by Amy Reece
“Hugh.” Lauren breathed the name.
He stood as they approached. “Lauren.” His voice was colder than Chris had ever heard it, causing the hair on her neck to stand up. He didn’t even glance her way. She could see the muscles in his jaw clenching.
“Oh, shit,” Finn murmured.
Hugh turned to look at his brother.
“I didn’t know, Hugh. I swear.”
Hugh sighed and looked back at Lauren. He still hadn’t acknowledged Chris. “So, you made it to the district attorney’s office, huh? Well, congratulations. I know how important that was to you.” He spat the words out.
Chris cast about in her mind for some rhyme or reason for the venom in his voice when it suddenly struck her: this must be his ex-girlfriend. Oh, great. Perfect. She already felt dowdy in comparison to the woman and that was before she knew Hugh had slept with her for years. She wanted to disappear.
“Yes, it was important to me,” Lauren replied, her tone defensive. “I never lied about that, Hugh.”
“No, lying was never your problem, Lauren.” He huffed out a harsh chuckle and rubbed his hand over his face. “Shit. I did not need this today.” He finally turned to Chris. “I’m sorry. I’ll call you later, okay?” He handed her the small paper bag he’d been holding and left quickly.
“Well, that was awkward,” Finn said as the door shut behind his brother.
Lauren sighed and turned to him. “Hello, Finn. I didn’t expect to run into you here. I figured you’d be out on patrol.”
“I’m a detective now. I spend a lot more time chained to my desk these days.”
“Congratulations. I was really sorry to hear about your accident.”
Chris realized the two of them must have spent quite a lot of time together over the years. It made her feel like even more of a third wheel.
“Thanks, Lauren. I’m doing a lot better now. Did you hear I got married?”
“No! Wow, that’s great.” She turned to Chris. “Is this your—”
“No, I’m just his partner,” she cut in quickly. She didn’t know how to act. Hugh obviously had issues with the woman and loyalty to him had Chris reversing her earlier friendliness.
Finn seemed to understand her conundrum and broke in easily. “My wife’s name is Melanie. She’s a writer and graphic designer.”
“Well, that’s great.” She looked hard at Chris, a frown line between her eyebrows. “Are you and Hugh dating?” She shook her head. “Sorry. It’s none of my business—”
“We are.” Chris said it flatly; Lauren could take it or leave it.
She smiled briefly. “Good. He deserves someone nice. He’s a good man.” She shook her head again and shouldered her large bag. “I should get back to my office. It was nice to meet you, Chris. Take care, Finn.” She nodded briefly at both and left.
“She’s Hugh’s ex,” Chris stated flatly.
“Yep.” He must have realized she was bothered by this revelation. “Listen, Chris. They broke up over a year ago. Hugh isn’t carrying a torch for her or anything, so don’t worry.”
Then why was he so upset by seeing her again? Maybe it had something to do with the fact they had been engaged, which Finn didn’t know. She realized seeing an ex unexpectedly totally sucked, but his reaction had been extreme. She tried to understand, but was incredibly hurt by his dismissal of her. He’d barely acknowledged her, much less introduced her as his new girlfriend. Was he comparing her—unfavorably—to his old flame? She didn’t care for the feelings this thought engendered, so she waved Finn’s assurances away and moved to sit at her desk. She certainly didn’t want to discuss it with her partner, who also happened to be her boyfriend’s brother. The paper bag was still in her hand and she finally peered inside to find three large chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s. He’d stopped to pick up a small present for her. What was she supposed to feel? She was hurt by his callous treatment, but touched by his remembrance and unplanned visit. Had he planned to ask her to lunch? She opened her top drawer and set the chocolate inside; she couldn’t process this right now. Tears were trying to push their way out of her eyes and she couldn’t allow it. She sniffed and slammed the drawer shut. She glanced up to see Finn staring at her.
“What?” she demanded, then felt bad for how harsh and bitchy she sounded.
“Nothing.” He started shuffling papers on his desk, refusing to meet her glare.
“Good. Let’s get back to work.” She sorted through the piles on her own desk. “Goddammit! Have you seen the Baker file?”
He silently handed her the file from his desk.
For the first time in her career, she was glad to be buried in paperwork and reports for the rest of the afternoon. She focused her attention on her computer screen, barely acknowledging Finn when he left for lunch. She hoped he knew enough to keep his mouth shut about the episode, but she wouldn’t be terribly surprised if Mel, Cara, and Izzy all knew about it within the hour. Shit.
She placed her cell phone on her desk and checked it all afternoon, half-expecting, half-hoping for a text from Hugh. There was nothing. At four, she straightened the files and grabbed her purse. “I’m going home. I worked through lunch.”
“No problem,” Finn said quickly. “Have a good weekend.”
Once home, she couldn’t seem to settle to anything. She started to clean her apartment, but she spent more time checking her phone. He didn’t call or text. She fixed herself a sandwich, but wasn’t remotely hungry and ended up throwing most of it away. God, snap out of it, girl! He’s just a guy and not worth all this angst! But she didn’t believe her self-talk. Hugh wasn’t simply another guy. He was amazing, and she thought they had a shot at something special. But how could she compete against his gorgeous ex-girlfriend? And was it even a competition? She didn’t know what had happened between them, but his reaction earlier had been more anger than anything else. He was furious with Lauren for some reason. But why hadn’t he called?
She managed to make a pretense of staying busy until close to six o’clock, when she decided a long run would be the best way to work off this funk. He still hadn’t made contact. She stepped outside in her shorts and t-shirt and realized the temperature had dropped dramatically since she’d left work. She glanced toward the west mesa and realized a storm was moving in, the clouds black and threatening in the gathering dusk. But Albuquerque weather could change on a dime, so even if it rained it would likely be a quick shower. She shivered and realized the beautiful Indian summer was apparently at an end. She thought about going back inside for a sweatshirt, but decided she’d probably end up taking it off halfway through her run as she got sweaty.
Two miles later she felt the first chilly drops. She determinedly ignored the precipitation and ran harder. Another mile and the heavens opened up, drenching her to the skin within minutes. Shit. Fuck. Why didn’t I bring my goddamn cell phone? She looked around to see where she was and realized Hugh’s house was less than a quarter of a mile away. She had paid little attention to where she was running, but her subconscious had apparently led her to him. She shrugged and pushed her wet hair out of her face. Well, I’ll at least find out what the hell is going on. She shivered and continued running.
Chapter Eight
Hugh
Christ, what a day. Hugh poured himself another two fingers of bourbon and tried to decide if he could muster the energy to order a pizza. His head still pounded, although he’d downed three aspirin when he got home. All I wanted was to stop by and surprise my girlfriend. I never expected to see Lauren. The thought of her and what she’d done sent his stomach into a nauseated roll. No pizza. Definitely not. He sipped the alcohol, hissing as it burned its way down his throat. He was well on his way to a roaring drunk, something he hadn’t done in over a year. Since he and Lauren had called it quits, to be exact. But seeing her again had brought it all back. And, oh yeah, he’d treated Chrissy like shit. He’d only had eyes for her as she walked out of the conference room, looking so cute and badass with her
gun and shoulder holster, and he’d hoped he could lure her away for lunch and maybe a fair amount of kissing in the cab of his truck. Finn’s “afternoon delight” comment had brought up all sorts of delicious ideas. Then the shorter woman walking with her had turned, and all those wonderful thoughts had evaporated as a haze of anger had taken their place. He tried to remember if he’d even acknowledged Chrissy’s presence, but feared he hadn’t. He knew he should call her, but he had no idea what he could possibly say. God, if I’ve screwed this up, I don’t know what I’m going to do. He was still beyond furious with Lauren, and he knew it was time to move on, but he was afraid. He’d put everything into his relationship with Lauren, assuming it would eventually turn into marriage and a family. But it hadn’t. It definitely hadn’t. He didn’t know if he was ready to go there again. He’d begun the relationship with Chrissy hoping it could be simple…temporary. But he already knew it was much more than that. She was special and she deserved someone who knew it and acted on it. He feared he couldn’t be that man. An especially loud crack of thunder struck nearby, causing Bob to whimper and lean his furry body against Hugh’s leg. The storm raging outside felt appropriate, mirroring the turmoil roiling inside him.
The doorbell and Bob’s resulting bark interrupted his increasingly depressing thoughts. Crap. Which one of his well-meaning siblings would he have to get rid of? Finn had undoubtedly spread the word of his encounter with his ex. If he didn’t answer, maybe whichever one it was would assume he was out and would leave. He sipped his drink and hoped. The doorbell rang again, followed by several knocks, and he forced himself off the sofa. He’d lay odds it was Seamus, although it was nearly as likely to be Cara. He peered through the peephole and discovered it was neither.
“Christ,” he muttered and wrenched the door open. “Are you crazy? It’s pouring out there and you still went for a run?” He pulled a sopping wet, shivering Chrissy inside, where she dripped all over the tile in his entryway.
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t raining when I left,” she said through chattering teeth.
“You’re lucky you weren’t struck by lightning! I can’t believe you ran all the way over here.” Her arms were covered in gooseflesh and she looked miserable.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Hugh, but I didn’t bring my cell phone. Could I maybe borrow a towel? I’m sure it will clear up in a few minutes and I can head home.” As if in answer, another huge crack of thunder exploded, startling her.
“Jesus, Chrissy,” he said on a sigh. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and towed her upstairs to his bedroom and into the large master bath. “Take a hot shower and get warmed up. Just leave your wet clothes on the floor and I’ll put them in the dryer. There’s a robe on the back of the door you can wear while they’re drying. I’ll make coffee and meet you downstairs when you’re done, okay?”
She simply nodded and stepped past him into the bathroom.
He shut the door and waited until he heard the shower start. He shook his head and headed downstairs to make coffee so she’d have something hot to drink when she got done with her shower. Once the coffee maker was going, he raced back upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door before opening it slightly and reaching in for her sopping clothes. He caught a glimpse of her long, lean, and wonderfully naked body through the steamy glass of the shower door and made himself look away. Sex is surely the last thing on her mind right now, idiot! She’s frozen half to death. Plus, she may not even be speaking to you after the way you treated her earlier today.
When she came downstairs wearing his robe, her hair wet and mussed, he had a steaming mug of coffee waiting for her on the table in front of the sofa. She sat, curling her long legs beneath her, and reached for it. She took a sip and groaned with pleasure; the sound went straight to Hugh’s gut and regions a bit lower.
“This tastes like more whiskey than coffee,” she murmured over the top of the mug.
“I figured you could use it.”
She smiled and took another sip. “Thanks. I’m finally warming up. It sure got cold suddenly, huh?”
They were going to talk about the weather? “Yeah. Looks like it’s finally fall.” He sipped his own coffee, which he had switched to—sans whiskey—while she was in the shower. “Chrissy, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not calling.”
“Oh that.”
“Yeah, that.” He hated this sudden awkwardness between them, hated knowing he’d caused it by his cavalier treatment of her. “Lauren Babcock is my ex-girlfriend. My ex-fiancée. I didn’t expect to see her today and it threw me.”
“I’ll say.” She drank her coffee for several moments as the silence stretched between them. “You looked so angry, Hugh. What did she do? Did she cheat on you? Is that why you’re so mad at her?”
He sighed and shook his head. He absolutely didn’t want to have this conversation, but he owed it to her. If he had any hope of smoothing things over with her, he had to explain. And it was important to him to get their relationship back on track and moving forward. “No, she didn’t cheat. Shit.” He stood and began pacing. “Listen, I need to explain, or try to anyway, but it’s still hard to talk about.”
She bit her lip, but nodded encouragingly. “I’ll try to understand. It’s coming between us right now and I need to know if you and I are going to work. I need to know if you want us to work.”
“You’re right.” He ran his hands through his hair, making a mess out of it but not caring. “I do want us to work, Chrissy. It’s really important to me. You’re important to me.” He stopped in front of her and reached to cup her cheek briefly and run his thumb over her smooth lips, then resumed his pacing. “Lauren and I were together for five years. I met her soon after she graduated from law school, and we hit it off right away. I knew from the beginning how important her career was to her. At least I thought I did. I thought we could still have a life together: marriage, a couple kids, a house, a dog. I asked her to marry me the first time two years into our relationship. She didn’t say ‘no’ outright. She said ‘not yet’. She kept saying it for three more years, but I loved her and never gave up hoping I could change her mind. She always had something she wanted to do first: get hired by a top law firm, make more money, make it to the district attorney’s office. I was blind, I guess, and couldn’t see what was right in front of my face.” He laughed ruefully. “She had no intention of marrying me. She was perfectly happy with the way things were. She had her own place, but stayed over at mine frequently. I had a condo back then.” He shook his head at his inclusion of this seemingly unimportant detail. “Then she got pregnant.”
Chrissy sucked in an audible breath and set her mug on the table. “You have a child with her, Hugh? How come—”
“No.” He stopped pacing and flopped on the sofa next to her. “When I found out, I was ecstatic. I proposed yet again, and this time she actually said yes. I practically dragged her to the jewelry store and bought her the biggest engagement ring I could afford. I wanted her to move in and she said she would. Everything was perfect.”
“What happened?” She placed her hand on his arm and he was glad to feel it was warm.
He covered her hand with his own and linked their fingers. “A few days after she told me about the baby, she came home from work and told me she’d had an abortion earlier that afternoon.”
“You’re fucking kidding me!”
“Nope. She was so calm. She handed back the engagement ring and said she wasn’t ready for marriage and a family, so she’d ‘taken care’ of the problem. She called our baby a problem.” He finished on a whisper and was horrified to feel the damn tears pressing behind his eyes. He sniffed, trying to control his emotions.
“Oh, my God,” Chrissy whispered. Then she let go of his hand and scooted closer, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Hugh.”
He rested his head on top of hers and swallowed the giant lump in his throat. Her body was
warm, and she smelled so damn good. He put his arm around her and held her close, accepting the gift of comfort she offered. “Thank you. None of my family knows. I’d rather they didn’t. My mom would be devastated.” He held her several more moments. “I’m really sorry about how I behaved earlier. I just didn’t know what to say to you. Seeing Lauren brought it all back.” He pulled back and looked into her beautiful gray-green eyes. He was fascinated by how they changed color, more gray tonight than he’d ever seen them. “I care about you, Chrissy. I care a lot, but I’m scared. I don’t know if I’m ready for another serious relationship yet, and this feels serious.”
She smiled crookedly and reached to smooth his hair. “I know, and it scares the shit out of me too. I don’t suppose there’s any way we could agree to take it one day at a time? Maybe not overthink it?”
The huge knot in his gut relaxed ever so slightly. She seemed to understand, at least somewhat. “Yeah, that sounds good.” He leaned in and kissed her softly, savoring the lingering taste of coffee and whiskey. “Your clothes are probably dry. You can change and then I’ll drive you home.” He started to stand.
She held on to his hand and pulled his head back down for another kiss, this one searing and deep. “What if I don’t want to go home?” she whispered, staring into his eyes and biting her lip, as if she was afraid of his answer.
He knew what she was asking, and he wanted it with every fiber of his being. God, of course he wanted it, wanted her. But still he hesitated. “Are you sure?”
She smiled in answer and shifted herself to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss his jaw, working her way up to nibble at his earlobe, her tongue darting out to soothe where her teeth had been. “Positive.”
***
Chrissy
She awoke to a very wet tongue slurping across her face. She blinked her eyes open and found herself staring into a pair of soulful brown ones. She smiled and reached a hand from under the covers to stroke Bob’s soft golden head. He whimpered and placed a paw on the bed.
