by Christi Snow
“Thank you. She’s perfect for what we need. Besides, she seems really fun and we need someone like that to offset Colton when he’s in a bad mood.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Because you and Jake never get in bad moods, do you?”
“No, never,” he said with mock horror. “My big brother has the market covered on that one.”
“Hmm-mmm.”
“You act like you don’t believe me.”
“Your powers of observation are astounding.” She smirked at him.
“Speaking of observing, what exactly are you doing here?” He looked around her flower bed which was full of holes, but couldn’t see anything else going on. It didn’t look like gardening to him. From his experience, that usually involved plants and he didn’t see any of those. Instead there was just dirt and holes. “Are you building a tunnel network for the neighborhood squirrels?”
“No, smartass. I’m gardening.” She continued to dig.
He looked around again. He still didn’t see any plants. He leaned over to the side to see if maybe they were on the sidewalk leading up to the door, but nope, it was clear. “Um, Julie, doesn’t gardening usually involve plants of some sort? I’ve never been known for my green thumb, but I’m pretty sure about that little fact.”
She grinned up at him and he noticed a smudge of dirt on her nose. And now that he looked at that, he noticed that she’d developed a sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of her nose. God, she was beautiful.
She lifted up a small cup that he hadn’t noticed sitting at her feet. “I’m planting seeds. I’ve never been the best caregiver. I figure if I can manage to grow flowers from seed, then maybe I can work my way up to a puppy. But first I need to prove that I can keep something else alive.” A frown developed between her brows and his heart gave a little lurch.
“You want a puppy?” he asked softly.
Her eyes lit up. “I’d love to have a puppy. Someone who’d be happy to see me when I come home at night, someone to keep me company when I can’t sleep, you know, just a companion.”
“I do know.” Was it wrong that he wanted to volunteer for that job? “Puppies are great.” His voice cracked, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Have you ever wanted one?” she asked him.
“Sure, when I was little I always wanted one, but when I got into the Air Force, I figured it wasn’t fair to have a pet with my deployments. It’s not right to have one you can’t devote the time to.”
Her voice was soft as she pointed out, “You could have one now.”
His eyes flashed to hers. “You’re right. I never considered it before, but you’re right. I could totally get a dog now. Maybe, after your plants grow, we could go find us some puppies.”
“I like that idea. Maybe we could get puppies from the same litter. That way they could visit each other.”
“Sounds like a plan, but first you need to get your flowers to growing, so get back to work.” He watched her work, not willing to let go of the moment. He didn’t want to face his empty house for the evening. “When you’re done, clean up and come over and I’ll put some steaks on the grill, if you don’t have other plans.”
“I don’t. That sounds good. Thanks, Chris.”
Chris began to head into his house but then paused, turning back to her. “Um, Julie, I’ll admit that I don’t know much about gardening, but I don’t think the holes need to be quite that deep for just the seeds.”
“Really?” She frowned down at all the foot-deep holes.
“Um, yeah, I think the seeds just need to be two or three inches down.”
She frowned and her mouth twisted to the side as she considered what he said. “Really?” She looked up at him questioningly.
He nodded at her. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”
“Oh, okay.” She looked around at all the really deep holes. She had such a forlorn look on her face that he wanted to give her a hug.
“The good news is that you have mastered the hole-digging part of gardening. You’re going to rock this.”
She nodded distractedly. “Maybe I should go in and check the internet for exactly how deep daisies need to be planted.”
“That’s a good idea, because honestly, I could be wrong about this. I’m gonna go start getting things ready for dinner, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll be over in about an hour. Does that work for you?”
“Perfect. See you then.”
* * *
As Chris entered his house, he flipped through the mail. Mixed in was an unmarked envelope. That was weird. He opened it and a slip of paper slipped out.
That was your warning shot. Stay away from her.
A cold trickle of dread snaked down his spine. What the hell?
Stepping out onto his porch he re-examined his busted porch light. Jagged edges of the lightbulb and globe remained, but what caught his examination in the light of day was the small hole in the wall to the side of the fixture. Goddamn, that looked like a bullet hole. Someone had shot at him last night using a silencer.
Chris put the call into the police station, and then headed back into the yard to delay their dinner by another hour. Luckily, Julie didn’t question why which was good because he sure didn’t want to tell her that someone was taking pot shots at him.
* * *
Two hours later, Julie exited her house and was surprised to find Brian leaving Chris’s. With her house so close to his, it was easy to hear their conversation while she stood in her doorway, transfixed.
“We’ll run the ballistics on the bullet and see if there’s any DNA on the envelope or note. In the meantime, be careful and stay vigilant about your surroundings,” Brian said.
“Always, Detective,” Chris responded, but then he spotted her and his jaw visibly clenched.
Whatever was going on here, he didn’t want her to know about it. And unfortunately, she’d spent enough time with Detective Brian Barnes over the last year to understand that the sinking in her gut was probably not unfounded. Something was happening with Chris and it was probably dangerous. Bullet, Brian said. Her stomach took a nosedive.
Brian turned away from Chris’s door and spotted her standing there. His footsteps faltered for a moment, before murmuring, “Good evening, Julie,” and continuing toward his car.
She folded her arms across her chest as she met Chris’s gaze. “Are you gonna share with the class about what’s going on?”
He watched her for a moment and several emotions flitted through his eyes… reluctance, regret, even a bit of anger before he seemed to make a decision. He waved his hand at his shattered porch light. “Some kid was having fun and shot out my light.”
There was no way that was the whole story, not with Brian coming by. But was it her place to pry? Chris obviously didn’t want her to. They were supposed to be just friends, but friends would press for an answer, right?
“Yeah, I’m not quite buying that as the whole story.”
His jaw clenched even tighter.
She sighed, deciding to give him an out. “But you don’t want to share, so I won’t press it any further if you’ll answer me one thing.”
He gave a slow nod.
“Are you in danger?”
He watched out over the yard. “I don’t think so, Julie. I think it was just a prank. I’m new to the neighborhood. Someone was just messing with me. If it’s something more, Brian will figure it out.”
“Okay, I’ll leave it alone, besides you promised to feed me. I’m not going to tick you off so that you rescind my invite for dinner.” She really didn’t want to let it go, but Chris could be stubborn. She’d just have to figure out how to get the whole story some other way.
“Thank you,” he said and took his first good view of her. His eyes lit up with appreciation.
After she finished planting her seeds, she’d showered and changed into a sundress. It was probably too much for tonight, but after the grunge-work of digging in the dirt all afternoon, she wanted to wear so
mething feminine and she liked the idea of looking nice for Chris. That look alone made the effort she’d put forth worth it.
“You look nice,” he murmured as she stepped inside his townhouse.
“Thanks.” She handed him a bottle of red wine. “I thought this would go well with steak.”
He glanced at the label. “I’ve wanted to try this wine. I’ve heard some great things about it.”
She walked further into the place, taking in the changes Chris had made to it. “Your house is looking nice.”
“Thanks. Cassie came by with some of the more decorative stuff so it doesn’t look like a total bachelor’s hovel.”
“I can’t imagine you ever living in a hovel. When did Cassie come by? I’ve been trying to get hold of her about a couple of things for the wedding, but I think she’s avoiding me.”
“Um, I’m not sure how to say this, but you may be right about Cassie. Is it something that you can just decide? I think she’d be totally okay with that at this point.” He looked so chagrined about that, she had to put his mind at ease.
“It’s okay, Chris. I know the details are crazy. I just don’t want her to look back on her wedding day and wish that she’d done such and such differently because she didn’t have a say in it.”
“Honestly, at this point, the only thing she cares about in the entire process is marrying Jake. She’s going to be completely okay with whatever you decide.”
Julie nodded. She could do that. She looked into Chris’s kitchen as he set about opening the bottle. “So what can I do to help?”
“I’ve set up the picnic table on the deck out back. So if you want to grab the wineglasses, we can just go out there and enjoy the evening.”
When Julie stepped through the sliding glass doors, she couldn’t hold back her gasp. His deck had been transformed, with a cozy feel in the evening twilight. A teak bar-height table with two chairs took center stage, topped by a small black umbrella with twinkle lights strung around the edge of it. Lit topiaries flanked the corners of the staircase railing that led to the golf course below. On the other side from the grill and table, a small padded couch and chair for cozy seating surrounded a low slung fire pit with a fire already crackling in it. There was even a bowl of marshmallows and metal skewers sitting on the end table waiting for them.
It was decidedly romantic and Julie was a little bit overwhelmed. “Wow, Chris, this is just…wow! This is amazing. Was this you or Cassie’s doing?”
He looked embarrassed when he admitted, “This was mine. I’ve always loved Cassie’s outdoor area behind her house and I wanted something like that. With these townhouses on the golf course, we have this amazing view. It seems a shame not to enjoy it.”
She looked out over the golf course. It was beautiful, especially now that the sun had set. A watercolor of pinks, purples, and peach hues spread into the dark navy of the sky. It evoked a peaceful feeling that Julie hadn’t experienced in a long time. In fact, it had probably been over a year now since she’d felt this at ease.
“Well, your work was worth it. It’s gorgeous. Do you want to come over and help me do mine?”
“I could do that, or, since we’re neighbors and friends, you could just enjoy mine.”
She gave him a soft smile. “I’d like that.” They could make this friend thing work. It was nice having him in her life. She’d take that any way she could get it. She was self-aware enough to know that she wasn’t what anyone needed in a relationship right now. Maybe not ever. She’d get a puppy. That was the only companion she needed.
Chapter 11Two nights later, Julie opened her front door to find Toni standing there chatting with Chris. She hadn’t seen him since their perfectly pleasant platonic dinner. If nothing else that night proved they might have a future as just friends. She was still drawn to him in a physical way, but she connected to him mentally too which meant they could be friends, good friends, if that was all that was available.
She’d surreptitiously felt out Cassie to see if she knew anything about Brian’s visit, but it quickly became obvious that whatever was going on with that visit, Chris hadn’t shared it with his twin. She hoped it was the nothing he claimed it to be and tried to drop it from her long list of worries.
It was another gorgeous evening in West Texas and Toni was dressed in denim shorts, a fitted purple t-shirt, and cute purple espadrilles. In contrast, Chris looked like he was about to head out on a run in a loose tank top which showed off his muscular arms, basketball shorts, and running shoes. “Hey, guys.”
Toni turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been holding out on me. I didn’t realize you two were neighbors.”
Julie started to explain, but Chris jumped in. “It’s a new thing. I just moved in a little over a week ago.”
“Hmm, I don’t know if I can be friends with someone who lives next door to my boss.” Toni’s eyes sparkled. “Somehow that seems somewhat incestuous.”
Julie laughed. “Oh, you have no idea. Our entire group of friends is a mish mash of friends and siblings that becomes more enmeshed every week.”
Toni smirked. “Well, that sounds intriguing.”
“I’ll have to draw you a flow chart so you can see how everyone is related. You already know the guys from Mad Rob so it shouldn’t be that hard to catch up with the girls.” Julie turned back to Chris. “Toni’s here for dinner. I made enough if you want to come join us, although you look like you’re ready for some exercise.”
He’d already begun shaking his head. “No, I don’t want to get in the way of a girl’s night.”
She turned back to Toni. “See, this is what having a twin sister does for a guy. He’s much more aware of the sacred nature of girls’ night than most guys.”
Toni asked Chris, “You have a twin sister?”
He nodded. “Yep, Cassie’s my twin. She’s marrying Jake, the third owner of Mad Rob that you didn’t get to meet Friday.”
“And Colton’s your brother, too, right?”
He gave a low chuckle. “I never thought about it before, but it does almost feel incestuous, doesn’t it?” He looked at Julie with a touch of humor that was quickly replaced with something else before his eyes skittered back to Toni. “I’ll let Julie fill you in on the rest of the relationships within the group. I need to get going on my run.”
“There’s more?” Toni looked speculatively between the two of them.
Julie pulled Toni into her house, not wanting to discuss this any further with Chris standing there. There’s no telling what Toni might blurt out. “Like I said, I’ll draw you that flow chart.” She gave Chris a wave. “Have a good run.”
Toni turned on her as soon as the door shut behind her. “What was that about? Is there something going on between you and—“
“No! Sorry,” Julie ran a hand through her short hair trying to calm her thundering heart rate down. She worked for a more moderate tone. “No, I’m not part of the romantic mix with any of our friends. I’m just friends with all of them.”
“O…kay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump to wrong conclusions. A lot of times there’s no filter between my brain and mouth.”
“It’s okay, Toni. My love life has been a bad thing lately so I’m touchier about it than I should be. Let’s just ignore it and enjoy our evening. I have some wine chilled. Would you like some or something else to drink?”
“Wine sounds great. And speaking of great, it smells wonderful in here. What are we eating tonight?”
“It’s a new recipe I’m trying so hopefully, it works out. You’re my guinea pig. We’re eating pork medallions in orange sauce, almond-glazed asparagus, and a pecan spinach salad.”
“Mmm, if it tastes near as good as it smells, I can volunteer to be your full-time guinea pig.”
Julie laughed and handed Toni her glass of wine. “Let me get everything out of the oven and we can try it out. By the way, congratulations on getting the job.” She lifted her own wine glass in a mock toast. “So tell me, what did
you think about Mad Rob?”
“It’s definitely going to be a change from the law firm, but I cannot tell you how excited I am about that. I think it’s going to be a good change. I really like Chris and Colton. They seem laidback, but still professional. The whole business is so different from what I’m used to. I have a lot to learn with the scheduling programs and all the stuff to do with Homeland Security, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
Julie smiled. “I’m glad. The guys need someone good to handle the office for them. I love them, but it will be good to have you around. It will help keep the place from becoming a mature frat house.”
Toni giggled. “Colton doesn’t strike me as the frat boy type.”
“You may be right there, but Chris and Jake together can cause a ruckus.”
“What’s their history? How do they all know each other? Is it from their time in the military?”
“No, actually, they all grew up here in Lubbock as friends. Cassie, Chris, and Jake are the core three in the friendship. From what I understand they’ve been inseparable since elementary school. But last year, Chris’s Air Force jet crashed and he was presumed dead for six months.” Julie’s voice cracked so she took a sip of wine. “When they found him, he’d been tortured and held captive that entire time. He was in bad shape. They weren’t sure he was going to survive it for a while.”
“Wow, you’d never guess that when you meet him.”
“He’s getting better every day and becoming more like that guy we all knew before, but it hasn’t been easy for him or any of his friends and family. Both Colton and Jake got out of the Air Force because of everything that happened. It’s been a crazy year for all of them.” Her eyes widened as she looked up at Toni and their blank plates.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get into all that. Geez, talk about a downer for dinner conversation.” She waved a hand over the table full of food. “Go ahead, and dish up your plate.”
