Their relationship isn’t real...

But his feelings for her are!

Detective Jack Talbott has devoted his life to ending police corruption. His latest target is Liv Hylton, the ex-wife of a dirty cop. She’s also the woman he’s secretly loved for years. To get close to her, Jack’s going undercover as her boyfriend. But when the evidence points to Liv’s innocence and a threat to her safety, he’ll do anything to protect her. Even risk his career...

PATRICIA JOHNS writes from Alberta, Canada. She has her Hon. BA in English literature and currently writes for Mills & Boon Love Inspired and Heartwarming lines. You can find her at patriciajohnsromance.com.

Also by Patricia Johns

A Baxter’s Redemption

The Runaway Bride

A Boy’s Christmas Wish

Deputy Daddy

The Lawman’s Runaway Bride

The Deputy’s Unexpected Family

His Unexpected Family

The Rancher’s City Girl

A Firefighter’s Promise

The Lawman’s Surprise Family

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Her Lawman Protector

Patricia Johns

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07853-5

HER LAWMAN PROTECTOR

© 2018 Patricia Johns

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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To my husband, who has always thought

I was the prettiest girl in the room.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

LIV HYLTON CRACKED open a box of books, uncovering glossy paperback covers. The smell of new books never ceased to hit her brain right in the pleasure center. She was still filling shelves in her brand-new bookshop in Eagle’s Rest, Colorado, and she was a stickler for variety. One thing she hated in a bookstore was having access only to the ten top sellers. Sometimes she didn’t want a bestseller. Sometimes she wanted a fresh discovery, a delightful distraction...and Hylton Books was going to provide just that to the tourists who came for skiing each winter and for Eagle’s Rest Lake in the summer.

With the leaves changing to their brilliant autumn foliage, the tourists were gone—an ideal time to be doing the grunt work of opening a new business. She’d have everything streamlined by ski season.

Liv pulled a hand through her hair and heaved a sigh. Her jeans had shrunk one too many times, and they were getting uncomfortably tight. That’s what she was telling herself, at least. She’d gained weight, but she was done with diets. After ten years of marriage, where she constantly struggled to lose weight, she wasn’t doing that to herself anymore. At the age of thirty-two, this was her body—no more punishment.

The newly installed shelves were high—a sliding library ladder attached at one side of the store and could be swept along to whichever point along the wall it was needed. That had been hard to come by, but a local contractor had gotten his hands on an old sliding ladder from an archives building in Denver, and it all had come together rather nicely. Like it was meant to be.

Morning light spilled from the display window onto the front counter, and her gaze drifted toward the creased note that lay next to a pile of mystery novels. She’d found the paper on the floor that morning, shoved through the mail slot. It was a simple piece of computer paper with letters cut from magazines—creepy. The last two notes she’d tossed out, thinking they were a prank by some local kids, but this one had settled into her gut and left her nervous.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Go on back and leave us alone or you’ll regret it.

This note sounded darker than the others and less logical. Warn her about what? And how was she bothering anyone in Eagle’s Rest? She’d been born here, gone to Eagle’s Rest Elementary back when there was only one elementary school in town. Her grandparents, who’d already passed away, had settled here after they got married. Everyone she’d talked to seemed really excited about a bookstore coming to town. So, go back? To Denver, where she’d lived the past ten years with her ex?

The implied snarl and the confusing logic behind the note chilled her. She didn’t think she had any enemies here, but maybe she was wrong about that. Whoever had left this note didn’t seem stable, and who knew what an unstable person would do for their own convoluted reasons? She’d called the police station as soon as she’d read the note, and they’d promised to send an officer down.

Liv flipped through the stack of mysteries, putting the books in alphabetical order. But her mind wasn’t fixed on the work at hand, and she glanced out the front window at the sun-dappled sidewalk. She was waiting for the officer to arrive. It wasn’t that she thought there was some special magic in a cop’s eyes moving over that page. Her ex was a cop, so she knew their limitations, but if they could at least put this into the system, pass around a memo that she was being threatened—something! Maybe she could give local cops a deep discount for shopping at her store and keep a visible police presence on this street. That was an idea.

A small, jagged part of her missed having a cop husband...missed the implied protection. But that was over now, and it was time to face life like everyone else did.

Liv brushed her hands down her hips, wiping the dust from her palms. Behind her, there was a tap on the window. Liv recognized the blue uniform but couldn’t make out a face. In her heart, whenever she saw that uniform, it was Evan’s smile that popped into her mind, and she was left feeling that mixture of heartbreak and anger all over again. Whatever. An officer had arrived. She wanted someone to look at the note and give her an honest answer—should she be worried or not? She crossed the store and unfastened the dead bolt on the front door. She pulled it open, and as the officer looked up, she stopped short.

She knew this cop—but not from Eagle’s Rest. This was one of Evan’s colleagues from Denver. She gave him a quizzical look.

“Hi, Liv.” He smiled hesitantly. He was tall and broad, solidly muscled, and “cop” seemed to ooze out of his pores. He had that professionally distant look about him, both comforting and disconcerting at once. But he had a gentleness around the edges, too. Jack always had been a good-looking guy.

“Jack Talbott?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I transferred. I’m now stationed in Eagle’s Rest.”

“Seriously?” That was weird—her hometown wasn’t exactly well-known. “And what did you do to deserve the demotion?”

Cops didn’t angle for small-town positions. They all wanted more action, like in Denver.

“It’s a faster climb to chief in a place this size,” he said with an impish smile. “I requested it.”

That might be true, but it was still a weird coincidence. He stepped past her over the threshold and ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. She was struck by the sheer size of him. How often did he pump weights to be that beefy?

“The place looks good,” Jack said. His brown gaze swept around the shop, landing once more on her.

She nodded, accepting his compliment. It did look good in here, and she was proud of it, but she had more pressing concerns right now. “Are you here for the note?”

“That was the idea,” Jack said. “This it?”

He reached for the paper on the countertop and pulled out an evidence bag.

“I’ve held it, touched it, smoothed it...” She winced. “I’m sorry. Of all people, I should know better than that.”

Jack put the paper into a bag anyway and regarded it for a moment.

“So who’s mad at you, Liv?”

“No idea.”

He looked over at her, and she could see that he didn’t quite believe her. That rankled.

“I don’t know,” she said more firmly. “I grew up here. I wasn’t anyone of consequence. I wasn’t beautiful or cruel. I didn’t even have a boyfriend until I left Eagle’s Rest for college. I have no idea who I managed to tick off.”

“Okay...” He nodded. “If you suspect anyone, you need to tell me, though.”

“Is this serious?” she asked.

“It’s...” He nodded again. “Yeah, it’s definitely concerning. When there are personal threats like this one and law enforcement doesn’t take it seriously enough, that’s when tragedy strikes.”

Liv’s heart sped up, and she crossed her arms over her chest as if that might protect her somehow.

“There were two others. But those were handwritten, and...” She sighed. “Looking back they were probably more useful to you. But I didn’t think they were serious.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I thought they were kids being dumb, or a prank. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the cops and have some juvenile cousin laughing at me for being so jumpy. They just didn’t seem like an actual threat.”

“Until now.” He lifted up the note.

“Until now,” she agreed.

“Where are the other notes?” he asked.

“The garbage. I just...tossed them.” She sighed. “So who would do this? What do you think it is?”

“Do you suspect anyone is...abnormally interested in your life?” he asked, not quite answering her question but raising her anxiety yet another notch.

“No.” She sighed. “Would I know, though? I mean, if someone had issues...how obvious would it be?”

“What about Evan?”

Her heart constricted a little at her ex’s name, and she frowned, disliking the reminder. “Jack, Evan’s in Denver. He married Officer Hot Pants. You should know. You were at the wedding, weren’t you?”

Officer Hot Pants was actually Detective Serena Michaels, now Serena Kornekewsky. Evan and Serena had been partners, and the affair had been going on for some time before Liv had clued in... Serena was short, slim and as blond as a Swedish maiden—Liv’s polar opposite. That was insult to injury, especially after all the work Liv had put into slimming down.

“But does he hold any grudges?” Jack asked, those dark eyes still fixed on her with uncomfortable directness. “Divorces get ugly.”

“Marriages can get ugly, too,” she quipped. “And yes, we have some tensions, but this isn’t Evan’s style. And why should he care that I’m in Eagle’s Rest? That doesn’t make sense. His life went on.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. I’m just checking all avenues here. The thing is, Liv, these kinds of threats can be hoaxes, but most times someone won’t go to this much trouble unless they have some personal grievance. The more personal someone’s issue with you, the more dangerous it is. I’d feel better if I could keep an eye on you.”

Great. So she had some vengeful enemy that she didn’t even know about. Liv tried to calm her rising anxiety. But this was Eagle’s Rest. She knew this town like the back of her hand. She was surrounded by friends and family here...and Jack had picked Evan’s side in their divorce. While it might be understandable considering they were colleagues, it didn’t make him her favorite person right now.

“I don’t mean to be petty, Jack,” she said after a moment. “But I think I’d be more comfortable with another officer.”

“Look, I’m just going to say this. I’m a Denver cop. I’m the one with experience in the nastier side of things. The cops here—they just haven’t seen what I have.”

“You’re connected to my ex-husband, and I’m trying to make a fresh start here.”

“I worked with him,” Jack said. “That’s all.”

“You were at his second wedding,” she replied blandly.

Jack shrugged, then met her gaze. “It’s up to you, Liv. But I’m the one with the experience, and they’re short-staffed right now. Just ask the police chief. That’s why he requested I take this one.”

“And you think the local cops can’t protect me?” she asked. “Eagle’s Rest might be small, but—”

“I think they might be blinded to their own neighbors,” Jack interrupted. “And while they are fine officers, I’m a cynical guy, and that’s what you need right now. Whoever wrote this meant business—I’m willing to bet on it.”

She needed him—that’s what he was telling her. But she’d never known Jack terribly well, and something wasn’t sitting right with her about this whole situation.

“How come you’re acting like this is personal for you?” she asked after a moment.

“Because it is,” he replied. “You’re one of my own—you were part of the Denver family.”

“So what are you saying?” she asked. “Cards on the table. Should I worry?”

“Nah.” Jack shot her a grin, the smile softening his chiseled features. “Not while I’m around. You’ll be fine.”

She felt a smile tickle the corners of her own lips. If he was so dead set on standing guard, she’d be stupid to turn him down. Even if these notes turned out to be an elaborate prank, she’d at least rest easier until that was confirmed.

But worry still nagged at the back of her mind. Was it possible that this was connected to Evan? He did owe her something...they just hadn’t included that little debt in their divorce agreement... But would he go to these lengths?

“Thanks,” she said with a nod. “Just until we figure out what’s going on.”

* * *

JACK HADN’T EXPECTED Liv to suddenly confess her involvement in her ex-husband’s scam, but he had noticed her eagerness to get another officer to protect her. She said it was because of his nominal friendship with Evan, but if she were involved in a scam, she’d want him as far away from her business as possible. He’d worked in the fraud division, after all, and he was up for a spot in internal investigations if he proved himself on this case. She may need police protection at the moment, but she’d probably prefer someone easier to manipulate.

Jack could see how easy it would be for one of the local guys to fall right into her trap, too. Liv was not only beautiful, but she had wide green eyes that showed old pain and fresh hope. Even her clothes were soft and feminine in a most disarming way. Snug jeans that accentuated those womanly hips, and a loose white blouse that showed just a hint of flesh tone through the gauzy fabric. If he didn’t have all the facts in a file on the police chief’s desk, he might fall for her charms, too.

Heck, he had before...

“Maybe we should clear the air about Evan’s wedding,” Jack said.

“I don’t think there is much else to say,” she retorted.

“He was my colleague, and he invited the whole department to the wedding. It was...basically, it was a schmooze-fest. How did you know I was there?”

“Social media pictures,” she said, and then color flushed her cheeks. “And no judging. With all the tags from people I knew, I couldn’t avoid it. I saw you in pictures, and I’m sorry, but it sure feels like you chose his side.”

“I wasn’t choosing sides. I was just...going through the motions. Look, Liv—I never approved of what Evan did to you. But I do aim to stay out of other people’s relationships. No good can come of sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

Frankly, a small and petty part of him had been thinking that he’d be glad to step in if Evan was going to walk away. He was still single at thirty-five, but not because he hadn’t been looking around at his options. But then they’d started investigating Evan and discovered that Liv had been delivering paperwork to the fraud victims. And he’d been disappointed in a way that stung and made him angry. She wasn’t supposed to be like her ex, but it looked like she was in this hip deep.

Liv picked up a book from a box on the counter and then headed for a shelf at the back of the store. She walked her fingers across the spines of the volumes already on the shelf. When she spoke, emotion choked her voice.

“Did you know he was cheating on me?”

She slid the book into place, then turned toward him. Some of the color had drained from her cheeks, and Jack heaved a sigh. Getting into this wasn’t going to help his cause here...but then again, if they could get this out of the way, she might trust him a little bit more.

“I did,” he confirmed.

She nodded briskly, then came back to the counter, reaching into the box again.

“The messenger gets shot in these sorts of situations,” he added. “You know that.”

“Everyone knew, didn’t they?” She tapped another book against her hand, and irritation snapped in those green eyes.

“A lot of people knew,” he confirmed. “And a lot of people told him he was making a mistake.”

“Did you?”

No, he hadn’t. He’d never been that close to Evan, and Jack didn’t like wasting his breath. Besides, he’d been afraid that his attraction for Liv would be obvious if he started in on Evan for his cheating ways, and he wasn’t exactly proud of the fact that he felt that way about someone else’s wife. Jack was the kind of guy who believed in right and wrong—it was why he’d become a cop to begin with. And lusting after a married woman fell solidly into the category of wrong. Too bad Liv wasn’t as different from her ex as he’d thought back then.

“No, I didn’t lecture Evan on his personal failures,” Jack replied. “And I know that isn’t a whole lot of comfort to you right now, but the thing is, if a man needs his colleagues to reprimand him into monogamy, he’s not much of a man.”

Liv was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I agree with that.”

“And for what it’s worth, I have no idea how he strayed when he had you to come home to.”

Besides the fact that they seemed to share a knack for real estate fraud. Jack’s department had found more evidence that pointed to her involvement in Evan’s schemes—this very bookstore, as a matter of fact. Complaints about some deeply unethical behavior during the purchase of this property five years ago had sparked their suspicions. They’d had enough to start a formal, albeit undercover, investigation six months ago, and their digging had brought them to Liv.

“Too bad Evan didn’t feel the same way about monogamy,” she said bitterly. “Whatever. It’s in the past, and this is a fresh start.”

How fresh, though? Was this a part she was playing—stung woman starting over? Or was her fresh start going to involve a nice influx of cash? If she and Evan were parting ways in business now, Evan might owe her an awful lot.

“I’m just curious,” he said. “When did you buy this place?”

“Evan and I bought it about five years ago,” she replied. “Evan figured it might be a good investment, and I’d been hoping to put it to good use. Never thought that would be after our divorce, of course, but...” She shrugged. “I asked for this building when we divided our assets.”

“Evan was okay with that?”

“This is Eagle’s Rest. We bought it for a song from an old woman who needed the money. In exchange for this place, I didn’t contest some other stuff. So Evan was happy.”

That was strange, considering that Evan had gone out of his way to buy as many surrounding properties as possible. But he’d let this one go? Maybe Liv wasn’t planning on parting ways with her ex when it came to their scam, after all. Money might mean more than wedding vows to some people.

“So Evan cheats on you, and you accept a piece of worthless property?” He wasn’t supposed to be cross-examining her, but he was curious how she’d defend that.

“It’s not worthless,” she retorted. “It’s chock-full of sentimental value. I was looking at the life I wanted now that I was single, and I wanted to come home. Besides, there’s something to be said for low property taxes—especially when you’re just starting out.”

“Has he shown any interest in this place since?” Jack asked.

She shook her head. “No. Look, Jack, I’m not Evan’s biggest fan right now, but he has no reason to try to scare me away from this store. I’m out of his way. He’s got the woman he wants, and he’s got Denver. Frankly, I think he’s glad to be rid of me.”

Before Jack could think too deeply about her defense of her ex-husband, Liv glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to finish up with these shelves before lunch.”

That was a dismissal—he could hear it in her tone. Should he push it today? Maybe not...

“Okay,” he said. “But I want you to keep your doors locked and your alarm system activated for the time being.”

Her cheeks colored. “I don’t actually have an alarm system yet.”

So the sign in the door’s window was a decoy. That was good to know if they got a search warrant and they needed to take a look around later.

“You should look into that,” he said. “And be aware of your surroundings. Make a note of anyone who hangs around or shows a little too much interest in your store.”

“I need people to show interest, Jack.” She shook her head. “I’m opening a new business! I need customers.”

“Trust your gut,” he replied. He was hoping that her guilt would make her gut a little more touchy than usual, and she’d call him back.

“I will.” Liv looked like she wanted to say something more, then gave him a tight smile. “Thanks, Jack. And you guys will be patrolling this street, right?”

You guys. She was still banking on the rest of the police force here.

“You bet,” he replied, pulling a card from his pocket. “I’ll be in touch. In the meantime, if anything seems weird or uncomfortable—day or night—you call me.”

She took the card from his fingers, her gaze lingering on his for a beat longer than necessary. She looked worried, and while he was only doing his job in an undercover fraud investigation, he felt a faint pang of guilt. The testosterone-fueled part of him didn’t like tricking a woman into letting him get closer. In fact, while it was perfectly legal to be dishonest in order to get a confession out of a suspect, it never felt morally comfortable to him.

Still, these were the tactics available to the police, and what was worse: some dishonesty to catch a criminal, or letting a criminal go to victimize someone else? When someone was trying to lie and deceive, they didn’t tend to come clean with straightforward questioning. Like any undercover operation, there was going to be some deception. A lot of people from his community growing up in a poor section of Denver had been the victims of some illegal police deception in the past, so it was a little harder for him to rationalize it away. Still, for all he knew, he was saving Liv’s life before she got in too deep to some criminal ring. There were some seriously scary people who would do anything for a big enough payout. And he was pretty confident that she was in league with them.

“You’ve got my number there,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, then licked her lips. “I appreciate it.”

“I mean that.” He caught her gaze and held it. “You call me.”

Liv nodded and glanced away. He’d done what he could today—planted a few seeds. He’d suggest to the chief that they leave another threatening letter overnight just to complete the process. Undercover operations required some careful setup, and she was still a little resistant to letting him in closer.

Jack headed for the door and pulled it open. “Take care now, Liv.”

And when he glanced over his shoulder, he caught those clear green eyes fixed on him, her lips slightly parted and her cheeks pale. She clutched a book in front of her in a white-knuckled grip.

Blast. He wasn’t supposed to be feeling anything more than professional satisfaction at what he’d accomplished today, but instead, he was experiencing a mixture of regret and pity. She was scared. Later on, his job would be to make her feel safe again—make her open up. He was looking forward to that part of the job just a little too much.

If he was smart, he’d get these errant feelings under control. She might be beautiful, but that didn’t change the evidence.

CHAPTER TWO

LIV ARRIVED AT the store the next morning, half afraid she’d find another note, but the floor in front of the mail slot was bare. She sighed in relief, then took a moment to pull herself together. She wouldn’t be scared off by a coward who worked in anonymous notes. As the morning passed by, she put away the last of the books, but there were more deliveries expected. She ordered in some lunch—a slice of vegetarian pizza with a salad on the side and an order of potato wedges. She was hungry, but she was also nervous. And when she got nervous, she tended to eat. She’d always been this way, even as a kid. In her elementary school years, she’d been filled with social anxiety and was constantly peckish. She’d get on the school bus every morning with dread in her belly, and she’d have her lunch polished off before she even arrived at school.

Back then, she didn’t have a lot to be nervous about. It was just anxiety of the general variety. She’d had friends and several first cousins in the school, so she’d never been alone. A boy had started making fun of her once, and her three older cousins had beaten him up. For better or for worse, those were days when a bloody nose didn’t turn into family counseling, and Liv had gone through school both chubby and unharassed. Some called that a miracle, but Liv had a secret—she’d mastered the art of the compliment early. But as a grown woman with a marriage in her wake, Liv was tired of people-pleasing, and she’d started mastering the art of a well-timed comeback.

Liv popped the last of the wedges into her mouth just as someone rattled the front door. She looked up, still chewing, to see her aunt Marie peering through the window. Liv sighed and went to unlock the door.

“Why did you lock it?” Marie asked as Liv opened the door. “This isn’t Denver, my dear.”

Marie was a petite woman—barely over five feet tall and as trim as she’d been at twenty. She’d aged well, and at sixty, with her hair dyed a respectable brown, she could pass for five years younger.

“Hi, Auntie,” Liv said. “Come on in.”

Marie looked around, her gaze stopping at the greasy paper plate on the counter. “Liv, dear, you need to eat better.”

Would Marie give that same advice to her stick-thin daughter if she’d just consumed the same meal? Not likely. This was the kind of pressure she lived under, and since her divorce she’d decided to stop apologizing for eating.

“Do you know anyone who hates me?” Liv asked, changing the subject.

Marie blinked. “What?”

“Someone who hates me.” Liv slowed it down. “Or hates the idea of this bookstore...”

“No, of course not.” Marie eyed Liv speculatively. “What’s going on?”

“I got a threatening note. Three, actually. The police think it’s serious.”

“Threatening what, exactly?” Marie asked.

“Nothing specific. That if I don’t leave town, I’ll regret it. That sort of thing.”

Marie blew out a breath. “You haven’t been toying with another woman’s husband, have you?”

Liv burst out laughing. “I love how you always see me in the best light, Marie.”

“I’m just... It’s brainstorming, dear. What would upset someone around here? Home-wrecking, I suppose. That’s all I can think of.”

“I agree that home-wrecking is horrible, considering Evan’s cheating,” Liv replied drily, “but I’ve kept my own home-wrecking to a minimum.”

“Well, it’s a silly question to begin with!” Marie said with a shake of her head.

“Or it would be, if someone weren’t trying to scare me off,” Liv replied.

“But this is your hometown. If anyone belongs here, it’s you.”

Liv was forced to agree. She’d come home to lick her wounds postdivorce. A threatening note—it was weird.

“Is it possibly a joke?” her aunt said after a beat of silence.

“I thought so at first,” Liv admitted. “I’ve never been one to inspire this much drama, but the police think it’s something more.”

“The police may be wrong.”

“True. And if they aren’t?”

“You need a man around here,” Marie said. “And that isn’t me trying to meddle. Maybe put out some big shoes so that people think you have a boyfriend or something. A male presence might help.”

Useful. Except she did have an officer making his services available in that department. Maybe she should take Jack’s offer more seriously.

“Anyway,” Marie went on, “we’re having a family barbecue at our place and wanted to invite you. Unless, of course, you’re too full—” She looked toward the paper plates again, and Liv’s irritation simmered back up. She was tired of the constant nagging when it came to what she ate. Yes, she was plus-size, but how on earth did that make her lunch anybody else’s business? It had been like this since she was young and well-meaning extended family tried to be a “good influence” on her.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, Auntie. I’ve been reading some articles on dementia,” Liv said, fixing her aunt with her most concerned look. “And there are brain exercises you can do to ward it off.”

Marie coughed, the color draining from her face. “I’m sixty.”

“I know.” Liv held the eye contact meaningfully. “Should I print off the articles for you?”

Marie turned for the door. “No, you should not.”

“Because if you change your mind, I’ve saved them all!” Liv called after her aunt, who hauled open the door. “There are some games that your children can play with you to help keep your mental faculties sharp, as well—there’s one with a brightly colored ball.”

“Hilarious, Liv. Point made.” Marie shot her a scathing look over her shoulder. “I hope you’re advising your mother of these mental exercises, too!”

“Only when she criticizes me for eating lunch,” Liv quipped.

“Fine. I’m sorry if I offended you, but I do care. Are you coming tonight or not?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Liv said with a sweet smile. “See you.”

Marie stomped out of the store, and the newly installed bell tinkled cheerily at her exit. Liv smiled to herself, enjoying this brief victory. She was tired of explaining herself, her food choices, her divorce...all of it. But did she really want to attend this barbecue just to have her aunt mentally tally up her calories? She was tired of being the big girl who nibbled carrot sticks while everyone else gorged on ribs, only to make up the difference when she got home again, ashamed of herself on too many levels. No more faking it. She had to start trusting her own observations and stop worrying about everyone else’s. Easier said than done sometimes, but she had a feeling that, like most things, it was a matter of practice.

Liv stood motionless for a few beats as her aunt disappeared down the street, and Liv’s irritation slipped away, leaving her feeling mildly guilty. It was stupid—her aunt had been insulting her, and yet she felt bad for having given her a taste of her own medicine. But that’s how she’d always felt when she stood up for herself—guilty. That needed to stop, too. The door swung slowly shut but stopped a couple of inches short of closed.

Liv sighed and headed over to see what was blocking the door. It was a small package wrapped in brown paper, Mrs. Kornekewsky written in black marker across the front. It seemed to have tipped from the corner into the doorway as her aunt left.

Kornekewsky wasn’t her name anymore—she’d been quite happy to shed it. But someone was clinging to her marriage...

Liv bent and picked the parcel up. She held it for a moment, wondering whether she should call Jack now or open it herself. Curiosity won out. If someone was going to all this trouble to scare her away, she wanted a clue as to who it was.

She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the tape, peeling back the paper to reveal a small teal-colored box. The lid came off easily, and she looked down at what seemed to be a collection of photos.

She tipped them onto the counter, careful not to touch them this time—they were a collection of grainy pictures that looked like they were taken on a cell phone, and they showed Liv in various places about town. The grocery store, the library, at a street corner... And nothing else. No note. No explanation. She eased the pictures back into the box, clamped the lid back down and swallowed against the bile rising in her throat.

Mrs. Kornekewsky. Her heart hammered, but under the panic was a certainty—this was connected to Evan. Somehow, maybe even in someone’s fevered mind, this was connected to her cheating ex. Was there no getting rid of him, or had their marriage entangled him in her life irrevocably?

Liv pulled open the drawer where she’d put Jack’s card and rummaged around until she came up with it. She fumbled as she dialed, and it rang three times before he picked up.

“Detective Jack Talbott.”

“Jack. It’s me... It’s Liv. I got a package. Not last night...sometime today. I didn’t see anyone, but when Marie left—” She swallowed, knowing she wasn’t making sense.

“Liv. Slow down. What’s happened?” Jack said.

“I received a package at some point after I came down at nine this morning,” she said, trying to compose herself. “It was addressed to Mrs. Kornekewsky, and it contains pictures of me.”

“Okay.” Jack’s tone turned curt. “Don’t touch it again. I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you.” She sucked in a breath, and she suddenly felt better. She wasn’t alone in this. And while Aunt Marie might think this was only a joke, Liv was now convinced otherwise. It would take a sick person to joke around like this.

“And lock the door until I get there,” Jack said. “See you soon.”

Liv ended the call. All of her earlier bravado had evaporated, and she stared at the box on the counter with a shudder. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out who’d hate her this much or what it had to do with Evan. Jack seemed to think it might be Evan, but while he might be a cheater, he still had some respect for her as his ex-wife. Maybe Jack could figure this out faster than she could. Her aunt was right—she needed a male presence around here, and a pair of decoy shoes wasn’t going to cut it.

* * *

CHIEF SIMPSON EXCHANGED a look with Jack as he hung up his phone. A few officers in the bull pen were typing away on their paperwork; the coffeepot gurgled to one side. Jack tucked his phone into his pocket and rested a hand on his belt.

“It would appear that the pictures worked, sir,” Jack said. “Kudos to Buchannan for the drop-off.”

This was the most adventure this precinct had seen in decades, or would again, if Jack could guess. Buchannan had gone in plain clothes and, apparently, it had all gone off without a hitch. Now it was up to Jack.

The chief crossed his arms over his ample belly. “Your assignment is clear. You’re to tell her it’s imperative that you shadow her for her own safety. If she needs further confirmation, bring her by the station and I’ll sit her down. But if all goes according to plan, you should be able to begin your investigation.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll be in touch.”

“We’re staying in close contact with the team that is watching Kornekewsky, so if he tries to reach her, we’ll inform you ASAP.”

“Sounds good.”

“And, Talbott?” The chief’s voice grew firm.

“Sir?”

“Stay close to her, but you don’t have permission to cross any lines.”

“Lines, such as...” Jack was pretty sure he knew what the chief meant, but some things were safer to spell out in case they had different ideas of where that line started.

“No romantic entanglement. It’s easy to bend the rules when you’re undercover, and I don’t want that happening here. I want this clean. Don’t give their defense lawyers any gifts, you hear me?”

Jack was more professional than that, and this wasn’t his first undercover operation as a detective, even though it was his first for internal investigations. This was his chance to nab a spot tracking down the dirty cops—something he’d wanted since he was a kid in the projects, watching cops plant evidence.

This felt eerily similar—using planted scare tactics to nab a suspect. Back in the projects, he’d seen the cops who were supposed to protect a community tear it apart—his own cousin had done jail time for a possession conviction based on planted evidence. But that had been different. Berto had been an innocent kid, and the cops who were planting evidence were being paid off by the big drug dealers to divert suspicion away from them. They had to “catch” someone now and again so it looked like they were doing their job. Berto had never been the same again when he got out of prison. When he’d finally pulled himself together, he’d joined a gang, solidifying his life in crime. And Jack had vowed to make it right—get the cretins who’d done this to his cousin.

So while he might find the suspect attractive, he wasn’t foolish enough to get emotionally involved with her. This was a search for evidence and a chance to even the scales a little bit. He was firmly on the side of the boys in blue.

“Loud and clear, sir. Strictly professional.”

“Good luck.”

As Jack headed out of the precinct, he felt a combination of relief and adrenaline. This was a job, and adrenaline always kicked in when he was getting to work, but he was also relieved to be finally heading in there. This wasn’t personal, but the sooner they started, the sooner they could suss out the extent of this scam and lay charges. There were a lot of vulnerable people whose investments and livelihoods might rely on it.

It didn’t take Jack long to arrive at Hylton Books, and he hopped out of his cruiser and headed around to the front door. Liv must have been watching for him, because she met him at the door and opened it before he had a chance to knock.

“Hi,” she said, backing up to let him in. “It’s on the counter.”

She nodded in the direction of the small box, but she didn’t go closer.

“I talked to the chief before I came,” Jack said, heading for the box and taking the required look. He knew what he’d find—the chief had shown it to him that morning.

“What did the chief say?” she asked, her voice low.

“He said that you need protection round the clock until we sort this out. I’ve been assigned to you.” He put the box back down on the counter, keeping it within her line of sight. She was silent for a moment.

“Jack, why was it addressed to Mrs. Kornekewsky?” she asked. “Whatever this is, it has to do with Evan. I just don’t see how.”

“Maybe Evan was up to something,” Jack said.

“He’s a fellow cop, Jack! That’s where you go first thing?” She shook her head. “Evan is a cheating louse, but he’s still one of the good guys. As much as I hate to admit that.”

Yeah. Jack wasn’t so convinced. And “good guy” was a strong description for the husband who’d dumped her.

“It’s pretty clear that this has to do with Evan. You might not like that, but it’s true. And you used to be married to him, so—”

He wanted to solidify that fact in her mind right now—this had everything to do with her ex-husband. Maybe she’d be more forthcoming with information if they didn’t waste time dancing around that one.

“So someone is mad at Evan—” She shook her head. “Everyone in town knows about my divorce. It’s the juiciest news Eagle’s Rest has had for the last year. Why target me?”

“Is there anything you can think of that might connect him to this town?” he asked.

“Besides this building? I told you we bought it together. His name was on the deed until he signed it over to me.”

Now wasn’t the time to cross-examine her. He needed her trust, and right now she was spooked, but she wouldn’t be dumb enough to incriminate herself.

“Liv, we have time,” he said with a shake of his head. He pulled an evidence bag from his pocket and dropped the box into it. “I’ll stick with you for the next couple of weeks, so that we don’t have to worry about your safety, and we’ll figure this out.”

“What do you mean, stick with me?”

“What does it sound like?” He shot her a mildly annoyed look. “You want to face off with a stalker alone?”

“No!” She pulled her auburn hair out of her face. “But I told my aunt about the letters, and she’s convinced it must be a joke. I have to admit, I was, too, but she invited me to a family thing tonight. If I show up with a police escort—”

“That might be for the best,” he interjected.

“What?” She frowned. “The gossip? The drama?”

“That they assume it’s just a practical joke,” he replied. “We need to catch whoever is fixated on you, not just chase them off for a few weeks. You won’t be able to breathe easy until this is resolved for good.”

“That’s true,” she agreed. “And my family all panicking about it won’t help matters.”

“Bingo.” He smiled ruefully. “So what if we let them minimize this for a while? Let them brush it off, and we can focus on figuring it all out.”

“And how exactly do I explain a bodyguard?” she retorted. “No offense, but even in plain clothes, you don’t blend in.”

He raised one eyebrow. This was why the chief had warned him earlier—his ability to stay close enough to gather evidence relied on a balancing act of his own. “So don’t explain me.”

“They’ll assume that you’re my boyfriend if you come tagging along to family events and whatnot. Unless you’re only planning on being here at the store...or will you keep at a distance? What’s the plan here?”

Liv met his gaze easily, her expression full of questions. She wasn’t about to be passive in any of this, not that he’d expected her to. She was smart, and she wanted to know what she was dealing with, too.

“How about this,” Jack said. “Let them assume I’m a boyfriend. I’ll be a perfect gentleman, so no need to worry about anything. That way, I can stay close enough to make sure you stay safe and to keep an eye on the people closest to you.”

“You think my family is involved?” she asked incredulously.

“Frankly, Liv, I don’t know what to think. But I’m not taking any chances.”

Liv sighed. “So you’ll be with me 24/7? You do realize that I other have family events. My cousin Rick is getting married later this month, for example. Are you seriously wanting to tag along for all of that?”

“If I were some nut looking to hurt you, I’d wait until you were alone,” he replied quietly. “My goal is make sure that person never gets the chance.”

She looked away from him, and her cheeks pinkened. “And at night?”

“You have a couch, don’t you?” he asked.

“I do.”

“I know this isn’t comfortable,” he said. He didn’t offer any follow-up on that statement, because he didn’t really want to give her a way out. His investigation would be most effective if he had a view into her personal life.

“No, it isn’t,” she admitted. “But neither is being stalked, or whatever this is. So I suppose we’d better make the best of it.”

That’s what he’d wanted to hear, and he shot her a smile. “I’ll be as unobtrusive as possible. Your safety is my priority.” And that wasn’t a lie. If she was linked to the kind of people they thought, her safety was definitely a cause for concern. The police department needed her either on the stand as a witness or standing trial—and they needed her in one piece.

“There’s that barbecue tonight,” she said. “At my aunt’s place.”

He eyed her, waiting. There was a beat of silence between them.

“If you’re coming along, do we make up our story now?” she went on. “Because they’ll be asking a lot of questions.”

Jack was actually going to enjoy this part. The chief had warned him against getting emotionally involved with her, but undercover operations involved some acting the part. This was only for appearances, and other than that, he’d keep his professional distance. “All right. So when did we meet?”

“In Denver,” she said. “Let’s keep this as close to the truth as possible. Less to remember.”

Yeah. She knew how to lie effectively, it seemed. “Okay, I worked with Evan and got to know you that way. When did I ask you out?”

“Who says I didn’t ask you out?” she countered.

“Because I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t waste a lot of time,” he replied with a teasing smile. “But it’s up to you.”

Liv rolled her eyes, but a smile tickled the corners of her lips. “Fine. You asked me out. When?”

Jack thought for a moment. Keeping things as close to the truth as possible was the best course... “As soon as your separation was finalized,” Jack said. “Because I’m a decent guy.”

Heck, he’d been planning on asking her out then, anyway. It was only this investigation into her ex-husband that had put a crimp in his plan.

“Then we’ve been dating for a year?” she asked.

“Let’s call it eleven months,” he said. “It sounds more credible if it’s not quite a round number. And if they ask why you didn’t tell them about me, just say that you weren’t sure about me yet, and you’re still skittish postdivorce.”

“Which I am, so that’s believable. I suppose we could play the rest by ear.” She paused for a moment. “One more thing. You didn’t attend Evan’s second wedding.”

“Was I invited?” he asked.

“Yes, but you turned it down because you believed in monogamy and Evan’s cheating offended you on a very deep level.” Her tone was tight—this mattered to her.

“Okay...” He paused. “Liv, I didn’t condone his cheating.”

“Got it.” She shot him a bland look. “But if you’re going to be my fake boyfriend, I get to rewrite what I don’t like.”

“Fair enough. Anything else you’d like to rewrite?” He spread his hands. “It’s now or never.”

“I’ll keep you posted.”

Jack shot her a grin. “Do I get to rewrite anything?”

“Like what?” She looked like she might be dreading his answer, and he wondered what she was expecting him to say.

“If I’m going to be your fake boyfriend, I want you to pretend that you’re crazy about me,” he said. “I rock your world. I curl your toes. I’m the best thing to ever happen to you.”

Liv’s face cracked into a smile, and for a moment he was stunned by the transformation. He’d always known she was beautiful, but he’d never been smiled at quite like that. He swallowed.

“Fine,” she agreed. “But at the end of this, you’d better tell my family how heroic I was and all that, because otherwise I’m not going to live this down.”

“Deal.” Heroic. Or she’d be proven guilty, and he’d have no explaining to do at all.

CHAPTER THREE

LIV HADN’T BEEN expecting a houseguest when she woke up that morning, so as she led the way up the back staircase toward her apartment, she tried to remember exactly how clean she’d left the place. Did she have bras hanging over the shower rod? Had she left the window cracked open like she normally did to air out the breakfast smells, or had she forgotten? Always nice to introduce your living space smelling like old fried eggs. She was aware that she may have settled back into single life a little too well... Funny how fast that happened. When Evan had first left her, the emptiness had been agonizing.

“One of the officers will swing by my place and pick up a bag of clothes for me,” Jack said from behind.

“Where are you staying?” Liv asked as she reached the top of the stairs and fished in her pocket for the key.

“At a hotel, actually. I’m not settled yet.”

Not settled was an understatement, but then men were different. They didn’t seem to mind roughing it as much as she did. Liv liked to have a home—comfort, solitude, her personal items surrounding her to make her feel safe. Except safe right now was relative, wasn’t it?

Liv unlocked her door and glanced around before opening it all the way. Everything seemed in order—or mostly so. There were a few dishes on the counter, but that was probably forgivable.

“Come in,” she said stepping aside to make room for the burly cop. He gave her a nod of thanks, then stepped into the apartment and looked around. She got the feeling that his eyes were picking up more detail than anyone else’s would. She knew how cops worked, how they thought.

She’d have a cop staying under her roof for the next little while, and that was a bit uncomfortable. Not only was he very, very male—she glanced over Jack, who was checking window locks—he was muscular and intimidating. But under that shell, she could see hints of a regular guy—the stubble on his chin, the scrape across the knuckles of one hand. Every cop had personal armor they put on when they were at work, but they were human, too. It was the “guy” part of him that made this the most awkward. She’d only just gotten comfortable living alone again, and she didn’t need reminders of what she was missing out on.

“I hope you don’t mind the couch,” Liv said. “It doesn’t pull out or anything.”

“I’m not exactly a houseguest,” Jack replied. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be sleeping with one eye open, anyway.”

“The water in the bathroom is a bit finicky,” she added. “It’s either piping hot or freezing. But there is a sweet spot, if you find it.”

“I’ll survive.” He shot her a rueful smile.

“Also, there’s a draft that I can’t seem to find the source of. We might need to move the couch about a foot if you don’t want to freeze at night.”

When Evan had shown her the place before they’d signed all the papers, they’d felt that draft and Evan had jokingly suggested a ghost. She hated being spooked, and back then, Evan had loved getting her into his arms... She pushed back the melancholy memory.

“You okay?” he asked. Liv looked up to find Jack’s dark gaze fixed on her.

“Fine.” She pushed the sadness back. Missing Evan took her by surprise sometimes, even though she knew that he wasn’t worth her heartache.

“So when you bought this place, you bought it jointly?” Jack asked.

“Of course.” She gave him a speculative look. What exactly did he think of her marriage? Evan had loved her once upon a time. “Jack, have you ever been married?”

“Not yet. Lived with a woman once, but we never got to a wedding. Why?”

“Because married people tend to buy things jointly,” she replied with a shake of her head. “We were married. We had a life together. I wasn’t tucked away in the background somewhere.”

“Got it,” he replied.

“Although being married to a cop is a whole new kettle of fish,” she admitted. “They have too many secrets. I’ll never marry another one.”

“And all cops are the same?” He pulled away from the window and glanced back at her.

“All cops do the same job,” she said. “And it attracts a certain personality type. You pour yourself into your work, teamwork is life-or-death and you stick to your code.”

Jack shrugged. “All right. But most of us have a finer sense of right and wrong than your ex-husband.”

Did they? She’d heard of a few affairs in the Denver precinct over the years she was married to Evan. And for all of Jack’s declarations of disapproval, he’d been at the wedding where Evan had married his mistress.

“You’re done with cops, then?” Jack asked after a moment.

“Completely,” she replied with a wry smile. “Call me selfish, but I don’t like coming in second place to anything in my husband’s heart.”

“Fair enough.”

She wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to—her desire to steer clear of cops or her stance on marital priorities. It didn’t matter.

“When was the last time you talked to Evan?” Jack asked.

“A couple of weeks ago,” she replied. “He called me, for the record.”

The sound of his voice had rattled her. She’d been having a tough morning, and he’d purred into her ear like he had back when they were married. It hadn’t been fair.

“What did he want?”

“His grandmother’s brooch. He thought I still had it, and he wanted his wife to be able to wear it.”

“Did you have it?” Jack asked.

“No, I don’t have it,” she replied with a sigh. “I’m not petty enough to hijack family heirlooms.”

And yet the image of Officer Hot Pants wearing that brooch still rankled her. She remembered how touched she’d been when Evan had given it to her the Christmas after they were married. It had seemed so heavy with meaning... So much for that.

Liv looked around the small apartment, from the open living room and kitchen to the closed bedroom and bathroom doors. It looked like they’d be in some very close quarters together for the next little while, and she didn’t like this uneven balance of power in her own home.

“This is going to be awkward,” she said suddenly. “We could make it less awkward if we have a few ground rules.”

“Lights-out time?” he asked. “Shower schedule?”

“I was thinking more like a tit-for-tat sort of arrangement. I get that I’m the one needing police protection, but that leaves me giving all the information, telling all my personal stuff, and you get to keep your privacy.”

Jack grew still, but his eyes didn’t leave her face. “That’s the job description, Liv. Is it a problem?”

“For me.” She headed to the kitchen, and Jack followed as she talked. “I hated that—the police secrecy all the time—and I don’t feel like living with it again.”

She started to stack dishes in the sink.

“I’m afraid I can’t help much there,” he said.

“Oh, but you can.” She shot him a smile over her shoulder. “I know you can’t reveal police secrets, but you can reveal a bit about yourself. I propose a deal. For every personal thing I tell you, you have to match me.”

“With what?” He sounded uncomfortable.

“With information of your own. I didn’t choose this! I’m a victim in this whole situation, yet I have a virtual stranger living with me for the next while. That’s invasive. I’d feel a lot better if I wasn’t the only one having all her personal business laid bare.”

Jack laughed softly. “I could see that.”

“Well?” Liv grabbed a towel and turned around to face him.

“It’s highly irregular,” he replied.

“So?” She spread her hands. “You think this isn’t irregular for me, too?”

She was tired of trying to shrink herself, take up less space, both physically and emotionally. She’d survived the worst she could imagine when her husband left her, and she’d promised herself never to back into a corner again.

“I’m here to protect you,” Jack qualified.

“Which I appreciate,” she agreed. “But you’re still here, in my home, in my business.”

Jack met her gaze for a moment, and she watched him, waiting. He was trying to hide what he was feeling, but a nervous tapping of one finger on his belt gave him away.

“All right,” he said at last. “Tit for tat.”

“Good.” She glanced at her watch. “You might want to call on that officer to collect your clothes. We’ve got a barbecue to attend.”

Liv hated this—officially. She wanted her own space, her privacy. She hated feeling threatened in her own home. She hated that she had to adjust to living with a man again just when she’d been finding some healing in solitude. But there was one tiny part of this that she wasn’t dreading, and that was having a good-looking boyfriend—fake as he was—to show off at that barbecue. She was tired of the pity and judgment. Maybe Aunt Marie would have less to say about her food choices if she thought that she’d already hooked another man.

Or maybe Marie would just chastise her for moving on too quickly. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Jack on her arm changed the balance of power around here, and for that small but significant fact, she didn’t mind his presence.

Let them talk—she wasn’t going to be Poor Liv anymore. She was going to be brave, outgoing, unfettered Liv with a muscular man by her side. And the gossips could choke on it.

* * *

JACK PARALLEL PARKED on the street where Liv indicated her aunt and uncle lived. The shadows stretched long and dark between telephone poles. This was an older section of town—small, boxy houses lined up in a 1950’s cookie-cutter paradise. Number 11, where Marie and Gerard Hylton lived, had a neat yard without a single leaf on the closely cropped grass, despite the large tree in the yard. It was immaculate.

“Your uncle is retired military, right?” Jack said.

“That’s right.”

“I can tell.”

Jack had changed into a pair of jeans with a leather jacket over a T-shirt. His aim was to at least try to fit in. Liv was wearing a long tartan skirt that skimmed over her hips and swirled around her calves paired with a black sweater that swept over her ample curves and looked so soft that his fingertips tingled with the desire to touch it. She knew how to dress her figure—always had that he could recall.

This was an excellent start to his investigation. When he’d texted the police chief with this opportunity to see the people closest to her, the chief had been optimistic, but he’d included advice—Watch who she confides in, if anyone. We don’t know how far this goes.

But Jack would have to be careful. He was posing as her romantic partner, and he needed to maintain some perspective. While it was good to keep the family from panicking and bounding into this fake threat, he needed some space to work and didn’t want them focusing on him instead. He had to slide under their radar. He was trying to keep a nice clear work space here...if that was possible in a place the size of Eagle’s Rest.

“Nervous?” Liv asked.

“Nope.” Jack pulled himself out of his thoughts.

“You should be,” she quipped, then opened her door and got out of the car.

“Why’s that?” he asked as he joined her outside in the evening chill.

“Because you’re about to tell the Hyltons that you’re dating me,” she replied with a low laugh. “And every single one of them is going to have a strong opinion about that.”

“For or against?” he asked.

She shrugged. “A bit of both, I imagine. But Hyltons are nothing if not passionate people.”

Her choice of words piqued his interest. Passionate, were they? He’d always suspected that under that polished veneer of hers there was some smolder—the kind that might get tugged along into an ill-advised plan for the sake of love. Or money. Or both. He glanced over at her, but she didn’t seem to catch the double entendre in her own words.

“They’ve got a fire going in the backyard,” Liv said.

“No time like the present.” He held out a hand toward her, and she hesitated.

“Oh, that’s right, look the part,” she said, and her cheeks tinged pink. She seemed so innocent and sweet like this—and he was going to have to be careful not to fall for his own undercover work.

“That okay?” He dropped his hand. “I’d just assumed. Or we could be a more distanced couple. That’s fine, too.”

The soft murmur of voices punctuated by laughter floated to them over the breeze, and Liv’s expression hardened. “No, you’re right.”

And she slipped her soft, cool fingers into his palm, shooting him a wary look. “I’m sick of their pity. I want to give them something a little juicier to talk about. But no kissing. And your hand stays at my waist and doesn’t wander.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He gave her a quizzical look. “I’m a cop, Liv. I’m not taking advantage.”

“Just making sure.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Okay, let’s go.”

As they crossed the road and headed around the house to the backyard, the voices grew stronger, and he could smell the savory aroma of cooking meat. The backyard was larger than he’d thought. A fire pit in the center crackled and popped. There was a large barbecue next to the rear door of the house, and light from the back windows glowed out onto the lawn. The door stood open, and a woman came out with a platter of burger buns but stopped short when she saw them. People sat around on lawn chairs with cans of pop and beer in their hands, and as Jack and Liv approached, they started looking up and taking notice. The chatter fell silent, and then a child’s voice rang out with, “Who’s the guy with Aunt Liv?”

That was the beginning of introductions. A few older men shook his hand very firmly—with enough strength behind their grips that they seemed to be trying to prove something. The older ladies smiled sweetly, murmured things into Liv’s ear and cast Jack some sidelong looks. There were a few younger couples who said hello and smiled appropriately, and a small herd of kids who were playing together and stopped to stare. All the while, Jack tried to survey the different groups and sort out who, if anyone, might have a more businesslike relationship with Liv than the others. The chief was right—if Liv was connected to her ex-husband’s affairs, it might be through other family members. Evan had been part of this family for ten years. There might be a few in-law relationships that deserved his attention. Families could be close—his sure had been. So he understood how those dynamics worked.

“The food is set out,” a plump older woman said, shooing them toward a folding table covered in Tupperware and casserole dishes. “Go get something now. Paper plates are in the bag on the seat, there...”

As they headed toward the food, Jack leaned in.

“Was Evan close to any of your family?”

Liv shrugged. “He got along with everyone. He used to hang out with my brother, Steve, when we visited.”

“Is Steve here?” Jack asked.

“Not today. He’s on duty at the fire station.”

A brother who was a firefighter, an ex-husband who was a cop... People didn’t usually link public servants who risked their lives for their community to fraud, but it happened too often. Firefighters and cops didn’t make a whole lot of money, and like anyone, financial pressure sometimes got to them.

“If Evan were harassing me,” Liv said, her voice low, “my brother wouldn’t be helping him. Trust me. Steve’s always been a protective big brother.”

And now she was protecting her brother. That piqued his interest, too.

“Is he married?” Jack asked. “Kids?”

“His wife is the pregnant one over there.” She jutted her chin in the direction of a blonde woman with a large belly sitting in a lawn chair by the fire with two small kids. They all had plates of food in front of them. She was chatting with some other women close by, interspersing her conversation with admonitions to the kids not to spill, or to sit back down.

“What about you?” she asked. “Siblings?”

Jack eyed her.

“Tit for tat,” she said with a small smile.

He smiled grudgingly. “Fine. Yes, I have two brothers. One is married with kids. They’re in Denver.” He’d been closer with his cousin Berto, though. They’d grown up together and had been closer in age.

“So you’re Uncle Jack.”

“I’m Uncle Jack. I’m good for cash on birthdays and rides in my cruiser. Those kids take way too much pleasure in the back of a squad car.”

Liv laughed, her eyes sparkling as she dished herself up some potato salad. “For you?” He held out his plate, and she gave him a spoonful. “Avoid the jelly salad. I don’t know what Bernice does to it, but it’s always off.”

Jack took her advice, looking up to see a thin woman in her early sixties approaching with a platter of fresh ribs.

“This is my aunt Marie,” Liv said. “Marie, this is Jack.”

“So you’re...a boyfriend, we assume?” Marie asked with a tight smile. This would be one who didn’t approve, apparently.

“That’s me,” Jack said. “Nice to meet you.”

“How long have you been together, exactly?” Marie turned her attention to Liv. “You’ve never once mentioned this man.”

“Eleven months,” Liv replied. She took some ribs onto her plate, and Jack followed suit. The food did look delicious. Marie’s gaze followed the food to Liv’s plate, then stayed fixed there, her lips pursed. Liv regarded her aunt for a moment, then handed her plate to Jack. “Hold this, would you?”

She licked off her fingers and then pulled her purse off her shoulder and started to rummage through it.

“It’s so nice that Liv has met someone,” Marie said, shooting Jack a smile. “What do you do?”

“I’m a cop. I just transferred to Eagle’s Rest,” Jack replied.

“And before this...?”

“I was in Denver.”

“Oh...” Marie looked at Liv, her eyes widening. He could see what was happening here, the subtle undermining of Liv’s fake good fortune. Every family had an aunt like this, and apparently, Marie was the Hyltons’.

“And yes, I know her ex-husband,” Jack said. This was the good part of them having some shared history—if word got back to Evan, it wouldn’t be inconceivable.

“Hmm.” Marie glanced down at Liv’s plate again, then said, “Dear, that potato salad has full-fat mayonnaise. Just thought I’d let you know.”

At that moment, Liv pulled a sheaf of papers out of her purse and handed them to the older woman.

“For you, Auntie,” she said with a bright smile. “I promised to print off those articles, remember?”

Marie swallowed, licked her lips and then thrust the papers back toward Liv. “I don’t need this.”

“They’re for you, anyway.” Liv winked, then took her plate back from Jack.

What was on those papers? Could Marie be involved, too? Jack and Liv walked together away from the table, against the tide of people moving in for fresh ribs.

“Sorry, that was kind of passive-aggressive,” Liv said as her aunt marched off. “She’s been hounding me about my weight, so I printed off some articles on dementia.”

Jack laughed softly. “You don’t say.”

“It’s better than stewing about it for the next month. One of us was going to walk away from this barbecue angry, and I was tired of it being me.”

Jack grinned and shook his head. She had spunk under all that sweetness, and some edge, too. Edge enough to be dangerous, he noted. Liv wasn’t the kind of woman who went down without a fight, and all the while, she was capable of a stunning, heart-stopping smile.

She was a wicked combination.

CHAPTER FOUR

LIV TOOK A bite of the tangy potato salad and heaved a sigh of contentment. Marie, for all her faults, was a great cook. Her potato salad not only had full-fat mayonnaise, but she added a dab of Dijon mustard and diced pickles for flavor, and a bacon crumble on top. Not bacon bits from a plastic shaker, but actual fried, crumbled strips of bacon. If Marie was so concerned about calories, she only had herself to blame.

Liv watched as Jack took his first bite.

“Man, this is good,” he said.

She smiled. “Marie makes this potato salad for every family gathering, but she never eats a bite. Such a waste, in my humble opinion.”

“For sure.” Jack took another large bite. “Mmm. Wow. So—” He glanced around, swallowing. “Anyone here who might have a bit of a grudge? Or a connection to your ex?”

“A connection?” Liv shrugged. “Every last one of them. He was part of the family.”

Jack was eyeing her with an odd directness, and when she met his gaze, he turned his attention to his plate and took another bite.

“You’re convinced this is Evan,” she clarified after a moment of silence.

“Call it a hunch.”

“I don’t believe you,” she retorted. “What’s this based on?”

“I don’t like him.” A small smile turned up the corners of Jack’s mouth, and for just a moment, his eyes glittered with humor.

Liv chuckled. “That’s it?”

“He’s cocky, and he doesn’t seem to have the same guilt mechanism the rest of us have,” Jack replied. “Do you have a better guess?”

Liv shook her head slowly, doubt creeping into her mind. “No.”

Could it be Evan? It didn’t seem right. He had no reason to bother her. He had what he wanted in Officer Hot Pants. Jack knew more than he was letting on—she was willing to bet on it. Still, the memory of those photos in the box gave her an involuntary shiver. Whoever was threatening her—be it Evan or someone else—she wanted to know who and why. The mystery only made it feel more daunting than it probably was.

Or was she only trying to convince herself of that? At the very least, if she had someone in her life with a weird grudge against her, it was probably better to know.

Across the grass, Liv’s cousin Tanya was taking a photo of Aunt Beth and Uncle Herb in the low late-afternoon sunlight. The couple leaned in toward each other and smiled brightly. The flash went off, Tanya looked at the screen on the back of the camera and the older couple came in to have a look, too. Then they scooted back to their previous position, smiled again—a little less brightly this time—and lowered their chins. The flash went off, and they came around to look at the screen again.

“So...” A voice hummed at Liv’s shoulder, and she turned to see her uncle Gerard. He still looked the part of the drill sergeant, even in shorts and a T-shirt.

“Hi,” Liv said with a smile. “How are you?”

“Fine. Care to introduce me?”

“Uncle Gerard, this is my...” Police escort? Bodyguard? The lying didn’t come easily to her. “This is Jack.”

“Jack.” Gerard nodded and extended a hand, and the men shook. “So you’re dating our Liv, are you?”

“Looks that way.” Jack smiled back cordially. “You’re Gerard Hylton?”

“The one and the same.”

“Marie’s husband,” Liv said.

Jack looked down at his plate, newly scraped clean, and back at Gerard. “Lucky man. Your wife is a great cook.”

Gerard wasn’t easily placated by compliments about his wife. Marie drove her husband crazy.

“I’ve heard you’re police,” Gerard said brusquely.

“I am. I’m a detective—I just transferred to town.”

“We’ve done that before—the whole cop-in-the-family routine,” Gerard said. “It didn’t go well for Liv. We’re not keen for a repeat.”

Jack’s eyebrows went up, and Liv suppressed a moan.

“Uncle Gerard, we’re not that serious. You can stand down,” Liv interjected.

“Evan seems a little too interested in our land, if you ask me,” Gerard went on.

“Honestly, Uncle, you’ve got to let that one go,” she said with a sigh. Evan had offered to buy Gerard and Marie out when they were attempting to retire in Arizona. And Gerard could be touchy.

“And I don’t care if your ex is personal friends with Mayor Nelson,” Gerard went on. “He could be hobnobbing with the president for all I care. That land isn’t for sale.” Gerard’s laser glare didn’t waver away from Jack. “You cops take care of your own. Well, we Hyltons do the same.”

“So you aren’t a fan of Evan Kornekewsky,” Jack said.

“What do you think?” Gerard barked.

Liv put a hand on her uncle’s arm. “Be nice!”

“I thought I was,” Gerard retorted, then he sighed. “Marie is waving at me frantically. She’s afraid I’ll say something harsh.”

Liv shot Jack a grimace, and Uncle Gerard reached over and gave Liv’s arm a squeeze. “You look great, by the way, kiddo. Go get another plate.”

She’d always liked Uncle Gerard. He was Marie’s complete opposite. In some very good ways the couple complemented each other, and in other ways, they were a lot alike. Big hearts, big mouths and even bigger opinions. Gerard headed back toward his wife, leaving Liv and Jack in momentary peace.

“Sorry,” Liv said with a wince.

“Don’t be. I like him. He’s honest.” Jack’s squint followed her uncle. “So what’s this about Evan and land?”

“A misunderstanding,” she replied. One she still hadn’t forgiven her ex for, because he’d tossed her into the middle of it.

“Care to elaborate?”

“There’s not much to tell,” she replied, and she heard the stiffness in her own tone. She was still processing a whole lot of anger, apparently.

“And the mayor?” Evan asked with a frown.

“This is a small town,” she said, relaxing a little. “It doesn’t mean the same thing it does in Denver. Trust me.”

Jack eyed her for a moment, then shrugged.

“I need more of that potato salad,” he said after a beat of silence.

“If you were actually dating me, you wouldn’t like my uncle half as much,” Liv said, following him toward the table. Evan had detested her uncle. They’d sparred at every social event, and her uncle had glowed victorious when Evan finally proved himself the lowlife that Gerard had suspected all along.

“You’ve had boyfriends who complained?” Jack asked.

“I’ve had a husband who complained,” she retorted.

Jack was silent for a moment, then shrugged. “I like who I like.”

Not that it mattered. In a few weeks, she’d have to tell them that Jack was nothing more than security anyway and hope that the drama of all those threats overshadowed the more pathetic truth about her relationship to this hunky cop. Uncle Gerard’s bravado was for nothing.

“Liv, how are you?” Tanya said, and Liv looked up to see her cousin approaching, camera in hand.

“Hi, Tanya.” Liv tried to smile. She loved her cousin, but the more people she had to lie to about Jack, the worse she was going to feel.

Liv made the introductions, and Tanya and Jack shook hands.

“So...this is new!” Tanya said with a wide smile. “Liv sure can keep a secret. I’m serious. I mean, she’s normally pretty closemouthed about stuff, but this is crazy! How long have you kept him under wraps?”

“Almost a year,” Liv said with a wan smile. She’d been thinking about how good it would feel to rub some fake relationship into Marie’s face, not Tanya’s. This felt like collateral damage—a family relationship that would suffer because of these untruths.

“Almost...” Tanya’s smile faltered, and Liv saw the hurt in her cousin’s eyes. “What? That long?”

“With her divorce and everything, she wasn’t sure if she’d even like me,” Jack supplied.

“Well, it’s not my business,” Tanya said with a forced smile. “Obviously.”

Liv sighed. “Tanya, you and I need a coffee. When are you off work?”

Tanya and her mother ran a local deli together—it was a family affair.

“I have tomorrow morning off,” Tanya replied.

“Perfect. How about at ten, at the place on the corner?”

“Okay.” Tanya glanced down at the camera in her hand. “I’m putting together a photo album for Grandma for Christmas this year. All the couples and families and all that.”

“That’s a great idea,” Liv said, then suppressed a sigh. She’d have to follow through with appearances on this, too, it would seem. Just great—a photo of Liv beaming adoringly next to some guy she was pretending to date. She was going to have a really hard time living all of this down!

“Look, I’m not upset,” Tanya said, lowering her voice. “I’m just surprised. In fact, call me jealous! You’re on your second cute cop, and I always did like a uniform. What can I say?”

Liv laughed softly, then Tanya brightened.

“Let’s get you two over here by this tree,” Tanya said, nudging Liv over a few feet, then grabbing Jack by the arm and arranging him next to her.

Jack looked down at Liv with a mild expression of alarm. Maybe he was sensing the same thing—a photo gift for Grandma was taking this charade a little far.

“Put your arm around Liv’s waist, Jack,” Tanya ordered, looking through her camera, then she popped back up above it. “Jack—pull her in, come on! I’ve had old people look cozier than the two of you.”

Liv glanced up at Jack, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. She’d intended to be more pulled together than this... She’d wanted to lose the family’s pity, hadn’t she? But it was one thing to hold this man’s hand and quite another to slide into his arms. Should she call this off? Send Tanya over to some other couple? Before she could decide, Jack’s warm, broad palm slid around her waist and he tugged her closer against his muscled side. She fit right under his chin, and he stood behind her slightly, the sandpaper of his jaw resting against her hair.

“Oh...” she breathed. This wasn’t...terrible. It was nice, actually. Uncomfortably nice.

“That’s better!” Tanya said, lifting her camera once more. “Liv, loosen up, lean into him a bit.”

Liv turned her head toward Jack and smiled for the camera. There was a click.

“Perfect.” Tanya beamed. “Do you want to see it?”

Liv and Jack leaned over to see the end result, and Liv was stunned. Tanya had a way with photography, but it was more than that—she and Jack looked really good together. He had a darker complexion compared to her creamy paleness. And the way he’d pulled her into his arms accentuated his bulging biceps. She was used to feeling bigger than her dates—even than her husband! But in this picture, she looked nothing but soft and feminine next to Jack’s latent strength.

“Nice,” Liv said, her voice sounding a little strangled in her own ears.

“Right?” Tanya grinned. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I’ve got to go make Gerard and Marie look loving.” She made a face. “Jack, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

Tanya headed off with a wave, and Liv looked up at Jack nervously.

“You didn’t have to be quite so convincing,” Liv said, brushing a tendril away from her face.

“She dared me. What can I say?” He shot her a roguish smile.

“My grandmother has dementia, so I can’t even explain this one to her and have her understand the humor behind it,” Liv retorted.

Jack winced. “Sorry.”

“Whatever. I’ll talk to Tanya tomorrow morning and get her to delete the picture.”

“You sure you want to do that?” Jack asked. “You looked really good.”

“I always look really good,” Liv shot back. “Whatever. We knew this would be eggshells, right?”

“We knew it,” he agreed. “Besides, if I were a real boyfriend who didn’t work out, there wouldn’t be any shame, would there?”

“No, but eventually, they’ll all hear the truth, and I’d rather they didn’t pull up that photo to stare at when they do. I’ll look...pathetic.”

“You couldn’t look pathetic. You’re gorgeous.”

“Fine, then I’ll feel pathetic.”

“That’s fair,” Jack agreed. “So how long are we staying?”

“We’re leaving now.”

“Is there time for more of that potato salad?” Jack hooked a thumb toward the bowl that was already half empty.

“No.” She shot him a baleful glare. “You’ve caused enough trouble.”

Jack scooped her hand up in his and pulled her close again, grinning down at her with a low laugh. “All right, Ms. Hylton. Time for our exit.”

Jack was playing a part—smitten boyfriend. That’s what she’d asked for, wasn’t it? But she hadn’t expected to find herself falling into her role, too. The sooner they caught whoever was threatening her, the better. Because any more of this, and she’d find herself enjoying her fake boyfriend a little too much!

After some goodbyes and some lame excuses about a prior engagement, they headed back toward the car. She’d leave her extended family to gossip about her behind her back.

It sure beat Poor Liv.

* * *

THAT EVENING, JACK sat at Liv’s tiny kitchen table, feeling in the way. Liv’s apartment was small, so the kitchen table was on the far side of the living room, and from where he sat, he could see into the kitchen on one side, and then through the living room to the bathroom and bedroom.

Not a lot of privacy, he realized ruefully. He was the one crashing into her personal life, so it wasn’t really his place to be looking for some space to himself, but this was a decidedly feminine apartment. Everything smelled faintly of lavender, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how. But it did.

There were some pillar candles standing on a decorative plate on one side table, and under the window there was a radiator with some women’s delicates draped over it—drying, no doubt. It was either a slip or a nightgown—a silken ivory color that shimmered in the soft light of a nearby lamp. He felt out of his element here—an obvious intruder into her personal space. Women were different creatures, and Liv was somehow more feminine than he was used to.

Liv stood in the kitchen making a pot of tea. She bobbed a metal diffuser in a teapot and then hooked the end over one side.

“Do you want sugar?” she asked.

“Sure.” What he actually wanted was a strong cup of coffee, but yeah, whatever.

Jack was in a bit of a bad mood this evening already. He’d done his part and acted the doting boyfriend, but this case was going to be harder than he’d thought. Liv’s family were a complicated bunch, and they’d take a bit to untangle. Then there was Liv herself. She was too soft, too pretty, and reminded him a little too strongly of the things he was missing in his life. And he didn’t want to take the lid off that.

Liv deposited a brimming teacup in front of him—gold-rimmed and floral. It looked so delicate that he was half afraid of crushing it. She sent him a fleeting smile, then sank into the chair opposite him. She buried her nose in her own teacup—similar to his, but with different-colored flowers—and took a lingering sip.

“Hmmm...” She sighed. “This is good.”

Jack lifted his own cup and took a sip. It was piping hot and sweet, but other than that, tasteless to his palate. He took another sip, then let his gaze move around the apartment.

“Tell me more about your family,” Jack said, pulling his attention back to the woman across from him. “Tanya...she’s your cousin, you said?”

“Yes, my father’s sister’s daughter,” Liv replied. “We grew up together, Tanya and I. We’ve always been close.”

“How did she feel about your divorce?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. She was shocked—just like everyone else. They didn’t see it coming. Evan and I put up a really good united front, so when I said we were splitting up... Well, you can imagine.”

“So she was against it?” Jack probed. “On his side? On yours?”

“On mine, of course,” she said.

“Where are your parents? I didn’t see them—”

“In California.” She smiled faintly. “They’re retired, living in their RV.”

“Hmm.” He nodded slowly.

“So my turn, then,” Liv said, leaning forward. “Tell me about your brothers. Brotherly dynamics are always interesting.”

He sighed. It wasn’t wise to share too much personal information, but every case was a unique job, and Liv was making this one harder than it had to be. “Do we really have to do this?”

“Yes.” She took another sip of tea, but her gaze didn’t leave him.

“Fine. One’s an accountant and the other is a plumber.”

She nodded. “Are you close?”

“Yeah, we’re close. I was closer to my cousin when I was a kid, though. My brothers are both younger than me, so I hung out with my cousin.”

“Like me and Tanya,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess.” He could understand her close relationship to her cousin. Kids were lucky to have family to grow up with.

“So your cousin—what’s his name?” she asked.

“Berto. He’s, uh—” Jack gave her a pained smile. “We aren’t in contact anymore.”

“Why not?” Sympathy swam in those green eyes, and she leaned toward him so that her soft perfume tickled his nose.

“He associates with known criminals, so as a cop I have to keep my distance,” Jack replied gruffly. Would that be enough to make her back off? Berto had a criminal record of his own, so it went deeper than he was about to admit. But keeping his distance didn’t mean that Jack wasn’t hell-bent on setting a few wrongs right.

“You must miss him,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, I do.”

“How did you turn out so differently?” she asked. “You’re obviously in a better place.”

“We both grew up poor in the projects in Denver,” he said. “Berto got caught up with the wrong people, I guess. I can’t say I was making better choices than he was. Maybe I was just lucky.”

“You chose to join the force,” she countered. “That’s a positive step.”

“Berto might have, too, given the chance,” he replied bitterly. “He was arrested the first time when he was barely fourteen. Drug possession. But I’m telling you, Berto never touched heroin in his life. Back then, Berto and I said we wanted to be rich when we grew up. But rich meant something different to us than it meant to anyone else. Our biggest dreams were to move out of those crumbling old apartment buildings, get away from the drug dealers, and get houses with real yards and driveways. We wanted to take care of our parents and siblings. We wanted our mothers to quit those low-paying jobs that ground them down.”

“You were sweet kids,” she said softly.

“We were poor kids. We had no power, and neither did our parents. Berto ended up like too many of our friends.”

“How is your mother now?” Liv asked.

“I take care of her and Dad,” he replied. “No worries there.”

Jack was stupid to be giving her any information about his family at all. What was it about her? Just talking with this woman made him want to open up. It felt good to let it out, and she listened so easily without judgment. But the more she knew—the more she could pass along to whoever else was working this ring—the more vulnerable he became. She made him feel out of his depth in a whole new way, which meant it was time to shut up.

“Enough about me now. Let’s move on to you,” he said with a small smile. “Are there any boyfriends, exes, casual love interests that I should be aware of?”

She shook her head. “I’m still licking my wounds.”

“Fair enough. How about your store?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “How is it financed, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“With a loan, like everyone else.” She put her cup down onto the saucer with a soft clink. “I’m hoping to be able to make enough profit to pay it off one day. Bookstores have such big competition with online sellers, but there is just something about being able to flip through a book, hold it, look at the other options on the same shelf... I’m hoping to capitalize on the tourist traffic.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I get it.”

“Anyway, I’ve dreamed of owning a bookstore for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I used to make books of my own with paper folded in half and a stapler. Then I’d set them up for my own bookstore.”

“So why do it now?”

“Because I needed something for me,” she said. “I’ve been cut loose, and I need something that reminds me of...me.”

Her connection to the place did seem genuine. Jack’s gaze moved to the kitchen windowsill, where a collection of books sat between two bookends. They didn’t look like cookbooks, either.

Liv followed his gaze.

“Just some kitchen reading,” she said.

“Kitchen reading.” He chuckled. “Like what?”

“A few classics—some Charles Dickens, some Shakespeare, a book on chess strategy.”

“Yeah?” He raised his eyebrows.

“I’ve always liked Dickens. While I wait for pots to boil, I reread some of my favorite parts.”

“I was more interested in the chess strategy,” he replied.

“Oh, that.” She rose and went to the windowsill, plucking out the volume and handing it over to him. “Evan used to play chess, but I stopped playing with him after a couple years of marriage.”

“Why?” Jack flipped through the book—it was thick and looked very involved.

“He’s a bad loser.” She shrugged. “He’s also a cocky winner. It wasn’t good for our relationship either way.”

“So why the interest in chess now?” He clapped the book shut. “If it were me, I’d hate the game, just for bad associations.”

“I don’t know.” A small smile came to her lips. “A girl likes to know she could win, if she were pressed.”

Was she being pressed? That was the question. Did her ex-husband have her in a corner, or did she wield more power than he thought? She was a woman who reread the classics while she cooked and used her spare minutes to learn chess moves. She was daunting.

“How good are you at chess?” Jack asked.

“Better than I look.” She met his eye with a cool smile. “And better than Evan thinks.”

“So you play for spite?” he asked.

“No, I play to win.” She shrugged. “There’s something about a well-performed strategy that leaves your opponent in the corner. No moves left. Only then realizing what you’ve done to him.”

That was ominous, and it reminded him a little too closely of the people who had been pressured into selling their family homes...they would have realized too late, too.

“It’s getting late,” Liv said after a moment. “I should really get ready for bed.”

“Sure. You don’t need to entertain me. I’m here on a job.”

Liv rose and glanced around. She seemed to spot the slip on the radiator, because she hurried across the room and snatched it up. When she looked back at him, she looked embarrassed.

“Sorry about that,” she said.

“It’s your home,” he replied. “Don’t apologize for anything. I’m not a guest here, Liv.”

She tucked the slip under her arm and headed for a cupboard. She pulled out some sheets, a blanket and a pillowcase.

“I don’t have any more bed pillows,” she said. “But we could cover a throw pillow with this pillow case, and you should be comfortable. I think.” She grimaced. “No one visits me.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Liv licked her lips. “I normally take my shower at night. If you wanted yours first—”

“Liv.” His voice came out as more of a bark than he’d intended, and he softened his tone. “I’m not a guest. Do what you would normally do, okay? I’m fine.”

She pulled a hand through her auburn waves. “Okay. If you insist.”

She disappeared into the bathroom, and a few moments later the water came on with a rattle. Jack distracted himself by making up his bed on the sofa. He made his bed at home with military precision, and he did his best to replicate that job here. The sofa was too short, but he’d make do. He noticed that even the sheets had that soft, floral scent about them.

It was all very diverting from the case that he’d rather be thinking over, as was the sound of the shower through the shut bathroom door. He was a man, after all, and Liv was a very beautiful woman. Her divorce hadn’t dampened any of her natural spunk, and he wished it had. If she were a little less radiant, maybe he could focus better on the work at hand.

Instead, as he spread the blanket on top of the sheet, he was remembering what it felt like to pull her close for the camera. She felt just as good in his arms as he’d imagined back before he’d realized she was tied up in Evan’s mess.

The water in the bathroom turned off, and Jack glanced around the living room, his gaze moving over a bookshelf, an ottoman that had a hinged lid for storage and her closed bedroom door. If she had something to hide, where would it be?

The bathroom door opened, and Liv came out with a billow of steam. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel, and the rest of her ample curves were draped in a white terry cloth robe that she held shut with one hand at her throat.

“Done,” she said, shooting him a smile.

She looked different in her robe—her face clean of makeup and her eyes all the more entrancing without the liner and mascara. She looked younger this way, softer. She was barefoot, and he noted that her toenails were painted hot pink. And he liked it.

“The towels are on the rack in the bathroom,” she said, heading toward her bedroom and opening the door. “If you’re hungry, feel free to raid the fridge. You’re guarding my life—it’s the least I can offer.”

Her lips turned up in a smile and she slipped into her room, then turned back. “Good night, Jack.”

His name on her lips sounded sweet, and he gave her a curt nod because it was all he trusted himself to do. He wasn’t faking to be her boyfriend here in her apartment. Here, he was a cop, and he needed to remind himself of that. Her big, dewy eyes, her lips, the milky whiteness of her skin—none of that was his business here. And for all he knew, she was working it to keep him distracted.

The bedroom door closed with a decisive click and Jack let out a pent-up breath. He was hoping he could sleep at all.

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