After eating soup and sandwiches at the breakfast bar, we spend the afternoon at home, just the two of us, relaxing on the sofa in front of a wood fire. Shane fields a few work-related calls, but he keeps them short. His attention is focused on me, on us, and I savor this time together. I push away the memory of my nightmare last night and focus on what’s right in front of me – on what’s real.

We lie on the big sofa together, and I read while Shane watches a recorded basketball game on low volume. His arm is around my waist, his warm hand burrowing beneath my T-shirt to caress my belly. I’m finding it difficult to concentrate on my book or keep my eyes open. I didn’t sleep well last night, especially after my nightmare, and I’m exhausted.

Eventually, I give up the battle and lay my phone on the coffee table and close my eyes, burrowing against Shane and falling into a half-sleep.

My sluggish brain barely recognizes the chime of the elevator, and a moment later, I hear Cooper’s low voice as he walks into the great room.

“You two look cozy,” Cooper says, watching us over the back of the sofa.

“Hey, Dan,” Shane says. “We’re both pretty wiped out. Neither one of us slept well last night.”

I yawn and stretch, smiling up at Cooper. “Hi.”

The elevator chimes again, and Lia and Jonah walk into the penthouse. Jonah’s carrying several large pizza boxes, and a carton of Zombie Dust is dangling from Lia’s fingers.

“We’re here,” she says, setting the beer down on the kitchen counter. “The party can start now.”

“Who says we’re having a party?” Shane says, laughing.

“I do,” she says. “Sam filled me in on the good news – the drama is over, so let’s eat and be merry.”

I sit up, still a little groggy, and realize it’s dark outside the glass walls. I attempt to tidy my hair, which I’m sure is a hot mess after rolling around in bed with Shane and then crashing on the sofa.

Shane stills my hands and kisses me on the back of my neck. “You look perfect,” he whispers against my skin, making me shiver. “Very sexy and well satisfied. Don’t fuss. Come eat.”

We congregate at the big dining table, with pizza boxes spread out in front of us. There are hot wings, too. Lia passes out chilled bottles of her favorite beer, and she hands me a Pepsi.

As I watch the man I love and our family and friends eating and talking, I’m filled with a sense of peace. A couple times I see a wistful expression on Cooper’s face, and I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing I’m thinking. I wish Sam were here. Maybe Cooper does too.

* * *

The rest of my week passes without incident. I get back on a normal schedule, back to work, and there are no more signs of Luciana’s interference. And fortunately, I haven’t received any more mysterious text messages or photos on my phone. Still, it’s hard not to notice the extra security in the store. I notice several plain-clothed security guards I’ve never seen before, and both Mack and Sam seem on high alert.

Tyler calls me Friday morning at work, providing a very welcome distraction.

“Hey there!” I say, eagerly accepting his call.

“Hey, sis,” he says.

He must be at the police station, because I can hear lots of people talking in the background.

“I realize it’s short notice,” he says, “but I was wondering if you’re free this evening. I thought we could drive out to Mom’s for dinner. I’ve already talked to her, and she’s free this evening.”

My mom lives about forty-five minutes west of Chicago in the suburb of Naperville. She usually takes the train in to the city a couple times a month so we can have lunch and spend the afternoon together. I haven’t seen her in a few weeks, though, so we’re long overdue for a visit. And it’s always a treat when Tyler and I drive out to her place to spend some quality family time together, just the three of us. With Tyler’s busy work schedule, that doesn’t happen very often.

“I’d love to, Tyler,” I say.

“Great. I’ll pick you up at the bookstore at three o’clock. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

* * *

At a quarter ‘til three, I turn off my computer and head downstairs to the first floor, Sam right on my heels.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Sam says, shadowing me as I wait for my brother to arrive.

“Sam, relax. I’ll be fine. You can take off early. Go have fun.”

Tyler’s black pick-up truck pulls to a stop in the VIP spot right in front of Clancy’s, and Tyler hops out and heads inside. He must have stopped at his condo to change out of his dark suit and tie in favor of well-worn blue jeans, a navy-colored button-down shirt, and sneakers.

“Damn,” Sam mutters in my ear, his hands gripping my shoulders. “Your brother is freaking gorgeous.”

I laugh, patting Sam’s hand. I’m used to women fawning over my brother, but this is the first time I’ve seen a man do it.

“Are you sure he’s your brother?” Sam says. “You two look nothing alike.”

I laugh some more. It’s true. I get my blond hair and fair complexion from my Swedish mother, and Tyler takes after our father, who had a beautiful mocha complexion, dark hair, and dark eyes. The only physical trait Tyler and I share is the blue-green color of our eyes. “We have the same color eyes.”

Tyler comes through the front doors, spotting me immediately. As he reaches me, he puts his arm across my shoulders and draws me to his side.

“Hi, Sam,” Tyler says, offering his hand for a shake. “How’s it going?”

“Fine, man.” Sam gives me a sly wink. “So, can I trust you with my charge?”

Tyler laughs. “Don’t worry, pal, I’ll bring her home tonight in one piece.”

“You’d better, or Shane will have both our heads.”

* * *

As we leave the city limits, heading west, I’m excited to see my mom. She moved out of the city a few years ago when she retired from teaching. Now she lives in an adorable little two-bedroom cottage near a lake.

“How’s work?” I say, twisting in my seat to face my big brother.

“Busy, as usual,” he says. “I wrapped up a long-running murder investigation this morning, so I thought this evening would be a good time to get away for a few hours and spend some time with my favorite girls.”

My brother works long hours as a homicide detective. Police work is another thing he has in common with our late father. Dad was a patrol officer when he was killed on duty, when I was just an infant. I never knew our dad, but Tyler was eighteen years older me when Dad died. He and our father had a very close relationship. I wish I’d known him too.

“How’s everything at home?” he says, as he merges onto the highway.

“Great.”  I feel a pang of guilt because I haven’t told Tyler about Luciana and the images on my phone. Tyler tends to be unfairly critical of Shane, so I really don’t want to open up that can of worms. The two of them are so much alike, both so protective of me. Tyler’s still having a hard time not being the one primarily responsible for my well being. My brother doesn’t like to share any more than Shane does.

Tyler gives me a telling look. “Anything you want to tell me about?”

And that’s when I realize he already knows. He knows about Luciana, and about the images. “Who told you?” I say.

“Shane did,” he says, sounding begrudgingly impressed. “He called me two days ago to fill me in. I was hoping you’d tell me yourself.”

“It wasn’t Shane in those pictures,” I say, feeling defensive on Shane’s behalf. “At least not in the ones that mattered. Yes, it was Shane in the first two images, but she walked up to him and kissed him without warning. He can’t help that.”

Tyler’s jaw tightens, but he keeps his eyes on the road. “Are you okay?” he says. “That’s what I want to know.”

“I’m fine. Yes, I was a little freaked out about it in the beginning, but I realized Shane wouldn’t betray me like that.”

“I’ve met Luciana Morelli before,” he tells me.

When my eyes widen and I stare in surprise, he hastily adds, “On official business, not personally. Her business partner was a suspect in an investigation I was involved in a few years ago. Luciana struck me as cold and calculating. You need to steer clear of her. And don’t underestimate her.”

“I won’t. That woman gives me the chills.”

* * *

The instant we step inside Mom’s house, we’re greeted by the delicious aroma of a roasting chicken and stuffing. My mom’s a fantastic cook, and I miss her home cooking. Cooper’s a great cook, too, but no one can compare to my Mom.

She comes out of the kitchen drying her hands on a red hand towel, a beaming smile on her face. She hugs me first, then Tyler.

“My two most favorite people in the world,” she says, beaming with pleasure. “Come into the kitchen and talk to me while I finish up dinner. Everything’s almost ready.”

She’s gone all out this evening, serving a roasted chicken with stuffing and gravy, roasted sweet potatoes, and homemade biscuits with fresh butter and strawberry preserves. All my childhood favorites.

“This looks wonderful, Mom,” I say, as we sit at the table. I take a bite of my biscuit and moan with pleasure.

We dig in to a perfect meal, the three of us chatting about everything and nothing, as if we did this every evening. It feels good to be home again, just the three of us, reminding me of when I used to live at home with Mom, when Tyler would stop by for a weekly visit.

“So, how’s the wedding planning coming along?” Mom says. “Have you decided anything?”

“Yes! We’re going to have a small, private ceremony,” I tell them. “As soon as Shane’s parents arrive home from Italy, we’re getting married at the Kenilworth estate, just family and close friends. We should know the exact date soon. You’re both invited to come spend the weekend at the house in Kenilworth.”

“That sounds perfect,” Mom says, rising from the table to pull an apple pie out of the oven. She sets it on a cooling rack. “I much prefer small, intimate groups to big crowds.”

“Cooper’s going to officiate,” I say. “He applied for an ordained minister license so he can preside over the wedding.” Then I look at my brother. “And you’re still giving me away, right?”

Tyler nods. “You bet I am. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

Mom’s pale blue eyes tear up. “Oh, honey, how I wish your father were here. He would have loved seeing his baby girl get married.”

* * *

After dinner, Mom serves us warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and we eat our dessert out on her small, glassed-in porch, overlooking the lake at sunset.

When it’s dark, we go back inside and Mom shows me the dress she’s bought for the wedding. It’s a lovely, long pale blue dress that matches her eyes perfectly. Our wedding is just around the corner now, but it still doesn’t feel real to me. The preparations are all made, and there’s nothing left for me to do except wait for the day to arrive.

After lots of hugs and kisses, Tyler and I say good-bye to Mom and head back to the city. An hour later, we pull into the parking lot of my apartment building, and Tyler walks me inside the lobby.

Shane’s standing by the front desk, chatting with the two security guards on duty. When he sees me, he smiles. Those bright blue eyes are enough to make me swoon.

Shane snags me with one arm, pulling me close, as he shakes hands with my brother. “Tyler.”

Tyler nods. “Shane.”

It’s not the warmest of receptions between my brother and my soon-to-be husband, but it’s definitely an improvement over their past interactions. At least this time, no one’s getting punched or arrested. I think we’re definitely making progress on that front.

Tyler hugs me goodbye, then heads to his truck.

Once we’re ensconced in our private elevator, Shane presses me against one of the mirrored walls, caging me in with his hands, and kisses me until I’m breathless.

“Did you have a good time?” he asks.

“Yes.” I lay my hand over my belly. “I ate way too much. I must have gained ten pounds tonight.”

Shane smiles. “Good. You needed it.”

“What did you do tonight for dinner?”

“The guys and I went with Cooper to Rowdie’s for hot wings and basketball.”

By guys, he means his three brothers.

Shane kisses the tip of my nose. “I missed you.”

I can feel his erection nudging my belly, and I laugh. “I can see that.”

I’ve got a plastic food container in my hand, and I hold it up to him as an offering. “Mom sent me home with a slice of apple pie for you. I think it’s still slightly warm.”

He takes the container from me, cracks open the lid, and inhales the tempting scents of apple, cinnamon, and sugar. “I always did like your mom.”