Present Day

The back of the squad car disappeared around the corner. The neighborhood had grown eerily quiet. The stillness sucked at my soul. I stared at the empty street, the parked cars, the arched avenue of trees, until Dad’s van pulled into the driveway. The shock must have shown on my face, because he strode to my side.

“Owen. The police. They took him. Downtown. For questioning.” The words came out in short, choppy bursts.

Dad’s brow furrowed. Lines of sadness etched his usual pleasant countenance. “What is it this time? Anytime something happens around here, they haul him in.”

“Does he get in trouble a lot?” I hated myself for asking. Maybe circumstance had driven him to acts of desperation.

“If you believe that, then you don’t know Owen.” The censure in his tone drove me back a step.

“No. I don’t.” There it was—from the lips of a stranger, from someone who did know Owen. These feelings of nostalgia and remorse, they were for a boy from my past, not the man of the present. “The Owen I knew was kind and smart, and I owe him everything.”

Dad’s features softened. He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew his phone. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Take care of what?” At the sound of Michael’s voice, I flinched. He’d parked at the road and had walked up behind us on silent feet.

“Um, the water heater. It quit working.” The lie flew out of my lips before I could stop it. If he knew about Owen’s troubles, he’d have a fit. Another lie. They were multiplying by the minute.

“Excuse me.” Dad’s gaze met mine before he lifted his phone and stepped behind his van.

“You’re back.” I changed the subject swiftly, avoiding Michael’s questioning stare.

“I couldn’t wait to see you. I drove straight here from the airport.” He lifted a bag filled with cardboard Chinese containers. “I brought lunch.”

“That’s great.” The cheerfulness of my tone sounded forced.

“You’re not happy to see me?” The musky scent of his expensive cologne teased my nose as we hugged. His lips headed for mine. I turned my head at the last moment, the kiss grazing my cheek. Hurt flashed in his eyes. I brushed a hand over my forehead, easing the nagging ache between my temples. What was I doing? This wasn’t his fault. He frowned. “You’re busy. I should have called first.”

“It’s fine.” The ghosts of my past tugged on my heels. I shoved them away and threw my arms around his neck. Our lips met for real this time. A sense of calm washed through me. “I’m just sweaty and gross and need a shower.”

“No worries. I’ll take you any way I can get you.” He flashed his panty-dropping smile. I waited for the butterflies, but they never arrived. Hooking an arm around my waist, he guided me toward the front porch. “We can have a picnic.”

I glanced over my shoulder, in Dad’s direction. With the phone at his ear, he paced back and forth beside the van, gesturing with his free hand. Oblivious to my distress, Michael removed his suit coat and hung it neatly over the newel post of the porch railing. He placed the containers on the porch swing. I took a seat at one end, remembering all the times I’d sat on the same swing with Owen. My attention wandered back to Dad. He gave me a thumbs-up before returning to the job.

“You really need to get some furniture,” Michael said and handed me a set of chopsticks. “Stan could have at least left you a table and chairs.”

“He left the contents of the house to his sister,” I replied. At times like these, his preoccupation with material things scraped over my nerves. “And I’m not in any hurry, at least not until I get the walls painted. I’ll hit some yard sales and flea markets next week and pick up a few things there.”

“I don’t know how you can live like this. All this noise and chaos.” He picked through a carton of Beijing beef, drawing out the meat and casting aside the red peppers. Thumps and bumps serenaded us as the crew began hammering on the roof. He raised his voice above the racket. “Why don’t you get a hotel room or rent an apartment until this is done?”

“If you saw the places I’m used to, you wouldn’t say that.” During photo shoots, hot water and electricity were sometimes a scarcity. We often camped in the wilderness, miles from civilization. “I spent two weeks in a tent on the Serengeti. This place is like the Waldorf in comparison.”

“Sometimes I forget how worldly you are.” The tenderness in his tone warmed my insides. I met his gaze directly for the first time and felt the butterflies stir from their sleep. Sweet relief flood through me. If I had feelings for Michael, then I couldn’t be in love with Owen. Or could I? With the pad of his thumb, Michael swiped a crumb from the corner of my mouth. “Just because you know how to rough it doesn’t mean you have to.”

“I don’t mind.”

“And no air conditioning? How do you sleep at night?” The disparity of our lifestyles reared its ugly head. I’d been to his high-rise apartment, seen his pristine polished floors and modern-minimalist style. To his eyes, the peeling paint and worn interior of my house must seem primitive and horrific.

“I’ve got a fan.” Honestly, the heat and humidity had been unbearable over the last few days, but central air wasn’t in my budget until next summer.

“Suit yourself.” A smile brought out the dimples in his cheeks. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The brush of his fingertips over my earlobe sent a pleasant shiver down my back. “I need to get back to the office, but I could be persuaded to stay for a few minutes. Let’s go upstairs.” The smooth linen of his shirt collar caressed my neck as he bent to kiss my collarbone.

The warmth of his lips replaced the coldness left by Owen’s situation. I closed my eyes, relaxing into Michael’s touch, but when I opened them, I saw Owen’s discarded lunch in the grass beneath the tree.

“What is it?” He straightened, pulling back to meet my gaze.

“Nothing.” I should have told Michael then—about Owen, about our past—but I couldn’t bear to hurt him. After all, it had nothing to do with our relationship. And I couldn’t betray Owen’s confidence. “I’ve just got a lot to do.”

“You’re right.” After a glance at his Rolex, he shook his dark head and rubbed the back of his neck. “Duty first.” He placed a final kiss on my forehead. “Why don’t you stay with me this weekend? I’ll make reservations at some disgustingly expensive restaurant and spoil you within an inch of your life.”

My gaze skimmed over the weed-strewn yard, the peeling paint, and the dirty windows. I had a ton of work in front of me, none of which would finish itself. “I don’t know.”

He wrapped an arm around me. We walked together to his car. The dust of the driveway dulled the sheen of his shiny shoes. The expensive Italian loafers made me think of Owen’s worn leather work boots. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. The more I thought about him, the greater my guilt became over both men. “Can I get a raincheck?”

“Are you sure something’s not bothering you?” The concern in his searching gaze squeezed my heart.

“Absolutely. I’m just tired and stressed. I’ll be fine.” I placed a hand on his cheek. The smoothness of his clean-shaved jaw nestled in my palm. “Go get some bad guys.”

The appearance of a sleek Volvo cut short our goodbyes. The car stopped in front of Michael’s Mercedes. Owen exited the passenger side, and a slender blonde slid from behind the driver’s seat. The expensive cut of her cream suit accentuated large breasts and a tiny waist. Everything about her screamed wealth and class, from the flash of diamond earrings to the red soles of her designer shoes. She crossed around the front of the car to meet Owen and placed a kiss on his cheek, her palm resting on his chest. Jealousy boiled my blood.

“Lisa?” Michael backed away from me. My hand dropped to my side. He knew this beautiful creature?

“Michael. Hello.” She extended a hand and made a beeline for him. “What on earth are you doing here?” The distinctive hint of a Bostonian accent hovered in her throaty voice.

“Visiting a friend.” He took her by the elbows and kissed her cheek. “I should ask you the same thing.”

A flush of heat burned my face. Friend? There was that word, but this time it took on an entirely different meaning, like it was an excuse or a dismissal. Owen’s gaze caught mine across the hood of Lisa’s car. Even though we were separated by several yards of distance, he read my emotions. I saw it in his eyes, the flash of annoyance followed by empathy and understanding. I felt him in my head. The intrusion sent a shockwave of panic into my gut, followed by feelings of disloyalty. How could I be mad at Michael when I couldn’t stop thinking about Owen?

“We had some business downtown.” Lisa’s gaze slid over my ponytail, naked face, and faded blue jeans shorts. With a polite smile, she turned back to Owen. She placed a hand on his arm. The way her fingers lingered on his bicep suggested intimacy. A second wave of jealousy swept through me, this time over a man I no longer had a claim on. “If you have any more problems, Owen, give me a call.”

“Will do. Thanks again. I owe you.” His words were for her, but his eyes remained locked with mine. I couldn’t look away. Michael’s stare burned into me. I cleared my throat and slammed down a wall of protection between my feelings and the outside world.

“I’ll see you back at the office, Michael,” Lisa said before climbing back into her car. “Let’s do lunch.”

The three of us watched her drive away. After an uncomfortable minute, Owen nodded to us and took off for the back of the house, presumably to find Dad. I tried not to stare after his broad back or ogle the way his jeans hugged his ass.

“Who is that guy?” Michael asked.

“Um, that would be Owen, one of Dad’s crew.”

“What’s he doing with Lisa? She’s a criminal defense attorney. Is he in some kind of trouble?”

“I have no idea.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but close enough to make me uncomfortable. “Why didn’t you introduce me to her?”

“What?” Michael continued to stare after Owen, eyes narrowing. He slipped an arm around my waist, but something about his touch felt forced. I shrugged away. He caught me and drew me to his side before I could escape. “Hey, come back here.” A smile brightened his face but didn’t reach his eyes. It was his professional smile, the one he used to disarm business associates, one he’d never used with me before. “I’m sorry, babe. She has an office in the same building. We work together now and then. I never expected to see her here. It caught me off guard, and I forgot my manners.”

“No worries.” To avoid his gaze, I buried my nose in the fabric of his shirt and inhaled the fresh, clean scent. A nagging sense of impending doom rocked my confidence. After a quick hug, he got in the car and drove away. Apparently, Michael had secrets too.