by Susan Hayes
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you back here in a few minutes.” He headed back into the ballroom, intending to make his goodbyes short and sweet. Only it didn’t work out that way. By the time he made it back to the hall, twenty minutes had passed. Swearing under his breath, he half jogged back to where he’d told Lia to meet him, only to discover she wasn’t there. Ten minutes later, he’d looked everywhere, but she was gone.
For the first time in his life, a woman stood him up. What the fuck had happened? Disappointed and angry, Nick went back out onto the balcony where they’d danced and kissed only a little while ago. He thought about going back to the party to track down the guy she’d come with. Maybe he’d at least tell Nick her last name, or why she’d left in such a rush.
In the end, though, he didn’t. Lia had made her choice, and that was that. As he stood out in the January night, the scent of her perfume still clinging faintly to his jacket, he wondered what the hell went wrong.
****
Shit.
Lia sat in the backseat of a taxi and watched the city flow past, wondering if she’d just made a terrible mistake. Nick was the first guy to pique her interest in a long time, and those kisses…holy hell, just thinking about the way he’d kissed her had her toes curling in her shoes. Dancing with him had been the most impetuous thing she’d done in years, and it had felt good to cut loose, even if it was only for a moment. The problem was, men like Nick Wilde were her weakness. Usually she kept her distance, but tonight she had given in to temptation, and temptation wasn’t a luxury she could afford to indulge in. The last thing she needed was to be distracted from the goals she had set out for herself the day she’d applied to Chicago P.D. She should be focusing on her career, and taking care of her parents.
It was bad enough she’d been tempted by Nick, but when she found out who he was, she’d had no choice but to leave. What were the odds she’d wind up wrapped around her new boss’ little brother? She had spent years scrupulously keeping her professional and personal life separate, and tonight that had all gone to hell in a rocket-powered handcart.
This is why I don’t date.
She stared out the window for the rest of the journey home, doing her best to convince herself she’d made the right decision. Even though she knew that there wasn’t room in her life for distractions, part of her mind kept replaying their dance, and the kiss that had followed. If leaving was the right thing to do, why did it feel like she’d made the wrong decision?
Chapter Two
Lia was not having a good day. Not that Valentine’s Day was ever a fun-filled joy-fest for anyone not in a relationship, but hers had gone from lousy to horrific less than an hour after she got out of bed. The building’s hot water was on the fritz again, forcing her to take a lukewarm shower, and then her car had refused to start, leaving her scrambling for a ride to work. Danny had agreed to come to her rescue, but his assistance had come with a price…she’d had to listen to him wax poetic about his new girlfriend for half the trip. When he wasn’t acting like a lovesick puppy, he was trying to ferret out the reason she’d left the wedding reception so suddenly that night. He’d been at it for weeks now, but today was the first time he had her at a disadvantage, locked in his car with no way to escape his questions.
“Did something happen? No one hurt you or anything, did they?” he asked as they sat in traffic.
“You did not just ask me that. If someone had tried to hurt me, I’d of hurt them and then called you in as a witness. I told you before, nothing happened. I just wanted to go home.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
Lia’s stomach twisted. Had someone seen them together? Not likely, if they had, then the gossip would have already spread through work. So far, that hadn’t happened. Still, she should have never let Nick kiss her. “Since you’re so well fucking informed, what exactly did you hear?”
Danny lifted a hand off the steering wheel to wave her off. “Whoa, easy. Untwist your panties already. Jenny mentioned that one of Ben’s brothers met someone at the wedding, and she vanished on him, poof. The guy didn’t even know her last name, no phone number, nothing. I just wondered if you knew anything about it, you know, given the way you hightailed it out of the hotel like your hair was on fire.”
“Not a thing,” she said, lying through her teeth.
“Please, I’ve known you too long to fall for that poker face of yours. Now, want to try again? Did I mention that the woman’s first name was Lia?”
“You’re a jerk, you know that?”
“And you’re insulting the guy who is here on his day off to get you to work on time. Well, as close to on time as this snowstorm is going to permit. Now, ‘fess up. What happened with you and Nick?”
“Nothing really. We ran into each other outside on the balcony. We talked, he asked if I wanted to go get a drink with him somewhere quieter than the reception, and then he finally mentioned his brother was the groom. I left. That’s it.”
“You left because he’s related to Ben? Your logic eludes me.”
“I left because he’s related to Lieutenant David Wilde, my new boss.”
“Yeah, still not making any sense, but I stopped trying to understand your dating standards years ago. After all, if you’d of had any sense at all, you’d have gone out with me.”
“You know why I’m not much for dating.”
Danny sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I do. It’s because you’re still convinced it’s your fault your big brother got killed. You were a kid, Lia. You blew off a shift at the store to go hang out with your friends and something terrible happened. If you’d of been working, nothing would have changed. You couldn’t have stopped what happened. The only difference would have been your parents would have buried their daughter instead of their son.”
Lia heard every word, but Danny didn’t understand. She should have been there that day. She was supposed to be there, minding the family’s corner store. Instead, she’d gone out partying with her boyfriend, leaving Alex to cover for her, again.
Alex was the responsible one, always taking care of things, forever nagging her to be more respectful of their parents and to do more to help around the house and the store. Alex was the good, dutiful son. The one her parents were proud of, the one who was going to take over the family business one day. Only the store was robbed that afternoon, and her big brother got himself killed over a carton of cigarettes and a handful of cash from the till.
The day they buried Alex, Lia had vowed she wouldn’t be selfish or irresponsible ever again. She owed it to her brother to live for both of them now, to do what he would have done if he had lived. She would live a good life and take care of their parents, be someone they could depend on, the way they depended on Alex. She’d even gone into police work, hunting down criminals and protecting families like hers, all while looking for some clue as to who had killed her brother. She’d seen the file, what little there was of it. No suspects, no leads, no witnesses.
Everyone thought it was ambition that drove her, but that wasn’t it at all. She was fulfilling a graveside promise to her brother. She owed him that much. That’s why she didn’t have time to date, and when she did, she stayed far away from men like Nick. There wasn’t room in her life for bad boys or bad decisions. She’d already had enough of both.
“Earth to Lia, come in Lia.” Danny intoned, snapping her out of her introspection.
“Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?”
“I asked you if you had a mechanic in mind or if I could make a recommendation.”
“Mechanic? Fuck, no. I have no idea. I was going to call my dad and ask him if he knew anyone.”
Danny held out his hand. “Give me the keys. Once I drop you off I’ll head back and call a tow truck to haul that oversized Tonka toy you drive to a place I know of that won’t cheat you blind or charge you a hundred bucks to put air in your tires or something.”
She shot him a dirty look as she fished her keys out of her purse and r
emoved the keys to her Jeep from the ring before dropping them into his outstretched hand. “Are you implying I don’t know enough about my own car to avoid getting ripped off?”
“I don’t have to imply, I know you don’t know a damned things about cars. I helped you check the oil once, remember? You didn’t even know where the dipstick was in your own vehicle.”
“That is why we have mechanics. I don’t have to know where the dipstick is. That’s his job.”
“Her job, in this case, but I see your point.”
“Oh, a woman mechanic? I like her already. I really do appreciate this, you know.”
“Great. To thank me, next week you’re buying lunch, and I get to pick the place.”
“You’re on. I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to arrange everything while working. You’re a lifesaver.”
He gave her a sidelong glance as he pocketed the keys. “You don’t have to do everything yourself, you know. You’ve got friends and family who are dying to help you out, if you ever gave us the chance.”
“I know, and I love you for it, but you know how I am.”
“Yeah, I know how you are, independent and stubborn as fuck.”
“Guilty as charged.” She couldn’t argue. She was willful, just like her father. She may have inherited her mother’s Hispanic looks, but she got her stubborn streak from her father.
When they finally pulled up outside her precinct, Danny gave her a wave and smile. “I’ll call you as soon as I have things arranged. Can you take a cab tonight or will you need another ride?”
“You’ve already done too much for me. I’ll call a cab to pick up the car after work. You enjoy Valentine’s Day with your girl. Thank you!”
“Thank me with lunch!” he called after her as she fled the warmth of the car and dashed into work, praying no one would notice she was nearly twenty minutes late.
****
The storm outside didn’t seem to slow down the criminals one bit, but at least the work kept her distracted her from the fact it was Valentine’s Day and she had no one to go home to, again. True to his word, Danny arranged for her Jeep to get towed to a garage, then called her with the address and phone number of the place. She had jotted down the information, tucked it into her pocket and gone right back to work. It was dark outside by the time she remembered to call about her vehicle.
Cursing herself for forgetting, Lia called the number Danny had given her. She got sent to voice mail, but the message said that the shop was open for a few more hours, so she decided to call a cab and head over. Hopefully her car would be ready by then, but if it wasn’t, she could at least get an update in person.
The weather had gotten even worse in the time it took to get to the garage. Blizzard warnings were on every radio and television, and tomorrow’s forecast called for more of the same. If Lia didn’t get her car back tonight, she was going to have to bus to work tomorrow. The cab companies were about to be slammed.
Her taxi dropped her off in the parking lot, close enough that she could see the lights of the garage beckon through the snow-filled darkness. Lia made a beeline for the entrance. If the universe was feeling kind, then her car would be ready and she could go home, have a glass of wine and shut out the world until tomorrow.
As the wind dumped a skiff of snow down the back of her neck, Lia shivered and walked a little faster.
Happy fucking Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow I’m going to overdose on half-price chocolates.
****
Nick was watching the snow fall and giving serious thought to sending his staff home. They didn’t have any appointments booked, and the odds of a walk-in arriving in the middle of the blizzard outside were pretty much nil. Janie was stretched out on the old but comfy couch that took up most of the space in the waiting area. She was playing some addictive new game on her phone, and Tim was idly wandering around the shop, spot cleaning. The black floor tiles had already been swept clean, and now the kid was so bored he was wiping fingerprints off the artwork and photographs of clients and their completed tattoos. It was definitely time to send everyone home.
“Why don’t—” he was interrupted by the phone ringing, and a check of call display put a smile on his face. His favorite mechanic and future sister-in-law was calling. “Hey, Jo. Have you finally come to your senses and realized you’re with the wrong brother?”
“You know, one day Tag is going kill you if you keep flirting with me,” Jolena scolded him.
“Mom would never forgive him, after all, I’m her favorite son.”
“Funny, Tag says the same thing.”
“He’s delusional. Sad, really. It’s good that he has you to take care of him now. Since you’re not calling to tell me you’re still denying our destiny, what is it I can do for you? I’m thinking of sending everyone home before this weather gets any worse.”
“I called to see if you’re free for a few minutes. I think I have something you lost a while back.”
“I’m not aware I lost anything.”
“Just trust me and get your ass over here. This is a limited time offer, Nick. Move it or lose it.”
The line went dead, leaving Nick frowning in confusion at the phone. What the hell was Jo talking about?
“You sending us home?” Janie asked.
“Yeah, you two can take off. Leave the lights on but lock the door on your way out. I need to head over to the garage for a minute, so I’ll come back and set the alarm and shit once I’m done. Be safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Night, boss man.” Janie said, already heading for the backroom to gather up her coat and purse. Tim was only a few steps behind her. Nick didn’t wait to see them off, instead he snagged his black motorcycle jacket from the back of his chair and went in search of some answers. Jo had some explaining to do.
It was only a short walk from his shop to the garage, but by the time Nick got there he was regretting not putting on the rest of his cold weather gear. His ears were tingling, his hair was full of snow, and the wind had sucked every drop of heat from his body. Jo better not be fucking with him, or he was going to drop her ass in the nearest snow bank.
He opened the front door and walked in, letting the familiar scent of gasoline and grease fill his senses. Jo had updated the tools and machinery, but the rest of the garage was the same as it had always been, the non-descript paint a little faded, the floor tiles chipped and worn. Only one thing was out of place, the woman standing at the far end of the room.
Lia.
She was talking to Jo when he came in, and her expression was not a happy one. Her mouth was turned down at the corners, and her hands were moving as she talked, short, quick gestures that spoke volumes about her state of mind. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good news.
She glanced over at him and then turned her attention back to Jo. “Three days? You’re sure you it’ll be that long? I really need…” she trailed off as her head snapped around again and her eyes widened with recognition. “Nick? Shit. What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Lia. Or should I start calling you Cinderella?”
Jo gave an award-winning performance, managing to look entirely innocent as she glanced from Lia to Nick and back again. “You two know each other?’
“We met at a wedding a few weeks ago. I had to leave suddenly and never got to say good bye.” Lia had the grace to look sheepish while she confessed. The faint blush on her cheeks heated his blood and banished even the memory of the cold he’d just walked through to get here. Seeing her again made him feel like he was standing too close to the sun. One more step, and he was likely going to get burned.
He took two steps closer.
“I’m here to check up on my future sister-in-law. My shop is just across the parking lot. The better question is, what are you doing here?”
“Miss Archer’s car is in for repairs. I was just telling her that unfortunately, the part I need is going to take two or three days to get here.”
Lia groaned.
“Another one? God, everywhere I go, I seem to be running into members of your family, Nick.”
Jo laughed. “I’m not part of the family yet. Soon though.”
Nick tried to ignore the spike of jealousy that slammed through him when Lia mentioned meeting other members of his family. Who was she talking about, and when the fuck had she met them? “What other members of my family have you been seeing, Cinderella?”
“Stop calling me that,” Lia said, glowering at him.
“Why? If the glass slipper fits…” He knew he was deliberately baiting her, but he didn’t care. She’d stood him up that night, and for some damned reason he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind every since. His sketch pad held dozens of images of her face and form, and every time he closed his eyes he could still see her, laughing in the night as they danced. It had gotten to the point that he’d finally swallowed his pride and checked with Ben and Tag to see if they knew who she was or where he could find her again. Neither of them had recognized her from his description. Ben had eyes only for Kelly that day, though he’d been quick enough to laugh when he heard Nick’s tale. Always the supportive older brother, Ben had cracked up at the idea that Nick had been left in the lurch by a woman. Neither he nor Tag had been any damned help at all.
“I’m sorry I took off on you, okay? I usually have better manners than that, but you might have mentioned your last name before you kissed—danced with me.”
Nick moved another step closer. “I don’t remember the dance, or the kiss, being one-sided. And you still haven’t answered my question. What other members of my family have you been seeing?” Fuck, if she was dating Jared or Dave, he’d lose it. Was that why she’d run out on him that night, because she was already dating one of his brothers?
Those sweet lips of hers pursed together for a second, and then she blew out a soft sigh. “I work with your brother, David. Actually, I don’t work with him, I work for him. He’s my boss. So now you understand why I took off, and why there can’t be anything between us.”
