Dog Collar Knockoff (11 page)

“Then I don’t care what they think. I care about what you think and what I think. If we’re happy and treat each other right, everyone else needs to get on board. If they don’t, it’s their problem. Not mine or yours.”

If Lucie could have melted into her seat, she’d have done it. Just turned into a puddle of goo right there. Tim O’Brien, in three seconds, had summed up everything she’d wanted to hear from Frankie these last few years.

I’m in trouble.

But one little statement couldn’t define her relationship with Frankie. Could it? They had history. Good history where they laughed and loved and understood each other. That meant something. Something solid and pure.

Something she couldn’t just toss aside.

“Okay, Tim O’Brien, why does it sound like you’ve experienced your family not liking the people you date?”

He sat back again, rested his arms on the armrests and glanced around the restaurant. One big swoop before coming back to her. “Very perceptive, Ms. Rizzo. I was engaged once. We broke up four years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. There was a reason we dated five years before getting engaged. She dumped me for someone she works with. Said she couldn’t deal with being married to a cop. I don’t know what she thought for the six years we were together. I’d been a cop that whole time.”

“Yeesh.”

“Yeah. Making it worse was the fact that my family didn’t like her. Not one of them. Now every time I go out with someone, I get the same round of questions.”

“What questions?”

He flicked his index finger up. “Is she a nice girl?” Another finger went up. “Do you know what you’re doing?” Another finger. “Are you happy? After that, assuming my answers are all yes, they move on and leave me alone.”

“What if your answers are no?”

He set his elbows on the table and leaned closer. Close enough where, if she wanted to, she could edge a wee-bit forward and…

He focused on her lips, smiled at her as she drew closer. “Lucie, if my answers are no, my family never knows she exists. And in case you’re wondering, I’d definitely not be bringing her to my brother’s restaurant.”

He met her gaze and the intensity in his green eyes, the focus, sent an explosion straight from her core. Lawdy, lawdy, the man might make her come apart.

Needing distance, she broke the eye contact, fiddled with her fork, and checked her other utensils for water spots—because that’s what normal people did, right?

Across from her, Tim grinned. “Sorry I embarrassed you. Tell me about your day.”

Her day? Why would he be asking that? He couldn’t have known about the road trip. Could he? She flicked a glance at him then moved to studying her knife. No spots. Clean as a whistle.

“Um, it was fine. Why do you ask?”

He puckered his lips for a second, raised his eyebrows. “Generally when people are having dinner, they talk. Maybe about their day.”

What was wrong with her? This dating thing was strange. “Right. Of course. Good. Good day. How about yours?”

He scanned the restaurant, his eyes darting over the occupied tables for a few seconds before he came back to her. “Same old thing. Coupla robberies. I did close one case. Been working on that a few months. Finally got the SA’s office to file charges.”

Careers. Finally, something they could discuss without her nerves disintegrating. “That must be rewarding. To see your work come together like that.”

“You know it. I like to think I’m goal oriented, so, yeah, every case closed is a goal reached.”

“Do you like being a detective?”

The man’s face lit up, every fair-skinned inch. “I love it. There’s always something different. I didn’t like being a beat cop so much. Investigations are different. I like the puzzle.”

Interesting way to look at police work. Given her current circumstances, she understood that need to connect all the pieces, put them in order to reveal the bigger picture.

She sat forward and propped her chin in her hand. “How much of what you do is skill versus instinct?”

“Both. Absolutely. I never discount my instincts. Sometimes it’s the difference between a case going cold and solving it. Even if a lead feels nutty, I follow it.”

“Huh.”

Maybe this obsession she had with the could-be-fake painting might be her instincts kicking in, urging her to move forward. Really, her life in general could use a good dose of following her instincts rather than always plotting every aspect of her existence. Goals were one thing, but typically, reality always set in and she’d be forced to adjust her plan. Not be so glued to a list. Four years ago, she imagined she’d be married by now—to Frankie—and making millions as one of Chicago’s hot-shot investment bankers.

“You look perplexed, Lucie.”

She shook off her errant thoughts. “No. Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Instincts.” She circled her hands around her head. “I tend to think a lot. I wrote a life plan for myself when I was in grad school. I thought it would keep me motivated. And it did. Until I got laid off. Now I wonder if I’ve been too rigid. Too dialed in.”

An older couple from the next table got up to leave, and Tim’s gaze swept over them. Head to toe, scrutinizing their movements. Had to be a cop thing.

The couple moved on and he brought his attention back to her. “There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.”

“No. But sometimes I second guess myself.”

Like when I wonder if my client is a thief.

“Then stop doing that. What’s the worst that will happen?”

“I’d be wrong.”

“Last I checked, being wrong wasn’t a crime.” He rested his elbows on the table. “You’re a smart, attractive, no-nonsense woman. Give yourself a break. Trust yourself. You might like what you find. God knows I do.”

At that, she smiled. “Thank you, Tim O’Brien. You’re a good man.”

One she might need to spend more time with.

A
fter dinner and
meeting Tim’s brother, who—
hello
—made a wicked Irish stew, Lucie followed Tim back through the restaurant to the street where dusk quickly faded to darkness. He placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her around the other pedestrians as they moved toward the parking garage on the corner.

Humid lake air surrounded them and Lucie inhaled. She loved this city and any time spent here reminded her how much she’d missed living downtown.

A cabbie honked at a slower car and a slew of curses followed. Another Friday night in Chicago, land of the insane drivers.

All of it somehow comforting to a girl whose life hadn’t quite turned out the way she’d planned.

Yet.

At the corner, they waited for the light to turn, giving them half a chance to survive crossing the street.

Tim pointed east, toward the lake. “It’s a nice night. What do you say we head up to the lake? Take a walk and grab some dessert somewhere?”

Wow. The man could eat. “Seriously? You want dessert after that meal?”

And a walk on the lakefront. If the man had a Lucie textbook, he couldn’t have aced this test any better. When she lived downtown, she’d drag Frankie out to the lakefront for picnics and walks. She had loved the anonymity of it, the being able to walk outside without nosey people staring at them or pointing as often happened in Franklin.

“One thing about me, Lucie. My appetite doesn’t quit. Total warrior. And if it means keeping you a while longer, I’m bucking up.”

She looked up at him, a big-butt smile on her face because the cute guy liked her. High school much? She tugged on his shirt. “I’d like that. I’ll skip dessert, but coffee would be fine.”

The light changed and Tim stepped off the curb, hesitating a moment until Lucie did the same, and once again, he set his hand on her back, just a light touch. Not possessive. More protective. She sensed that in him. That protective nature. She liked it. Liked the way his big hand—so new and different—felt on her body. Everything about Tim was different from Frankie. His height, his big shoulders, his fair skin. His attitude toward people nosing around in his life.

They walked the two blocks to the lakefront and Lucie focused on enjoying every breath. That amazing feeling of clean, moist air moving through her lungs. If she were blindfolded, she’d know the second she got within half a mile of the lake. The moisture gave it away and her body responded, took refuge in it. Being here, despite the city noise and traffic, relaxed her.

“Lucie?”

“Yes?”

He dropped his arm over her shoulder, gave a little squeeze. “This is fun.”

“Yes it is.”

“I’d like to do this again.”

“Why do I think there’s a but?”

Tim stopped and gently pulled her to the side of the lake path next to a bench. “It’s not a but so much. More of a question.”

A biker hollered out to the folks walking and Tim nudged Lucie farther off the path.

“Fire away, Detective.”

“You and Frank Falcone. I know you have a history.”

“That we do.”

“A lot of splitting up and reconciling. From what I’ve heard.”

“Your sources are good.”

“Yeah, they are.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets as if he needed somewhere to put them.
On me.
Her hormones were a naughty bunch tonight. Particularly since the current topic was her relationship with Frankie. Something she didn’t want to think about. Tonight she was plain old Lucie—not Lucie Rizzo, mob princess—out on a date with a nice guy.

“Which leads to my question.”

“Okay.”

“This current breakup with Frankie. Is it permanent? Because I’m not a guy who wants to get in the middle of something. It’s not my style.”

All she could do was be honest. Each time she and Frankie had broken up, there’d been a feeling that it wouldn’t last. They were magnets in the same force field. This time, she honestly wasn’t sure.

She reached out and touched his arm because it felt right and easy and she wanted the connection.

“Tim, all I can do is tell you what I know right now. Frankie and I have been apart three months. There’s something different this time. Something I can’t figure out. I do know I really like spending time with you. It feels new and fun and… freeing. And I like that.”

He smiled at her, that lightning-quick one that sent her hormones all a-flutter. “Good enough.” He turned, slid his hands from his pockets, threw his arm over her shoulder again and started walking. “Lucie Rizzo, let’s see where this goes. I have a feeling it’s going to be a great ride.”

*

Lucie strolled up
the walkway toward her parents’ front door with Tim just behind her. As she walked, she tilted her head up to enjoy the kaleidoscope of stars on a perfect summer evening. She breathed in, let it out slowly, and tried to forget her mother was sleeping upstairs. Living with one’s parents might be the best birth control going. Not that she’d sleep with him. Hunky as he was, she wasn’t ready for that. Not a chance. She’d slept with three men in her lifetime and Frankie had been the only one in four years. Casual sex may have worked for some, but she couldn’t do it. She needed the emotional attachment and commitment that came with making love.

The hormones would have to deal.

When she reached the stoop, the porch light flicked on. Ah, the joy of motion sensors. Couldn’t get away with a thing. And if it weren’t nearly midnight, Lucie knew the neighbors would have their noses pressed up against the glass to see why the light flipped on. Everyone in this town was fascinated with the Rizzo family.

She reached the top step and turned. Tim was still two steps lower and she was nearly eye-to-eye with him. Tall man. Big man.

Oh.

Boy.

“I had fun tonight. Thank you.”

He nodded. “Me too. I’ll call you this weekend. Maybe we can get together on Sunday for a while? If it’s nice, we can go to the beach.”

With his fair skin, he wanted to go to the beach? “I love the beach.” She twisted her lips. “We’ll need five gallons of sunscreen for you.”

“Six,” he corrected.

And, oh my, how she loved a man who could poke fun at himself. She shook her head. “I’ll say this for you, Tim O’Brien, you know how to make a girl swoon.”

Under the glare of the porch light, Lucie’s gaze moved to Tim’s mouth and that perfect lower lip. His mouth had a fullness to it. So sexy.

After a second, those lips slid into a knowing grin and heat stormed Lucie’s cheeks for what had to be the millionth time tonight.

Her thoughts were just plain wicked!

“I do my best,” he said, still grinning.

And then, finally, he did it, what she’d been waiting all night for, he moved closer. She knew what this was. Yes.
Bring me those lips, baby!
She wanted those lips.

“Hey.”

Gah! Lucie jumped backward, her arms flying as she almost fell flat on her butt on the stoop. Tim grabbed hold before she went over.

Here she was about to lip-lock with the hunky detective and up walks Joey Big Ears.

“Hi,” Lucie chirped, guilt flying off her like spurting blood.

Tim grinned, clearly amused that they’d been busted. But, ace that he was, he turned, waited for Joey to step closer, and held out his hand. “Tim O’Brien.”