them as if they were a real family, eat a meal with her as they’d done so many times together.
After she left the room, he focused on caring for his son. With Austin kicking his legs, getting the sleeper on was a challenge, but Zach accomplished it. He adjusted the lights and turned on the soother that played soft music and showed colorful fish swimming across a little screen. He lingered for a moment, holding Austin and rocking him gently until he saw a yawn. He took that as a sign. With one last kiss, he placed the boy on his back, whispered good night, and left the room.
Out in the hall, he took a minute. He’d just put his child to bed for the first time. It was a big deal to him, and he hoped he could be there every night to kiss his son. Having dinner with Carolyn was a big deal, too. He couldn’t deny he was still a little upset with her…but being with her was so natural, the attraction he felt for her so right.
Downstairs, she had pasta cooking on the stove and was making a creamy sauce to go over it. A favorite of his. She looked to him, smiling. Had she consciously chosen the meal to please him?
“Smells good,” he said. “Anything I can do?”
“There’s wine in the fridge if you want some.”
He was tempted, but it might make him sleepy. Not something he could afford when he’d be spending the night keeping watch.
“I’ll pass. Can I pour you a glass?”
“That would be nice.” With a tilt of her head, she indicated the cabinet where the wine glasses were stored. “Grab the vegetables, too. We should eat something healthy.”
He pulled a bottle of white wine and a tray of vegetables, already cut up, as she stirred the sauce.
“How’d it go up there?” she asked casually.
He hid his smile, surprised she’d waited even that long before questioning him. She was a good mother. He could see her love for Austin in everything she did.
“Okay, I think,” he answered. “He was sleepy when I put him down.”
“He must be out. I haven’t heard anything on the monitor.”
So she’d been listening in. He couldn’t blame her, he guessed. It would be difficult to share the boy after more than a year of having him to herself. Zach was making progress on not resenting that.
As they ate, they chatted about old friends, including some of his SEAL buddies and their wives they’d once been close with. When they were nearly finished with the meal, he asked a question that had him worried. “Are you still planning to investigate the recent problems at the store?” He’d heard from a local cop he knew that she’d been at the police station again, asking questions about the dead robber. His past, his known associates, any details they were willing to share.
“Of course.” Her response was instant and emphatic. “I have to. This is my business, my life. I can’t just ignore these threats.”
“It could be dangerous.” He realized his error when her eyes sharpened. He’d as much as said he agreed with her.
She pounced. “So you think I’m right. There’s something to it. If there weren’t, there’d be no danger.”
“I don’t know if there is or isn’t,” he clarified. There might be, he’d admitted to himself, as he’d analyzed the information she’d given him during the long hours of the night. His senses told him something was up. Why else would he have spent the past five nights in his car?
“It’s too much coincidence, Zach. I can’t let it go.” Her tone softened. “You know what the store means to me. It’s my mother’s legacy. She built it from the ground up by herself. No one is going to destroy it.”
All That Sparkles was more than that for her. Being part of the business made Carolyn happy. On top of that, the stakes were higher for her now. And she was one stubborn woman. He hadn’t forgotten that about her. She had plenty of backbone, a fact that had cost him her love. He’d misjudged her then, hoping she wouldn’t stay true to her ultimatum of her or the SEALs. He wasn’t making that mistake again, but he had to keep her safe.
“You might be on to something, but you can’t investigate alone.” He caught her expression and rushed on before she could interrupt. “Look, if you’re right, someone paid an armed robber. That’s an extreme action. Whoever did