Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“How’s Faith?”
Ethan’s always-hard expression mellowed. “Good, man.”
“Heard you were a dad,” Mike said, as shocked now as he was when he’d heard the news. He shook his head. “Ethan Barron, a father.”
Both his brothers grinned. “Can you believe it?” Nash, the lawyer, asked.
“Don’t know why you’re talking. You’ve got twins,” Dare said to Nash with a chuckle.
“Jesus.” Mike broke out in a sweat but had to admit Nash looked as happy as his older brother. And Ethan, well, he appeared calmer and more grounded than he ever had. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
“Congratulate Faith for me, okay?”
“Why don’t you come to dinner one night and do it in person?” Ethan said.
“Uh . . . ”
“Bring a date. I’ll have Faith give you a call and set it up.”
Mike managed a nod. “Sounds good,” he said, even if dinner with the newly minted family man had Mike itching inside the damn suit he had to wear for work.
“I’ll let you get back to your lunch,” Mike muttered and headed toward his siblings, his mind on Ethan’s last suggestion. Bring a date.
It was a week after he’d gotten home from New York City with Cara, and Mike knew that request would be make-or-break. They’d seen each other this week at work, and as if by mutual agreement, they hadn’t changed how they treated each other at work. No verbal or physical acknowledgment of the fact that they now had a relationship. But that didn’t stop the covert looks he gave her when nobody was looking or the heated ones she returned when she thought the same. He couldn’t help but admire the curvy body beneath the uniform or stop focusing on those bright-blue eyes beneath the fringe of bangs.
Neither had had time to get together during the past week, but he’d called her at night, texted her on occasion, and found himself thinking about her at odd moments. Things he’d never bothered to do with a female before her.
Yeah, she’d gotten to him.
But going out on a real date with another couple, even at their house, meant going public, and he had no idea how Cara would feel about that. She’d made it clear she didn’t want trouble at work now or after he was gone, and he understood. Yet he, the guy who didn’t do relationships, wanted people to know she belonged with him, and Ethan had given him an excuse to ask.
Sam mentioned they were going to Joe’s tonight—Sam, Cara, Dare and Liza, and the rest of their group of friends. Mike knew firsthand what happened when Cara went to Joe’s. Some guy ended up noticing and propositioning her, which he wanted to avoid. Which meant it was time to talk.
“Hey, you’re late,” Erin said, tapping on her watch.
Her voice brought him out of his own head and back to his surroundings.
“We ordered for you,” she continued.
“No problem.” Mike didn’t care what he ate as long as he did. He was starving. “A phone call ran long, and I stopped to catch up with Ethan Barron.” Mike settled in a chair next to Sam.
He glanced at his siblings. Since it was the middle of the week and a workday, Mike wore a suit. He’d spent the morning in meetings with the mayor—wasn’t she a pain in the ass—and then with other town officials who’d requested a face-to-face. Sam, who’d come back to work on Monday, was in uniform, back on patrol; Erin was also dressed professionally in a skirt and blouse.
“Not that I mind meeting you guys, but you sounded upset,” Mike said to his sister.
Erin’s hazel eyes met his. “It’s about Mom.”
“Mom?” Sam and Mike asked at the same time.
“Not Dad? I thought you’d be concerned about Dad,” Sam said.
Mike agreed.
“Except Dad’s doing well enough, all things considered. Mom’s jumpy.”
“Erin, honey, wouldn’t you be if you were her?” Sam asked. “Look at all she’s been through with Dad.”
“It’s more,” she said firmly.
“I think you’re overreacting,” Sam said.
Mike frowned at his brother. Erin was one of the most compassionate and insightful people he knew. If she said something was wrong with their mother beyond the obvious, he believed her.
“What makes you think there’s more?” Mike asked her.
“After she overreacted to the whole Facebook conversation last week at dinner, I tried to talk to her. She clammed up. Didn’t say she was fine, didn’t say she was overreacting, she just pursed her lips and said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ That’s not Mom. At least, not how Mom is with me.”
“That’s true.” Ella was close to Erin and never shut her out. She rarely shut anyone out.
“Sam?” Erin asked. “You’re going to hang with Dad tonight, right?”
He nodded. “Can you talk to her? Or at least just keep an eye out and tell me if you notice anything . . . different?”