A VERY UN-SHAKESPEARE ROMANCE: ‘A Fake Dad Grumpy Sunshine Romantic Comedy’

Choosing a dress for an undercover date had never been so difficult.

Not that Sheila had seemed to have any issues preparing for her date with Billie. She’d already finished getting dressed. Lily wanted to kick herself as she held up the strapless yellow cotton dress, still worrying over her choice as she regarded herself in the mirror.

“Too much of a don’t touch me vibe,” Sheila commented from her spot on the bed. “After Lieutenant O’Connor routed me soundly today with the photos, we need a dress that will have him either swallowing his tongue—”

“If he does that, he can’t give us any info,” Lily pointed out, tossing the dress aside onto a spare corner chair.

“Fine.” Sheila walked over to her large closet filled with her limited selection of eight summer dresses, all of which had been under ten dollars at the local discount store. “This one. He’ll be hot for you, but it’ll also show off your sweet, nurturing side.”

She’d liked the celery-green shimmery dress the moment she’d spotted it on the end-of-summer sale rack. It hugged her average bodice with its scoop neckline before flaring out flirtingly and stopping just above her knees. Likely no one had gone for it because it wasn’t exactly a casual hang on the beach dress. The dress was a mix of cotton, spandex, and something else that made it a dress-up or dress-down kind of outfit, depending on the right shoes, hair, and makeup.

“We’re walking on the beach, so I’ll have to carry the sandals I was thinking of,” she commented, crossing to her bathroom to change into it.

“You’re wearing those fuck-me pumps, right?” Sheila asked, following her.

Lily slanted her a look. “Hey, I’m changing in here.”

“Call me a voyeur.” She laughed, fluffing her already blown-out sexy wavy beach hair. “Plus, I have the same parts. Nothing to see here. I’m just glad we don’t have to figure out how to carry a gun in these dresses. I don’t think Thunderwear would get the job done.”

Lily snorted as she pulled on her dress. “I was glad Buck didn’t ask me directly if I’d packed mine. On the last undercover op, he told me to keep it in the car since it’s not exactly something you can buy at the local clothing store.”

“It reminds me of Mormon underwear,” Sheila commented. “Don’t ask.”

Shoulders shaking from silent laughter, Lily pulled a few locks of hair off her face and secured them with a tiny clip. “Good?”

Sheila studied her like she was crashing for a final exam at Quantico. “Yeah. He’ll want your hair blowing in the ocean breeze. You aren’t going to want it getting stuck in your lip gloss. Because it is so a come hither, big boy lipstick kind of night.”

“Oh, Sheila, where do you come up with things like that?” she asked, reaching for her mascara.

“Rap mostly. It’s the most honest assessment of the male mind in my opinion. The entire lexicon is like the FBI manual set to music. But really, it doesn’t matter if the guy is from the hood or waltzing down Wall Street in a twenty-thousand-dollar suit.”

This she had to hear. “How so?” she asked as she curled the brown-coated wand over her lashes.

“One, a man gets money however he can. Two, he’ll shoot something if it comes at him or have someone else do it. We’re talking murder one and two. Three, if he can fuck it, he will. Every single time. Sometimes he pays. Prostitution, anyone? And don’t get me started on the whole, if he can smoke it part…”

Lily clapped. “You should give a special training.”

“I’ll email a proposal to Buck.” Sheila stuck her face next to Lily’s in the mirror and smoothed the smudge of mascara in her right corner. “Did I mention it used to drive my mother nuts when I listened to rap? She’d stop in my doorway and say, ‘I put men like that in prison every day, Sheila Rae, and they aren’t good role models for you to be listening to.’”

“To which you’d reply?” Lily asked, applying her favorite raspberry lip gloss, trying not to think about Robbie kissing it off later. Her nerves were already jumping.

“‘Yes, Mother.’ I had no voice back then.”

Since that was hard to imagine, she patted her partner on the back. “I’ve met your mother, so I get it. She’s formidable.”

“Wouldn’t be a federal judge if she wasn’t.” Sheila winked at herself in the mirror. “I sometimes wonder how she would feel if she saw me like this, dolled up like a hottie on an undercover assignment.”

They both regarded themselves in the mirror. Looking at them tonight, no one would think they were FBI agents. They both looked their scripted part: two best friends getting ready to go on dates with men they’d met on a beach vacation. “I’d bet she would know it was necessary.”

Sheila rubbed the corners of her eyes. “She gets my case files from someone in DC. That I know. And she tells me every Christmas how proud she is of me and all the bad guys I’ve put away, the justice I’ve dispensed. But I think she’d lose her shit if she knew about this underbelly of justice. Then again, this is the woman whose sole maternal advice was: if you take the F out of life in every situation, you’ll remember there’s always a lie. Justice balances the lies.”

Justice?

“Is that what tonight is about?” Lily asked, turning from the vulnerability in her eyes reflected back at her in the mirror.

Sheila lightly grabbed her shoulders. “Yes! The same way it is when we’re sitting in the car for hours surveilling someone, or when I have to give a lap dance to someone on a yacht or at a strip club. The O’Connor boys are good men, but they have information on the likely whereabouts of a very important person of interest. The one who landed in your lap, Sunshine, when your CI told you about the Kellys laundering money through Tara’s nail salons.”

She nodded. “Thanks for the reminder. I needed it. Sheila, I hate to ask this…”

Her partner rested her hip against the sink. “You wonder if I’ve ever enjoyed kissing someone undercover when it couldn’t be avoided.”

“Yes,” she said quietly, hoping her blush covered up the sudden heat crawling on her cheeks. “I’ve evaded it so far.”

“Tangled limbs did the job, huh?” Sheila got a rare soft motherly look on her face. “Sure, I have. There was one guy we’d turned as a witness who was going back into a major drug operation with me so we could take down his boss. He was the kind of ripped, charming bad boy I’ve always found attractive. He wasn’t a killer, so he had that going for him.”

“Always a plus,” she said dryly.

“Word. He was in the sales side with other countries. Spoke four languages. Smart. Posing as his girlfriend not only involved a lot of public PDA but sleeping in the same bed on his boss’ yacht for three days and pretending we were having sex at night. Because the boss was paranoid, the room was bugged and videoed, and if we hadn’t fooled around—”

“Your cover would have been blown,” Lily finished, crossing her arms from the tension she imagined Sheila must have felt in that situation.

“That made it part of the job. So we fooled around, and it got very intense. No full-on penetration but lots of mutual stuff happened. I told myself, how could it not? He was very skilled, and we had chemistry. But when we finished the op, I felt guilty. So every time I did, I looked at the photo of the drug lord I’d helped bring down. Then the guilt would go away. Because if I hadn’t gotten onto that yacht and done what I did, I wouldn’t have secured the hard evidence we needed to bring him down. It ain’t pretty, but it’s the job.”

Lily tipped her head back and studied the ceiling. “I want to have sex with Robbie.”

“I know.” Her partner lightly punched her in the arm. “And I want to have sex with Billie.”

“But you’ve got the whole bloody massacre going on,” Lily said, gesturing to the loose-fitting purple dress Sheila had chosen.

“Sunshine, don’t look so forlorn. Maybe you and Robbie will have sex in the future once the truth is out. I know the status of your love life back in Boston—not that mine is any better. You two certainly seem to fit.”

Wincing, she turned away to run a brush through the ends of her hair. “Maybe don’t say that now. I’m trying to keep focused on the case.”

“Good.” Sheila strode to the door, pointing to her wristwatch. “Because it’s showtime.”

Lily took one last look at herself and followed her partner down to the kitchen. The men were a minute early with Billie leading the way, decked out in a tight-fitting black T-shirt with freshly washed jeans free of travel wrinkles. His cheeks looked recently kissed by a razor, and when Lily let them in, she scented citrus aftershave when he kissed her sweetly on the cheek, a little surprising, and told her she looked gorgeous. Then he was striding purposefully toward her partner, who gave some kind of shriek. Lily noted Billie had dipped her and was kissing her neck playfully.

When she turned back, Robbie stood silently before her, hands fisted at his sides. She jerked a moment, seeing him in the same white button-down shirt and slacks he’d been wearing when they’d first spotted him at the Beacon Hill gym. Then she reasoned it was probably the nicest clothing he had with him and found her ability to smile at him. He’d wanted to look nice for her.

His mouth took some persuading too, his smile slow to reach his ocean blue eyes. “My brother’s right. You do look gorgeous, but I hope you’re okay with me not dipping you like that moron.”

She suddenly felt unsure of herself and finally remembered to let him inside. “No dipping needed. I wouldn’t want you to drop me.”

He stopped close to her, inches away, his heat and musky male scent making her head swim. “I would never drop you, Summer.”

The truth was in his gaze, throwing her insides into turmoil. Her heart started its telltale rat-a-tat-tat in her chest. A fuzzy sensation filled her head. And goodness, her skin tingled with an electricity it had never experienced before. But it was the warmth spreading through her, giving her a kind of floating feeling, that had her the most worried.

Feeling like this about a guy was a rarity for her. Being with a good guy like Robbie would be a gift. She knew it down to her toes. Oh, please, Robbie, let’s not screw this up because I think you’re feeling the same way even though we’re both lying to each other.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked, stepping back to give herself space to breathe. “Sheila didn’t make margaritas, but I noticed the beer you drank last night and made sure we had it stocked.”

“That was nice of you.” He cupped her arm as she started for the fridge, a gesture so shocking she jerked a moment before laughing at herself. “What are you drinking?” he asked.

Lily glanced over at Sheila and Billie. The other O’Connor brother had Sheila nicely caged between his body and the end of the kitchen island, where he was whispering something in her ear that had her partner’s shoulders shaking with laughter. “I could do white wine. Clarice?”

Her partner tipped her head back from Billie. “It seems we’re taking a short drive.”

Lily pursed her lips. That wasn’t something Billie had mentioned when he’d asked for a date, but then again, he’d said he was going to surprise her. But she knew Sheila could handle it.

“I thought you two might enjoy a drink alone since Robbie wants to stay close to home,” Billie told her with a wink. “We won’t be long.”

“Take as long as you’d like,” Lily said with a smile as they left holding hands and grinning at each other.

“No, he won’t,” Robbie said when they were alone. “We had an agreement about keeping you guys out too late. You both had a huge day helping Reagan learn how to surf and playing with the girls.”

So he was setting boundaries. Of course he was. He was a man who didn’t allow himself much freedom.

Feeling on firmer ground, she opened the fridge for Robbie’s beer and the wine bottle. “That’s understanding of you.” She handed him the beer and went to the cabinet for a wineglass.

The sound of him popping the beer reached her as she poured herself some wine. Extending her glass, she said, “I usually work with kids, so a little teaching doesn’t faze me. Reagan and Cassidy must have been tired though. And then there’s you…the self-proclaimed grandpa who complained to me about our pace this morning.”

Any struggle he’d been having with himself disappeared, and he flashed her that hot, challenging grin she couldn’t get enough of. “Grandpa’s got plenty of energy in him, don’t you worry. Especially when he’s watching you in that dress. What is that color?”

She laid her elbows on the counter after strategically positioning herself across from him at the kitchen island. “Celery.”

“They named a color after that pathetic vegetable?” His brow knit in bafflement before he gave a snarky laugh. “I hate that stuff. It’s always on some sad veggie plate at a holiday party next to those bone-dry carrots no one wants to eat. Ranch dip can’t even make it edible. But I’m off my point. I’ve never seen a woman wear celery, but it’s never looked more captivating. You really are a beautiful woman, Summer.”

That darn heat was spreading over her cheeks again, making her feel like a young woman with her first crush. “Thank you. I see you cleaned up.”

“I didn’t think shorts and a T-shirt would do for a night with you.” He tipped his beer back, studying her while he was drinking. “And my tux was at the cleaners.”

“Funny.” She took a sip of wine, feeling her body loosen. She was relaxing around him, and it felt good. Even though she was undercover, she felt like she could be herself. God, this was the weirdest op ever.

“So…we’re having a drink as we planned. Do you want to sit outside? It’s still muggy but the sunsets here are pretty spectacular. We might catch the big orange ball before it gets swallowed in the ocean. That’s how Reagan describes it, at least.”

She came around the island slowly, unable to look away from his blue eyes. “They’re really sweet girls,” she said with an easy smile. “Getting to know them and the rest of your family has been a lovely surprise.” That was true, at least.

“You mean that.” He set his beer down when she reached him and traced her jaw lightly, making her knees give for a moment—a first. “Don’t think I didn’t realize you were choosing to put a barrier between us before. But we both know why, don’t we?”

Her breathing turned shaky as his finger trailed slowly down her neck, a weapon of fire. God, she wanted to be covered in it, every single pore of her skin.

“Because both of us are trying to fight this,” he said almost harshly as he gently traced the neckline of her bodice, making her nipples hard. “I told you this morning that I didn’t expect this. But Summer…meeting you has been one of the best parts of the trip.”

“You mean that,” she echoed in shock, making him chuckle in a low-octave, make her girly parts sizzle way.

“You can take it to the bank.” He made a crossing motion over his heart, and she felt the absence of his touch way too much. “I’d planned to fight it by allotting us thirty minutes for a drink and then another thirty for our walk.”

She bit her lip to hold back her very pleased smile. “I got a sense you were trying to manage our time together. It’s kinda hot.”

His chuckle was rusty and out of practice. “This is the first sign of sick humor I’ve seen in you. I kinda like it. Summer, I don’t want to have a beer. All I want is to kiss you senseless. Maybe run my hands over you and try and push out of my mind the fact that your dress color was inspired by someone’s love for celery.”

Laughing now as well, she didn’t move as he slid closer, brushing the fronts of their bodies together, making her laughter stop. Their eyes met again, his burning with amused heat, a look she wanted to get lost in. Instead, she pointed to the clock on the wall. “But we’re barely ten minutes into your first time allotment. Doesn’t that seem reckless?”

He gave a rough sigh. “I’m not a reckless man. Everything I do is about cleaning up after other people’s recklessness. But you make me want to get a little reckless even though I know it will only lead to stupidity.”

She angled back to study his face. “What kind of stupidity?”

“Forgetting this can’t go anywhere.”

For a moment, she wondered why he’d concluded that. Because he thought she lived in Florida? Because everyone thought vacation romances didn’t last? Or because he was closed off after his divorce? God, she was starting to have as many questions about their personal interactions as she did the job.

He reached for his beer. “You said this was fast for you. I’m suddenly talking like someone put a quarter in me. Maybe we should take our drinks outside.”

“Do you want me to bring the kitchen timer with us?” she joked, hoping to bring back some levity to both her thoughts and their time together.

“Only if you long for speed dating,” he quipped, opening the patio door.

She grabbed her wine and stepped outside, Robbie following closely behind, the heat and promise of him singeing her. “Well, while I haven’t attended an event, it does hold a certain logic. Asking questions of each other for five minutes beyond the initial do I find you attractive? assessment is very efficient.”

He pulled her patio chair out before she could reach for it and waited for her to be seated. “Okay, I’m shocked. I’d pegged you for a romantic.”

“And yet you didn’t bring me flowers or chocolates,” she said with a sigh, pressing her hand to her forehead dramatically. “If Tim were here, he’d have a good Shakespeare quote. I’ve got nothing.”

“Not a fan?” He slid into his chair. “That’s a point in your favor. You had me fooled with all the wand and crown stuff.”

“Are we keeping score?” She sipped her wine. “Does running time count as a point?”

He shifted in his seat. “Grandpa is going to be crying uncle way too early tomorrow. I’m a little embarrassed to tell you why.”

She kicked back in her chair, crossing her ankles. “I love that we’ve agreed it’s a morning thing, my kicking your ass.”

He grunted. “I prefer to think of it as you being a serious drill sergeant helping me up my game.”

“So what’s your excuse?”

“I fell in the shower and bruised my ass. My glutes are killing me.”

Leaning closer, she narrowed her eyes. “You fell?”

“Are you inching closer so you can try and see my bruise? I can stand up if you want to give it a thorough examination.”

The idea of seeing his naked butt had her breath arresting in her chest. She could kiss it and make it better. Instead, she pulled a Sheila and fluffed her hair. “I’m not in any hurry.”

“Liar.”

She jolted.

He immediately took her hand. “Whoa! You should see the look on your face. I was just kidding. Clearly, I went too far.”

No, he’d only reminded her they were both lying to each other. “Fine. I do want to see your butt, but not when it’s five different shades of eggplant and celery.”

His look was endearing, almost boyish. “I’m never going to hear the end of that. I should just have said you looked pretty. When a guy gets into colors, he’s in trouble. You’d think I would know that from having two artists in the family who are women.”

She knew about his sister, Kathleen, the metal artist living in Ireland. Of course, she couldn’t let on that she knew. “Who? If family questions aren’t too personal.”

“I’ve just talked about my bruised ass,” he said with a lopsided grin she’d never seen on him before. “Plus, you’ve met two of my brothers. I have four others. But the women are my sisters. One by blood, Kathleen, the youngest of the lot, who’s loved making things out of metal since we took her to a junkyard as a kid. The other one is her best friend and kinda adopted sister. She works in stained glass. They both live in Ireland now and are rising artists. We couldn’t be prouder of them.”

The love he had for his family had already been evident from his willingness to take off and protect two little girls. But the sheer joy in his words as much as his lighthearted expression opened a door to a greater understanding of him. Sure, he was sweet with the girls. But they were kids. These women… He adored them. “No wonder you’re so good with the girls. Clearly you started early, with your sister and her friend.”

“I was eleven when Kathleen was born.” He lifted a shoulder. “Ellie came way later, but they make it easy, being all independent and full of sass. That’s how women in our family are. What about you? Is family talk too personal?”

Her mouth turned dry. “No, only tragic. We’re better off talking about your bruised butt. Do you want to tell me how you fell in the shower?”

His perusal of her was intense, as if he was trying to unlock her secrets. In that moment she could see how he would be a good listener with a victim but also a patient interrogator. “I’m not sure I like the sound of tragic. Maybe it’s the cop in me, but it pushes my buttons. Hell…it’s more than that. I want to know more about you. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

She lifted her wine to her mouth to cover her surprise, drinking slowly to give herself a moment. Usually anyone who heard her typical deflection was happy to change the subject. Usually she kept that part of her life sealed.

Her mentor had told her she’d seen victims join law enforcement with good intentions only for their pasts to haunt them. Brie hadn’t wanted that for her, and neither had Lily, so she had accepted every referral Brie had made for her. She’d pored over her past in therapy as a teenager and later as a young woman, making sure there were no more tentacles waiting to take her down. It had been hard work, and she was damn proud of it. It had paid off. “It’s really dark and not something I share often. My ex got all fidgety and didn’t talk to me for two days after I told him.” But the pull to share something real with him was so strong because there had been so many lies.

He set his beer on the table and leaned back. “I’m not your ex, and I don’t spook easily.”

No, he would set his shoulders and face whatever came—like he was doing with Tara’s girls. “I didn’t expect to veer into a personal direction tonight.”

His smile was rueful. “Neither did I, but here we are. Honestly, I’m kinda glad. My personal confession of the night—I’m tired of the shallowness of dating. Have been for a while. Maybe I am turning into a grandpa, or Tim is right about me turning hard after my divorce. But this conversation feels more meaningful than any of the dumb first-date conversations I’ve had about my hobbies since I know I can’t say I love the intricacies of pulling fingerprints, matching DNA, and putting away bad guys.”

She couldn’t help but spurt out a laugh. At some point in the future, she hoped they could talk about that because she rather liked the smell of gunpowder after firing her weapon. “All right, here goes. I was raised in a foster home after I turned twelve, taken away from my mother by a court order. Part of a larger case…”

Stop talking like an FBI agent, Lily.

Inhaling deeply, she set her wine aside. “My mother was into the free love, smoke anything movement that runs in some New Age circles. She ran away from home as a teenager, hooked up with some other street kids, and ended up at a community farm and ashram. Think hippies back in the sixties. She didn’t know who my dad was since everyone slept with everyone as part of some universal bullshit about love and nonattachment.”

His mouth tightened a fraction, and she had to give him credit for keeping his gaze open.

“We raised our own food. Made our own clothes. Self-sustainable living. As a kid, it wasn’t bad. I went to a local school, but no one thought I was weird for living in a community like that. It was California. To this day, I can still make better yogurt than anything you can buy in the grocery store.”

“What changed?” he asked, crossing his arms now, looking imposing.

An image of her mother surfaced from that time, her long hennaed hair pulled back with that vacant look in her green eyes. “My mother got a little bored. Her drug intake wasn’t doing the job anymore, I think, so she started looking for something else. She and a few other friends heard about this incredible guru who had started an open community everyone in their New Age circles was raving about. She joined his cult when I was ten.”

His mouth hardened, but he didn’t move. His eyes remained soft on her, waiting for her to continue.

“The drugs were more hallucinogenic. We didn’t just meditate as a community. We listened to this guru go on and on about… It doesn’t matter. Spiritual stuff that impresses people seeking those kinds of things. I didn’t like him from the first.”

She could still see his wavy blond hair and piercing blue eyes, his arms muscular from yoga and surfing. Shivering, she cleared her throat and folded her hands together tightly.

“He…had this way of putting his hand on you—like he was blessing you with his presence. It made always me want to shift away. Anyway, long story short. Everyone treated him like a god. It was considered an honor to have sex with him. But he also believed it was his duty as a spiritual god on earth to initiate girls into womanhood, so when they had their first period, they were sent to him.”

Robbie’s blue eyes turned into glacier ice. “That motherfucker.”

“Yeah.” She cleared her throat, remembering her older friends coming back in shock, sometimes with their shirts inside out or their skirts on backward. “He was smart and told them never to talk about what happened. That it was their divine part to keep what had happened between them a secret. The parents knew, sanctioned it even, so they helped keep what he was doing secret. They didn’t see it as wrong.”

“I’ve arrested people like that, and I still can’t fathom allowing that kind of abuse,” he said tightly. “Keep going.”

Taking a breath, she continued. “Anyway, he made the mistake of buying and selling some pretty serious drugs and doing some human trafficking on the side, not to mention tax evasion. His community was raided by law enforcement officials. It happened two months before my first period.”

This time he shook his head. “Jesus, I don’t imagine it’s easy to see that as luck, but in my neighborhood, we’d say someone was looking out for you.”

Her mouth was dry, but she nodded. She didn’t mention how Brie had pulled her aside at one point and told her not to tell anyone if she got her period. “I was lucky, but other girls weren’t. I had to get over my guilt about that—along with a whole lot of anger that my mother couldn’t wait for me to get my period so I could be ‘blessed’ by the guru. She was so high and crazy by then, she made it easy for the court to place me with another family. They were nice people, but I didn’t really feel like I fit in. Anyway, that’s the story.”

“You’re talking about that cult in Marin, right? About twenty some years ago?”

“North of Petaluma, yes.” Her mouth parted as shock hit her. “Not too many people put that together. Although it did make national news.”

“I was planning on going into the police academy, so I started paying attention to those kinds of stories.” He extended his hand, which she took, liking the way his fingers curled around hers. “The cop in me has a million questions. But the man before you wants to say you’re a remarkable woman. No wonder you went into a profession where you could help kids.”

More shock. Her ex hadn’t understood. Of course, Robbie didn’t know what her real profession was. “You got that, huh? Well, enough story time. Do you want to take that walk on the beach?”

He didn’t let go of her hand as he stood. “Sure. How do you feel when you talk about it now?”

Her smile was easier as she rose from her chair. “Free, honestly. It was another life, one that planted the seeds for who I ended up becoming. My good friend and mentor always told me that you have to take the good from everything you face—even if you have to squeeze hard to find a single drop. That’s what I did.”

He brought her close against his body and cupped her face with his free hand, his touch soft. “Yeah, you sure did. And I admire the hell out of you for it.”

His eyes shone with tenderness and something she didn’t want to name. But the intimacy between them was undeniable. They had grown closer from her sharing. Fallen even harder for each other. Neither of them could deny it. She was pretty sure neither of them wanted to. “Don’t kiss me now. I’d rather we wait until there’s a little more romance. If that’s okay.”

The smile that broke over that sexy mouth of his had her muscles going lax and heat spreading through her belly. “I’ll rein myself in, but I think you know how badly I want to kiss you. Your story only made me want it more. Before you were just a girl I really liked that I met on vacation. Now, you’re someone I’m… Maybe we should start walking.”

Neither of them moved.

Was her breathing harsh to his ears suddenly? It was to hers, and all because he didn’t dare finish what he was saying. She hadn’t imagined it.

“Summer Sunshine,” he mused, tracing her cheek. “Now I understand your name.”

She wanted to lower her head and bang it against his chest. Just when they were growing closer, she’d been reminded of the reality of their situation. Of the fact that he didn’t know her name, and she wasn’t supposed to know he wasn’t the girls’ father.

Finally, she shook herself and tugged on his hand, starting toward the beach. “I’ll race you to the water,” she said, already unstrapping her heels one-handed before they reached the sand.

His hand only tightened more firmly around hers. “No way. Grandpa here just wants to take a stroll with the most amazing and beautiful woman in the world.”

Her heart rolled over in her chest as she let her shoes fall. “Robbie… You’re not so bad yourself. Since we’re talking personal, can I ask why you became a cop?” Because she knew so many details about him, but not the why underneath, and that was what made him who he was, the man she wanted to know everything about.

He leaned to the side and toed off his shoes, dispensing with his socks before pulling her forward with him. “Sure. I think you know we’re from Boston, but do you know about the neighborhood Southie?”

God, here she went. “Like from The Departed? Clarice loves that movie, but it’s a little violent for my taste.”

His sigh was long-suffering. “Yeah. That one. Don’t get Billie going about how that movie kicks Good Will Hunting’s butt. The stale narrative about Southie is that it’s rough, crime-ridden, and run by the mob. Mostly true. There is also a strong sense of community and people who live by a code. My parents were like that. Well, my dad still is. My mother passed.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, even though she’d already known.

“Anyway, I worked as a stock boy for a grocery store in the neighborhood. I’d known Mr. Kincaid since I was a kid. My mom shopped there, and when she wasn’t looking, he’d sneak me a lollipop or a piece of bubble gum. He was always smiling. Loved kids. It was one of the happiest days of my life when he asked if I’d help him at his store. I was twelve. And yes, I know I was too young according to child labor laws, but it wasn’t like that.”

She wondered if he’d bust the man now for that kind of an infraction, but she remained mute on that subject. “He sounds nice.”

The roar of the surf filled the silence. He looked off toward the ocean, the silver and blue twilight highlighting his chiseled features. “Yeah. The best. His family and my family went to the same church, school, baseball field. You name it. His wife got cancer, and the treatments were expensive since insurance never covers it all. He fell behind in his protection money, and that’s when my life changed for the second time.”

Lily could guess what was coming next, so she stopped on the beach and faced him, pressing a hand to his chest. His smile lit up his face, and she went all soft inside when he covered her hand and stepped closer, making them a unit.

“I was in the store when two tough guys from a local mob family showed up, demanded he pay his tab, and then proceeded to break things in his store. I tried to stop them, and one of them grabbed me. Started tapping me on the cheeks and telling me I’d better learn to keep out of other people’s business. I can’t tell you how angry that made me. Being humiliated in front of a man who was a hero to me. Mr. Kincaid told them to take whatever they wanted, he’d get the money, but they had to let me go.”

Lily found she was holding her breath because she knew something bad was coming.

“The lead guy—because there’s always someone in charge—tapped Mr. Kincaid on the chin with his powerful fist and said that wasn’t good enough. Then he turned to me and said I was going to be his lesson about being late with their money. He signaled to his buddy, and before I could blink, he jerked up my arm and broke it.”

She touched his face. “Oh my God! No.”

He kissed her palm. “You’re sweet. And yes, that sucked. Mr. Kincaid went to pieces, and trust me, reducing a man like him to tears was a feat. My arm hurt, so I had an excuse. But he just held me in his lap and rocked me after they left, saying over and over again how sorry he was.”

Unable to help herself, she wrapped her arms around him, the scene vivid in her mind. “Those bastards!”

He nuzzled her neck. “Such language. But I like it. Honestly, while it was awful, my mind was totally clear. Like crystal clear. I kept telling Mr. Kincaid that he had nothing to apologize for. Those mob guys did, and they deserved to be punished. That was the day I decided I was going to grow up and stop guys like that from hurting young kids like me and old men like Mr. Kincaid.”

She leaned back and ran her hands down his arm. “Which side was it?”

“My right, which really pissed me off. I was the pitcher for our baseball team.”

Kissing the upper bicep, where she imagined that kind of forcible contact would break a bone, she laid her head against it. “Seems like we both saw a pretty nasty side of humanity when we were about the same age. I was twelve too when…”

She trailed off. That was when she’d decided to become like Brie—an FBI agent. Of course, back then she hadn’t known she’d need to have another career before applying, but she hadn’t minded being a teacher because she’d known it was leading to her ultimate goal.

As she looked at Robbie’s face, she desperately wanted to tell him her whole story. Would she ever be able to do that? Did she need to plant the seeds now? Before he found out the truth of who she was?

“You understand me better than any woman I’ve ever met, Summer Sunshine.”

That did it. She cupped his strong jaw and met his gaze. “I know we’ve just met, but I have to be honest. You understand me better than any man I’ve met too. I told you this is rare for me. I wish I could explain how much. Do you…ever wonder if this thing between us could continue?”

His eyes narrowed. “I’ve wished I could have met you under normal circumstances. That sounds weird. Let me clarify. Like out on the town in Boston or at a friend’s BBQ.”

“I’ve thought about that too,” she said softly. “I know it seems impossible. We’ve just met and have different lives. But I just want you to know I wish there wasn’t an end to us knowing each other. And that’s where I’ll stop.”

She lowered her hands from his jaw, telling herself to regain her balance. Give them both a little space after the intensity of their sharing. When she started to step away, he tugged her back to him.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” His hands framed her face. “Don’t pull away from me. This entire evening has been a deep dive into knowing each other, and I don’t want that to change. Summer, I wish we could keep seeing each other too. I just have no idea how that could happen, so right now, I’m telling myself to soak up every single moment I can with the most beautiful and special woman in the world.”

“Oh, Robbie,” she said, closing the distance between them and stepping into the warmth of his body. “I wish everything weren’t so complicated.”

“Hey! Don’t get all sad on me. You asked for romance earlier before I kissed you. Right now, I wish I had a red rose or something to tuck behind your ear.”

God, who knew he could be this sweet? “Maybe you could find me a seashell?”

He levered back and slanted her a look. “Tomorrow, when it’s light out, I will take Cassidy and Reagan on a seashell hunting excursion for the best seashell on this beach. But I’m afraid it’s getting dark, and all I can think about now is that I won’t be able to see the jellyfish washed up on the beach.”

She twined her arms around his waist. “Maybe you wanting to protect me is romantic enough.”

“You should aim higher,” he said, enclosing her in his embrace. “You deserve more. Summer, you deserve everything.”

The blues of his eyes were darker now, in the scant light, but the desire was as clear as the rising moon. “All I want right now is for you to kiss me.”

“Then we’d better make it count,” he whispered before laying his lips over hers.

The frisson of heat as their mouths met rocked her back. His hands kept her in place as they learned each other’s textures, sipping softly as their heartbeats started to race. Her eyelids drifted shut on a breathy sigh when he kissed the corner of her mouth. Wanting more of him, she threaded her fingers into his thick black hair and pressed him closer to her heat, closer to where she needed him. His breathing fractured, increasing the pressure of their mouths until she opened hers and let him in.

His tongue swept inside, sending a jolt through her, making her tighten her arms around him with an agonized moan. He answered with a guttural sound as she traced his tongue, dancing with him. The tide surged around her feet, but he was there to steady her against him. His mouth. His body. His hands. They all kept her grounded as his mouth did wicked things to her and made her want more.

She slid her hands around to his front, wanting to feel the power of his pounding heart against her palms. He wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her tightly to him. His erection was obvious, and feeling it against her had her moaning again. “Oh, God, Robbie,” she said, wrenching her mouth away.

His mouth followed. “Not yet,” he whispered harshly as she heard a car door slam in the distance. “God, not yet.”

The kiss took on more urgent demands, and his hands slid down to her bottom, grinding her against him. She felt a rush of heat in her middle so strong she threw her head back, crying out softly.

“Yes, that’s right. Moan for me. Tell me what you need.”

She needed him. Her body knew it, and she feared her heart did too. “We’re getting out of control here.”

“I know.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I know, and I still can’t seem to stop touching you.”

Inciting words, ones she couldn’t ignore. She tugged his head down for a kiss. This time she took the lead, sweeping her tongue inside and making him groan.

A porch light went on, pulling her awareness toward it. Heated voices sounded. She slid her mouth to his jaw, kissing it softly, her eyes going toward the disturbance. She spotted Tim standing in the light with another petite woman, his hand on her arm—

Tara O’Connor.

“Oh, my…” Her training kicked in. She took in the understated nature of the woman’s clothing, so different from her usual see me outfits shot with bling, but she knew that profile like the back of her hand. “You have a visitor.”

Robbie’s head swung toward the house. “Jesus Christ!” His hands slid slowly from her, and she had a moment to take in his poleaxed expression before his face transformed into one filled with unadulterated emotion.

Then he was running toward the woman. Tim’s hand dropped from her, and Tara started running too. They met halfway to the house, wrapping their arms around each other. For a moment, she was arrested by the sight. God, they really loved each other. She’d never had anyone love her that fiercely. What would it be like?

Catching herself, she dug her nails into her palms so she could focus. Lily started walking, her heart battling with the lingering desire from their kiss. She needed to flip her internal switch so she could feel the excitement that their case had just broken wide open.

When she reached them, Robbie had his hands on Tara’s haggard face, one devoid of practically any makeup. She’d transformed herself by going plain with a nearly frumpy outfit of neutral shirt and shorts with ugly white tennis shoes. What a change. Lily was impressed.

“Are you okay?” Robbie finally managed with a hoarse voice. “Jesus, Tara, do you have any idea how much you scared me?” Then he was pulling her to him in another fierce hug.

Tim walked over to Lily, valiantly trying to smile. “So this must seem weird, but we heard the girls’ mom was almost in an accident earlier, and it totally freaked us out. My brothers didn’t mention it because they wanted their time with you and Clarice to go well. I mean, Robbie and Tara might not be right for each other romantically, but they still share a family. You know?”

Lily nearly blinked multiple times in shock. Who would have thought Shakespeare would be so good at lying on his feet? “I’m glad she’s okay. Was the near accident on the way here?”

“No, it was on her way home from work before she headed out.” He heaved out a breath. “Long story. Her work stuff changed, so she decided to pop down. She really missed the girls. And despite them getting divorced, she and Robbie have a strong bond. But it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Good to know.” How sweet of Tim to try and manage her relationship with Robbie. But he couldn’t realize why she was so impacted by the sight of their affection. As she watched Robbie and Tara hold on to each other, she felt swept away by the love they had for each other. Tara had run scared after the fire in the nail salon and come straight to the one man she knew she could count on.

Heck, that was more than love. That was loyalty.

“You wouldn’t happen to know if Clarice is back with your brother, would you?” she asked, wishing her partner were here for backup.

Did she reveal herself as an FBI agent right now or wait until Sheila was with her?

Later, she decided. She didn’t want Tara to run. The woman’s face had looked haggard before she’d hugged Robbie with all her strength. She would likely be more cooperative if she talked with her cousin, saw her girls, and got some sleep. Neither Robbie nor Billie was going to slip away without saying goodbye to them. After tonight, Lily was sure of that. She and Robbie had crossed into new territory. When she revealed herself as an agent, it was going to be a total shock to Robbie too. The whole situation had to be handled delicately.

“Ahem,” Tim said, clearing his throat loudly.

Robbie’s head turned, finally noticing his brother. Tara pulled back, and with the porch light, Lily watched the woman’s eyes narrow in suspicion. Of course they did. This woman had been terrorized. Lily would be suspicious too in her place.

“Tara,” Tim began, clearing his throat again. “This is our neighbor, Summer. She and her best friend are here on vacation too. Billie is off with Clarice tonight. They’ve been terrific with the girls. Wait until you see the magic wands Summer brought over.”

Robbie seemed to shake himself, looking down at Tara before glancing over at Lily. She could almost hear him say oh, shit in his mind.

“Hi, Tara,” she said, forcing a smile at her person of interest. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

I can’t wait to interview you and nail the Kellys.

“Hi, Summer.” The woman’s forced smile fell quickly from her face. “I didn’t realize Robbie and Billie had met anyone on their vacation.”

Robbie scrubbed his face. “Everything since the day we left Boston has been one surprise after the other.”

Tara only raised her perfectly waxed eyebrows at him, crossing her arms. Even though she was five-four and tiny in comparison to her older cousin, Lily could see her backbone. Tara wasn’t going to make things easy for them.

A patio door slicked open somewhere, and moments later Billie and Sheila appeared. “Hey, we heard— Oh, Jesus!”

Billie lurched forward, scooping his cousin up and twirling her around. “You had us crazy out of our minds, girl.”

Sheila had a smug look on her face, and Lily met her gaze. She shook her head subtly. Her partner knew the code. She was telling Sheila to hold back, that they wouldn’t introduce themselves as FBI right out of the gate. Her partner only batted her eyelashes in response. Lily winced. She knew what that meant too. Fine, but I’m still going to press for information.

“Hey, big boy!” Sheila called, cocking her hip. “Do you want to tell me who you have all scooped up and cozy like? Because I might be getting jealous.”

Billie set Tara down, his mouth falling open, clearly speechless. Tara cocked her own hip in response and glared at Sheila. “I’m his brother’s ex-wife, that’s what,” the woman answered, an edge in her voice. “Which means I’m family.”

Sheila’s mouth pursed like she was a little put off by that answer. “Interesting… I thought Robbie here had the girls for a couple of weeks while you were working.”

Lily fought a wince. Sheila adored pressing their subjects with questions when everyone was off-balance. She insisted it was the best way to shake information loose.

“There was a change in plans,” the woman responded, a bit haughtily. “I’m going inside. Should I wake the girls now or should we catch up first? You know how Cassidy and Reagan get when they see their mommy.”

Tara might as well have lifted her leg and given a little tinkle by how proprietary she sounded. Lily bit her lip, waiting to see how Robbie was going to handle things.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking up. “I hate to call it a night, but we should probably hear about Tara’s change of plans. Seeing as how it affects the girls. Right, Billie?”

His brother nodded solemnly before walking over to Sheila, closing his hands on her arms, and bending to meet her gaze. “Sorry to cut our night short, sweetheart. Catch you in the morning?”

She ran her finger slowly down his chest. “Not if I catch you first, handsome.”

As Billie leaned down and kissed her partner sweetly on the mouth, Lily looked over at Robbie. His inner conflict was evident from his locked jaw and creased brow. He strode forward, touching her arm softly. “This wasn’t how I wanted our night to end, but this concerns the girls.”

She could tell he was hoping she’d understand—like they’d discussed. As she traced his jaw, she hoped he would understand when he found out the truth.

Because this was her last call as Summer Sunshine.

“I totally understand.” She kissed his cheek as her heart wrenched. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Nodding, he strode over to Tara, putting a protective arm around her and leading her inside. Billie lifted his hand before following. Tim did the same after giving them a rueful smile.

Sheila cozied up next to her as the porch light went dark. “Well, it seems our little friend was flushed out after all.”

“Yes,” she replied, chewing her lip. “We’re not going to be able to go with a normal approach here.”

“No, things have gotten pretty personal, and that’s when people’s backs get up.” Sheila glanced over. “How was your date?”

She winced. “Wonderful. Emotional. Complicating.”

Her partner uttered a reluctant laugh before saying, “Mine too. I hate to say this, but Robbie is the key here. We have to persuade him of our next steps.”

“I know.” She rubbed her arms against the sudden chill in the air, dread already rising inside her. “God, it’s gotten cold.”

“Feel your promotion in the air,” Sheila told her, bumping her with a hip. “Tara and her girls are going to be able to go home because of us. We’re going to bring those bad guys down for good. That will warm you up. Come on. We need to strategize and then call Buck.”

Lily let herself take one last look at where Robbie had disappeared.

Right now, she felt like their budding relationship was as wild and unpredictable as one of the waves crashing to shore. Well, she had mastered the way to stand tall and work with the elements she was given. They cared about each other, and she hoped they both could ride that wave once he got over the shock of learning who she really was. But she couldn’t just leave that to fate.

She needed a plan to get Robbie to trust her and cooperate with them to bring the Kellys down, and it had to be flawless.

He’d become too important to her—his family as well, Tara included—for her to lose him.

She was not going to let anyone down, least of all herself.