by Raine Thomas
A furious tail wag had Sierra grinning as she opened up the French doors leading onto her wide balcony. She stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, then turned to see Evan sitting on his balcony only a few feet away, just as she’d expected.
“Good morning, Evan,” she said.
He studied her over the rim of his coffee mug. After a moment, he nodded in greeting.
“I’m meeting with Cole and Everly at the park this morning. They’re bringing Jaws and I’m bringing Leo. I thought maybe you’d like to get out with the boys and join us.”
“No, thanks.”
Well, at least he was polite when he was being unsociable, she thought.
“All right. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Hey.”
Turning back to him, she lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Thanks for picking up the groceries for me. How much do I owe you?”
Smiling, she said, “You’re welcome, Evan.”
She didn’t bother commenting on the “owe you” part. He’d learn eventually that she didn’t operate that way.
Hopefully he really would have a nice day, she mused as she prepped her camera bag and headed out. Although she thought he’d be better served out with his friends, what really mattered was that he was happy…with “happy” being relative, of course.
Leo was beyond happy when she clipped the leash to his blue collar. His entire backside swayed back and forth from the power of his tail wag. She laughed, excited to see her canine friend so enthused.
“All right, all right,” she said, walking him to the elevator. “Try not to mow anyone down when we get to the park, okay?”
He did a pretty good job of behaving himself until they got to the spot in the park where she’d arranged to meet Everly and Cole. But when he saw Jaws, their Chocolate Lab, he nearly slipped his leash in his excitement to get to the other dog.
Since Cole was the one controlling Jaws’ leash, he waited for Sierra’s nod, then let go. The two dogs ran up to each other, sniffed each other’s butts, and started jumping and prancing.
Cole shook his head. “You know, I really think Jaws missed the memo that Leo isn’t going to get as big as he is. He’s acting like he couldn’t possibly squash Leo’s head by sitting on him.”
Sierra laughed as Everly rolled her eyes. She walked up to the couple and hugged each of them.
“It’s great to see you two,” she said. “You got a beautiful day for the shoot. The lighting is amazing, and it isn’t melt-your-shorts-off hot yet.”
“More’s the pity,” Cole said soberly.
Everly elbowed him, but her lips twitched as she fought a smile. Sierra laughed again. She enjoyed spending time with them. They made love look easy.
Waving at the dogs, she said, “Let’s see if we can corral Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there and get some pictures taken, shall we?”
They managed to get Leo and Jaws to listen long enough that they could secure their leashes beneath a large shade tree. As long as they were together, the dogs seemed content. Sierra led Everly and Cole over to a green patch she’d spotted a few days before. She was glad that Everly had remembered to wear the shirt she’d chosen for the progressive shoots. In each month of her pregnancy, she’d wear the same shirt. The images would show how her body changed in the shirt as their baby grew.
Sierra also wanted to incorporate something related to the particular month of the pregnancy she was shooting. Today, she planned on having the couple sit and stand in a patch of clover, holding a four-leafed clover in a variety of poses until she captured just the right one.
“All right, you two,” she said when she was ready to start shooting. “Remember what you did for the underwear shoot. Forget I’m even here and do what comes naturally.”
A couple of years ago, Sierra had been working with Bastian, the owner of Z Studios, on a big photo shoot promoting a designer brand of men’s underwear. Cole and some of his teammates had been models for the shoot, and Everly had attended it. While Bastian posed Cole in a pair of boxer briefs, Sierra watched Everly’s reactions from across the studio. She hadn’t been able to resist capturing Everly’s expressions. While everyone else had focused on Cole, Sierra had shot Everly. Ultimately, Sierra had approached Bastian and suggested a shoot with both Everly and Cole. The results of that shoot had made it onto a Times Square billboard and had shot Z Studios into the big time.
Now, she lifted her camera as Cole stood beside Everly and looked down at her. Everly held the large, wooden four-leaf clover that Sierra had given her, but her gaze was on her husband. Cole placed his left hand on the growing swell of her belly and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Sunlight gleamed on the wedding band he wore.
Click.
Sometimes, it was just that easy. Sierra knew she had her shot, but she still worked with them for the better part of an hour. She’d review the images and send them everything that she thought they’d like. Once they decided which shot was The One, she’d add it to the pregnancy progression album that she was putting together for them.
“Thanks, Sierra,” Everly said as they sat under the tree and let the dogs play for a while. “Is it really the fourth month already?”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. October thirty-first will be here before we know it.”
“I still can’t believe our kid is due on Halloween,” Cole said with a shake of his head. “We’re going to have a demon baby.”
Everly gave him a dry look. Sierra laughed.
“What?” Cole shrugged, earning a sigh from his wife. “Hey, Evan said he thinks us having a demon baby is kick-ass.”
Watching him toss a stick for the dogs to chase, Sierra asked, “Are you happy to have Evan on the team, Cole?”
He glanced at her. “Sure I am. He’s an exceptional player and a good friend.”
Smiling, she said, “I can tell both already. It’s easy to see he’s had a rough time, but he’s taking steps to overcome it. He’ll make a lot of new friends here, which should help him emerge from his grief.”
Everly looked up at Cole, who briefly caught her gaze. Whatever they communicated without words had Cole’s expression morphing into concern.
“Look, Sierra,” he said, taking the stick from Leo and throwing it again. “You should know something about Evan. I love him like a brother, but he isn’t the type of guy to put down roots. Since he graduated high school, the longest he’s stayed anywhere is sixteen months. I’m pretty sure if that stay had lasted any longer, he would have found any excuse to leave. He’s a great guy, but he prefers living on his own and on the move.”
“Does he?” she murmured.
She let it go. Her friends meant well. They were trying to warn her not to get attached to Evan.
Well, if that’s what they were worried about, they were already too late.
Chapter 8
A knock at the door the next morning made the dogs go ballistic. Evan frowned and paused the video game he was playing. After debating for a minute, he got up to answer it. He assumed it was Sierra and tried to convince himself that the sudden increase in his heart rate was due to his irritation over being interrupted.
When he looked through the peephole, though, there was no denying his disappointment. He shrugged that off and opened the door.
“How’d you get up here?” Evan asked, trying to keep Miller and Beck from flying out into the hallway.
Cole grinned. “I happen to know the property manager really well. She’s seen me in my underwear doing naughty things.”
“Are you talking about Sierra?”
“Yep.”
Without waiting for an invitation, Cole elbowed his way past him and into his apartment. He bent down to pet the enthusiastic dogs as he walked in and looked around. His gaze stopped on the television.
“Hey, is that the new Grid game?”
Resigned, Evan closed the door and moved into the apartment. “Yeah.”
&
nbsp; “Is it any good? I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet.”
“Pick up a remote and let’s go.”
Cole looked torn. Evan saw him wrestling with himself.
“What are you doing here, mate?” he asked at last. “You could have called, you know.”
“Yeah, but you would’ve just told me no. This way, I can drag you out bodily by force if needed.”
Evan snorted. “You think you could take me?”
Flexing his bicep, Cole said, “You may have me in height by an inch, but I’m married to a physical therapist who puts me through regular strength training torture sessions. Bring it.”
Shaking his head, Evan walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. Holding one up, he looked at Cole, who held up a hand. He tossed the second bottle to him, then cracked the top on his and drank half the bottle in one draw.
“Where, exactly, are you planning on dragging me?” he asked.
“I figured we could take in some BP at Chip’s.”
Evan’s eyebrows lifted. He and Cole used to visit Chip’s Batting Cages every weekend for batting practice. Those were some of the best memories of his childhood.
“That place still exists?”
“Yep. Chip’s son, Luke, runs it now. They’ve redone the place since we were kids.”
Looking at the television, Evan considered blowing off the suggestion. He was perfectly content holing up in his apartment between ballgames. Why his friends were so insistent on him going out and being social was beyond him.
“Come on, man,” Cole said. “You’ve got to see this place now. You won’t be sorry.”
“Do they still have the nachos with the atomic cheese that could melt your stomach lining?”
“You know it. I’ll buy.”
“Extra jalapenos?”
“That’s the only way to live, my friend.”
Five minutes later, they headed out. Just as Evan told the dogs to behave and locked his door, the elevator dinged. Two young women emerged, one a tanned, dark-haired beauty with legs for miles, and the other a brunette with fair skin and eyes so blue they looked purple. Cole and Evan didn’t move from in front of the apartment door, content to watch them walk closer.
They stopped in front of Sierra’s door and knocked, but both of them stared back. The dark-haired one lifted a brow and tossed her straight hair over her slender shoulder. The brunette smiled.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Hannah, and this is Zoe. We’re friends of Sierra’s. Are you the new neighbors?”
When Cole shoved him forward, Evan glowered at him before he advanced.
“I am. Name’s Evan. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, I love your accent!” Hannah said as she reached out to shake his hand. “But I’m sure you hear that all the time.”
He shrugged without comment. When the door opened, he glanced over. Leo stood next to Sierra with his tail wagging violently. How she got the ball of fur to stay put when he clearly wanted to pounce was beyond him. His gaze slid from the dog to Sierra’s legs. She wore flip-flops with some kind of shiny stones on them. Her toes were painted a shade between pink and orange. A hemp bracelet wrapped around her left ankle, which also bore a tattoo…something colorful with intricate scrollwork.
His gaze traveled up her shapely calves to her toned thighs, which were revealed by a denim miniskirt with a shredded hem. She wore a pink halter-style top that left her navel exposed. Something winked at him from her midsection.
Was that a belly button ring?
“Hi, Evan,” Sierra said, making his gaze finally shift up to hers. “Are you and Cole heading out?”
He didn’t respond. After a moment, Cole cleared his throat behind him.
“Yeah, we’re out of here,” Cole said. “Thanks for letting me up, Sierra. I’ll bribe him into giving me his code so I don’t have to bother you next time.”
She smiled. “It’s never a bother, Cole. You guys have fun.”
Evan wondered if he’d ever stop feeling this way when he saw her smile. The corners of his mouth had that unfamiliar urge to turn upwards, but he fought it back. Cole gave him another push and got him walking toward the elevator. Behind them, he heard a couple of feminine whispers as the women moved from the hallway into Sierra’s apartment. The door closed on Sierra’s laugh.
He and Cole traveled down the elevator in silence. Once they reached the parking lot, they headed to Cole’s Maserati.
“Not exactly a family car, is it?” Evan asked.
Sighing, Cole climbed into the driver’s seat. “Sadly, no. Everly actually said the ‘M’ word the other day when we discussed shopping for a more family-friendly vehicle. I think I spontaneously aged a decade when she did.”
“Jesus, mate. A minivan?”
“I know, right?” Cole shook his head as he pulled out of the lot. “I told her I refused to consider it until I’m at least thirty. Please, Lord, let some car company design a non-dorky minivan between now and then.”
“Better you than me. That’s all I can say.”
Cole slid him a sideways glance. “Oh, I don’t know. Judging by how you were acting around Sierra back there, you might not be as far from wedding bells and minivans as you think.”
Evan frowned. “Since when is finding a woman attractive a sign that you’re on the marriage track? There are many other kinds of relationships to be had with sexy females, though maybe you’ve forgotten that in your old age.”
“Are you considering proposing one of those other types of relationships with Sierra?”
Something in the tone of Cole’s question had him drumming his fingers on his thigh. In fact, the entire conversation was starting to piss him off.
“I’m not considering anything, okay?” he responded. “I barely know her. The last thing I want to do is get tied down here…or anywhere, for that matter. I like being unfettered.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Cole said, his shoulders relaxing. “That’s what I told Sierra.”
He stilled. “What?”
“We were chatting at the photo shoot yesterday, and she mentioned you. I got the sense she was getting interested in you as more than just a new neighbor.”
“You did?”
Why did that make him feel like he was back in high school and the most popular girl in school had asked him to prom?
“Yep. Since you’re both friends of mine, I thought it’d be best if she knew that you don’t intend to stick around.”
For some reason, that made Evan want to reach over and choke his friend. But why? Hadn’t he just told Sierra that very same thing?
“You did the right thing,” he said at last.
Now, he thought as he stared out the window, he just had to convince himself of that.
Chapter 9
Sierra, Zoe, and Hannah ate lunch at Tijuana Flats. They tried to get together every couple of weeks, depending on their schedules. Since Hannah was a student at Georgia State University and Zoe worked as a runner for a downtown law firm, Sierra’s schedule was the most flexible. She was happy to work around their availability.
Hannah used her napkin to wipe sour cream from the side of her mouth and asked Sierra, “How’s everything going over at Z?”
Sierra took a sip of her Diet Coke before replying. “The studios are doing great. I’m so happy for Bastian. All of his dreams are coming true.”
“It sure would be nice if he’d make my dreams come true and pay me,” Zoe said dryly around a bite of her taco salad. “He still owes me from a job I did three months ago.”
Zoe modeled part-time, which was how Sierra had met her. Her comment was puzzling.
“Really? I had no idea. But then, I’m always on-site when I collect my pay.” Giving it some thought, she hazarded, “It could be his assistant, Camille, who’s having trouble keeping up with that stuff. I get the sense that she isn’t the savviest with bookkeeping.”
Zoe gave her a pointed look.
“I’ll ask for your chec
k,” Sierra said. “No worries.”
“Ooo,” Hannah giggled. “If you could get your new neighbor to say, ‘No worries, mate,’ that would be fan-freaking-tastic.”
Poking Hannah in the side, Zoe said, “How cliché. Next you’re going to want him to grill another shrimp on the barbie.”
“Only if he says it before he does.”
Zoe snorted in laughter. Sierra smiled. It was nice to see her usually more serious friend enjoying herself.
“Have things gotten any better at Stokes and Freeman, Zoe?” she asked.
When Zoe’s brown eyes once again grew serious, Sierra had her answer. She felt bad for her friend, who had struggled to hold down a job since graduating high school. Odd as it was, her beauty often worked against her in the professional world.
“It’s miserable,” Zoe said, poking at her salad. “I’ve officially decided that I hate lawyers.”
Sierra reached over and rubbed her arm. “What happened?”
“She got hit on by one of the partners,” Hannah answered. Since she was Zoe’s roommate, she was more in the loop than Sierra. “He wasn’t happy to hear no as an answer, so he’s making Zoe’s job ten times harder than it needs to be.”
Sierra thought about Matt Jensen and his cheesy come-on line. It had made her uncomfortable, but her aunt had come to her rescue. She couldn’t imagine having that experience in a job that she needed to keep in order to pay the bills.
“I’m so sorry, Zoe,” she said. “Is there anything we can do?”
Pushing her unfinished salad away, she shook her head. “No, but thanks. You know I love you guys.”
“My offer still stands,” Hannah said. “If you want, I’ll hunt the guy down and tear off his balls.”
“And that’s why I love you. But I just have to deal with it.”
“No, you don’t,” Sierra argued. “There has to be someone you can talk to. Maybe one of the other partners?”
“You don’t understand, Sierra. I work for one of the oldest law firms in the city. It’s the Good Ol’ Boys Club. Runners like me come and go in a blink.”
