Perfect Together

by Carly Phillips

  “I have to get going,” Vicky said, before Nicole could ask if she’d been in contact with their parents.

  Nicole already guessed the answer was no. In their eyes, Victoria was now a public embarrassment, so her parents would ignore her completely. At least they were paying for her lawyer and other expenses, hoping their daughter’s recovery would help their public perception, which was all they cared about.

  “You make sure to fix things with the hot cop,” Vicky said. “I’ll talk to you next week.”

  “Looking forward to it already,” Nicole said.

  “Bye.”

  “Love you.”

  Vicky paused, then whispered “Good-bye” before disconnecting the call. She still found it hard to reach out, or to say things like I love you or I miss you, but today’s phone call had been the best so far.

  With little things changing, Nicole felt the return of the bond she and her sister had shared when they were young. It also felt like a missing piece of herself was being returned to her—filled up slowly, like sand in an hourglass. And Nicole was grateful for each minuscule bit she received. She was also afraid to trust that it would last, having seen Victoria regress more times than she wanted to recall. Still, she reminded herself she’d never seen her at the low point she’d been at after her arrest, nor had she ever watched her try so intently for recovery.

  Hope, Nicole thought, was a scary, elusive thing—no matter what kind of relationship was involved. For someone who’d been consistently rejected and ignored by her parents, the very people she should trust to be there for her, the fear of being hurt or rejected—by Sam especially—remained.

  Pushing off those thoughts, she refocused on her most pressing problem: Her ex-fiancé.

  Sam had the day off, so he agreed to meet Cara at The Family Restaurant for breakfast. He was in a pissed-off mood and his sister-in-law noticed immediately.

  “Well? Are you going to answer me? What, or should I say who, has you in such a foul mood?”

  Sam shoveled a mouthful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, ignoring Cara’s question for the second time.

  “You’re not getting laid? Is that it?”

  “God damn, you’re persistent. Would you talk about something else besides me?”

  “Nope. You’re so much fun to annoy.” She pushed her uneaten breakfast away. “But the real reason is I hate to see you so worked up, so talk to me.”

  “It’s Nicole,” Macy said, coming up from behind them and squeezing into the booth alongside Cara.

  “Eavesdropping? Seriously, have you no shame?” Sam asked.

  But knowing she’d met the ex last night, Sam was glad to have her here. Not that he’d give her the satisfaction of admitting as much.

  Macy met Cara’s amused gaze. “No, none.” She glanced from Cara’s plate in the center of the table to Cara herself. “What’s wrong with the food?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I’m just not hungry,” Cara said.

  Macy frowned. “Can I get you something else?”

  Cara shook her head, and even Sam wondered what was wrong. She usually out-ate him without worrying about calories. She had a great body and metabolism, not that Sam noticed much because she was his good friend and his brother’s wife.

  “I’m fine. Talk to me about Nicole.”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Her ex-fiancé is in town.”

  “I didn’t know she had one of those,” Cara said, eyes widening.

  “Me neither.” Sam ground his teeth.

  “Same,” Macy said. “Although I met him last night and I have to say, yum yum.”

  Sam shot her a nasty look.

  “Not helping the cause,” Cara reminded her.

  Macy blushed. “Oops. But come on. I asked who ended things and he said Nicole did. So obviously you have nothing to worry about where she’s concerned.”

  He ignored her and took a drink of his coffee.

  “He’s not speaking today. To anyone, apparently,” Cara said.

  “Well, he’s listening, so I’ll just mention that I told Tyler—that’s his name—to come here this morning for breakfast. And Nicole called and asked me to save a table in the back so she could talk to him without being interrupted.”

  Sam’s stomach twisted hard.

  “She said she wanted to make sure he understood she was serious about breaking up.” Macy stared hard at Sam. “Do you hear what I’m saying?”

  “His head’s still in the past, isn’t it?” Cara asked. “Now that you know Nicole broke her engagement once, you’re worried she’s just like Jenna. That you can’t trust her or your feelings for her. Am I right?”

  Before he could react, Macy reached across the table and slapped the side of his head. “Hey! That’s ridiculous.”

  “When you’re the one left stranded the morning of your wedding, then talk to me about what’s ridiculous.” He retrieved his wallet and threw money on the table, enough to cover his and Cara’s breakfast, and rose from his seat.

  “You’re leaving? Before you see Nicole? Before you offer your support? Before you remind her you’re here for her?”

  Sam glared at Macy, annoyed with her intrusiveness.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Go right ahead and leave the door open for Tyler Stanton, since Nicole already thinks you’re disappointed in her for breaking her engagement.” She waved a hand in dismissal.

  With a grumble, Sam lowered himself back into the booth, unwilling to say Macy had a damn good point. He might not be happy about the situation or Nicole’s past, but no way would he step aside. Which meant he’d have to get over himself and his history—at least enough to admit he still wanted Nicole. Which meant they’d have to have an open, honest conversation and make it clear they weren’t talking about a serious relationship between them. Just some feel-good sex while it lasted. He thought they were in agreement, but he’d feel better knowing for sure.

  All well and good, Sam thought, knowing that what he wanted didn’t take into consideration her ex-fiancé.

  Which left him the odd man out while they spoke this morning. Waiting. Wondering.

  Hoping for the best.

  Six

  Drawing a deep breath, Nicole walked into the restaurant a few minutes ahead of schedule. She planned to get settled in a booth in the back before Tyler arrived. To help, she’d pulled all the armor around her that she could think of, including dressing like the woman she was in Serendipity. Make that the woman she was—period. From her low-rise white jeans to Converse sneakers and a loose, flowing tank top, she was far from the couture-wearing fiancée she’d once been.

  She arrived at the restaurant, shocked to find Macy, Cara, and Sam together in one booth. Uncomfortable but not willing to duck and run, she forced herself to meet Sam’s gaze. He acknowledged her with his searing stare, giving her no indication of what he was thinking or feeling.

  Insides quivering, she knew she had no choice but to pass them on her way to the booth she’d reserved in the back. “Hi,” she said, pausing at the head of their table.

  “Hey,” Cara said.

  “Hi, hon.” Macy raised a hand in a wave.

  Sam’s gaze merely latched and held on to hers.

  “I should go wait in my booth,” she murmured, when she couldn’t take the awkward silence any longer.

  She turned and made her way to the back of the restaurant, knowing Sam’s silence had clearly made his point. He was still angry and upset.

  She reached the private booth in the back just as he called her name.

  She spun at the sound of Sam’s deep voice, finding him so close his body bracketed hers against the wall, confusing her since his actions were at odds with the emotional distance he’d put between them. “Sam—”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She lowered her jaw. “You’re—”

  “Sorry I was a jerk. You were honest with me about your past and I reacted based on my own.”

  She narrowed her gaze, as relieved as she was baffled. “Your past?�
�� What didn’t she know?

  “Yeah.” He ran a hand through his golden hair. “Look, we need to talk. How about after the game tonight?”

  Before she could reply, a shadow loomed over them. “Nicole.” Tyler’s voice held more than a hint of disapproval, no doubt over finding her in a near-clinch with Sam.

  She waited for Sam to step back so she could make the awkward introductions, but Sam was in no rush and remained in place, his hard body bracketing hers.

  “Nicole!” Tyler repeated, obviously upset.

  She eyed Sam imploringly.

  “I’m just waiting for an answer,” he reminded her. “Tonight after the game?” He touched her cheek with one hand, obviously staking a claim.

  Oh God. Her entire body trembled. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Okay.”

  He grinned, obviously pleased he’d won this round, and eased away from her oh so slowly. By the time he’d removed himself from her personal space, she was surprised smoke and flames weren’t shooting between them.

  Tyler cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” he asked.

  She shook her head, hoping to clear her mind. “Tyler Stanton, this is Detective Sam Marsden. Sam, Tyler.” She gestured between the two men, refusing to give either one of them a designation like friend, boyfriend, or ex-anything.

  They eyed one another warily, each assessing the competition. Which was ridiculous, since Sam had none and Tyler had driven all this way for no reason. But she didn’t want to hurt him, and Sam’s deliberate claim-staking hadn’t helped toward that goal.

  By the time Sam strode away, Nicole was shaking inside, and she hoped her nerves didn’t show on the outside.

  “Shall we sit?” Tyler asked.

  She nodded, aware of her friends at the front of the diner, along with the other familiar faces who’d come in since she’d arrived. Serendipity was a small town and, like most, people here enjoyed good gossip. Nicole’s ex-fiancé and her new relationship with Detective Sam Marsden would certainly provide this morning’s talk and entertainment.

  It took everything inside Sam not to turn around and watch Nicole and her well-dressed, clearly rich, everything-Sam-was-not ex-fiancé. It took even more fortitude for him not to sit back down with Cara and Macy and wait for Nicole to finish with her talk. Instead he strode straight out of the restaurant, headed for his car, and drove away, deciding he’d be better off doing work around the house. At least that way he’d be productive and not pathetic.

  He hadn’t planned to compare, but clearly Nicole had a type. Both he and this Tyler Stanton had light hair and light eyes, his hazel, the other guy’s green, but where Sam was more of a guy’s guy, Tyler was obviously more of the GQ variety. Khaki pants, polo shirt, short hair that wasn’t barbershop cut. Which raised the question—what was the classy Nicole Farnsworth doing slumming with a Serendipity cop? And how long would her walk on the other side last?

  Knowing he was in a precarious position, Sam asked himself what the hell he was doing. For a man who didn’t want to invest emotions or his heart, he seemed to care too damned much.

  He’d been blindsided by a woman once before. This time his eyes were wide open, so if and when Nicole walked away, Sam had known the possibility existed going in.

  And he’d have nobody to blame but himself.

  Nicole couldn’t read her ex-fiancé because Tyler was still focused on what had gone down with Sam. So was Nicole. At least he wasn’t angry, but he had alluded to interesting information about his past. She couldn’t begin to imagine what had happened to him, nor did she have time to think about it when Tyler faced her across the table, his expression tight.

  “Tyler, why are you here?” Nicole got right to the point. Better she know immediately what she was up against.

  He folded his hands on the table, took a visible, relaxing breath, and said, “I came for you. I came to see what kind of hold this town has on you and why you felt you had to leave home—and me—to settle down here.”

  Nicole expelled the breath she’d been holding, hoping things were as simple as he claimed. This, she could deal with.

  “I already explained why I broke up with you. I don’t want to hurt you, so please don’t make me say it again.” She stared into his green eyes, hating that he was putting her in the position of having to rehash the breakup.

  “You said we didn’t have sizzle. Chemistry. Then I come here and find you with that cop.”

  “Detective,” she replied, then realized she was echoing Sam and managed not to smile.

  “That detective is the reason you left me.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I barely knew him when I was here last.” But he had been the catalyst that made her realize what she had with Tyler wasn’t enough. Still, why tell him and dig at his pride?

  Tyler ran his hand through his closely cropped hair. “I’m not going anywhere, you know. I’m staying until you come to your senses.”

  Nicole stiffened. Such extreme behavior was not Tyler’s normal MO, and now she had to wonder—again—whether there was more to him being here. What did he know? Was he aware of his father’s activities, and on what side of the illegality did he fall? She knew what her heart told her, but she couldn’t risk her safety by mentioning she knew his firm was money laundering. What if he suddenly turned on her, or, worse, called in the Russian mob to handle her if he couldn’t?

  “I don’t . . . You can’t . . . What?! Why would you stick around?” Nicole finally sputtered.

  Completely unruffled, he replied, “Because we belong together.” He reached across the table in an attempt to place his hand over hers, but she was quick enough to shift her shaking hands to her lap.

  His eyes flickered with disappointment.

  “I’m happy here,” she told him.

  He raised an eyebrow in an arrogant expression she knew well. Tyler was many things—a gentleman, yes, but also occasionally entitled. “We’ll see.”

  She shook her head. “I’m going to go about my life,” she warned him. And that meant seeing Sam.

  “You do that. And I’ll be here to remind you of everything you left behind.”

  Why? Because he thought they were such a love match? This determined behavior in the face of her rejection was so unlike him, she believed to the depths of her soul there was more going on than he was saying.

  “Go home,” she tried once more.

  He shook his head and pinned her with a steady, certain, determined glare. “I’m not going anywhere without you. There’s too much at stake.”

  The morning crowd kept Macy busy after her friends left, but not so busy that she didn’t notice that Tyler remained behind for a while, obviously thinking over what had transpired between him and Nicole. Nicole, she’d noticed, had looked for Sam when she left, and had been disappointed to find him already gone.

  What a tangled mess, Macy thought. Something the likes of which Serendipity hadn’t seen since . . . well, since Jenna left Sam at the altar for Brett, his best friend. Sam had had a rough time then. He’d been so humiliated and embarrassed, and everyone in town had gossiped about it for months. She shook her head, glad Sam was on the winning side of things this time around.

  The rest of the day passed quickly, but Macy was embarrassed to admit she’d thought of Tyler Stanton more than a few times. He wasn’t her usual type, too buttoned up for Serendipity, but that didn’t seem to matter when he was so darned sexy. She sighed, wondering how many boundaries she’d be crossing by flirting with him. Just a little. Nicole was happily involved with Sam—or wanted to be—so what could it hurt?

  She was pondering that very question around five P.M., knowing she could leave soon to head home and change before the seven P.M. softball game.

  Tonight the cops were playing the firemen. Hot didn’t begin to describe the field, she thought with a wry grin. Too bad she’d known all these guys since they were boys, dated a few, and was interested in none. She lifted her gaze at the same moment he strode into the rest
aurant.

  “Hello, Ms. Donovan.”

  “Macy,” she reminded him. “And we’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

  He shook his head, obviously unsure what to make of her. Which was fine. Many had that initial reaction. She said what she thought, joked even if only she understood, and tried to enjoy life.

  “I’d like a seat. Counter or a table is fine,” he said.

  “Take your pick.” She gestured to the line of empty booths.

  He chose the first table closest to the hostess stand, and she eyed him with pure female appreciation as he took the few steps to sit down. Wearing the same khaki pants as earlier, she took in his very fine ass that accented his lean form.

  She handed him the menu.

  “I have a feeling I won’t be needing one after a while,” he muttered to himself.

  She raised an eyebrow at that. “Planning on sticking around?” she asked, unable to stop the hope rising in her at the possibility.

  “Looks like it. I think Nicole’s testing the waters, and I want to be here when she realizes everything she’s left behind.”

  What did it say about her that Macy was pleased? Pathetic, that was what she was. Dimples or no, the man was stuck on another woman.

  “What if she’s not just testing?” Macy asked.

  He set his jaw. “She is.”

  Macy raised her eyebrows. “Are you always so sure of yourself?”

  He met her gaze, suddenly looking at her, really studying her as if seeing her for the first time, and she shivered beneath his steady stare.

  “Are you always so blunt?” he asked.

  “Yes, and you didn’t answer me.”

  “Yes, I’m always that sure. If I want something, I get it.” And he obviously wanted Nicole.

  But Macy had been the bystander to many people falling in love over the last few years, and when that particular emotion hit, it hit hard. It also started with dynamic chemistry, and she’d seen explosive heat between Sam and Nicole. Tyler didn’t have a chance, but then . . . why did he want one? Why pursue a woman who’d made her lack of interest and intentions not to be with him so clear?