”

“We’ll do a three-day hold before he moves onto the available-dog list.” Vera dropped to her knees next to Julia. The dog lunged for her, teeth gleaming, but Vera held up a hand and gave a firm “No.” The dog’s rear end hit the carpet, although one corner of his mouth still curled.

Julia met her mother’s gaze. “The smile’s not good for him, is it?”

Vera shrugged. “It depends on the potential adopter, but a lot of people might think the same thing Sam did. We’ll find a place for him. We always do.”

Julia stroked the dog’s silky ear. She’d planned on leaving the Weimaraner at the shelter this morning. “Can I foster him? Until the waiting period is over or someone shows interest. I’ll work on basic training commands to help offset the shock of the smile.”

Vera hesitated. “You’ve got a lot going on right now, honey. Weims aren’t easy dogs. They can have separation anxiety and get destructive.”

Frustration crept across Julia’s neck and shoulders. “You know being in a foster home is better for a dog’s well-being.” She couldn’t believe her mother would insinuate the dog would be better in the shelter than with her.

“Of course,” Vera agreed, as if she realized she’d crossed some imaginary line. “If you’re willing to, it would help him immensely.”

“Have they named him yet?” Julia knew the shelter staff named each animal that came in to make their care more personal.

The young woman shook her head.

“Call him Casper,” Julia said.

“The friendly gray ghost?” Lainey asked, referring to the breed’s well-known nickname.

Julia nodded. “It fits him and will give people a sense of his personality.”

“Perfect,” her mother said then asked the young woman, “They’ve done a temperament test?”

She nodded. “He’s a big sweetie.” The walkie-talkie clipped to her belt hissed. “I’ll finish the paperwork with Julia as the foster.” When Vera nodded, the woman smiled and walked out of the office.

“It’s settled.” Julia was going to make sure this dog found the perfect home. She straightened. “Charlie will be thrilled.”

She turned to her mother. “I need to get Charlie from Ethan and drop him to the sitter before heading to the salon.”

“I’ll take him today,” her mother said, in the same no-argument tone she’d used earlier.

“Really? I’m sure your schedule is packed after your trip.”

“I’d love to.”

Julia gave her mother a quick hug. “Thank you.” She turned to Lainey. “Both of you. It helps to know I’m not alone.”

“You never have been,” Vera told her.

“And never will be,” Lainey added.

* * *

As she gave Charlie a bath later that night, Julia had to admit Sam had been right. Talking about the situation with Lainey and her mother had made her feel more hopeful. She might have flitted from job to job and through a number of cities during her twenties, but now she’d settled in Brevia. She was close to the point where she could make an offer to buy the salon, assuming this custody battle didn’t wipe out her meager savings.

She wrapped Charlie in a fluffy towel, put on a fresh diaper and his pajamas, Casper at her side the whole time. She didn’t mind the company. She’d taken him for a walk with Charlie in the stroller earlier, after the dog had spent the day with her in the salon.

A few of the clients had been shocked at his wide grin, but his affectionate nature had quickly won them over. It also made Julia feel more confident about his chances for adoption.

When the doorbell rang, Casper ran for it and began a steady bark. Carrying Charlie with her, she put a leash on the dog. A part of her hoped Sam was making another unexpected evening call.

Instead, Jeff Johnson stood on the other side of the door. Casper lunged for him but Julia held tight to the leash. She stumbled forward when the shock of seeing her ex-boyfriend combined with the dog’s strength threw her off balance.

“Watch it,” Jeff snapped as he righted her.

Casper smiled.

“What the...? Is that thing dangerous?” Jeff stepped back. “He looks rabid. You shouldn’t have it near the baby. Are you crazy?”

“Casper, sit.” Julia gave the command as she straightened. The dog sat, the skin around his mouth quivering. “Be careful, or I may give the attack command.” She made her voice flip despite the flood of emotions roaring through her.

For a satisfying moment, Jeff looked as if he might make a run for it. Then his own lip curled. “Very funny.”

“Good doggy.” Charlie pointed at the canine.

“He talks,” Jeff said, surprise clear.

“He does a lot of things,” Julia answered, her eyes narrowed. “Not that you’d know or care since you beat a fast escape as soon as you found out I was pregnant.”

Jeff flashed his most disarming smile, a little sheepish with his big chocolate eyes warm behind his square glasses. That exact smile had initially charmed her when he’d come in for a haircut at the salon where she’d worked in Columbus, Ohio.

For several months dating Jeff had been magical for her. He’d taken her to the theater and ballet, using his family’s tickets. They’d gone to poetry readings and talks by famous authors on campus. Some of what she heard was difficult to process, and in a moment of vulnerability, she’d told Jeff about the extent of her learning disabilities. He’d been sympathetic and supportive, taking time over long evenings to read articles and stories to her, discussing them as if her opinion mattered. It was the first time in her life Julia felt valued for her intelligence, and she became committed to making their relationship work at any cost.

Soon she realized what a fool she’d been to think a well-respected professor would be truly interested in someone like her. It was clear that Jeff liked how his friends reacted when he’d shown up at dinner parties with a leggy blonde on his arm. He’d also gotten a lot of use out of the way she’d bent over backward cooking and cleaning to his exacting standards when she’d moved in with him. If she couldn’t be on his level intellectually, she’d fulfill the other roles of a doting girlfriend. She’d wanted to believe that a baby would make him see how good their life together could be. She’d been dead wrong. Once she wasn’t useful to him, he’d thrown her off like yesterday’s news.

“Come on, Julia,” he said softly, his grin holding steady. “Don’t act like you aren’t glad to see me.” She’d been fooled by that smile once and wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

She flashed a smile of her own. “I don’t see anyone throwing a ticker-tape parade. You can turn right around. I’ve got no use for you here.”

“I’m here to see my son,” Jeff said, as any trace of charm vanished.

Charlie met his biological father’s gaze then buried his face in Julia’s shoulder, suddenly shy.

“Why now, Jeff?” She rubbed a hand against Charlie’s back when he began to fidget. “Why all of this now?”

He sighed. “The custody request, you mean.”

Jeff’s IQ was in the genius range, but sometimes he could be purposefully obtuse. “Of course the custody request. Do you know the hell you and your parents have put me through? We’ve barely scratched the surface.”

“Invite me in, Jules,” he said, coaxing, “and we can talk about it. I have an offer that may make this whole mess go away.”

It had felt different when Sam stood at her door waiting to be invited through. Her stomach had danced with awareness and her only doubt had been worrying about her heart’s exhilarated reaction to him. Still, Julia relented. If she had a chance to make this better, she couldn’t refuse it.

Jeff stepped into her apartment but froze when Casper greeted him by sticking his snout into Jeff’s crotch. “Get away, you stupid mutt.” Jeff kicked out his foot, hitting Casper in the ribs. The dog growled.

“Casper, no.” She pulled him back to her side with the leash then leveled a look at Jeff. “Don’t kick my dog.”

“It was going for my balls. What do you expect?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much. As I remember, your mother keeps them on her mantel.”

Jeff gave a humorless laugh. “Always one for the quick retort. I miss that about you.”

“Good doggy. Charlie doggy.” The boy wiggled in her arms and Julia put him on the floor. His chubby finger pulled the leash from her hand and he led the dog toward the kitchen. “Doggy nice.” Casper followed willingly.

“You trust that beast with him?”

“More than I trust you.” Julia folded her arms across her chest. “For the record, there’s nothing I miss about you.”

Jeff’s eyes narrowed. “He’s still my son. Whether you like it or not, I deserve to be a part of his life. There’s no judge in the world who will deny me access.”

“I never wanted to deny you access. I called you after he was born, emailed pictures and never heard one word back. You haven’t answered my question. Why now?”

His gaze shifted to the floor. “Change of heart.”

“You need a heart for it to change. You made it clear you never wanted to be a dad. What’s the real story?” Before he could answer, Charlie led the dog back into the family room. He pulled a blanket off the couch and spread it on the floor. “Mama, doggy bed.” She smiled as her son took a board book from the coffee table and sat on the blanket with Casper, making up words to an imaginary story.

Her gaze caught on Jeff, who yawned and looked around her apartment, obvious distaste written on his face for the kid-friendly decorating style. He didn’t pay a bit of attention to his son. Since she’d opened the door, he’d barely looked at Charlie. It was the first time he’d laid eyes on his own flesh and blood. She realized he couldn’t care less.

Unable to resist testing her theory, she said, “He’s about to go to sleep. Do you want to read him a story? He loves books.”

Jeff held up his palms as if she’d offered him a venomous snake. “No, thanks.”

“I’ve got paperwork that says you want joint custody of my son. You act like you’d rather be dipped in boiling oil than have any interaction with him.”

“I told you. I’ve got a proposition for you.”

“What?”

“Marry me.”

Julia stared at him, disbelief coursing through her. He couldn’t have shocked her more if he’d offered her a million bucks. “Is that a joke? It’s sick and wrong, but it must be a joke.”

“I’m serious, Jules. You’re right—I have no interest in being a father in any sense of the word. Ever. In fact—” he paused and ran his fingers through his hair “—I got a vasectomy.”

“Excuse me?”

“After you, I was determined no woman would try to trap me again.”

“It takes two. I’m sorry, Jeff, that I ever believed we could be a family. I know how wrong I was. But I don’t understand why you’ve changed your mind now?”

“Are you kidding? I love my life. I’ve been on two research expeditions in the past year. I make my own schedule and can teach whatever classes I want. Why would I want to be tied down to a woman or a baby?”

“Then why are you suddenly proposing? Why the custody suit?”

Jeff had the grace to look embarrassed. “My parents found out about my surgery. It made them interested in our kid. You know I’m an only child. They expected me to marry and ‘carry on the family line.’” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. But my dad’s company is a big funder of my grants. If he wants a grandchild, I need to give him one.”

Julia’s gaze strayed to Charlie, who was snuggled against Casper’s back, sucking on his thumb. His eyes drifted closed. She felt a wave of nausea roll through her. “You need to give him one? And you think you’re going to give him mine?”

Jeff shrugged. “Technically, he’s ours. When my parents want something, they don’t stop until they get it.”

“How is anything you’re saying good news for me? Why don’t you get the hell out of my house and out of my son’s life?”

“Not going to happen.”

“When the judge finds out your plan...”

“No one is going to find out. I’m the father. You can’t keep him from me.”

“I want to keep him safe and protected.”

“That’s why you should marry me. Oh, I heard all about your engagement to the cop. He’s not for you. I know you. You want someone who’s going to make you look smart.”

Julia sucked in a breath. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Does he know about your problem?”

When she didn’t answer, Jeff smiled. “I thought so. I’m guessing you don’t want him to. It hasn’t come up in the court proceedings, either, but that can change. Here’s my proposal. Marry me, move to Ohio. My parents’ property is huge. They have a guesthouse where you can live with the boy. All of your expenses will be covered.”

“Why would I agree to that, and what does it have to do with us being married?”

“A marriage will seem more legit to my parents’ precious social circle. They’ll get off my back with someone to shape and mold into their own image.”

“Like they did you?”

“My parents are proud of me.”

“I thought your father wanted you to give up the university and take over his business.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Instead, Charlie and I should spend our lives at their beck and call?”

“They’ll keep fighting until they take him away from you. We all will.”

Her temper about to blow, Julia yanked open the front door. “Get out, Jeff.”

“On second thought, maybe I should read the kid a story. Get to know him before he comes to live with us.”

“Get out!”

Jeff must have read something in her eyes that told him she would die before she let him touch her son tonight. He hesitated then turned for the door.

She slammed it behind him. The noise startled the dog and woke Charlie, who began to cry. She rushed over and cradled him in her arms.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Mama’s here.” Tears streamed down her face as she hugged Charlie close. “No one’s going to take you away from me. No one.” She made the promise as much to herself as to him, wanting to believe the words were true.

Chapter Eight

Julia stepped into the afternoon light and put on her sunglasses, more to hide the unshed tears welling in her eyes than for sun protection.

Frank Davis, her attorney, took her elbow to guide her down the steps of the county courthouse. They’d spent the past two hours in a heated session with Jeff, his parents and their lawyer. She couldn’t believe how much information they’d dug up, from the details of her finances, including the business loan that had yet to be approved, to her credit history. Thanks to a loser boyfriend who’d stolen her bank-account information, her credit was spotty, at best.

They knew all of the dead-end jobs she’d had over the years, including those she’d been fired from or quit without notice, and had a detailed record of her habit of moving from city to city for short periods of time.

They’d brought in statements from one of her ex-boyfriends and a former employer stating she was flighty and irresponsible. Her old boss even said that she’d threatened to set fire to her hair salon. No one mentioned the woman had skimmed Julia’s paycheck without her knowledge for over nine months after she’d discovered Julia’s learning disabilities. Torching the place had been an idle threat, of course, but it hadn’t sounded that way today.

“They made me seem crazy,” she muttered.

Frank clucked softly. “It’s all right, darlin’. A lot of mamas in the South are a bit touched. No one around here’s gonna hold that against you.” He checked his watch. “I got a tee time with some of the boys at one. Give me a call tomorrow and we’ll plan our next move.” He leaned in and planted a fatherly kiss on her cheek, then moved toward his vintage Cadillac parked at the curb.

Frank had known her since she’d been in diapers. He’d been one of her father’s fraternity brothers in college. Not for the first time, she questioned the wisdom of hiring him to represent her. It was no secret Frank was close to retirement, and from what Julia could tell, he spent more time on the golf course and fishing with his friends than in his office or working on cases.

Lexi Preston might look like a pussycat, but she was an absolute shark. From her guilty expression every time they made eye contact, Julia knew Lexi was the one who’d researched her so thoroughly. Julia would have admired her skills if they hadn’t been directed at her.

She glanced toward the courthouse entrance. Jeff and his parents could come out at any minute and she didn’t want them to see her alone and on the verge of a breakdown. She wished now that she’d let her mother or Lainey come with her today.

She turned to make her way to her car and came face-to-face with Sam.

“Hey,” he said softly and drew the sunglasses off her nose, his eyes studying hers as if he could read what she was thinking. “How did things go today?”

“I told you not to come,” she said on a shaky breath.

“I don’t take direction well.” He folded her glasses and pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay, honey. Whatever happened, we can make it better.”

She tried to pull away but he didn’t let her go. After a moment, she sagged against him, burying her face in the fabric of his uniform shirt.

As his palm drew circles on her back, her tears flowed freely. She gulped in ragged breaths. “So awful,” she said around sobs. “They made me seem so awful.”

“I don’t believe that,” he said against her ear. “Anyone who knows you knows you’re a fantastic mother.”

“What if they take him from me?”

“We’re not going to let that happen. Not a snowball’s chance.”

Julia wiped her eyes. “They’re going to come out any minute. Jeff can’t see me like this.”

“My truck’s right here.” Sam looped one arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the courthouse steps. He opened the passenger door of his truck then came around and climbed in himself. He started the engine but didn’t make a move to drive off.

Julia kept her face covered with her hands and worked to control her breathing.

“Is that him?” Sam asked after a minute.

Julia peeked through her fingers as Jeff, his parents and the attorney walked out of the courthouse. Shading his eyes with one hand, Jeff scanned the area.

“He’s looking for me so he can gloat.” Julia sank down lower in the seat. “Jerk,” she mumbled.

The group came down the steps.

“They’re heading right for us.”

“Sit up,” Sam ordered, and she immediately straightened. “Smile and lean over to kiss me when they come by.”

The urge to duck was huge, but Julia made her mouth turn up at the ends. “Here goes,” she whispered as Jeff led the group closer, his father clapping him hard on the back. She waited until he noticed her through the windshield then leaned over and cupped Sam’s jaw between her hands. She gave him a gentle kiss and pressed her forehead against his.

“That a girl,” he told her. “Don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you upset.”

“I can do this,” she said, and Sam kissed her again.

“They’ve passed.”

Julia stayed pressed against him for another moment before moving away. She leaned against the seat back in order to see out the side-view mirror. Jeff and his parents headed away, but Lexi trailed behind the group, looking over her shoulder every few steps.

“This isn’t going to work.”

“Yes, it is.”

She shook her head. “I told you before, I made a lot of stupid decisions in my life. It’s like they’ve uncovered every single one of them to use against me.”

“Did you kill someone?”

Her head whipped toward him. “Of course not.”

“Armed robbery?”

“No.”

“Do you know how many people I meet in the course of my job who do bad things every day? Their kids are rarely taken away.”

“Maybe they should be,” she suggested, too unsettled to be comforted. “Maybe if they had people with buckets of money and tons of power going after them, they’d lose their babies.”

He wrapped his fingers around hers. “You aren’t going to lose Charlie. Stop thinking like that.”

“You don’t know, Sam. You weren’t in that room.”

“A mistake I don’t intend to repeat. I should have been there with you. For you.”

The tenderness in his voice touched a place deep within her: an intimate, open well of emotion she’d locked the lid to many years ago. She wanted to believe in him, to trust that he could protect her the way she’d never been willing to protect herself or even believed she deserved. The part of her who’d been hurt too many times in the past wanted to run.

She excelled at running away. She’d practically perfected it as an art.

That was what she’d been thinking in the courthouse. People disappeared all the time with no trace. She’d wanted to slip out of that room, gather up Charlie and whatever would fit in her trunk and drive away from the threat looming over her. She could cut hair anywhere. Why not start over in a place where no one knew her or her insecurities or all the ways she didn’t measure up? She had friends around the country who’d help her if she asked.

The weight of trying to make a new life in a place that was as familiar to her as a worn blanket seemed too heavy. Of course trouble had followed her to Brevia. This was where it had started in the first place.

Sam’s faith had made her feel as though things could work out, the same way Charlie’s birth had renewed her hope in herself and her desire to really try.

What was the use? This morning was a cold, harsh dose of reality and she didn’t like it.

“Stop it,” he said quietly. “Whatever’s going through your mind right now, put it out. It’s not going to do you or Charlie any good for you to give up.”

Because she couldn’t help it, she met his gaze again. “I’m scared, Sam.” A miserable groan escaped her lips. “I’m terrified they’re going to take my baby and I won’t be able to stop them.”

“We’re going to stop them.” He took her hand. “What did Frank say?”

“That all Southern women were crazy, so it wouldn’t be an issue, and he needed to make his tee time and we’d talk tomorrow.”

“Tell me what happened in there.”

“I can’t.” She bit her lip again and tasted blood on her tongue. “I put my mistakes behind me. Or I thought I did. Their attorney knew things about my past I hadn’t even told Jeff. They went after my character and I had nothing to offer in my defense. Nothing as bad as me killing someone, although the urge to wipe the smug smile off of Maria Johnson’s face was almost overwhelming. They made me seem unstable and irresponsible. Two things I can’t afford if I’m going to keep sole custody of Charlie.”

“Then we’ll come up with something.”

“This isn’t your problem, Sam.”

“Hell, yes, it’s my problem. You’re my fiancée.”

The lunacy of that statement actually made her laugh. “Your fake fiancée. Not the same thing.”

“For the purposes of your custody case it is. You’re not alone, Julia. We both get something out of this arrangement. My dad has talked about heading back home before the wedding. That’s huge for me. Dinner was a big success. It’s my turn to repay you.”

Sam knew there was more to his interest in her case than wanting to repay her. Yes, his dad had backed off, but it was more than that. Sam cared about Julia and Charlie, about keeping them safe. No one should be able to make her feel this bad about herself. He also knew it was dangerous territory for him. He’d let his heart lead him before, with disastrous results.

His father might be the king of emotional diarrhea these days, but Sam remembered clearly the months after his mother’s death. He’d fixed lunches for his little brother, made sure they both had baths at night and taken money out of his dad’s wallet to buy groceries on his way home from school. He’d walked a mile out of his way once a week so no one at the local grocery would recognize him and be concerned. When he wasn’t at work, his father had sat in the darkened living room, paging through photo albums, a glass of amber-colored liquid in his hand.

That was what loving someone too much could do to a man. Sam had learned early on he wasn’t going to make that mistake. When he’d caught his brother, Scott, with his ex-fiancée, he’d been angry and embarrassed, but mainly numb.

When he’d broken off the engagement, Jenny had told him the entire situation was his fault. He’d been too cold and distant. She wanted to be with a man who could feel passion. She’d thought seeing her with someone else would awaken Sam’s passion. Talk about crazy, and she wasn’t even Southern.

He’d known he didn’t have any more to give her or any woman. Even though his pattern of dating hadn’t been deliberate, the look a woman sometimes got in her eye after a couple of dates scared him. The look said “I want something more.” She wanted to talk about her feelings. Sam felt sick thinking about it.

As far as he was concerned, a pretend engagement suited him fine. He cared about Julia and he wanted to help her, but their arrangement was clear. He didn’t have to give more of himself than he was able to, and she wasn’t going to expect anything else.

“Jeff asked me to marry him,” she said, breaking his reverie.

“During the mediation?” he asked, sure he must have heard her wrong.

She shook her head. “Last night. He came to my apartment.”

Sam felt his blood pressure skyrocket. “You let him in? What were you thinking?” Especially since Sam had practically had to hold himself back from making the short drive to her apartment. He’d had a long day at work, and as he was pulling into his driveway, he’d realized how much he didn’t want to be alone in his quiet house. He’d resisted the urge, telling himself that he shouldn’t get too attached to Julia or her son. They had boundaries and he was a stickler for the rules. Now to find out that her creep of an ex-boyfriend had been there?

“He came crawling back.” Sam kept his tone casual. Inside, his emotions were in turmoil. This was the guy she’d wanted to marry so badly. What if she still carried a torch for him? He’d obviously been an idiot to let her go once. If he came back now, trying to rekindle a romance and wanting to be a real family, would Julia consider taking him back? That thought hit Sam straight in the gut. “What did you say?”

She studied him for a moment. “He didn’t quite come crawling. More like trumpeting his own horn. He told me the reason they’re coming after Charlie is because his parents want an heir to the family business.”

“They’ve got a son. Let him take over.”

“Not his deal, and Jeff isn’t going to have other children. He’s made sure of that. Although it’s crazy to think they could start grooming a mere toddler. No wonder Jeff has so many issues. If only I’d been smart enough to see it when we were together. You know what the strange part of this is? No one in Jeff’s family has tried to get to know Charlie. It’s like they want him on paper but they don’t care about having a grandson. I want him to know their family if they have a real interest in him. But I saw how Jeff suffered from being a pawn in his parents’ power games. I can’t let the same thing happen to Charlie.”

He held her hand, his brilliant blue eyes warm with emotion. “Your son needs you. He needs you to fight for him.”

She nodded and wiped at her nose.

“What you need is a plan of defense. You flaked on some jobs. It happens.”

“There’s a reason,” she mumbled, almost reluctantly.

“A reason that will explain it away?”

She shrugged and shook free from his hand, adjusting the vents to the air-conditioning as a way to keep her fingers occupied. “I have severe learning disabilities.”

When he didn’t respond she continued, “I’ve been keeping it a secret since I was a kid. It’s a neurobiological disorder, both visual and auditory. Only my family and a few teachers knew, and I kept it from them for as long as I could. Everyone else assumed I was lazy or didn’t care.”

“Why would you hide that?”

“You have no idea what it’s like, how much shame and embarrassment is involved. To people who’ve never dealt with it, it seems cut-and-dried. It’s not.” Her hands clenched into fists as she struggled with her next words. “I’m a good mimic and my bad attitude served me well as a way to keep everyone from digging too much. I got by okay, but I can barely read. Numbers on a page are a puzzle.”

“All those books on your shelf...”

“I’m nothing if not determined. I’ll get through them someday. Right now, I’m working with a literacy specialist. They have a lot of methods that weren’t available when I was in school. But it never gets easier. For years, I tried so hard in school but people thought I was a total slacker. Ditzy blonde cheerleader with no brain. A lot of the time that’s how it felt. Once I was out on my own, I hid it as best I could. People can take advantage of me pretty easily when it comes to contracts or finances. And that’s what happened. A number of times. It always seemed easier to just move on rather than to fight them.”

“Every time someone got wind of it, you left.”

She nodded. “It was cowardly but I don’t want to be treated like I’m stupid. Although, looking back, I acted pretty dumb most of the time. Especially when it came to boyfriends. I trusted Jeff. He never let me forget it.”

“That you had a learning disability?”

“That I’m just a pretty face. The blond hair and long legs. When I told him I was pregnant, he told me that once my looks faded I wouldn’t have anything left to offer.”

“He’s a real piece of work.” Sam couldn’t believe how angry he was. At her idiot ex-boyfriend and all the others who took advantage of her. But also with Julia. Watching her, Sam could tell she believed the garbage people had fed her over the years. He threw the truck into gear, not wanting to lose his temper. “Where’s your car?”

“Around the corner.” She pointed then shifted in her seat. “Thanks for coming today, Sam. I was a mess after the mediation. You helped.”

“I could have helped more if you’d let me be in there with you.” He pulled out from the curb and turned onto the next street. Her car was parked a few spaces down.

“Maybe next time,” she said quietly. She reached for the door handle but he took her arm.

“You have a lot more to offer than looks. Any guy who can’t see that is either blind or an enormous jackass.” He kept his gaze out the front window, afraid of giving away too much if he looked at her.

“Thanks.”

He heard the catch in her voice and released her. After she’d shut the door, he rolled down the window. “The Mardi Gras Carnival is tonight. I’ll pick you and Charlie up at five.”

“I’m beat. I wasn’t planning on going.”

“I’ll pick you up at five. You need to take your mind off this, and it’s a good place for us to be seen together.”

Her chest rose and fell. “Fine. We’ll be ready.”

After she’d gotten into her car, Sam pulled away. Although the air was hot for mid-March, he shut the windows. Julia’s scent hovered in the truck’s cab. Sam wanted to keep it with him as long as he could.

He’d meant what he said about taking her mind off today. As police chief, he was obligated to make an appearance at town events, but he looked forward to tonight knowing he’d have Julia and Charlie with him.

Chapter Nine

Julia dabbed on a bit of lip gloss just as the doorbell rang. She picked up Charlie, who was petting Casper through the wire crate.

“Let’s go.”

“’Bye, doggy.”

Casper whined softly.

“We’ll be back soon,” Julia told him. The doorbell rang again. “Coming,” she called.

She grabbed the diaper bag off the table and opened the front door, adjusting her short, flowing minidress as she did.

“We’re ready.”

“Sammy,” Charlie said, bouncing up and down in her arms.

“Hey, bud.” Sam held out his hands and Charlie dived forward.

Julia worried for a moment about Charlie bonding so quickly with Sam. In a way it worked to their advantage, at least as their pretend engagement went. But she had concerns about Charlie’s clear affection for Sam. She didn’t want her son to be hurt once their time together ended.

“You don’t have to take him.”

“My pleasure.” Sam looked her over from head to toe then whistled softly. “You look amazing.”

Julia felt a blush creep up her cheeks. “You, too.”

It was true. Tonight he wore a light polo shirt and dark blue jeans. His hair was still longer and her fingers pulsed as she thought about running them through the ends. He hadn’t shaved, and the dusting of short whiskers along his jaw made him look wilder than he normally did as police chief.

It excited her more than she cared to admit. She hadn’t been on a real date in over two years. This wasn’t real, she reminded herself. This was showing off for the town, convincing people their relationship was genuine.

Not that being in this relationship had helped her earlier. She’d barely said two words in her own defense as the Johnsons’ attorney had put forward more and more information about her deficiencies as a person and how they might be detrimental to raising her son.

The mediator, an older woman who was all business, hadn’t said much, nodding as she took in everything and occasionally looking over her glasses to stare at Julia.

Sam was right. She needed to get her mind off the custody case. So what if this night wasn’t a real date and Sam wasn’t her real boyfriend? It wouldn’t stop her from enjoying herself.

Because of Charlie’s car seat, she drove. Once they were close to the high school, she could see the line of cars. Half the town was at the carnival. She knew Lainey and Ethan would be there along with her mother.

“Is your dad coming tonight?” she asked, a thought suddenly blasting across her mind.

Sam nodded. “I told him we’ll meet him.”

“My mom is, too.”

Sam made a choking sound. “Okay, good. They can get to know each other. It’ll be great.”

“That’s one word for it.”

“Does your mom believe the engagement? I haven’t seen her since she walked in on us.”

“I think so.” Julia slowed to turn into the lower parking lot. “It’s not the first time she’s seen me be impulsive.”

Sam shook his head as she turned off the ignition. “You never give yourself a break.”

“Why do I deserve one?” She paused then said, “It’s fine. I’m repairing my reputation with my family. It’s a long progress, but I’m getting there. What makes you ask about my mom?”

“I saw Ethan downtown yesterday and he gave me the third degree about my intentions toward you.”

“Ethan?”

“His big-brother routine was going strong. Told me how special you are and that if I hurt you or Charlie I’d have him to answer to.”

“I don’t know why he’d care. He went through hell because of me, although it’s ancient history now.”

“There you go again with the self-flagellation. We’re going to need to work on that.”

“Whatever you say.” She got out of the car and picked up Charlie from his car seat. As she turned, she took in her old high school. It looked the same as it had almost fifteen years ago.

She filled her lungs with the cool night air. This was her favorite time of year in the North Carolina mountains. It smelled fresh and clean, the scent of spring reminding her of new beginnings. Coming off of the cold, wet winter, the change of seasons gave her hope.

Just like Sam.

Julia knew hope was dangerous. She was a sucker for believing in things that would never come to pass. She’d been like that in high school, too—wanting to believe she’d be able to keep up. Or, at least, admit how deeply her problem ran.

For some reason, that never seemed an option. Sam could say what he wanted about her learning disabilities being beyond her control. She knew it was true. But by high school, when elementary-age kids read more clearly than she could, it felt like stupidity.

None of her teachers had understood what was going on in her head. She’d never truly opened up to anyone about how bad it was. It had been easier to act as though she didn’t care, to limp through school with a lot of blustering attitude and paying smarter kids to write her papers.

Charlie tapped her on the cheek. “Hi, Mama.”

She shook off the memories. Sam stood next to her, watching with his too-knowing eyes.

“I’m guessing you haven’t been back here for a while?”

“Not since graduation.” She adjusted Charlie and headed for the gymnasium entrance. “Remind me again why we’re here.”

Sam put his hand on the small of her back, the gentle touch oddly comforting. “The annual Kiwanis carnival not only celebrates Fat Tuesday but raises a lot of money each year for local kids. It’s a great event for the town.”

“Spoken like a true pillar of the community.” She gave an involuntary shiver. “Which I’m not and never will be.”

“You never know. Either way, I promise you’ll have fun. Greasy food, games, dancing.”

Since she’d been back, she hadn’t attended any town events. It was one thing to reconnect with people she’d known within the relative safety of the salon. No one was going to rehash old resentments while she wielded scissors. Here she was out of her element and not confident about the reception she’d get from the girls she once knew. Especially since she’d taken Brevia’s most eligible bachelor off the market.

A memory niggled at the back of her mind. “Didn’t you do a kissing booth last year or something like that?”

Sam’s confident stride faltered. “They auctioned off dates with a couple local guys.”

She flashed him a smile. “How much did you go for, Chief?”

In the fading light, she saw a distinct trail of red creep up his neck. “I don’t remember.”

“Liar.” She stood in one spot until he turned to look at her. “Tell me.”

“A thousand,” he mumbled.

“Dollars?” She gasped. “Who in the world paid that much money for you?” When he leveled a look at her, she added, “Not that I don’t think you’re worth it. But not a lot of people around here have that kind of cash.”

“It was for a good cause” was his only answer.

Another thought struck. “Unless...it was Ida Garvey!”

He turned and she trotted to catch up with him, Charlie bouncing on her hip. “Let me take him.” Sam slid his arms around Charlie and scooped him up.

“It was Ida, wasn’t it? She’s the only one around here rich enough to pay that amount.”

He gave a reluctant nod. “I got the most money.”

“What kind of date did you take her on?”

“Would you believe I escorted her to her fiftieth high-school reunion over in Asheville? She had me wait on her hand and foot. Kept calling me her ‘boy toy’ in front of her old friends.” He shook his head. “I swear my butt had bruises from being pinched so often.”

Julia laughed harder than she had in ages. “You really are a hero, you know?”

“It’s not funny.”

“Yes, it is.” She looked at him and saw humor shining in his eyes, as well. Then she noticed they were at the gym entrance, light spilling out into the darkening night. She studied Sam for another moment, wondering if he’d told her that story to ease her nerves.

He really was a good guy, she thought. He should be with someone like him—a woman who was smart and sweet.

Someone nothing like her.

He smoothed the skin between her eyebrows. “Stop frowning,” he said gently. “We’re going to have fun.”

He dropped his hand, intertwined his fingers with hers and led her into the gymnasium. He greeted the two women working the ticket counter, neither of whom Julia recognized. Sam made introductions, and both women gave her a genuine smile and shook her hand, offering congratulations on their engagement. She flashed her ring but noticed Sam stiffen when one of the ladies complimented him on it.

Charlie became suddenly shy and buried his face in the crook of Sam’s neck, something Julia would have loved to do, as well.

“Come on, buddy,” Sam coaxed. “Let’s find some cotton candy.”

“I don’t think so,” Julia said. “He hasn’t had dinner yet.”

Charlie gave Sam a wide grin. “Can-ee.”

“We’ll get a hot dog first,” Sam promised her and moved into the crowd.

“Kids can always count on their dad for a good time,” one of the women said with a laugh.

“While Mom cleans up the sick stomach,” the other added.

“He’s not...” Julia began, wanting to explain that Sam wasn’t her son’s father. Then she realized they already knew that, although Sam was certainly acting like the doting dad.

“He’s quite a catch.” The blonder of the two women winked at her.

Julia’s stomach flipped because she knew how right the woman’s statement was. “I’d better stick with them,” she said and hurried after the two, emotions already at war in her mind and heart.

“Julia!” Lainey’s voice carried over the crowd, and a moment later, she was surrounded by her sister, Ethan and their mother. Lainey gave her a long hug. “Sam said today was rough. Are you feeling any better?”

“I knew I should have come with you.” Vera shook her head. “I’d like to get ahold of that family and talk some sense into them.”

“When did you see Sam?” The thought of Sam giving information about her to her family made her more than a little uncomfortable.

“I ran into him downtown,” Lainey said. “What’s the big deal?”

“He shouldn’t have said anything.”

“He’s going to be your husband,” Vera corrected. “He has a right to worry.”

“We all do,” Lainey echoed. “Jules, you’ve got to let us help you. You’re not alone.”

“Where’s the little man?” Ethan asked, his internal radar about conflict between the three Morgan women practically glowing bright red through his T-shirt.

“Right here,” Sam answered, balancing a huge cotton candy and a paper plate with hot-dog chunks and small pieces of watermelon on it.

Charlie reached for a piece of fruit and babbled a few nonsense words.

“You cut up the hot dog,” Julia said, stunned.

Sam’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought you were supposed to cut up round food when kids are little.”

“You are.” Julia felt ridiculous that something so minor had such an effect on her emotions. “I didn’t realize you’d know it.”

“Don’t be silly.” Vera reached for Charlie and snuggled him against her. “He’s spent enough time around you and Charlie to realize that.”

Julia saw Lainey studying her, a thoughtful expression on her face. “That’s right. Isn’t it, Jules?”

Julia nodded and stepped next to Sam, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “Of course. Thanks, hon.”

Lainey’s features relaxed and Julia blew out a quiet breath of relief.

“There’s my favorite son and future daughter-in-law.” So much for her short-lived relief. Julia heard Sam groan.

She turned and was enveloped in one of Joe Callahan’s bear hugs. He moved from her to Sam. “Look at you, Sammy. Surrounded by friends with the woman you love at your side.” His meaty hands clasped either side of Sam’s jaw. “I’m so proud of you, son. You’re not a loner anymore. I thought my mistakes had cost you a chance at a real life. But you’re making it happen.”

“Dad, enough.” Sam pulled Joe’s hands away. “Not the time or the place.”

“There’s always time to say ‘I love you.’”

Sam met Julia’s gaze over his father’s shoulders. His eyes screamed “help me,” and as fascinating as everyone seemed to find the father-son interaction, she intervened.

“Joe, I’d like you to meet my family.”

He turned, his smile a mile wide.

“This is my sister, Lainey, and her husband, Ethan Daniels.”

Joe pumped their hands enthusiastically. “Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Joe Callahan.”

“Are you in town for long, Mr. Callahan?” Lainey asked.

“As long as it takes,” Joe said with a wink at Sam.

A muscle in Sam’s jaw ticked and his eyes drifted shut as he muttered to himself. They flew open a moment later when Ethan added, “You, Sammy and I should do some fishing once the weather warms up.”

“Don’t call me Sammy.”

“I’d love to.”

Vera cleared her throat.

“Sorry. This is my mother, Vera Morgan. And you’ve met Charlie.”

Joe’s eyes widened as he looked at Vera. “Well, I certainly see where you two girls get your beauty. Ms. Morgan, you are a sight to behold.”

Vera held out her hand like the Southern belle she’d once been. Joe bent over her fingers and kissed them lightly. “Why, Mr. Callahan,” she said, her accent getting thicker with every syllable. “You are a silver-tongued devil, I believe.”

“Shoot me now,” Sam muttered.

Julia’s eyes rolled. She was used to this routine with her mother. Vera had been a devoted wife to her late husband, but since his death, she’d reinvented herself not only as an animal-rescue expert but as a woman with a long list of admirers. Unlike Julia, her mother always made sure the men with whom she was acquainted treated her like a lady, fawning around her until Vera moved on to the next one in line.

“Here she goes,” Lainey whispered, as Vera tucked her chin and fluttered her eyelashes. Charlie watched the two for a moment then reached for Sam.

“Can-ee,” the boy demanded, and Joe took the cotton candy from Sam.

“Come here, Charlie,” Joe said and lifted him from Vera’s arms. At this rate, Charlie would be held by more people than the Stanley Cup.

“Why don’t I take him,” Julia suggested.

“Joe and I will take him to the carnival games,” Vera said.

“That’s right,” Joe told them with a wink. “You young folks can head to the dance floor or grab a drink.”

Before she could argue, Joe and Vera disappeared into the sea of people, Charlie waving over Joe’s shoulder.

“I’m up for a beer.” Ethan looked at Sam. “How about you, Sammy boy?”

“Don’t go there,” Sam warned.

“Stop—you’re going to make me cry.” Ethan laughed until Lainey socked him in the gut. “Hey,” he said on a cough.

“I thought Sam’s dad was sweet.” Lainey grinned at Sam. “He obviously loves you.” Her gaze switched to Julia. “You and Charlie, too. Mom’s going to eat him up with a spoon.”

“A terrifying thought.” Julia’d known this night was a bad idea.

“Come on,” Lainey said to all three of them. “Let’s get something to eat. They had a pasta booth in the corner.”

Ethan wrapped one long arm around Lainey and kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, like a double date.”

Julia couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing. “This is going to be great. We’ll be besties.” Who would have thought that she’d be double-dating with her first boyfriend and her sister? It was too crazy to imagine.

She looked at Sam, expecting him to be laughing right along with her. Instead, his brows were drawn low over his vivid blue eyes.

“Fine by me.” He took her hand to follow Lainey and Ethan toward the back of the gym.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered, pulling him to slow down so they were out of hearing range. “Is it my mom and Joe? She’s harmless, I promise. Her former admirers still adore her. Whatever happens, she won’t hurt your dad.”

Sam’s arm was solid as a rock as his muscles tensed. “Does it seem strange to be so chummy with your ex-boyfriend?”

Julia thought about Jeff, then realized that was not who Sam meant. “Ethan’s married to my sister. We’ve been over more than a decade. He’s so much like my brother, I barely remember he’s seen me naked.”

Sam stopped on a dime, causing her to bump into the length of him. “Is that a joke?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I thought it was funny.”

“It’s not.”

“Come on, Sam. You see how he looks at Lainey. He never once looked at me in that way. He’s different with her, and I couldn’t be happier. For both of them. It’s old news, even around Brevia. That’s an accomplishment, given how gossip takes on a life of its own in this town.” She flashed him a sassy grin. “Chief Callahan, is it possible you’re jealous?”

“I don’t want to look like a fool. I’ve been down the road of public humiliation and the scenery sucks. Why would I be jealous? You said yourself Ethan’s like your brother.”

Julia studied him then placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “I’d never do something to make you look like a fool. Scout’s honor.”

“I can’t imagine you as a Girl Scout.” Sam forced his lips to curve into a smile, wondering at his odd reaction. He wasn’t the jealous type, and he knew how happy Ethan and Lainey were together. “Let’s find them.” He took Julia’s hand again.

A number of people waved or stopped to say hello as they made their way through the crowd. At first, Julia tensed at every new greeting. Eventually he felt her relax, but she never loosened her death grip on his hand. He wanted to protect her, he realized, and also to show her she could belong to this community again. The people of Brevia had welcomed him, and if Julia gave them a chance, he was sure they’d accept her.

They caught up with Ethan and Lainey and grabbed a table near the makeshift dance floor. The sisters bantered back and forth, making Sam wish for a better relationship with his own brother.

Even before Scott had cheated with Sam’s fiancée, they hadn’t been close. Sam had been the responsible brother, stoic and toeing the line, while Scott had been wild, always getting into trouble and constantly resenting his older brother’s interference in his life.

“How are things around town these days?” Ethan asked as he set a second beer on the table next to Sam.

“Quiet for a change.” Sam took another bite of pasta then swallowed hard as Julia tilted back her head to laugh at something Lainey said. The column of her neck was smooth and long. He ached to trail a line of kisses across her skin.

He pushed away the beer, realizing he was going to need his wits about him to remain in control tonight.

“Were you involved in the drug bust over in Tellet County a few nights back?”

Julia stopped midsentence as her eyes snapped to his. “What drug bust? Sounds dangerous. Why didn’t I hear about a drug bust?”

Sam threw Ethan what he hoped was a shut your mouth look.

“Sorry, man,” Ethan said quickly. “Hey, Lainey, let’s hit the dance floor.”

Lainey popped out of her chair. “Love to.”

“Cowards,” Julia muttered as she watched them go. She turned her angry gaze back to Sam. “You were saying?”

“A meth lab outside the county lines,” he told her. It had been a long time since anyone had cared about what he was doing and whether it was dangerous or not. “It’s been kept quiet so far because the sheriff thinks it’s part of a bigger tristate operation. We want to see if we can flush out a couple of the bigger fish.”

She tapped one finger on the table. “I don’t like you being involved in something like that.”

“It’s my job, Julia.”

“I need to know about these things. I bet Abby Brighton knew where you were during the drug bust.”

“She’s my secretary. Of course she knew.”

“We’re engaged.”

“Is that so?”

To his great amusement, she squirmed in her chair. “As far as everyone around here thinks. I need to be kept informed.”

“Why?”

“To know whether I should worry.”

“One more reason I wouldn’t be a good bet in a real relationship. Ask my ex. I don’t like to report in. I don’t like anyone worried about me.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “My job is dangerous almost every day. I deal with it, but I don’t expect you or anyone else to.”

“No one’s allowed to care about you?” Her eyes flashed, temper lighting them.

“I don’t need anyone to care.”

“The Lone Ranger rides again.” Julia pushed away from the table. He grabbed her wrist so she couldn’t escape.

“Why are you mad? This doesn’t have anything to do with you. We have a business arrangement. That’s what we both wanted. It’s not going to help either of us to be emotionally involved with the other one’s life.”

“Some of us care, whether we want to or not.”

Her eyes shone and his heart leaped in his chest. He pulled her tight against him, aware they were gathering stares from people standing nearby. “Thank you for caring. I’m not used to it, but it means a lot.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry I’m bad at this. Even for pretend.”

“You’re not so bad,” she whispered.

“Do you want to dance?”

“Do you?”

He grinned at her. “Hell, no. But I can make it work.”

“Give me a minute. I need to catch up with my mom and Joe, make sure Charlie’s okay.”

He studied her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re avoiding me right now.”

She shook her head. “I want to find Charlie.”

“They headed back toward the game booths. I’m going to say hi to the mayor and I’ll meet you over there.”

The gym was full, and without Sam at her side, Julia got a little panicked by the crowd.

She moved toward the far end of the gymnasium where the carnival booths were set up, then veered off quickly when she saw two women from her high-school class standing together near one of the attractions. One was Annabeth Sullivan, whom Julia felt friendlier toward after their conversation at the salon. The other was Lucy Peterson, their graduating class’s valedictorian. Julia had always been uncomfortable around her. She’d made it clear during high school that Lucy was persona non grata and knew the slightly chubby teen had suffered because of it.

Lucy had gotten her revenge, though. Because of her work in the school office and her access to the files, she’d found out about Julia’s learning disabilities. She hadn’t told anyone outright, but had spread the rumor that Julia had only graduated because she’d slept with one of her teachers and he’d fixed her grade.

She’d told Julia that if she denied it, Lucy would tell people the real reason she had so much trouble in school. Having a reputation as a slut hadn’t been half as bad as the school knowing about her LD.

She ducked out a door and into the cool night air, walking toward the football field situated next to the main building. Two streetlights glowed in the darkness as her eyes scanned the shadowy length of the field.

She’d spent so much time here in high school. If she’d been queen of her class, this was her royal court. She’d felt confident on the field in her cheerleading uniform or on the sidelines cheering for Ethan. She’d hated falling back on her looks, but the insecure girl who had nothing else to offer had exploited her one gift as best she could.

Now she breathed in the cool night air and closed her eyes, remembering the familiar smells and sounds.

Her memories here were a long time gone. She was no longer a scared teenager. She had Charlie to protect. She’d made mistakes and was trying her damnedest to make amends for them. There was no way of moving forward without finally confronting her past, once and for all.

Chapter Ten

She took another breath and headed toward the school, determined to hold her head high. She had as much right to return to her high school as anyone.

Once inside, she stopped at the girls’ bathroom to sprinkle cold water on her face. When a stall opened and Lucy Peterson stepped out, Julia wondered if she’d actually conjured her.

“Hi, Lucy.” The other woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

Lucy hadn’t changed much since high school. She was still short and full figured, her chest heaving as she adjusted the wire-rimmed glasses on her face.

“Hello, Julia. I didn’t expect to see you here. I’m in town for the weekend for my parents’ anniversary. Normally I wouldn’t be caught dead back in this high school. I live in Chicago. I’m a doctor.” Lucy paused for a breath. “I’m babbling.”

“What kind of doctor?” Julia asked.

“Molecular biologist.”

Julia nodded. Figured. Julia knew better than to compare herself to a genius like Lucy. “That’s great.”

The two women stared at each other for several long moments. At the same time they blurted, “I’m sorry.”

Relief mixed with a healthy dose of confusion made Julia’s shoulders sag. “I’m the one who should apologize. I know I was horrible in high school. You were on the top of my list. Not that it matters, but you should know I was jealous of you.”

Lucy looked doubtful. “Of me? You were the homecoming queen, prom queen, head cheerleader, and you dated the football captain. I was nobody.”

“You were smart.”

“I shouldn’t have spread that rumor about you.” Lucy fiddled with the ring on her left finger. “You weren’t a slut.”

“There are worse things you could have said about me.”

“You weren’t stupid, either.”

Julia made her voice light. “The grade record would beg to differ.”

“I read your file,” Lucy said slowly. “It was wrong, but I know you had significant learning disabilities, which means...”

“It means there’s something wrong with my brain,” Julia finished. “Stupid is a much clearer description of my basic problem.”

“You must have been pretty clever to have hid it all those years. I’m guessing you still are.”

“I cut hair for a living. It’s not nuclear science. Or molecular biology.”

“That’s right. My mom told me you’d taken over the Hairhouse.”

“I’m working on it. The loan still needs to go through.”

“Are you going to keep the name?”

Julia relaxed a little as she smiled. “I don’t think so. ‘The Best Little Hairhouse in Brevia’ is quite a mouthful.”

Lucy returned the smile then pulled at the ends of her hair. “I’m in town until Tuesday. Could you fit me in?”

“You don’t hate me?”

Lucy shook her head. “In high school, I thought I was the only one who was miserable. Once I got away from Brevia, I realized lots of kids had problems. We were all just too narcissistic to see it in each other. Some people can’t let go of the past. I’ve moved on, Julia. I’m happy in Chicago. I have a great career and a fantastic husband. I don’t even mind visiting my mom a couple times a year, although I avoid the old crowd. I know in my heart they can’t hurt me because their opinions don’t matter. I don’t hate you. You probably did me a favor. You made me determined to escape. Now I can come back on my own terms.”

“I’m glad for you, Lucy.” Julia checked her mental calendar. She’d trained herself to keep her schedule in her head so she didn’t have to rely on a planner or smartphone. “How about eleven on Monday?”

Lucy nodded. “Maybe we could grab lunch after. I may not care too much about certain ladies’ opinions but I wouldn’t mind seeing their faces if we showed up at Carl’s.”

“I’d love that.”

“I’ll see you Monday.” With a quick, awkward hug, Lucy hurried out the door.

Julia studied herself in the hazy mirror above the row of bathroom sinks. She felt lighter than she had in years, the weight of her guilt over how she’d treated Lucy finally lifted. One past mistake vanquished, only a hundred more to go.

“She’s right, you know.” The door to one of the stalls swung open to reveal Lexi Preston.

Julia’s shoulders went rigid again. “Eavesdrop much?” She took a step toward Lexi. “I don’t suppose you’re going to put that conversation on the official record? It didn’t make me out to be the deadbeat you’re trying to convince the court I am.”

“I don’t think you’re a deadbeat,” Lexi said, sounding almost contrite. “You’re not stupid, either. But I have to do my job. The Johnsons—”

“They call the shots, right? You do the dirty work for them, digging up damaging information on me and probably countless other family enemies.”

“It’s not personal.” Lexi’s voice was a miserable whisper.

Julia felt a quick stab of sympathy before her temper began to boil over. She was always too gullible, wanting to believe people weren’t as bad as they seemed. It led to her being taken advantage of on more than one occasion. Not this time, though.

She had to physically restrain herself from grabbing Lexi’s crisp button-down and slamming the petite attorney into one of the metal stalls. “How can you say that? You’re helping them take my son away from me. My son!” Tears flooded her eyes and she turned away, once again feeling helpless to stop the inevitable outcome.

“I don’t want you to lose your son,” Lexi said quietly. “If I had my way...” She paused then added, “Hiding who you are and the reasons you did things isn’t going to help your case. You’re not the one with the big secrets here.”

Julia whirled around. “Are the Johnsons hiding something? Do you have information that could help me keep Charlie?”

Lexi shook her head. “I’ve said too much.” She reached for the door. “You’re a good mother, Julia. But you have to believe it.”

Julia followed Lexi into the hall, but before she could catch up a loud crash from down the hall distracted her. She heard a round of shouts and her first thought was of Charlie.

Chaos reigned in the gymnasium as people pushed toward the exits. Julia stood on her tiptoes and scanned the crowd, spotting Joe Callahan with his arm around her mother near the bleachers. Vera held Charlie, who was contentedly spooning ice cream into his mouth, oblivious to the commotion.

Julia elbowed her way through the throng of people to Vera and Joe. “Charlie,” she said on a breath, and her son launched himself at her.

“Banilla, Mama.”

“I see, sweetie.” She hugged him tight against her.

“Why is everyone rushing out of here?” She noticed that many older folks, like Joe and Vera, hung back.

“Big fight outside,” someone passing by called. “Eddie Kelton caught his wife in the back of their minivan with his best friend.”

“He’s going to kill him,” the man’s companion said with a sick laugh. “Someone said Eddie’s got a knife.”

Julia grimaced. She’d gone to school with Eddie’s older brother. “The Keltons are not a stable bunch,” she murmured.

Joe patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, hon. Sam will handle it. I’d be out there but I don’t want to leave your mom.”

“Such a gentleman.”

“Sam?” Julia’s heart rate quickened. “Why is Sam out there?”

“Because he’s the police chief.” Vera spoke slowly, as if Julia were a small child.

“He’s not on duty. Shouldn’t they call a deputy?”

“Cops are never truly off duty,” Joe said with a sigh. “But Sammy can take care of himself.”

“Eddie Kelton has a knife.” Julia practically jumped up and down with agitation. Her palms were sweating and clammy. Sam could take care of himself, but she couldn’t stop her anxiety from spilling over. “This isn’t part of the evening’s entertainment. It’s real life.”

Joe nodded. “Being the wife of a law-enforcement officer isn’t easy.” He patted her shoulder again and she wanted to rip his wrist out of the socket. He pulled his hand away as if he could read her mind. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll check on him. I may be rusty but I could handle a couple troublemakers in my day.”

Vera gave a dreamy sigh. A muscle above Julia’s eye began to twitch.

“I bet you were quite a sight,” Vera practically purred.

“You know what would make me feel better? If I go and check on him.” She sat Charlie on the bleachers. “Stay here with Grandma, okay, buddy?”

“Gramma,” Charlie said around a mouthful.

“I’ll escort you,” Joe said in the same cop tone Julia’d heard Sam use. “If you’re okay for a few minutes on your own?” he asked Vera.

“Be a hero,” Vera answered, batting her lashes.

Julia thought about arguing but figured he could be useful. “Can you get me to the front?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He took her elbow and, true to his word, guided her through the groups spilling into the parking lot. Was it some kind of police Jedi mind trick that enabled cops to manage throngs of people?

She poked her head through the row of spectators to see Sam between two men, arms out, a finger pointed at each of them.

Eddie Kelton, his wife, Stacey, and a man Julia didn’t recognize stood in the parking lot under the lights. The unknown man had his shirt on inside out and his jeans were half zipped. Julia assumed he was the man Stacey had been with. Another telltale sign was the black eye forming above his cheek.

Stacey stood to one side, weeping loudly into her hands.

“For the last time, Eddie, put the knife down.” Sam looked as if he’d grown several inches since Julia had seen him minutes earlier. He was broad and strong, every muscle in his body on full alert. A surge of pride flashed through her, along with the nail-biting fear of seeing him in action.

Eddie Kelton couldn’t have been more than five foot seven, a wiry strip of a man, aged beyond his years thanks to working in the sun on a local construction crew. His face sported a bloody nose, busted lip and a large scratch above his left eye. Julia gathered he’d been on the losing end of the fight until he’d brandished the six-inch blade jiggling between his fingers.

“That’s my woman, Chief.” Eddie’s arm trembled. “My wife. He’s supposed to be my best friend and he had my wife.” Eddie’s wild gaze switched to Stacey. “How could you do this to me? I loved you.”

She let out a wretched sob. “You don’t act like you love me. Always down at the bar after work or passed out on the couch.” Her eyes darted around the crowd. “I found the adult movies on the computer. I want someone who wants me. Who pays attention to me. Who makes me feel like a woman and not just the housekeeper.”

“I loved you,” Eddie screamed.

“It was only—” the half-dressed man began.

“Shut up, Jon-o,” Eddie and Stacey yelled at the same time.

Eddie slashed the air with his knife.

Sam held his ground.

Julia held her breath.

“Eddie, I know what you’re feeling.” Sam’s voice was a soothing murmur.

“You don’t know squat,” Eddie spat out, dancing back and forth on the balls of his feet. “I’m going to cut off his junk here and now.”

“Don’t you threaten my junk,” the other man yelled back. “If you were a real man—”

Sam’s head whipped around. “Jon Dallas, shut your mouth or I’m going to arrest you for public indecency.” He turned back to Eddie. “I do know. A few years ago I walked in on my brother and my fiancée getting busy on the kitchen table.”

A collective gasp went up from the crowd and several heads turned toward Julia. “Not me,” she whispered impatiently. “His ex.”

Sam’s gaze never left Eddie, so she had no idea if he realized she was there.

Eddie’s bloodshot eyes brimmed with tears. “It gets you right here,” he said, thumping his chest with the hand not gripping the knife. “Like she reached in and cut out your heart.”

Sam nodded. “You’re not going to make anything better with the knife. Drop it and we’ll talk about what’s next.”

“I’m sorry, Eddie.” Stacey’s voice was so filled with anguish Julia almost felt sorry for her. Except for the small matter that she’d been caught cheating on her husband. “I made a horrible mistake. It didn’t mean anything.”

“Hey—” Jon-o sputtered.

“I love you, Eddie.” Stacey sobbed.

Eddie lowered the knife but Sam didn’t relax. “Drop it and kick it to me,” he ordered. “She loves you, Eddie.”

“I love her, too.” Eddie’s voice was miserable. “But she cheated.”

“We didn’t even do it,” Stacey called, and Julia wished the woman understood the concept of too much information. “He was drunk. Couldn’t get it—”

Jon-o took an angry step toward her. “Shut your fat mouth, you liar. I was the best—”

For a second, Sam’s attention switched to Jon-o and Stacey. In that instant, Eddie launched himself forward.

He lunged for Jon-o but Sam grabbed his arm. Julia screamed as Eddie stabbed wildly at Sam, who knocked the blade out of the man’s hand then slammed him to the ground. Pete Butler, Sam’s deputy, rushed forward and tossed Sam a pair of handcuffs before turning his attention to Jon-o, pushing him away from the action.

Stacey melted into a puddle on the ground. “Eddie, no,” she whimpered. “Don’t put handcuffs on my husband.”

Sam got Eddie to his feet.

“Don’t worry, honey.” Stacey took a step forward. “I’ll bail you out. I love you so much.”

Tears ran down Eddie’s face. “I love you, sugar-buns.”

Stacey would have wrapped herself around her husband but Sam held up a hand. “Later, Stacey.” Jon-o disappeared into the crowd and Sam yanked Eddie toward Pete. “Put him in the holding cell overnight. He can sober up.”

Pete pointed to Sam’s shoulder. Sam shook his head, so the deputy led Eddie toward the waiting squad car.

“We’re done out here,” Sam announced to the crowd. “Everyone head inside. There’s a lot more money to be raised tonight.”

After a quiet round of applause, people drifted toward the gymnasium. A couple of men approached Sam, slapping him on the back.

“I told you he’d handle it,” Joe said proudly from Julia’s side.

“You did.” Julia felt rooted to the spot where she stood. Her body felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds. She couldn’t explain what she’d felt when Eddie had rushed at Sam with the knife. She’d swear she’d aged ten years in those few seconds.

“Nice going, son,” Joe called.

Sam looked up and his gaze met Julia’s. He gave her a small smile and her whole body began to shake. She walked toward him and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shirt collar. He smelled sweet, like leftover cotton candy, and felt so undeniably strong, she could have wept. She wouldn’t cry. She wasn’t that much of an emotional basket case, but she squeezed her eyes shut for good measure.

She willed the trembling to stop. It started to as he rubbed his palm against her back.

“Hey,” he said into her hair. “Not that I’m complaining about you wrapped around me, but it’s okay. It was nothing. Eddie was too drunk to do any real damage, even if he’d wanted to.”

She didn’t know how long he held her. She was vaguely aware of people milling about, of Joe watching from nearby. Sam didn’t seem in any hurry to let her go. She needed the strength of his body around hers to reassure her that he was truly all right.

When she was finally in control enough to open her eyes, she was shocked to see blood staining his shirt near the shoulder. “You’re hurt.” Her voice came out a croak.

He shook his head. “The blade nicked me. It’s a scratch. I’ll stop by the hospital after we finish the paperwork to have it cleaned. Nothing more.”

“He could have hurt you,” she whispered, unable to take her eyes off his shoulder.

He tipped up her chin. His eyes were warm on hers, kind and understanding. “I’m okay. Nothing happened.”

“It could have. Every day something could happen to you, Sam. Drug busts, drunken fights and who knows what else.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not. I can’t stand knowing you’re always at risk.”

He looked over her shoulder to where Joe stood. When his eyes met hers again, they were cold and unreadable. He leaned in close to her ear. “Then it’s a good thing this is a fake engagement. I’m not giving up my life for a woman.”

Julia felt the air rush from her lungs. “I didn’t say I wanted you to.” She grabbed on to the front of his shirt as he moved to pull away. “I know this is fake. Sue me, but I was worried. Heaven forbid someone cares about you, Sam. Expects something from you. Maybe I shouldn’t have—”

“Forget it.” Sam kissed her cheek, but she knew it was because his father was still watching. “I have to go into the station and then to the hospital, so I’ll be a while. Take Charlie home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Don’t do this,” she whispered as he walked away, climbing into the police cruiser without looking back.

She knew this was fake. Because she’d never be stupid enough to fall in love with a man so irritating, annoying and unwilling to have a meaningful conversation about his feelings.

She turned to Joe. “At least he’s okay. That’s most important, right?”

“It’s hard for him to be needed by someone,” Joe said, taking her arm and leading her back toward the high school.

Julia snorted. “Ya think?”

* * *

Rotating his shoulder where the nurse had cleaned his wound, Sam stepped out of the E.R. into the darkness. His father’s car wasn’t in front, so he sat on the bench near the entrance to wait.

He scrubbed his palms against his face, wondering how he’d made such a colossal mess of a night that had started off so well. Julia had looked beautiful, as always, and they’d had fun with Charlie at the carnival. He’d even survived his dad and her mother meeting and almost felt okay about her relationship with Ethan.

Then he’d put his foot in his mouth in a thousand different ways when she’d been concerned about his job. Hell, he couldn’t name a cop’s wife who didn’t worry. He’d liked that she’d been worried, liked the feeling of being needed. It had also scared him and he’d pushed her away.

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