Not Without Her Family

by Beth Andrews

  And that he hadn’t liked it any more than she did.

  She yawned widely and shut her eyes. It was barely 5:00 p.m. and she was already bone weary, which was so unlike her. For the past three years she’d tended bar during peak hours so she was used to being up late. But the emotional roller coaster she’d been riding since discovering her brother was alive and well—and living a few short hours away from her—left her exhausted.

  Too bad their reunion hadn’t gone as smoothly as she would’ve liked.

  She rolled onto her side and stared at the sky-blue wall. The color reminded her of the cop’s eyes so she turned onto her back, absently picking at the bedspread.

  She’d shocked Dillon by showing up unannounced, but she’d been scared he’d take off if he knew she’d found him. She couldn’t take the chance of losing him again. Once Dillon calmed down, he’d listen to her. Her hand fisted in the bedspread. He had to.

  She’d been a senior in high school the last time she saw him. She’d ditched class and taken a bus to the Toledo Correctional Institute where Dillon was serving his sentence for manslaughter. He’d been so distant, so cold. As if she’d meant little more to him than a stranger would.

  She had no one to blame for the distance between them but herself. Because he’d had to save her, Dillon spent close to five years locked up.

  Dillon told her he didn’t want her to visit or write him again. She’d let him push her away, had allowed her pain—and her guilt—to keep her away.

  Even then, she never gave up on him. She’d found an attorney willing to take his case, one who’d been able to get his sentence reduced. But by the time she’d gotten up the courage to face him again, Dillon had disappeared from Ohio and her life.

  She hadn’t come this far—literally and figuratively—to give in now. She wanted her brother back in her life. Wanted to prove she wasn’t the same impulsive troublemaker she’d been. Mostly, she wanted a connection to the only person who’d ever believed in her. Who’d ever loved her. And, by God, that’s exactly what she would get.

  Whether Dillon liked it or not.

  “BUY ME A DRINK, SAILOR?”

  Jack glanced up. “Not in this lifetime.”“Pinching pennies?” Seth Valentine sat on the bar stool next to Jack. “No wonder you never get laid.”

  “(a) You’re not my type,” Jack said over the classic Aero-smith song playing on The Summit’s jukebox. “And (b) I’ve had sex plenty of times without your half-assed advice.”

  “I’m not talking about your solo sessions. Only the times another warm body was involved. And barn animals don’t count.”

  “You’re a riot,” Jack told his closest friend. The bartender, a heavily made-up brunette with a silver hoop in her left eyebrow, took Seth’s beer order and scurried off. “What are you doing here? The NYPD now giving detectives weekends off?”

  Seth scooped a handful of bar nuts from the bowl in front of them. Tossed some into his mouth and shook the ones left in his hand. “Came up for my mom’s birthday tomorrow.”

  “She still pissed about Mother’s Day?”

  “She threatened to sell her house and move in with me if I miss her birthday, and I have to get her a decent gift.”

  Having known Mrs. Valentine since he was in kindergarten, Jack knew she didn’t issue empty threats. “Guess that six-month membership to Weight Watchers wasn’t such a hot idea.”

  “Hey, she’s always moaning about losing twenty pounds. How was I to know it would set her off?” Seth nodded his thanks when his draft was placed in front of him. “What about you?” he asked, wiping his hand on his jeans before picking up his beer. “Where’s Emma?”

  “She’s spending the weekend with her grandparents.”

  Ever since his wife died in a car accident four years ago, Emma spent one weekend a month with Nicole’s parents in New Jersey—Jack wanted his daughter to stay connected to both sides of her family.

  Seth, in the act of raising his beer, stopped suddenly and whistled under his breath. “Hello. Look what just walked in.”

  Jack followed his friend’s line of sight. His stomach did one slow roll.

  Conversation quieted as every eye in the bar zeroed in on Kelsey. With her tight jeans and spiky red hair, she begged attention. She’d changed into a long-sleeved, purple T-shirt and, as she strode into the room, her small breasts bounced beneath the fabric.

  He couldn’t help but enjoy the sight.

  “I’d kill to see those legs in a skirt,” Seth said in an undertone. “A really short skirt with a pair of three-inch heels. And those have got to be the perkiest pair of—”

  “Shut up,” Jack murmured as Kelsey drew near. Her eyes locked on his for a moment as she passed him by. He turned and watched her perch on a stool at the far end of the bar before tearing his gaze away.

  “What?” he asked, noticing Seth smirking at him.

  “Anything you want to tell me?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’ll just ask. Who is she?”

  Jack finished his soda and set the glass on the bar. “Why so interested? She’s not exactly your type.”

  “I happen to love redheads.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I found true love with sweet Mary Jane Hanover.”

  Jack snorted out a laugh. “Is this the same Mary Jane whose very large boyfriend kicked your ass for sleeping with her?”

  Seth swallowed a drink of beer. “He wasn’t her boyfriend at the time. I don’t poach.”

  “Unless you won’t get caught.”

  “Unless I won’t get caught,” he agreed. “And I didn’t get my ass kicked. I held back so I wouldn’t hurt that idiot.”

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyway, as I remember, sweet Mary Jane wouldn’t give you the time of day, let alone any sexual favors, until I buttered her up for you.”

  “Please—” Seth held a hand out to stop him. “Don’t use expressions like buttered up when talking about Mary Jane. Gives me ideas. And don’t think you can get away with changing the subject, either.”

  Jack hooked his foot on the rung of his stool and debated the chances of getting Seth to drop this discussion. He bit back a sigh. Not going to happen. Seth’s laid-back attitude and humor hid a tenacity unrivaled by mere mortals. “Her name is Kelsey Reagan and she’s Dillon Ward’s sister.”

  “Ward…You mean the guy who lives above the bakery?”

  “One and the same.” He glanced over to see Kelsey talking to the bartender. “She’s only in town for the night.”

  Seth grinned. “Too bad. You could—”

  “Hello, gentlemen,” a female voice purred.

  Jack turned and found himself looking into a pair of dark-blue eyes. “How are you, Shannon?” he asked the beautiful blonde.

  “Couldn’t be better,” she replied in her husky smoker’s voice. “I was wondering if I could buy you a drink?”

  “Would you look at the time?” Seth didn’t bother glancing at his watch as he drained his beer. He stood and tossed a five dollar bill on the bar. “I’d better get going.” He flashed a grin at Jack. “Catch you later.”

  Jack clenched his teeth as his ex-friend cheerfully abandoned him. Wasting no time, Shannon claimed the empty stool. Her short, black skirt rode a few inches above her knee to show a good deal of her toned, tanned thigh. She shook her long, golden hair behind her shoulder and looked at him from under her lashes.

  As far as sultry looks go, hers was top-notch. Jack wondered if she practiced it in the mirror.

  “What’ll it be?” she asked.

  He’d have one quick and painless escape, please. Unfortunately, his position as police chief, and hers as the wife of a prominent city councilman, made running like hell an impossibility.

  Too bad.

  “Thanks, but I’m not drinking tonight,” he said.

  She looked pointedly at his empty glass.

  “That’s fine,” she assured him, leaning forward. Though he suspected she was g
iving him a clear view down the V-neck of her silky white shirt, he kept his gaze on her face. “I wanted to talk to you about the security for the country club’s Harvest Ball.”

  Sure she did. And thirteen-year-old boys snuck peeks at Playboy for the articles.

  The headache he thought he’d got rid of earlier began to come back. He blamed it on Shannon’s perfume, something floral and overly sweet. Remembering Kelsey’s fresh, sexy scent, he glanced in her direction. Humor lit her expression as their eyes met.

  Jack broke eye contact first and turned his attention back to Shannon. “Everything’s all set for the dance. If you have any questions, we can go over them at next week’s meeting.”

  “Those meetings are always so hectic.” She pouted and laid a well-manicured hand high up on his thigh, her red fingernails stark against his jeans. “Why don’t we go back to my house? We can discuss it now.”

  Her lips said discuss, but her eyes said let’s get naked and do the nasty.

  Jack groaned inwardly. Polite tact was lost on Shannon. He lifted her hand off and stood.

  “I’m sorry but I already have plans.” He kept his voice low, controlled and, though it almost killed him, pleasant. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with.”

  Ignoring the angry flush staining Shannon’s cheeks, he turned and walked to the end of the bar. He wasn’t sure which was worse, the way Shannon blatantly came on to him whenever they were in the same room together. Or the fact that to escape Shannon, he was heading straight for Kelsey Reagan.

  He stopped next to Kelsey’s stool and waited until she looked up. “Mind if I join you?”

  Kelsey glanced behind him then back. “Using me as an escape hatch, Sheriff?”

  “I’m not the sheriff.” Jack sat next to her. “I’m the chief of police.”

  She waved that distinction away. “Whatever you are, you’ve surprised me.”

  “How so?”

  “By not being interested in Tropical Tan Barbie over there. Most men would sell their soul to have a woman like that coming on to them. Either you’re one of the few faithful married men alive—”

  “I’m not.” As usual, when he thought of Nicole he felt a slight pinch to his heart. When Kelsey raised her eyebrows he added, “I’m not married.”

  She tilted her head, watched him thoughtfully. “Oh, well then. Maybe you’re just not into women.”

  What the hell? He straightened and tried to laugh, but the idea of a sexy woman thinking he was gay was about as non-funny as you could get. “I’m not gay.”

  The humor lighting her eyes told him she knew damn well he was straight. She’d just been yanking his chain. “What’s the matter then? Jeez, she was practically drooling in your lap.”

  “For some reason, drooling desperation doesn’t turn me on.”

  “Huh. Go figure.” The bartender came over and slid a plate of cheese-covered French fries in front of Kelsey.

  “What brings you back to The Summit?” he asked when they were alone again.

  “I was hungry,” she said and popped a dripping fry into her mouth.

  “And, besides clogging your arteries, you wanted another shot with your brother.”

  She swallowed then took a sip of her drink. “Wow. That’s brilliant detective work. You should be a cop or something.”

  Jack’s lips twitched.

  “You, on the other hand,” she continued, wagging a fry at him, “are not only hiding from the blonde, but you’re also checking up on me.” She leaned toward him, her citrus scent tickling his nose. “Shouldn’t you mutter something about this town not being big enough for both of us?”

  He lifted a shoulder. Eased back to put some distance between them. “Too cliché for me.”

  The amused look on her face told him she noticed how he’d backed away from her. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone your secret.”

  “I already told you,” he said quietly, “I’m not gay.”

  “No kidding. But that’s not what I’m talking about. And the real reason you’re over here isn’t because you’re running from the blonde.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “Nope.”

  Jack waited. She dug in to her food with the enthusiasm of a linebacker three times her size. Though his gut told him he would regret asking, he couldn’t stop himself. “Are you going to enlighten me?”

  “You’re attracted to me.”

  Holy hell. Was he that easy to read?

  He kept his face expressionless, his voice dry. “Amazing.”

  “What?”

  “That ego of yours. How’d you ever get something that big through the doorway?”

  “It’s not ego. I felt it—the pull between us. Are you going to try and tell me you didn’t?”

  He swallowed. Hell yes, he felt it. The attraction between them wasn’t exactly subtle. Physical and momentary, yes, but not subtle.

  But just because he felt it, didn’t mean he had to acknowledge it. Or worse, act on it. He controlled his body, and his feelings, they didn’t control him.

  He deliberately straightened and shifted so that their knees brushed. Her startled gaze shot to his. At the quick, telltale nervous gesture of her pink tongue wetting her lips, his stomach tightened.

  Damn, but she was sexy. And tempting. And a distraction he couldn’t afford.

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” he said.

  “Okay. You first.”

  The pulse at the base of her neck beat rapidly. He had the strongest urge to press his lips against it.

  He jerked his head up. “I’m not over here because I’m attracted to you.”

  “No?”

  “No. After your foray into breaking-and-entering this afternoon, I’m over here to make sure you keep your nose clean while you’re in my town.”

  “Don’t worry, Sheriff, like I said I won’t be in your town much longer. Besides,” she added with a quick, lethal smile that made his heart skip a beat, “other than that little misunderstanding, I usually avoid trouble at all costs.”

  He studied her, looking for subterfuge beneath the humor. She sure as hell seemed sincere. So much in fact that for some crazy reason, Jack found himself wanting to believe her.

  He straightened where he sat. Damn it, he couldn’t ignore his instincts, not again. And if he let his guard down for one moment, he’d give in to his attraction to her. And that he couldn’t afford to do.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE DISBELIEF ON JACK’S FACE told Kelsey he didn’t trust her. She shrugged and dug back into her food to hide her embarrassment. So much for her vow to think before she spoke.

  She was supposed to be proving she could curb her impulsive and reckless tendencies. Guess she still needed practice.“So, you walk the straight and narrow?” Jack asked.

  Finished with her fries, Kelsey wiped her mouth with a paper napkin and tossed it onto her empty plate. “Haven’t had so much as a parking ticket in the past ten years.”

  “That’s quite an accomplishment.”

  “It’s more of an accomplishment for some than others.”

  “Looks like you’re going to get your wish,” Jack said.

  “What wish is that?”

  He gestured to the door. Dillon stood across the room, his eyes on her. Luckily, the same blonde who’d tried to pick up Jack stopped Dillon before he could leave. But, if Kelsey didn’t hurry, she would lose her chance to talk to her brother tonight.

  She jumped off the stool, dug some money out of her front pocket and tossed it on the bar.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Jack asked.

  “I just want to talk to him.”

  “You tried that once.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t give up easily.” But the idea of Dillon blowing her off again kept her rooted to her spot.

  Biting her lower lip, she looked back at her brother. His expression darkened as he listened to the blonde now hanging on his arm. Dillon’s mouth thinned but he didn’t shake h
er off. Instead, he met Kelsey’s eyes for one long moment, turned on his heel and led the blonde out the door.

  Dillon was gone.

  “I’d heard there was bad blood between them—your brother and Shannon,” Jack said, bringing her attention back to him. “Something about a job he did at her house. Guess whatever the problem was, it’s fixed now.”

  “Gossiping, Sheriff?”

  Her toes curled at the grin he shot her. “Everybody here knows everybody else’s business.” He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “Especially their secrets.”

  She swallowed. Jack’s face was inches from her own, his blue eyes so mesmerizing, she was unable to look away. Suddenly everything was too much. The noise in the bar. The number of people. And especially Jack, sitting close enough for her to feel his body heat, his expression knowing and intense.

  “It’s getting late,” she pointed out. “I’d better head back to the B and B.”

  Jack got to his feet. Kelsey stepped back and bumped into the stool in her haste to make sure their bodies didn’t touch. Other than a slight quirk of his lips, he gave no indication he noticed.

  “I’ll walk you out,” he said.

  She shrugged and turned away but knew he was right behind her. When he laid a hand on the small of her back to guide her through the bar, she almost jumped out of her skin. The warmth of his fingers seeped through her shirt and a shiver rushed up her spine.

  They stepped outside into the cool evening air and Jack dropped his hand. She immediately missed the contact.

  “Where are you parked?” he asked.

  “Over by that second light.” Kelsey dug her keys out of her purse. “Aren’t you worried about your reputation?”

  “Not particularly. Why?”

  “Well, everyone in the bar saw us leave together. What if they think we’re heading back to your place for a marathon round of wild jungle sex?”