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  Benjamin thought about boot camp, BUD/S, all his missions, and this totally fucked up week. Making his life a living hell was pretty much what his father had worked on since Benjamin had been about five. Not much this kid could do to top dear-old-dad.

  “Look, kid—”

  “Officer Long.”

  “Right. Officer Long. Holly’s an adult. I’m sure she’s fully capable of making her own decisions.” When the cop’s mouth hardened, Benjamin hurried on to add, “But I get it. You love your sister and you’re watching out for her. I promise to only be a boy scout around her.”

  The cop handed the license and registration through the window. “I’m only writing you a warning this time. Next time, I won’t be so nice.” He turned to walk away, then stopped and looked back. “And get your taillight fixed.”

  Benjamin frowned. There was nothing wrong with his taillight. He heard the crunch. He looked in his side mirror in time to see Officer Long putting his nightstick back into his belt.

  Long glanced toward the truck and grinned. “Fix your taillight,” he mouthed and pointed to the rear of Benjamin’s truck. Then he slid into the police cruiser, pulled around Benjamin’s truck, and drove off.

  “Goddammit.” Benjamin jumped from his truck and strode to the rear. Sure enough, the cocky little bastard had broken the driver’s side taillight. He kicked his tire as multiple versions of sonofabitch flowed through his gritted teeth.

  Then, for some reason, he laughed. Taking on a Navy SEAL like that took some balls, or a complete lack of brains, and the kid didn’t strike him as brainless. If he was the nice brother, the other two had to be something.

  Still…dammit. The light cover wouldn’t cost that much to replace. He was simply annoyed by the hassle of having to deal with it.

  Back in his truck, he started driving and then took himself in a different direction from the grocery story. Maybe he and his new girlfriend needed to have a talk. If she, as she’d said, announced next weekend that they’d split, he could likely expect more shit from the local PD, even if she told her brothers she’d been the one to break it off.

  The way he saw it, if she broke it off, then the family would think Benjamin had been some kind of asshole to her. If he broke it off, then he was the asshole who’d hurt their sister.

  Yeah, he didn’t see this being a win-win situation, or at least, not a win for him.

  He pulled into her driveway, thankful for not being stopped by San Diego police for a broken taillight. It had been dark when he’d brought her home and still dark when he’d delivered her car, and he’d not been able to see much of her property.

  Now, he could see the yard had been properly cared for. Flower beds without a single weed ran around the base of the porch and alongside the house. The yard’s thick grass had been recently mowed with the edges along the drive and sidewalk neatly trimmed. One step off the drive into her yard confirmed Holly’s stumble last night had been well-cushioned.

  The side of his mouth lifted in a smirk. He’d put money that her brothers kept the yard up for her.

  He bounded up the stairs and rang the bell. He could hear movement from inside the house. He stepped back so he was clearly visible through the door’s peephole. Inside a minute, a lock clicked, the door opened, and she was there, definitely wearing a surprised expression on her face. His heart knocked around in his chest.

  “Benjamin? I wasn’t…Did you forget something last night?” She looked over her shoulder and back to him. “I don’t remember seeing anything that might belong to you.”

  “How about a Ford F-250 taillight?”

  She frowned. “What?”

  He shook his head. “I had a run-in with your brother where he proceeded to bust out my truck’s taillight.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, lord. I’m sorry. Which brother?”

  “Coronado cop.”

  With a nod, she said, “Danny. Sorry. He’s the youngest and a little hotheaded.” She gave her head a shake. “Really sorry. I’ll have a talk with him. He won’t bother you again. I’ll make sure of that.”

  “Listen, have you got a minute? Can we talk?”

  “Talk?” The frown wrinkles on her forehead deepened. “Um, sure, I guess.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Um….” She stepped back and with a shrug, said, “Come on in.”

  “Is your daughter here?”

  “Oh, hell no,” she said with a laugh. “My angel of a mother took her and her cousin to the mall and then to dinner.”

  “How are you feeling?” he asked as he followed her to the open kitchen.

  She chuckled. “I suspect you know how I feel. Death warmed over. My mother thought it was hysterical.” She shook her head with a sigh. “Anyway, if Katie were here, I wouldn’t have let you through the door.”

  Taken aback, he could only nod, not quite sure what to make of her comment.

  “Can I get you something to drink? I’ve got water, juice, soft drinks, maybe a bottle of wine.”

  “Water would be great, thanks.”

  She filled a glass with ice and water from the door of her refrigerator. After filling a second glass, she motioned toward the screened Florida room at the back of the house. He’d admired the room when he’d put her car fob in the pottery frog on the back porch outside this room. Under the screened roof was a small pool with luscious tropical and floral landscaping. The entire backyard was fenced, so this area looked like a little oasis in the desert.

  “This is fantastic,” he said, looking around. “You really have the green thumb.” He took the glass she offered and gestured toward the front of the house. “I noticed the flower beds when I drove up. The big Japanese maple looks old.”

  “It is,” she said as she took a seat and gestured for him to do the same. “I don’t know how old. It was here when we bought the place.”

  “I guess your brothers help out with the mowing and such.”

  She did a spit-take of water. “My brothers? Help with yardwork?” The laugh that followed was loud. “I’m sorry,” she said when she could regain her composure. “They do not do the lawn or anything else around here. Patrick, my oldest brother, has three children and barely keeps up with his own yard. Lawrence lives in a condo so he doesn’t have to even think about grass and Danny…? He lives in an apartment and on his days off, he’d rather be at the beach than doing my yard.” She pointed to her chest. “Katie and I do all the yardwork.” Giving him a side-eye, she said, “Why? Are you some sexist who thinks women shouldn’t do things like that?”

  “Whoa,” he said, holding up his hands. “Never said that. Never thought that either. It was that Danny was so protective today, I just assumed they believed you to be…um…”

  “Useless?” she supplied.

  He winced. “Not useless. Maybe fragile.”

  She laughed again. “Dear God. I don’t know what Danny said to you, but trust me, I’m not fragile.”

  “I see that.” He smiled.

  “So, you wanted to talk. I’m happy to pay for that taillight, if that’s what this is all about.”

  “What? Lord, no. At first, I was pissed. I mean, really pissed at the gall of your brother. Then I realized that, if I had a sister, I’d probably look out for her like he was trying to do for you.”

  “Do you? Have a sister?”

  He shook his head. “No family.”

  “None? Like no parents? No grandparents? No sibs, cousins, whatever?”

  “Nope. Parents are deceased. Never knew my grandparents. No sibs.”

  The truth was, he had no idea if his old man was alive or dead. Frankly, he didn’t care either. His biological sire was dead to him. His dad had had a son to raise after his wife died. Instead, he’d dove head first into the bottle and stayed there. All Benjamin remembered of him was a sloppy drunk who’d blamed his son for all his life’s troubles and had never missed an opportunity knock him around. For Benjamin, his options had come down to kill the bastard or leave. He’d left.

&nbs
p; “Well, let me tell you,” Holly said. “Large families can be a total pain in the ass.”

  “That’s kind of why I’m here. Having met your brother, and reflecting on his assurance that he’s the nicer of your brothers, I think I can see your situation through your eyes. You said something last night about getting your family off your back. I got to thinking maybe you were being pressured to settle down with a guy so they don’t have to worry about you anymore. You’re taken care of, so to speak. Does that sound about right?”

  “Yes,” she said, nodding with each statement he’d made. “It’s as though I’m on their to-do list. Mow the yard. Fill the car with gas. Marry off sister.”

  He laughed. “You probably rank a little higher than mowing.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Both are chores.”

  “I don’t see you as a chore. You’re an independent woman capable of making your own decision, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And the last thing you need is your brothers trying to fix you up with blind dates, right?”

  She nodded. “Exactly.”

  “Having a boyfriend, or even a guy they think you see regularly, marks that box on their lists.”

  “Yup.”

  “Fine. I can understand your situation perfectly. But I am curious…” He set his glass on the table beside him then leaned forward. “How exactly did I become this mystery man? Why me?”

  She sighed. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I really am. Lawrence and Patrick started in on me about some new detective at the station. Some guy who recently moved here from Colorado. Apparently, even my dad knows the guy and thinks he was great.” She winced. “I snapped, you know? I just blurted out I was seeing someone. I didn’t have you in mind. I mean, not you specifically.”

  He grimaced. “Gee, thanks. That really boosts my ego.”

  She laughed. “As if you have any problem with that.”

  He grinned, loving that she felt comfortable enough to joke with him.

  “Who did you have in mind, if not me?”

  “I’d seen you at breakfast, and then again at the beach—thanks for saving that guy, by the way—and I guess your face just flashed in my mind and went with it. Stupid, I know.”

  Benjamin shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be.”

  Her forehead wrinkled. “Doesn’t have to be what?”

  “A lie.”

  “Not following.”

  He scooted to the edge of his chair and leaned toward her. This hadn’t been his reason for coming over. Hell, he couldn’t have said what his reason was, but maybe his sudden brainstorm wasn’t so bad.

  “We’re talking about what? A fake boyfriend until about September for the wedding? Four months? Shoot, I can do that.”

  Her mouth gaped. “You would do that for me? Why?”

  “Why not? Look, I’m in and out of the country all the time. I don’t expect that to change any time soon. I’m not seeing anyone and don’t really have the time, or inclination, to have a real relationship with a woman, at least not right now.”

  “Wow, that’s sad.”

  “That I’m traveling?”

  “No. That you don’t want a real relationship with a woman.” Her eyes narrowed to a slit. “Is that because you need me as your beard?”

  He gasped and then howled with laughter. “No, no, I’m into women, but…” He scooted his chair closer. “I’ve reached the point in my life where I’m not looking for love, marriage, the white picket fence and so forth. I’d not even sure love is a real thing. Sometimes I think people say love when they mean, ‘I’m tired of being lonely.’” He sat back in the chair. “I have the perfect life. I can do whatever I want. I can come and go as I please. No one but the Navy expects me to report in, and I like it that way.” He shrugged. “And frankly, having a steady girlfriend is convenient for me at the moment.”

  “What? The women beating down your door? Begging you to marry them?” She grinned.

  He lifted an eyebrow and a shoulder. “Yeah. I mean…” He waved his hand over his face and down his chest. “I’ll be honest. Yes. I’ve had two different women at two different times in my life claim to be pregnant, insisting I had to marry them.”

  Her mouth gapped. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.” He sighed. “The first one was when I was about twenty, when I was still naïve about how some women responded to me being a Navy SEAL.” He rubbed his head as the emotion of that event so many years ago came slamming back into his chest. “I’d fallen pretty hard for this gal. A real stunner. Scraped up every penny I could to buy her a ring, and then she up and disappeared. Later, she sent me a note to say that she’d married her old boyfriend, who’d been the father of the baby, not me. The last time was about…” He thought back. “Maybe five years ago. I knew it was impossible for her to be pregnant because I…well, I’ll leave it at I knew she was lying.”

  “I’ve lived here all my life. Grew up in Coronado, so when I say I understand, I do. I’ve heard about frog hogs my whole life. Heck, I knew a few and…” She leaned in. “To be honest, I never understood the attraction.”

  “Well, aren’t you great for a man’s ego,” he drawled.

  Her eyes grew wide. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean…”

  She dropped her face into her hands and her body started shaking.

  Was she crying? He’d been kidding. He hadn’t meant to upset her or embarrass her. He squatted next to her chair to say something, anything that would stop her crying. But then she snorted…loudly.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, slapping her hand over her mouth.

  Now that she was looking up, he could see the corners of her upturned grin as well as the amusement in her eyes.

  “That didn’t come out quite like I’d intended.”

  He grinned. “I can take it.” He retook his chair. “Now you know more about me. What’s your story? Obviously, you’re single and not husband hunting.”

  Her stomach took that moment to let out a loud growl. She covered her stomach with her hands. “Yikes. Sorry.”

  He stood. “Let me take you to dinner. We can talk while we eat.”

  “I have a better idea. I’ll cook, you’ll help, and we can eat here. How about three-way spaghetti?”

  “I don’t know what that is, but trust me when I say, there isn’t much I don’t eat.” Somehow, that sounded a whole lot dirtier than he’d intended, but apparently, she didn’t mind as she responded with a wide grin.

  “I’ll remember that. This is the easiest, fastest dish I can make. Keep me company while I cook?”

  “Sure. Can I get a refill?” He held up his empty water glass.

  “Of course. Are you sure I can’t interest you in wine or beer? I’ve got just about any booze you can think of in the bar. You’re welcome to help yourself.”

  “A beer with be great.”

  When she pulled the raw hamburger meat from the refrigerator, she left the door open and pointed to the beer with the white, plastic meat tray. “Help yourself, if you don’t mind.”

  Sizzling sounds and the aroma of cooking beef rose from the stove top as he settled back onto a stool.

  “What can I do to help?” he asked.

  “Nothing really. This isn’t a two-butt kitchen, so it can get tight with more than one person moving around.”

  “Understood.”

  He watched her stirring the meat while selecting various jars of spices and seasonings. She opened cans and started other pots heating on the stove.

  “Can you talk and work?” he asked.

  She glanced over, her face a pretty pink from the heat. “I can. Where do you want to start?”

  “I saw your daughter when you were at the Breakfast Club with her. How old is she?”

  “Twelve, going on twenty-five.”

  He chuckled remembering the conversation. “And her dad? Are you divorced?”

  She shook her head. “He’s deceased.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She looked
over at him. “It was a long time ago.”

  He waited, giving her time to piece together how she wanted to tell her story.

  “His name was Steve,” she began. “We met in the tenth grade when we were both fifteen. We went steady through high school and married as soon as we graduated.” She sprinkled spices into the bubbling tomato sauce. “And yes, we were way too young, but you couldn’t tell us anything.”

  She paused, shook her head, and with a sigh, continued. “I’d been a good student and finished my high school requirements by my junior year. The school and San Diego State University had an arrangement that allowed me to take college courses while I was still in high school. By the time I actually started college, I began as a second semester sophomore.”

  “Overachiever,” he said with a chuckle.

  She smiled. “Something like that. Anyway, Steve and I immediately got married after high school. I went to college on scholarships and he went to the police academy.”

  “A cop.”

  “Yes.” She looked at him. “I think I mentioned my whole family is made up of cops, going back to my dad’s dad.” Returning to her cooking, she said, “Steve wanted children immediately. I wanted to wait. After two years of constant discussion, I got pregnant and had Katie when I was twenty.” She turned on the oven and pulled a sleeve of saltines from the pantry. She put the crackers in a pan and slid them into the oven. She looked at him. “I love my daughter more than I can put into words, but I was too immature to balance a marriage, college, and a sickly newborn. There was a lot of stress.”

  He crossed his arms on the counter. “I imagine so. Too many irons and not enough fire.”

  “Exactly. Anyway, my parents were saints, doing whatever they could to help me and Steve manage.” She stirred the meat sauce in the pan one more tie then set the spoon aside. “Dinner’s ready.”

  He stood. “Point me to where everything is, and I’ll set the table.”

  She did, and he did. Soon, a bowl of hot spaghetti noodles covered with a chili meat sauce, beans, and cheese sat in front of him, the aroma so rich with spices he couldn’t help but inhale.

  “Wow. This looks and smells fabulous.”