The O’Connells Book 4 - 6 E-Book

Lorhainne Eckhart

• Herausgeber: Lorhainne Eckhart, INC.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: The O'Connells Box Set
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 414

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Experience heart-pounding small-town romance and suspense with "The O'Connells Books 4 - 6 Box Set Collection." Join us as we delve into the captivating stories of The Quiet Day, The Commitment, and The Missing Father.

In The Quiet Day, Suzanne O’Connell, a courageous female firefighter, finds herself entangled in a perilous situation with two men. With danger escalating, trust becomes a matter of life and death, and Suzanne must navigate treacherous waters to survive.

Next, in The Commitment, follow the journey of Marcus O’Connell and Charlotte as they grapple with the complexities of their relationship. With differing views on commitment, their love is put to the test when circumstances change for Eva, a beloved child in their lives. Can they find common ground to protect their newfound family?

Lastly, join Luke O’Connell in The Missing Father as he embarks on a relentless quest to uncover the truth behind his father's disappearance. This suspenseful tale takes Luke through dangerous missions and back to his hometown, where his family's safety hangs in the balance. As secrets unravel, Luke risks everything he holds dear to find the answers he seeks.

Don't miss this captivating box set that blends romance, suspense, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Leseprobe

The O’Connells Books 4 - 6

The Quiet Day, The Commitment, The Missing Father

COPYRIGHT © Lorhainne Ekelund, 2020, All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Contact Information: [email protected]

Editor: Talia Leduc

THE O’CONNELLS BOOK 4 - 6

THE O’CONNELLS BOX SET

BOOK 2

LORHAINNE ECKHART

CONTENTS

Keep in touch with Lorhainne

About the O’Connells

The O’Connells Books 4 - 6

The Quiet Day

The Commitment

The Missing Father

What’s coming next in The O’Connells

The Hometown Hero, Chapter 1

The Hometown Hero, Chapter 2

Other Works Available

The Children, Chapter 1

About the Author

Series Available

Links to Lorhainne Eckhart’s Booklist

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LORHAINNE

Sign-up for Lorhainne’s Newsletter & Monday Blog

Like Lorhainne on Facebook

Follow Lorhainne on Instagram

Follow Lorhainne on Twitter

Lorhainne’s Audiobooks on Audible

Follow Lorhainne on Bookbub

Connect with me on Goodreads

Check-out Lorhainne’s Pinterest Boards

Follow me on Wattpad

ABOUT THE O’CONNELLS

The O’Connells of Livingston, Montana, are not your typical family. Follow them on their journey to the dark and dangerous side of love in a series of romantic thrillers you won’t want to miss. Raised by a single mother after their father’s mysterious disappearance eighteen years ago, the six grown siblings live in a small town with all kinds of hidden secrets, lies, and deception. Much like the contemporary family romance series focusing on the Friessens, this romantic suspense series follows the lives of the O’Connell family as each of the siblings searches for love.

The O’Connells

The Neighbor

The Third Call

The Secret Husband

The Quiet Day

The Commitment, An O’Connell Novella

The Missing Father

The Hometown Hero

Justice

The Family Secret

The Fallen O’Connell

The Return of the O’Connells

And The She Was Gone

The Stalker

The O’Connell Family Christmas

The Girl Next Door

Broken Promises

The Gatekeeper

The Hunted

The O’Connells Box Set Collections

The O’Connells Books 1 - 3

The O’Connells Books 4 - 6

The O’Connells Books 7 - 9

The O’Connells Books 10 - 12

The O’Connells Books 13 - 15

The O’Connells Books 16 - 18

THE O’CONNELLS BOOKS 4 - 6

This boxed set collection in The O’Connells series includes The Quiet Day, The Commitment & The Missing Father

The Quiet Day - Book 4

As a female firefighter in a small town, Suzanne O’Connell finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation with two men. And when the stakes turn deadly, trusting the wrong man could put her life in jeopardy.

The Commitment - Book 5

As far as Marcus O’Connell is concerned, his situation is perfect, only Charlotte isn’t on board with Marcus’s way of thinking. However, when circumstances change Marcus is forced to make some hard decisions to keep the child he and Charlotte now consider theirs.

The Missing Father - Book 6

A father vanishes. A family grieves. But will his son’s decision to track him down cost them their lives?

ABOUT THIS BOOK

As a female firefighter in a small town, Suzanne O’Connell finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation with two men. And when the stakes turn deadly, trusting the wrong man could put her life in jeopardy.

"Once again Lorhainne Eckhart has shown why she is known as the queen of family dramas...intriguing, well written and exciting..."

SAMANTHAGIRL, REVIEWER

She held the phone in front of her, feeling excitement or something. When Marcus rested his hand over the phone, she thought he was going to take it from her. As she lifted her gaze to her brother’s, his expression was anything but friendly.

“Please do not be one of those girls,” he said.

1

“You going to eat that entire tub of ice cream, or do the rest of us get to have some?” Marcus said as he strode into his kitchen, where Suzanne was sitting alone after rummaging through his freezer for the ice cream she’d brought over. She just stared at him as she jabbed a large tablespoon into the big tub of strawberry swirl again and lifted out a big hunk.

“Help yourself,” she said around the mouthful, feeling the brain freeze the minute she swallowed.

Marcus shook his head, taking the tub of ice cream from her and moving it near the sink, away from her. He reached for three bowls from the cupboard, and Suzanne leaned against the nicked-up blue and white counter. Marcus and Charlotte’s house was small, dated. The kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house, and the old wood floor squeaked in places, but it had a big yard and was close to their mom’s place, and Eva had her own bedroom.

Suzanne could hear the voices of her family coming from the small living room as she took another bite from the hunk of ice cream still on her spoon.

“So why are you hiding out in here?” Marcus said with only a glance over his shoulder. He was in a faded army green T-shirt and blue jeans, sock-footed, and his dark wavy hair appeared freshly cut. He also seemed very much at home, the family man with an instant family, a role she hadn’t expected for him. Six-year-old Eva came running into the kitchen in a red and white flowered T-shirt and pajama pants and wrapped her arms around his leg, standing on his foot.

“Can I have ice cream, please…?” she said. She was so damn sweet and tiny.

Marcus smiled down at her and rustled her shoulder-length brown hair, also freshly cut. Suzanne recalled that her mom had booked a “granddaughters hair day” for Eva and Alison only the day before at Delilah’s Hair, a friend’s salon.

“Just dishing yours up now, sweet pea,” Marcus said as he lifted her and sat her on the counter. Suzanne loved the nickname he had given her. “Here, you can help,” he continued and gave Eva the scoop, his hand over hers.

Suzanne finished off the ice cream on her spoon, holding it up. Her cell phone was silent, its screen still black, and she double checked to see if the thing was powered on.

“You didn’t answer me, Suzanne. What’s going on?” Marcus asked as he helped Eva down and handed her a bowl. She walked with it back into the living room, all smiles.

“You sure are good with her,” Suzanne said, then gestured toward him with her spoon. “You given any thought to what will happen when her mom is released from prison?”

Marcus was still dishing ice cream into three other bowls, and he let out a sigh before shaking his head. “You’re changing the subject—and that’s a long ways off, not something I’m worrying about right now or putting on the table for discussion. So what’s up with you? Because you’re off tonight. How come, problems?” He gestured with the empty scoop to her and the cell phone she was holding, and she forced herself to put it down on the counter.

She shook her head. “No, everything’s fine,” she said, not sure what to make of his face and the way he was looking at her.

“Bullshit, Suzanne. You’re usually way better at hiding your off-ness, so what’s got you so glued to that phone? You’ve been texting someone, and all I can figure is whoever it is has you kind of distracted. You’ve barely said anything to anyone, just glanced at your phone every thirty seconds. This isn’t like you. Then you slipped off alone to the kitchen, eating away your stress, as Charlotte says.”

She hadn’t realized he’d been watching. She had to fight the urge to pick up her phone, to look again at the texts that had gone unanswered.

“The silent treatment?” Marcus let out a sarcastic laugh.

“It’s nothing, really,” Suzanne said. “And I wasn’t stress eating,” she added for effect.

He turned around, tossed the scoop in the sink, and wiped his hands on a dishtowel before gesturing to the ice cream lid, which was still beside her on the counter. “Whatever you say, Suzanne.”

She reached for it and crossed the kitchen to hand it to him, just shaking her head when he gestured as if asking whether she wanted more. He had a way of making her seem defensive when she was anything but.

“Just for the record, Suzanne, you can keep telling me it’s nothing, but I know it isn’t, or you wouldn’t be so distracted. You may as well just save us all the aggravation and tell me.” He was still leaning on the counter and didn’t look as if he were leaving anytime soon.

“Fine, you want to know? It’s just someone who hasn’t answered me, is all. We kind of had plans, and then…” She shrugged.

His expression darkened. “Please tell me we’re not talking about that asshole, Toby.”

There it was, exactly why she hadn’t wanted to say anything.

“Tell me how you really feel, Marcus.” She was still holding the empty spoon and thought of the tub of ice cream she’d been drowning her sorrows in moments earlier. Yup, she could definitely have used another scoop—but it wasn’t stress eating, because she didn’t do that.

“Well, I’ll take that as my answer,” he said in a tone that bothered her. “What the hell are you doing, Suzanne? You can do so much better. He’s got nothing going for him. He doesn’t have a sincere bone in his body, and that phony plastic smile he gives to everyone…shallow, no depth at all. If I really have to dig to find something redeeming about the guy, that should tell you something. I mean, why him? I don’t understand why you’d do that to yourself.”

She had to fight the urge to roll her shoulders as he went on. At the same time, she wasn’t too inclined to share anything about her reasoning. The chemistry she had with Toby didn’t happen with just any guy.

“You’re being overdramatic, Marcus. Toby is a good guy.”

Marcus just shook his head, and the look he tossed her said he didn’t agree. She knew there was no love lost there, though the dislike was one sided. Her brother had never made any excuses for how he felt about Toby, but Toby had never said the same about him.

“Really? How about the fact that he’s also your boss now, even though you trained him? Doesn’t that get to you even just a little bit, Suzanne? Because it should.” Marcus lifted the bowls of ice cream, already jabbed with spoons, and stepped over to her.

She had to remind herself that Marcus knew which of her emotional buttons to push. She pulled in a breath and forced herself to look away, then back to him. “That wasn’t on Toby. You should know that. Can I blame him for wanting the lieutenant job?” She shrugged, trying to put some lightness in her tone.

She didn’t want to admit that she still felt as if the rug had been yanked out from under her, considering she’d expected the promotion and had deserved it, yet when it happened, she realized she hadn’t even been considered. She pulled in another breath and took in the way Marcus was still watching her as if waiting for her reaction.

“Yeah, you can, Suzanne, and you should. He didn’t earn it, and he doesn’t appreciate you. You dating him?”

There it was, the million-dollar question of just how committed Toby was to her. What could she say?

“It’s not that serious, you know—and how is this any of your business, anyway?”

Marcus took another step toward her, but before he could reply, Charlotte stepped into the kitchen.

“Hey,” she said. “Was wondering what was taking you so long. Alison is asking for her ice cream, since Eva is already done. Did I walk in on something?” Her long dark hair was hanging loose. Suzanne swore she could make anything look stunning, including the faded jeans and old T-shirt of Marcus’s that she wore now. Some women just had that amazing, sexy, curvy appeal, but Suzanne never had.

She watched as Charlotte slid her hand around Marcus’s waist, and he handed one of the bowls to her. Suzanne hoped her envy didn’t show. He pressed a kiss to Charlotte’s lips—and, damn, their closeness was uncomfortable. She wished they wouldn’t do that right when they were having a conversation.

“No, nothing, just Suzanne mooning over Toby,” Marcus said. “Let me guess: You’ve texted or called, and he hasn’t called you back?” The way he was including Charlotte in this private conversation only added salt to her wound.

Here she was, lonely on a Saturday night when she’d wanted—no, expected to be out with Toby. They had plans, she assumed, but maybe not. She was now questioning what they had actually agreed on. Was she misreading things? She hated feeling like she was assuming something in whatever this was between them.

Charlotte seemed to hesitate as she gave everything to Suzanne, who now felt as if her personal life had taken center stage, out in the open for everyone to scrutinize. That was something she didn’t want.

“I texted. He must be busy,” she said. Even as it fell from her lips, she knew it sounded pathetic. It was unlike her to make excuses for anyone. Her brother only grunted, and Charlotte winced.

“He’s blowing you off,” Marcus said. “More than likely, he’s with someone else. You ever thought of that?”

Then her cell phone dinged, and she practically landed on it, seeing a text from Toby.

Sorry, babe. Got hung up. How about my place in an hour?

She held the phone in front of her, feeling excitement or something. When Marcus rested his hand over the phone, she thought he was going to take it from her. As she lifted her gaze to her brother’s, his expression was anything but friendly.

“Please do not be one of those girls,” he said. Then he stepped away, inclining his head and glancing toward Charlotte and the bowl of ice cream she was holding before walking out of the kitchen. She could hear him calling Alison.

Charlotte gave everything to Suzanne. “Don’t mind Marcus. He just loves you, is all, and doesn’t want to see some guy messing with you, considering how he feels about Toby.”

Of course, she didn’t want to hear that, especially from Charlotte. Maybe that was why she felt so on edge as she pulled in another breath, realizing she was still gripping her spoon.

“Thanks, but Marcus is just sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, and he’s way off base with Toby. Anyway, as I said, it’s not serious. It’s just a thing.” She shrugged, feeling the bitterness in the way the words rolled off her tongue. She couldn’t put a label on this thing happening between her and Toby. Yeah, she really liked him, but it seemed the effort was entirely on her side.

Charlotte must have known, as she just offered a smile and lifted her hands in a gesture Suzanne hoped meant she’d leave it alone and not offer an opinion. “You know, I’m not too sure about Marcus being off base, Suzanne. One thing I know about your brother is how well he reads everyone, better than most—and Toby, he’s a player. Just watch yourself, because from where I’m sitting, I can see that Toby is possibly stringing you along. When he texts you and tells you to come running, you may want to ask him who he was with before you.”

Before Suzanne could set her straight, Charlotte rested her hand on her arm and walked out of the kitchen. Then her phone dinged.

Let me know if you’re coming, Toby wrote, and he added two flirty emojis that would’ve been cute if she hadn’t just had Charlotte and Marcus insinuate that Toby wasn’t being straight with her.

The problem was that they just didn’t know him.

As she dumped her spoon into the sink, still holding her phone, she saw the three dots that meant he was sending another text, but she was reminded of Charlotte’s words. Where had he been, and what had happened to their plan of grabbing a few beers, going out together? Now, he was two hours late.

2

Suzanne’s cell phone rang from where it was stashed on the passenger seat with her purse as she worked the clutch in her seventies classic MGB, which would likely always be a work in progress. In fact, she’d just replaced the clutch, a part that wasn’t exactly stocked at the local auto shop, given her car’s age. The canvas top was up, and she was still smarting over how Charlotte and Marcus had come at her over Toby as if she were a teenager who didn’t know any better. What business was it of theirs, anyway? Why couldn’t they see that Toby was a great guy?

And why hadn’t she bothered to respond to his text? It had made her feel like she was an afterthought, but that was ridiculous, because she was…what?

She was going to surprise him, she told herself. Maybe that was the reason for the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Doubts were something she’d never allowed to get stuck in her head, but her brother and his live-in girlfriend had just alluded to the possibility that Toby wasn’t as into her as she was into him, and that was so off base!

She dragged the stick and heard the grind as she changed gears too fast. Her cell phone started ringing again, and when she glanced over to the lit-up screen and saw it was Toby, she considered for only a second before pressing the green icon and holding the phone to her ear.

“I’m on my way,” she started, balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear so she could shift gears again.

“Was wondering, since I didn’t hear from you. Was about to give up and head out.”

Seriously? She actually pulled the phone away and stared at it for a second as she pulled up and stopped at a set of lights that had turned red. She put the phone back to her ear, her hand ready to shift gears again.

“You’re going out?” she said. There it was, that feeling she hadn’t been able to shake. “What’s going on, Toby? I thought you and I were supposed to go for drinks, but then you didn’t respond to any of my texts. Now, after how long, I suddenly get one from you telling me to come on over? Thought it was time for the two of us to date in public. We are dating, right…?”

She heard the sigh on the other end and could sense some brush-off coming.

“You’re reading too much into things,” he said. “Sorry I didn’t respond, but I was held up, unavoidable. Comes with the title, you know. But you know what else, Suzanne? This is starting to feel like you’re giving me the third degree when all I want to do is stay in tonight. Didn’t realize we had plans set in stone. You didn’t respond to my text, so what am I to think? Come on, don’t push so hard…” There he went, sounding pissed when she was the one who should’ve been.

“Not so much set in stone,” she said, “but we were going out.”

She wasn’t sure what sound he made on the other end, considering the purr of the engine wasn’t exactly quiet. The light turned green, and she gave it gas and had to juggle the phone between her shoulder and ear again.

“Look, how about I cook dinner?” Toby said. “I’m hungry. Maybe you haven’t eaten? I’ll whip up a batch of linguini for us. What do you say?”

Dinner, just her and Toby…and, of course, what would follow but sex? Hot sex. Then she’d go home, because they were still at that stage of not staying over.

There they were again, those doubts from her brother and Charlotte. Damn them, already!

“Well, I suppose dinner would be nice,” she said.

“That’s great,” he said. “Hey, listen, since you’re on your way, would you mind stopping at the store and picking up a package of linguini noodles? And garlic, too, since I’m out. Oh, and looks like I’m out of tomatoes for a sauce, too. Why don’t you grab one of those premade jars of linguini sauce, as well, and I can whip up a salad to go with?”

She was sure he was rummaging through a cupboard or fridge, and she was stuck on the fact that she was now picking up groceries. “So instead of going out, you’re making me dinner…yet I’m picking dinner up. Really?” She didn’t even try to dial back the sarcasm in her tone.

“Well, I just thought since you’re already out…”

“Fine, never mind,” she said. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I’ll stop and pick up dinner so you can make it for me and hide me away at your place, alone, and not be seen in public.”

“I’ll make it up to you—and I have some news to share, too. You’ll be happy for me…” he drawled in that sexy voice of his, the one that could get her to do anything. At least he had eased her confusion from seconds ago. Damn Marcus, anyway, for getting in her head. She was better than that.

“Fine, I’ll stop at the box store and should be there in about fifteen,” she said. “Can’t wait to see you.”

She could see the store just up ahead as she geared down, then realized as soon as she hung up, just as a smile touched her lips, that he’d initially said he was about to go out, then that he wanted to stay in—and he’d never corrected her about not wanting to be seen as an item in public.

So he had news, what news? What was it with Toby? At times he seemed so elusive, all over the place and all about himself.

There it was again, that seed of doubt from her brother that just wouldn’t get out of her head.

She pulled into the parking lot and into a spot beside a black pickup, then stepped out of her car and gave the heavy door a shove closed with a squeak. She slid her key into the lock and headed in.

* * *

Way too many choices. She found herself grabbing two jars of marinara sauce, pasta, and what else did he need? Garlic, right. But there was already some in the sauce, so…

“Suzanne, almost didn’t recognize you.”

It was his voice, so deep that it pulled her abruptly from her distraction. She found herself looking over to Harold Waters, in a deputy uniform much like her brother’s, but from the next county over. His blond hair was short and tidy, not something she remembered, but he still had that perpetually pissed-off expression that reminded her how much of an absolute asshole he was. He dragged his gaze over her, and she had to fight the urge to slap him.

“Like what you see?” She inclined her head, holding the basket of groceries and resting her hand on her hip, still in her blue uniform, having not changed since work. His basket was filled with steak, chips, nachos, and milk. She dragged her own gaze up and over him in the same manner. It was then she thought she spotted an edge, something in the pull of his lips, not a smile.

All he did was grunt, taking his time before answering. “You look good,” he said. “Guess I don’t have to ask what you’ve been up to. Thought I heard you joined the fire department.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of the way he’d said it. There was just something about Harold that she’d never been able to figure out. He had a way of giving her everything when he was talking to her.

“Excuse me,” a woman said, and Harold gestured to Suzanne, moving her out of the way as if they were together, barely glancing over. She didn’t miss how buff he had gotten. He was under six feet, but his arms… He looked like he had taken up bench pressing as a new pastime, not that she had any idea what his pastimes were.

“Yup, going on five years now,” Suzanne said. “So are you lost or something, or just slumming in Livingston?”

He didn’t smile. There it was, that heavy gaze, those hazel eyes. He had a square face, a hard, chiseled look, and scars on his face from acne as a kid. To some, it was distracting. But there had always been something about Harold. He didn’t fit the image of a typical pretty boy, didn’t have the natural charisma, wasn’t the total hot package that Toby was, but something about his personality and the way he moved gave him a level of attractiveness that kind of snuck up on her.

“Stopped in to visit my sister and her husband, who live here, after meeting with your brother today. Not slumming, just shopping on my way home,” he said as if setting her straight, another reminder of the way he was.

She wasn’t quite sure what to say to a man she had gone out of her way to avoid seeing for years even though she had known exactly where he was and what he was doing. She was rattled to hear that he had met with Marcus. Why hadn’t her brother said anything? Then again, why would he?

“I see you’re still with the Gallatin County sheriff’s office,” she said. “Still living in Bozeman?”

He said nothing but kept looking at her in that way of his, giving her everything, definitely not the self-centered, surface-level crap she’d become used to. She had to remind herself this was just a ruse. He was a player, too, and she’d never been able to wrap her head around how he’d yanked the rug right out from under her.

“I’m back in Gallatin, but maybe not for long.”

“Back? Did you go somewhere?”

He hadn’t looked away. It was unnerving, not something she was used to, considering Toby was always looking away. “Yeah, took a job down in Oklahoma City, with hate crimes. I’ve been back only a month.”

So that was why she hadn’t run into him. “Wow, I had no idea you were gone. So you’re thinking of leaving again?” she said. What was it about hearing him now? She couldn’t shake this unsettled feeling, considering how things had been left between them.

“Weighing options, is all,” he said. There it was again, something in those hazel eyes—sadness or something else? She didn’t know, considering she really didn’t know him as she’d once thought she did.

“Well, this has been fun,” she said, “but I’ve got a dinner date. I should be going. Great to see you.”

She went to step away, but he pressed his hand to her bare arm, glancing past her and then stepping in closer, really looking at her in a way that made her feel as if he were scrutinizing her, and she didn’t have a clue why. For a second, she thought he was going to say something, but he stepped back and shook his head as if deciding not to. She hated when guys did that. Why did she have this feeling that so much between them had been left unsaid? Too much misunderstanding, betrayal, and uncleared air.

“What?” she said. Even she could hear how sharply it had come out.

“Nothing. Just…you look great, Suzanne. Hope life is treating you well. Stay safe out there,” he said. Then he stepped around her and strode to the end of the aisle.

She took one last look at her basket, sure she had everything, and started to the cash register. She spotted him at the next till over, paying. The cashier laughed at something he said, and he took his plastic bag and turned to where Suzanne was paying for her own groceries. He just nodded at her as he walked on by. It was pure instinct to watch him. He was mysterious, sexy, and at one time, she’d thought he was the one.

“Is that everything?” the cashier said.

Suzanne had to pull her gaze away. “Yes, thank you,” she replied, then tapped her debit card, took the groceries, and walked out of the store, into darkness.

She found herself looking around for a man that she shouldn’t have been paying any attention. Because there was Toby, even if there was no commitment, no depth. What she did know was that tonight, she and Toby needed to have a talk or something to establish exactly which direction they were headed in.

3

She ran water in the sink, taking in her image in the mirror. The double sinks, walk-in shower and separate soaker bathtub, and even the matching towels were something she wouldn’t have expected from a guy. Toby really had a nice place, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open layout, with light and windows.

Where was he now but in his kitchen, cooking pasta on the gas stove? Yet another feature she was trying to wrap her head around, considering all she’d done was hand him the groceries after he answered the front door of his spacious house at the edge of town.

She was still trying to settle her thoughts after running into a man she hadn’t seen in years.

“Suzanne, dinner’s up!” Toby shouted from across the house.

She turned off the water, dried her hands, and took in her image as she pulled the hair tie from her long dark hair, which she usually kept pulled back in a ponytail, and let it fall past her shoulders. She rang her fingers through it. She hadn’t changed out of her dark uniform shirt, and she flicked the buttons one by one, seeing her practical sports bra underneath.

She stepped out into Toby’s extremely neat and tidy master bedroom, with its queen-size light wood bed and furniture set, and tossed her shirt on his fashionable beige comforter, which matched everything else. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve thought a woman had designed every part of this place.

She pulled open his chest of drawers, where she knew he kept his T-shirts, and lifted out a faded extra-large brown one to pull over her head before lifting her hair and striding out of the bedroom, down the hall to the kitchen, where Toby, who was dressed casually in blue jeans and a navy T-shirt, was draining the pasta into a large steel farmhouse sink.

He glanced over his shoulder as she stepped into his line of sight, and she wasn’t sure what expression was on his face as his gaze lingered on her average-size breasts. “You helped yourself to my shirt?” he said.

For a second, she wondered if he had a problem with it. “I didn’t change after my shift. Didn’t think you would mind, or is it an issue?”

He pulled back and made a face. What that meant, she didn’t know. “It’s fine,” he said, but she could hear the hesitation in his voice.

“Really? Because I’m getting the sense that maybe it isn’t. I have to wonder what’s going on with you, Toby.”

He set the pot back on the stove, lifted the strainer from the sink, and dumped all the pasta into a big skillet of simmering sauce. He turned off the burner before resting both his hands on the counter and giving her everything in that one look, unamused. There was something about dancing around whatever this was. She didn’t want to do it anymore.

“What is this, Suzanne? You’ve been off since you got here. I’m just making dinner for us, and then I want to chill after today. I have a lot on my mind and a lot of responsibility, too.”

She couldn’t shake the sense that he was keeping her at arm’s length, and that was where he needed her to stay. She wasn’t pushy, but she knew what she wanted.

“You know what, Toby? I’m not off, but I am wondering what this is. Can’t remember ever feeling as I did tonight with my family. I was at my brother’s place, texting you because I was expecting you to say where we should meet, and then I didn’t hear from you for a few hours, so I was thinking, okay, maybe you were blowing me off. We had plans, I thought. So where were you?”

Had she always been this forward? Yes, when she needed to be.

She didn’t pull her gaze from him as he stood there. It wasn’t anything he said, but something about the way he was staring back at her gave her the feeling that maybe she shouldn’t have asked.

He glanced away, and there it was, the difference between him and Harold. Maybe that was why she was so unsettled. Toby looked away far too often, she thought, when he should’ve been giving her everything.

“I have responsibilities, Suzanne. What is this?” Now he sounded defensive.

“So you were at the station? I left after you.” She was sitting on one of the stools at the island, not pulling her gaze from him.

“I had a meeting with the chief.”

She nodded. “So you were with the chief, then? Okay. The entire time?”

“Suzanne, why are you questioning me like this? I’m single, you’re single. I don’t answer to you, you don’t answer to me.” He gestured between them, and something about the energy left her feeling as if she had put her foot in her mouth. “I sense that you’re upset about something. You had a bad day? It was a quiet day, though, so don’t…”

Had he seriously just said that, a quiet day? She gave him a look, wondering what he was thinking, but he didn’t seem to notice what he’d said. “Whoa, you know better than to say that,” she snapped. “A quiet day…seriously, Toby?”

He seemed to shake her off. “A slip of the tongue is all, Suzanne. What I’m saying is you seem unsettled.”

She hadn’t expected this. “You know what, Toby? I guess I never really noticed it before, your unwillingness to answer me, how you so easily twist things, shining the situation back on me as if I’m the one with the issue. It’s something politicians master, but then, maybe that’s where you’re heading.”

Apparently, he got the zinger, as the laugh he let out was rough, jagged. “Wow, you really can be a piece of work sometimes.”

She shrugged. “No, it’s just that I asked you a question, and you deflected. You haven’t really answered me. You’re right that we’re both single, but we’re sleeping together, and I was under the impression that we were heading somewhere more serious. It didn’t help that my brother and Charlotte both insinuated that you’re playing me in some way. Are you playing me, Toby? Are you being straight with me? Come on, let’s put our cards on the table and stop dancing around this.”

“So now you’re listening to your brother about me? Never thought that would be something you’d do, Suzanne. You think I care what Marcus thinks of me? I’m very well aware he doesn’t like me and has no use for me. Just never expected that from you. Then there’s Charlotte. Everyone knows she always falls in line with how Marcus sees things.”

Just the way he said it had her sitting up straighter.

“Are you trying to imply something about Charlotte?” She lifted her hand before he could reply. “No, don’t, Toby, because that’s low, even for you. Don’t do that. Don’t try to taint Charlotte’s character to make yourself look good. She’s a good woman, and you don’t know her. Another thing is clear here, and maybe it’s taken me really long to figure it out, but I get it now. You don’t want to answer me. You have a way of deflecting that I never realized before. This thing here, Toby, what is it?” She gestured between them and didn’t miss how uncomfortable he was. “I really want an answer. I think I deserve that much.”

“Sounds to me like you’re holding a gun to my head, Suzanne. A commitment, is that what you’re looking for? Because we’re not there. I like you, and you like me…” He just shook his head.

She wasn’t a fool. She felt that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, sensing the brush-off that was coming, just as his cell phone started ringing. A second later, so did hers.

Of course, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “Fire at the box store,” he said. “We’re being called in.”

She reached for her phone, seeing the same message, and stood up, taking in the dinner they hadn’t eaten. Toby was already walking to the door. She grabbed her purse before hurrying to his bedroom and grabbing her shirt, then to the front door, where he was waiting to lock up.

She was already halfway to her car when he called out, “Suzanne…” and she stopped, pulling the door open as he walked toward her.

“Look, I didn’t mean to come down on you so hard or to sound like such a jerk,” he said, “but at the same time, this here, between us, I don’t know what to call it. I care about you. I really do…”

The way he was looking at her, the way he stepped toward her, the chemistry rocked, and she could feel the pull again, feel herself being reeled back into whatever this was.

“I sense a big ‘but’ coming.”

He glanced away, hurried, brushing her off. He shook his head. “I like things the way they are. You just need to calm down a bit, not be so rushed. Besides, don’t forget the little fact that I’m a lieutenant and you’re not, and if others in the department get word of what’s going on between us, things could become difficult, namely for me.”

“Oh, I see. This is about your image, about protocol?”

He just shook his head and took a step back. “No, it’s that everything isn’t always that simple, Suzanne. Look, this isn’t the time. We have a fire to get to, and I really want to talk to you about this when we’re calmer, more reasonable, and have time.”

He started over to his pickup, his new one, and she knew that was his way of shutting this down. There was just so much about Toby that she wasn’t able to grasp. He had a way of not answering, of evading, of deflecting, and for the first time since this thing between them had started, she wondered if this was something he’d always done or if she was finally seeing this relationship for what it really was.

Would they ever settle into anything? Because right now, she didn’t want to admit it, but there might be something to what her brother was saying. This could be going exactly nowhere.

4

Returning to the same box store she’d left only an hour earlier, she found the parking lot was thankfully no longer full. Two firetrucks were on scene, and Toby was already geared up, heading toward the ladder truck that had just arrived with four volunteers who were waiting to receive orders.

Suzanne had on all her gear, her bulky turnout pants and jacket. She fastened it over Toby’s shirt, which she was still wearing, as she started over to him, putting on her helmet and thick gloves. The smoke coming from the large building wasn’t as heavy as she expected, but she was already assessing everything, making a plan, though she expected Toby to be on top of that. She was ready to shut down this fire before it grew into a blaze that would kill someone.

She spotted her brother with a few of his deputies and emergency personnel where the smoke was concentrated at the back of the store. A few people were hurrying out, wet from the sprinklers, which was good news. At least something was working in their favor.

“Do you think it’s going to be a full-scale fire and we’ll see some action?” said Everett, one of the senior volunteer firemen, who showed up at every fire. He hurried past her to stand before Toby, eagerly awaiting his orders, beat only by the newest volunteer firefighter, Greg. He was a full-time accountant, she thought, bored with life and looking for some excitement. Toby was engaged in a discussion with a man she assumed was in charge of the store.

“Not sure until we get in there,” Suzanne said. “You know the thing about a fire: Smoke and flames can spread real fast. Any idea how it started or where?”

Near Toby, the volunteer firefighters were all vying for an exciting order that would have them in the thick of it. She just hoped she wouldn’t be stuck babysitting them. Everett hadn’t answered her.

The store manager was carrying on to Toby, likely having one of the worst days of his life. “It wasn’t all that busy tonight,” he said. “I don’t know how many are in there, but as soon as I heard someone yell about smoke, fingers were pointing at who started it. We know it was that kid. It had to have been. He was up to no good when he walked in the store…”

She found herself looking around, willing Toby to get on with things and make sure everyone was out of the store, do a sweep, put out the fire, shut the power down, and avert disaster. There would be time after to figure out how it had started. Right now, he was still conversing and not ordering, and they were standing around with their thumbs up their asses.

Come on, Toby! The only orders were to get a team to assess the situation, another to perform search and rescue, and another to get the ladder truck up and onto the roof, where the smoke was. He had to get everyone where they needed to be.

“We’re not sure if everyone’s out yet, but deputies are inside, making sure,” Toby said.

What the hell, Toby?

She couldn’t believe he’d said that. Deputies weren’t firefighters. What was he thinking? She was about to say something when he glanced her way.

“O’Connell, you’re inside with Sweeney. The fire broke out in the change rooms at the back of the store. Sprinklers kicked in, but the water could do more damage to stock, so let’s be mindful of what this could be costing the company, and be careful you’re not doing more damage. We need this thing shut down quickly for the owner’s sake.” Toby was loud and commanding. He had that presence about him.

“What about doing a sweep of the store for any other civilians?” Suzanne said. “Why do you have deputies in there? Do we know how many are still inside, if there’s still a fire or anyone trapped?”

She knew she was openly questioning him, but at the same time, she was the one who had walked him through these steps once, warning him about the changing conditions he should have been assessing from the moment he stepped on the scene. She’d been there to remind him before while teaching him in the field—fire behavior, fire suppression, and fire safety. Yet he was following none of it. Getting everyone out should’ve been his first priority, not preventing loss for the business.

For a second, she wondered where his head was. He’d said deputies were in there, but they were the last ones who should be doing that job. And protecting everything inside from any further damage…had he seriously said that? Yes, he had. She was already planning the talk she would have with him after this was over.

“Look, this place provides a lot of jobs, and we need to make sure we keep it that way,” Toby said. “Word already came down from the chief, so let’s wrap this up quickly.” He hadn’t answered her, and he gave her only a distracted glance. Everything between them was all business.

Just as her brother Marcus made his way over, she shrugged on her air tank.

“We think almost everyone’s out,” Marcus said, “but I’ve still got a deputy inside, Harold Waters. He went back in after a woman said her sister was missing in the change rooms. We have no idea how many were in the store, though.”

“Harold?” Suzanne said. “What is he doing there, and whose brilliant idea was it to send in deputies to get civilians out during a fire?”

Marcus was still walking beside her, gesturing to the store. He barely glanced her way. “Harold was first on scene, and I was second. Are we really having a pissing contest about who’s doing what?” The way he said it had her shaking her head. Maybe he had some idea of her worries, as he continued: “Harold was out this way already. He’s coming to work for me—just starting earlier than expected. That’s right, you two know each other.”

She knew Marcus wouldn’t remember how close she and Harold had once been. So that was what Harold had meant about meeting with her brother. He was working there now.

“Fine, I get it,” she said. “Now get your men the hell out of there. We’re here, I’m here. Stick to what you guys do, arresting and keeping order. Keep the order out here so I can put the fire out in there. And do me a favor: Keep the rest of your deputies out. I don’t need anyone else in there to rescue.”

The front doors were wide open, and with the smoke coming, she had no idea how many were still in the store. She didn’t like this at all.

“I get it, Suzanne,” Marcus said. “When you go in, send Harold out. I won’t send anyone else, but at the same time, why hasn’t Toby been all over this? His first priority should be getting everyone out, finding the fire, putting it out. You all are standing out here rather than getting inside and doing as you said, getting the people out.”

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? He was right. She still couldn’t believe Toby wasn’t dragging the hoses in—screw the damage—just to make sure the damn fire was out. He needed to get the ladder truck up to the roof, where smoke was billowing, and cut through with an ax. That was what she’d have done, but then, she wasn’t in charge.

She pulled in a breath, touching the top of her helmet. “What do we know about the fire, where it started? Anything I need to worry about inside?” It was something she should have heard from Toby, but he was likely still standing there, letting the manager ramble on.

“Suzanne, get in there!” Toby called out behind her.

Marcus glanced to him the same time she did as he walked her closer to the building. The visibility was low, and for a second, she wanted to set Toby straight. Like, what the hell was that?

“Just a lot of fuel for a fire, you know,” Marcus said. “Most things in there, once a fire takes hold… It’s not just food but clothing, houseware, furnishings. Everything will burn nicely if it takes off. Be careful.”

At least Marcus stopped at the door. She took in people everywhere nearby and a deputy standing just inside without the needed equipment. Smoke inhalation could come out of nowhere. They were a small department with limited personnel, and something like this could suddenly become a five-alarm fire, with multiple lives at stake, and unlike stock, lives couldn’t be replaced.

That was the call she’d expected, yet Toby seemed all about being a hero for the company. Carrying an ax in one hand, she glanced back to see Marcus moving people away just as Toby approached and touched her shoulder.

“Hey, Suzanne, let’s do a quick sweep and make sure everyone’s out. Then get these sprinklers shut off as soon as the fire’s out. Let’s be careful so I don’t get my ass handed to me on a platter. Don’t be so eager to put that through a wall or door if you don’t have to,” he said, gesturing to her ax.

Stuck on how tall, dark, and handsome he was, for a moment she felt as if he had her back. But at the same time, she wanted to remind him, lives first, property second. Hadn’t she taught him that?

He shrugged on his tank, his mask around his neck like hers, helmet on, as they stepped into the store. Sweeney, she realized, was just ahead of them with an extinguisher. The grocery department on the right seemed not as affected.

“How long has this been going?” she said. “The clock is ticking.”