A Simple Twist of Fate

by HelenKay Dimon

  Her thumb took one last pass, following the trail from underneath his chin to the top of his tee. Then she stepped back, breaking the contact between them. “You still want to have dinner?”

  As if he was going to get sidetracked by a nonsense trip into his own head a second time. “Yes, Sophie.”

  She sent him a little frown. “You’re sure.”

  To keep from reaching out to her again, he folded his hands in front of him. “We’ll start there.”

  “That’s an intriguing way of saying it.”

  Right out there, in the open with all that fresh air blowing around, he was having trouble catching his breath. That was a new sensation. “So, tonight at seven. I’ll come to your house.”

  “Okay.”

  This time the quick response worked for him. Her sudden blank stare was the problem. “You could sound a bit more excited.”

  “I’m trying to play it cool after the library incident and your whole ‘can’t-separate-our-lives’ speech.” She toyed with the strap of her purse, winding it around a finger until the tip turned purple then letting it go again. The strangling move combined with the clinking choir from the keys bouncing in her palm.

  Nerves. Good, that meant there was some excitement simmering around in that hot body somewhere. “I’m going to make up for the library speech.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “It will be a surprise, but it’s coming.” He saw her swallow hard, which was just about the sexiest thing ever. Now that he had the reaction, he’d try to cool them both down, especially since two older women on the opposite corner were staring as if waiting for a show. He had no intention of giving it to them. “How was lunch?”

  “It was actually really good.” Her fingers tightened around the purse strap. “Well, until that FBI agent showed up.”

  There was an erection-killing topic. “Reeves was there?”

  “He came in when we were done.”

  “If I didn’t risk losing my law license or getting stuck in jail forever in this town, I’d punch that guy in the head.” And keep going until Reeves coughed up the real reason he was in town, hiding behind bushes and otherwise annoying the crap out of anyone named Hanover.

  The anger vibrating through Beck only eased when Sophie put a hand on his arm. The soothing touch brought him snapping back to the present.

  “He was fishing. He didn’t get anything, except maybe Mallory’s number.” Sophie’s nose wrinkled as she made a face. “You know, she could turn out to be your greatest weapon against that guy. He gets sidetracked when he looks at her.”

  Beck decided he missed a step. “He’s been obsessed with Cal for quite some time. I have a hard time imagining him losing focus.”

  “Some men do lose it over women, you know?”

  The way Beck saw it, he was Exhibit A to that comment. “I’m not touching that comment because my answer would only be wrong.”

  “Smart man.” Sophie glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Gossamer when the two staring women scurried inside. “But I’m thinking from your reaction you haven’t spent much time with Mallory Able.”

  “Declan says she’s compelling and a little scary, but I’m not sure I know what that means.”

  When Sophie turned around again her smile beamed. “So, tonight.”

  He had no idea what to make of the reaction, but he liked it. Her happiness intensified his, which meant one thing—somewhere along the line he’d turned into a pre-teen girl. “Tonight.”

  “Should I be nervous?” She passed her keys from one hand to the other.

  To keep her from dropping them or accidentally stabbing herself, he put a hand over hers and slipped the keychain out. A press of the button and a chirp and he unlocked her door. A second later, he had it open and gestured for her to get inside, handing her the keys. “You should be ready.”

  Sliding into the seat, she stayed quiet. When her hands hit the steering wheel, she glanced up with a dazed expression. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for you.”

  He winked at her as he shut the door. “We’ll practice until you’re completely satisfied.”

  ***

  Callen waited until Sophie’s car took off and Beck finished up most of his pathetic staring-after-it-like-a-sad-puppy thing from the sidewalk before breaking in. When her car turned the corner, Cal jogged across the street with a legal-sized envelope in hand. Much more of this boy/girl nonsense and a second brother would fall for one of the hot women of Sweetwater.

  Problem was this one—Sophie—dragged a load of baggage around with her. Being a baggage-dragger himself, Callen recognized the type. Saw the face of it every morning in the mirror.

  Callen stepped up next to Beck, matching his stance and staring down the empty street. They were like matching morons. “I thought for a second you brought a date to our bank meeting.”

  Beck turned with a stupid smile plastered on his face. “Yeah, that sounds like me.”

  “You look like a simpleton standing there with your tongue hanging out.” Callen tucked a pen in his front tee pocket.

  “And I’m thinking we need to find you a woman because your mood is pretty shitty.”

  Right. That’s what they needed. More women. Cal failed at handling the last one he had and didn’t intend to drive down that road any time again soon. “I’m fine, but thanks.”

  Beck shrugged. “I think we should have a family vote on that.”

  A car passed by and honked the horn. They both ignored it.

  Rather than tell Beck where to shove it, Cal circled around it. “You following Sophie around now? Because that’s pretty damn sad.”

  “I was asking her out to dinner.”

  Well, that explained the satisfied look and about-to-have-sex level of excitement spinning around Beck. “I see you’ve gotten over the she’s-my-employee-so-I-can’t-go-there thing.”

  “And that pisses you off.”

  Callen had given up on getting angry over his brothers’ messed-up love lives. They spun around, babbled and otherwise blundered their way through dating. It was sad to watch, really. “It makes me worry for you.”

  “I’m a big boy.”

  “And she’s a woman with a secret.” That’s what made Callen twitchy. Beck could handle a lot, but he tended to give people chances to screw him over, and his weakness for this woman made him more vulnerable than usual. “We any closer to figuring out what that is?”

  “Right now I’m working on getting closer to her.”

  A flashing warning sign screamed in Callen’s head. “Be careful there.”

  “Cal, really. I’ve dated before. Even managed to have sex once or twice without you there to check out the women.”

  Before Callen could make a smart-ass comment about Beck’s dating past, Callen caught a whiff of lavender. He turned to find a woman standing about five feet behind them. Tall with long blond hair and a skirt that skimmed the street, her clothing stereotyped her as the artsy type. The way she gnawed on her thumb spoke to her discomfort.

  Yeah, that made two of them. He knew who she was and that she’d stalked him across several states, leaving cryptic messages on his phone until he changed numbers, and bothering people he knew by asking for help in arranging a meeting with him. He thought he shook her off this time by refusing to see her, but she popped back up . . . again.

  This proved what Callen already knew. He was the unluckiest bastard in the world.

  Cars slowed down as they passed and a group of kids argued over a skateboard on the opposite corner. He ignored it all and focused on the woman causing trouble everywhere he went. “No.”

  “What are you—” Beck’s frown intensified when he followed Callen’s gaze. “Who are you?”

  “This is Kristin Accord, my professional stalker.” Where was an FBI agent or bumbling police chief when you needed
them? Those types stuck to the Hanovers except when they and their weapons might be needed.

  The woman shook her head, sending her long hair shifting in the soft summer breeze. “That’s not true.”

  “Feels like it.”

  Kristin rubbed her hands together until they turned red. “I just got back into town, but I really need to talk with you this time. It can’t wait.”

  “Say it.”

  She glanced at the boys who were still yelling nearby then focused on Beck. “It’s private.”

  Beck stepped up, actually threw a blocking move and shifted until he stood half in front of Callen. “Ms. Accord, I’m going to ask you one time to stay away from my family. I’ll go to court if I have to, but I think we can both agree it doesn’t have to come to that.”

  Way to go, little brother.

  “This doesn’t concern you.” Kristin moved to the side, trying to peek around Beck.

  He wasn’t having it. “It does if it concerns Callen.”

  In all his life, all his travels, Callen couldn’t remember a time when someone stepped up and protected him. He’d been in fights, got punched more than once by victims of Charlie and friends of victims of Charlie, and a few times by people who purported to be Charlie’s friends. Callen’s run-in with police in Washington State led to a few bruised ribs and a black eye.

  During all that time no one ever volunteered to take the body blows for him. Leave it to Beck, who was comfortable with ties, books and arguing, to show how sibling bonds could withstand a clusterfuck of a family structure like the one created by Charlie Hanover.

  The whole thing made Cal wonder if maybe Beck could handle Sophie, too. He sure seemed fine taking care of this Kristin person.

  With a kick of appreciation, Callen put a hand on Beck’s shoulder and brought them back even. “Look, lady. I don’t know what Charlie did to you or what you think I can do to help, but there’s nothing to find here.”

  Beck nodded. “Put your concerns in writing and we’ll review them along with all the other complaints.”

  For once Callen liked hearing his brother’s lawyer doublespeak. “Yeah, do that.”

  “This isn’t about Charlie.” The woman gripped her hands together tight enough for her fingertips to turn blue. “Well, not really.”

  “You’re not helping your case,” Beck said.

  Through all the hand-wringing and stammering and shifting her weight from foot to foot, Kristin’s attention never left Callen. “I have information you need.”

  The desperation in her voice tugged at him. He’d lived an unsettled life and had more days he wanted to forget than remember. “Not the first time I’ve heard that.”

  She took a step closer and leaned in as her voice fell to a whisper. “There is an FBI agent in town.”

  Callen thought of Reeves more as Stalker Number Two. “I’m aware.”

  “He isn’t on a real assignment. He’s here on a personal matter, about you, and you need the facts before you talk with him.”

  Callen glanced at Beck. Neither said anything for a few seconds. The idea this stalker woman and the rogue FBI guy knew each other was a harder shot to the gut than Callen expected. “I have no intention of talking with him.”

  She gnawed on that thumb again. “The agent is not what he seems.”

  “In what way?” Beck asked.

  “That’s not important.”

  Beck slipped a hand into his back pocket and took out his wallet. He flipped over a business card for some automotive repair place in Reno and held out his palm until Callen handed over his pen. “Ma’am, give me your number.”

  Callen wanted to grab the pen back. “Beck, what are you doing?”

  “Ending this.”

  Shifting her gaze between the brothers, Kristin reeled off a series of numbers. “You can also reach me at the Severn Motel.”

  Callen knew the area code she provided—Maryland. He sure knew the motel she referenced since it sat in the middle of town. It had a wraparound porch and a perpetual vacancy sign. Nice place, and now Callen knew to stay clear of it.

  “We’ll talk and get back to you.” Beck gave her a we’re-done-here curt nod.

  Whatever passed between them worked because Kristin mumbled a thank you and took off across the street. Without looking back, she slipped into a small car with Oregon plates, likely a rental, and started it. Two cars went by before she pulled into the lane and took off.

  For the second time in fifteen minutes Callen stood on the street watching the ass-end of a vehicle as it rounded the corner. “Care to tell me why you gave her an in with us?”

  “Because she confirmed my feeling that Special Agent Reeves isn’t here working for the FBI. That’s what my contacts at the Bureau suggested. The guy is on some sort of temporary leave.”

  Barely interesting and not even a little insightful. “How does that help us?”

  “You don’t find it a little convenient that both Kristin and Reeves left town and stayed out for the same amount of time?”

  Convenient, annoying and an assload of scary. Callen could fight people off, including the guy fogging up the window of the barbershop as he gawked at them. But they seemed to be coming in bunches now, just like they had when Charlie first got tagged and arrested almost two years ago. Their dad had been dead for a year but his legacy of shit lingered on.

  “Reeves is definitely back?” Callen had convinced himself the lack of sightings meant a possible lack of interest.

  No such luck.

  “Yeah.” Beck kicked a random pebble into the sidewalk crack. “Reeves showed up at Leah’s lunch with Sophie and Mallory.”

  Now there was a big piece of news to drop. “Leah and Sophie?”

  “Scary, right?”

  Callen rubbed his chest. Something about the women getting together made the muscles around his collarbone ache. If Leah took up Sophie’s side . . . yeah, the men of the household didn’t stand a chance. “A little. So, now what?”

  Beck nodded in the direction of Callen’s hand. “First, we take your check and go pay the money due on the house; then we wait for Declan and sign some paperwork.”

  With the reminder, Callen eased the tight grip on the envelope in his hand, the whole reason for stepping out in public. “You seem to like spending my money.”

  “You earned it. I spend it. It’s a good system.” Beck started walking toward the bank.

  Callen stayed where he was until Beck stopped and turned around again. “I did, you know.”

  “What?”

  Callen held up the envelope by its corner. “This isn’t from some damn scam. It’s from my construction jobs, and some side jobs that really sucked but paid well. All legal.”

  All emotion drained from Beck’s face. “What’s wrong with you? I didn’t ask that.”

  Still, Callen needed to say the words. Needed to set the record straight. It was one thing for the public and cops to have theories about Callen following in Charlie’s criminal footsteps. Callen hated it but could tolerate the whispers. He couldn’t handle thinking Beck and Declan might not trust him.

  “And I appreciate that, but I wanted you to hear it straight from me. I need you to know I’m not Charlie.”

  “Hell, Cal. That’s obvious.”

  “Not to most people.”

  Beck shook his head. “Charlie Hanover wouldn’t have come to Sweetwater, wouldn’t have saved the house and certainly wouldn’t be doing hard labor with Declan to make it shine.”

  “What does that prove?”

  “You may have Charlie’s blood inside you, but you overcame his legacy long ago.”

  So simple, yet the words freed something inside Callen. They felt fucking great. Supportive and whatever else the brother bond was supposed to be about.

  Callen searched for the right words but gave up a
nd went with the easy ones that said everything. “Good to know.”

  “Don’t ever doubt that.”

  He couldn’t. Not when it meant more than Callen ever thought possible.

  “Also good to know that legal education of yours can come in handy for something other than boring the crap out of me.” He couldn’t resist the shot, especially after he heard from Declan about Beck’s explosion over his career and their jabs about it.

  Declan suggested they ease up. Fuck that. Callen knew the answer was to double down, laugh through it.

  A smile hit Beck’s lips and the tension over the moment washed away. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”

  “Guess I should listen to my baby brother more often.”

  “Especially since he’s old enough and big enough to kick your ass.”

  Callen nodded toward the bank. “You keep dreaming.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Beck and Callen walked in the back door of Shadow Hill and caught Leah sitting on Declan’s lap. Not that she jumped off. They didn’t act like they were just kissing and rubbing all over each other either. Nope, they seemed content to sit there.

  At least the touching part was over. Beck hoped they’d wait until they got upstairs to finish that because a guy who wasn’t getting sex could only take so much happiness from those who were.

  He threw the keys on the butcher block island. “You left the bank two minutes before we did. What, did you drive a hundred miles per hour and grab her in the driveway?”

  Leah kept her arms around Declan’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re so romantic, Beck.”

  “Let’s just say I move fast when I want something,” Declan said.

  Beck laughed. “You’re bragging about your quickness?”

  “Good thing there are meds for that because Leah deserves something more than boring and fast.” Callen shut the door and shifted around the kitchen island. He headed for the seat across the table from Declan and Leah’s cuddling.