It definitely hadn’t gone away by the time Ben and Julie’s engagement party rolled around. Kevin arrived at the private room at the Seaview Inn before Cassie. He knew this because as soon as he walked in, he performed a quick scan for a lithe, tomboy-ish beauty with long strawberry-blond hair. It was almost as if he couldn’t help himself.

When he saw no sign of her, he shifted his attention to the spectacular setting of the Seaview. The inn was located near the top of one the foothills that surrounded Jupiter Point, giving it an expansive view of the ocean, now painted in wild shades of tangerine and indigo by the setting sun.

The only Jupiter Point building with a better location was the observatory, which sat on an adjacent though much higher hill. Holly was right over there, on that other hill, filling in for a sick co-worker, after which she had plans with her new friends. Plans that didn’t include an engagement party for grown-ups, she’d told him pointedly.

Ben and Julie, hand in hand, came forward to greet him. He started to shake Julie’s hand, but she pulled him in for a hug instead.

“Don’t even think about it. You’re an honorary Knight brother. That deserves more than a handshake.”

He’d liked Julie as soon he’d met her, which was no surprise, since Ben was one of his best friends. Even when Ben used to drunkenly sob about the one who got away, he’d always talked about how great she was. The fact that the two of them were now back together and engaged was proof that good people—at least sometimes—got happy endings.

And maybe sometimes that happy ending consisted of getting full custody of a daughter who needed him. If that was his only happy ending, he’d just learn to live with it.

Tobias joined them and introduced Kevin to his new wife, Carolyn. They made an unusual couple. Tobias was big and tough and intense, while Carolyn had a soft golden glow, with her blond hair and calm manner. But they were obviously madly in love with each other, sharing intimate, hot glances when they thought no one was looking.

Julie signaled to a waiter who was passing through the crowd with trays of champagne. “Over here, please. We have some empty-handed guests in need of champagne.”

Kevin accepted a flute of bubbly and raised it in the direction of Ben and Julie. “To the two of you, and most importantly, to the fact that I don’t have to hear about Ben’s broken heart ever again.”

The group laughed, except for a college-age kid with blond bedhead hair who arrived just in time to snag some champagne. “Then you can all hear about mine,” he said gloomily. “Daisy dumped me again.”

Carolyn reached for his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. “You’ll sort it out. You always do. Kevin, this is Aiden.”

“The one Knight brother I haven’t met yet.” Kevin clinked his champagne flute against Aiden’s. “To heartbreak, man. Makes us older and wiser and irresistible to women.”

Aiden grinned, just as Will and a gorgeous woman with bright eyes and a halo of brown curls strolled up.

“Have you met Merry?” Julie asked Kevin. “She’s the best reporter in town, and knows absolutely everyone and everything.”

Merry shook his hand, laughing a bit. “Since I don’t know you, that’s not quite true. Merry Warren.”

“Kevin O’Donnell. And now you do know me.” He smiled at her.

“Oh, I see you’re a charmer.” Speculation shone in her dark eyes. “If you’d like to meet more people, I’m pretty sure I can help you out. Single, right?”

Ben caught Kevin’s eye, and laughed at what was probably a look of panic. Matchmaking and setups were not his thing. “Forget it, Merry. Kevin’s what you call a reformed partier. These days he’s a workaholic and single parent. He comes with a lot of small print.”

Kevin laughed. “Yup, those terms and conditions are a nightmare.”

Merry shrugged good-naturedly. “Hey, no worries. You know how it is when you meet the love of your life.” She snuggled against Will’s side. Kevin had never seen that tall, reserved man smile in quite that way. “You want everyone around you to get a taste of that happiness.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he’d gotten his taste of marriage, and it had nothing to do with happiness. More of a shit sandwich, honestly. He lifted his glass to her. “Nice thought, but I’ll stick with the bubbly for now.”

Julie waved at someone across the room. With a sense of shock, Kevin recognized Savannah St. James, an actress he’d previously seen only onscreen. She was even more stunning in person, with wild black hair tumbling down her back. “Is that really…?”

“Yes, but here she’s known as Savannah Reinhard. Childhood friend of Julie’s,” Ben explained. A nudge-wink brought Kevin out of his trance. “You two have a lot in common. She’s a single parent too. Her boy Felix is a little younger than Holly. Want to meet her? Easily done.”

“Er, no,” he said quickly. “But I wouldn’t mind getting her autograph for my mom. She’s a big fan.”

Julie’s face lit up. “Really?” She beckoned to her friend. “Since this is my party, I’m totally okay with embarrassing her and asking for her autograph.”

Savannah began wending her way toward them. Curvaceous and sensual, she moved like someone used to being the focus of attention. She was a bombshell, a throwback to the days of classic Hollywood. Kevin watched her with awe.

And yet, when Savannah was halfway across the room, his gaze wandered past her, to someone who had just slipped through the door.

Cassie.

Wearing a shoulder-baring slip dress that clung like water to her frame. Her strawberry-blond hair wasn’t jammed into a ponytail for once or tucked under a bandanna while she worked. She wore it loose and parted on the side, so it flowed in long, shiny waves over her shoulders. She’d worked some kind of magic with her eye makeup so her eyes shimmered ocean blue. A coat of gloss gave her lips a light sheen, which made them even more kissable than usual.

Not that he was soaking in every detail or anything.

He watched as she nervously scanned the room. Why would she be nervous? Weren’t all these people her family and friends?

Then he saw the woman with her. Janine Knight, their mother, he realized instantly. She looked like Ben and Cassie, with soft blue eyes and an open face. A vulnerable face lined with tension.

She stayed close to Cassie’s side, looking twice as anxious as her daughter.

Kevin’s heart went out to her—to them both, actually. He knew enough about their story to understand why a crowd like this might be stressful. He wanted to sweep them both into a hug and tell them everything would be okay.

Silly.

Then Cassie’s gaze landed on him, and a wide smile of relief spread across her face. His heart did a slow flip and he smiled back, putting every bit of his concern and affection into it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mrs. Knight looking his way, then whispering something to Cassie. But he couldn’t manage to tear his gaze away from Cassie’s.

Then his field of vision was filled with the glamorous form of Savannah St. James. He blinked at the abrupt shift.

“Savannah, this is Kevin. He’s the new mechanic and pilot at Knight and Day. He says his mom’s a fan of yours.”

The movie star turned her megawatt smile on him. “Welcome, Kevin.” She reached out a hand, which he shook numbly.

“I can’t believe I’m shaking Savannah St. James’ hand,” he told her. “My mother would actually faint if she saw me right now.”

“Shall we take a selfie?” She winked and pulled out her phone. “We can use your phone if you like, but I’m a master of this particular art form.”

“Sure, that’d be great.” Was he stammering? Gawking? Acting halfway normal? He honestly had no idea.

Savannah stood close to him and held out her phone at a precise angle, in a practiced movement she’d probably done a million times. She took a couple shots, then turned to him. “Would you like to check them?”

“Nope, if you’re happy, I’m happy. My mom knows what I look like. I wouldn’t be surprised if she cropped me right out. You might find yourself blown up into a life-size poster on her wall.”

Savannah laughed, and it was then that Kevin realized that Cassie had joined them. Her smile had dimmed, and he realized there was probably a simple reason for that. Savannah was still within selfie distance.

Ben stepped forward to wrap his sister in a big bear hug. “You made it. Where’s Mom?”

Cassie murmured her answer in a low voice that Kevin caught only because he was so close. “She went to the restroom to fix her hair. She’s a little nervous. I offered to help her, but she said she wanted a moment alone.”

“She’s a grown woman, Cassie.”

“I know that.” Looking a bit irritated, she drew away from Ben.

“Oh my God, is this little Cassie?” Savannah put a hand on Cassie’s arm. “Stand right there and let me look at you. The last time I saw you, I think you were running wind sprints up the steps of the high school stadium.”

Cassie gave a weak smile. “That’s funny, the last time I saw you was at the Golden Globes. You were robbed,” she added quickly. “Emma Stone wishes she was as good as you.”

Savannah threw her head back and laughed, a throaty sound that drew the attention of everyone within a hundred-yard radius. “You haven’t changed one bit, sassy. Well, except that you’re completely gorgeous now. Look at you! I remember a skinny kid with torn jeans. Who’s this grownup goddess we have here?”

And for the first time, seeing the vulnerable expression on Cassie’s face, Kevin lost his awe of Savannah and decided she was just a cool person. Anyone who could make Cassie’s self-protective exterior show a crack got his vote of approval.

He bent down and whispered in her ear, “She’s right, you know. That dress made me forget my own name when you walked in.”

She nudged him in the ribs and whispered back, her lips tickling his ear, “I’m pretty sure it was Savannah who did that.”

“You would be one hundred percent wrong about that.”

“Oh really?” The warm burst of her chuckle sent a shot of lust right to his cock. “Shall we take a look at the photographic evidence? Selfies don’t lie.”

They both turned to the rest of the group—and Kevin realized with a shock that everyone was watching them. Merry’s eyebrows had climbed halfway up her forehead, and Julie’s hand was over her mouth, as if covering a laugh.

The Knight brothers, on the other hand, registered expressions ranging from a worried frown to wild curiosity. Aiden winked at him.

“So, you two are on whispering terms now,” said Ben. “Not sure how I feel about that. Tobias?”

“I’m thinking. Give me a second.”

Cassie swatted Ben on the arm. “We work together, doofus. Sometimes we whisper while we work.”

“Really? What kind of things do you whisper about? Sweet nothings about wrenches?”

Cassie narrowed her eyes at her brother. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s mechanic…stuff.”

Poor girl. Kevin suddenly had a flash of what life must have been like for the only girl growing up with a houseful of Knight brothers.

“Yup.” He waded into the fray. “Very important and top-secret mechanic stuff. We’re actually forbidden from telling anyone who doesn’t have ASE certification. The safety of the nation depends on it.”

“The safety of the nation?” Tobias’s stern face relaxed into a smile. “You’re telling us that’s in your hands?”

“Not mine. Hers.” Kevin lifted Cassie’s hand, turning it palm-up, so everyone could see the calluses and motor oil stains that would probably never come off. “This hard-working hand is the wave of the future. Do you know how excited my daughter got when she learned Cassie was a mechanic? I’m telling you, Holly and girls like her are going to be running this country before too long. And it’s thanks to women like Cassie.”

He smiled proudly at her, and ran his thumb across her palm, catching her quick shiver.

The little group of Knight brothers and their partners looked spellbound by his gesture. Hopefully they could see that it was purely platonic.

Savannah broke the momentary silence with a round of applause. “Bravo. Nice speech. But don’t leave yourself out. It takes a good man to appreciate a strong woman. I don’t know too many of those.”

“Here’s one right here.” Carolyn pointed her thumb at Tobias. “Of course, I had to knock him on his butt in my office to prove my point.”

“It definitely worked.” Tobias grinned and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I might be dense at first, but I learned my lesson. And I never looked back.”

“Will appreciates a strong woman too, right, love?” Merry sparkled up at the tall former deputy. “Took him three years to admit it. Before that, he thought I was annoying.”

“I’d go with distracting, not annoying. But she’s right about the rest of it.” Will interlaced his hand with Merry’s. “You know how us men are, we like to think we’re the only ones keeping the world spinning. Sometimes we need a kick in the ass to open our eyes.”

Merry rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. “You keep my world spinning. Does that count?”

“That’s my goal in life,” he murmured back.

Good God, the sappy. It was all around him, like humidity on a summer day. Kevin ran a finger under his collar, which was starting to feel a little tight. He’d started off talking about strong women, but somehow the conversation had veered into romantic territory.

Then again, this was an engagement party, so what should he expect?

“Here’s to strong women,” he said, lifting his glass again.

“And the men who can handle them,” added Cassie. She took his glass and sipped from it, since she didn’t have one of her own yet. “And to men who share their champagne in a pinch.”

“Hear, hear.” Savannah clicked her flute against the others, all of them meeting in the middle of their circle. “May I be so fortunate as to meet one of those.”

As a general conversation took hold, Kevin felt Cassie tense in reaction to Savannah’s words. Hmm, was she jealous of the movie star? Truthfully, he might be attracted to Savannah if he wasn’t so hyperaware of Cassie’s light citrus fragrance and laughing presence next to him.

Something about her always drew his attention. Coveralls or slinky dress, it didn’t make a difference. It was her, with her lighthearted manner and the mysterious secrets underneath. It was the contrasts—the way she laughed past her pain, and the way she manhandled engine parts with her slim and capable hands. The way she stood on her own and yet looked so lonely sometimes.

Face it, she fascinated him.

Did her hint of jealousy mean she felt the same about him?

Trouble. Big trouble. And yet, a sense of anticipation was building inside him. He hadn’t felt this way in so long—excited about life. Eager to see what would happen next.

Cassie slipped her arm through his elbow. “Have you seen the view yet?”

“Not really. I just got here a few minutes ago. Want to show me around, tour guide?”

She nodded and dragged him toward a set of French doors at such a quick pace that he had to lengthen his stride to keep up. He followed her onto the back terrace, which was tiled in slate flagstones and filled with wrought iron tables and heat lamps. A low wall ringed the terrace, offering the perfect viewpoint to take in the last moments of the sunset, now just a burn of flamingo pink on the darkening horizon. A warm spell had brought temperatures in the upper seventies; it felt almost like summer though it was still April.

“What’s the matter, Cassie? You act like you’re running from a wildfire.”

“Wildfire?” A group of rugged-looking men looked in their direction. They were gathered at the far end of the terrace wall, which looked over the foothills toward the distant Sierras. “Did someone say wildfire?”

“Figure of speech,” Kevin told them.

“Careful with that word around these guys.” Cassie waved at them. “Those are the Jupiter Point Hotshots. They fight wildfires for a living. And they were practically my first clients. They brought all their rigs to me for tune ups. I’ll love them forever for that.”

The men nodded back at them in a friendly manner. Kevin felt his hackles rise. All those guys were a little too good-looking, to his mind. And they were heroes. They fought wildfires. He’d wanted to be a hero once, that was why he’d joined the Air Force.

Now he was mostly a mechanic. What girl would choose a grease monkey over a bona fide hero?

Cassie pointed at each man as she named them. “Finn, Sean, Josh, Baker, and Rollo. Guys, this is Kevin, he’s working with my brothers at Knight and Day.”

For a moment, Kevin feared he’d have to engage in conversation with them, which was the last thing he wanted. Right now, all he wanted was Cassie and a quiet corner.

Luckily, a group of women came through the French doors in a blur of gorgeousness. “And that’s Evie, Suzanne, and Brianna,” said Cassie. “Their significant others.”

“Emphasis on significant,” said the redhead with a wink. “Hiya, Cassie. I’m bringing my truck your way for a brake job pretty soon.”

“Sure thing, Bri. Just give me a call first.”

The women joined the hotshots, and Kevin drew a breath of relief. “Not that I don’t enjoy meeting new people, but is there any chance we could take a break from all the damn socializing?”

She laughed at him. “You know this is a party, right? The whole point is to socialize.”

“Nothing wrong with a break, though.”