She really was beautiful, and I’d bet my life that she’d grow up to be a heartbreaker.

Her eyes widened. “Can you make that?” She breathed in excitement.

I nodded. “Sure. I brought all the ingredients over with me. It’s in a cooler in the back of my car.”

She was practically bouncing in her seat.

“Can I help?” She asked enthusiastically.

I nodded. “Yep. Go wash your hands once you’ve finished putting your shoes on, and I’ll let you help.”

She smiled, shoved both feet into her shoes, and darted out of the living room, leaving me reeling with how excited she was over something as simple as making breakfast.

I stood from my blanket cocoon, nabbed my keys that were still lying on the coffee table next to my purse, and walked out the front door.

My eyes widened as I stepped outside and ran face first into a sweaty chest.

I looked up into the dark, fathomless eyes of a man with dark black hair, a cut underneath his eye, and a glare that was impressively intimidating.

“Eeek,” I said, stepping back.

“Sorry, darlin’,” the sweaty man said. “Is that your car?”

I nodded.

He pointed to the front tire. “Tire’s flat. You want me to take it to the shop and fix it?”

I blinked. “Ummm.”

“Uncle Sam!” Reagan crowed from behind me. “Nox is cooking me pancakes and is letting me help!”

“Nox?” Sam asked, both eyebrows going up.

I smiled half-heartedly. “Yeah, Bennett seems to think Lennox is too long.”

He nodded. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand.

I took it, shaking his scarred, rough one, and said, “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Uncle Sam, will you take the cooler out of Nox’s trunk before you take the car?” Reagan jumped excitedly at my side.

Sam’s eyes left mine as he dropped my hand, and I licked my lips as I tried to not show how intimidating this man was.

“Yeah, baby girl. I can do that. Keys?” He asked.

That last part was directed at me, and I reached my arm out and popped the trunk using the key fob, then placed the keys in his hand.

“There you go,” I said shakily.

He winked at me and walked to the back of my car, lifting the heavier than a cement statue cooler out of my trunk, and placed it down at my feet.

“Anything else you need out of it?” He asked.

I nodded my head. “Y-yeah. My uniform.”

He walked back to my car, lifted the clothes that I had hanging in the back, and brought them back to me.

“There you go. I should have this fixed up before you leave, but Bennett tells me he’s taking you to work?” He double checked.

I nodded. “Yeah, he did say that.”

He smirked. “Alright then. Have fun making pancakes.”

Then, just as suddenly, he was gone, and I was in the kitchen making pancakes for one very excited little girl.

***

Bennett

“You get the car checked?” I asked Sam.

I’d stopped by on my lunch break, doubling checking that Sam got everything done that I’d asked of him before I handed the car back over to Lennox.

“Yeah,” he nodded, walking over to the car. “I put the tracker in like you asked, and checked it over for bugs. Then found this,” he said, holding up a black piece of metal.

“What the fuck is that?” I barked.

“Another tracking device. Figure I’ll plant it on something, and set up a camera to see if it’ll bring out anyone from the woodwork,” he explained.

I nodded. “Good.”

He tossed the device back on the top of his tool box and pointed to the back of Lennox’s car.

“It’s got a camera here, too.” He indicated something the size of a small coin. “It’ll turn on at any sudden breaks, or when it detects a breach in the alarm. It’ll run for twenty seconds, and then turn off.”

“Perfect,” I said. “Thanks man. I owe you one.”

He nodded. “Just get your girl to make me some of those cinnamon rolls I was smelling as I walked back to my place this morning. They smelled fucking great.”

I couldn’t help the smile that slid over my mind as I remembered the way I found Reagan and her cooking this morning.

Not only had she made cinnamon rolls, but she’d also made eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

“Cheyenne doesn’t make you cinnamon rolls?” I asked, teasing him.

In fact, Cheyenne didn’t make him cinnamon rolls. Not anymore.

Apparently, she was boycotting all things fattening, which meant the entire house had to deal with the same.

Sam narrowed his eyes at me. “Get out of my shop, kid.”

Laughing, I offered Sam my hand.

He took it, gave me a shake, and then released me.

“Cinnamon rolls,” he said again. “Bring them here.”

I nodded and walked back to my cruiser, and Michael.

As I dropped into my seat, I looked over at my informal partner for the second shift in a row.

“They find anything out about your car?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. Not that I mind. I kind of like when you drive me around.”

I snorted. “I’m not your bitch. And you’re more than welcome to drive anytime you want.”

He snorted. “That’s alright. I wouldn’t want to break your cruiser, too.”

I shot him a look, and backed out of the driveway. “Fancy a trip to the hospital?”

Michael shot me a weird look, and shook his head. “I don’t care. Just don’t be surprised if a scene blows you out of the water.”

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline at that admission. “What?”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say that the ex and I aren’t really best friends. And she possibly hates me.”

Interesting. Really interesting.

I pulled into the lot of the hospital twenty minutes later, and pulled into a spot that was designated for emergency personnel.

“So what’s her name?” I asked.

“Joslin Downs,” he said simply.

I chose not to say anything else, instead walking into the emergency entrance.

I had to use a code to get in, but turned to the right once I was inside, walking in through the front doors.

The hospital was a flurry as nurses, techs, and doctors scrambled throughout.

I’d heard about a big wreck on the interstate, and had forgotten since I’d stopped by Sam’s instead of coming straight to the hospital like I’d originally planned.

“Maybe we should come back later,” I muttered, surveying the room.

“Fuccccck,” Michael groaned. “I think we should go, too.”

I turned to survey the room, quickly spotting the woman standing at the nurse’s station.

Tall, with sable brown hair, she looked like she’d be more suited as a model rather than a nurse.

She could easily compete with Lennox in the dress up department, but where Lennox was easy to get along with, and personable, this woman looked harsh, and unfriendly.

“That the ex?” I asked as I turned my back on the glaring woman.

“Yep,” he answered shortly. “Looks like she’s in one hell of a mood, too. Let’s get out of here before…”

“Bennett! Hey!” Lennox said excitedly.

I turned to find Lennox hurrying towards me.

She was wearing the scrubs I’d dropped her off in, at least the bottoms, anyway.

The top was now a t-shirt that said, ‘A team of excellence,’ on it.

She walked straight up to me, and buried her face into my neck as she hugged me on her tip toes.

I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head on the top of hers.

Her hair smelled like sunshine, as if she’d just come in from outside.

“What’s going on here? Is this from the wreck on the interstate?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah. Five car pile-up.”

I nodded, remembering the radio call.

“The kid make it?” I asked softly.

She shook her head. “No. The young boy died on the way to Children’s in Dallas.”

My stomach knotted.

The wreck had been horrific by itself, but a young child had been riding in the back of one of the trucks when it rolled, and he’d been impaled on a guardrail that they’d originally ran into.