The Life She Wants

“You are definitely not the hearts-and-flowers type.” Shane glanced at him. “But you know it would be okay with me if you were.”

“Oh, thanks, Dad. I’m glad you’re proud of me now that I’m out of the closet. You gonna march with me during Pride Week, too? I’ll get you a T-shirt.”

“Christ, what is your problem? When have I ever not been 100 percent behind you?”

“That would be a sentence I’d avoid saying out loud at the parade if I were you.” They pulled into the entrance of the resort, driving between two massive stone pillars. “But as long as we’re all about my gayness this morning, what makes you think Luis wasn’t interested in me?”

Shane laughed as he backed the car into a parking spot. “I’m not saying you’re not a catch, but, dude, did you see him with Melanie? He was all over her. Hetero all the way, my friend.”

When they’d first walked into the café, the two of them had been laughing together, and Mel’s arms had been around Luis’s neck. And when Luis had seen Shane, he’d jumped into alpha-protective mode. The way he’d stood and kept his arm firmly around her waist. The way he’d given Shane the I-smell-a-rival stink-eye when they were introduced. And at the charity event, Luis and Mel had kissed and whispered together like a couple who knew each other’s secrets. Shane envied the guy.

Tim started to get out of the car, then turned back, looking oddly amused.

“Well, you would know that far better than me, Shane.”

They headed into the resort lobby with the towering staircase winding up through the center like a giant tree. There were even metal leaves hanging from the ceiling three stories above them. The owners hadn’t spared any expense in their efforts to bring the place into the twenty-first century. Tim nudged him with his elbow.

“Why are you so concerned with Luis and Mel’s relationship, anyway? Oh, wait.” Tim gave his best Valley girl imitation. “Oh. My. Gawd. You like her! You like Mellie Low!” The accent vanished. “Hot damn, man. You’re swinging for the fences with that one—a supermodel. She’s clever, too. And tough.”

“And taken.”

Tim’s mouth opened, then snapped shut.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m sure you’re right, Shane. But I didn’t see any rings.”

“What does that mean?”

“Do I really need to spell it out for you? If you want her, go after her.”

“First, I don’t want her.” A little alarm went off in his head. Okay, maybe he wanted her a little, but who wouldn’t? “Second, I’m not a guy who makes a move on another guy’s girl.” Tim raised a finger as if he wanted to interrupt, but Shane ignored him. “And third, she may not work for us, but she is mentoring our client, and it would be unprofessional.”

“So...would it be unprofessional of me to go after Luis?”

“No, but it would be a waste of your time. I know a couple when I see one, Tim, and those two have been intimate. Did you see that dress he made for her to wear at the dinner? That he probably fit personally to her every curve?” His heart did something funny at the thought of that dark metallic gown. His heart did something less funny at the thought of Luis touching Mel’s skin as he fit the dress. “Did you see the way she kissed his cheek this morning, as if they were husband and wife already? His arm around her waist? And where do you think he’s staying? I haven’t seen him hanging around the resort, so he must be staying at her place.”

Tim folded his arms and stared hard at Shane. “For someone who’s not interested, you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. You sure you don’t have the hots for Mellie Low?”

“Don’t call her that. She doesn’t like it.” She’d made that clear, and he suspected there was a story there. But it wasn’t his to know. Luis was her guy. And that was fine. The last thing he needed right now was some warrior princess in his life.

Tim looked at his watch. “I gotta run, man. Conference call with the manager in Baltimore to see how interested they might be in our boy Jimmy. Their closer is out for the season for elbow surgery, so they might be willing to overlook our kid’s big mouth and sign him up for their bullpen.”

“Is Jimmy done with his anger management sessions?” Jimmy Martinez had a bad habit of mouthing off not only to other players, but also to fans in the stands. Baseball team owners didn’t like that much.

Tim nodded. “Yeah. We just need to find a team that’ll take him on.”

“Someday we won’t have to deal with this kind of crap.”

“Why not?”

“Instead of getting our players into the big leagues, don’t you think it’s time for us to make the jump to the big leagues?” Tim was still confused. “Come on, man. Join forces with a bigger agency? Get that corner office we’ve been looking for?”

Tim waved his hand in dismissal. “That’s your dad talking, Shane. You need to let it go. I like our setup just fine. We call the shots, not anyone else. I’ll catch you for dinner?”

Tim turned away, then turned back again with humor in his eyes. “Do you want to see if Luis and Melanie want to double date with us? Maybe I could plan their wedding for them.”

“Shut up, you jackass.”

“What would you do if you were wrong about them?”

“I’m not.”

But if he was, that would mean that Mel, with her mile-long legs and violet eyes, might just be available.

And that might just be trouble.

CHAPTER FIVE

MEL CHECKED THE pocket on her running shorts one last time before allowing the back door to close. The key to the apartment was safely in place, along with her phone. Nora hadn’t complained the last time Mel locked herself out and had to call for help. But that had been at dinnertime, not four o’clock on a Saturday morning.

Gallant Lake was completely silent. There was only one light in the parking lot behind the row of downtown buildings that held the coffee shop and other businesses and apartments. That light barely lit the metal fire escape she was quietly descending. The only other resident in this cluster of shops was Carl Wallace a few buildings down. It was unlikely the liquor store owner would hear her at this hour, but she still tiptoed down to the pavement.

She’d been awake for hours, and she knew from experience that sleep wasn’t going to find her tonight. Pacing the apartment didn’t help, so she was off for a run in the darkness to burn off the restlessness that itched under her skin, begging for relief.

Begging for medication. Or maybe a drink.

She slipped her earpieces in place and selected a running mix on her phone. Gallant Lake was much more accommodating of her predawn runs than Miami or Manhattan had been. There weren’t any creepsters or drunks hanging out on corners or in alleyways to worry about. Just the occasional raccoon ransacking someone’s trash can, or perhaps a deer lifting its head to watch her go by. And, of course, there was Nessie.

The skinny yellow dog had scared the daylights out of Mel a couple of weeks ago, bounding up out of the darkness as she ran along a path by the lakeshore. Mel had fallen as she’d scrambled to defend herself against what had looked like a giant blond octopus coming out of the water, and the creature had been on her in a heartbeat—licking her face and wiggling all over in delight. Since that night, it seemed like the pup was waiting for her to come by. Mel had dubbed her “Nessie” in honor of the Loch Ness Monster, since she’d risen out of the lake that first night.

Sure enough, as Mel hit the outskirts of town, Nessie sneaked out of the darkness to join her. The skittish dog allowed Mel to give her a quick pat on the head, then moved a safe distance away—just out of arm’s reach. She jogged along beside Mel, as if she was also looking for something to do in the middle of the night.

Everything about Nessie was long. And thin. She never wore a collar. No apparent grooming. Mud from yesterday’s rain was caked on one hip. She was clearly a homeless stray. Mel had seen her hovering around the back door to Nora’s coffee shop a few times, but she always bolted when the door opened. Apparently Mel wasn’t the only one wondering if Gallant Lake was home, a place where she could belong.

She and Nessie jogged east out of town, uphill toward the resort. She turned back just before coming into range of the security cameras—Blake would definitely report her late-night appearance to his wife, then Amanda would tell the other cousins and they would demand an explanation. Mel ran along the dark lakeshore, Nessie at her side, with only the moon to light the familiar path. She’d slowed to a walk by the time they reached the dimly lit lake walk in town. Nate Thomas at the hardware store was working so hard to make it an attraction.

The narrow boardwalk ran along the water, behind a row of shops on Main Street. Nate was determined that the businesses in town should add lights and flower boxes and make the boardwalk a feature of the town. Gallant Lake was struggling to make a comeback from the decades when the resort had been closed and the financial fate of the town had been thrown into jeopardy. Nate was a sweet, nerdy optimist, and Mel hoped he got his way with this project.

At the end of the lake walk, Mel took the path that ran through the park, and she and Nessie ran another mile or so before she decided to call it quits. Winded and slightly chilled from a breeze off the lake, she no longer felt that annoying itch to reach for alcohol or pills. Well, she felt the itch, but it was no longer overwhelming her. With the help of a glass of warm milk back at the apartment, she might even be able to get a couple hours of sleep.

She and Nessie were at the opposite end of town from the apartment, and had just started the walk back, when she heard a car approaching. The dark woods alongside the road flickered with shadows from the headlights. She didn’t see a lot of cars on the road at this hour, but it happened occasionally, especially on weekends. Maybe it was Deputy Sheriff Dan Adams, who’d scolded her twice already for running alone at night. But come on, this was Gallant Lake. What could possibly happen here?

She frowned when she realized the car was slowing behind her. Nessie kept looking nervously over her shoulder, and Mel fought the urge to do the same. Making eye contact would be a mistake if this really was a problem rolling up. If it was trouble, her only option would be to run into the woods.

“Melanie? Is that you?”

At the sound of a rough male voice, Nessie glanced up at Mel as if in apology, then tucked her tail and bolted into the trees. Great. She was alone out here with Shane Brannigan. His dark Lincoln came to a stop beside her, passenger window rolled down.

“How could you possibly know it was me in the dark and from behind?”

“You’re kidding, right? I’d recognize that fashion model strut anywhere. No one moves the way you do.”

She parsed the words, trying to determine if they were a compliment or a dig at her former career. There was something about the way he’d said the last sentence that had sounded appreciative, though, and the thought warmed her unexpectedly. She was so busy trying to understand her reaction that she didn’t realize he was still speaking.

“...the hell are you doing out here at four thirty in the morning? Did your car break down? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks. I’m a night owl, and I went for a run.” She walked over and leaned against the car, ducking her head to make eye contact with him. The glow of the high-tech dashboard cast rough shadows across his skin and highlighted that imperfect nose. “What are you doing out this late?”

“This early, you mean. I was back in Boston for a few days.” He gave her a grin. “I guess you could say I’m a night owl, too. I woke up a few hours ago and decided to drive while the roads were quiet.” He reached over and unlatched the door. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride to your place. You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

It was too dark for him to see her eyes roll. “Have you been talking to Sheriff Dan?”

Mel didn’t need a ride. It wasn’t that far. And she normally wouldn’t consider getting into a car at night with a man she barely knew. But something about Shane Brannigan felt safe. Irritating, but safe. She opened the door and slid inside.

“You drove from Boston? That’s more than a few hours.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Not at this time of night. And not the way I drive.” He glanced at the dashboard. “I made it in a little over two hours. Who’s Sheriff Dan?”

After a moment’s hesitation at the abrupt subject change, Mel replied, “He’s a friend of my cousin’s fiancé, and he’s the law around here. He likes to give me grief about my nighttime strolls.”

“What do you mean, he gives you grief?” Shane had pulled away from the shoulder now, and his fingers tightened on the wheel.

“Easy there, Macho Man, I just meant he politely advises me not to do it. He’s concerned for my safety. That’s his job, right? But seriously, this is Gallant Lake.”

He glanced her way and frowned. “I get what you’re saying about this town being sleepy, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. What if I’d been some drunk looking for trouble just now?”

“I would have run into the woods. I had it all planned out.”

They pulled behind the shops and he parked the car, then turned to stare at her in disbelief.

“Your plan was to...run into the woods? Do you have night-vision goggles on you so you wouldn’t run straight into a tree or fall in a ditch? Did it occur to you that maybe the drunk guy would be familiar with those woods and catch you? In the woods?”

It rankled her to admit he had a point. She scowled.

“But you weren’t some drunk, were you? And I’m perfectly fine. So it doesn’t matter, does it?” She opened the door, flooding the interior of the car with light. This close, she could see the glints of turquoise in Shane’s blue eyes. They reminded her of Caribbean waters. Warm and inviting... She blinked. She needed to remember that Shane Brannigan was an agent. He wanted to be in charge. And he was clueless about women. It was time for her to go.

Instead of saying thank you or good night or drop dead or any one of a dozen perfectly sensible things to say, she got out of the car, then leaned over to look at him and said the most ridiculous thing she could imagine.

“Want to come up for a cup of coffee?”

His eyes went wide.

“What about Luis?”

She was as surprised by his question as they’d both been by hers.

“What about him?”

“Isn’t he staying here?”

“He’s in New York.” Why did he care so much about Luis? “Look, if you don’t want coffee, just say so. Thanks for the ride.”

She turned away, shutting the car door firmly. The invitation had been a mistake. It would be best for everyone if he just left. She’d almost made it to the stairs when she heard his door open behind her.

“Hold up. Coffee sounds good. No sense trying to get any sleep at this hour.”

Mel nodded. “Come on, then.”

“You use a fire escape to get to your back door?” He followed her up the stairs. “Just when I thought this town couldn’t get any weirder.”

Mel unlocked her door. “Using the downstairs entrance means disarming and rearming the café alarm system. This is much easier.” The door swung open and she flipped on the light. “Nora told me the story behind the fire escapes once. Something about a huge fire decades ago and the town made it law for a while that every level of every building had to have a fire escape.”

“It’s not the classiest way to come into your home, is it?”

It was odd having him here, in her space. Shane exuded a raw power that made the air in the small loft almost sizzle. Not in a frightening way. But it was still scary because it was so unfamiliar to Mel. She wasn’t used to men who excited her without setting off all her alarms.

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