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  And when I got in my SUV to drive to my parents’ home, I had the overwhelming urge to take her with me.

  When I pulled into her driveway, I sat quietly for a moment, questions about her eddying in my head. I wondered how I could broach the subject of her family without scaring her off.

  Hell, I’d never find out sitting in the car. Determined, I strode to her front door and knocked.

  When she opened it, she had a towel wrapped around her head. She wore jeans and a lightweight black sweater that hugged her small breasts.

  “Hawk.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “Do you want to come in?”

  I knew Gracie would wreak havoc on my eyes, so I decided against it. “I just wanted to stop by a minute. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine.”

  My eyes roved quickly over her body. “I just thought I’d see if you wanted to go to my parents’ house with me. My mother cooks a big dinner every Sunday, so there will be plenty of food.”

  Uncertainty crossed her features as if she were contemplating my offer. “Your mom cooks for your family every Sunday?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s practically a requirement to attend. If we don’t, then we’re guaranteed a guilt trip.”

  “As tempting as it is, I’d better stay here. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family.”

  “That’s another thing about my mom. She loves company. I think it makes her feel like all the time that she’s spent toiling over a hot stove is worth it.”

  She hesitated, not accepting the offer but not rejecting it, either.

  “Come with me.”

  She cocked her head, and her lips parted as if she were about to say something.

  “I want you to,” I urged her.

  “You do?”

  “I do.”

  “I need to dry my hair,” she said, patting the towel. I briefly wondered how every woman on the planet automatically knew how to wrap their hair up in a cotton cocoon.

  “I’ll wait on you.”

  “Okay,” she relented. “Come on in. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

  “Just ten minutes?” I asked as I followed her inside, knowing that I had my eye drops in the Tahoe. In my experience, it would take a woman a lot longer than that to fix her hair and makeup.

  “Should I be ready in five?” she asked, her brows furrowed as if she thought I was suggesting that she was taking too long.

  “No, ten’s good. It just seems really quick.”

  She shot me a grin. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I could probably waste some time looking at myself in the bathroom mirror.” She looked down at her clothes. “Or maybe change my outfit a time or two or three.”

  I shook my head. “I like your outfit.”

  Lowering her head in an attempt to hide her smile, she said softly, “I’ll be right back.”

  Unable to turn away, I watched her as she disappeared into the bathroom. A moment later, the blow dryer hummed from behind the closed door.

  Less than a minute after I sat on the couch, Gracie sashayed into the room and jumped in my lap. My eyes were already watering, but I reached out and stroked Gracie’s fur. She meowed in response.

  Closing my eyes against the irritation, I spent the next few minutes talking to Gracie with my eyes squinted shut.

  When Amber came back into the room, she gasped. “I wasn’t even thinking about your allergies.”

  “It’s okay,” I reassured her. “I’ve got eye drops in the car.”

  She scooped Gracie from my lap and shooed her away. Sitting beside me, she slipped on a pair of flat black leather boots. “I’m ready.”

  We walked to the SUV, and I held the door open while she climbed in the passenger seat. I quickly got in on the driver’s side and doused my eyes with soothing drops.

  Once I’d flushed out enough of the irritants that I could look without squinting, I drove us the short distance to my parents’ house.

  I just hoped my mom didn’t go too overboard.

  When we pulled in the driveway, I instructed Amber to stay put, and I walked around and opened the car door for her. I offered her my hand, and she took it as she stepped to the ground. Instead of releasing it, I threaded my fingers with hers as I led her up the sidewalk. “Don’t be nervous. My parents will love you, and well, you’ve already met Jace, the policeman that worked your accident.”

  She nodded. “I don’t really remember much about him, though. He only talked to me briefly.”

  “I’ll officially introduce the two of you.”

  She squeezed my hand, and I stopped on the porch and turned to look at her. “Are you all right?”

  She pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah. I just had a really bad experience meeting my fiancé’s parents. Well, it was his mother, mostly.”

  “What did she do?”

  “She didn’t think I was good enough. They came from money, and my family didn’t. I think she thought I was after her son because they were wealthy.”

  “Were you?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “No,” she said defensively. “I didn’t even know he had money when we started dating. He never mentioned it, and I never asked.”

  I hitched a thumb toward the house I grew up in. “As you can see, you won’t have that problem here. My dad’s a police officer. My mom’s a housewife. We scream middle class.”

  “I think happiness is more important than money,” she said.

  This time I squeezed her hand. “I agree. What can be more rewarding than doing what you love?”

  Her eyes widened. “Exactly.”

  I could tell by her expression that she got it. Too many people got wrapped up in money, struggling to make more and more, so they could buy things they didn’t need, so they could impress their neighbors with their fancy cars and expensive clothes. I wasn’t driven by money, and I didn’t see the purpose of buying a house with more rooms than one needed. Why? So people could spend all their time cleaning unused rooms, working harder so they could pay someone to clean them? So they could fill them with beds that would never be slept in, dressers that would never be filled with clothes?

  To hell with that.

  Life was too short to chase the almighty dollar.

  “You’re going to fit right in,” I promised her as I opened the door.

  When we walked in the living room, the unmistakable aroma of cinnamon wafted through the air.

  “That smells so good,” Amber whispered so that only I could hear her.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say my mother made apple crisp for dessert. It’s my dad’s favorite, and she always incorporates our favorites on Sundays. A lot of Sundays I get my favorite, chicken and dumplings, and for Jace, it’s usually beef stew with cornbread, or he gets his favorite dessert, banana pudding.”

  “If it smells this good on Sundays, I can only imagine what it must be like on Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

  “She fixes a huge spread on Thanksgiving, but we cook for her on Christmas.”

  “Who? You and your brother?”

  I nodded. “And my dad. It’s usually simple things. Sometimes we cheat and buy stuff at the bakery. And sometimes she cheats and makes a dish.”

  I could hear my mother bustling in the kitchen, but there was no sign of my dad or Jace.

  The sound of the back door opening and closing echoed through the house, followed by someone whistling.

  “And that would be Jace,” I informed Amber as he strolled into the living room.

  He stopped suddenly, clearly shocked that I’d brought Amber with me. Not that I blamed him. I couldn’t remember the last time that I’d brought a girl to Sunday dinner.

  Quickly recovering, he pointed at her. “Amber, right?”

  Still clinging to my hand, she nodded. “And you’re Jace?”

  “The one and only,” he said, charming her with a smile.

  “The one and only what, little brother? Pain in my ass?”

  Jace held his fists in front of his face and hoppe
d around like a prizefighter. “Oh! You want some of me?”

  I chuckled. “This fight would be over before it even started. If you learned anything during the last twenty-two years, it should’ve been that you can’t best me. Save yourself a concussion and surrender while you’re ahead.”

  “Scared, ain’t ya?” Jace goaded.

  “What are y’all? Twelve?” my mom called from the kitchen. She walked into the living room, wiping her hands on her apron. Once she eyed Amber, her demeanor changed immediately. “Well that explains it.”

  “What explains what?” Jace asked her.

  “There’s a pretty girl in my living room. That explains why the two of you are in here acting like a couple of testosterone-induced teenagers.”

  “Thanks for embarrassing us, Mom.” Jace grimaced as he patted her on the back.

  “Mom,” I said, interrupting them. “I would like for you to meet Amber Lawson. She’s just recently moved to Creekview.”

  “And she also happens to be one of the girls that Hawk and Cade saved from a fiery crash,” Jace threw in.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Amber.”

  Amber held out her hand, but my mom hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’ll be a nice change to have someone of the same gender at dinner.” She motioned to Jace and me. “You see what I have to put up with?”

  Amber’s gaze toggled between Jace and me, a huge grin brightening her face.

  The back door opened and closed again. “Honey, when’s dinner? I’m starving.”

  “See what I mean?” Mom whispered to Amber. “I’m surrounded.” She turned toward the kitchen and called, “It’s ready, Glynn. Wash up.” Turning back to us, she said, “Come and eat.”

  “There’s a bathroom in here if you want to wash your hands,” I told Amber as I pointed to the opening on the opposite side of the room. I led her to it, and by the time we’d both washed our hands, everyone else was sitting at the kitchen table, chatting while they waited for us.

  “Amber, I fixed you a sweet tea. Is that all right? If it’s not, then Hawk can grab you something else out of the fridge.” My mother motioned toward me.

  “Sweet tea’s fine.”

  I held Amber’s chair out for her while she sat down, and then I helped her scoot up to the table. I took the seat on the other side of her, and Jace was on the opposite side of the table.

  My mother, seated on the end by Amber, laid her hand on Amber’s arm. “Now you just dig in and get whatever you want.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “So you just moved to Creekview?” Mom asked her.

  “Yes, a few weeks ago.”

  “Where’re you from?” Dad chimed in.

  “Gulf Shores, Alabama.”

  “I always wanted to go there,” Mom said. “It must be exciting to up and move somewhere new. We’ve lived in this same area our whole lives.”

  “It is kind of exciting,” Amber agreed while she scooped a helping of chicken and dumplings on her plate. “It’s scary, too, though.” Amber glanced in my direction. “Hawk’s been a good friend to me since I’ve been here.”

  “If there’s ever a time Hawk isn’t available,” Jace said, “just know that you can count on me, too.”

  “That goes for all of us, dear,” Mom assured her. “It must be hard with your family so far away.”

  I was glad my mother was making Amber feel at home, but I hoped that she wouldn’t pry much further. I didn’t want things to get awkward for Amber.

  “Did you make apple crisp for dessert?” I asked her, hoping to take the heat off Amber. I wasn’t sure what was going on with her family, but I had a feeling that she wouldn’t want to discuss it at the family dinner.

  “I did. It’s sitting on the stove.”

  “It smells really good,” Amber said.

  “It tastes even better,” Dad assured her.

  “Hawk told me it was your favorite,” Amber told my father.

  “He’s right.”

  “Which is why,” I quickly added, “if you want to try some, we should go ahead and get it before Dad and Jace get ahold of it.”

  I walked to the stove and carried the apple crisp to the table. I scooped out a generous helping on Amber’s plate and a smaller helping on my own. Then, I passed it to my Dad.

  The conversation quietened down while we were eating.

  As usual, my mother’s meal was phenomenal.

  “Let me help you with the dishes,” Amber told my mother after the meal was over. While she and my mother chatted in the kitchen, I walked outside with Jace.

  “No news on who was following her?” Jace asked as we took a seat on the front porch swing.

  “No.”

  “Do you think she’s giving you a phony name?”

  “I don’t think so, but I can’t say she’s proven who she is, either. I have no reason not to trust her.”

  “And do you have a reason to trust her?”

  Gripping the length of chain that suspended the swing, I turned toward him. “Are you sure you’re still a rookie? Because you sound like a seasoned cop.”

  He rocked us back in the swing. “All those years hanging around my old man.”

  “I prefer the innocent until proven guilty approach.”

  “Just make sure you don’t prove her guilty after she’s taken you for a ride.”

  “I’d like to think I’m smarter than that.”

  “For you, I don’t think it’s about being smarter. I think it’s about you trying so hard to see the good in people, trying so hard to help them, that sometimes you’re blinded to their flaws.”

  I pointed at him. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really. I’m not blinded to people’s weaknesses. I just choose to focus on their strengths. There’re enough negative people in the world to tell them what’s wrong with them. I want them to know what’s right.”

  Jace lifted his forearm to shield his eyes and squinted.

  “What the hell’s wrong with you? You look like you’re about to have a seizure.”

  “If your halo shines any brighter, it’s going to permanently damage my retinas.”

  A burst of laughter erupted from me. “I’ll try to tone it down. I wouldn’t want it to rub off on you or anything.”

  We talked another half hour about our experiences at the police department and fire department. With both of us working as first responders, we knew a lot of people in the same circles.

  Jace stood and stretched his arms over his head as he yawned dramatically. “I’m going home. I’ve got a nap and a football game calling my name.”

  I followed him back in the house.

  My dad was in his worn leather recliner watching TV, and I could hear my mother and Amber still in the kitchen talking and laughing.

  Sometimes firefighters open a scuttle hatch on the top of a flat-roofed building to allow for vertical ventilation, allowing smoke and heat to exit the building, which makes it safer for firefighters that are inside the building.

  My plan today was to open a scuttle hatch for Amber, to give her a way to release some of the sadness that she had bottled up over the last few months. Every smile, every laugh would make her feel better, and I hoped that a change in scenery would lift her spirits, even if it was only slightly. I was glad that it had worked out where she spent some time with my mother. My mom was one of those people who could make anyone feel comfortable anywhere, and as I listened to the easy flow of their conversation, I knew that today was a success.

  “Bye, Mom! Bye, Amber!” Jace called from the living room.

  My mother popped into the room, a dishrag in her hand, followed by Amber.

  “You leaving so soon?” Mom asked Jace.

  “Yeah, the game’ll be on soon.”

  “Bye,” she and Amber both said in unison.

  “See ya, Dad,” Jace said.

  Dad flipped his hand in the air in a haphazard wave. “Don’t forget to check the
oil in your car.”

  “I will.” Jace waved as he walked out the front door.

  “Have you checked your oil lately?” Dad asked me.

  “A couple of days ago, as a matter of fact.”

  Dad gave me a thumbs-up and turned back to his television program.

  “I’m going to go finish up in the kitchen. Hawk, why don’t you take Amber out back? Show her my roses I was telling her about. They should be enjoyed before the cold weather makes them go dormant.”

  “You want to go outside?” I asked Amber.

  She was quick to nod, and I led her out the back door and showed her my mother’s rose bushes. “Gardening has been my mother’s hobby for as long as I can remember,” I told Amber as my fingertips brushed across the pink petals of a bloom. “Once she starts talking about her roses, it’s difficult to change the subject. I try to pay attention during those times, but I have to confess to tuning out rose talk on more than one occasion. I hope she didn’t bore you.”

  “Not at all. The truth is I kept thinking about the rose that you gave me and about what you said.”

  The patio was surrounded by roses in every color, all perfectly pruned. I pulled a pocket knife out of my front pocket and cut the stem of a soft peach rose. Handing it to her, I said, “It only takes one.”

  Our eyes locked, and I noticed more than just the color. I noticed how she looked at me with a strange mixture of fear and fascination. I noticed the feathery lashes that framed them. I noticed how large they were, not so large that they seemed disproportionate to her face but large enough that they were one of her prominent features. I noticed the thin russet brows that complemented her deep green irises.

  The sunlight glinted off her tresses, highlighting the golden streaks that mingled with the deeper reds. When a balmy breeze caught wisps of her hair and lifted them from her shoulders, I had the urge to tangle my fingers through her silken locks and pull her to me for a kiss.

  Realizing that I was staring, I tried to remember exactly where we were in our conversation. She’d commented about the rose that I’d given her.

  “Every single thing has worth,” I said, my eyes still transfixed on her attractive features. “Not everyone will recognize it. Not everyone will appreciate it. But someone, somewhere, will be profoundly impacted by it.”