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“Thirty-two.”
“When’s her birthday?”
“Uh...” Wait, he knew this. “It’s in May.”
Abby turned her chair around to face him. “I still can’t believe I didn’t know you two were dating.”
“No one knew.”
“But I know everything about you.” She looked away. “Not everything, of course. But a lot. Because I make the schedule and we work so closely together.”
He studied Abby another minute. She was cute, in a girl-next-door sort of way. Her short pixie cut framed a small face, her dark eyes as big as saucers. They’d worked together for almost two years now, and he supposed she did know him better than most people. But what did he know about her? What did he know about anyone, outside his dad and brother?
Sure, Sam had friends, a Friday-night poker game, fishing with the boys. He knew who was married and which guys were confirmed bachelors. Did knowing the kind of beer his buddies drank count as being close?
“Do you have a boyfriend, Abby?”
Her eyes widened farther. “Not at the moment.”
“And your only family in town is your granddad?”
She nodded.
Okay, that was good. He knew something about the woman he saw every day at work. He looked around her brightly colored workspace. “I’m guessing your favorite color is yellow.”
She smiled. “Yours is hunter green.”
How did she know that?
“Does Julia make you happy?” she asked after a moment.
“Yes,” he answered automatically. “Why?”
“I just wouldn’t have pictured her as your type.” Abby fidgeted with a paper clip. “She’s beautiful and everything, but I always saw you with someone more...”
“More?”
“Someone nicer, I suppose.”
“You don’t think Julia’s nice? Has she been unkind to you?”
Abby shook her head. “No, but I hear stories from when she was in high school. I’m in a book club with some ladies who knew her then.”
“People change.”
“You deserve someone who will take care of you.”
“I’m a grown man, Abby. I can take care of myself.”
“I know but you need—” She stopped midsentence when the phone rang. She answered and, after a moment, cupped her hand over the receiver. “Someone ran into a telephone pole out at the county line. No injuries but a live wire might be down.”
Sam nodded and headed for the front door. “Call it in to the utility company. I’m on my way.”
He drove toward the edge of town, grateful to get out and clear his head. He’d done more talking about himself and what he needed and felt in the past twenty-four hours than he had in the previous five years. His dad’s fault, for sure.
This engagement was supposed to help Sam dodge his father’s attempts to make him more in touch with his feelings. Hopefully, this dinner would smooth things over enough so life could return to normal. Other than the pretend engagement.
It wouldn’t be as difficult as Julia thought to fool people. They’d hold hands, be seen around town together for a few PDAs and everyone would believe them. Kissing Julia was one of the perks of this arrangement. He loved her moment of surprise each time he leaned in. Sam hadn’t been with a woman for a long time, which must explain why her touch affected him so much.
He understood the importance of making this work. Tonight, they’d come to an understanding of how to get what they both wanted.
* * *
Julia lifted Charlie out of his car seat and turned to face the quaint house tucked onto one of the tree-lined streets near downtown Brevia.
“He even has a picket fence,” she said to her son, who answered her with a hearty laugh and a slew of indecipherable words.
“My sentiments exactly.” She kissed the top of Charlie’s head.
“Do you need a hand?”
Joe Callahan stepped off the porch and headed toward her.
“I’ve got it, Mr. Callahan. Thank you.”
He met her halfway up the walk. “Call me Joe. And you—” he held out his hands for Charlie “—can call me Papa.”
“Pap-y,” Charlie repeated in his singsong voice and leaned forward for Joe to scoop him up. Her son, the extrovert.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Joe was already swinging Charlie above his head, much to the boy’s delight. “What a handsome fellow,” he said. He smiled at Julia. “He favors his beautiful mother.”
Julia couldn’t help but return his grin. “Are you always this charming?”
Joe gave an easy laugh. “For decades I was a real hard—” He lifted Charlie again. “I was hard-nosed. A walking grim reaper. Sam and his brother got the brunt of that. I’ve learned a lot since then.”
“Wisdom you want to impart to your son?”
“If he’ll let me.” Joe tucked Charlie into the crook of his arm and the boy shoved his fist into his mouth, sucking contently. “You’ve already helped him start.”
It was Julia’s turn to laugh. “I don’t have much wisdom to share with anyone.”
Joe started toward the house. “Mothers have inherent wisdom. My late wife was the smartest, most insightful woman I’ve ever met.”
“How old was Sam when she died?”
“Ten and Scott was seven. It was a dark period for our family.”
“Was it a long illness?”
Joe turned and immediately Julia realized her mistake. “Sam hasn’t told you about his mother?”
She shook her head, unable to hide her lack of knowledge. “It’s difficult for him to speak about.”
Joe sighed as if he understood. “That’s my fault. After Lorraine passed, I was so overcome with grief that I shut down and made the boys do the same. Looking back, it was selfish and cowardly. They were kids and they needed me.”
Julia patted his arm. “How did she die?”
“A car accident,” he said quietly. Charlie rested his small head on Joe’s shoulder as if sensing the older man needed comfort.
“How tragic. I’m so sorry for all of you.”
“The tragic part was that it was my fault. I’d been on the force over ten years. I became obsessed with being the most dedicated cop Boston had ever seen. Like a bonehead, I took on the most dangerous assignments they’d give me—whatever I could do to prove that I was the baddest dude on the block. Lorraine couldn’t handle the stress. She begged me to slow down. I wouldn’t listen, brushed aside her worries and only focused on what I wanted.”
He ran his hands through his hair, so much like Sam, then continued, “She’d started drinking at night—not so much that she was falling-down drunk, but enough to numb her. I was tuned out and didn’t realize how bad it had gotten. I got home late one night and we fought. She went for a drive after the boys were in bed—to cool off. She wasn’t even a half mile from the house when she ran the red light. She swerved to avoid another car. Wrapped her car around a telephone pole. She was gone instantly.”
Julia sucked in a breath. The first time she’d met Sam had been when he’d found her after she’d hydroplaned on a wet road and gone over an embankment, her car slamming into a tree. She’d been pregnant at the time, and thinking the accident might have hurt her baby had been the scariest moment of her life. Sam had gotten her to the hospital and stayed with her until Lainey had arrived. She wondered if he’d thought about his mother during that time, or if it had just been another day on the job.
“How devastating for all of you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Joe. Charlie squealed with delight then wriggled to be let down.
“Okay.” She lifted him from Joe’s arms and deposited him on the porch.
Joe swiped at his eyes. “I would have followed her in a minute. I could barely function and had two boys at home who needed me more than ever. Instead, I threw myself into the job like I was tempting fate. If they gave awards for stupidity and selfishness, I would have been a top candidate.”
“Nothing can prepare you for something like that. I’m sure you did the best you could. Sam and his brother must know that.”
Joe held open the screen door and Charlie headed into the house. “It should have been a wake-up call but it took me another twenty years to get my priorities straight. I want to make it right by Sam.”
She looked into Joe Callahan’s kind eyes and her stomach twisted. Julia didn’t have much luck making things right by anyone, and if Joe knew the details of their arrangement, it would break his heart.
“Mama, come.” Charlie peered around the doorway to the kitchen. Charlie. He was the reason she’d entered into this deal in the first place.
“Where’s Sam?” She held out her hand to her son, who ran toward her to take it.
Joe smiled. “Grilling out back.”
She scooped Charlie into her arms and followed Joe down the hall. She’d guess Sam’s house had been built in the early 1900s, and he’d obviously renovated, drawing inspiration from the Craftsman tradition with hardwood floors throughout. In the open kitchen, beautiful maple cabinets hung on each wall. The colors were neutral but not boring, a mix of classic and modern traditions.
Joe led her through one of the French doors that opened to the back patio. It hadn’t rained for a couple of days, and while it was cool, the evening air held the unmistakable scent of spring, with the elms and oaks surrounding the green yard beginning to bud.
Sam stood in front of a stainless-steel grill, enveloped in smoke. He turned and smiled at her and her chest caught again. He wore a dark T-shirt, faded jeans and flip-flops. Julia hadn’t often seen him out of uniform, and while the casual outfit should have made him less intimidating, certain parts of her body responded differently.
“Ball,” Charlie shouted and squirmed in her arms. When Julia put him down, he ran toward an oversized bouncy ball and several plastic trucks stacked near the wrought-iron table.
Sam closed the grill’s lid and met her questioning gaze. “I thought he’d like some toys to play with over here.”
She nodded, a little dumbfounded at the impact the small gesture had on her.
“Sammy said you two are mainly at your place.”
“It’s easier that way.”
“Have you given any thought to where you’ll live once you’re married?”
“Here,” Sam answered at the same time Julia said, “Not really.”
Joe’s brows furrowed, so she added, “My apartment is a rental, so I assumed we’d move in with Sam.”
Sam came to her side and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’re going to make the spare bedroom into Charlie’s room.”
Julia coughed wildly.
“Can I get you a glass of water?” Sam asked.
“I’ll grab it,” Joe said and disappeared into the house.
Sam clapped her on the back. “Are you okay?”
“Not at all.” She drew in a breath. “Charlie’s room?”
“We’re engaged, remember. It’s going to seem strange enough that the kid barely knows me. I didn’t have any of his stuff or toys in the house and my dad started asking questions.”
At that moment, the bouncy ball knocked against Julia’s leg.
“Ball, Mama. Ball.” Charlie squealed with delight.
Sam handed Julia a pair of tongs. “Will you pull the steaks off the grill?” He picked up the ball and tucked it under his arm. “I’m going in for some male bonding.”
Julia watched, fascinated as Sam walked over to Charlie and held out a hand. Without hesitation, Charlie took it and Sam led him into the yard to roll the ball back and forth.
The only man in Charlie’s life was Ethan. Julia tried not to depend too much on him. Lainey, Ethan and Julia had a long history between them, and Julia didn’t want to push the limits of their relationship.
Charlie did his best to mimic Sam’s motions as he rolled and threw the ball, and Julia realized how important it was for her son to have a father figure.
“I knew he’d be great with kids,” Joe said as he handed her a tall glass of water. “Scott is a wild one, but Sam...”
“Why do you think Sam never married?” Julia asked, tapping one finger against her lips. Annabeth’s story about Sam’s record as a three-dates-and-done serial dater came back to her.
“It’s not for lack of trying,” Joe answered candidly then amended. “But I can tell you’re a better fit for him than Jenny.”
Julia tried not to look startled. “Jenny?”
Joe studied her. “His ex-fiancée. He did tell you about her?”
“He was really hurt when it ended,” she offered, not an outright lie but enough to cover her lack of knowledge. She and Sam had a lot they needed to get clear about each other if this charade was going to work.
Joe nodded. “Not that he would have told anyone. He bottled up his emotions just like I’d done when his mom passed. But Jenny’s infidelity was a huge blow to him.”
