Perfect Fit

Book 1: Serendipity's Finest

by Carly Phillips

Genres: Contemporary Romance; Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

She’s a a small-town girl.He’s got a restless spirit.Can their hearts bridge the gap?

Michael Marsden’s adoptive parents gave him a family, but Serendipity never felt like home so he fled to Manhattan, where he’s an undercover cop with a reputation for skirting the rules. But when his police chief father steps down to fight a serious illness, Mike returns home to fill his dad’s by-the-book shoes.

Serendipity hasn’t changed much but there’s one familiar face from the past that he never expected to see—Officer Cara Hartley. She’s the only woman that ever made him consider giving up his lone-wolf ways.

Cara is determined to keep a professional distance from her new boss, the one night stand she never forgot. But hearing Mike’s deep, sexy voice ignites memories of how he set her body on fire. It isn’t long before their red-hot chemistry tempts them to cross a dangerous line both personally and professionally, leaving Cara hoping for a future where she can have it all.

But when Mike’s long-absent biological father returns, the fragile bonds that could have kept him in Serendipity threaten to snap. And Mike must face his past if he and Cara are to have any kind of future.

Will Mike realize he fits perfectly in Serendipity with Cara, or will he choose to walk away?

Release date: August 4, 2023

Publisher: CP Publishing

Print pages: 309

Sample

Chapter One

Perfection was overrated, Mike Marsden thought as he approached his childhood home. He
arrived in time for dinner, just as he’d done every Sunday since his return to his hometown of
Serendipity, New York, almost a month ago. Sunday evening meal at his parents’ house was
mandatory, and each of his siblings would be there. Nobody said no to Ella Marsden. And since
Mike had been away for a half dozen years or so, his mother was especially glad to have him
back, no matter how uncomfortable the notion of coming home made him.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and looked up at the white clapboard
house with blue trim and matching shutters. Small but well kept, the two-story home on the
residential street was as perfect on the outside as it was on the inside. Same as it was when
he’d left for Atlantic City all those years ago. Maybe that was why he was itching beneath his
skin now. The idea of perfection made him antsy. It always had. And despite wanting to please
his parents, Mike was the kid who’d always tried their patience.
Impulse control issues, his teachers called it. Mike blamed heredity. He couldn’t stick with one
thing very long, be it his small hometown, a relationship, or a monotonous job. Simon Marsden,
Mike’s adopted father and the man who’d raised him, had been the police chief of Serendipity.
Mike’s brother, Sam, had followed in his footsteps, becoming a homegrown cop like his dad.
Their sister, Erin, was the assistant district attorney to Serendipity’s D.A.
And Mike? He liked his life, choosing his career as a New York City undercover cop, where he’d
carved out a name for himself by skating the rules instead of strictly following them. He made
sure his job, his women, and even his friends were easy enough to walk away from when the
impulse arose. Never again would there be a repeat of a woman misinterpreting his intentions
or expecting too much. He’d run from that strangled feeling once before, ending up in Atlantic
City. He wasn’t about to repeat past mistakes or risk what he knew was a genetic inability to
stick around.
Yet here he was, back in his small hometown, having taken over his father’s job as chief of
police while his dad fought cancer. The doctors said it was treatable, and Mike forced himself to
believe it. Coming home was the least he could do for the man who’d both raised him and
treated him no differently than his biological children—even if Mike hadn’t always deserved it.
The situation was temporary while Simon recovered, or Mike didn’t think he’d have been able
to say yes to the position.
He knocked once and let himself inside, the smell of his mother’s pot roast seducing his senses
and making his stomach rumble.
“Michael, is that you?” his mother called from her post in the kitchen. When he was a kid, he’d
thought she had a sixth sense that told her which child walked in the door, but as an adult, he
realized they each had their own arrival time, and his mother intuitively knew their routine.
“It’s me,” he yelled back, bending to give his parents’ new dog, a small white fluffball that
resembled a dust mop, a pat on the head, still marveling that they’d named the furry thing
Kojak.

“Well, come give me a hug,” Ella called out as if she hadn’t seen him in ages. In reality, she’d
stopped by the police station just yesterday to say hello.
He grinned, and his shoulders eased downward. The insecurities that always followed thoughts
of perfection fled at the warmth in his mother’s voice and the comforting smells of home.
“Come on, little man. Let’s go say hi to Mom.” He headed for the kitchen with Kojak by his side.
Along the way, he passed the family room, where his father lay snoring in his recliner. A football
game played on the big-screen television he and his siblings had bought them for Christmas last
year. Knowing Simon needed his rest, Mike let him sleep.
“Hey, Mom,” Mike said, entering the kitchen and giving her the requested hug before turning to
the oversized pot on the stove. “Smells delicious.” He lifted the lid only to have his mother
smack his hand with her wooden spoon.
“Hey! No sampling.” She waved her weapon in front of his face, a knowing smile lifting her lips.
Despite his father’s illness, she’d managed to retain her cheery disposition. If a few more lines
creased her beautiful skin, it didn’t affect her good looks at all. Wavy auburn hair curled
naturally around her face added to her youthful appearance.
“Hey, family!” His sister Erin’s voice sounded from the entryway.
“In here,” Mike called back, then winced because his father was sleeping.
“Dad’s snoring,” Erin said, striding into the kitchen with a box in hand. “A hurricane couldn’t
wake him.”
“That’s because I gave him a painkiller a little while ago. His back was hurting,” Ella said.
Mike pushed past the fear in his throat. The old man was strong and would pull through. “What
kind of cake did you bring?”
“Angel food. Dad’s favorite.”
Of course. Erin was always the good girl, doing the right thing without being asked. Mike could
barely remember to get himself someplace on time, let alone bring something with him.
His sister placed the white bakery box on the counter. “Hi, Mom,” she said, pecking her cheek.
“Big brother.” She grinned and pulled him into a hug.
“Hey, pest.”
She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. “Jerk.”
“Squirt.”
“Enough!” Ella yelled at them like they were naughty kids, and Erin laughed.
“It’s just so easy to fall back into it.” She shook her head and grinned. Erin was a true mixture of
both parents. Their mother’s once-dark hair was now auburn with reddish highlights, and Erin’s
was naturally so with Simon’s hazel eyes. Eyes that now danced with laughter. “So where’s
Sam?” she asked.
“Your brother isn’t here yet.” Ella glanced at the clock on the oven and frowned. “He’s late, and
that’s not like him. Is he working a shift today? Maybe he got held up.” She looked at Mike for
the answer since he was now his brother’s boss.
“Not that I know of unless he switched with someone.”
“Well, let’s sit down in here for a little while and wait. Give your father some more time to
sleep.” Ella gestured to the Formica table, and they all grabbed a seat in the same chairs they’d
eaten in growing up.
“How’s Dad doing?” Erin asked. “You mentioned back pain?”

Ella nodded. “The doctor said he might try radiation this week instead of waiting. It’s supposed
to shrink the tumor and help with the pain. But he’s handling the chemo well enough. And his
spirit is amazing,” she said with obvious pride.
“What about you?” Mike asked his mother, reaching for her hand.
She immediately waved him off. “I’m fine, Michael. I’m not the one who’s sick.”
Mike shot his sister a knowing look. Their mother acted like Superwoman, stepping up and
handling everything without complaint. Perfection personified, Mike thought. But he knew she
had to be exhausted. He opened his mouth to argue that she needed rest too, but Erin shook
her head, telling him to let it go.
Fine, he’d listen for now, but at some point his mother would have to give in and let someone
else help her out for a change.
Suddenly, the telephone rang, and Ella rose to answer it.
“Don’t pressure her. She likes feeling needed,” Erin whispered as their mother spoke on the
phone. “I’m coming over to sit with Dad one day this week so she can go get her hair done. Sam
promised to play chess with Dad one afternoon this week. She’s getting breaks.”
“Why didn’t anyone ask me to help?” he asked, too petulantly for his liking. The fact that he
hadn’t thought to relieve his mother had him feeling out of sorts and selfish. As usual, he’d
fallen short compared to his siblings. What else was new?
“We figured you had your hands full taking Dad’s place and getting up to speed,” Erin said.
“It’s been a month. I’m as up to speed as I’m going to get. The rest depends on everyone
accepting how I want to do things.” He’d have made time for his mother. He was about to say
as much when Ella returned.
One look at her pale face and Mike shot to his feet. “What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a
bracing arm around her shoulder.
Erin came around her other side. “Mom?”
“Sam’s been in an accident.”
Heart pounding hard in his chest, Mike eased his mother into the nearest chair. “What
happened?”
“That was Cara,” she said of Sam’s partner. “His car crashed into a tree. He’s at University
Hospital now.”
“Cara was with him?” Mike knew for a fact they weren’t on duty today, but it wasn’t surprising
they were together. Those two made a mockery of the notion that men and women couldn’t be
just friends.
It was Mike who couldn’t just be Cara’s friend, not after an explosive one-night stand three
months ago that he’d yet to get out of his head. “Are they both okay?”
“Cara sounded fine. Sam’s being assessed,” his mother said, still trembling.
Mike swallowed hard. His mother’s fear wasn’t an easy thing to deal with, not when she was
usually so strong. But she’d been hit with too many things at once lately.
“I need to go to your brother, but I can’t leave your father. I don’t want to drag him out there
and put him under all that stress around sick people and germs…”
This was something he could do to help. “I’ll head over to the hospital,” Mike said, glancing at
his sister.
She nodded. “And I’ll stay here with you and Dad.”

“No.” Ella shook her head. “You go with your brother. You two should be together when you
get news about Sam.”
Mike immediately thought of a solution. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll call Aunt Louisa to come over,”
he said of his mother’s sister, who lived a few streets away. “That way, you and Dad won’t be
alone.”
“I don’t want to be a bother to her.”
But Erin had already reached for the phone and begun dialing over their mother’s objections.
A few minutes later, their aunt was on her way over while Mike and Erin headed to the
hospital.
 

***

 
Officer Cara Hartley paced outside the emergency room, hoping for news on her partner and
waiting for his family to arrive. She didn’t know which members would come, given Sam’s
father’s condition, but her gut told her his brother, Michael, would be one of them. As laid-back
as he appeared, when it came to doing his job or caring for his family, the man was as take-
charge alpha as they came.
He also liked control in the bedroom, something Cara knew only too well. She shivered at the
reminder of one incredible night a few months ago when Mike had been home for the weekend
visiting his father. He and Sam had shown up at Joe’s Bar, they’d flirted, he’d bought her drinks,
he’d walked her to her car, and the next thing she knew, she’d agreed to let him follow her
home and take her—not just to bed but wherever he damn well pleased. He’d been
phenomenal, bringing her to heights she’d only dreamed of and igniting a hunger that had
fueled many fantasies in the months since.
“Dr. Nussbaum, please call extension fifty-three. Dr. Nussbaum, extension fifty-three.” The
voice over the hospital loudspeaker broke into Cara’s heated thoughts.
Although those sensual memories had been a welcome distraction from worrying about Sam,
the last thing she wanted to be thinking about was the man who was now her boss. He’d
completely rocked her world, but he hadn’t mentioned it since his return. Granted, she hadn’t
brought up the subject either, but his complete refusal to acknowledge her as more than one of
his officers grated her female pride. Even the few times they were alone, Mike had been abrupt
and all business.
When he arrived, she had no doubt he’d want to talk about what she and Sam were doing on
Route 80, heading back to Serendipity from the outskirts of town. They’d been looking into a
cold case Mike had assigned to them and were just beginning to realize that the implications of
their findings might affect Mike personally. She wouldn’t share anything without Sam’s
permission. Not even with her boss. Hopefully, he wouldn’t push for information. If she had
good news about Sam, maybe he wouldn’t delve too deeply into where they’d been or why.
Suddenly, the street doors swung wide, and Cara caught sight of Mike, his dark hair longer than
regulation for a cop, his leather jacket giving him a dangerous edge. During the week, he wore
suits and ties when he had scheduled meetings, but Cara knew he preferred his beat-up leather
and jeans to the stuffy boss clothing the job demanded.
Mike barreled through the lobby and headed straight for her, his sister right behind him.

“How’s Sam?” Erin asked.
“What the hell happened?” Mike barked at Cara.
She straightened to her full height, which at five foot three wasn’t much compared to his
almost six feet. “We were in an accident, Chief.”
“Any news on Sam?” Erin asked.
Cara shook her head. “Not yet, but he was conscious when the ambulance brought him in.”
“I didn’t have you two on the schedule today.” Mike pinned her with a steady stare.
Cara looked into his chocolate-brown eyes, wondering how they could have been so sexy all
those months ago and so cold and forbidding now. “And if you’ll notice, I’m not in uniform.
Your brother and I were out for a ride. It’s a gorgeous day,” she said, hating the evasion that fell
from her lips.
“Ease up,” Erin said, punching Mike in the arm. “She’s not on duty, and she’s as worried about
Sam as we are. And lay off the formalities. Cara’s like family.”
Cara and Erin were the same age, and though they hadn’t been best friends in school, they’d
been in the same general group of girls, while Sam, a year older, had been a friend; it wasn’t
until they both joined the force together that their friendship solidified and Cara became more
a part of the Marsdens’ inner circle. By then, Mike had been long gone.
Erin pulled Cara into an embrace. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Cara managed a nod and hugged Erin back. “It was scary,” she said, allowing herself to admit
her fear for the first time. She stepped away from Erin. Suddenly cold, she wished she were
wearing a heavier jacket.
“You’re shaking,” Erin said, breaking into her thoughts. “And your cheek is bruised.”
“Airbag,” Cara said softly.
“Were you checked out?” Mike asked, his tone deep and gravelly, sending shivers through her
that had nothing to do with the earlier accident.
“The paramedics cleared me at the scene. It’s just a delayed reaction, I guess.”
Mike’s frown deepened. “Let’s sit.” Without waiting for her to agree, he grasped her elbow and
led her to a chair.
Because Cara’s legs were truly unsteady, she let him have his way. Erin picked a chair across the
aisle while Mike chose a spot beside Cara. He sat next to her, so close the musky scent of his
aftershave warmed her in ways she couldn’t think about now.
“What happened?” Erin asked softly.
In a weird way, it was a relief to go back to the accident and share the experience. “Sam was
driving. He was fine one minute and doubled over in pain the next. I reached for the wheel, but
I had no leverage and the car hit a tree.”
She blew out a stream of air and steadied herself before continuing. “My airbag deployed. His
didn’t. Sam’s head hit the steering wheel”—she winced as she recalled the awful sound—“and
his side of the car took the brunt of the impact. I was able to call for an ambulance, and here we
are.” She clenched her fists until her nails bit into her flesh.
“Easy,” Mike said as his big, strong hand covered hers, and he gently pried her fingernails away
from her skin.
Her entire body reacted to his touch, awareness jolting through her like a sudden burst of
electricity. Startled, she met his gaze, and at that moment, she knew he was as stunned.
Until he jerked his hand back and rose to his feet. “Where is a damn doctor with some news?”

Erin rose and put a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.” No
sooner had she spoken than a familiar voice called out Cara’s name.
“Alexa!” Relieved, Cara jumped up and turned to Dr. Alexa Collins, a beautiful woman with
auburn hair now pulled back in a bun. She was not only one of Cara’s closest friends but also
the doctor on call.
“How is he?” Sam’s siblings asked at the same time.
“He’s stable. He had an appendicitis attack while he was driving.” She glanced at Cara. “Did he
mention any pain during the day?”
She thought back and shook her head.
Alexa frowned. “Then he must have covered and ignored it. Appendicitis pain typically increases
over a period of time. Stubborn man,” she muttered, knowing Sam as well as Cara did. “Okay,
well, he’s in surgery to take care of the appendix, and barring any complications, he should be
fine. He’s also got a concussion from impact with the steering wheel, but again, barring
complications, it’s nothing life-threatening.” She smiled at Erin, Michael, and Cara to put them
at ease. “I’m going to go back in. As soon as he’s in recovery, I’ll let you know. You can see him
later.”
“Thank you,” Erin breathed out in relief. “I’ll go let Mom and Dad know.” She rushed outside,
probably somewhere she could use her cell phone.
“Thanks, Alexa,” Cara said.
The other woman smiled. “I can honestly say it’s my pleasure. It’ll also be my pleasure to kick
his ass for ignoring his pain. And trust me, he had to have felt something earlier.”
“I’ll help you,” Mike muttered. “Thanks for everything.”
Alexa nodded. “I’ll be back soon with news.” She, too, took off, leaving Cara and Mike alone.
Most of her earlier shakiness had subsided, leaving Cara exhausted. “I’m going to get some
coffee. Want some?” she asked the hulking, silent man beside her.
“No, thanks.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she said, more uncomfortable now that the mood between them
had shifted from connected to awkward. But awkward was the way things had been since his
return. She turned and headed for the door.
“Cara.”
Surprised, she pivoted back toward him. “Yes?”
“Thank you. For calling 911 and making sure Sam got here quickly.”
It was as much of an apology for his earlier rudeness as she was likely going to get. If she hadn’t
been in the room with him that night three months ago, under him, over him, him deep inside
her, his recent behavior would have convinced Cara that the most spectacular evening of her
life had never happened. But it had, she thought, shivering as her body recalled the intimate
connection. And that brief time together, along with the flare of heat in his eyes today had
convinced her she wasn’t crazy. He’d been as affected as she was, whether he showed it or not.
His choice not to acknowledge it proved he wanted nothing to do with her. Heck, he clearly
didn’t even want a repeat performance, which merely reinforced Sam’s point. As he’d informed
Cara before she’d left the bar with his brother, Mike viewed everything and everyone in life as
temporary. He’d even reminded her of Tiffany Marks, the woman he’d dated before leaving for
Atlantic City. Everyone in town knew she’d gone so far as to make inquiries into booking the
only church in town for a wedding Mike had never planned on happening. Except Tiffany had

been certain Mike was on the verge of popping the question, and she’d been heartbroken when
he’d left.
When Cara had agreed to their one night, she’d been okay with that. She knew that while he
didn’t stick around, she was a small-town girl at heart, with small-town aspirations. She’d
happily remain in Serendipity long after the big-city detective left his temporary job as chief of
police behind. She had no doubt if she got involved with Mike again, she’d end up with a
broken heart. But he wasn’t asking her for anything.
Yet if he pressed, she’d be tempted. And what did that say about her? She shook her head to
dislodge thoughts of a man who clearly wasn’t interested. Cara wouldn’t chase after a man any
more than she’d let one take advantage of her. Her mother and father’s unbalanced, unhealthy
relationship set an example Cara refused to follow.
With that reality firmly in mind, she went for coffee.
 

***

 
Mike had faced down drug dealers and embezzlers with enough at stake to warrant killing him
in order to keep their activities secret, and he hadn’t been afraid. He’d be damned if he’d let
one pint-sized police officer with ocean-blue eyes get under his skin. His brother would be okay,
and that was what he needed to focus on, not the way Cara, the always-in-control cop, had
nearly broken down, reminding him she was also soft and female. He already knew that all too
well.
After seeing Cara at the hospital yesterday, Mike had promised himself that, except for work,
he’d steer clear. He’d even thought his self-imposed directive would be simple. But when he
came to visit his brother the next morning, Cara was already there, having stopped by on her
way to work. He heard her laughter from the hallway as he approached Sam’s room.
Though he wanted to come back later, Mike wasn’t a coward. He gripped the handle and let
himself inside.
“Nice way to get some attention,” Mike said to Sam, who was laid up in the bed.
“I’m not stupid.” His messy light-brown hair stuck up at odd angles, and his face was pale, yet
he managed a grin.
“No, you’re not. The nurses are lining up to take care of him,” Cara said, catching Mike’s gaze.
She rose to her feet. In her blue uniform, she looked every inch the professional.
“I was just leaving for work. I’ll let you two visit.” She gestured for Mike to take the chair she’d
vacated by the side of the bed.
“Don’t let me run you off,” Mike said. “I’m sure your boss won’t mind if you’re a few minutes
late for your shift.”
Cara pursed her lips. “Oh, I don’t know about that. He’s quite the hard-ass sometimes.”
Sam burst out laughing, then groaned and shut his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” Cara leaned over and pressed her hand to his cheek. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Maybe you should go. I may bust my stitches if you stick around while he’s here.”
Sam inclined his head toward Mike.

He frowned, not liking that Cara hadn’t yet removed her hand from his brother’s cheek. “I’m
her boss,” Mike reminded them. “Doesn’t that warrant at least some respect?”
“Only when you’re on duty, big brother.” Sam swallowed what was sure to be another laugh.
Cara shook her head, her smile coming through as she finally pulled her hand away.
Apparently, she’d taken his sister’s words to heart and decided she could give him a hard time
off duty. Her sassy mouth was one of the things he’d enjoyed about her when he’d visited a few
months ago, and it could definitely get him in trouble again now.
“I’m going, I’m going,” Cara muttered. “But I’ll be back after my shift. You,” she said, wagging a
finger at Sam. “Behave and listen to your nurses.”
“Bring me a burger from The Family Restaurant?” he asked.
Cara shook her head. “Not until the doctors say it’s okay.” She glanced at Mike, meeting his
gaze with a wry smile, showing off two dimples in her cheeks.
Damn. How could she be professional, cute, and sexy all at the same time? He’d worked with
many women over the years, and he’d never been affected like this. Never mixed business and
pleasure on the job because that made a situation harder to walk away from.
“Who’s her partner while I’m stuck here?” Sam asked.
One of the changes Mike intended to make within the department was eliminating partners.
The way he viewed it, the force was small, as was the town. There was no need to tie up two
officers who could cover more areas separately. He’d planned to schedule a meeting with his
officers next week, but now he’d wait a little while longer until Sam was up to speed.
“I paired her with Dare,” Mike said, giving her a heads-up.
“Dare and I work well together, so thanks,” she said, sounding surprised.
Did she really think he’d deliberately put her with someone more difficult after the day she’d
had yesterday?
“Don’t forget to save the fun stuff for me,” Sam said, sounding suddenly intense.
Cara met Sam’s gaze. “You know it,” she said.
Which, to Mike, sounded like a promise. He glanced from his brother, who lay prone in his bed,
to Cara. She stood by the door, massaging the muscles in her neck.
“Are you sure you’re up to working today?” Mike asked. “No whiplash, pain, or trauma?”
“Nah. I’m tougher than I look. And definitely tougher than my partner.” With a wink at Sam and
a quick gaze at Mike, she ducked out the door, leaving the brothers alone.
“Sit,” Sam said in a no-argument tone that belied the fact that Mike was the older brother and
Sam was laid up in a hospital bed.
Not wanting to upset Sam in his condition, Mike lowered himself into the chair. Folding his arms
across his chest, he leaned back. “What’s up?”
“What’s going on with you and Cara?” Sam asked.
“Nothing.”
“You haven’t discussed what happened between you two yet?” Sam asked, or rather croaked
through his dry throat.
Mike handed his brother a cup of water from his tray. “It hasn’t come up.”
Sam drank and put his cup down. “You mean she hasn’t brought it up, so you won’t.”
“Why the hell did you wait until you were lying in a hospital bed for this discussion? It’s not like
we couldn’t have had this talk weeks ago.” Or preferably not at all, Mike thought.
“Because you’ll pay attention to me now.” Sam smirked at that little bit of truth.

“It’s none of your business,” Mike tried reminding his brother. He shifted his gaze to the white
hospital walls. Unless…A sudden thought came to him. “Did Cara say anything to you about
us?” The word sounded awkward on his tongue.
“No. She knows not to expect anything from you,” Sam muttered.
“Good.” Mike exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
The last thing he needed was a woman he’d slept with and who now worked for him having any
expectations. He shuddered at the thought. It was taking all he had inside him to focus on
staying in Serendipity, working at his father’s job, and worrying about his old man.
“Good?” Sam clenched his fists at his side.
When it came to Cara, his brother’s protective instincts came out like crazy. Another reason
Mike knew he’d made a mistake sleeping with her.
Except it hadn’t felt like a mistake at the time. And he wanted to do it again.
“Just because she knows doesn’t mean you aren’t making her feel like shit by ignoring what
happened. Jesus, Mike, was it that bad?”
“No, it was that good. Now can we drop it?” Mike barked at his brother.
To his shock, Sam grinned. “Just one question first. What would you do to someone who
treated Erin the way you’re treating Cara?”
Mike preferred to think of his younger sister as a sweet innocent, not a twenty-seven-year-old
woman. “I’d kick his ass,” Mike said immediately.
Sam’s knowing stare, full of meaning and, yeah, disappointment, stabbed Mike in the gut, and
blood rushed to his cheeks in embarrassment. Shame quickly followed. Okay, so he and Cara
had some talking to do.
And clearly, Mike had walked right into his brother’s trap. “I’m still not discussing Cara with
you.”
“Good, because I don’t want details. I just wanted you to look at things the right way.” Sam
gestured to the water, and Mike poured him some more. “Besides, I figure you two can only
ignore the obvious for so long before something gives.”
Sam had a point. Which brought Mike full circle to his earlier thoughts. No matter how much he
denied it or tried to pretend otherwise, the woman got to him in a way that made her more
dangerous than any potential suspect or case. And now that he realized he could no longer
ignore the past, putting it out for discussion would only make the feelings between them more
real.
No, not feelings, he thought with a hard shake of his head. That word involved emotion. What
he and Cara had shared was hot sex. Hotter than any he’d ever had—
“So how are you feeling?” Mike asked Sam, deliberately changing the subject.
His brother’s wince said it all. “Like my head’s about to explode, and my abdomen’s bloated
and hurts like a son of a bitch.”
Mike nodded in understanding. “Rest. I’ll tell everyone at the station to hold off visiting for a
day or two.”
Sam’s eyes began to close. “I’d appreciate that. I’m getting kicked out in two days, so they can
come by and visit me then.”
“Do you need me to move in for a couple of days and help you out?” Mike asked.

Knowing his stay in town wasn’t permanent and never needing much space, he’d rented the
empty room over Joe’s Bar. Sam, like the true Marsden son, had already bought himself a small
house in Serendipity, picket fence and all.
“Nah. Cara offered to let me take the spare room at her new condo.”
Mike ignored the hot flush of jealousy creeping through his veins. It was as unwarranted as it
was ridiculous. Sam and Cara were best friends and partners, but there was nothing sexual
between them. And even if there was, Mike didn’t plan to pick up where they’d left off, so what
was his problem?
“That was nice of her to offer.” Mike forced out the words.
“Yeah. I might take her up on it,” Sam said, sounding groggier by the minute.
“Hey, did you click on your meds while I wasn’t looking?” Mike gestured to the button attached
to his brother’s IV.
Sam nodded, a goofy grin on his face. “Yeah. Feeling no pain, my man.”
Mike rolled his eyes. Time for him to go. He braced his hand on the bed and rose to his feet.
“You get some sleep. I’ll come by after work. Mom said to tell you they’ll be here around
lunchtime.”
“Okay. They came late last night for a quick hello, but I was pretty out of it.”
“Yeah, but they both slept better for seeing you.”
Sam didn’t reply because he was already passed out cold. Mike shook his head and walked out.
First stop was the coffee shop, then he’d get lost in his work. Later on today, he’d deal with Cara Hartley.