Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest)

Twelve



Mike came home from Vegas, caught up on sleep, and insisted Cara do the same. He gave her a few days off and took some for himself. As soon as he felt more human and got a handle on his emotions, he called and met his brother and sister for lunch at The Family Restaurant.

He arrived last, as usual. His siblings were waiting, their meals and his ordered and on the table. They looked at him with concern.

“You texted us to say you were going to Vegas to meet Rex Bransom. Then we heard nothing for three days,” Erin said, chiding him in an exact replica of their mother’s voice.

Mike settled in a chair across from her. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I heard you dragged Cara along with you.” Sam made it sound like an accusation.

“She offered to go,” Mike said tightly.

“Sam, leave him alone,” Erin urged.

“No, let’s finish this conversation once and for all.” He and Sam hadn’t gotten past Mike’s seeing his brother’s best friend, and Mike was tired of pretending everything was fine between them when it wasn’t. “Do you want Cara for yourself? Is that it?” Mike asked his brother.

Sam clenched his jaw. “No. I just want to know that when you pick up and leave—and you will because you always do—you won’t leave her heart stomped beneath your feet.”

Mike groaned. “All I can tell you is that I’ve been honest with her from day one.” He opened and closed his hands, fisting them beneath the table. “I don’t want her hurt any more than you do.”

Sam expelled a harsh breath. “I believe you. I just…her father’s a bastard. Her mother takes it. Cara’s never stayed in a relationship long. She won’t put herself out there for fear of being hurt, but she’s different with you.” He shook his head. “And I can see disaster coming from a mile away. But I love you both, so…” He raised his hands in front of him. “I’ll stay out of it.”

Mike knew what it took for Sam to step back. There was no better man, no one more loyal than his brother. “Thanks, man.”

“Okay, now that you two have settled things, what happened in Vegas?” Erin asked.

Mike drew a deep breath. “I met him.”

“And?” Erin asked in a whisper.

Mike closed his eyes, and the memory of Rex Bransom flashed before him. “We look alike,” Mike admitted. “We…spoke alike. He’s more outgoing. He enjoys being the center of attention. I don’t. But I’m afraid that in here”—he tapped his chest, over his heart—“we’re more alike than I want to believe.”

He felt his brother’s hand slap him on the shoulder. “That’s bullshit,” Sam said, defending Mike so strongly that he almost believed it himself.

Almost.

“He left. So did I. He abandoned a woman—”

“Don’t go there,” Sam warned him. “Tiffany was nothing like Mom.”

That, at least, was true.

“Mike, you’re one of the best men I know.” Erin, her eyes wide and damp, met his gaze. “And that’s because you’re like Simon, not Rex.”

He didn’t reply.

His sister covered his hand with hers. “Hey. You have to believe me.”

Mike didn’t know how to feel or what to believe. It was Rex’s blood running through his veins. Rex, who couldn’t stay in one place, who never gave a piece of himself to anyone he came into contact with. Mike’s search for Rex had revealed that the man jumped from state to state, never forming ties or relationships. Mike was much the same.

“Forget him,” Sam said. “Call the case cold for good and put it behind you.”

Mike didn’t know if he could. “He called me son. And afterward, I never felt more dirty in my life.”

His siblings looked at him with pity, which had him squirming in his seat.

“What about Mom and Dad? You going to tell them what happened?” Sam asked.

“I’ve spoken to Mom. And as soon as Dad finishes his last treatment, we agreed to sit him down and explain everything, including that Rex contacted her through Facebook.” He’d already told his brother and sister the background before he went to Vegas.

“Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation,” Erin said, with a shake of her head. “Good thing their bond is tight enough to withstand anything.”

“Amen,” Mike said.

“So. Does anyone have any good news to talk about?” Erin grinned.

“Same old,” Sam muttered.

They finished eating in relative peace, for which Mike was grateful. His cell rang as he was finishing, and he took the call from work.

He listened without much interest. “Just leave it on my desk,” he said to the desk sergeant on call. “I’ll get to it when I come in tomorrow.” He disconnected the line.

“Anything important?” Erin asked.

Mike shook his head. “Someone left an envelope for me.” And he hoped that was the most interesting thing that happened to him for the rest of the week. He could do without drama and excitement for a little while.

Cara had been back in Serendipity for almost a week when Alexa finally had time to meet her at Cuppa Café Saturday morning. Cara needed a female friend fix desperately, and she’d had to wait until her friend’s day off.

“Sit. I have your drink ready and waiting,” Cara said when Alexa arrived. “I have so much to tell you!”

Alexa shrugged off her winter coat. “I wish you’d told me you needed to talk! I’d have made time sooner,” she chided.

Cara waved a hand. “As if I’d ever ask you to drop a patient or turn down an emergency. You’re a workaholic, but don’t worry. I know that if I needed you, you’d be there for me. I guess I wasn’t ready to share just yet.”

Alexa listened, her eyes glazing with a bit of envy at the description of Las Vegas—at least before meeting Rex. From the suite in the Bellagio, to the most intimate dinner she’d ever experienced, to the light show, where Mike had encircled her in his arms and held her while they watched, Cara was falling hard.

“Your man sounds yummy. Are you sure we’re talking about Mike Marsden?” Alexa asked on a laugh, as she drew a sip of her black coffee.

Cara winced at the way her friend drank to keep herself awake and downed her own heavily sugared latte. “I’m sure. When he’s hot, there’s nobody sweeter.”

“But?” Alexa prodded, waiting for Cara to pull her thoughts together and answer.

Which wasn’t easy. The but was the whole reason she was here with her friend. Cara was falling hard, and it had to stop. Her runaway feelings were getting out of hand, and she needed a reminder that anything more than a hot affair with Mike would burn out fast. And she needed to hear it from another woman, not from Sam.

Cara swallowed hard. “But when he’s cold…Brrr.”

Alexa narrowed her gaze. “So he’s not Mr. Perfect.”

Cara shook her head.

“Good. Who is?” Alexa grinned. “Glad to know he’s as human as the rest of us.”

Cara sighed. “Listen, we talked about this a few weeks ago at Joe’s. I know who and what Mike is.”

Alexa tipped her head and eyed Cara with those appraising, smart eyes. “And you love him for it.”

Cara blinked, stunned at her friend’s words. “No. No, of course not.” She couldn’t be in love. “I told you I’d only love a man who I can trust with my whole heart. I need security and predictability. Not someone who blows hot and cold, or who’s reminded me more than once he’s not interested in anything permanent.” Her heart squeezed at the reminder, but that was what she wanted out of this talk. The brutal truth said out loud. “I need to know what to expect from a man, and when.”

Alexis shook her head and put her empty cup down. “Not every man is your father.”

Cara’s stomach cramped. So maybe she wasn’t looking for anything quite that brutal. Still, Alexa had a valid point. “True. And I’m not saying Mike’s anything like my dad. He wouldn’t hurt me—or anyone—that way, but I don’t have to wonder if Mike’s the guy I can entrust my heart to because he doesn’t want it.” She rose and tossed her cup in the trash. “I’m so glad we had this talk!”

“Cara Hartley, sit yourself down!”

Cara stared at her normally quiet, sedate doctor friend. So did everyone else in the small café. In order to avoid making a scene, she lowered herself back into the chair. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend Alexa?”

“I am your friend, and as such, I’m here to tell you to get your head out of your ass,” she said, much more quietly this time. “Mike took you with him to Vegas to meet the man who abandoned him for the first time. And you don’t think he’s someone you can trust your heart to?” Alexa held up a hand. “And I don’t want to hear about some relationship he had when he was pretty much still a kid himself.”

“I don’t need his past as proof. He told me so himself! His exact words were, no hearts involved!”

Alexa frowned. “In the beginning, maybe. But now you’re the one keeping yours sealed shut.”

“That’s right, and it’s called self-preservation, thank you very much. And now I have to go to Havensbridge. I’m hoping someone heard from Daniella.”

“Still nothing?” Alexa asked, concerned

“No.” Cara drew a deep breath. “Listen, I appreciate that you’re looking out for me, but I knew what I was getting into with Mike. And I asked you to meet me today because…maybe I am falling for him a little bit and I needed the reminder of why that’s a bad idea.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give that to you.” Alexa shook her head. “I guess I need to believe someone can find the right guy.”

Personally, Cara thought Alexa could find that man if she stopped working so hard and let herself look around. But she knew better than to have the old argument.

“That’s okay,” Cara said instead. “I gave it to myself.”

Alexa rose, walked to Cara, and gave her a hug. “I just want you to be happy, and honestly? Being with Mike makes you happier than I’ve ever seen you.”

Too bad it couldn’t last. But Cara didn’t say that.

“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Alexa asked. “I have a rare free evening. I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie?”

Cara nodded. “That sounds wonderful.” It had been too long since Alexa had given herself permission to relax, and Cara definitely wouldn’t mind continuing their time together. They made plans for the evening, and Cara headed out the door.

At Havensbridge, no one had heard from Daniella. Cara spent the afternoon talking to a new woman who’d come in while Cara was in Vegas and encouraging her to look into self-defense classes in which she’d expressed an interest. All the while, Daniella’s absence, which was now going on two long weeks, weighed heavily.

That night, a snowstorm hit, forcing Alexa and Cara to change their plans. They ordered dinner in and watched the movie Friends with Benefits, which left Cara shaking her head at the romanticized ending.

“When was the last time a woman ended up with Prince Charming? One who organizes an entire flash mob to impress her?” Cara rolled her eyes, though she’d secretly loved the movie.

Alexa laughed. “It’s a movie; can’t you just enjoy it without analyzing it to death?”

Cara laughed, but she knew that when a guy said he didn’t do permanent, she’d better listen.

Alexa left before the snow got any worse, and Cara holed up in her condo, watching the beautiful snow fall outside her living room window.

She must have dozed off because she woke to the distant ringing of her cell phone, the sound coming from her bedroom.

She ran, hoping to catch the caller before they hung up. “Hello?”

“Cara?” Her name sounded like a whisper, but she recognized the voice.

“Daniella?” Cara gripped the small phone in her hand.

“I don’t know what to do,” the other woman said in a small voice.

“Are you hurt?”

Silence.

“Daniella? I’m not going to judge you. I just want to know if you’re okay.” Cara realized she was trembling and lowered herself onto the bed.

“I’m fine. But I need to talk to you.”

An opening, Cara thought. A small one, but it was there. Cara squeezed her eyes shut tight and prayed. “Where can I find you?”

“Umm…”

“No pressure. We’ll just talk, and afterward you can walk away if that’s what you want.”

The silence was deafening while the time that she waited for an answer stretched on. “The McDonald’s off Route 80,” Daniella said, and then Cara heard a click.

Heart pounding, Cara glanced down. She was wearing a pair of pink sweats and a T-shirt. Good enough. She wasn’t taking the time to change and risk Daniella leaving. She strapped on her holster and gun, pulled on her jacket, and was in the car within five minutes of the phone call.

The drive there normally took fifteen minutes, but thanks to the heavy snow and roads, which hadn’t yet been plowed, it ended up being a thirty-minute drive. Thirty long minutes in which Cara inched along in her car, with too much time to think. Her first impulse was to call Mike and tell him she’d heard from Daniella, but Cara slammed the brakes on that idea immediately.

After Vegas…no, that wasn’t right—before Vegas, when Mike had shown up on her doorstep and told her he was headed out of town, her panic at the notion of his leaving told her in no uncertain terms that she was coming to rely on him too much. To put things back in perspective, Cara had to remember that this was her life. She’d been self-reliant before Mike arrived, and she’d have to go back to going it solo once he was gone. No reason not to exercise the same behavior now.

Finally the Golden Arches came into view, and Cara pulled into the parking lot, which was already covered with an ever-thickening layer of snow. A small McDonald’s off a highway, it wasn’t a full-service family restaurant but one where truckers and travelers stopped for a quick meal or cup of coffee. Tonight, the dimly lit parking lot was fairly empty.

Cara entered through the front door and was surprised to see Daniella behind the counter. No one waited in line to order, and Cara stepped up to greet her. “Hi,” she said softly.

“Hi.” Daniella smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes.

Cara wondered if she’d ever see her truly happy and prayed with everything in her that she would. “You got a job!”

“As soon as I went back, Bob said since I ran away once, I have to earn my keep. But he keeps a close eye on me,” Daniella admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Cara winced, but she’d promised not to judge. “At least it gets you out of the house.”

Daniella nodded. Her eyes filled with tears, and she bit down on her lower lip, obviously to keep from crying.

All Cara wanted to do was bundle the woman up and bring her home, but she knew that acting emotionally wasn’t an answer. She couldn’t bring home everyone she helped at Havensbridge, no matter how badly she wanted to.

“Can I get a cup of coffee?” Cara asked, hoping to give Daniella something else to concentrate on.

“Sure. My manager is in the back. She’s really a sweet woman, and she said I could take my break when you got here. I’ll just tell her to come out and cover for me.”

Cara nodded.

A few minutes later, Cara and Daniella were seated across from each other in a small booth.

A middle-aged woman walked over, carrying two cups of coffee. “On the house. Take all the time you need,” she said.

“Thanks, Bev.”

“Thank you,” Cara said.

“No problem.” She nodded at Cara before walking away, taking her place behind the counter.

“She seems nice,” Cara said.

“She’s been very good to me.” Daniella sounded surprised, as if she’d seen too little kindness in her life.

“How long have you been working here?”

“A little over a week.” She glanced into her coffee cup.

Cara studied Daniella carefully, taking in the fading bruise on the girl’s jaw. Without meaning to, Cara reached out and brushed a gentle finger over the discoloration.

“I tripped—”

“Not with me, okay?” Cara whispered.

Daniella’s eyes once again filled with tears that she was unable to keep from spilling over her cheeks.

“Daniella, I know I promised no pressure, but you have to leave. You can stay at Havensbridge and—”

The young woman clenched and unclenched her fists. “I want to leave him. I do. That’s why I called you. But I like working here. I like having somewhere to come every day. It’s not like being a paralegal, but I feel good about myself. And I can do this part time and make money while I take online refresher classes.”

Cara nodded, pleased that Daniella not only had made the decision but had more of a plan than when she’d been at Havensbridge the first time. “That’s good. I’m sure Belinda will have a way to make things work. It’s just transportation you’d need, right?”

“Right—except Bob knows I work here.” She shook her head in frustration. “He shows up at odd hours, to check up on me.”

Cara wasn’t surprised.

“Damn right I know where you are every minute of the day.” A shadow loomed over their table. Cara looked up and into the eyes of one very pissed-off—and if she wasn’t mistaken, drunk—man. “I drive you here and pick you up because you’ve proven you can’t be trusted.”

Daniella shrank lower into her seat.

Cara felt the pressure of her holster and breathed out hard. She straightened her shoulders and met the man’s gaze, refusing to let him intimidate her as he obviously wanted to do.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” She deliberately dismissed him with her tone.

“Bob Francone. Who the hell are you?” He braced his hands on the table, leaning over them, distinctly threatening.

Cara wasn’t impressed. She smiled broadly and reached into her pocket. “I’m Daniella’s friend. Officer Cara Hartley.” She flashed her badge.

“You stupid bitch!” Bob raged at Daniella.

A whimper escaped the younger woman’s lips.

Time to take control of this situation, Cara thought. She slid to the edge of the seat, intending to stand, but Bob remained blocking her way. “Excuse me.”

Bob ignored her. “You’re friends with a cop?” Bob asked Daniella instead.

“Please don’t make a scene,” Daniella said, the words coming out more like a plea.

“I shouldn’t make a scene.” He barked out a laugh. “You called a goddamned cop and I shouldn’t make a scene?”

“That’s correct. Now I believe I said excuse me, you’re blocking my way.” Cara nudged his thigh with her knee. “I’d like to stand up.”

“And I’d like you to get the f*ck out of Daniella’s life,” he said, too loudly.

“That’s not your call to make,” Daniella said, surprising Cara and making her want to applaud at the same time.

“Shut up!” He slapped her, sending Daniella sprawling back on the seat.

Cara pulled her gun. “Step back now.” She leveled her weapon.

Daniella scrambled up once more, her terrified gaze on Cara’s gun. “Bob—”

“I’ve got this, Daniella.” Cara’s gaze never wavered from the man.

He eyed the gun, then Cara, warily.

“Look, Bob, I’ve already got you on assault. I’ve asked you to step out of my way twice now. I’m sure you don’t want to add false imprisonment of a police officer to tonight’s charges.”

Sirens broke the charged atmosphere, the sound growing increasingly louder. Bev, Cara realized, must have called the police.

Panic flickered in Bob’s eyes, and before Cara could register his intent, he grabbed Daniella by the hair and yanked her out of the booth. Cara jumped up and trained her gun on Bob, who’d wrapped one beefy arm around Daniella’s neck. Her face turned red and she grabbed at Bob’s arm, attempting to pry his grip away from her airway.

“Let her go,” Cara said calmly.

“Go to hell. She’s mine,” he said, his eyes wild.

“She’s her own person, Bob. Release her now, okay?”

From the corner of her eye, Cara realized Sam had quietly come in from the back entrance, with his partner, a rookie named Ted, alongside him. Thankfully Bob hadn’t seen them enter. No doubt he’d freak out even more once he did. But he hadn’t drawn a weapon and Cara didn’t know if he had one on him. All she could do was hope that Sam could easily take him from behind.

“Bob, if you love Daniella, you don’t want to hurt her. That puts us on the same side. Let’s end this now.” Cara imperceptibly nodded at Sam.

He stepped up behind the man, jamming his gun into Bob’s side. “It’s over,” Sam said, nudging Bob with his weapon.

That quickly it was over. Without warning, the big man released Daniella and dropped to his knees, blubbering like a baby.

Cara pulled the girl away from Bob, whom Sam easily subdued.

“I’d never hurt you, Dani, you gotta know that,” Bob said as Sam cuffed his hands behind his back and proceeded to read him his Miranda rights.

Bev wrapped an arm around Daniella, comforting her as a mother would a child. Cara exhaled long and hard, pleased that this had ended so quickly and easily.

“Thanks for calling the police,” Cara said to Bev. “That was a smart move.”

Bev, a gray-haired, stout woman, merely shrugged. “Seemed like common sense. He shows up here every day at different times, watching Daniella, making threats. I’ve seen his type before.” She frowned and patted Daniella’s back.

“I’m sorry,” Daniella murmured.

Cara shook her head and smiled. “No apologizing for someone else’s behavior, remember?”

Daniella nodded.

“I’m going to need you both to come down to the station and give your statement. Will you press charges? And file for a restraining order?” Cara asked Daniella. “I’ll be right there with you.”

Daniella nodded.

Cara was under no illusion that this arrest or an order of protection would end Bob’s abuse, but it would document it and maybe act as some sort of deterrent.

“I’m proud of you,” Cara told Daniella, squeezing her hand.

“I need to call my son—he’s the owner. He’ll come in so I can come down to the station,” Bev said.

Cara inclined her head. “Good. I can drive Daniella now and you can meet us. Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”

Cara walked over to Sam, who was about to escort Bob out to the squad car. He handed the now-calm man over to Ted. “I’ll meet you at the car.”

With a nod, Ted prodded Bob and they headed out the door. “Dani, I’m sorry,” he called out.

She turned away without answering.

Cara shook her head in disgust. “Daniella said she’d press charges.”

“That’s good,” Sam said.

“I can drive her over now. The manager needs to lock up and she’ll meet us at the station so we can all make a formal statement,” Cara concluded, since she was off duty when the incident occurred.

“She okay?” Sam tipped his head in Daniella’s direction.

Cara nodded. “She is. I just hope she stays that way.” She’d seen too many women, her own mother included, back down and change their minds once faced with the reality of testifying and pressing charges.

“And you? Okay?” Sam eyed her critically, as he always did after any kind of incident.

“Just another day at the office,” she said with a grin.

Sam shook his head. “Smart-ass,” he muttered. “See you at the station.”

Cara spent the rest of the night filling out forms and making sure Daniella was settled. Bev insisted that Daniella go home with her, and Daniella agreed. As long as she was somewhere she felt safe, there was no risk of her returning to the apartment she shared with Bob. For now, the bastard was in jail, but after his arraignment in the morning, he might get out on bail. And Daniella would have to make some smart and hopefully permanent decisions.

Sunday dawned cold and sunny after the snowstorm the night before. Mike had spent all day yesterday at the station catching up on endless paperwork, which was still piled high on his desk, and he’d met with the tech guy to go over the potential computerization of files. Last night he’d spent at Ethan’s playing poker with guys they’d gone to school with, where Mike had won a decent amount of cash and caught up with old friends. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night, short of seeing Cara and spending the night in her bed.

He hadn’t seen her much since their return from Vegas, their schedules keeping them apart. He’d been busy, but he thought about her often. Although he was getting used to it, stranger still was that he missed having her around—in his bathroom, sharing drawers, and in his space. There was never a time when being apart from a woman bothered him. He’d even invited her to the family dinner tonight, but she’d begged off, claiming she was exhausted. Considering he’d woken her when he called this morning at eleven, he didn’t doubt it.

At his parents’, Mike handled chores his father used to do himself, like shoveling the walk clear of snow and de-icing the driveway. Sam and Erin pitched in to do their parts as well. Between the three of them, Mike hoped they kept Ella and Simon’s lives running as smoothly as possible until this nightmare ended.

No wonder people whispered the word cancer. The damned disease took a toll on everyone within loving distance of the person afflicted. But Simon appeared stronger today and hadn’t been napping when Mike arrived.

Mike kicked the snow off his boots and left them along with his coat and gloves in the laundry room to dry. Dinner was their normal affair, joking with each other, and for the first time in ages, even Simon participated, leaving Mike with a feeling of warmth about his family he hadn’t experienced in too long—if ever. Maybe meeting Rex had given him a newfound appreciation for all he had here in Serendipity.

“Where’s Cara tonight?” Mike’s mother asked over dessert.

Mike paused, his spoon full of his mother’s delicious bread pudding midway to his mouth. “Home. She said she’s exhausted and asked me to send her apologies.”

“Which of course you forgot to do,” Erin teased him. “I don’t blame her for being tired after last night’s excitement.”

“Excitement?” Suddenly uneasy, Mike laid his spoon down on his plate.

“Someone hasn’t checked the blotter today,” his father said, laughing as he glanced at Mike. “I can relate. There were Sundays I didn’t want to know what was happening in town. I figured if the world was falling apart, someone would let me know. That’s what deputy chiefs are for.”

“I was the assistant D.A. on call last night,” Erin said.

Mike’s mouth grew dry. “What happened?” he asked his brother, who he knew had been on duty.

“Cara didn’t tell you?” Sam asked.

Mike shook his head.

“Shit,” Sam muttered. “I thought you knew or I would’ve said something sooner.”

“Tell me now,” Mike said.

Sam cleared his throat. “We got a call about a disturbance at the McDonald’s off Route 80. Manager said a drunk guy was threatening one of her workers. Ted Shaeffer was with me. We arrived to find the perp with his arm around his girlfriend’s throat and Cara holding a gun on him.”

Mike’s stomach churned, his gut firing on all cylinders. Cara wasn’t on duty last night, but if she was involved in something, there was only one other person who could’ve been there too.

“Was the woman’s name Daniella?” Mike asked.

Sam nodded. “Cara was off duty when she got a call. She met Daniella at McDonald’s and her boyfriend showed up. Abusive a*shole,” Sam added, and Ella didn’t reprimand him for his choice of words. “We defused the situation without bloodshed.”

Mike nodded, not surprised. He hadn’t been worried about Cara handling herself or being in a difficult situation. Hell, he’d trust her to have his back any time. What did shock him was the fact that she’d heard from Daniella and yet she hadn’t called him last night and she hadn’t mentioned it this morning.

“Who is this Daniella?” Simon asked.

“A young woman who Cara took under her wing at Havensbridge. She left a couple of weeks ago and nobody’s heard from her since. I knew how worried Cara was, so I spent some time calling a couple of neighboring area hospitals. Just in case,” Mike said. Yet Cara hadn’t let him know that Daniella had surfaced.

“Daniella agreed to press charges and testify. She even took out a restraining order, which took guts.”

“That poor girl,” his mother said softly. Ella shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness. “Nobody should have to go through something like that.”

“What about Cara?” he asked. “She was okay afterward?”

Sam nodded. “I’m sorry, man. I really thought you knew.”

“It’s okay.” Mike appreciated that his brother cared, and he knew that Sam had finally accepted Mike’s relationship with Cara.

“She was fine. She gave her statement, made sure Daniella was taken care of, and went home.”

Alone, Mike thought. She’d gone through her own form of emotional hell, one that probably brought back all sorts of painful memories and fear for her mother, and she still hadn’t called him at any time afterward. Damn stubborn, independent woman, he thought, rising from his seat.

“Mike? What’s wrong?” his mother asked.

Simon put a hand over Ella’s to calm her. “It’s fine. Let him go. He has a lady to talk to.”

Leave it to his father to understand. Mike smiled at the old man. “Thanks for dinner, it was delicious.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do all the cleanup,” Erin said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand and a grin that let him know he owed her.

“Hey, take it easy on her,” his brother warned him about Cara.

He supposed some things would never change, and he stopped short of telling Sam that how Mike treated his woman was none of his damned business. That would only cause more trouble than he had the time or patience to deal with.

The only person he wanted to shake sense into was Cara.