by Jen Talty
“God, I hate those kinds of questions.” She kicked off her shoes and dipped her feet in the lake. Her hair dangled down her back, and her smile caught the setting sun like a daisy waving in the wind. “I’m a huge fan of DC and Marvel comics, and I’m a little in love with the man who plays Aquaman.”
“I’ve got a thing for Wonder Woman.” He tapped his chest in unison with his heartbeat.
“I would have thought you dug Catwoman.”
“I’m not a fan of cats. Not even a woman dressed in a cat suit.” Coop raced past him.
“Hey, boy. Come here.”
But the damn dog didn’t listen. Instead, he dropped the stick in front of Destiny, and then he laid down next to her.
“My dog has loyalty issues,” Mason mumbled as he joined Destiny on the dock. “You know, I had my very first kiss right here. I was twelve years old, and she was thirteen.”
“An older woman, huh?”
Mason laughed. “Her name was Tracey. She came here in the summers with her family and stayed over there.” He pointed to a group of cottages on the east side. “The big blue house next to all the rentals, that’s where I grew up.”
“Your family still live there?”
“My parents do. My sister lives in the Rockville neighborhood with her husband and three kids.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” He kept his gaze on the water. A sense of nostalgia rolled through his mind. Images of his youth flashed behind his eyes. He’d had a decent childhood. No major traumas. He floated through high school, getting into a little bit of trouble, but mostly he played by the rules. When he left for the military, he had always intended to return to Thief Lake and raise a family.
His family.
“Why didn’t you buy a house on the lake?”
He scooted up on the rock so he could be closer to her and smell her fresh lilac scent and gaze into her soft-blue eyes. “An investor blew into town a few years ago, although we didn’t know he was an investor. He portrayed himself as a man looking for a summer place, which meant on the water.”
“Not necessarily,” she said. “I had friends growing up that had a summer place near a vineyard.”
“Well, we don’t have anything like that. Just a pretty lake. Anyway, this investor wanted to buy up my land and change the zoning of the wooded area between me and this park, so he could build a bunch of condos.”
“So you stopped him.”
“That I did.”
“Must be nice to have that kind of money.” Destiny tucked her hair behind her ears. “Sorry, that sounded rude. I’ve just had to claw my way through life financially. It hasn’t been an easy road, and it’s still not.”
There was a lot of money in Thief Lake, which was odd for a small town in the middle of nowhere. But there were families who struggled like the majority of the world.
“It is nice, but it can be problematic.” No amount of money could have made Renee want to stay in this sleepy little town. And Julia, when she’d found out just how rich Mason and his family were, well, she practically moved herself in the next day.
That had been the beginning of the end. That’s when he started questioning things, and the more he poked, the more her lies unraveled. He’d never been so humiliated in all his life.
It still stung.
“I don’t know how having a lot of money can be a negative issue. I mean, you don’t have to worry if you’re going to make enough to pay rent.”
He arched a brow. “You forget that I did a credit and background check on you. I have it on good authority that you won’t be having a problem paying your rent.”
“Good credit doesn’t mean anything other than so far I’ve paid my bills on time. Most people I’ve come across who come from money have no idea how many doors they can open or how stressful it is not to know if you’ll be able to pay your bills. Wealthy people live in a tiny little bubble where their biggest problems are whether they should buy a Range Rover or a Mercades.”
He hooked the leash onto Coop and gave him a good tug. “I might have had an easy go of it financially, but I spent four years in the military and a few tours in the Middle East. I saw shit. Shit that you can’t unsee, and no amount of money can fix that.” He didn’t mean for the words to have such a sharp edge to them. “We all have a cross to bear. We all have triggers. Hot buttons. Things that make us crazy. If wealthy people are one of yours, then you’re going to be constantly annoyed because half this town is in the top one percent.”
“Wow. Did I really come off that bitter?”
He raised his hand, pinching together his thumb and forefinger. “Little bit.” People who resented wealthy people either never had money.
Or had it at one time, and either it was taken from them, or they lost it.
He couldn’t decide if she’d been one of the rare people to have seen both sides of the coin, or if she’d only experienced what it was like to struggle day in and day out to make a buck.
“I didn’t mean to insult you,” she said.“Thanks for showing me that trail.”
“The pleasure was all mine.” He ran a hand down the side of his face. His sister always told him that he was his worst enemy when it came to asking girls out. He hemmed and hawed until it was too late. “My sister is coming into town tomorrow. She wants me to introduce her to you because she’s planning a birthday party for my nephew.”
“Just tell her to stop by. I do have some errands to run in the morning, finalizing Kaylee’s party, but otherwise I’ll be available.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that party. I was hoping you’d be my date?”
“Date?” She pushed open the back door into her kitchen. “I’ll be working at the party. I won’t have time to socialize, much less be on a date.”
“Maybe I can help? We could load up my pickup.”
She waved her hand out in front. “I won’t say no to help.”
He inched up on the steps and boldly cupped her chin. “Good. Then when we’re all done with the party, we can have that first date.” Before she could push him away, he brushed his lips across her warm cheek. “Have a good night, Destiny.”
Destiny lifted the trash bag and tied it tight. She stepped out the back door, and the darkness engulfed her. The night stretched into the trees. Their branches danced in the cool air to the cricket’s song. It was such a lovely sound when it was isolated like a solo instrument. She didn’t think she’d ever heard the noise by itself. She scurried across the lawn and dumped her trash into the bin. At her feet she found two Ho Ho wrappers. She picked them up and glanced around. Mason had just left fifteen minutes ago, and she hadn’t seen him go back out.
These couldn’t have been his. Could they? He didn’t seem like the type who would leave trash on the ground.
Nor did she think he’d eat such a nasty treat.
But who else would leave them?
She crumpled them up and tossed them into the trash. Mason said he’d take everything to the street on garbage day since it had to go out by seven thirty in the morning. She wasn’t about to argue that, but she shouldn’t have accepted his help. It was one thing to let him show her around and tell her about the town and its people, but it was another to allow him to get involved.
She shut off the kitchen light and stared through the window at Mason’s house. The lights on the main floor went dark, but a few windows on the second floor illuminated. She spotted Mason’s silhouette making his way up the staircase, his dog right by his side. They both disappeared once they reached the top.
Probably for the best. She wasn’t a creeper, and while there was no harm in looking, she didn’t need to be constantly drooling over her landlord.
Headlights flashed across the yard.
Her hands trembled when the car stopped in her driveway. She leaned against the wall next to the window, keeping an eye on the couple making their way up the sidewalk.
The woman was petite. Maybe five foot five. The man, h
owever, had to be a good six foot two, if not taller. And he was as broad as the state of Texas. He also sported an angry frown.
Ding. Dong.
Maybe it’s just the welcome wagon.
Right. It was almost nine in the evening. Who the hell just showed up at that hour to talk to a complete stranger?
Her hands trembled as she curled her fingers around the metal knob. The door squeaked. “May I help you?”
“Are you Destiny Baker?” the man asked.
She nodded. “Who are you?”
The couple exchanged a quick glance.
“My name is Dean Lawson, and this is my sister-in-law Angie. She’s the mom of the young man you tripped at the diner this morning.”
“Dean,” Angie scolded.
“She broke his nose.” Dean planted his hands on his hips.
“Jake was holding a waitress hostage.” Angie rested her hand on Dean’s biceps.
“I understand that,” Dean said under his breath. “But according to Jake, he’d let the waitress go before this woman stuck her foot out.”
This was not a conversation Destiny wanted anything to do with, especially on her own front porch. “What do you want from me?”
“We want to know your side of the story.” Dean’s lips formed a tight line. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “The police said that he’d let the waitress go and—”
“Mr. Lawson. I’m really sorry about your nephew’s nose. Really, I am. But he was going to make a run for it out the back door.” Destiny didn’t want these people in her personal space, so she stepped outside, closing the door.
“Did you know my nephew was only going out the back to check on a friend of his who had been beaten by her stepfather?”
“That’s not true,” Mason’s voice sliced through the evening air. “And you know it. Jake took off, leaving that young girl and the other boys to deal with me, and he knew damn well she’d been taken away in an ambulance.” Mason stood at the bottom of the steps. “I have done my best to help Jake and keep him out of trouble, but he crossed the line the other day, and now you’re crossing one. I think it’s best if you leave Miss Baker alone.”
“Mason,” Angie said softly. “We’ve gotten mixed messages about what happened the other day, and we’re just trying to get to the bottom of it. You were one of my husband’s good friends. You know how hard his death was on my boys.”
Mason rested his strong hand on Angie’s shoulder. “That’s why I’ve let that boy off more times than I should have, but this time he threatened to harm another human being. We couldn’t just let that go.”
“He can’t go to jail. I couldn’t bear it.” Angie swiped at her cheeks. “He’s just a child.”
A child who pressed a knife against a woman’s neck so hard it left a mark. Not to mention the anger that raged from the boy’s eyes. Destiny had seen that kind of wrath before, and it never ended well.
Never.
“Maybe this one will scare him straight,” Mason said, leading Angie and her brother-in-law back toward their car. “But he’s going to have to face the music.”
Destiny sat down in the rocking chair and watched as Mason spoke for another five or so minutes. Dean shook his head and even once raised his hand, but Mason seemed to keep things calm. She strained to hear the conversation, but they were too far away and way too quiet.
“They won’t be bothering you again.” Mason jogged up the steps. The wood stairs creaked under his weight.
“I didn’t mean to hurt that kid. I just didn’t want him to get away.”
“I know,” Mason said, leaning against the railing. “Unfortunately, he’s been in a lot of trouble since his father was killed, and my boss has pretty much had it. So have I. If his family is smart, they will talk him into taking the plea deal.”
“And what will that be?” She swallowed, remembering the negotiation she had with the Feds when it came to her own crimes, which she knew would make the hair on the back of Mason’s neck stand on edge. If he ever found out the truth about her, he’d send her packing.
Or arrest her.
“The DA has already offered the kid no jail time, but he has to plead no contest to a misdemeanor. Otherwise, they will take it to trial.”
“What’s the charge?” After she’d given her statement, she figured the incident was behind her. Now she found herself wanting to know more about the boy and his situation.
“Assault with a deadly weapon. But the bigger problem is if he doesn’t take the plea, he’ll be tried as an adult. If it sticks, he’ll be looking at a few years in jail. I don’t want that for the boy. He’s been through a lot, but that’s still no excuse.”
“But probation will be on his record forever.”
Mason shook his head. “The plea deal would include sealing his record if he doesn’t get into trouble while on probation.”
“What’s his uncle like?” Destiny told herself she was just gathering information to give to her handler to find out what they might want her to do.
Or not do.
“He’s okay, but ever since his brother died, he’s been angry. He blames himself. Thinks it should have been him.”
“How’d Jake’s dad die?”
“He was hit by a drunk driver, and that man is now out of jail and on parole and living only a few houses away.” Mason pointed to the north. “Right over the ridge, past the bed and breakfast.”
“I can understand how that would make them all angry.”
“Doesn’t mean I, as the assistant chief of police, can let things slide. They have to live by the same laws as the rest of us, and old man Dixon paid his debt to society.” Mason looked at his wrist. “It’s getting late, and I have an early morning shift, so I should head in. Why don’t you have dinner with me tomorrow.”
“Like a date?”
“Something like that,” he said with a smile.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You have to eat sometime, and you might as well let me cook for you.” With a wicked smile plastered on his face, he inched closer, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against her cheek. “You’re a dangerous woman,” he whispered.
“Why’s that?” She held her breath for as long as she could before letting it out slowly. Sex. That’s what she wanted and all she had to offer.
Somehow, she didn’t think sex with no strings in a small town ended well. Nor did she believe a man like Mason wanted a friend with benefits.
“Because you make me want to break my own rules.”
The corners of her mouth tugged upward into an involuntary smile. Flirting wasn’t much different than running a poker table. It was a bit of a game of cat and mouse. Her pulse increased as the endorphins kicked in. This is where she got herself in trouble.
But not this time.
She pressed her hand on his hard, muscled chest and pushed him back a few inches. Her breath hitched as she caught his sensual gaze. It captivated her like a deadly cobra, lulling its victim closer so that it could strike. “You made the rules for a reason; I don’t want you to even bend them.”
He laughed. His warm breath smelled like peppermint and tickled her skin. “You don’t even want to know what the rules are?” he asked with a teasing tone.
“I don’t need to know them to know you and I aren’t a good idea.”
He scowled. “Are you saying you’re not even remotely attracted to me?”
She shook her head. “But not the point. You’re my landlord, and that complicates things. I just moved here, and I know almost no one, yet everyone seems to know who I am. Add in the incident at the diner, and I feel like I’m on display, and what I really want is a nice, quiet life, away from noise and drama.”
“What does all of that have to do with the fact I’m dying to kiss you? And I think you want it too.”
Rising slowly, so she could be on the same level as him, she stiffened her spine and sucked in a deep breath. She wanted to be with him, no doubt. But it wasn’t
for any other reason than it had been a very long time since she had been with a man. He was exciting, and he had a damn dog.
All the more reason why she couldn’t be with him.
Ever.
“You seem like a real good man. And you are incredibly sexy, but I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone right now.”
“I can respect that.” He turned and headed across the yards. “Good night, Destiny. I’ll see you tomorrow night. We’ll have dinner. It won’t be a date.” He waved his hand.
Oh boy. She was in way over her head.
4
Coop jumped up on the door, his tongue hanging from his mouth while his tail slapped violently back and forth.
“What’s out there, Coop?” Mason figured a squirrel or a bird caught the dog’s attention, but when he looked out the window, his gaze was filled with the sweet backside of his adorable neighbor. She stood by the side of the house in a pair of jean shorts and a loose-fitting black tank top. Her muscled legs had a sun-kissed glow, and her hair had been piled up on top of her head in a clip, loose curls dangling down about her shoulders.
What the hell had gotten into him last night?
Being that forward wasn’t his thing. He preferred a more subtle and slow approach to asking a woman out.
But hell, he didn’t want to only ask her out on a date; he wanted to bring her to his bed. Sure, he’d had his share of one-night stands and short-lived flings. Lately, that’s the way he preferred it. Being in a relationship had only produced one problem after another. Having a fling, on the other hand, didn’t present the same repercussions.
That said, Destiny Baker had gotten under his skin and was sinking into his bloodstream.
“Need to go out, boy?” Dumb question. It was seven in the morning, and he hadn’t gone out since late last night.
Coop barked twice before falling to all fours. He danced in a circle.
“Leash,” Mason commanded.
Coop sat, cocking his head to the right as if Mason had just asked a question that had no answer.