Authors: Barbara Freethy
Shaking that question out of her head, she skimmed through several news articles. Max had made a name for himself in the Los Angeles Police Department. He'd put away a lot of criminals and he'd also saved the life of his partner during a drug bust. As she read about his exploits, she realized how courageous and brave he was. She'd seen him mostly in a suit, working an investigation, not throwing himself in front of a bullet, but it was clear he was comfortable doing that, too.
So her Internet research experiment was a dismal failure. Now Max was not only sexy but also a real live hero.
"Emma?"
The voice made her jump. Startled she looked to the door, meeting Sara's questioning gaze.
"Did I scare you?" Sara asked.
"I didn't hear you come down the hall."
Sara moved over to the bed. "You were pretty engrossed in what you were doing." She glanced at the screen. "Ah, so now I know why you were lost in thought."
Emma quickly closed the computer. "I was doing some research."
"On the cop who has you hot and bothered," Sara said with a knowing glint in her eyes.
"I was actually doing some research on Max's brother," Emma said. "Max told me earlier that his brother got out of prison today, and that was all he would say."
"Which, of course, made you curious."
"How could I not be? I like to know who I'm working with."
"So what did you find out?" Sara asked, as she sat down on the bed.
"There were conflicting reports, but it appears that Spencer, Max's brother, got into a fight with a guy Spencer thought was stalking his girlfriend. As a result of that fight, the other man died, and Spencer was eventually convicted of manslaughter."
"Was Max involved in the case?"
"Not officially. He was living in Los Angeles at the time, and the investigation was here in San Francisco. Obviously he couldn't impact the case enough to get his brother off. I'm sure there must have been appeals over the years."
Sara nodded. "At least one. Which means the evidence was strong against Max's brother."
"It must have been. I can see where the intent of that fight could be cloudy though."
"That's why he was charged with manslaughter and not murder."
"It must have been hard on Max to see his brother go through that, especially since he was a police officer."
"Interesting to have two brothers in a family—one is a cop and one is a criminal."
"And how far do you go to protect or defend your brother?" Emma asked. "I have more than one hotheaded brother, Aiden included, and I could see any one of them getting into trouble, especially if they were defending someone."
"Aiden would not kill someone," Sara said quickly.
"Don't get all protective," Emma said with a smile. "I was just using Aiden as an example. But we both know that my brother would fight to protect someone he loved. He wouldn't be able to stop himself."
"But Max's brother was convicted, so the jury didn't believe he was acting in self defense or protecting someone else."
"Evidence can be manipulated. You know that; you're a lawyer."
"True. So what are you going to do with all this information?"
"Nothing. It's not my business."
"It sounds like you're making it your business."
"Max and I have to work together, and I want to know where his head is at."
Sara nodded, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "Sure, but you also can't help yourself. You sense a mystery, and you have to solve it. You've been this way your entire life. I remember the time you were convinced that Shayla was stealing your hairbands. We set up a stake-out here in this very room, as I recall," she added with a laugh. "We put all the bands on the floor, and then I hid in the closet, and you were behind the curtains."
Emma groaned. "I cannot believe you remember that."
"Oh, I do. And after an agonizingly boring thirty minutes in the closet, someone came in to swipe the hairbands—your cat, Muffy."
"Well, you can't say we didn't find the guilty party."
"True, but you had the wrong suspect in mind."
"My investigative techniques have actually improved since then," Emma said.
"Well, I would hope so, but my point is—once you get your mind stuck on something, you don't let go."
"True." She paused. "Let's talk about you. What are you going to do for a job now that you've quit the fast track? Are you going to work for a firm out here, open your business, or quit law and grow vegetables?"
"I would like to grow vegetables and herbs, too. How wonderful would it be to have a beautiful, organic garden?"
"In my mind, not so wonderful, but I'm not a gardener like you."
"I've missed digging in the dirt, planting a seed, watching it grow," Sara said, a wistful smile on her lips. "I haven't done any gardening since my mom died. It was something we shared together. I couldn't bear to do it without her. And where would I have done it anyway? I've been living in a crowded city for most of the last decade."
"But that's changed now." Emma thought about her earlier conversation with Aiden, about how he was open to changing his life for Sara. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Are you really willing to give up your career for Aiden? You've worked so hard for a long time. I understand making a change and coming home, but I can't see you following Aiden to the mountains and living in a small town while he spends half the year jumping into fires and is gone for days at a time. Won't you feel like you're giving up too much for him?"
"Aiden hasn't asked me to give up anything," Sara said quietly.
"Maybe he hasn't had to, because you've already offered."
"No, he wants me to be happy, and I want him to be happy. We haven't figured out how we're going to make that work yet. I've thought about moving north. I could open my own small law firm. I'm sure there's business there."
"Not big business."
"I'm ready to move beyond corporate law. It's dry and impersonal. I'd like to know the people I'm working for. I always wanted to help people, not just find loopholes in contracts."
"I guess I can see that."
Sara gave her a long look. "I didn't grow up like you, Emma. I had my mom's love, but my father treated me with cold disdain most of my life. When I lost my mother, I lost my family. And while my dad and I are trying to make a new connection now, I've been alone a long time. I'm not saying that I leapt into Aiden's arms because I was lonely. We both know I've loved him since I was fifteen years old. Now that he loves me back, I feel like my world is suddenly filled with warmth and color and opportunity. I'm happy. I'm free. Whatever happens next will be part of a new adventure."
Emma smiled, seeing the joy in Sara's eyes. "With Aiden involved, your life will definitely be an adventure."
"I'm ready."
"I can see that."
"I'm sorry," Sara apologized. "I'm not being very sensitive, talking to you about love when you're still getting over your breakup."
"Don't be silly. When I listen to you and Aiden talk about your relationship, I'm amazed by how open you both are to changing your lives for the other person. Jon and I weren't willing to do that."
"Then you're better off."
Emma smiled. "It is good to have you back, Sara. I've missed you."
"And I've missed you. You were always on my side, Emma. I was such an awkward, nerdy outcast in school. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have had any kind of life back then. You saved me from being bullied. No one would go against a Callaway."
"There is some power in our name," Emma admitted. "Speaking of family, let's get back to yours. Have you told your father about your new relationship with Aiden?"
"No. There's been so much else to discuss."
"Has your dad told you any more about the big family secret?"
"Only that he doesn't regret not telling me about my brother, because Stephen Jr.'s death was too painful for him to handle," Sara said, referring to the fact that she'd recently discovered her parents had had another child before she was born, a child that died at the age of four from a tragic car accident.
"My father didn't want another baby," Sara continued. "When my mom got pregnant with me, he was furious. He'd told her he couldn't love another child, but she'd been desperately lonely and she'd hoped he'd change his mind when I was born. Unfortunately, she couldn't sway him, and he treated me harshly just so he wouldn't accidentally start to love me and put his heart in jeopardy." Sara paused. "I understand so much more now. Not that it makes it all better or excuses the way he treated me, but at least I know he had a reason for his coldness."
"Do you think the two of you will become closer now that everything is out in the open?"
"Too early to tell. I want to be optimistic, but we'll see." She got to her feet. "I should go. I still have to put my bed together."
"
Your
bed?" Emma asked mischievously.
"I am not going to answer that question," Sara said.
"Hey, you used to tell me the good stuff."
"Not true. Back then there wasn't any
good
stuff. I was a very dull girl."
Emma laughed. "Well, your life will not be boring with Aiden. Where is he tonight anyway? He disappeared after dinner. Is he still trying to avoid Jack?"
"No, they spoke earlier. Aiden said your father was surprisingly understanding about his not having a job at the moment. He was expecting more pressure to make decisions and plans."
"Jack is happy that Aiden and you are together. He loves you and he thinks you're a good influence on my brother."
"I don't know about that. Anyway, Aiden went out to meet Burke and Drew—some kind of brotherly pow-wow." She paused. "Don’t work too hard tonight, or spend too much time gazing and daydreaming about your hot cop".
"My research is strictly business," she lied.
"I don't believe you for a second."
Emma grabbed a throw pillow and tossed it at Sara as her friend ran through the door. Then she opened her computer and looked straight into Max's questioning gaze.
"Tomorrow, we start over," she said firmly. "Professional, not personal. That's going to be our relationship—got it?" She closed the computer before his eyes could call her a liar.
Chapter Seven
Aiden walked into Shanghai Kelly's, a bar on Polk Street, not far from his brother Burke's condo. With Brady's out of commission, they'd had to pick another place to meet. He was happy to be across town and not surrounded by firefighters. Although he'd been cleared in the incidence of his friend's death, there were still some men who thought he'd just found a way to get out of taking the blame for Kyle's death. He'd built a reputation for being reckless and daring in his twenties, and now in his early thirties, he was still paying for playing fast and loose with the rules.
He'd always been the black sheep in the family. Second in line, he'd had to follow Burke, who was the definition of perfect. Burke had been a fantastic student in school, a talented athlete, and a natural born leader. He never did anything wrong, and despite having a squeaky clean image he was still very well liked, mostly because he was good at so many things.
Growing up, Aiden had heard teacher after teacher proclaim in disgust, "Why can't you be more like your brother, Burke?"
Because it just wasn't in his DNA. He didn't like rules and he had little patience for those he didn't respect. But as much as Burke's perfect behavior irritated the hell out of him, he did respect his brother. And he had been grateful for Burke's defense during the recent events in his life. He hoped that as time went by, they'd become closer. He'd never made the effort before, but he was starting tonight.
He looked around the bar, spotting his two brothers seated at a back table. He walked across the room and took the chair next to Drew.
"You're late," Burke said, with his usual scowl.
Some things never changed. "It's not my fault this time. Dad cornered me after dinner. And you know how many questions he always has."
"We do know," Burke said, motioning for the waitress. "Let's get you a drink."
Aiden ordered a beer and then looked at his brothers, realizing that he'd actually started to miss them the last few years. The three of them had shared a room together when they were really young. At one time they had known everything about each other. But sometime after the age of eighteen, they'd lost that connection. Drew had joined the Navy, and while Aiden and Burke had gone into firefighting. Those early days had pitted him against Burke in yet another competition. When he'd decided to go into smokejumping, he'd been relieved to take a path that no one in his family had taken before him. He could make his own way in the world.
"So what did you tell Dad?" Burke asked. "I assume he asked you about your career plans."
"I told him that I'm considering my options."
"He must have loved that vague answer," Drew said, taking a sip of what appeared to be a vodka tonic.
"He was over the moon," Aiden said dryly. "But I told him the truth."
"Are you really done with smokejumping?" Drew asked.
"Maybe."
"It's difficult to believe," Burke commented.
He saw that same disbelief in Drew's eyes. "Why?"
"Because you live for thrills," Burke said. "You're addicted to the adrenaline rush that comes from jumping out of an airplane, or flying down a mountain road on a dirt bike."
"Or climbing a sheer rock wall with a pick and a rope," Drew added.
He grinned. "All true. But I have a new addiction."
Drew smiled back at him. "And her name is Sara."
He nodded. "Oh, yeah." He paused for a moment as the waitress set down his beer.
"I can't believe you two hooked up after all these years," Drew said. "Actually, I thought she used to have a crush on Burke."
"I thought so, too," Aiden admitted. "But she told me it was always me."
"And you believe her?" Drew challenged.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Drew laughed. "You cannot stop smiling."
"I know," he admitted. "I have no idea what I'm going to do for a living, where I'm going to live, but none of it matters because tonight I'll go home to Sara. And I never thought a woman could make that much difference in my life."