Karma (34 page)

“You can?” Her voice rose in disbelief.

But Dare also saw the hope shining in her eyes, and as he stared into the face he loved he hoped and prayed she understood what his breakthrough meant. That the damage he’d done wasn’t permanent and that he hadn’t come around too late.

He stepped closer. Reaching out, he stroked one finger down her soft cheek. “You, Liza McKnight, have a huge heart and I was wrong for finding fault with that.”

Her eyes dilated at his touch, giving him hope that if her body hadn’t written him off completely, maybe he could still win over her mind.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

“For what? Realizing something I knew from day one?” He shook his head. “Don’t thank me for being a jerk.”

To his surprise, Liza laughed. “You took care of me when I had no one. The last thing I’d call you is a jerk.”

“
That
was a pleasure.” He smiled at her and she smiled back.

More hope,
he thought, and plowed ahead. “I realized something else when I was with your brother.” He drew a
steadying breath. “All that anger I was holding on to and directing at him? That was just my way of not turning it on myself.”

“Because you still blamed yourself for not helping Stuart Rossman,” she said. “That’s normal. Human. And so is the fact that you can’t look at me without being reminded of Brian and of that night. I get it. I do.” She drew a shuddering breath. “So let’s part ways now, with all this goodwill between us.” Her hands shook as she tried to pull her purse off her shoulders, obviously ready to bolt.

Dare didn’t panic. He had no intention of letting her go. “Sorry. Not parting ways. Never again.”

“What?” She raised her gaze to meet his.

Dare had done so much talking, he was sick of his own voice. He grabbed her forearms and pulled her forward, sealing his lips over hers. She stiffened in surprise, so he licked her lips to ease her tension. It worked. She moaned. Her lips parted and she let him inside.

So much better,
he thought, as she relaxed into him with her body, then gave of herself with her mouth and her tongue, meeting him sweep for sweep, thrust for thrust.

Until she suddenly pulled away, pain back in her darkened eyes. “I can’t do this anymore. The push and pull, the confusion, the sex for the moment—”

“Whoa. Slow down,” he said, staring into her dark gaze, and in that moment he saw everything he needed.

She was trying to save herself more pain, because she was afraid he’d pull away again. She wanted more than she thought they could have. She was wrong.

He wanted it all and so did she. “I love you, baby. Now and forever.”

“Don’t say that.” She shook her head and tried to pull away. “Don’t promise forever when you can’t mean it.” She started to shake and he wrapped her in his arms, the place where she’d be safe and wanted from now on.

“Didn’t I tell you I only do relationships?” He brushed
her hair off her cheek. “While you were exchanging money with a loan shark—and don’t for a minute think I didn’t want to be there—I settled things with your brother, right?”

She nodded.

“And while you were driving here and seeing Brian, I went to the cemetery and made my peace with Stuart Rossman and my past.”

“You did?”

“Yeah,” he said gruffly. He’d never forget what happened, but it was time he let go of that anger. “I might see the department shrink if I ever feel that dark place threatening. But I won’t blame you ever again. I won’t leave you ever again.”

She hiccupped in his arms and he grinned, then tipped her chin upward and brushed his lips over hers. “I know you don’t trust people. And I realize you don’t believe anyone in your life will stick around, but I’m asking you to trust me.”

Liza’s heart beat hard against his chest. While he waited for an answer, he inhaled and took in her intoxicating scent, drawing strength from the fact that she hadn’t pulled away.

“You’re right. I don’t trust. Experience has taught me otherwise. And I realize now part of the reason I began the relationship with Timothy back in college was because his possessiveness made me think he loved me. And when that went bad, I cut off any and all relationships except the casual ones.” She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek in her palm. “Until you.”

“I can be pretty charming when I want to be.”

He winked at her and she groaned. “You’re a bulldozer,” she said on a light laugh. “But that charm of yours was hiding as much pain as I had inside.”

“You’re the only person who’s figured that out about me.” Another reason they were a perfect fit. But she hadn’t accepted his declaration.

And he wasn’t having it. “So? Where do we stand? Are you going to make me buy a condo and live alone, wishing I hadn’t made all those mistakes? Or are you going to—”

“I love you too, Dare Barron.” She kissed him then, hard, fast, and all too briefly. “When I walked out of my brother’s room, I promised myself if he could find the strength to go forward, then so could I. But I couldn’t let myself believe in us. I thought you helped Brian because that’s what you do. Help people.”

He shook his head. “The only person I want to think or worry about right now is you. I love you, baby, and I will never hurt you that way again.”

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m going to hold you to that, you know.”

“I should hope so.”

“Know what I want to do now?” she asked.

“Tell me.” He’d give her anything she wanted and more.

Her smile lit up everything inside him.

“I want to drive home, crawl into bed, and sleep for a good long while.”

He chuckled at the simple request. “Sounds good to me. As long as I’m in that bed with you.”

“Come home with me,” she murmured. “Move into my house and forget about looking for a place to live.” She stared at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

“Only because you asked so nicely…”

She laughed and kissed him, clinging to him for so long, he wondered if they’d ever make it to their cars for the trip back to Serendipity.

Not that he cared. As long as he was with Liza, Dare would be happy anywhere.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

The house on the hill provided the setting for the biggest fund-raiser Serendipity had ever seen. Faith’s wishes prevailed and once the town got wind of the fact that the youth center would be the recipient of the money raised, everyone from every class turned out for the event. It helped that the fund-raising committee insisted on lowering the price for attending, since they had saved money up front by not having to rent space for the event.

God, Ethan adored his wife and her brilliant ideas. And the rest of his family wasn’t too bad either, he thought with not the smallest amount of pride.

The house that just one year ago left him empty and cold was now filled with people. And though he didn’t want to host this event, Faith was beaming—and that made it all worthwhile.

As if he sensed her, Ethan turned to see his wife gliding down the circular stairs. She wore a royal blue Grecian-styled gown held over one shoulder with a silver clip. The cut of the gown draped over her softly rounded belly, not
hiding yet not showing off her pregnancy. Just a little over three months, they’d told family a few days ago, and no one else.

Tonight they’d decided to make it public.

He was going to be a father. Who the hell would have thought it? Certainly not the Ethan who’d hightailed it out of town on his motorcycle a little over ten years ago. And definitely not the Ethan from last year when he’d returned.

Damn, he was grateful.

Faith strode up to him and slipped her hand inside his. “Have I said thank you?”

He looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “For this?” He swept his hand around, indicating the party.

Her lips quirked into a smile. “Well, okay, yes, this. But for everything else, too. You make my life complete.”

He grinned. “I feel exactly the same way about you, princess.” Before he could kiss her the way he wanted to, a teenage voice interrupted them.

“Don’t even think about it,” Tess muttered. “You’re in public.”

Ethan glanced at his sister, taking in her purple dress. He wondered if she’d change her favorite color anytime soon. This particular purple was jewel-toned, she’d informed him haughtily. Apparently Tess had begun reading fashion magazines. Who’d have thought the punk kid dumped on his doorstep had it in her?

“You look gorgeous,” he told her.

She beamed at him. “Thanks.” She glanced at Faith and crooked her finger.

Faith bent closer and Tess whispered something in her ear.

“Not yet.” Faith’s eyes sparkled as they talked in conspiratorial whispers.

“I’m going to keep a lookout,” Tess declared.

“He won’t know what hit him.” Faith nodded in certainty.

“You can say that again.” Tess ducked away but not
before adding a parting shot. “You two behave. PDA is not appropriate.”

Faith tipped her head back and her delicious laugh rippled through him. But he hadn’t forgotten Tess’s earlier side of their conversation.

“He who? What was she talking about?” Ethan asked his wife.

Faith squeezed his hand in warning. “Tess thinks she’s in love with Todd Morgan.”

“He’s eighteen!” Ethan bellowed.

“Not quite yet. Seventeen and he’s just going to be a senior this year.”

Ethan scowled, not liking seventeen any better than eighteen. “She’s a kid.”

“I was sixteen when you lured me onto your bike,” she reminded him.

Ethan winced. “
That’s
what I’m afraid of.”

“Evening, everyone.” Nash interrupted, walking up to them, Kelly by his side.

“Ahh, the man who hates formal affairs made it. And I’m so grateful.” Faith hugged them both, then pulled Kelly away to discuss details of the evening.

Ethan talked with Nash, the brother who once couldn’t stand the sight of him. For fifteen minutes, they discussed things personal, professional, and later, sports-related. It was so normal, Ethan couldn’t believe the new normal they shared.

“Hey, brothers.” Dare strode up to them.

“How’s it going?” Ethan asked.

“Pretty damned good, actually.” Dare shook his brothers’ hands.

“For a cop, you dress up nicely,” Nash said.

Dare shrugged. “Faith insisted on tuxedos, right? Besides, how can I propose to Liza if I’m not in my formal best?” he asked with an excited grin.

In that smile, Ethan saw shades of the kid brother he
remembered. Lately, the sparkle in Dare’s gaze had been genuine, no longer a cover for old pain and guilt. Yep, he’d come a long way too. Liza was damned good for him, just as Kelly was for Nash.

“Congratulations,” Ethan said, slapping Dare on the back.

Nash did the same. “I just hope she’s still deluded enough to say yes.”

Dare glared at him, but Nash followed up the comment by pulling his baby brother into a hug.

“I have news too,” Nash said after a few minutes.

“Well?” Dare asked. “You going to share?”

“Kelly’s pregnant. Looks like we’ll be having kids close together,” Nash said to Ethan, beaming with pride. “It’s so early we’re only telling you guys for a while.”

The congratulations and slaps on the back began all over again. Then they talked some more, before dispersing to find their better halves.

Ethan glanced around, more settled than he’d ever been, and he remembered the day he’d pulled up on this long driveway, thinking he couldn’t outrun his past. He’d been right. But all three of the Barron brothers had done something better. They’d made peace with it and with each other, enabling them to open themselves up to the future and all Serendipity had to offer.

And that was the greatest gift of all.

Perfection is overrated
, Mike Marsden thought, as he approached his childhood home. He arrived in time for dinner, just as he’d done every Sunday since his return to his hometown of Serendipity, New York, almost six weeks ago. The Sunday evening meal at his parents’ house was mandatory, and each of his siblings would be there. Nobody said no to Ella Marsden. And since Mike had been in New York City for the last few years, his mother was especially glad to have him back, no matter how uncomfortable the notion of coming home made him.

He shoved his hands into the pocket of his leather jacket and looked up at the white clapboard house with blue trim and matching shutters. Small but well kept, the two-story home on a suburban street was as perfect on the outside as it was on the inside. Maybe that’s why he was itching beneath his skin. The idea of perfection made him antsy. It always had, and despite wanting to please his parents, Mike was instead the kid who’d always tried their patience.

Impulse control issues, his teachers called it and Mike
figured they were right. He couldn’t stick with one thing very long, be it relationships or a monotonous job. Simon Marsden, Mike’s adopted father and the man who’d raised him, had been the police commissioner of Serendipity. Mike’s brother, Sam, had followed in his footsteps, becoming a homegrown cop. Their sister, Kimberly, was Serendipity’s assistant district attorney.

And Mike? Well, until recently he’d been a detective in New York City, where he’d made a name for himself by skating around the rules instead of strictly following them. He liked his life, choosing career, women, and even friends who were easy enough to walk away from when the impulse for something new or different kicked in.

Yet here he was, back in his small hometown, having taken over his father’s job as chief of police while his dad fought cancer. The doctors said it was treatable and Mike forced himself to believe it. Coming home and taking over was the least he could do for the man who’d both raised him and treated him no differently than his biological children—even if Mike hadn’t always deserved it. The job was temporary, while Simon recovered, or Mike didn’t think he’d have been able to say yes to sticking around.