by Jeannie Moon
Like most people who had grown up in Compass Cove, Jack didn’t appreciate his hometown fully until he’d been away. Eating a lot of sand in the desert during multiple deployments, dealing with the oppressive heat at Quantico when he’d been at the academy, stakeouts and interrogations, it all gave him a new appreciation for the place where he grew up. He didn’t miss the snakes either.
The past few months had him on one assignment after another and he found himself a little envious of his brother, who’d not only found his place in town, but had fallen for an amazing woman.
Neither of those things were likely to happen to him any time soon. It wasn’t that Jack felt he didn’t belong here, but he’d missed a lot, especially over the last six months. It was hard to get his bearings.
Then there was Lilly. Nick and Adam were right that she’s been in his head for years, but he didn’t know what it all meant. He felt things for her, but he couldn’t identify what those things were. Jack didn’t know if he even wanted to.
The nice weather was really bringing out the crowds, and Jack’s inner radar was spinning. More people, more possibility for trouble.
Their group grew by two when Liam Jennings, whose family owned the shop that was at the root of the town’s romantic legend, and Fiona, a sharp-tongued redhead who worked at the college library with his future sister-in-law, joined them at the table. At this point, the only people missing were Mia and Lilly.
“The film crew was all over campus today, scoping out locations for that movie they’re shooting next week.” Fiona ordered a white wine when the server came over. But hearing about the movie had Jack’s attention.
“Any of the cast members come out to play?” He wanted to know about Gio. The more he knew about his habits, the better Jack could protect Lilly.
“Only Kat Barnes,” she said, referencing the female lead in the movie. “She was walking around the commons with the director. Everyone was going crazy trying to get a look at her.”
Jordan sipped her ice water. “I want to get a look at Gio Graham. God, he’s just dreamy.”
Nick put down his beer and wrapped his arm around his wife. “He’s probably a candy-ass.”
“How do you know that?” she giggled.
Nick shrugged and pressed a kiss onto Jordan’s forehead. “I just do.”
Without any warning, Lilly plopped down in the chair at the end of the table next to Jordan. “He’s a jerk. Trust me on that.”
Jack made eye contact with her for a couple of seconds before Lilly turned away. He knew better than to say anything.
Adam, however, hadn’t gotten the memo.
“You dated the guy for at least a year,” Adam said. “I remember running into you at a premiere or something and you were all over each other. He couldn’t have been that bad.”
Lilly’s eyes narrowed and she trained her gaze on Adam. “I was supposed to stay with him forever?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Just what, Adam? You were quite the manwhore before you met Mia. I can’t decide someone isn’t right for me? I can’t change my mind? You did.”
“I didn’t mean that.” As Adam backtracked, Jack was happy to play the observer as his brother realized the danger in questioning Lilly’s decisions. Rubbing his hand over his face, Adam nodded deferentially. “I apologize.”
The take-down was impressive, and quick. Of course, Lilly looked back at him and snapped, “Something funny, Jack?”
He didn’t even realize he was smiling.
“Lilly!” Jordan reached out and took her friend’s hand. “What is wrong with you? They aren’t the enemy.”
Immediately, her face froze. Her eyes dropped, and he noticed the subtle changes in her expression. Lilly lifted her gaze, first focusing on Jordan, then nodding her acceptance. Her shoulders softened slightly as she relaxed for probably the first time that day. Under the table, Jack clenched and unclenched his fist, his stomach knotting up as he thought about how she had to put on a front with the people who cared about her the most.
There’d never been anything logical about his attraction to Lilly. The feelings were jumbled up inside him like a ball of string. It was the cop in him who brought him down, reminding himself that in order to protect her, he’d have to keep his distance.
*
“I’m sorry,” Lilly choked out. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I guess I’m a little stressed over the wedding, too.”
God, the lies she was telling. Gio was the only thing stressing her out. She hadn’t seen him, but even knowing he was in the same state was enough to turn her into a paranoid wreck. It was one of the reasons she’d opted to leave California. She’d loved her life there, but she didn’t like who she’d turned into because of him. Just wondering if he was going to show up on a set, or in the hair studio, made her a snapping mess. The people she worked with, and her friends, deserved better.
Lilly deserved better. So, she left.
Over the past year and a half, as she built her business, Lilly had felt more content and calmer than she had in all the time she was with Gio. Forget that he was a nasty son of a bitch who used words like a blade and his fists like a club; his ego sapped all her energy. He was exhausting, requiring constant attention. Lilly wanted a partner, a lover, a friend. But what she got with Gio was a job. She was his caretaker, there to stroke his ego when he needed it.
She’d always been a good judge of people, but the brightness that surrounded her ex-boyfriend had blinded her. She lost herself when she was with him, and while he provided lots of glamour and sparkle, he didn’t provide much in the way of love or comfort. He didn’t know how.
“Is everything okay?” Jordan asked.
The lies were just words. There was no way to hide from Jordan’s sixth sense.
“Gio and I didn’t end our relationship on good terms,” Lilly said flatly. That, at least, was the truth. An understatement, maybe, but the truth. “I just don’t like that he’s in my backyard.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t know. You never talk about him…”
Lilly didn’t like thinking about the particulars either. Sipping her water, she shrugged. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. But if I don’t see him when he’s in town, I might throw a party.”
Jack’s expression was flat—no doubt something he practiced, giving nothing away about what was going through his head. Lilly’s stomach churned thinking about the conversation they’d had in her apartment, sure that her face was giving away every little bit of what was dancing around her gray matter. She’d been unfair to Jack, mean, and he didn’t deserve it. The guy was just trying to help, and she’d been a total bitch.
As the conversation at the table circled away from her, she kept her gaze on Jack. Everything about him still made her heart flutter and bump around in her chest. When he looked over, she mouthed, “I’m sorry.” He responded with a wink and a grin, and Lilly’s stomach quivered the same way it had when she was fifteen. He was the All-American boy, the white knight, and if Lilly knew anything, it was that he’d try to protect her.
It was a true Catch-22. The last thing she wanted was protection. She’d left California so she could forget about what had happened to her. But now, with Gio close by, she didn’t feel the safety she had only a couple of days ago.
And it almost made her glad Jack was in town. Almost.
A group of four people sat at the table next to theirs. Tanned and casually chic, Lilly would bet the store that they were from the film crew. As soon as one of the men spoke, he answered her question.
“This whole town is a location,” he began. “We could definitely shoot the first kiss scene at that gazebo over there.” He pointed to the structure at the end of the marina dock. Another man pulled out a small notebook and jotted something down.
“Do any of you know the name of this place?” Notebook Man wondered.
“Seriously? Just write down ‘marina’. That should be enough of a descriptor.”
Lilly c
huckled to herself. Typical. It was so easy for people to see only the surface. Roosevelt’s was more than just a marina. Home to a bait and tackle shop, the Italian ices stand, and a small boat supply store, it had once been the hub of commerce in Compass Cove. Merchant ships had called the port home and travelled all over the globe from the tiny town on Long Island’s north shore.
It was only since she’d returned a year and a half ago, that Lilly learned to appreciate the place from which she’d come. But more than the history, she learned to understand the people and her place in this unique family. When she was alone and hurting, her hometown provided security, and not one person knew they were doing it. The familiarity, the smiles on their faces, the connections, helped her heal. People knew her. She was greeted by name the second she walked into the café, or the bookstore. There was comfort in being included in such a special tribe.
Her attention turned back to her friends, most of whom she’d known since grade school. They were all talking at once, and the conversation had circled back to the wedding. Thank God.
“There’s just so much to do,” Adam said. “Mia’s going nuts. Janet tries to help, but it turns out my bride is a control freak.”
“Let me help.” Lilly picked up her bag and fished through it, finally finding her planner and a pen. “I can take some items off her plate. Tell me what needs doing. Little jobs. If I do a lot of little jobs, that should help, right?” Staying busy with wedding chores would keep her mind off the movie star who scared her to death.
“Count me in, too,” Jack said.
What was that? Jack was offering to help? When Mia said she was worried about him showing up, she wasn’t joking. She was terrified he’d blow off the wedding for an assignment. That he was volunteering to run wedding errands was just… odd.
“Really?” Adam asked. He was as confused as she was.
“Sure,” Jack said. “I took a couple of weeks off, so I’ll be around. I’m happy to help. It will be fun. Right?”
Right? Oh! He thought he was going to help her. No. No no no no. “Gosh, Jack, it’s fine. I’ve got it.”
“What’s the problem?” He flashed a million-dollar smile, and Lilly saw his entire plan unfold right before her eyes. Jack was going to stick close. Really close. He wasn’t just going to keep an eye on things, he was going into full protection mode. No matter what she said, he was going to be her shadow.
“Jack, really…”
“You want me to leave you with all the fun?” Jack’s cheesy grin told her he wasn’t going to budge. “Adam, Lilly has her little magic book out, so give us a list. We’ll start Monday. You said you were closed on Monday, right?”
“Yes, I am. But…” What fresh hell was this? “You don’t have to—”
His blue eyes focused on hers, stony and firm, forcing Lilly to agree. He wasn’t budging. She was stuck with him.
“Fine,” she said to avoid a scene. “But you have to do everything I tell you. Deal?”
“Deal,” he said.
Chapter Six
Jack thought he’d pissed off Lilly a few days ago. Man, had he underestimated the power of her temper. She was flying down the sidewalk toward her apartment, not saying two words to him since they’d gotten their assignments from Adam. She thought he was doing it for show, but Jack was really glad he could help. That was genuine. He hadn’t been around all that often, so it was good that he could be involved in the most important day in his brother’s life.
His mother would certainly approve. And his grandmother.
Lilly, not so much.
“Do you want to tell me what has you so fired up?”
“Nope.” Lilly kept moving, and Jack lengthened his stride to catch up. Keeping pace beside her now, he could see the scowl on her face. She was really mad.
“Lilly, come on. Helping out with the wedding isn’t going to cause people to ask questions. It’s normal.”
“It’s normal for me, not for you. You’re a phantom. You fly into town and fly out. Now you want togetherness? You want to be Mr. Helpful? There are going to be lots of questions.”
“It’s my brother’s wedding!” He pivoted in front of her and forced Lilly to stop before she slammed into him. “I’m the best man. Get used to it.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
There it was. He was a reminder. “Don’t think of me as a babysitter. Think of me as a… friend. Who’s armed.”
Lilly’s eyes locked on his, and Jack had no idea what kind of reaction his comment would elicit. He was a pro at reading people, it was one of the things that made him good at his job, but she was stone-faced—a total mystery.
Then, he saw it. Her mouth twitched ever so slightly. He felt like he’d won the lottery.
“Ha! I see that smile,” he teased. “You don’t hate the idea.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She folded her arms tight against her chest as they picked up their walk, this time at a slower pace. “Don’t annoy me.”
That made Jack laugh. “No promises, since annoying is my default setting. I will follow your lead, though. I did make that deal.”
“As you should.”
Jack could live with her arrogance and attitude, but he couldn’t deal with her being afraid.
Glancing to his right, he took her in. The angle of the sun made her perfect skin glow almost gold, and her hair shone like black satin. Jack had to admit, Lilly was gorgeous. She’d always been pretty, but the years had matured her into full blown beautiful. Her face had graced his dreams more times than he could count, and the memory of their only kiss gave him comfort during long nights in the desert.
“So, how do you want to split up the jobs?”
Jack looped his arm around her shoulder. It was supposed to be a big brother gesture, something friendly and innocent. But feeling the soft skin of her shoulder against his hand, his blood heated. So much for being brotherly.
“There will be no splitting up. We’ll do it together. It will be… fun.”
“Oh, yeah. It’ll be a riot.”
“I’m not that bad.”
They walked over the cobblestone path between the stores near the harbor, and Jack admired how the town had developed this area. For years, the stretch of land was the home to a run-down motel that had been built in the mid-fifties. Compass Cove never wanted to be a tourist town—the truth was there wasn’t much to do beyond everyday living—and the place never took hold. It had been abandoned for twenty years and became home to a colony of stray cats, and for a little while, some homeless folks.
About five years ago, a local architect designed the waterfront project: two-story buildings, built to fit in with the town’s Main Street. The bottom level would be retail space, the top level would be apartments. They tore down the old motel, and the project ended up being one of the best things to happen to the downtown. Retail space was scarce, and this allowed new businesses to come in, bringing more options to the residents.
That included Lilly’s salon, which, unless you counted the grannies, trended younger than the Graceful Lady Beauty Parlor, a mainstay in town since the sixties. The courtyard behind the shops was where the residents entered their apartments. Landscaped with color in mind, it was a social space where the residents could play with their pets or talk. There was a lot of open lawn and good line of sight, but there were also some corners and alleys that would be perfect places for someone to hide. Jack saw two security cameras. Before he knew it, Lilly was pulling her keys from her purse. “So,” he said, “I’ll see you Monday with some coffee and pastries from Rinaldi’s. We can make our plans for the day while we’re eating. See you at nine?”
“Make it nine-thirty. I like to sleep in on my days off.”
Half the morning was gone at nine-thirty, but he wasn’t going to argue the point. “Nine-thirty it is. Any requests?”
“Yes. Leave me alone to take care of the errands.” Lilly unlocked her door as she sent the last shot across his bow. He watched her hand move left,
and while he couldn’t see, she was keying in her security code to open the outer door.
“Funny. I’ll see you then.”
He thought he heard her mumble something snotty in response, but he couldn’t be sure. Maybe not. Whatever the case, he and Lilly were going to spend the day together, and Jack hoped he still had his head attached by the time it was over.
*
They were going to spend the whole day together. The whole day. Holy crap.
Lilly sighed. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, spending the day with Jack would be the answer to an adolescent dream, but for all the wrong reasons. She hated how her heart still beat a little faster every time he was close by. It was a cruel joke that she still harbored remnants of the crush that had consumed her for years.
It was ridiculous.
She knew he was only there out of obligation, not for any other reason. At least she’d developed some sense since she was eighteen, but obviously, only the bare minimum. While she may like him too much for her own good, she didn’t want to be an obligation. Her pride was bristling at the thought.
Just as she was about to start up the stairs, Lilly heard a faint meowing nearby. There’d been a pretty little black cat hanging out in the courtyard the past couple of weeks, but she hadn’t seen him recently. The meowing didn’t sound like it was coming from outside, so it was no surprise when Lilly went around the stairs toward the entrance of the salon and found her little furry friend huddled in a corner.
“You poor thing. I never realized how skinny you are.”
The cat came away from the corner and rubbed against Lilly’s legs. Crouching down, she was immediately greeted with soft purring as she petted the cat’s silky fur.
“You’re very friendly. At least that makes one of us.” Lilly was feeling guilty about the way she’d treated Jack. “Well, I have some tuna upstairs, are you interested?”
