a dog,” he said with sudden enthusiasm. “I wanted a dog when I was the boys’ age.”
“But what will you do?”
He grinned. “Did I tell you Duncan offered me a job?”
“You’d do that?” she said in astonishment.
“Like I told him, when hell freezes over. But the idea of local law enforcement appeals to me.” His mouth trailed along her jaw. “I want to come home every night.”
“You won’t be bored?”
He lifted his head, taking her question seriously. “I don’t think so. I used to get a charge out of what I did. I loved drug buys, walking that tightrope, knowing each time that you have to act like you’ve never acted before, otherwise you’re dead. I liked busts. I liked danger, I liked winning.” He gave a short laugh. “Truth is it was like a grown-up version of a video game, me at the controls yelling, ‘Yee haw.’”
A frown puckered between Lia’s eyebrows. “When I asked, you said you liked the adrenaline.”
“I did. Past tense. I’ve been struggling with that for a while. Maybe as much as a couple of years. Discovering I didn’t get so much of a charge out of the same things anymore. Planning, strategy had gotten more interesting than being one of the players. I told myself I needed higher stakes, bigger busts.” He paused. “I was wrong. I needed something, but that wasn’t it.”
Her eyes were so dark, he couldn’t see the green at all. “What did you need, then?”
“You. The boys. A home. The first week here I told myself I was a stranger in a strange land, but at some point I knew I’d found heaven. Except I had a hard time making myself believe it could be real. It was pretend.” His arms contracted, probably squeezing her too tight but he couldn’t help himself. “I have hated every minute since I drove away.”
If he was hurting her, she didn’t let on. Instead she burrowed even closer. “I’ve hated every minute since then, too. Oh, Conall.”
They kissed slowly, tenderly, then passionately. He’d dreamed damn near every night about this—the two of them out here on the porch on a warm summer night, the front door open so that they’d know if one of the kids needed them, that fat braid flopping against his chest as if asking to be unraveled.
“I love you,” he whispered.
It was quite a while before she said, “If you won’t work for Duncan, what will you do?”
“I’ve already had a phone interview with the county sheriff’s department. They have an opening for a detective. I figure I’d like that.” He found himself smiling. “As Niall once put it, I’ll be arresting neighbors and friends instead of strangers.”
“You’ve already arrested our neighbors.”
That sobered him. “Killed one of them, too.”
“Things like that surely don’t happen often around here.”
He shrugged. “Niall has shot and killed two men on the job. And, yeah, that’s unusual. Duncan has only drawn his gun a few times, but it happens.”
“Twice?” She gaped.
He told her the story of Niall saving Jane’s life when a crazy stalker had a knife at her throat, and then about the bank robber who shot up the parking lot when he spotted a cop.
“All Niall wanted was to deposit a check.”
“Oh, no.” She hugged him. “I think I’d rather you never had to shoot anyone again. Unless—” She hesitated. “Well, I don’t want you to change too much.”
Conall threw back his head and laughed. “So if I get bored, it’s okay if I shoot someone?”
Lia giggled. “If it’ll make you happy.”
Voice low and husky, he said, “This makes me happy. You. Knowing your bedroom door will be open tonight.” He pulled back slightly. “It will be, won’t it?”
“Yes.” Her voice came out husky, too, the effect being sultry. “Do you think we need to keep pretending for the boys’ sake that you have the bedroom across the hall?”
“Maybe until we get married. Unless it’s okay to live in sin these days when you’re under scrutiny by an adoption agency.”
He loved the way her nose crinkled. “Oh, fine,” she muttered.
“I want to get married soon.” He didn’t like to say this, but had to. “I’m only here for two days, Lia. I have to give a month’s notice and finish out an operation I’m involved in. I kinda thought, though, that maybe you and the boys would come visit me for a few days or a week somewhere in there. We could take a boat out, do some snorkeling, maybe some fishing—”
“That sounds