“Of course.”

Elissa set her daughter down and took her hand. As they walked into the apartment, she felt an unfamiliar sense of emptiness. It took her a second to realize she was lonely for someone who was more than a friend.

She wasn’t looking to get married or for anything permanent, but every once in a while she thought it would be nice to have someone hanging around for a while. Someone to share things with. Someone to care.

SHORTLY BEFORE NINE on Friday evening, there was a knock on Elissa’s door. Her first thought was that the horrible old woman had returned. That somehow she’d found out how much Elissa missed Walker and she was back to exact her revenge.

Instead, when she stared out the peephole, she saw Walker standing there.

When she opened the door, her first instinct was to throw herself in his arms and demand to know where he’d been. Her second was to rip off her T-shirt in invitation. Instead she went for something a tiny bit more subtle and simply invited him in.

“You okay?” he asked as he closed the door behind him.

“Fine. And you?”

“Not bad.” He held out a bottle of red wine. “I thought we could talk.”

Not words she usually expected to hear from a man. “And you need to get me drunk first?” she asked.

He smiled. “I hadn’t planned to.”

Bummer.

She led the way into the kitchen and handed over the corkscrew. He made quick work of opening the bottle. She put glasses on the counter and he poured.

“So what is the topic of conversation?” she asked, before taking a sip of the very smooth wine. The flavor burst on her tongue without being overpowering. Must be nice to be able to afford something over three dollars a bottle.

“My grandmother.”

Determined not to react, Elissa led the way into the living room. “What about her?”

“I know she was here.”

“Okay.”

He glanced around the empty, quiet room. “Zoe in bed?”

“Yes, fast asleep. I just checked on her a few minutes ago.”

“Good.”

“Because…”

“Because I might be using some language not appropriate for a five-year-old.” He motioned to the sofa and sat across from her in a club chair.

She wasn’t sure why he was here. Was he planning to take his grandmother’s side or hers? “Walker, I don’t know what—”

“Gloria threatened you,” he said flatly. “I know the generalities, but not the specifics. Want to fill me in?”

“Not really.” When his steady gaze never wavered she added, “She obviously doesn’t want us involved. As we’re not, I don’t see a problem.”

“My grandmother isn’t a subtle woman. I’m guessing she threatened your job somehow, or even Zoe. Am I close?”

She shrugged.

Walker frowned, then leaned back in his chair. “Sorry,” he said. “I don’t like her. No one in my family does. She’s a manipulative bitch who will do anything to get her way.”

She relaxed a little. At least he hadn’t assumed she, Elissa, was in the wrong. “Okay, then. Yes. She threatened to get me fired and evicted if I didn’t get out of your life.”

He swore again. “I’m sorry. One day you were gone. I wish you’d told me what had happened.”

“It’s not your problem.”

“It happened because of me.”

“Maybe. I didn’t want to…”

“You weren’t sure whose side I’d be on,” he said. “I’m on yours. Don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t worried, exactly.”

“Of course not.” He smiled at her. “You don’t have to sweat it. She won’t bother you again.”

“Did she get back on her broom and return to the mother ship?”

“No. She’s in the hospital. She had a heart attack, fell and broke her hip.”

“Oh, God.”

Elissa didn’t know what to think, let alone say. Gloria had been horrible, but even so she wouldn’t have wished for something like this to happen.

“She’ll be all right,” he told her. “She’ll be in the hospital for a while, then at a place getting physical therapy.”

“Okay. I’m at a loss here.”

“Me, too. No one in my family expected this. My brother Reid is taking care of finding private duty nurses, while I’m going to be taking over the company.” He sipped his wine. “I’m not exactly executive material.”

“I’m not so sure about that. All you need is attitude and a suit.”

“Why do I think there’s more to it than that?” he asked wryly.

“Sure, if you want to make things complicated.” She clutched her glass and knew she was going to have to get to it eventually. “She mentioned you’re a part of the Buchanan restaurant chain.”

“There are four places. Not much of a chain.”

“Still. It’s a really different world. I’m sure she told you all about me and my past.”

“I don’t care, Elissa,” he said flatly. “You’d told me a lot yourself and I’m in no position to judge.”

Ha. As if she believed that. “I want to make it clear I never did drugs. I wasn’t interested. I know that’s not a huge moral mountain or anything, but it’s important to me. The other stuff, well, some of it is true.” Especially the part about Zoe’s father. How on earth could she have fallen for Neil?

“I meant what I said,” he told her. “I don’t judge you. Or anyone.”

“But I—”

He leaned forward and set his drink on the coffee table between them. “You what? Partied? Slept with some guys? Elissa, I’ve killed people. Sure, it was in the line of duty and it was my job and it probably saved lives, but they’re still dead. Some of them deserved it, but some were just kids pretending to be soldiers. Some weren’t supposed to die. Not on either side.”

She thought about what he’d told her before. “Are you talking about your friend Ben?”

He shrugged. “He took a bullet for me. It all happened so fast. I don’t know how they got in the cave. That shouldn’t have happened. But they did and he died to save me. He was a kid. Some skinny kid from Seattle. He wasn’t even a good Marine. But damn, did he have heart. He didn’t have anyone but me and the Marines and now he’s gone.”

She felt his pain as if it were her own. She felt his emptiness and knew these ghosts were the ones to cause him to cry out in his sleep.

“Walker, you didn’t do anything wrong,” she whispered as she put down her drink and moved toward him. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, she only knew he needed comfort.

But as she approached, he rose and suddenly she was in his arms, his hands on her back, his mouth on hers.

Everything happened so quickly, she didn’t have time to think. Which was all right because the feel of his lips on hers made it impossible to form thoughts.

His kiss was firm and confident without being demanding. She felt the heat of him, and his strength. He moved his mouth against hers, discovering, arousing, making her strain toward him in an attempt to convince him that more was a really good idea.

She pressed against him, liking how his muscles provided a warm resting place for her body. While he rubbed his fingers against her back, she explored his shoulders and upper arms.

She felt the first brush of his tongue on her lower lip and parted for him. When he slipped inside she felt heat pour through her. Body parts melted. Her thighs and stomach tightened, while her knees nearly gave way. Her br**sts swelled.

Wanting swept through her. Need, and hunger. It had been so long, the sensations were almost unfamiliar—but still very, very welcome.

He tasted of wine and sex and promise. When he drew back, she whimpered, but then he kissed her jaw and the side of her neck. His lips traced the line from her ear to her shoulder. He pushed her hair aside and nibbled on the back of her neck.

Liquid desire washed away any lingering resolve she might have mustered. She was more than willing to take things to the next level. Make that the next fifteen levels. She wanted them both na**d, clinging, touching, riding each other until they were too exhausted to ever do it again.

She opened her mouth to tell him so when he stepped back.

“Sorry,” he said. “This was not in your game plan.”

Screw the game plan. Had she been able to speak, she would have told him just that. But she was too stunned by her incredible response to him to do more than breathe.

“Even if you were interested,” he continued, “I’m the wrong guy. You and Zoe need someone who’s going to stick around. That’s not me.”

“You’re moving?” she managed to ask, her voice thick and unsteady.

“Not this week. I meant in general. I’m not a good bet.”

“Why not?”

“I saw too many guys get dumped while overseas. Love is fleeting at best.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that.”

“You seen any different?”

My parents. Except she didn’t say that aloud. Were her parents even still together?

“I’m not looking for forever,” she said. “I just find it interesting that someone as caring as you isn’t looking for more.”

“You think I’m caring?”

She managed a smile. “Did I just violate the male code by saying that? Should I take it back?”

“I’m a real bastard, Elissa. You need to understand that.”

She almost giggled. Right. A real bastard who took Mrs. Ford to the hospital and spent time with her daughter while Zoe showed off her new school clothes.

“Bad to the bone,” she said. “I got it.”

He narrowed his gaze. “I’m not kidding.”

“I know. You’re practically evil.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Maybe. A little. Gonna get me now?”

“You should respect what I’m telling you. I’m not a good bet.”

She sighed. “Actually, I do believe that.”

Not because of anything he’d said, but because of her own past. He might not be bad, but she was a walking, breathing disaster when it came to men. Neil was proof of that.

“So we’ll just be friends,” he said. “Pretend this never happened.”

“Of course,” she said, knowing she was lying. She planned to relive that kiss every night for the next month. But repeating it in person? Not likely. Fool me once and all that.

He slipped his hand against the back of her neck and drew her to him. “You’re a real temptation. You know that?”

She was painfully normal. Average height, average looks, average body, with the added thrill of a couple of stretch marks. A temptation? Who was he kidding?

But there was a heat in his gaze. A fire that thrilled her as much as it made her want him more.

“And how do you feel about temptation?” she asked.

“I walk away.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

DANI SIPPED the hot coffee and stared across at the view of Lake Union. She was due at the restaurant in an hour, but until then she planned to enjoy the perfect summer morning.

It was just after ten, when those who had regular jobs had disappeared into their offices and the lunch crowd had yet to fill the sidewalks.

The Waterfront should do lunch, she thought. The location was good. With some minor modifications, a lot of their dinner menu could be cut down or translated into salads and sandwiches. They could…

“So not my problem,” she said aloud, to remind herself she wasn’t technically a Buchanan anymore. She didn’t give a damn if the restaurant made a profit or not, just as long as it stayed in business until Penny returned from maternity leave and Dani could find another job.

Or maybe she should do something more, she thought. Like go find her father.

Who was he? She had no idea how to begin the search. Gloria had long ago gotten rid of all Dani’s mother’s things. Could there be papers of some kind? A diary?

The only person who would know for sure was the one person Dani didn’t want to talk to—Gloria.

“What has you looking so serious?”

She turned and saw Ryan standing next to her.

“Hi,” she said, both surprised and delighted to see him. “What are you doing here?”

“Getting coffee. It’s my morning spot. And you?”

She held up her drink. “Getting a slow start on my day. Do you really come here every morning?”

He glanced at the front of the Daily Grind. “Sure. It’s on my way to the restaurant. Why?”

“My brother Cal owns the chain. When he started, he and his partners opened three places at once. This is one of them.”

Ryan chuckled. “So I spend my life in service to the Buchanan empire.”

“Four restaurants isn’t exactly an empire,” Dani said. “Although Cal’s business would qualify. They’re expanding back East.” She lowered her voice. “Apparently they’re going to have to offer more coffee choices that aren’t as strong. I guess we scare them with too much intensity.”

“Wimps,” he said.

She laughed. “One of the new East Coast reps said we all have our taste in our feet.”

Ryan grinned, then his humor faded. He put his hand on her arm. “I was sorry to hear about your grandmother. Are you all right? Is there anything I can do?”

“I’m all right,” she said, not seeing any point in getting into her current maelstrom of feelings. Gloria wasn’t her grandmother. The woman had made her life a living hell for years. And all that time, Dani had done her best to make the old woman happy. Until she’d learned the truth, she’d never been able to figure out why she kept failing. But even after all that, she couldn’t help feeling bad about what had happened and how Gloria was going to have to face her recovery pretty much on her own.