I promise to protect you.”
My mom walks out of the kitchen with a shake of her head. Maybe she made that promise about never interfering, but that doesn’t mean she likes the man I’ve been dating for the last several months.
Brenten Pierce is the local prosecutor in his three-man office, after being transferred out of a city firm and into our small town a little more than a year ago. He claims to be the best prosecutor at his firm… but since there are just two of them, the third employee being a secretary, I guess it’s a fifty-fifty race for that ‘employee of the month’ plaque they may or may not hang every month. He jokes that he’s the director of jury intake, and a specialist in the special crime’s unit… and, well, there’s a reason Aunt Jules thinks he’s somewhat of a self-important douche.
Brenten is nice. He’s just a little dry when it comes to humor, and after being transferred here, he feels he has to work that much more doggedly to prove to his superiors that he’s worthy of a corner office in the city again.
To the people who live here, this town is a haven for family and community. But I guess to a guy who was born and raised in the big city, he might consider this place an ultimate hell that he can’t wait to escape.
Brenten works tirelessly to prosecute the same clients Aunt Jules often tries to defend. They work on opposite sides of the law, so it’s natural they hold… well, not animosity, but nor is there love. There’s merely an acceptance of existence, and at family dinner, there’s Aunt Jules calling the guy ‘a pencil-dick twat bag’ – her words, not mine.
Ironically, in addition to my prosecutor-boyfriend, and my defender-aunt, my cop-stepfather rounds out the trio as the guy who arrests folks and tosses them to the courtrooms.
And here I am in the middle, trying to fake some semblance of a normal dating life.
“Brenten?” I stop at the doorway between the kitchen and living room, and lift a brow when Mom stretches across the couch. She was supposed to help me bake, but until I hang up… “I’m going to dinner at my brother’s house. That’s non-negotiable. But I would love for you to join me. You have to get used to these people eventually, right? I mean,” I lower my voice, “if you want to be with me…”
Brenten remains silent for a moment, his breath in my ear the only thing I can hear, until finally, he sighs. “The Hart twins…”
“Rob and Luke?”
“Yeah, them. Are they going to be there?”
“Uh…” I turn back to the kitchen and frown. “I don’t think so. I mean, it wouldn’t be unheard of, since they’re family, but Ben didn’t mention them.”
Brenten groans. “Can you check? Because those guys aren’t all that pleased with me right now.”
I burst out laughing and draw my mom’s curious eyes up. “What did you do?”
“What did I do?” he blusters. “What did I do? I did my job. You should ask them what they did!”
“Well?” I swallow down my laughter and press my fingers to my lips before I offend him. The Hart twins are… unique, in their own criminal way. They steal things, explode things, crash things, and all around make nuisances of themselves around town. And along the way, they break hearts – or so the legend goes. “What did they do?”
“Just call, Liv? Ask your brother if they’re gonna be there.”
“And if they’re not?”
He sighs. “Then I’ll come to dinner, I guess.”
“Great! I’ll call Ben now, and I’ll text you when I find out.”
“Where are you now?” Brenten asks quietly. Softly. He’s using his seductive voice, his bedroom voice, I suppose. “Can’t we catch up now?”
“I’m baking at my mom and dad’s house, so I’m gonna be busy for the next little bit. Dinner is at seven, so by the time I finish cooking, then shower, then get across town…”
“Yeah,” he whines. “I get it. You’re too busy for me.”
“No,” I frown. “I’m not. If I was too busy for you, I’d tell you I’ll call you next week sometime. Instead, I’m asking you to come to dinner, to be with my family, and that’s actually a really important distinction you shouldn’t forget. They’re good people, Brenten. The best kind, and if you and I want any kind of future together…”
He sighs. “I have to play nice. Fine, I get it.”
“I’ll text you soon.” I smile