First Quiver

by Beth C. Greenberg

  Not surprisingly, Cupid bristled on the subject of Reese. “Just until the right man comes along.”

  “Huh.” Any second now, Goode was going to ask Cupid to pass Mia a note: Do you think I’m cute?

  Pan turned up the heat. “Are you throwing your cap in the ring, Lieutenant?”

  “Oh, uh . . .” Goode fiddled with the folder again, then smoothed his hand down the length of his tie. “I hadn’t really . . . maybe?” He glanced up, looking very much like a man who’d just stepped in front of an oncoming train.

  Pan squeezed Cupid’s hand, then jerked his chin toward Goode. The affirmation would be stronger coming from Cupid, who caught on like a champ.

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

  Goode squared off his shoulders and sat taller in his chair. “Yeah?”

  “Sure,” Cupid said.

  “So, you know Ms. Barnes fairly well, then?”

  “You could say that,” Cupid answered. “Mia could really use a nice guy in her life.”

  Goode allowed a hopeful little smile to curl the edges of his lips. “Good to know. I’ll make a plan to check up on her in a week or two, after this whole incident is behind her.”

  “I have a better idea,” Cupid said. “Pan was just about to drop me at Mia’s to pick up my car and attempt to apologize. To tell you the truth, Mia doesn’t really care for Pan—no offense, babe—and I think she’d take much more kindly to the situation if you drove me.”

  Ouch, but playing concierge to fallen gods didn’t always allow Pan to be Mr. Nice Guy. Whatever. As long as the Olympians were pleased with his performance, Pan could deal. Meanwhile, Goode was warming to the concept.

  “Hmm, I was actually going to send a patrolman out to the house this morning. Ms. Barnes’ car has been released, and she’ll need a ride to the yard to pick it up.”

  “I’m sure Mia would be very touched if you decided to follow up personally,” Cupid suggested.

  Goode leaned forward, practically whispering even though nobody was around. “Can I be honest with you guys?”

  “Absolutely,” Cupid answered earnestly.

  “Ms. Barnes is, uh, a bit out of my league, if you know what I mean. I would really appreciate any intel you’re able to share.”

  “Tell you what, Lieutenant,” Cupid said. “Why don’t I give you some pointers on the way?”

  Lieutenant Goode stood and straightened his cap with great care. “I would be much obliged.”

  This little scene was winding down, and Cupid’s ascension was likely to follow. This was the end of the line for Pan. Time for goodbye.

  Man up. Don’t make this any harder for him than it already is.

  Pan rose, pulling Cupid to his feet right along with him. They stood mere inches apart, toe-to-toe, hand-in-hand, eye-to-eye. Tenderness swelled like a sudden wave, nearly pulling Pan under. His love for Cupid was the purest love Pan had ever experienced, not that Pan hadn’t entertained plenty of impure thoughts toward Cupid, but his heart was noble. Despite what it had cost him, Pan had done everything in his power to keep Cupid safe. Only one task remained, the hardest one: letting go.

  No words would have been adequate to mark this monumental goodbye. At least this time, Pan could take comfort there were no lies between them.

  “Dammit, Q, I don’t want to say goodbye to you again.”

  Fuck.

  It was just meant to be a hug. One long-ass bear hug to last both of them, well, all of eternity. Maybe if Cupid’s moist eyes hadn’t caught the light, Pan wouldn’t have come undone so spectacularly.

  Pan’s free hand wrapped around Cupid’s neck, tugging him close, but instead of the do-si-do their cheeks were meant to dance, Pan forced a head-on collision even Cupid’s reflexes could not prevent. Or maybe he wasn’t trying.

  Noble flew right out the window. Pan pressed his open mouth to Cupid’s lips, and Cupid kissed him back. One needy tongue met the other. Teeth clashed. Grunts were answered with growls more suited to beasts of the wild than two civilized gods.

  “Guys, no offense or anything, but you’re sucking all the oxygen out of my office.”

  Whoops.

  Cupid placed his hand on Pan’s chest as he broke their kiss. Breathing hard, Cupid gave Pan a grave shake of his head.

  Pan flinched as if he’d been punched in the gut. “Yeah, okay,” he answered, stealing one more kiss before pulling away. “It’s been amazing, Q.”

  Goode stood up and slapped Pan on the back. “Not to worry, Pan. My driving record is impeccable.”

  40

  Echoes

  The first news truck arrived before six a.m., jarring Lucas awake a full hour ahead of his normal schedule. Like dominoes, Jonah and Eli followed. There would be no coaxing the boys into her bed this morning, not with the media circus going on outside. That’s what happens when you live in a town with a news cycle about as quick-moving as a glacier and a bunch of bored housewives angling for another glimpse of the hot hero and the stunt-double dinner date. Theories of a scandalous love triangle were quickly gathering steam.

  “Joe, come away from the window, please.”

  “But, Mommy, that man who picked you up last night is here.”

  “Oh yeah?” Mia grinned despite herself and carried Luke over to the window. Inching a sliver of curtain out of the way, she snuck a peek at Reese as he trotted up her walk. Yep, still hot.

  And he’d come to check on them. The gesture warmed her, especially since there had been no word from him last night after he dropped her off at the accident scene. Frankly, she’d begun to lose hope that he cared at all, which actually stung a bit since he inspired a flutter kick behind her rib cage . . . and there it went again. Could this be my beat? Could he be the one? Wouldn’t Q have told me?

  Wait, is that what Q was trying to tell her last night? With all the madness and anger and relief last night, Mia hadn’t even paused to wonder what the hell Q was trying to accomplish, dragging her kids out to interrupt her date. Now she would never know.

  Well, screw that and screw Q. So, Mia had married epically wrong. She was smarter now; she could solve this puzzle herself. In the meantime, she might as well enjoy the view.

  This guy rocked the white V-neck—the thin cotton straining just so across his pecs and hugging a set of biceps that belonged on the cover of Men’s Health. And the dark denim clinging to his thighs? GQ material. Mia had no trouble conjuring a rear view from her many years of experience with the human form, not to mention an ogle she might have enjoyed on their too–short date last night. The sexy aviators were a nice daytime touch although his dazzling blue eyes did not need accessorizing.

  Mmm, someone’s a morning person. This guy Reese was one of those rise-and-shiners who hit the pavement with a forward spring in his step, the kind of person Mia used to be before she turned into a single mother of three.

  The vultures swarmed him, shoving news station logo microphones in his face and pacing backwards with video cameras in hand to capture every inch of his death-defying approach to her front door. Mia wanted to spare him, but what could she do? Run outside in her bathrobe? Wonderful. I’m in my bathrobe.

  She briefly considered a mad dash for clothing but could never have made it upstairs and back before the ravenous mob devoured her new beau. Taking cover behind the front door, Mia peered through the peephole, primed to rescue Reese with a perfectly timed opening of the escape hatch. He shook off the last of the parasites, jogged up the steps, raked his fingers through his thick, dark waves, and . . . whirled around to face the crowd?

  He raised an arm, calming the bloodthirsty mob. Through the fisheye peephole, Mia watched his arm descend. Reese delivered some statement she couldn’t hear, the reporters hanging on his every word as if he were the freaking president holding a press conference in the Rose Garden. He tapped his knuckles on the door when he fin
ished speaking and posing for the cameras.

  Mia yanked open the door, grabbed Reese’s elbow, and pulled him clear before slamming the door behind him.

  “Morning, beautiful,” he said, planting a kiss on Mia’s lips. Swoon. “How’s everyone doing today?”

  “What the hay were you doing out there?”

  He shrugged it off. “Giving the crowd what they want.”

  “And what’s that?” Mia couldn’t decide if she was more pissed off or shocked. Sorting out her emotions was confusing enough, but all the extra beating made the job impossible.

  “Sound bites. Did you know we’re trending on Twitter this morning?”

  Definitely leaning toward pissed. “I don’t want to trend anywhere.”

  “He who rules social media rules the world.” Reese slipped one arm around Mia’s shoulders and stretched the other way out in front, angling his phone toward their faces. “Mind if I take an ussie?”

  Did he have to feel so damn good against her side? Why did he smell like a sandalwood forest sprinkled with cinnamon?

  “Yes, I mind!” Mia threw her hand up to cover the phone. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not dressed.”

  Reese turned his head, and for the first time since arriving, really looked at Mia. Covering his smile with a pretend itch on his upper lip, he gave Mia a sheepish, “I, uh, honestly didn’t notice. Smoking hot robe though.” Shifting his gaze to Luke, he asked, “How about I just Insta the baby instead?”

  “Cheese ’n’ crackers! No pictures.” Mia swaddled Luke in her arms and spun him away from Reese. “No tweeting, no trending, no Instagramming. My family is not a photo op.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. It’s not as if you aren’t all over the news anyway. They’re saying your babysitter saved a whole bunch of lives.”

  Mia sighed. “Lives that wouldn’t have needed saving if he’d stayed put to begin with.”

  “Mommy, Q is here!”

  Speak of the devil.

  “Jonah Barnes, I told you to get away from that window.”

  The boy scrambled down from the back of the couch and grabbed the knob just as the doorbell rang. Before Mia could stop him, Jonah swung the door wide open. The media hounds erupted with a roar of shouted questions. The last person on God’s green earth Mia wanted to see this morning was Quentin Arrows, but she only had one hand free, and she used it to pull Jonah from the line of fire.

  “Come in!” she shouted not very nicely from behind the open door. “Hurry up.”

  A handful of yellow tulips rounded the corner first, accompanied by an uncertain, “Umm?”

  “Nice try,” Mia said, as a teddy bear bigger than Eli came into view, “but it’s not going to—oh, you’re not Q.”

  “No, ma’am,” said the officer who’d driven them home from the accident scene. “Lieutenant Goode? From last night?”

  Momentarily stunned, Mia remembered herself a beat later and gave the door a shove.

  “Ow.” Q stepped around the door, rubbing his elbow as he stole a cautious glance at Mia. “Hello.”

  “Q!” Jonah ran for him, and Q scooped him up as he kicked the door closed. Eli toddled over and wrapped his arms around Q’s leg. Damn him for making my boys love him.

  Mia clasped the collar of her robe and pulled both sides together around her neck. “What are you doing here?”

  “Lieutenant Goode brought me by to pick up my car.”

  “Your car is outside,” she said. “And since when are you two so chummy?”

  “Begging your pardon, Ms. Barnes.” Juggling the stuffed animals in his arms, Lieutenant Goode yanked off his cap and smoothed down his thick brown hair. “Mr. Arrows was down at the station, answering some questions about the collision. When I told him I was headed over here, he mentioned needing to pick up his car. I certainly apologize for any inconvenience.”

  “Inconvenience? Mr. Arrows is more like a plague.”

  “Mia, can I please say again how—” Q’s focus shifted to a spot just beyond Mia’s shoulder. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

  Mia whirled around just as the flash went off.

  Reese checked his phone and grinned. “Great shot. Smooth move on the stuffed animals, Lieutenant. Wish I would’ve thought of that.”

  Belly flutters or not, Reese was an asshole—and a dangerous one. “Please delete that photo,” Mia said.

  “C’mon, Mia, you’re being oversensitive,” Reese said, tucking his phone inside his back pocket.

  Q started toward Reese, but Lieutenant Goode wedged his body between them. Despite the teddy bears and tulips, the lieutenant managed to strike a menacing pose. “Ms. Barnes asked you to delete the photo of her children.”

  Reese rolled his eyes dramatically, plucked his phone out of his jeans, and poked his finger at it a few times. Flashing the screen at Mia, he swiped both directions until she nodded. “Happy?”

  “I’ll be happy when you leave.” The quake in her voice frustrated Mia as much as admitting yet another failure in picking men, especially in front of an audience. And it didn’t help that her stupid heart was still doing the samba for the creep.

  Reese brought his hands to his sexy little hip flexors. “Seriously? You’re kicking me out?”

  “The lady asked you to leave, far more nicely than I would have,” said Goode.

  Reese rounded on the lieutenant. “Dude, what are you gonna do? Throw a teddy bear at me?”

  Goode shook his head and regarded Reese with an expression of practiced patience. “No, sir, the stuffed animals are for the actual children,” said Goode. “You were leaving.”

  Reese’s smug grin finally vanished. “It’s been real, Mia.”

  She flinched as the door slammed shut behind Reese’s perfect ass.

  “I really dislike that guy,” Cupid muttered under his breath.

  Lieutenant Goode eased out of his bad-cop stance. “Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked in that soothing tone she recognized from last night.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for the assistance.”

  “That’s what we’re here for, ma’am.” Mia couldn’t be sure, but she thought he might have blushed. “Oh, and I have some teddy bears to deliver.”

  He turned toward Jonah, who’d been riveted to the whole scene from the safety of Q’s arms. “You’re Jonah, right?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  Handing him the biggest bear, Goode said, “This is for your extreme bravery last night in a very scary situation.”

  Jonah’s face lit up as he squashed the bear between his chest and Q’s. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And this one,” he said, squatting to hand Eli a smaller bear, “needs lots of love. Can you take good care of him, Eli?”

  “Yes!”

  The lieutenant gave Eli a pat on the shoulder. “Attaboy.”

  Mia couldn’t decide if she was more impressed Lieutenant Goode had bothered to look up all her boys’ names or that he’d gone to the trouble of bringing each one a gift. And there was something especially sweet about the way he was saving those tulips for last.

  Hmm, yellow tulips. Now, I wonder who could have suggested that.

  Jiggling the miniature teddy bear in his outstretched hand, Goode inched toward Mia and the baby, silently seeking her permission to approach. She loosened her tight hold on Luke and turned him toward the bear. Luke reached out and pulled the tiny, floppy ear into his mouth. The lieutenant responded with a wide, easy grin. Good cop had a nice smile.

  Mia’s heart took an unexpected flip as Goode presented her with the tulips. “And these are for you,” he said.

  Wow, his eyes have little gold flecks that sparkle when he smiles. Mindful of all the eyes trained on them, Mia responded with a whispered thank-you.

  “I’m just glad everyone’s okay,”
he said. “Also, your car is ready, so if you all wouldn’t mind riding in the squad car again . . . I believe somebody wanted to turn on the siren?” He gave Mia a little wink as Jonah climbed out of Q’s arms and scrambled over.

  “Yes, me, me! Can I, Mommy?”

  She gave the lieutenant a grateful smile. “Sure, bug, but I really need to—” Suddenly, the idea of mentioning a shower or even drawing attention to her flimsy robe felt way too intimate.

  “Q, may I have a word with you, please?”

  “Of course.” Q practically tripped over his own feet skipping to Mia’s side. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need to get dressed.”

  His forehead crinkled in confusion. “You want me to come upstairs and help you?”

  Because who wouldn’t want to reopen that gaping wound?

  “No. Would you stay—down here—and watch the boys?”

  If Q was disappointed, his eager smile was a convincing mask. “Of course, Mia. I’m honored you’d trust me again.”

  Mia passed Luke into Q’s arms. “The man standing on the other side of the room has a gun. Do us all a favor, Racer Q; don’t make him use it.”

  41

  Ascension Day

  Cupid’s day was getting brighter by the minute, not even counting the fact that Mia was showering just upstairs, an image he pushed from his mind. Repeatedly.

  Mia’s sorry excuse for a man-choice was out, never to be invited back, while Mr. Right Love was slowly but surely melting the ice around her heart. And there sat Cupid, apparently back in Mia’s good graces, on the floor of her great room with her boys, building a pillow fort for their new teddy bears. This bonus time with all of them was a series of sweet agonies: the baby venturing away from Cupid, only to crawl back into the security of his lap minutes later; Eli wedging his diapered bottom into the narrow space between Cupid’s knees, casually making himself at home; the widening of Jonah’s intense, Mia-green eyes every time a new idea popped into his little head. This little family had become Cupid’s gravity, the ballast that kept him from flying away, and Mia’s renewed trust in him—armed guard aside—was a gift Cupid would never take for granted.