Until Lydia E.M.

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Until Lydia

Copyright © 2023 by E.M. Shue

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Published by Boom Factory Publishing, LLC.

E.M. Shue CONTRIBUTOR to the Original Works was granted permission by Aurora Rose Reynolds, ORIGINAL AUTHOR, to use
the copyrighted characters and/ or worlds created by Aurora Rose Reynolds in the Original Work; all copyright protection to the
characters and/ or worlds of Aurora Rose Reynolds in the Original Works are and shall continue to be retained by Aurora Rose
Reynolds. You can find all of Aurora Rose Reynolds Original Works on most major retailers. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage or retrieval system, in any form or
by any means, whether electronic, photocopying, mechanical or otherwise, without express permission of the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, story lines and
incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, events,
locales or any events or occurrences are purely coincidental.
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 CONTENTS

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue 1
Epilogue 2

Afterword
About Boom Factory Publishing
Acknowledgments
About E.M.
Also by E.M. Shue
For Aurora and Neil
PROLOGUE
 LYDIA

D
ressed in a trench coat and high heels, I stare at my reflection in the elevator panels. I
shouldn’t be nervous, but I am. We’ve been married for over seven years. Yes, we’ve hit a dry
spell. But, between both our jobs and me with our seven-year-old twins, we’ve been so busy.
I try not to think of the fears that have been rolling through my mind for the last year and a half. Ever
since Colton accepted the job with Kant Holding International, he’s been more distant. That’s why I’m
doing this. I want to put the spark back into our marriage. I’m going to seduce my husband.
I changed out of my work clothes and into the negligee I have on underneath the coat when I got
off the plane. I took tomorrow off from work, which isn’t easy when I’m the bear expert and head
curator at the Nashville Zoo. It may seem a bit desperate, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I
need to show my husband I’m willing to step out of my comfort zone for him. Maybe he’ll do the same
for me.
Colton has always been so critical of me. I love him, but I sometimes feel like I’m not perfect
enough for him. It makes me question why he wanted to marry me. Yes, I was pregnant at the time, but
that’s no reason to get married. We dated as teens, so we have history. But high school had been years
ago. We both went our separate ways after graduation. My dream was to study zoology, and he went
to business school. We reunited when I was studying for my doctorate. He soon realized I wasn’t the
same girl and set out to change me, which he did. Every day I look in the mirror and see the woman he
wants, not the woman I was before him—the woman I want to be.
I look at the mirrored elevator panels and scrutinize myself. My hair is perfect. My makeup is on
point. I look down at my hands. My tattoos are concealed beneath a layer of body makeup. I have
several over my body that I got in my college days. Colton despises them, but I won’t remove them.
They are special to me, especially the ones on the middle finger of my right hand and my left wrist.
Those are for the parents I lost when I was a teenager.
The bell dings when I arrive on his floor, and the doors slide open. There is a sign in front of me
with numbers pointing in both directions. After quickly scanning the sign, I turn to the left. I’ve never
been to his condo in Dallas. This place is part of the perks Colton gets for working for Kant Holding.
The company knew he would be traveling back and forth between here and home, so they wanted to
accommodate him as best as they could. The hope is that Mr. Kant will open a Nashville office in the
next year so we won’t have to keep living like this. The kids miss having him home. Well, kind of. I
hate to think about the fact that they are less stressed when he isn’t home.
I move down the hall, my shorter legs making the longer strides I’ve gotten used to in order to
keep up with Colton’s tall frame. When I’m standing outside his door, the nerves kick in again. Ever
since I got on the plane this afternoon, I’ve been doubting this plan. But I know we need this time
together, a weekend to reconnect with each other.
I knock a couple of times and wait.
“Just a moment,” a female voice says.
I step back and look at the unit number. I have the right condo.
Oh God!
“Can I help you?” The woman opens the door, interrupting the panic flaring throughout my body.
My blood is racing through my veins. I feel lightheaded. This can’t be happening. “Excuse me. What
do you want?” I take in her fake boobs that are barely covered by the robe wrapped around her body.
Her lips are full and medically enlarged. Her long blond hair is in a I Dream of Jeannie ponytail on
the top of her head. Her hair length and color are fake too.
I stand there, taking her in and the room behind her. “I think I have the wrong condo,” I finally say.
She’s closing the door when a male voice I know well says, “Who’s at the door, sexy?”
My hand shoots out and pushes the door open, almost hitting the Botoxed bimbo. Standing with a
towel wrapped around his waist and freshly showered is my husband. The man who won’t undress in
front of me anymore. The man who has never called me sexy. The father of my children.
My. Husband.
“C-Colton,” I stammer.
He stops, his eyes growing big with shock and something else. Something that causes a cold chill
to roll up my spine. His hand moves to his towel, while the other comes up to stop me.
“Lydia, it’s not what you think.”
I step back like I’ve been slapped. For the first time in years the emotions I’m constantly holding
back barrel forward.
My anger. My bitchiness. My temper. All the emotions he’s reprimanded me for over the years,
telling me I was childish for allowing them to get the better of me, they all flare bright.
“Not what I think?” I wave my hand between the two of them. “That’s the oldest saying in the
book. I didn’t know this condo complex had concierge services. Is Barbie here to turn down your
sheets? Did you get a chocolate and blowjob on your pillow? Don’t you have more imagination than,
‘It’s not what you think’?” I glance at the bimbo. “Your blow-up doll needs to stop frowning, or you’ll
have to pay for more Botox.”
“Watch your mouth, Lydia.” He uses that deep, emotionless voice that makes me apologize for my
behavior. But not this time.
Nope. No more. I’m done.
“Watch my mouth? Watch this, fucker. Go to motherfucking hell, asshole.” I drop as many cuss
words as I can.
“Hey,” the blonde says.
I swing my eyes toward her and glare daggers at her. She shuts her mouth and steps back. I glance
down and take in her sky-high heels. My eyes travel up her body, and I hold the shiver of hate in as
she smirks at me.
“He likes to fuck me with my heels on. The feel of them in his ass—”
“Deedee, that’s enough,” he orders her.
I can’t hide the shock on my face. She doesn’t understand the ramifications of all this. I wonder if
Colton does.
“Lydia, we need to talk.” He makes his way to the door. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
“Foolish,” I yell. “You want to see foolish? Prenup.” The laugh that comes from me is full of
venom and evil. I can’t help myself. “Don’t come home. She can keep you.” I wave my hand in
disgust at her.
“He’s already got me.” She laughs, and it sounds like nails on a chalkboard.
When she holds her hand up to show me the large engagement ring on her finger, I’ve had enough.
He wouldn’t get me an engagement ring because he said, “It’s better to earn a diamond after five years
than be given one.” I fight the urge to yank it off her hand. I deserve that diamond. I delivered twins.
I’ve put up with his rules and quirks for years now. But I hold my emotions in, like I’ve always done.
No more! I smile wide and tip my head to the side.
“Well, bless your heart. Maybe you should stay off your knees,” I say. She smiles at my words, not
understanding the Southern dig, but Colton got it by the look of outrage on his face.
“Coltie likes it when I do that,” she says as I turn and walk away.
I can’t stay here a moment longer. I’m so angry the tears are about to flow, and those fuckers don’t
get to see me break down.
“My attorney will be in touch,” I throw over my shoulder loud enough for other residents to hear.
He’s engaged to another woman. He spent our money on an engagement ring for her. It’s obvious
they’ve been together for a while by the various pictures of them I managed to see in the condo. He
couldn’t stand to kiss me the last six months, and it’s been even longer since we’ve had sex. I can’t
remember the last time he told me he loved me. “Me too” is his usual response when I express my
love for him. Did he ever love me?
The sob is getting ready to burst from my body as I step onto the elevator. I punch the button for
the lobby and turn to face the closing doors. He didn’t bother to chase me down the hall. Of course, he
didn’t.
I keep it together long enough to get an Uber. I don’t break until I’m on my way to the airport. I
call Sydney, my best friend. I know by the time I land she will have everything taken care of for me.
That’s what a ride or die friend would do for you. She would help me hide the bodies if I asked her.
CHAPTER 1
LYDIA
TWO WEEKS LATER

A
s I stand in front of the mirror, I can already see this divorce is going to take its toll on me. I’ve
lost enough weight that the khaki cargo pants I used to wear are too big on me. Maybe it’s
because it’s been years since I wore them, but more than likely it’s because I can’t stomach
food right now. The thought of it makes me want to hurl. I hear Colton’s words in my head over and
over about how I’m not thin enough. Not tall enough. And always with the not pretty enough.
I look at my reflection, trying to forget the words. Colton had insisted I wear skirts all the time.
Because of that, it interfered with me working with the animals, something I’ve really missed. But in
the last two weeks, I’ve been letting the old me out. Khaki slacks were the first change. I’m showing
some of my tattoos today, and I’ve been wearing my hair the way I want. Ponytail or messy bun.
Yes, I’m the head curator, but I still want to get my hands dirty and need to. I earned my doctorate
in zoology for a reason. I’ve always wanted to work with animals, especially bears.
I lost so much of myself because of Colton. He wanted me to be a certain way, to always project
that I was his wife, but he was holding me back from my own life. He didn’t allow me to wear jeans.
Now there are two new pairs in the closet, waiting for me to try on, but I don’t have the nerve. He
never raised a hand to me, but my attorneys still call me an abused spouse. He berated and belittled
me with words, broke my spirit.
I slip the polo with the zoo logo on it over my black bra. My full breasts aren’t shrinking like the
rest of me, nor are my rounded hips from carrying the twins. I can’t stand here too long looking into
the mirror, or I’ll start comparing myself to Deedee. My phone rings from the bed, and I rush to grab
it.
“Hello.” I put the phone on speaker mode so I can finish getting ready.
I had to get a new phone because he was blowing up the last one. Before I even reached the
airport in Dallas, he had managed to cut me off from our bank accounts and credit cards. It’s a good
thing I have a credit card he knows nothing about, or I would have been stuck there until I figured
something else out. He then called the kids’ private school and informed them he would no longer pay
their tuition. After that, he fired Krystal, my nanny, who I found out wasn’t even working for Colton or
me. That’s a long story she still owes me, but it turns out my family’s company pays her bills. She’s
not only a nanny but their security.
I should be more upset about my brother’s interference in my life, but maybe security is needed
after Colton threatened Sydney last night. He’s demanded to see me and has been calling my work.
Thanks to my attorneys, I have a restraining order, and now Sharon, Sydney’s mom, is getting one for
her too.
“Hey, Munchie, how are you doing?” the deep voice says, and I can’t hide the smile or the tears
that prick my eyes.
“Hello, D, I miss you.” I try to keep my voice controlled so he doesn’t know I’m going to cry.
I’ve called him enough times crying and upset the last couple of weeks. Without him, Sydney, or
her mom, I don’t know where the kids and I would be. Even Krystal is staying in the farmhouse with
us. Sharon let us hide out here. It’s the only place Colton doesn’t know about. It’s not that I’m keeping
the kids away from him, but he’s been erratic and unpredictable since I found out about his affair. His
voice mails and text messages started out with apologies and then quickly turned into threats. By the
time my plane landed in Nashville, he’d washed his hands of me and the kids. That’s why last night’s
situation doesn’t make since. He was yelling about the twins, demanding to see them, but he wants a
paternity test to prove they’re his. His behavior is starting to scare me, and that’s why my attorneys
want the kids to only have supervised visitation with him. They’ve suggested a neutral party be
present, like Krystal or Sharon.
“Why don’t you come home, Munchie? Some time off and away could be good for all of you.”
Darrell’s voice is calming to me, but it also makes me feel guilty. I’ve had very little contact with him
in the last five years. Colton got so angry when Darrell chose someone else to head the Nashville
office that he made me shut Darrell out. My father valued his employees and Darrell does the same,
so he promoted from within. Colton didn’t work for the company, and honestly, he doesn’t have any
experience in my family’s trade of import and export.
“I can’t right now. We are really busy at the zoo. Besides, I’m not going to let him chase me away
from any more of my dreams. And I don’t want to lead him to you and your new family.” After years
of being a bachelor, my brother finally got married, and now they are expecting. My brother is going
to be a first-time father at almost fifty years old. His wife is younger than him, closer to my age.
“Munchie.” He sighs, and I plop onto the bed behind me.
“You know I’m over thirty, right? You can’t keep calling me that.”
“I can call you that until the day I die. You’re my baby sister. It’s my job to tease you and pull your
pigtails.” We both laugh. The memories of him when I was a kid roll behind my eyes. He’s always
been there for me. Now it’s time for me to stand on my own.
“Darrell, I’m serious.” He knows I’m not talking about him calling me by his nickname for me.
I’m talking about protecting him and his family.
“I am too. I’ve got you. It’s my job to take care of you.”
“No, it isn’t. I’m an adult and can do it myself. Plus, you have a family to take care of now. I love
you, D, but let me try this on my own. Please.”
“I know you are strong enough to do this, but let me help you some.” He pauses, and I know he has
more to say. “Are you meeting with your attorneys this afternoon?”
“Yeah. They are filing an injunction with the courts to stop him from selling the house.”
Colton has control of all of the money in our joint accounts, the house, the car, and even the
clothes I didn’t pack before he locked the kids and me out. My attorneys have filed emergency orders
to help me get everything we need. I’ve since changed my payroll deposit to a new bank. And I have
the black Amex Darrell initially gave me when I turned eighteen. Colton never knew about it. He
refused to let me use any of my family’s money after he and Darrell argued. I always kept the card
current and activated. It's what saved me and got me home two weeks ago.
Darrell got me a new car. The new BMW X7 is exactly what I wanted before, but Colton had
made me get a used, smaller sedan instead of a midsize SUV that worked better with the kids. I
couldn’t carry Micah’s hockey gear and groceries at the same time. Darrell has also helped me get my
inheritance and monthly board member checks that I wasn’t getting before. He’d kept all the money in
a secure account for me. I’m back to sitting on the board too. My brother retained my seat. It’s like
Darrell knew this day would come. He said he didn’t think Colton would cheat on me, but he was
sure my soon-to-be ex-husband would mess up bad enough that I would see what he was doing to me.
Colton had controlled everything in our marriage, including me and the kids.
He dictated what we wore. Who we spoke to. Everything.
“Hey, Uncle D.” The kids come bounding into my room, something that Colton hated. The kids
weren’t allowed in our room at all. Here the kids come and go as they please as long as they knock if
the door is closed. Even with everything going on, the kids are flourishing being away from Colton.
It’s as if they don’t miss him. They get to be children now, not little adults, as he demanded of them.
“What up, my munchie moos, how are you?”
“Good. Krystal is taking us to school in a bit,” Micah answers while my sweet Michelle cuddles
into me. She’s the only one of the two of them showing any signs of being upset. She blames herself
because she’s heard Colton say in the past that if we didn’t have kids, we wouldn’t have to work so
much. I didn’t tell the kids he’s engaged to another woman.
“You listen to Krystal,” my brother tells them, and they both say they will.
“Okay, babies, I have to finish getting ready, and you have to go to school. Give me hugs and
kisses,” I tell them. “D, hold on, I want to talk to you some more.”
“I’m here.”
I kiss my babies goodbye and walk them to my doorway. “Krystal, I have an appointment after
work and then I’ll be home. I can pick up dinner so you can have the evening off.”
“I don’t have any plans, so I can hang with you guys too.” She smiles, and I know no matter how
hard I try, she isn’t leaving us. After she heard about Colton’s behavior last night, she’s been more on
guard.
“Okay.” My lips clamp together, and I nod. I watch them move toward the front door and head out.
Krystal locks the door behind her even though I’m leaving in a bit.
I pick up my phone and take it off speaker and put it to my ear. I need my brother to understand I’m
not a little girl anymore and I can do this. I’m going to do this for my kids and for myself.
“Now listen here. I’ll pay Krystal’s wages from now on. You should have told me she was
security.” I pause and rub my temple and forehead. “I understand you were protecting me and the kids,
but don’t do things behind my back. I deserve to know.” The words are angry, but my tone isn’t
because I can’t fault him for wanting to protect us. Ever since we lost our parents, he’s been
overprotective of me. They died in a freak car accident that no one can explain.
“Lydia, I’ll do anything to protect you and the kids. That’s my job.” He pauses, and I wait for the
other shoe to drop. “Besides, the way Colton is acting with his legal team, I don’t trust him not to
come after you.” His voice is gruff and filled with emotion.
“What do you mean?” I try to control my breathing so he doesn’t know I’m scared.
“He is contesting the prenup.”
My family can trace its heritage in Chattanooga to before the Civil War. They helped in the
industrialization of the area, and because of that, my brother runs a huge corporation he inherited from
our parents. I sit on the board and am a voting member again. Before Colton and I got married, my
brother and the company attorneys made us sign a prenuptial agreement. They had said I was worth
too much not to, and it also protected my vote on the board. Colton was so angry at the time, but he
calmed down. It wasn’t until an office was opened in Nashville and Colton wasn’t made the head of it
—or even hired to work in it—that the rift between them started. Colton had refused to let me speak
to my brother. However, I did behind his back, but I couldn’t go see him. Now with Colton openly
cheating on me, he gets nothing, leaves with what he brought into the marriage, and we equally divide
everything we made together. The sale of the house has to be halved too.
I’m not too concerned about selling the house. I haven’t met him yet, but Sydney’s new boyfriend,
Tucker, works for a construction company. I want to talk to him about building me a place. After
staying out here in Murfreesboro for the last couple of weeks, I’ve come to really like the area. I’m
even thinking of putting the kids in a local public school instead of the private school they currently
attend.
 “He can’t contest it. What does he gain by doing that?”
“You’re right, he can’t, but it’s just more of a fight for you. Your attorneys have asked to meet with
one of the company lawyers. They’ll consult and attend court if necessary.”
“Oh my God, Darrell, this is getting ridiculous. Should I just pay him and be done with it?”
Colton’s attorney came to mine with an offer. I’m meeting with my attorneys after work to discuss the
situation. He wants two million dollars, all sales from the house, pay no child support, and he’ll walk
away.
He’ll walk away from our children, as if they never existed in his eyes. Walk away from me and
the years we had together. The latter I could deal with, but the former is ridiculous as they are his kids
too.
“The hell you say. You are not letting that man get away with this. He not only cheated on you, but
he also terrorized you. I hate to think of what he’s done to the kids when you or Krystal weren’t
around.”
“At the advice of my attorneys, I got the kids into counseling. I’m starting it too.” My voice is
quiet because I hate to admit that he’s right.
“Munchie, I love you, and I know you had no choice. How about we come up and see you?”
“You can’t until after the baby is born.”
“Okay. I need to get going and so do you.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, Munchie. You’ll find a man who deserves you. I know it.” He hangs up before I can
tell him I’m never going to let another man into my heart again.

Forty-five minutes later I’m walking into the employee break room in search of Sydney. She’s
standing at the counter pouring herself a cup of coffee, a look of frustration covers her face.
“What crawled up your keister today?” I chuckle as I lean against the counter. She slams the pot
down and turns to face me. I watch as she eyes my arms crossed over my chest, the tattoos on my
hands exposed.
“Your husband ruined my night,” she growls, and I can’t help but smirk at her. I have a feeling she
had something special planned for Tucker. She and I need to get together for a wine night because I
need details. I’m in desperate need of a fantasy.
“I heard. My attorneys are getting paperwork together today.” I update her on the steps my legal
team is taking. I can’t help the sigh that comes out of my mouth. It’s awful that my life is bleeding over
into hers all because she’s my best friend and helped me.
“I never expected him to be like this,” she says as she too leans against the counter. She only saw
Colton when he was on his best behavior. She doesn’t know that he didn’t really like her because she
is from my past. She doesn’t know the things he’d say to me about her.
“He’s changed so much in the last couple of years.” I only give her partial details, like how
aggressive and demanding he’s been since working for Kant Holding, and how absent he's been in not
only our marriage but as a parent. I hold back the worst of it. Her mom knows the rest, but that’s
because she’s helping with my attorneys.
“Why didn’t you move?” That’s the million-dollar question everyone asks me. I’m so glad we
didn’t now.
 “I didn’t want to give up my job.” That’s the honest truth. I love working here. Plus, Colton
working in Dallas wasn’t supposed to be permanent. It went from him having to travel every couple
of weeks to him being gone weeks at a time, then months. “I should have known he was cheating on
me.” It was so obvious. The warning signs were there to see, yet I ignored them all.
“You couldn’t know.”
“But the crazy thing is I did know. He didn’t want to have sex with me anymore.” That’s a huge
flag in itself.
“Hello, ladies.” We jump, startled by a deep voice coming from the entrance to the break room.
We both turn to face the newcomer. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m looking for Doctor Rorke.” His voice is
whiskey soaked and makes me want to shift my legs. Goose pimples erupt across my body. He’s big
and tall, and his chest is wide. His thick arms strain the seams of his state police uniform. It’s true
what they say about men in uniform. I’ll stick with that to the grave, just saying. I can only make out
that his eyes are light colored under his broad-brimmed campaign hat. Dark sunglasses hang from the
front of his uniform pocket.
Yummy. Here’s a fantasy for later.
“That’s me.” My voice cracks slightly.
I watch, mesmerized, as he takes his hat off and holds it in his hand. His dark hair is cropped
close to his head and thinning. It doesn’t deter from his sexiness but actually accentuates it. My
fingers tingle as I think about sliding them along his head, feeling the short strands tickling my hands.
“I’m Sergeant Whitlock. I was told to seek you out. I have a brown bear cub in the back of my
truck.”
“What?” Sydney and I exclaim, and his chest rumbles with a chuckle.
Brown bears aren’t native to Tennessee. For one to be here could be an ecological disaster.
“I don’t stutter, ladies. By the way, not meaning to eavesdrop, but you were talking fairly loudly.”
His eyes peruse my body from head to toe. “Any man who turns you down isn’t a real man.” He turns
around and walks out.
I turn to Sydney, whose jaw is dropped and eyebrows are raised. I’m sure I have a similar
expression on my face. “Um, did he just say that to me?”
“Yes, he did.” She recovers and smiles big.
Before I rush out after the officer, I break down the Zimbabwe Elephant Rescue’s visit today.
They want to meet with her, then follow her and her team around. They are especially interested in
our rhino exhibit, something that is extremely close to Sydney’s heart.
“Are you coming or not?” Sergeant Whitlock returns.
I turn to him, and I can’t help the hand that goes to my waist. He watches me with such an intensity
that I almost have to fan myself. I’ve never had a man look at me the way he is looking at me now.
“Excuse me, I was giving her an update for the day. I’ll be with you in a moment.” I hold up my
index finger. “If you are in such a rush, I’m fairly sure the vets would be able to help you.”
His sexy meter drops a notch. I’ve had it with bossy and demanding men in my life. Colton was
more than enough. Been there done that, have the T-shirt and patch as proof.
“I was told you are a bear expert, and I’ve decided I like pissing you off.” He chuckles, and the
sound does things to me. His eyes travel over my body again, causing me to shiver. My cheeks heat,
and his lips tip up slightly behind his dark scruff. He knows what he’s doing to me. Ugh, I don’t need
a man like that.
Wait. Wait. Wait. I don’t need a man at all. I haven’t completely rid myself of the current one. The
last thing I need is another one. I especially don’t need a man who knows he’s hot and what he does to
me.
Sydney laughs as she exits the break room, leaving me to deal with the sexy Sergeant Whitlock.
I stomp toward him. My work boots don’t give me enough height to seem intimidating.
“Come on, little one.” He sweeps his hand out toward the hall, and I walk in front of him. I try not
to sway my hips more when I hear him make a sound behind me.

Maverick

Holy fuck.
When I heard the two feminine voices and entered the room, I didn’t expect one of them to almost
knock me on my ass. The redhead is beautiful and sexy, but this little curvy bombshell is a twenty
compared to her friend’s ten. I want to know her first name. I want to slam her against the closest
surface and kiss the fuck out of her sassy mouth. To get to know her curvy body. I want to hear her say
my name in that breathless southern drawl she has.
“How did you come across a brown bear?” She follows me to my work truck parked behind the
zoo hospital.
I move toward the back where the little guy is crated. She stands next to me, and I have the urge to
lift her up into the bed. I just want to have my hands on her. I’m distracted by her hands when she
curls them over the tailgate. She’s not wearing a ring, but I see the tan line where there once was one.
Her tattooed hands and fingers entrance me. I heard enough of her conversation to know her husband
not only cheated on her but was a dick to her too. A man who cheated on her is not only a fool but
stupid as fuck.
“Did you hear me?” she asks, and I look down at her.
She’s a complete contradiction. I’ve only lived in the South for a few years, but she’s got the
accent of a Southern belle and the tattoos of a rocker chick. Her long dark mahogany hair is pulled
back in a ponytail. When she looks up at me with those hazel eyes, I get lost in the golden hue of them.
I slipped my hat back on when we stepped out of the building, and I watch as she squints in the bright
January sunlight.
“I’m working with a unit of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency that is investigating an
influx of illegal, exotic animals being traded in the area. He was in the house we raided last night.” I
can’t tell her more because we have a group we are closely following. The information is still being
guarded so they don’t know we are on to them.
I watch as she looks into the crate. She can barely reach it. She’s got to be no more than five feet
in height. When she hikes a leg up to climb in, I decide I better stop her before she hurts herself. I’ve
never felt like this with a woman I just met.
“Here, let me open that for you,” I offer, and she tips her head back to smile at me. My heart stops
in my chest. When it starts up again, it’s never thumped as it is now. The need to touch her is so great.
“I’m going to need you to bring him into the clinic, if you don’t mind. I want one of the vets to
check him over. You’re right, he’s definitely a brown bear. We’d have to run some tests to identify if
he’s a grizzly, Kodiak, or just brown. But I’d put money on him being a Kodiak. They aren’t
endangered. The biggest problem is he should still be in a den with his sow. A trafficker would want
something as rare as him. He’s maybe a month old. If he lived and was let loose here, he could cause
issues for the local black bear populations.” The words spill from her lips without pause. I can tell
she’s excited about the topic of bears. I could listen to her all day long.
“Wow, you really are as good as they said.” I reach over the tailgate and lift the kennel out of the
bed. I place my hand at her back to move her toward the clinic. A current of electricity shoots through
my hand as soon as I touch her, and I watch as she shakes as if she felt something too. I need to get
away from her. Whatever this draw is I feel toward her is too much. I try to get her moving, but she
just stands there.
“Why do you say that?” she asks as she steps away from my touch.
“Because I have documentation that he’s a Kodiak.” As we pass the cab of my truck, I open the
door and pull out the files I have on the cub.
“Well, you could’ve led with that. Come on.”
She moves to a different entrance than the one we exited. I watch as she presses the badge hanging
at her waist against the access reader. She has a trim waist that flares out to full hips. Hips meant to
be held on to.
“Hal, are you in here? I have something new for you to play with,” she calls out and almost drops
me to my knees with her smile. She has a single fucking dimple in her left cheek. Fuck, I’m screwed.
“Bring a bag of IV fluid.” When I was told to seek her out because she’s a specialist, I assumed she
was a veterinarian.
An older man with a mess of hair steps out of a side office. “Lydia, you’ve interrupted my
afternoon nap. Do you think all that fancy schooling you did makes you a real doctor or vet?” He
laughs as he rubs his hand through his hair. He slips a pair of glasses on and takes me in holding the
crate. He reminds me of the crazy professor from the Back to the Future movies.
“Set him down there. We need to take him out and get a good look at him,” she orders me.
“You’re not a vet?” I look at her dumbstruck as I continue to hold on to the cub.
“No. I have my doctorate in zoology, and I’ve been on several expeditions and studies of bears. I
interned in Alaska for several months.”
“I used to live in Alaska.” I share, and her face lights up.
“I worked at the Wildlife Conservation Center outside of Anchorage,” she says. “I also spent time
in McNeil Creek, Denali, and Kodiak to study the differences in the bears in those areas. That’s why I
was certain this little guy is a Kodiak.”
“Okay, enough, we need to get this guy on some fluids. A bottle and probably some plasma. It’s a
good thing we got some from our males here,” Hal interrupts us.
I set the kennel down and open it. The vet carefully reaches in while Lydia—her name fits her—
gloves up and helps check him over too. They look him over and take measurements before they start
treating him, ignoring me as I stand and watch them work. I begin to worry when I notice the vet isn’t
making jokes anymore but keeps shaking his head and sighing. Another woman joins us and helps with
getting meds and an IV in the little guy.
“Is he going to make it?” I heard the little sounds he was making. He didn’t deserve to be taken
from his mother.
Lydia turns to me and removes her gloves. “May I see the file? We need to determine how long
he’s been without his sow and what they were giving him before you got him.” She holds her hand out
to me as her phone starts to ring from her back pocket. “Excuse me.” She retrieves it and looks at the
screen. “Shoot. Just a moment. I can’t ignore this.”
 I hand the file to Hal, and he quickly skims it. I try to focus on him and the bear cub, but I can’t
help but eavesdrop on Lydia’s phone conversation.
“Okay, I’ll meet you there.” She pauses. “Krystal can stay with them. I’m in the middle of
something and have to get back to work. I’ll look into setting up a moving van and crew as soon as
I’m free.” She hangs up and returns to helping with the cub. From the sounds of it, her separation is
still really new. I’m going to have to let her go because I don’t want to be a rebound.
I reach into my pocket and pull out a couple of business cards and set them on the counter.
“Looks like you’ve got him, but could you keep me updated? Here’s my card.” I tap the counter
and then take one last look at Lydia before I leave. Maybe someday we’ll meet up again. It’s a stupid
thought, but it’s for the best. I don’t turn around because if I do, I’ll walk back and ask her out.
CHAPTER 2
 LYDIA

A
s I sit in traffic on my way to the house I shared with Colton, I go over everything that
happened today. Sydney was sent home without pay for not talking about an incident that
happened on her last conservation project. The president of the zoo board put her on the spot
during a live television interview, even after being told she couldn’t discuss the matter. She walked
out, and he suspended her. I need to talk to her. I hope she can tell me what’s going on.
Getting ready to dial her number, I see a Tennessee Highway Patrol rig in the other lane and
instantly think about Sergeant Whitlock.
Maverick Whitlock.
Even his name is sexy. I wish I grabbed one of his cards, but I left them behind. What do I need
with his number? Up until two weeks ago, I was prepared to seduce my husband in an attempt to
reignite the spark in our marriage. Now here I am thinking about a man I just met. So what if he stirs
something in me Colton never did. My life is too chaotic to start a new relationship. As a case in
point, the phone call I got earlier was from my attorney informing me the judge has granted me access
to the house to retrieve the kids’ things and mine. Colton shouldn’t be there, but my attorney is calling
the police for protection anyway. I only have a few hours to grab as much as I can. Unfortunately, no
moving companies were able to assist me. It’s okay, I’ll load all that I can into my car, and my
attorney said she would help too.
Less than half an hour later, I pull into the gated drive and follow the brick path around the two
center fountains. The house is ostentatious and overly done. It’s not at all my taste, but Colton insisted
we get it. I’ve never felt at home here. It was like living in a large museum. My attorney is waiting on
the porch beside a man. This must be Colton’s lawyer. Movement behind me catches my eye, and I
look in my rearview mirror to see a state trooper rig pulling in, followed by the local police. My
thoughts flash to Maverick. The odds of it being him are astronomical.
I step out of my vehicle in my heeled cowgirl boots. I’m glad this will be the last time I have to
come here. I changed into a pair of ripped jeans, a band T-shirt, and a long cardigan after work since
my original meeting with my attorney got rescheduled to this.
“Mrs. Rorke, I’m Wallace Brumfield. I represent Mr. Rorke in this matter.” He holds out his hand.
“Hello, Mr. Brumfield, it’s Doctor Rorke.” I can’t stop myself from correcting him. I earned the
title, and I know he didn’t use it as some sort of power play.
I turn to Nadya, one half of my legal team. She and her wife were referred to me by Sharon as the
top female divorce attorneys this side of the Mississippi.
“Hey, girl.” Nadya steps forward and hugs me. “It’s bad,” she whispers in my ear, and I pull back,
stunned.
“Shall we? It appears after you left, you failed to secure the home, and it was broken into. It’s a
complete destruction,” Mr. Brumfield says as he sweeps open the door.
“I secured the house as best as I could. Police escorted me off the premises. They said I was
breaking and entering when I tried to get my kids’ clothes.”
“Kids?” a deep, gravelly voice says behind me, and I turn to see Maverick standing there. His
face is hard and void of emotion.
I nod and step through the door.
“Oh, sweet baby Jesus,” I exclaim. I want to cuss, but I’ve been trying so hard not to. The house is
in complete disarray. Furniture is destroyed and overturned. A hand grips my arm and pulls me back.
“Let us clear the home before you enter.” Maverick pulls me outside to stand next to Nadya. She
wraps an arm around me as tears roll down my cheeks.
I can’t believe this is happening. Colton’s attorney said the house was broken into. But thieves
would have stolen things, not destroyed them. From what I could see of the family room, the
television was shattered. This has to be Colton’s doing.
I stand there trying to process everything until Maverick steps back outside. The look in his eyes
is grim, and I know the house is worse than what I glimpsed.
“Are you sure you want to go in there? I’m having techs come out to dust for prints, but there is
nothing salvageable. Lydia, it’s bad.”
I have to go inside. I need to make sure the things I secured are here. The last few months I’d been
planning for the eventuality that I was going to have to leave Colton because he and I just weren’t in
love anymore. My impromptu trip to Dallas had been a last-ditch effort to see if our marriage could
be saved. I started hiding some of the kids’ and my special things. I couldn’t hide money because
Colton watched every penny coming and going from our account. I’m glad I prepped, but I need to
know if he found the stuff.
“I need to go.” I hear how tiny my voice sounds. Maverick reaches out a hand to me.
“Don’t touch anything, okay?”
I nod at him in response. When his hand settles on my back, I calm. We move through the house,
finding that everything has been destroyed in each room. There is nothing left for me to take. Pictures
have been shredded and litter the floor. He couldn’t even leave our kids’ rooms alone. He’s lost his
mind. The master bedroom has the most destruction. Feathers from the down comforter lie all over
every surface. The wallpaper has been ripped from the walls. I can’t stop my feet, I run from
Maverick toward the closet.
All of my clothes have been cut and are ruined, but I don’t care about that. I move toward the back
and fall to my knees. Shards of glass from the broken mirror prick my jeans and slice my exposed
skin. I pull off the section of wall panel I found loose years ago. Reaching inside the hole, I feel for
the box and pull it out. I open it to find the kids’ baby books, pictures of them, of my family before I
lost my parents, my wedding, and other mementos in the box. Michelle and Micah’s special things are
in there too. I see the jewelry box I put in there a couple of months ago and sigh.
“It’s still here and safe.” I look up at Maverick. “I don’t understand why—” I wave my hand at
everything, unable to put my feelings into words.
“The attorney said thieves broke in, but this looks personal. Your office is just as bad as this
room.” His voice is gruff, full of emotion. He reaches down for me and helps me up. He takes the box
from my hand. “I think you need to consider a restraining order because this is more than likely your
ex.”
 “My attorneys have already filed for one. Why would he destroy the kids’ things too?”
“I see you have a boy and a girl.” He doesn’t answer my question, not that I expected him to. He
wouldn’t know what went through Colton’s mind.
“Yeah, they are fraternal twins. Micah and Michelle. They are everything to me.” I give him a
watery smile.

Maverick

I look down at her and can’t stop myself from rubbing a thumb across her cheek to wipe away the
tears. Her lips open slightly with a small sigh. She is so beautiful. Her skin is soft. My hand spasms
and my fingers brush into her silky hair. It’s loose and hanging in thick waves down to the middle of
her back. I love the shiny mahogany color. Her ember golden hazel eyes look up at me. I hear
someone moving toward us and step back. I can’t be this into her already.
My captain asked if I could help fill in with the local police because they were shorthanded.
Normally, we don’t assist in this kind of thing. But I’m glad I was here. I’m going to get the Tennessee
Bureau of Investigation on this robbery. I know it’s not that. This is straight up her ex trying to control
her by fear.
Keeping my voice low so his attorney can’t hear, I say, “You know this was him, right? Your ex.”
“Y-Yes. I don’t understand why he would do that to the kids’ rooms,” she says.
“Because of what you just said. They are everything to you. He knows he can get to you through
them. Please tell me you’re somewhere safe?”
“I am. He doesn’t know where I’m staying. I have a friend, Sydney, the girl who was in the break
room with me, her mom is an attorney. She helped me hide as soon as I found out he was cheating on
me. My brother wants me to come home.” Her voice is soft, missing the life it had earlier in the day
when she was teasing me.
I need to get her out of her head. I reach out and pull a thick strand of her hair. “I see you do know
how to let your hair down.” I joke with her, and she instantly smiles.
“I can’t believe you were so jealous that you left the house unlocked and let this happen. Did you
see your children’s rooms?” Her ex’s lawyer walks into the master suite and finds us in the closet. It
takes everything in me not to pound him into the cream-colored carpet. Instead, I move toward the
door and shoulder check him as I pass.
“Oh, excuse me,” I say as if I didn’t realize I did it. I hear a musical giggle from behind me and
turn back to see her trying to hide her smile. Her dimple is peeking out.
“Mr. Brumfield, my attorney will catalogue all of the damages. We will be in contact.” She holds
her head high and walks out of the room. I follow her and try not to focus on her heart-shaped ass in
those tight as fuck jeans. She moves down the stairs and meets her attorney.
I watch as they talk for a moment and then she goes out to her car. I follow right behind her. I can’t
be this near her without being closer.
“Lydia,” I say her name. She turns to look at me, and I notice her eyes go over my shoulder.
“Doctor Rorke, you have my card if you need further assistance.” I turn, but she stops me.
 “Um, I don’t.” Her voice is quiet again.
I move close to her so we aren’t overheard. “I gave it to you earlier.” I look into her eyes.
“I didn’t take it.” She looks down as she pulls her bottom lip between her white teeth and works
the tender flesh. I want to bite it, but I step back before I push her into the side of her car.
I reach into my pocket and pull out another. This time I write my personal cell on the back of it
before handing it to her.
“Call me if you need me. Anytime.”
She looks up at me as I hear the ex’s attorney’s whiny voice. “Mrs. Roark.”
“I believe she told you to address her as Doctor,” I growl at him.
“I need to know your location so I can send any papers to you,” he says.
“No, you don’t. All communication is to go through me and my office.” Her attorney comes to
stand beside her.
I look back at the house and then to her. She doesn’t fit this house. She doesn’t fit the life that was
obviously here before. I walk away toward my vehicle, not hearing anymore and trying to push her
from my thoughts.

An hour and a half later, I’m pulling into the driveway of the small house I rent in Smyrna. I had to file
reports for Lydia’s break-in, and the state guys wanted to get my perspective on the damage. They
showed up before I left, and I ended up staying instead of following behind Lydia and trying not to
stalk her.
“Hey, boy, how was your day?” I pat Sully on the head when I enter the house.
The large Newfoundland’s tongue lolls out of his mouth. I got him from a good friend of mine’s
cousin who trains dogs. He isn’t a working dog as much as he’s my companion. After I got out of the
military, I was having lots of nightmares. My friend, Zeke, told me his cousin could help me. Sullivan
has been with me for the last two years. He liked the cold of New York but is settling into the
Tennessee weather now.
I give Sully more love and pet his long black-haired head before heading to my room to change
out of my uniform. I throw on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a T-shirt, then head to the kitchen to
feed Sully and myself.
After dinner, I grab a beer from the fridge and move to the dining room table and makeshift desk. I
fire up my laptop and settle into a chair to research my new fascination, Lydia Rorke.
CHAPTER 3
 MAVERICK

M
y cell phone rings, and I look at the dashboard in frustration. The call is from an unknown
number. It could be work, but I don’t want to be called in again. It’s been a frustrating three
weeks between the animal trafficking case and not hearing from Lydia. I think about ignoring
the call when something inside of me urges me to answer.
“Yeah,” I say, praying it’s some telemarketer.
“Sergeant Whitlock, it’s Doctor Rorke.” I hear a catch in Lydia’s voice. “Sydney’s car has been
vandalized in the zoo parking lot. I need help,” she says softly, her drawl thick.
I flip the lights on and whip the car around, back toward Nashville. I’m only halfway home, so it
should take me about fifteen minutes to reach her.
“I’m on my way. Don’t go near it, and get security to you,” I growl into the phone.
“Okay.” She hangs up. Damn woman hung up on me before I could make sure she was okay.
I’m about to dial her back when the traffic in front of me zigs instead of zags out of my way. I hate
that my safety lights cause people to panic or do stupid shit. I move into the carpool lane, making
people get out of my way. With half a mile to go before the exit, I make my way over to the right lane.
My tires squeal as I pull into the employee parking lot.
I’m barely in park when I’m out of the SUV and heading right for her.
“Are you okay?” I bark at her, my emotions taking over. I could have lost her without ever tasting
her lips.
“I’m fine, but Sydney’s car has been vandalized.” She points behind her, turning away from me.
She’s in another pair of tight jeans, and I can tell she’s lost some weight since I last saw her. Her
tiny waist is shrinking, as well as the curves I can’t wait to hold on to. Her leather jacket is open, and
the shirt she’s wearing shows off the swells of her breasts. I look between her and the car a couple of
times. She called me for her friend. I thought she was hurt.
“You called me for that?” I wave my hand toward the car.
“Well, yeah. I wanted someone to come help us right away. What if the perpetrator is in the area
watching us? Look at the knife they left behind.” She points at a machete on the ground.
Fuck, she’s right. What if they are still watching and waiting to attack. I grab her hand and drag
her to my truck. She fights me for a moment and then gives up. She’s in high-heeled shoes. For a
fleeting moment I wonder if she’s going on a date, or if she and the ex-husband got back together.
“Come on, Sydney,” I yell at the redhead.
I open the passenger door and lift Lydia up into the seat. Just the feel of her waist causes my hands
to tingle. I need to focus on her safety. I turn my back on her, blocking her from view and rest my hand
on my holster as I question her friend.
“Do you have any enemies?” I ask her, then turn to Lydia. “Or is this the ex?”
“Not my ex, although he could be mad at Sydney for helping me and the kids hide from him.” I
watch her as worry fills her eyes. “Oh shoot.” She lifts her cell and places a call. “Krystal, where are
you?” She pauses as the other person responds. “Sydney’s car was vandalized. I’m going to be late.” I
hear a muffled shout from the other end of the line. “No, I don’t need you to send anyone. Please don’t
call Darrell. Police are here. I’m okay. I just needed to check on the kids.” She pauses longer this
time. “Thank you. Okay, I’ll text when I’m on the way.”
Lydia mentioning Darrell doesn’t bother me as I know he’s her brother. I got info on him and her
parents when I researched her. Some things I found are worrying, like her parents’ accident. There’s
something about it that doesn’t look right.
I turn back to Sydney. “Well, are you going to answer me?” I’m referring to my question about her
having any enemies.
“I don’t know,” she says, but I can tell she’s hiding something.
“You don’t know if you have enemies?” I tip my head to the side.
She looks me up and down, contemplating her answer. I move to make sure Lydia is covered from
all angles now that she’s off the phone.
“I don’t know if it’s them,” she says as she looks around the area.
“Who are your enemies?” I ask her again. Lydia is trying to push past me, but I hold her back.
“I can’t tell you.” Sydney moves toward her car.
I turn back to Lydia. “Don’t fucking move that sexy ass. You hear me?” Her eyes flare wide at my
words. I can’t believe I said that, but it’s true.
I join Sydney as she stops and reaches for the blade. “Don’t touch that,” I order her. “I don’t
understand why they’d use a machete. It’s a bit overkill.” I observe her as I make the comment, trying
to see if she’ll give me more.
“It’s—” She stops as more police flood the area. She shuts completely down and won’t answer
any more of my questions.

Lydia

I look around at all the flashing lights as I sit in Maverick’s truck. The more I sit here, the more upset I
get. This had to be Colton. I don’t know why I think that, but I do. He’s always been weird about
Sydney.
Speaking of which, why am I just sitting here when my friend needs me? Oh, that’s right, because
Maverick told me to.
Wait one bleeping moment. Did he order me to sit, and I stayed? I shake my head and jump down
from the truck. He may have called my ass sexy, but that’s no reason to do as he says. Ugh!
I move across the parking lot toward Maverick. “I’m not a dog.” I slam my hand onto my hip.
He shakes his head in response and mumbles something that sounds like, “A dog would listen.”
I ignore it and together we approach Sydney, who is now wrapped around her boyfriend. Tucker
arrived not too long after the rest of the police. He has his other arm protectively around Sydney’s
mother and daughter.
“I think this was Colton,” I voice my thoughts as I take in the destruction of her car. It wasn’t just
vandalized, but utterly destroyed. The interior has been slashed, and the baby seat hacked apart.
Colton’s behavior has become so erratic. Deep down I’m scared of him. I told Syd he was getting
better, but I lied. I didn’t want her to worry about how bad it’s really gotten.
“Why do you think that?” Maverick looks down at me.
I may have joked with Syd about my reasonings for calling Maverick today, but honestly he was
the first person I thought of when she told me to call the police. I was scared, and he makes me feel
safe. For the last three weeks, I’ve thought of him a lot. If my life weren’t so crazy, I’d ask him out. I
shake my head and focus on Maverick’s question.
“Who else could it be? He’s mad because he knows Sydney and Sharon are helping me. He was at
her house last month and threatened her and Tucker. Right?” I look over at them and then up to
Maverick. I watch from the corner of my eye as Tucker nods in agreement.

By the time everyone is released from the scene it’s almost midnight. I have a half-hour drive home.
Exhausted, I lean my forehead against the steering wheel and take a deep breath. I have to figure this
all out before someone gets hurt. The rapping on my window causes me to jump. I turn and see
Maverick standing there.
I roll down the window. “Yeah?”
“It’s late. How about I give you a ride home?” As always, his gravelly voice makes goose bumps
pop along my skin and makes my heart pound faster.
“No, I’m okay.” I shake my head.
“Then text me when you get home. Which way are you heading?”
“I will. Murfreesboro.” I share with him, and he nods.
“I’m heading to Smyrna. I’ll follow you until then.”
I can’t deny that it would make me feel better. My phone rings through the car’s speakers, and I
look at the screen on the dash to see my brother’s name.
“Shoot. I have to take this.” I roll up the window. “Yep,” I answer, distracted by the sight of
Maverick walking across the dark parking lot. I can make out his long legs and some of his ass in the
lights shining from Tucker’s vehicle. “Wow, that is one fine one.” I shake my head and smile to
myself.
“One fine what?” Darrell’s deep voice breaks me from my thoughts.
“Um…nothing.” My cheeks heat at getting caught checking out Maverick’s ass. My brother can’t
see me or know what I’m doing, but it still embarrasses me.
“What’s this about police being called?”
“Damn. Krystal tattled on me. Sydney’s car was vandalized. She and I weren’t touched. I called
the police, and her boyfriend came too.” I purposely don’t tell my brother about Maverick because
he’ll be all over me with questions.
“Fuck, Lydia, you’re supposed to call me yourself and tell me if things like this happen. Was it
Colton?”
I bite my lip so as not to tell him my suspicions. I didn’t tell Maverick or Sydney that Colton had a
couple of machetes like the one found by Sid’s car. He brought them home last year from a trip to
Africa with his boss. But what would Colton gain from doing that to her car? My thoughts coalesce in
my mind. I don’t understand his motivation. Plus, I don’t even know if he’s in Nashville right now.
The last I heard, via my attorneys, he was in Dallas.
“Dammit, Lydia, are you fucking listening to me?” Darrell yells into the phone.
“I’m sorry. I was trying to figure out why Colton would do this. I did think it was possible
because he’s mad at Sydney. But now that I’ve thought things over, I don’t think it’s him. I have to
focus on the road, and I’m tired. I’ll call you in the morning. I’m sorry I didn’t call. Night.” I
disconnect the call, not letting him get more words in. I see Maverick’s lights in my rearview mirror
as we continue to drive toward our homes.
My mind is still swirling with thoughts. I don’t remember seeing the machetes in his office when I
was at the house the last time. But it was so trashed and my mind was focused on other things, I doubt
I would have noticed them. Maverick flashes his high beams off and on behind me, then flips on his
turn signal. I look around and continue on toward my temporary home.
I contacted Mayson construction last week about a house they have for sale on a piece of property
near Sharon’s house. The house is large and still under construction. The kids and I would get to add
personal touches that we want to the final design. I have a meeting with Asher, the owner, in a couple
of weeks.
CHAPTER 4
 MAVERICK

I
try to focus on work and not on the little woman with the curvy body and trouble written all over
her. It doesn’t matter that it’s been two months since I last saw Lydia. I want to see her again, but I
know she needs to get through her divorce. She needs to heal from that before she considers
dating again. What if she never wants to date? What if she doesn’t want in another relationship? Her
ex did treat her badly. I shake those thoughts away because I’m not letting her get away from me.
The phone on my desk rings, and I pick it up.
“Whitlock,” I answer.
“Hey, we have some new information on the trafficking ring.” It’s the officer I was working with
at Tennessee Wildlife.
“What’s that?”
“A local businessman brought over some animals directly from Africa. He’s also been hunting
these and other animals illegally. He paid to have the Kodiak brought over and raised to be his trophy.
We don’t have a name, but we do have someone who wants to make a deal and will flip on him.” I
hear the excitement in his voice.
“That sounds perfect. I’ll be right over.” I hang up and grab my gun out of my drawer before I
make my way out to my SUV.
On the drive to the animal protection office, I try to get Lydia out of my head. I need to focus on
work and give her time. She doesn’t need another man taking over her life, because that’s what I
would do. I’d want her under constant protection until this ex was taken care of. The way he
destroyed their house disturbs me. There’s no doubt in my mind it was him.
My radio chirps as I pull up to the office. Police are requested at the Nashville Zoo. After
Sydney’s car incident, my superiors let me lead that investigation. I’m fairly certain she’s not telling
me everything, but neither is Lydia. I listen for the responding officers and wait for further
information. When the dispatcher says the call is for an uncontrolled woman, I shake it off. It can’t
have anything to do with Lydia or Sydney. I notify dispatch of my location and let them know I’ll be
off radio. I then click my radio off. If I’m needed, I can be reached via my cell phone.
An hour later I’m processing everything I just found out. It’s shocking, but the witness will only
give us a tracking number. It seems the animals are all implanted with microchips—like one would do
for their dog or cat—to keep track of them if they are taken. I’m going to have to check if Lydia or the
vet found one on the little bear.
I click on my radio and head toward the zoo. I guess I’ll be seeing the woman I’d decided I
wasn’t going to see for a while.
 Lydia

Just like every morning, I walk through the bear exhibits and check with the keepers to see what
enrichments and training they will be doing for the day. I move toward the hospital to check on the
little Kodiak. He’s finally out of the woods and healing. We’re still bottle feeding him, and we will
be for several more months. Cubs nurse from their sows for up to two years. At this age, he should be
getting ready to come out of his den with his sow. He shouldn’t have been taken from her. He’s only
four months old and should be exclusively on his sow’s milk.
I look into his special little cage in the hospital wing of the veterinary building.
“Hey, little bear, how are you today?”
We still haven’t named him. We didn’t want to grow too attached in case he didn’t make it. It’s
been a slow process nursing him back to health. Because of how young he is and the care he needs,
we won’t be able to return him to the wild. However, the board president wants him to be transferred
to another zoo. I don’t want him to leave, and the doctors don’t think he’s stable enough to move yet.
The vets say moving him now could be a detriment to his health as he’s still fragile. He’s not on solid
foods, and we have platelets from the male here we can give him if he crashes again.
“Lydia, you need to come.” A frantic zookeeper rushes into the room. Her clothes are disheveled,
and her eyes are bouncing everywhere. “President Singer said you need to take care of this.”
“Coming.” I’m thinking there is something wrong with an animal, but as we race to the entrance of
the zoo, I hear her voice. I stop in my tracks and shake my head. Why the hell is she here? I turn back
to the keeper. “Call the police.”
“They are on their way.”
“Good.” I stand as tall as I can, straightening my spine and pushing back my shoulders. I haven’t
told many people here about my personal life, but it looks like it’s about to come to a head now.
“I demand to see Doctor Rorke. Right now,” the woman screeches.
I step into her line of sight. She’s in a crazy over-the-top sexy outfit. It’s a pink cropped sweater
that barely covers her fake boobs. Her matching miniskirt is so short that if she moves just right, it
will show her hooha.
“What are you doing here?” I refrain from calling her Botox Barbie.
“You need to pay him. Call off your dog lawyers. His boss is angry and threatened to fire him.”
She advances on me.
“I’m not doing that.” I step back and crane my neck to look up at her in her ultrahigh heels. Her
perfume is overpowering and causes my eyes to water. “He made his bed, now he can lie in it. I don’t
understand why his boss has a say in what happens in his personal life.”
“Listen, bitch. Like really, you have enough money. Just give him what he deserves.” She steps
closer, and again I take a step back.
“Deserves?” I laugh. “You mean what you think you should get. Did my money pay for your latest
round of Botox.” I wave at her face and laugh again.
A tickling sensation irritates my nose from her clawing perfume, and I close my eyes to hold the
sneeze in. The air stirs slightly around me before a resounding smack stings my face. My head snaps
to the side, and everyone around us gasps. I turn back to her as the police pull up outside of the
entrance.
“Kill them with kindness.” My mother’s old advice flashes through my mind, and I smile.
“Bless your heart for reminding me why I shouldn’t turn my back on you.” The police rush up and
pull her away as she comes at me again. “Please take her away. I don’t want to press charges at this
time, but the zoo might want to.” I look at her. “As for you, he signed that prenup and he cheated, so
go to hell.” I keep my voice low so everyone around us doesn’t hear.
“I’ll get you, bitch. You can’t have all that money. You don’t need it.” She screeches as she is
pulled away.
I watch, waiting for her to be removed from the premises before I return to my tasks.
She turns her head and looks around her, eyeing the gathered crowd. A sinister smile spreads
across her face. It looks worse with her lip injections. “It’s all your fault.” Her voice hitches and the
waterworks start. “You killed my precious baby.” Her hands go to her extremely flat belly.
I don’t give her the satisfaction of a response. Instead, I turn my back and leave her to the police.
On my way back to the clinic, I’m stopped by staff numerous times to ask me work-related questions.
None of them comment on my face, which I’m sure is red from anger and embarrassment.
I step through the clinic doors and lean against them as my body begins to shake. Baby? Was she
telling the truth? I don’t think so because of the look she gave me. I’m sure she said it for shock value.
Raised voices coming from the triage area grab my attention. I steady myself before investigating
the ruckus. I enter the area and find the board president standing toe to toe with Hal, our head
veterinarian.
“Excuse me? What is going on here? Has everyone lost their minds today?”
“Doctor Rorke, what happened to you?” The president waves his hand, indicating my face.
“Nothing, I—” I brush my hand across my lower face and come away with blood.
Shocked, I turn toward the counter and look at my reflection in the glass cabinet. My lip is split,
and my cheek is red. It’s not bleeding too much, but I can’t believe no one told me. I grab a 4x4 piece
of gauze to blot the blood away before turning back to face the president.
“President Singer, why are you here?”
He hardly ever comes to the zoo unless it benefits him. Something about germs and it being dirty. I
glance around to see there are no camera crews or benefactors present. He’s a pompous ass who uses
his position on the board not only to rule over us but to also promote himself. He acts like a politician
in the making or a wannabe movie star. I wish we had a director who could head him off instead of
him being directly over me.
“I was told by a staff member that the cub has a chip. We need to scan it and return him to his
rightful owners or to the game preserve that chipped him.”
He’s right, we did find a microchip. But when we scanned it, only a phone number popped up. I
wanted to talk to Maverick about that, but I’ve been stalling. I don’t want to call him just yet because
the sooner I do, the sooner he’ll be out of my life. For some reason, I don’t want that. It’s messed up
because I don’t think I’ll ever want in a relationship with another man, but I like him.
“Technically, he’s evidence for the state of Tennessee, so we can’t hand him over. Plus, the only
information we got off the chip was a phone number,” I inform him.
“Will the state be paying his bills?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“Then call the number and get him returned. We can’t afford to keep caring for him.” He turns and
heads for the exit. I look over at Hal, who shrugs slightly. He doesn’t agree with President Singer.
 “What if the number belongs to the people who stole him?” My voice stops Singer.
He turns to face me. “Please, Doctor Rorke,”—he shakes his head as if speaking to a small child
—“this isn’t some movie. They wouldn’t do that. Now, if you won’t call, I will.” He reaches for the
phone but pauses to look at me. “You know, Doctor Rorke, you were much more agreeable and
presentable before your husband went on the road so often. Let me guess, he’s gone. When does he
come back?”
I’m momentarily shocked into silence. The gasps from the surrounding staff causes my face to
flame up.
“President Singer, my personal life is just that, personal. You have no place to comment on it.”
“I do when it comes to this zoo. I heard what happened at the gate.”
“And that’s why the board asked me to come down here and let you know you have been voted
out.” I recognize my brother’s voice immediately and avoid turning to face him.
“What happened at the gate?” My eyes flare wide at the second voice, and I turn to see Maverick
standing next to my brother.
His jaw locks and he storms toward me, but Darrell yanks him back.
“Get your hands off her. Munchie, what happened to your face?” Darrell asks.
Maverick stands there looking between the two of us. A muscle twitches in his strained neck, and
I can see the wheels spinning behind his green eyes. Darrell takes my chin in his hand and gently
moves my head around as he looks me over.
“He’s my brother,” I say to Maverick, who relaxes only slightly.
“Dispatch didn’t tell me you were hurt.” His eyes move over me. He’s taller and broader than
Darrell by a few inches. My brother has an imposing personality though, making him feel bigger.
I pull from Darrell’s arms and look back at the other men in the room before I address him.
“Darrell, I’m okay. It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”
“Nothing? We heard a woman attacked another and it turned into a catfight.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear. Colton’s fiancée came to plead his case. She only smacked
me once.” I brush the encounter off.
“Did you press charges? Was she taken in?” Maverick is firing off questions and is in full-on
police mode.
“Officer, how do you know my sister?” Darrell turns to him.
They came in together, so I assumed they knew each other. The room grows eerily quiet as my
brother slips into protection mode.
“I’ve—”
“Darrell.” I stop Maverick from saying more, or I’ll be over my brother’s shoulder and on my
way to Chattanooga before I can say “Bob’s your uncle.” I straighten my spine. “Sergeant Whitlock
and I met on this bear case.” I wave my hand toward the president and Hal. “And then he helped me
when Sydney’s car was vandalized.”
“And your house,” Maverick adds and raises his brow.
I look up at him still in his hat. He looks so sexy in his uniform, and I want to step toward him. I
want to find the comfort I found the last time we were together. But I can’t. I need to focus on my job
and raising my kids. My life is meant to be for them. I can’t and won’t bring another man into their
lives to screw with them.
“Your house?” Darrell’s voice takes on that pitch that tells me he’s close to losing it.
“I told you about that.” I step back. “What are you doing here? Your wife is about to give birth.
Go home.”
 “I was called in for an emergency board meeting. Besides, the doctor said we could have another
couple of weeks. And don’t change the subject, Lydia.”
My brother sits on the board for the Nashville Zoo. It’s something he did to stay close to me after
Colton pulled me away from him. I didn’t get my job because of my brother’s connection. Boseman
Unlimited gives to many charities, and the zoo is one of them.
“I’m the president of the board. I call the meetings, and I wasn’t told of any,” Singer says with an
air of annoyance.
Darrell turns away from me to face Singer, and Maverick moves behind him to stand at my side. I
look up at him when I feel his hand brush against mine. He looks down and lifts his thumb to softly
stroke against the bottom of my lip below the split. I close my eyes and savor his touch. Something I
can remember later.
“It was a secret emergency meeting. You mishandled the Parrish incident. You should’ve
contacted us right away instead of putting Sydney on leave. We’ve heard directly from her and her
attorneys. She told you she couldn’t be outed on camera, and you still did it. We are lucky she hasn’t
decided to sue. She will be compensated for her forced leave. We’ve also received several
complaints about you belittling employees, not including my sister, who I just heard you make a
comment about her marriage. And you are interfering in a Tennessee State Police case.”
I watch as he and President Singer face off.
“How dare you think your money can buy you a seat to protect your sister? She’s been slacking on
the job. She hasn’t been dressing professionally in months. And she’s had to come in late several
times.”
I’m about to defend myself, but my brother isn’t finished. “My sister is going through a very messy
divorce. Instead of confirming if the woman at the front entrance was here on business, you allowed
an employee to tell Lydia to go to the gate, where she was then attacked. Lydia should feel safe where
she works. As for her attire, you can’t dictate what she wears. Nowhere in the employee handbook
does it state the curator is to dress in business professional attire. She can’t do her job in those
clothes. My family’s money isn’t protecting my sister’s position, the board of directors is doing that.
She held this position before I got on the board. And now, as the acting president, I’m sure I will do a
better job than you.”
“Darrell, you can’t be here to do that.” I remind him.
“I don’t plan to. The vice president will be coming around more often, and we are creating a
director position. The new position will oversee all the curators.”
Our zoo is different than some because we have curators for each section instead of one for the
whole zoo. This allows us to have a specialist in each area. I’m the curator for the mammals, and we
have one for reptiles, birds, arthropods, fish, and amphibians. I have several zookeepers under me
who specialize in their animals and help me if I need it. But everyone answers to the board. To hear
that Singer is being fired or suspended is mind-boggling. He’s been here since I started, and most of
the board has been scared of him.
“This zoo is going to go under if you let just any animal stay here.” Singer swings his arm toward
where the baby bear is recovering.
“I believe I can talk to the state, and we can see what we can do. That cub is technically evidence.
Especially if it’s true you found a tracker on it.” Maverick buts in.
“Mr. Singer, please leave the property.” My brother issues the statement as soon as two security
guards step into the area.
Singer huffs and storms out. Darrell turns to Maverick and me.
 “Now, what is this about a tracker on the cub?”
I turn to look at Hal before I look up at Maverick.
“While taking X-rays on the cub, we found a small chip. Both Lydia and I knew what it was, and
she said she would get ahold of Sergeant Whitlock to let him know that we found it. I don’t believe
we should call the phone number we found when we scanned it. Zoo animals aren’t chipped normally,
it’s not a practice that we do. But private facilities might. President Singer thought we should call the
number and let them know we had the cub.” Hal explains.
“Um, actually,” one of the techs interjects, “I know for a fact he called them already. He left a
message saying that we have the cub.”
That butthole. Singer acted like the chip was news to him.
“Shit,” Maverick exclaims.
“Why is this a problem?” Darrell looks around the room.
“Because I found out today that the trafficking ring we are trying to bust puts chips in the animals.
It means that you all could be in danger now.” Maverick moves closer to me, but my brother blocks
his path.
“Then I guess that means you’re coming home with me, Sis.” Darrell has a satisfied grin on his
face. This is what he’s been wanting ever since the beginning.
“No.” I step away from both of them. I’m not going to be dictated to, and I’m not going to give up
my life for them. “I’m not leaving. The kids have Krystal, and I have the security that’s here at the zoo.
I’ll be fine.” I look at Maverick, and he gives me a slight nod. “I’m not leaving,” I say to my brother.
“Go home.”
I head out of the building and hear both of them following behind me. Darrell is grumbling to
Maverick about me being headstrong, but I ignore him. I have work to do, and I have a meeting later
today to secure the kids’ and my future.
“Wait, Lydia.” I stop at Maverick’s words.
I turn around and almost collide with him. His strong hands grip my hips to keep me from falling,
and my hands land on his wide chest. I look up at him and grip his shirt as I feel him surround me. His
woodsy scent combined with his natural scent overtakes my senses. I try to control my breathing, but
when I look into his beautiful green eyes, I know I didn’t do so well. A warm flush works its way
over my skin, and I hear my brother clear his throat. But I’m only focused on the man whose arms I’m
in. I shouldn’t want this. I can’t want this. Yet all I can think about is those lips of his coming down on
mine.
I feel his cock harden against my belly, and he clears his throat and steps back. The action is like
a bucket of ice-cold water being dumped over my head.
“Sorry.” I look down, trying to hide my embarrassment.
“I’ll be in touch. We need to discuss what to do about this latest development with the tracker.” I
look up again as he moves away from me. His long strides carry him in the opposite direction. The
path he should be headed. He doesn’t need to get involved with me.
“I see how it is.” Darrell’s voice breaks through the sexual fog, and I turn to look at him, knowing
I’m still flushed.
“It’s not like that.” I’m quick to defend myself.
“Sure. I’ll let you be for now. But I swear, Sis, one more thing, and you and the kids are coming
home with me. I know I can keep you safe at home.” He leans down and kisses my forehead before he
turns away from me too.
I stand there in the middle of the zoo thinking of both these men. One I love more than life and the
other I want more than anything. I shake my head and let it all fall away from me so I can focus on my
day.
CHAPTER 5
 LYDIA

I
’m sitting in the small restaurant waiting for the contractor. He messaged me earlier and said he
was bringing his wife. Sydney told me they are nice and I’ll like them, but I’m a bit nervous. I’ve
never met a businessperson in such a casual way.
I look up as the door opens and a beautiful woman steps in with a tall, muscular man behind her.
They are older, but you can tell he still works out and she is aging beautifully. He looks over at me,
and they start weaving through the tables toward the booth I’m in. As they approach, the man looks
around, keeping an eye on everyone around us but still has a hand on her back. You can feel their love
as they get closer to me.
I stand when they stop at my table.
“Lydia?” he asks.
“You must be Asher Mayson?” I reach out my hand, and his big hand engulfs mine.
“Yes. This is my wife, November.” He introduces us. I reach for her hand, but she pulls me in for
a hug instead.
“When Sydney told us about you, I had to come meet you.” Her hug is warm and comforting. A
mom’s hug. It causes a burn behind my eyes and a tickle at the back of my throat. I miss these kinds of
hugs.
She pulls back and her hand brushes my cheek with a knowing smile. He directs her to slide into
the booth across from where I was sitting. She pulls out the plans, and they wait until I sit to begin.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming along. This house is such a special design, I wanted to meet the
family that was going to get it,” she says as she spreads out the plans.
“How about we order something to drink first?” Asher offers, and the waitress moves toward us
when he raises his arm. We give her our order, and my gut clenches with nerves. This is the first
house that I’ve purchased myself and is what I want. Not that monstrosity that Colton insisted we live
in.
After the drinks arrive, we look down at the plans together.
“So, as you can see, Doctor Rorke, we have the rooms primarily done. We just need the interior
design finished. You’ll be able to pick your paint, countertops, appliances, and more.” Asher spreads
some pictures across the table.
I haven’t been able to go to the house and look inside because he said the place wasn’t safe for
the kids yet.
“I can put you in touch with someone to get the pool in.”
“Oh yes! Sydney said you have a young boy and girl. A pool would be so good for them. Our
contact will even set up a fence for the kids’ protection,” November says, her voice full of
excitement.
I smile at her. “They’d love that. I put them in swim lessons when they were toddlers, and their
nanny takes them swimming regularly as their schedules allow.” I can’t help the pitch of my voice
because I’m getting excited now too.
“The house design is a farmhouse style, but when November saw it, she said someone would love
it for the wraparound porch and the floorplan.”
“I love the style, but honestly, how long is all of this going to take? I’m staying at a friend’s rental
currently.”
“Sharon and Sydney contacted me already as references for you. I’m sure Sharon won’t mind you
staying there for the next three months. Is that soon enough?”
“Yes, that will be before the new school year. The kids can finish off where they are now and then
we can move into the new place before they start school.” I smile at him. He’s extremely handsome,
in an older gentleman way. His daughter July was best friends with Sydney growing up. She’s a local
veterinarian. I’ve driven past her place a few times while exploring Murfreesboro.
“I’m also supposed to give you this card.” He hands me one of July’s business cards. “Something
about you wanted to get a pet for your kids.” He laughs, and I can’t stop my smile. If my dad were
alive, he’d like Mr. Mayson. My parents would like both of them.
“Mr. Mayson, thank you so much. Yes, I was going to let them get a dog after we moved in and got
settled. My ex never allowed it. I grew up with dogs and think it would be good for them both.”
“Call us Asher and November,” he corrects me, and I smile at both of them.
“A dog would be so good for the kids. Our girls had my Great Dane, Beast, for a long time when
they were little,” November adds, and her eyes take on that faraway look people get when they reflect
on the past.
“We had Golden Doodles because my brother was allergic. But my ex hated dog hair and said he
didn’t want to be responsible when the kids didn’t do their chores.” I laugh it off, but I can tell they
don’t think it’s very funny.
“He sounds…interesting,” they both say at the same time.
I watch as they look into each other’s eyes and chuckle. My heart thumps, and I want what they
have. I want to look at someone and love them like these two love each other.
“I’m so sorry.” Pink blossoms on my cheeks. “I didn’t mean to talk about him so much. We are
still newly separated and I’m adjusting.” I try to laugh it off, but it’s hollow sounding. I don’t tell them
about my run-in with his fiancée earlier today.
“What do your parents think of all this?” Asher waves his hand at my face, and I know he sees
what I’ve been trying to hide all day.
I reach up and touch my cheek. But the pain in my heart is worse at the mention of my parents. I
know my dad would have been right there with Darrell wanting to go after Colton. I honestly don’t
think my father would have given his consent for us to marry. Like so many things since my
separation, I’m looking back, and I remember how much my dad didn’t like Colton. How Colton
reacted when my parents died. It floods through my system, and I lower my eyes before I look up
again.
I take a deep breath and exhale before I respond. “My parents were killed before Colton and I got
married. I think my father would be of the same mind as my brother on this situation.” I pause.
“Honestly, when Colton and I dated in high school, Daddy didn’t hate him. But he always said I could
do better, and that Colton only saw dollar signs with me. They died when I was a senior in high
school. My brother took over as my parent. He shouldn’t have had that responsibility. He was still
young himself. I think that’s why it took Darrell so long to finally settle down and get married.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” November reaches across the table and pats my hand gently. I try to
hold the tears back, but one slips free. Today has been too emotional for me.
“My parents would have been so proud that I followed my dreams, but they would be heartbroken
that I’m going through all this now.”
“They sound like good parents. You said on the phone you’re from Chattanooga?” Asher asks me,
and I give him my focus now.
“Yes, my family dates back to colonial times there.”
“Wait, are you by any chance related to Darrell Boseman?” He says my brother’s name slowly. I
can’t tell if it’s in a good or bad way. My brother is really good at business, but that doesn’t mean he
doesn’t make enemies too.
“That’s my brother.” I nod at him.
“He wanted us to do his new commercial construction in Nashville, but we were too busy. That
was a couple of years ago.”
“Yes.” I try to hide my disappointment because that was when my brother and I had such a strain
on our relationship because of Colton.
“Yes good or yes bad?” he asks.
For some reason, maybe it’s because he’s a father of girls and would understand, or it’s just
because he’s nice, I find myself unloading everything to them both. They are basically complete
strangers, yet I tell them so much. When I’m done, Asher stands and pulls me from my side of the
booth to give me a hug. More tears leak from my eyes at the act. It’s such a dad move and something
I’ve missed for so long.
“Thank you for listening to me. I shouldn’t have unloaded but—” I hiccup.
“Don’t apologize. You needed someone to hear you. I agree with your brother, you need to get
away from him. We’ll help. I have a cousin or my nephew who can install a security system.” He pats
my back, and when I pull away, I do feel a bit stronger.
“Excuse me, my turn,” November says and moves around him to take me in her arms next. I try to
hold the tears in, but they come out again.
“I’m so sorry. I’m a blubbering idiot today. Colton’s fiancée came to the zoo earlier and attacked
me.” I wave to my face. “She claimed she was pregnant with his baby. I don’t believe it because he
had a vasectomy after we had the twins. He said he didn’t need any more mouths to feed. But I know
he could have gotten it reversed.”
“Attacked you?” they both say as they settle back into the booth across from me.
“Yeah.”
“Did you file a restraining order? I have another nephew who is a police officer and can help
with that.”
“I called my attorneys. They wanted me to file a restraining order against her, but I told them I
don’t need it. She’s probably on a plane back to Texas and I won’t see her again.”
“You need to think of your babies and protect them. A restraining order is what you need,”
November says as she reaches across the table and takes my hand.
“Did Sharon help you get an attorney?” Asher asks me, and I look at him.
“Yep. Before my flight back from Dallas landed, Sharon and Sydney had me two attorneys. They
are really good. They’ve been helping with the divorce, and the Bozeman company attorney is helping
with the prenup issues.”
 “Issues?” I watch his brow raise.
“Colton is contesting the prenuptial agreement on the basis that we had the twins. He’s stating it
shouldn’t have been signed because I was already pregnant when we got married. That we’d had an
agreement based on that.”
He chuffs a laugh. “That’s ridiculous.”
“We all agree with you, but he’s grasping at straws. He even froze me out of our joint accounts.
But don’t worry, I’m good for the house. I have my trust fund that he never was able to touch. It’s the
company shares that he’s contesting.” I sigh and look back down at the plans. A future my kids and I
need. “I can’t wait to take the kids to see the house.”
“Oh, they’ll love it,” November says. “This is a perfect house for a growing family. How about
this weekend you come by? We are having a family barbecue. Bring the kids. There will be plenty of
them around. I think Sydney and Tucker will be there. Plus, you can see our pool and get ideas for
your own.”
“I’d love to. Thank you for inviting me.”
I smile at them both, and we put away the plans to order food. Krystal was taking the kids out for
pizza tonight.
I need to figure out what I’m going to tell the kids when they see my busted lip. I don’t want them
to worry, so I’m trying to come up with the perfect lie. This is one of those things that they don’t need
to know about.
“I told you I’d make you sorry,” a woman screeches from the front of the restaurant, and now I
regret not getting that protective order. There stands Deedee even more frazzled looking than she did
earlier.
Everyone in the restaurant turns to look at her. I’m up and moving toward her. This time I make
sure there is space between us.
“Deedee, this isn’t the place or time. Please don’t make me get a restraining order against you.”
“It’s all your fault. He is in hiding because of you. He could lose his job. I lost our baby because
of you.” She says the last part louder, and people gasp.
I feel someone come up behind me, but I don’t acknowledge them. I learned not to take my eyes
off her earlier.
“Ma’am, you need to step outside, lower your voice, and walk away before the police show up,”
Asher says.
“Are you fucking this man?” Deedee says and waves her hand behind me.
“No. He’s a friend.”
“Women can’t be friends with men.” She says the statement like she believes it.
“Well, I am a friend, and I’m happily married. Now again, step outside.”
“You don’t own this place. I can do whatever I want, it’s a free world.” Deedee looks back down
to me. “I got you this time. Your car is ruined.”
“What?” I gasp and move around her and rush toward the door. My ponytail is grabbed from
behind, and I reach up to hold on so she can’t pull out any hair. “Let me go right now,” I cry out and
hear people moving around me.
“Let her go,” Asher says, and I can make out someone crying. I’m sure it’s November, but I can’t
look over to see. I’m focused on not falling as Deedee pulls me deeper into the restaurant. She knows
she can’t win this time. I’m going to file charges against her. Plus, she just admitted to damaging my
car.
I look toward the door when the bell dings. In walks a tall man with a police badge clipped to his
belt. He takes in the scene and shakes his head, then he pulls out his cell. He texts something before he
moves toward us.
“Let her go,” he orders Deedee. But she pulls harder instead.
I slip, losing my footing. I fall and land at her feet hard on my wrist. My hair feels like it’s being
ripped from my head.
“Hands up,” the police officer orders. “Stay back, Aunt November,” the cop says, and I turn to see
November trying to make her way to me, but Asher holds her back.
“I can’t believe you’re going to take her side, just like those cops earlier,” Deedee whines.
There’s another ding of the bell, and my heart stops this time when I look toward it. Maverick is
standing in the entrance with his jaw locked tight. He’s in a pair of jeans and a flannel over a T-shirt.
His cowboy boots move toward us. The other cop has Deedee turned around and I hear the click of
cuffs. Maverick squats down to look at me.
“Hey, little one, we need to stop meeting like this.”
I try to smile, but it’s watery and I feel tears rolling down my face. He helps me up, but I cry out
when he goes to take my hand. Looking down, I see my wrist swelling and bruising already.
“We’re going to need an ambulance, Cobi,” he says to the other officer.
“You heard,” Cobi says to a uniformed cop who’s joined us.
“I don’t need one. I’m just bruised. It’s nothing.” I try to redirect them. “She said she damaged my
car.”
“First, baby, you are getting that looked at. Second, your car is minor compared to you.” Maverick
lifts me in his arms and carries me out of the restaurant. As the ambulance pulls up, he moves to the
back of it and waits for them to open it up.
“Why are you here?” I look up at him. He’s sporting a ball cap over his head, and I notice that
instead of his short dark hair along the sides of his head, he’s clean-shaven. No hair.
“I was here for the St. Baldrick’s drive, just had my head shaved.” He looks down at me. “And
Cobi is a friend of mine. When his aunt called him about the situation, I headed this way. Knew there
could only be one Doctor Lydia Rorke.” His lips tip up.
“She called him directly?”
“Sure did, babe.”

Maverick

I stand in the hallway of the ER and wait for them to call me back to be with her. I’m not her family,
but I want to be there with her. I know her brother already headed back to Chattanooga. He called me
this afternoon and ordered me to let him know if she had any more issues. But now she’s made me
swear not to tell him because he’ll make her go home and she doesn’t want to leave.
I understand what she’s saying. I don’t want her to leave, but I also don’t want her in danger.
Deedee is being charged with assault and destruction of property. Lydia’s attorneys are getting a
restraining order. I’m glad I was close by to help her.
I pull the hat off my freshly shaven head and rub a hand across it. I do this every year. I shave my
head to support the fundraiser for cancer research.
“Sergeant Whitlock.” A nurse comes out the door.
I move toward her, and she shows me down the hall toward a curtained off room. I step inside and
find Lydia sitting up in the bed. Her arm is on a pillow with an ice pack on it. She opens her eyes and
looks at me. I can see the pain in them and instantly something inside me breaks. This woman has
been through so much over the last few months. She deserves a break, and I intend to make sure she
gets it.
I don’t tell her that she’s off the bear case because I want to protect her, but she’ll find out soon
enough. She can help with its care still, but I don’t want her to know what’s going on. She doesn’t
need that.
I move to her side and take her good hand in mine.
“I’m going to have to learn to write with a brace on for the next few weeks. They’re hoping I
won’t need surgery, but they’ll brace it until I can see a surgeon next week.”
“Baby, that looks painful. Did they give you anything?” She lifts the bag of ice up to show me her
very purple and swollen wrist. Even her fingers are swollen. Her wrist tattoos stick out more.
“No. I can’t because I need to take a cab home. I don’t want Krystal to scare the kids by bringing
them here. They’ve been through so much already.”
“I’ll give you a ride home. Take the meds, you’ll feel better.”
She takes a deep breath and lays her head back against the bed. “Maybe in a bit.”
I grab her nurse call button and push it.
“Yes?” A nurse steps through the curtain a moment later.
“She needs something for the pain.”
“We’ve been trying to get her to take something. It’s going to really hurt when we have to get the
brace on it.”
“She’s ready now,” I say and look back at Lydia. She has a single dark eyebrow raised and her
lips are pinched. Her beautiful hazel golden eyes take me in. I can see the pain she is in, but she’s
trying to play it off as being tired.
“I didn’t say that,” she says after the nurse leaves the room.
A few minutes later the nurse returns to inject meds into the IV in Lydia’s other arm.
I swear the moment I entered the restaurant and saw Deedee with her hand wrapped around
Lydia’s ponytail dragging her to the back of the place, I almost pulled my gun and shot her right there
for touching her. Thank goodness Cobi was there.
Cobi and I met in the military. He was the one who talked me into moving down here to
Tennessee. He’d wanted me to get on with the department he’s with, and I’m still considering
transferring to them, but I like what I’ve done so far with the state police.
“What are you giving me?” Lydia asks the nurse.
“A pain med, anti-inflammatory, and a mild sedative so we can manipulate your wrist before we
put it into the brace.” The nurse turns and walks out, and I watch as Lydia lies back.
I sit there and watch her. I know she’s not ready for another relationship, but I’ll be there when
she’s ready. I can’t not be there now. After everything that happened to her today, I’ve realized how
much she means to me.
The doctor and a couple of nurses come in after a few moments, and Lydia is definitely feeling the
effects of the medications. They move her wrist into the position they want it for healing and slip the
brace over it. I give her my hand, and she squeezes it while trying to not cry out as they get it set. I
brush the tears from her face and lean over to kiss her forehead. The soft feel of her skin under my
lips makes me want to kiss her lips, but I can’t do that.
When she’s discharged, I sign the papers and carry her out to my truck. Her car was towed to a
shop for repairs. She fell asleep before we even exited the hospital.
“I figured I’d find you here.” Cobi’s voice breaks through the darkness that has settled in over the
late hour.
“I couldn’t just leave her, and she made me swear not to call her brother.” He opens my passenger
side door, and I set her inside. I buckle her in and her head lolls to the side as she continues to sleep.
I close the door and turn to look back at Cobi.
He pulls out a business card and hands it to me. “Have her call me tomorrow.”
“I’ll let her nanny know.”
I want to stay with her and make sure she’s okay, but again, she’s not ready for me to invade her
life that way. I’ll give her the time she needs. One of the main things she needs is to finalize her
divorce.
“Have fun.” He chuckles as he walks away, and I hear him mumble something about a Boom.
Don’t know what he means by that.

We are almost to her house when I hear her.

“Do you really think my ass is sexy?” She slurs her words, so I know she’s not completely with it.
“Sure do, little one.” I laugh as I take my eyes off the road for a moment to look at her. Her eyes
have a glassiness that I can see in the darkness of the cab of the truck.
She takes a big breath and smiles at me. “Then can we have sex now. I want it so bad. I dream
about you all the time.”
I almost slam on my brakes in shock. I slow down and pull over to the side of the road. I’m sure
she isn’t going to remember this, but I want her to know the truth of why I’m turning her down.
Lydia starts to undo her seatbelt, but I put my hand over hers.
“No, stay right there.” I hear the gruffness in my voice from need. My cock is rock-hard, wanting
what she’s offering. I lean into her space and right in her face. I’m going to regret this later, but I can’t
stop myself. I take her lips in a soft kiss. It’s quick, but it’s seared on my soul. I want more. Need
more, but I pull back a bit.
“When I take you the first time, you’re not going to be drugged up and hurting. And you’re going to
be divorced from that asshole. You’ll also beg me for it.”
“Yes,” she says as she places her hands against my cheek. Her brace is hard and cold against my
skin, but her left hand is small and delicate. She pulls me down to her, and this time when I kiss her,
it’s longer. She is about to open when I pull back. If I get her full taste on my tongue, I’ll have a harder
time pulling away.
“Soon, little one.” I sit back in my seat and put the truck in gear.
When I pull up to her house, she’s out again, so I carry her up the stairs. A taller woman is
standing at the door waiting for me.
“You must be Sergeant Whitlock. I’m Krystal.” She doesn’t give me a last name. From what Lydia
said before, I know that she’s actually the kids’ security and not just their nanny. Her dark hair is
hanging around her shoulders, and she steps back as I move through the doorway. She takes one look
at Lydia and shakes her head. “Take her to her room.” She points and I head in that direction.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
"I told you," he said to Halfrich, "Just a blowhole, that's all."
"The blips on the record moved," said Halfrich. "There was more than
this."
"Look around you!" cried Kellard desperately. "Do you see anything
moving, anything that could move? You were wrong, Halfrich. Do you
have to keep us here until we all die, because you can't admit you're
wrong?"
Halfrich hesitated. "I wasn't wrong. You're still lying. But we'll go back
to the ship and wait."
They turned their backs on the fire-fountain, and Kellard felt the sweat
pouring on his forehead. It hadn't happened this time, and they
couldn't wait forever, they would have to go away and—
Morgenson's voice chattered in their ears. "Blips showing, coming—"
And then he suddenly yelled, "I see them! They—"
Halfrich swung around with ponderous swiftness. There was nothing
between them and the fire-fountain, nothing around the spouting
flames.
"Above you, coming down!" shouted Morgenson. "My God, what—?"
Kellard slowly raised his head. Because he knew what to look for, he
saw them while Halfrich was still gazing around searching.
They came flashing down out of the sky. There were four of them this
time—no, five. They were like five individual swirls of shining light, so
bright that the sun-bleached heavens seemed to darken around
them.
Halfrich said bewilderedly, "I don't see—"
Kellard pointed upward. "There."
"Those flakes of flame?"
"Not flakes of flame," said Kellard. "They are the children of the
stars."
Halfrich went rigid, staring upward. And now Kellard knew that there
was no more hope. No hope at all.

The five bright things had flashed down toward the great fire-fountain.
They plunged into it, out of it, climbed swift as the eye could follow,
racing up its mighty geyser, frolicking in it joyously. The fountain raved
higher and the five sped up and whirled and danced upon its rising
plume, and Kellard thought that they were laughing.
In and out of the leaping fires they plunged, and then one of them
veered down toward the place where Halfrich and Kellard stood.
There was something so humanly purposeful in its sudden movement
that Halfrich stepped back.
"Stand still," said Kellard.
"But—" Halfrich protested.
"They won't hurt us," said Kellard, his voice flat and dull. "They're
friendly, playful, curious. Stand still."
And now all five of the flashing flames were around them, darting,
recoiling, then gliding forward again to touch their heat-armor with
questing tendrils of living force, living light.
Halfrich spoke, trying to keep his voice steady but forming the words
in a choked fashion.
"Something—in my mind—"
"They're telepathic, in a way you can't even imagine," said Kellard.
"And they're curious. They're curious about us, what we are, how we
think. They can merge minds with us, somehow." And he added, with
a last cruel impulse of dying anger, "You wanted to know. Now know."
He had time to say nothing more before the impact hit him, just as it
had that other time, the full stunning shock of unearthly minds
interlocking with his own, searching out his thoughts and memories.
Curious, yes. Like children who have found strange, ungainly
creatures and wish to know how they live. And as they entered his
mind, Kellard's mind entered theirs, fused with them, and there was
again the dizzying whirl of memories and feelings that were not his
own, that his different, more brutishly physical nature could never
apprehend more than dimly.
But that half-apprehension was staggering. He was no longer Hugh
Kellard, a man with flesh and bones who had been born on an air-
drowned heavy planet named Earth.
He was one of the children of the stars.
His memory stretched far back, for his life was almost unlimited in
time. For long and long beyond human comprehension he had lived
with his companions the strange and beautiful life of their kind.
Born of the stars, of the unimaginable forces, pressures,
temperatures, atomic conditions within the mighty suns. Born, as the
end product of an evolutionary chain almost as old as the universe
itself, a grouping of photons that grew toward consciousness, toward
individuality and volition. Their bodies were force, rather than matter,
their senses had nothing to do with sight or hearing, their movement
was an effortless flash and glide as fast as the photons of light itself.

With the other kind of life in the universe, the heavy slow-moving
things of matter that grew upon the comparatively cold, dark planets,
they had had nothing to do at all. They were of the suns, not the
planets, and those chill worlds of fixed, solid matter so repelled them
that they would not even approach most of them.
Star-child, star-child, at home in the bursting splendors of the stellar
fires, and able to move like light from star to star. And again Kellard
felt the agony of that ecstasy that was his in this shared memory.
"We things of matter, we men, who thought that space and the stars
would be ours—"
But how could the wide universe belong to solid, heavy, physical
creatures who must painfully move in bubbles of air, who crawled
between the petty planets encased in metal tombs, who could not
even approach the glories of the great suns?
No, the ecstasy was one that men would never know except at
secondhand through this brief contact! The glorious rush together of
the star-children through the vast abysses, drinking up the energy of
the radiation about them. The audacious and dangerous coasting
along the shores of dark nebulae, racing the lumbering comets and
leaving them behind, on until you felt through all your photons the
beckoning warmth of the star you approached. Ignore the cinders
called planets that creep around it, speed faster, faster, brothers, the
way has been long but we are almost there! And now the radiation
that was so weak in the outer darks is strong and lusty-roaring, and
the great prominences reach out like arms to gather us in. The shock,
the joy, of the first plunge once more into the star. Dive deep,
brothers, deep through the outer fires into the throbbing solar
furnaces where the atoms are hammered as in forges, changing,
shifting their shapes, exploding into force.
Spin in the vortices of the great stellar tornadoes, fling off and fall
headlong and then dive laughing in again. Search for the others of
your kind, if there are none here there will be at the next star. Up
again, out of the boiling fires, and then drift quiet, dreaming, in the
pearly glow of the corona, endless afternoon of warmth and light and
peace.

But on the sunward side of the tiny planet nearby, a plaything

beckons. Fire and light fountain up from the solid rock. There at least
we can go, for that place is washed by tides of solar life, not chilled
and dead. Speed down toward it, as the fire, the life it spouts higher
out of the repellantly fixed and solid matter. Frolic in the fountain,
through and around it as it rises higher. And what are the things that
move on the rock near it, the things that look grotesquely as though
matter had been endowed with life? Reach out with your thought-
senses and try to apprehend them. Mind, life—in matter! Try to
understand how matter thinks, how matter feels, plumb the grotesque
memories of them, the vistas of crawling things at the bottom of
whelming air-oceans, things of clay too frail to endure, yet things that
in their brief living have come here. But the mind recoils from such
memories, such a life.
Brothers, we go! First to refresh ourselves in the deepest streams of
the star, and then away across the abysses to another star we know.
There is nothing to hold us here—
And the oneness was gone from Kellard's mind, and he was no child
of light and stars, he was a man of clay, standing stupid and sick and
shaking by the falling fires of the fountain.
He looked at Halfrich. But Halfrich stood, with his head bowed, and
Kellard felt only pity.
He touched his arm. "We'll go back to the ship."
For a long moment, Halfrich did not respond. Then he turned and
walked, plodding with head down, not looking up once at the flaring
sky.
In the little ship, he sat later with Kellard. He had not spoken yet, and
Morgenson and the others, bewildered and awed, had still not dared
ask questions. Finally Halfrich looked at Kellard, pain still in his eyes.
"I was thinking," he said. "I was remembering my little boy, years ago.
He had just learned to walk, and he started out the door, eager to
explore the whole town. He stubbed his toe, and he sat down and
cried."
"You tried to spare me this," said Halfrich after a little while. "Thanks
for that, Kellard. It didn't work, but thanks anyway."
Kellard said, "Look, no one else knows. No one else is ever likely to
know. The only place where the men of matter and the children of
stars could meet is a place like Sunside, and how many such
meetings would ever by chance happen? We don't have to tell
everyone, to take the heart and eagerness out of them by letting them
know they'll always be second-best in space."
Halfrich thought about that. And then he shook his head. "No. We've
stubbed our toe. We've learned we're not and never will be the sole
inheritors of the universe. All right, we'll accept the fact and go on.
The planets will be ours, just the same. And someday—" He paused,
then said, "—someday, maybe, the sons of the planets and the
children of stars will take hands, know each other. No, Kellard. We'll
tell them."
THE END
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