Healing Hearts 7

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “If I can keep my eyes open. Once they’re out of surgery and secured, we can call it a night,” she said, and he winked. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” She gave him a smile. She went to turn around when Conan said her name. She stopped, not sure she wanted to even talk to him and face him. She truly was still bitter about the whole thing, but mostly hurt. She noticed Rocky look at them, but his wife’s cousins were talking to him. Conan approached.

  He placed his hand on her arm and went to kiss her cheek, but she stiffened as he did. “It’s so good to see you, Brook. Not under these circumstances, but still good,” he said and stepped back.

  She kept one hand resting on her gun and belt and the other on her hip.

  She eyed him over and it nearly backfired on her. Despite him cheating, he still did it for her. Fired up her body with just one look, especially being this close. Two years passed. The first six months she dodged his calls and cursed him out. Then those calls got fewer and fewer and fewer, until one day he stopped. She was grateful and also distraught. She loved him so damn much. He was the only man she ever had sex with. Instead of going out and seeking revenge by screwing whomever she wanted to and thinking she was getting him back, she couldn’t do it. Instead, she put all her energy and emotions in the job and her training. Police work was her life.

  “How are you?” he asked when she didn’t even respond or initiate a reply or a word to him.

  “Crazy night. Armed robbery call came over the radio. I was closest. We were lucky no one was killed. Not your usual call,” she said, acting all professional like she was talking cop-to-cop here and not ex-lover-to-ex-lover. God, he looked so good and smelled good, too. She felt sick, and her heart ached almost as much as when she broke things off with him.

  She looked away.

  “I wasn’t asking about this situation. I was asking about you. It’s been forever, baby,” he said, and she widened her eyes at the fact he had the nerve to call her baby. She squinted.

  “I’m doing fantastic. Never better. Life is perfect. I’m happy, successful in work, and things couldn’t get any more perfect in my life. If you’ll excuse me, I have prisoners to check on.” She walked away from him and heard his curse. Well, screw him. She wasn’t going to fall for his charms or for the attraction between them. It was sex and nothing more to him, obviously. A mistake. A huge one she wasn’t about to make again. She was fuming mad as she entered the elevator and headed downstairs. What she hadn’t expected were the reporters, the sheriff, and everyone wanting to talk to the deputy that rescued the hostage and took down four armed robbers solo. This night couldn’t get any worse.

  Chapter 1

  “So, how was the weekend?” Brook asked Emma Grace. They were sitting at a table by the outside of the farmer’s market. Brook took a bite from her fresh salad.

  “It was incredible. I was so nervous,” Emma admitted.

  “I know you were, but Westin’s parents liked Eagan, Miller, and Houston?” Brook asked.

  “Definitely, as a matter of fact, Westin’s dad was having some issues with his business in New York and recently had a situation with a bank or something. It was some kind of mix up, and the last six months Westin’s dad was going back and forth with the manager. It was a mess. With one phone call from Miller, the situation was resolved. A huge headache gone and, of course, that impressed the family.”

  “Fantastic, and how about the guy’s dads and mom? How did that go over?”

  “Christian, Michelangelo, Florentine, their dads, and Alania, their mom, were so nice. We hit it off really well. Their dads are as big as they are, and totally good-looking older men. Their mom was gorgeous with long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She wants to get together for lunch this week.”

  “Well, that sounds great, and definitely like she’s happy for her sons.”

  “I would say that for sure. What about you? Anything new in the sheriff’s department? Any new investigations?”

  “A few things are going on. Sussex is a lot larger than Mercy, so we get our share of cases.”

  Emma took a sip from her ice tea and then placed the glass back down onto the table. A light breeze blew between them and she scrunched her eyes together.

  “I saw the news the other night. You were amazing taking down those armed robbers and helping to save that poor woman. I had no idea she was Rocky’s cousin. Gordon knows her well and her husbands, too. They’re at the hospital visiting her now.”

  “It’s a small world that’s for sure. She’s doing a lot better though. I don’t think that Dr. Miller will need to go in surgically to drain the blood. She will hopefully recover fully with no damage or lasting effects. That jerk hit her so freaking hard,” Brook said and shook her head at the memory.

  “It’s terrifying. It’s like as our towns, this area, gets more crowded the more crimes occur, and bad ones to boot. It’s only July.”

  “It can seem that way, but the departments are aware and the response time is superb.”

  “I read something about break-ins to some local homes, and that there was an armed robber, and the criminals knocked out the homeowner and robbed them. Is that true?” Emma asked.

  “Unfortunately, it is. We’ve been beefing up the night shifts and really being proactive and getting word out to residents to take precautions. So many people are resistant to locking up their doors or even setting alarms they have. Last night when I was working, I saw a side door of one of the mansions on the block across the street from the beach with the door wide open. There were no lights on in the house except for one in the living room. I went to the front door to make sure everything was okay, and a couple in their fifties didn’t even seem fazed about them leaving the door unlocked and that anyone could come in and wait to make a move.”

  “How frustrating is that? But if anything happened they would be devastated and maybe even hurt or killed.” Emma shook her head.

  “I know, it totally annoyed me, but I did my job. I informed them and they closed and locked the door, so hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”

  “I hope they catch those individuals doing the home invasions. I also saw that reporters speculated the similarities of cases in Charlotte or something.”

  “You’re right, the department is getting together with other agencies and hoping to catch a lead. Surveillance cameras are taken out so these are definitely not armatures.”

  “Well, you be careful, and especially at night. Your job is dangerous. I know you’re all badass and stuff.”

  “What?” Brook asked and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

  “I’ve heard things. Never mind your recent armed robbery situation. That was crazy.”

  “It’s the job and my responsibility. That’s why I’m constantly training.”

  “Ranger and Zayn were talking to Eagan and Houston about you last night at Gordon’s. Rocky was impressed with your skills and how things went down. They had a lot to say.”

  “Like what exactly?” Brook asked and took a sip from her iced tea.

  “Like you have no fear. Caden told Eagan a story about you showing up on scene to a group of guys stealing wave runners and as the one guy tried to speed off on water, you dove at him from the dock and tackled him into the water. Then he resisted and tried forcing you under and you struck him with your forearm and then dragged him to the dock.”

  “Well, the guy asked for it. I wasn’t going to let him get away, and the water patrol was stuck a mile out the other direction on some lame call, so they would have missed the opportunity to catch the guy. It all worked out.”

  Emma shook her head and chuckled.

  “So what else have you heard about me?” Brook asked and leaned back and smirked.

  “Just how likable you are and well respected. Oh, and that several guys in the sheriff’s department and the state police want your body.”

  Brook chuckled.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t date other cops, and definitely none in the same department or even vicinity. Th
at was why I went out with Geno.”

  “Oh God, I forgot about that date. It was right before the stuff went down with Martin.”

  “No big deal. It was over before we even finished dinner.”

  “Oh no, what happened? You kind of liked him, and he was a big guy, too.”

  “He was good-looking, had a great job in construction as a partner with his brother, but holy crap, he kept talking about himself and his workouts. It was annoying. And then he hinted about wanting a better look at my body. I pretended I got a phone call and then I lied and said I was called into work for a special case. He seemed turned off. I guess the whole reverse role thing and me being female. Anyway, a waste of time and a reminder of why I don’t date.”

  “That’s too bad. Have you ever been in a long-term relationship?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “Our careers got in the way, and he cheated on me with an old girlfriend.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, he said he didn’t, but I caught her with her arms around him, her leg up against his hip, her hand down his pants, and him cupping her cheeks. Not a pretty sight. I yelled, he looked shocked at being busted and then pretended to try and remove the tramp from his arms, but she held on tight and smirked about it. That was it. When the higher position came in at Sussex I grabbed it. That way I could be away from Conan and not have to deal with the lies and shit.”

  “I’m so sorry. You still seem a little ticked.”

  “It was two years ago. The first several months he called, came by and tried to lie about it and say it wasn’t what it seemed. That he wanted me to meet his brothers.”

  “Brothers?”

  “Yes. Conan is a detective in Castings.”

  “That’s like only thirty minutes from here?” Emma said.

  “Yup, and his brother Kinchley works as a trainer for the state police SWAT team out of a barracks in Castings, along with his other brother Kernan. Kinchley was a Navy Seal, Conan a Green Beret, and Kernan Special Forces. So, if you want to know what stubborn, bull-headed, and totally cold as ice with no emotions and no commitment except for the job and the service are, they’re it.”

  “Sound hot to me, any pictures?” Emma asked.

  Brook played with her iced tea glass. “Nope, and I don’t look back, I only look forward, glad that I caught Conan before things got more intense between us.”

  “What about his brothers though? Were they interested in you, too?”

  “I don’t know. It was all pretty new. I know about them because of Conan, but never met them in person. Conan and I hit it off immediately. It was passionate, wild, full throttle, no turning back, and then wham! He cheats on me, and I will never forget the look of guilt on his face or the smug expression of the blonde in his arms. If his brothers were anything like Conan, complicated, cold-hearted, distant men who really didn’t show emotions, then it would have ended and I would really be screwed. It wouldn’t have worked out, that was obvious.”

  “That’s terrible. No wonder you were so hurt. I hate to ask, but did Conan wind up with his ex-girlfriend?”

  “I heard nothing. I put blinders on and focused on that promotion, getting the transfer and putting Conan and all men out of my personal life. Guys asked me out and still do, but I didn’t want to take a chance.”

  “Shoot, then you go out with Gino and he was a waste of time.”

  “Exactly, and an indicator of the same types of men that hit on me. Conan was instantly protective and the jealous type right off the bat. He didn’t come out and say it, but he hated my partner at the time, who was married, and he questioned my commitment level, and he was the one who cheated. I just don’t want to play the games.”

  “Your paths never crossed again over the past two years?” Emma asked.

  “Once.”

  Emma smiled and raised both of her eyebrows up at Brook. “And?”

  “And I nearly wound up in bed with him.”

  “Holy crap. I want to know the story.”

  Brook shook her head. “I don’t want to share it. I was a little drunk, but if I said that was the reason, then it would be a lie. The attraction, the lust, the desire was never the problem. It was the fact that he cheated on me, even if it was just a kiss they shared or whatever, he cheated. If I wanted that type of guy, then I could have dated or fooled around with or screwed others. No, it hurt, and thank God, despite the multiple shots, the loud music, and the desire, I put on the breaks and stopped myself from making things worse.”

  “What did he say or do when you did that?”

  “He was pissed off. He yelled, tried telling me that nothing happened between him and his ex, that she was holding onto him and he was trying to pry her hands off, and that she wanted to make me jealous because she wanted him and his brothers.”

  “Do you think you could have misinterpreted the situation and maybe he wasn’t cheating? Like, maybe his ex made it look that way?”

  “I thought about that, but either way, the trust was broken. Why was he even there with her? He told me he had something to take care of and couldn’t meet me, and then I show up at the same place and boom, it’s right there in my face. Whether it was her manipulating the situation or not, he still lied about why he was there and why he couldn’t meet me. He was meeting her and I caught him. End of story, and I don’t want to hear the lies. Like I said, I moved on.”

  “Well, his loss then.”

  “Yes indeed, but for me it’s been hard trying to date. Geno was the first guy I accepted a date with and it was horrible. I think I’ll just lay low for a while and do my job. Seeing him at the hospital the other night and finding out how well he knows the victim and the family was a lot to digest.”

  “He was there? Oh my God, what happened? You didn’t tell me that,” Emma said, eyes wide and sitting forward in her seat.

  “He showed up, looking casual and incredibly gorgeous, but older, more seasoned in two years. He’s thirty-nine.”

  “What did you say when you saw him? What did he say? What about Rocky? He was there, too, and he flirts with you all the time. Oh God, were Carter or Yandi there? They ask you out once a month,” Emma rambled.

  Brook exhaled.

  “It was awkward, and yes they were all there, but I acted like I didn’t know him until he kissed my cheek hello. It was hard, let’s just leave it at that.”

  “Oh boy. Did he try to talk to you about what happened?”

  “Absolutely not. He just stared at me. Told me how good I looked, and had the nerve to call me baby? I mean, seriously? He lost that right when he cheated on me and we broke up,” she said in anger.

  “Hmm, sounds like he still has the hots for you, too.”

  “What do you mean too?”

  “It’s obvious that you still care about him.”

  She was silent a moment and looked around her as if revealing this could kill her tough attitude and the way others saw her.

  “Emma, I was in love with him. So very much in love with him, and he broke my heart. Tore it open, and I don’t think it will ever heal. No matter how hard I try to move on or even take a chance on another guy. Not like I’ve ever felt attracted to anyone like I did with Conan. That’s the biggest problem. I’ve put it behind me, but seeing him reminded me of the pain, the betrayal I felt, and the best thing to do is to forget him entirely.”

  “I don’t blame you. It’s crazy how much it hurts when a man you think you love and you think loves you betrays you. We all have our stories, our experiences, and who knows, maybe you’ll meet some great guy or guys soon, and they can heal your heart like mine has been healed.”

  Brook smiled. “You are one lucky lady, but your men are even luckier.”

  Emma grinned from ear to ear. “So, when are you working again?”

  “Tomorrow. So tonight, I’m heading to Corporals with Faith and Melina.”

  “I think we may be going there, too. There’s Eagan now,” Emma said and waved. Brook looked
in that direction and, sure enough, he was heading toward them. She was surprised he even let Emma out of his sight, but Emma said he trusted Brook, especially because she was a deputy and badass. She had to chuckle at that one.

  “Hey, how was lunch?” Eagan asked, smiling at Emma.

  “Great. Did you have anything?” Emma asked him.

  “Nope, but I’ll go grab something and join you,” he said.

  “Okay. We can talk about Amelia’s birthday that’s coming up,” Emma replied.

  “Okay, let me go grab something.” Eagan headed off.

  “I nearly forgot about Amelia’s party. Have you ladies decided on the venue?” Brook asked.

  “I was thinking, to throw her off, we could do it at Gordon’s. Houston said he could do up the whole side deck with lights and a band and even block it off for a private party for us. It would be awesome on the water like that,” Emma said.

  “I love it. How will the others feel?”

  “I’ve been texting them. I didn’t want to add you to the group text because of your work schedule.”

  “I appreciate that. Just text me one message and explain, but I’m in. Let me know the plans and what you need from me? I have an event this Saturday in Oyster Bay.”

  “What kind of event?”

  “A competition. Shooting, actually. There’s a timed training course that is very difficult. Ninety percent of the people who attempt it fail. It’s very hard, and there’s an instructor right against you as you move along the course. Very military-like but a great training circuit. Most people don’t try it because there’s a crowd of people watching. I’m going to do it for the training purposes and to sharpen my reaction time.”

  “What about the crowds?”

  “I don’t care. When I’m in that mode, nothing matters but the obstacles and achieving my goal.”

  “That sounds very cool. So, no excuses about not showing up at the party for Amelia, okay?” Emma added and gave her a look.

  “Hey, I missed the last party because of work.”