Regan bit back a smile at Gavin’s gasp as she flattened her hands against his chest and slid them down, slowly, feeling every ridge and ripple of his muscles. He was trying hard to hold still and she loved that he was struggling with it.

She felt powerful. Alive. Something she hadn’t felt in the hands of a man in far too long. He was giving her the time she needed to explore and get comfortable with him, without even knowing why she needed the time.

If she wasn’t careful, she would be right back where she was before. But somehow the thought of being in a relationship with Gavin didn’t fill her with the same sense of panic and suffocation she’d associated with the idea.

Not wanting to think about it, she focused instead on the heat radiating off Gavin’s skin. The feel of his breath as he closed his eyes and tried to relax his stance. He continued to hold her, one hand tangled in her hair while the other gripped her hip, but he didn’t guide her with either of them. Instead, he just let them rest against her while she explored his body.

His very excellent, hard, toned body.

Blinking, she refocused her efforts and slipped her hands up under his T-shirt, smiling when he sucked in a breath, his abs quivering against her fingertips. She slid them up further under the fabric of his shirt, slowly exploring everything within her reach, thrilled he was standing still and letting her explore.

“This is nice,” she whispered, placing another kiss against his throat.

“That’s one word for it,” he muttered, flexing his fingers. “Regan, you’re killing me.”

She smiled against his skin, enjoying the salty taste of him on her lips. Had she ever had so much fun during foreplay? “You seem pretty alive to me.” She pressed her hips against him, feeling every inch of his interest and smiled again. “Very much alive.”

Laughter bubbled up her throat as he growled low and grabbed her around her waist. Knee to neck, there was no way a whisper could fit between them. The laughter quickly transformed into a low moan as he moved against her core, inflaming the spark she’d brought to life.

Why were they still dressed? She should have taken the opportunity to strip him down when he was letting her play. Her regret was short-lived as he captured her mouth in a kiss that curled her toes.

She knew Gavin could kiss. She’d enjoyed his kisses before, but this was different. This was overwhelming. Empowering. Consuming.

Giving herself up to him, Regan wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her leg, trying to wrap it around his waist. The haze of lust was so thick she was having trouble thinking about anything but getting closer to him.

“Easy,” Gavin rasped, boosting her up into the position she was straining to reach, his hands under her butt to hold her in place.

“I don’t want easy,” she told him, hooking her ankles at the small of his back. “I want fast. I want hard. And I want it now.” Regan punctuated each statement with a hard peck, holding his face still for her.

Gavin smiled and shifted her slightly, sliding along her core and making her eyes roll back in her head. “We’ll get to fast and hard, but first we need to take our time.”

She opened her mouth to argue her point, but then he started to walk. Regan’s toes curled as the friction at her core increased. She had no idea where he was taking her—not that there were a lot of options in the small house—but she just hoped he got there quickly.

She laid a long, hot kiss on Gavin’s mouth, making him stumble a bit. But she felt safe and secure in his arms. Gavin nudged the door to another bedroom open and paused to turn on the light. Regan couldn’t wait to get him naked.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

The words pierced Regan’s haze enough to realize Gavin had stopped moving. He stood just inside the room and was staring at something. She strained to look over his shoulder to see what had captured his attention. “What?” she asked, trying to figure out what was wrong this time.

There had better not be someone peeking in the window or she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.

Sliding down from where Gavin was holding her against him, Regan moved to stand in front of him. There was nothing there. This room wasn’t even all that messy compared to the rest of the house. “What?” she repeated.

Gavin pointed across the room. Her eyes followed and her confusion increased. “The bed?”

“Isn’t there a real bed anywhere in this house?” He sounded incredulous.

Regan turned to him now, hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Honey, it’s another air mattress.”

“So? The air mattresses have worked just fine for me. And Chloe brought that one over for when she stays here.”

This time he did laugh. He pulled her into his arms when she was about to turn away from him. “An air mattress just isn’t going to work for us.”

Sighing, Regan took a step back into the hallway, only to be stopped by Gavin’s hand on her arm. “I didn’t say we weren’t going to do this,” he said, pulling her back and capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

Instantly, the haze developed again and Regan fell into him, letting him set the pace and guide her wherever he wanted her. She was tired of thinking. Tired of trying to be in charge and control everything around her. It was time to let someone else take care of her for a while.

Gavin steered her back down the hallway, back toward the main rooms. Goose bumps erupted over her skin as Gavin set his hands free, exploring her, the same way she’d explored him.

His fingers brushed along her skin, teasing her, revving her up into wanting more. “Come on, Gavin,” she moaned as he continued to stroke around the areas that she most wanted him to touch.

“You started this,” he reminded her, humor lacing his voice, refusing to increase the pressure of his touch as well as the speed with which he was winding her up. “All I’m doing is following your lead.”

“Damn it,” she groaned, trying not to laugh at his teasing. Her laughter quickly turned to a moan when his fingers slid along her waist along the bottom of her shirt and quickly tugged it over her head. She was glad she’d splurged after getting back from Central America and bought all new bras and panties. It was a cleansing of sorts, wanting nothing against her skin from her previous life.

Now, seeing the flare of Gavin’s eyes as he took in the dark purple lace of the matching set, she felt smug. He was the only one who had seen her like this. The new her.

Her shirt dropped behind him just as her butt hit the sturdy farm table she’d picked up at an estate sale. She stopped, letting Gavin decide how they should proceed. His gaze drifted from her breasts up to her face and a wicked grin split his lips.

“Better.” He captured her lips again, tugging her forward so she was sitting on the edge of the table and stepped between her thighs, still not touching her the way she wanted but getting closer.

Gavin leaned in to capture her lips in another sure to be searing kiss, but Regan held up her hand. “You sick of me already?” he said.

The words were said lightly, in that same teasing tone, but she could feel the tension radiating off him. If she said yes, she had no doubt he’d stop and walk right out the door. The decision was entirely hers. Regan flattened her hands against his chest and tilted her head, watching him. He didn’t move as he waited for her.

What a heady feeling, having this much power over him. She slid her hands up to his shoulders, then back down. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she told him, catching the hem of his shirt and giving it a tug.

Another grin emerged as he reached up and grabbed the neck of the shirt behind his head and tugged it off in one swift motion. Regan nearly swallowed her tongue seeing his chest and abs on full display—the light dusting of hair that tapered into that happy trail, disappearing under the waist of his jeans, leading right to the bulge she’d felt but not seen…until now.

She hummed in the back of her throat, barely aware she’d done so, and reached for the button on his jeans. “These too,” she ordered. Or tried to order him, anyway. Instead, she was pretty sure that she had just uttered some garbled nonsense. No matter, he seemed to follow along with what she wanted just fine as he slid the button free and let the jeans relax that tiny bit, just enough to have her mouth going even more dry than it had before. Or maybe that was from the condom that appeared from one of his pockets. He slid it onto the table next to her hip as his jeans threatened to up their precarious hold.

While she focused on sliding his jeans down those lean hips—and help me mama, she was going to lick those obliques before he left her house—he went to work removing her jeans too. And somehow, he had her out of hers before she’d managed to shove his down his hips. Gavin stepped away out of her reach, his jeans still riding low.

“My God, woman. You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” His eyes blazed with a hunger that had her squirming against the cool wood of the table. This time he held out his hand to keep her in place and took another step back, even further from her reach. “Not yet,” he said, when she started to slide off her perch to rub up against him. “I want to look at you.”

She couldn’t remember ever being so turned on, particularly since he’d barely touched her. At least not in the way she most desired. Squirming again, she glared at him. Tried to glare at him. Really, she was so horny she wasn’t sure what look was actually on her face, but she was going to give it her best effort.

Planting her fists on her lace-clad hips, she thrust her chest in his direction. She wasn’t above playing dirty to get her way, and it was time he realized that. “Gavin McCabe, I swear if you don’t start touching me I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

Judging from the grin on Gavin’s face, her glare had missed its mark but her breasts had done the job of grabbing his attention and getting him moving back toward her. This time, once he was positioned between her thighs he dipped his head, licking along the lace edge of her bra, nibbling the swell of her breast. Her head fell back as her hand came up to hold him there.

Finally, he was touching her as she’d been dreaming about for—well, way longer than she was going to admit, or else she’d feel completely pathetic rather than the sex siren he’d made her feel like a moment ago.

She used her heels to shove his jeans and boxer briefs down over his ass and couldn’t help but fill her hands with the delectable butt she’d been drooling over. Before she could work her hands around to the front, he’d slipped down the lace cup holding one breast, and began feasting.

Chills and heat warred within her, the heat pooling in her lap while the chills raced along her limbs and spine. Regan couldn’t think, could barely breathe with what he was doing to her. His hands slipped into her panties to cup her ass and pull her flush with his newly released erection, his fingers flexing and awakening a dangerous temptation she hadn’t even been aware of.

His mouth moved across her, sliding up her neck and to her ear. Pleasure ripped through her just as his finger found her clit. One little touch and she was flying. Higher and harder than she could ever remember.

Her legs and arms had the strength of wet noodles when she finally came back to herself. Gavin had removed both her bra and panties while she was flying as well as the rest of his clothes, a slight smile playing about his lips.

“Hi,” he drawled.

“Hi,” she whispered. She was still feeling a little floaty and way too relaxed to do any thinking.

“You ready to keep going? Seemed to me like you wouldn’t have been able to handle it fast like you wanted.”

“Hard and fast is easier,” she agreed.

Gavin moved back between her thighs, pulling her up so she was sitting rather than reclining on her elbows. He’d put a condom on while she’d been flying high with that orgasm. “Then I guess we should try it your way after all.”

Regan gasped when Gavin finally slammed into her. It was an invasion she was well prepared for and brought all her nerve endings back to the brink. Searching for some anchor, she bent her knees, tucking them up against him while he continued to move within her, pulling him deeper with each stroke.

This time it was his turn to groan as she forced his strokes to be short, hard and utterly blissful. He strained and she pulled, and together they worked, giving and taking, anticipating each other’s needs.

This time when the pleasure washed over her, Regan was prepared for the sheer sharp edge of it. She clamped down around Gavin and felt the groan vibrate through his chest. Knowing he wasn’t far behind she let herself go, trusting he’d catch her when she fell.

The coffee was terrible. There was no other way to describe the brew Connor had foisted on them when they arrived at the police station the next morning.

Gavin had tucked Regan into bed, if you could call her air mattress a bed, after their evening. He’d even crawled in next to her for a few hours, pleasantly surprised to find the mattress was heavy duty and withstood his weight, rather than sagging so his ass hit the ground. It wasn’t the most comfortable night he’d ever spent outside his own bed, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d imagined.

Granted, having a naked Regan snuggled up next to him could have something to do with that.

“Do we need to reschedule, big brother?” Connor asked, his tone surly. “Or do you want to join us while we coordinate Erin’s security and figure out what the hell is going on?”

“We’re fine now,” Gavin replied. “Your night obviously didn’t go nearly as well as mine.”

Connor sank into his office chair with a grunt. “There was another overdose last night. Luckily his parents found him in time to get him to the hospital in Missoula, but he’s the third one this month.”

Gavin frowned. “Any clue what they’re taking?”

“None yet. But you can bet your ass I’m going to be turning up the heat with the kids. Starting with Andy.”

Mitchell sauntered into the room, lifting his own coffee cup in a silent salute that had Connor’s eyebrows pulling down and making Gavin grin. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, taking the seat next to Gavin, across the desk from where Connor sat.

“Don’t tell me you went home with Chloe,” Connor groaned. “All I heard from Bethany last night was how romantic the two of you are, how you rushed to the aid of the women. Fucking pansies, with your dopey smiles, the both of you.”

“Aw, don’t hate,” Mitchell said with a laugh. “And nothing happened. Chloe and Erin watched some sappy chick movie and passed out on the couch before the credits rolled.

“Are you needing some tips in the romance department, Chief? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Fuck you,” Connor responded. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a marriage alive? Seeing you idiots gave Beth all sorts of ideas.”

Gavin just grinned. He couldn’t help it. If it hadn’t been for this meeting he would have stayed in Regan’s fake bed all morning.

“Knock it off,” Connor ordered, giving his chair a kick as he walked by to refill his mug. “We need to figure the rest of this out. I don’t like having people attacked in town.”

Mitchell snorted. “I don’t think there’s a police chief anywhere in the country who enjoys having people attacked. God, this place is different from LA. No one gets this type of personal attention there.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Gavin reminded him, swirling the swill Connor was passing for coffee around his cup. “The people you guard in LA come here for a reason. They feel safe here.”

“Not so much anymore,” Mitchell reported. “Erin’s thinking about packing up and heading back. Her label isn’t thrilled with her slumming it and ‘nearly winding up dead’—their words—at the hands of a couple idiots tossing a car.”

“Is that what you think this is?”

“Me?” Mitchell shook his head. “No. Them? Hell, who knows what they’re thinking. The truth is her people didn’t want her up here anyway, but agreed that after that intruder was found in her house she needed somewhere safe to prepare for the tour.”

“Did the techs get a chance to go over Chloe’s car last night?” Gavin asked, knowing it was highly unlikely, but worth asking. “And did you find out why Regan’s asshole ex-husband is here?”

Connor shook his head and took a slug of his own coffee, grimacing as the sludge hit his tongue and putting his cup down with a decided bang. “He insisted he was invited,” he said, answering Gavin’s last question first. “Her parents gave him the key and, according to him, said she’d be happy to see him when she got home. He’s staying with them. As for the car, the techs still have it. I don’t expect to hear anything before next week.”

“What about the men who attacked them?” Mitch asked.

Again, Connor shook his head. “Still looking,” he said shortly.

There was a commotion in the outer office, bringing all three men to their feet. At the entrance stood Deanna, Gavin’s office manager, with her teenaged son, Julian. A picture of teen obstinacy, he glared around the room, his jaw tight and arms crossed tightly over his chest. Shaggy dark hair in front of his eyes. His tennis shoes were scuffed, his jeans baggy and torn, and his jacket was barely hanging on to his narrow shoulders.

For a second Gavin thought about the differences between Deanna, who’d been left by her no-good boyfriend after finding out she was pregnant, and Connor and Bethany. Without the support of her family her friends had quickly scattered, and Deanna had to scratch out a place for herself. He’d been critical of Jason hiring her, but after the break-in, she’d stayed late to put things right for the following morning. Seeing her now, standing there looking so defeated, Gavin couldn’t hide the stab of guilt he felt. Yeah, she’d been far from employee of the year, but he’d never given any thought to the challenges she was facing outside of work.

“What’s going on?” Connor asked, sounding annoyed. Gavin cut his eyes toward his brother, wondering if something else had happened he wasn’t aware of. Connor was one of the most easygoing, level-headed people around.

Deanna released the grip on her son’s arm. “Tell them,” she demanded, her voice wobbly. “Tell them exactly what you told me, and tell them the names.”

“What are you talking about?” Gavin asked.

“What names?” Connor asked.

Drawing a deep breath Gavin stepped back, allowing Connor to take charge of the situation.

Connor asked again, moderating his tone. “What names?”

The kid swallowed hard and didn’t meet Connor’s eyes as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “Some of the guys were bragging last night. About breaking into a car.” He glanced up. “I think they meant Chloe’s car.”

The room went completely still. Gavin wanted to howl in frustration. How did this kid know Chloe? What in the hell was going on? “How do you know about that?”

“That’s my fault,” Deanna admitted. “Jason told me and Julian overheard.”

Connor pointed at the kid. “Talk. Now.” And with that he pivoted on his heel and headed back into his office.

They all marched into the office and crowded into the small room before closing the door. Once the door closed Gavin held the chair for Deanna to sit, then rested his hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him, a small smile of appreciation on her face.

“Now,” Connor began, “start at the beginning. Where were you last night? Who were you with?”

The kid breathed deeply, his nostrils flaring. “I was up at the clearing, just hanging out,” he said, referring to the field north of town that overlooked the valley. It had been a popular gathering place for years. “It wasn’t a big deal. But then these guys showed up. They aren’t locals, but I’ve seen them up there a couple times, and they were talking about breaking into this car and how everything almost went to shit when the women showed up.”

“Language,” Connor barked out, which made Gavin stifle a grin.

“I’m just telling you what they said,” Julian said sullenly.

The muscle in Connor’s jaw was flexing. Taking pity on everyone, Gavin asked, “Do you know their names?”

“No,” Julian answered. “They’ve been around for a while, but I don’t know who they are. That’s all I know. Can I go now?”

“Yeah,” Connor answered, even though the boy was looking at his mom. “We might have more questions, but for now, that’s enough,” he told her. Connor stood and extended his hand to Julian. “Thank you for coming in and sharing the information.”

The boy’s shoulders straightened as he shook Connor’s hand. Gavin once again suppressed a smile at the interaction. This type of unconscious politics was why Connor was so good at his job. He treated everyone with respect.

All three men remained on their feet while they watched Deanna and Julian leave the police station. Once the door closed behind them, Gavin blew out a breath and looked at his brother. Connor’s brows were drawn into a tight V and he was pinching the bridge of his nose, a sure sign his wheels were turning. “What are you thinking?”

Connor looked at Mitchell. “Have you seen anyone suspicious since you’ve been in town?”

“Nah,” the bodyguard replied. “It’s been quiet, both at the rehearsal site and the house.”

“There’s something else going on,” Connor began, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I can’t put my finger on, but it’s there. The overdoses, the break-ins…there has to be a connection.”

There was a soft knock at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt,” said the young deputy with a gulp, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Tommy was tall and skinny and looked suspiciously like a cartoon character. Gavin wasn’t sure how the belt wasn’t dragging the kid’s pants down to his knees. It probably weighed more than he did.

“Gavin, your ex-wife just called in a burglary. Derek is responding,” he said, referring to another deputy, “but since I knew you were here I thought you’d want to know.”

All three men were on their feet before Tommy had finished, barely making it out of the way before they all piled out the door.

Gavin had experienced fear before, but not like this. He and Kathy weren’t great friends, but the thought of someone hurting her—or God forbid one of his kids—sent a ball of ice deep in his gut. Connor hadn’t waited as he sprinted to his official vehicle and hitting the lights and siren, sped away. Gavin pulled his truck keys from his pocket, pausing next to the door as his vision dimmed. Fuck. He needed to get his shit together before he got behind the wheel.

“Shove over,” Mitchell ordered, grabbing the keys from Gavin’s hand and getting into the driver’s seat of the truck. “I’m driving.”

Gavin closed his eyes briefly before rounding the truck and climbing in the passenger seat. The door was barely closed when Mitch pulled a U-turn and spun gravel into the air as he pulled out of the parking lot. “They live on the ridge,” he told Mitchell.

“Got it,” was all Mitchell said, pulling off Main. The tension in the cab was mounting the higher they climbed. The churning in Gavin’s stomach was threatening to unman him.

“Nothing happened to them.”

It took a minute for Mitchell’s words to penetrate Gavin’s panic. “How do you know?”

Mitch glanced at him, but didn’t ease up on the gas as he continued to race though the streets. “Connor got the information from Tommy while you were racing out the door. They weren’t home when it happened. It happened while they were gone.”

Gavin nodded, waiting for the band of panic to loosen around his chest, but it didn’t. Every argument he and Kathy had had about him quitting the law firm and opening Peaks Security was running through his mind.

“Could this be related to Chloe’s car?”

Mitch’s question grounded Gavin, helping pull him back to the present rather than reliving the past. “How could it?”

Shrugging, Mitch slowed the truck to take a turn on one of the hairpin turns that dotted the newer neighborhoods that climbed the side of the mountain. “It seems like too much of a coincidence to not be connected. If this stuff really doesn’t happen here in Mountain Mayberry, that is.”

Gavin stared, trying to wrap his mind around what Mitch was suggesting. Was it possible that the break-in at his ex-wife’s house was related to the sister of his…friend’s…car? That was a leap, no matter how much he’d like it to be connected. And that just sounded wrong, wanting it to be connected. But at least then there might be an explanation for both events.

They screeched to a stop behind two cop cars and Gavin leapt from the vehicle while it was still rocking to a halt. Kathy saw him coming and raced to meet him halfway across the yard.

“They’re okay,” she assured him. “Shane took the kids for ice cream as soon as we realized what had happened.”

“Okay.” Gavin didn’t know what to say so he simply pulled her in for a quick hug, grateful that she and the kids were all right. “What happened?”

Kathy pulled from his embrace and eyed Mitchell, who was standing a distance away, giving them a moment of privacy. “Who’s that?”

“Mitchell. I work with him. Kathy, what happened? Was anything taken?”

She shook her head and led them back to where Connor was talking to the responding officer. “I was just telling Detective Lewis that I can’t see anything is missing. Mostly they went through the kids’ room and closets.”

Derek Lewis came to join them and reached out to shake Gavin’s hand. “Kathy is going to call if she notices anything missing so we can add it to the report, but for now it looks pretty cut and dry.”

They watched Derek drive off. It was only then that Kathy turned on them. “Spill,” she ordered. “What’s really going on?”

Gavin stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

“You think I can’t read between the lines? You show up here, more scared than I’ve ever seen you, and I’m supposed to believe that it’s just out of the goodness of your heart because someone broke into my house? Give me a little credit.”

“This could have been bad, Kathy.”

“I need to understand what we’re working with here, Gavin.”

He let out a sigh. “We don’t know.”

“Try to explain it to me.”

Kathy listened as he outlined what he knew, which wasn’t a whole lot. He could see her thinking, calculating everything he was telling her. Much to his surprise, she didn’t seem to be jumping to blame him. “This could have something to do with one of Shane’s cases, just as easily as it could with whatever is happening at Peaks and in town.” She reached out and touched his arm. “Are Regan and her sister okay?”

Taken aback by her concern, Gavin nodded. “Yeah. Mostly.” He ran his hand up over his head. “Nothing makes any sense right now.”

“Gavin,” she said gently, “give yourself a break. This isn’t your fault.”

“Maybe,” he admitted, not wanting to admit to the relief that had washed through him at the idea that maybe he wasn’t the one who had brought this to his kids’ door. “Either way, you need to be careful. Call me if you realize anything is missing.”

“Sure,” she replied dryly. “Right after I call the police and my boyfriend.”

“And turn on your alarm,” he reminded her, continuing as if she hadn’t spoken. She might not be blaming him, but this was connected to everything else that was happening. He just needed to figure out how.

Gavin watched Kathy walk into the house before he looked around. It was an upscale neighborhood, cut right into the side of the mountain with the trees from the Lolo National Forest coming to meet the manicured lawns. There were plenty of places where someone could have approached the house without being seen from the road or even by one of the neighbors. Would this have been his life had he stayed with the law firm rather than changing gears and opening Peaks? If he and Kathy had stayed together? He’d never regretted his decision, despite the fact it had pushed his family out the door.

His job change had been a symptom of his need to take control of his life and create a different future for himself. Seeing the stark difference between the life that Kathy had created and Regan’s hodgepodge of items, he felt something settle in his chest. He’d never realized exactly how much he disliked the structured life he’d begun to build, but it was blatantly obvious now.

He waved to the neighbor woman watching everything from the security of her own living room window before turning back to Mitchell and Connor, who were standing at the edge of the driveway.

“Anything?” he asked as he approached.

Mitchell shook his head. “This is a logistical nightmare.”

“Agreed. And Kathy indicated that good ol‘ Shane was working on a case that could have brought something like this to them.”

Connor’s brow lifted. “I’d better have a chat with Shane to find out what’s happening on that front.”

Mitch nodded toward the neighboring house. “Think she saw anything?”

“Doubtful. If she did she’d have been out here chewing Connor’s ear off.”

Mitch slid behind the wheel again and since he still had the keys to the truck, Gavin didn’t argue, hopping into the passenger seat again. Something was off here. “You notice anything out here?”

“Other than the fact that everything feels very Stepford around here, with all the houses looking the same, to all the same types of cars in the driveways?”

Gavin chuckled. That was one way to describe the neighborhood.

“All that sameness means that whoever this was couldn’t have approached from the street.”

“There are plenty of entry points along the edges of the area. None of them monitored, from what I can tell. None but Kathy’s have a security system either.”

“I can’t figure out how this could be linked to everything else, but it has to be, right? It’s too much to be a coincidence.”

Mitch shot him a look. “What type of law does Shane practice?”

“Property disputes, mostly. At least that’s what he used to specialize in. I haven’t kept up.”

“And your ex thinks this could be related to whatever he’s got going on?”

“She said it’s a possibility. When I was with the firm, nothing that contentious ever came across the desk. Doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but it doesn’t fit. If someone was angry about a ruling on their case, they’d do more damage than breaking in and going through some closets.”

“Agreed,” Mitch said, slowing to a stop as a doe stood frozen in the middle of the road, staring at them before hopping off into the brush. “This feels personal. The break-in at your offices could have been random, but that combined with everything isn’t. I think we’re close to figuring it out without even realizing it.”

“We need to shut it down before someone gets hurt.”

Mitch grunted his agreement and they once again fell into an easy silence while Mitchell navigated them back into the parking lot between the Bitterroot Tavern and Lucy’s Café, the local diner that had been around since the beginning of time.

“Erin and Gwen said they were going to grab Regan for breakfast this morning and to meet them here after we finished with Connor.” He tossed Gavin the keys before stepping out of the truck, heading to the entrance of Lucy’s without waiting for Gavin.

“Gwen was there this morning too?”

“She had a little problem she wanted to talk about, so she came by before work.”

“What kind of problem?” Gavin called after him.

Mitchell waved that he’d heard but didn’t respond and disappeared through the doorway. Damn it. He liked Mitchell, he didn’t want to have to kill him.

Gavin jogged to the entrance, slapping his hands against his arms to ward off the chill and paused just inside to look for the group and letting the scent of freshly baked bread wash over him. It didn’t take long to spot three women sitting in a corner booth, their heads close together. Logan sat nearby being about as unobtrusive as a goat in a dress shop, but no one paid him any attention as he watched over Erin. Jason sat a short distance away with Erin’s grandfather, Jake, reviewing the plans to increase the security on the fence lines around his property. Leaving them to that, Gavin moved toward Regan. She was a magnet. He simply couldn’t stay away from her.

“Everything okay?” Regan asked as he approached, peeking at him over her coffee mug. She had a twinkle in her eye, and he liked it. A lot.

The punch to his solar plexus was instantaneous and consuming, stealing his breath. He wanted her. Again.

Mitchell came from somewhere in the back and stepped around Gavin to take the seat next to Erin, who scooted over to make room, leaving the seat next to Regan available. “Yeah,” he answered, sliding in next to her. “Everything’s fine.”

“Sure,” Erin said, refilling her mug with the carafe of coffee that had been left on the table. “You guys have an early morning meeting with Connor and then wind up at your ex-wife’s house. Sounds like a typical morning to me.”

“How’d you hear we were at Kathy’s?” Gavin asked. “And where’s Gwen?”

“Gwen went to work. Derek stopped by here to refill his go-mug before heading back to the office.”

Gavin blinked. “No wonder Connor was so smug when I first got there this morning. He wasn’t drinking that same swill he served us.”

“Bastard,” Mitch said mildly, slinging an arm over Erin’s shoulder, making them look like they were a couple to anyone who happened to be observing. Just then the waitress—Chloe—arrived at the table with two more menus, a couple of empty mugs, and glasses of water.

“Who’s a bastard?” she asked, blushing, which did nothing to hide the bruise along her jaw.

Regan grinned while sliding a hand to Gavin’s leg under the table. “Connor fed them the coffee from the police station this morning.”

Chloe nodded, her eyes narrowed at the cozy way Mitchell and Erin were snuggled against one another. “So,” she said in an abnormally cheerful voice, “what can I get you guys?”

As she went to put the order in, someone else stepped up to the table, eyes on Gavin. Disheveled and unkempt, the guy looked like he’d been sleeping in his clothes for the past several days.

“You asshole. You’ve ruined my life.”

“Dickey.” The kid smelled like he’d rolled around inside a whiskey bottle. “I heard you were heading back to California.” Across the table Mitch had tensed up, but he remained still for now. Erin had turned her head and was staring out the window. Logan had shifted closer, close enough to grab Dickey if needed, but not so close that Dickey realized he was there. This whole situation could turn into a goat fuck if he didn’t get Dickey out of there.

Patting Regan’s hand, he stood, crossing his arms over his chest. “What can I do for you?” he asked, trying to step in front of the table to block Dickey’s view of everyone there.

“You’re the reason everything went to shit,” he snarked in Gavin’s face. “The network is talking about not renewing my contract, my dad is insisting I go to rehab and my bitch sister is doing everything she can to steal it all away. If you’d just minded your own business, none of this would have happened.”

The kid sounded like a whiny brat. “Exactly which part is my fault, Dickey?” Gavin was trying to sound reasonable, but he’d obviously missed his mark, because Dickey lunged for him. Ducking the badly thrown fist, Gavin turned, tripping Dickey on the way so he’d go down. What he hadn’t counted on was Chloe approaching with their breakfast at that precise moment. Dickey flailed and hit Chloe’s tray, which flipped end over end, sending eggs and breakfast potatoes everywhere. It looked like the food fight scene from Animal House.

Before Gavin could stop it, Chloe crashed to the ground across the food and shattered plates, Dickey lying facedown inches away.

Mitch and Logan sprang into action, lifting the kid away from her and quickly securing his hands behind his back. “I’m so sorry,” Dickey sputtered, tears mingling with the snot and egg on his face. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t mean any of it.”

“Shut up, Dickey.” Jason took charge of the blubbering idiot, marching him out the door toward the police station. Turning back, Gavin saw Regan next to her sister, who still looked a little dazed and wobbly, while Logan and Erin’s grandfather were scooting Erin out the back door through the kitchen so she could head home before any more chaos ensued.

Crossing the room, he put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“No,” she admitted quietly, “I’m not okay. I thought it would be better to get back to work, but I’m jumping at every sound. I can’t be here. Not yet.” Tears were filling her eyes, so Gavin pulled her down and sat next to her on the ground.

Mitchell came back around the corner with a wet towel. Squatting on Chloe’s other side, he gently moved her hair away from her forehead and placed the towel on the new knot forming there. “Stay down for a minute,” he murmured, pressing her back onto the floor when she tried to get up. “Just take it easy.”

Gavin saw a tear leak from the corner of her eye and stepped back so Regan could move in and offer whatever help she could. Before she could get close to her, another voice cut in. “Regan. I need to talk to you.”

She spun around. “Todd. What are you doing here?”

“I told you. I need to talk to you.”

The irritation sparked by the idiot kid flamed to full-fledged anger. Gavin took a step, preparing to toss the asshole out on his ear, only to stop when Regan gripped his arm. “No,” she said. “You take care of Chloe. Please.”

“You don’t owe him anything, you know that, right?” This was from Chloe, who was still on the ground, with Mitchell looming protectively over her.

Regan nodded. “I know. Maybe he needs this closure. Maybe if I talk to him he’ll finally go away.” Without meeting Gavin’s eyes, she turned and motioned Todd toward the corner booth they’d vacated.

“Regan—” Gavin started, not sure what to say. Not sure what he had a right to say, despite the burning desire to say something. Anything. But she didn’t give him a chance.

“Not now, Gavin. I need to do this.” And with that, she walked away.

So much for a nice relaxing day with Regan back in bed. His bed this time, because there was no way he was going to get her on that air mattress and not pop it.