When she turned up Zane’s road, she felt a trickle of optimism slip back inside. The lights on the terrace walls glowed against that heavy gloom, shined warm through it. The accent lights she’d placed to showcase the water feature glimmered quiet and steady.

Whatever lurked under the surface, she’d handle it. And she’d keep building.

More settled, she took off her boots on the covered veranda, unlocked the door, reset the alarm. After carting her boots back to the mudroom, stripping off the hoodie, she got down to the serious business of pouring herself a glass of wine.

Then in the quiet, empty house, sat at the counter with her laptop to look up local locksmiths. And though the optimist in her hated to do it, the practical woman took a look at security systems.

The pelting rain masked the sound of Zane driving up, and she didn’t hear the door open and close, so she jolted when she heard footsteps, swiveled around to jump off the stool.

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” Slapping a hand on her heart, she settled back down. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“I live here.”

“Yeah, and you’re supposed to have dinner with Micah and Dave tonight.”

He walked to her, skimmed a hand over her hair, kissed her. “And you’re supposed to be painting your fish room. Plans changed.” Sliding his hands down to her shoulders, he rubbed gently. “Are you okay?”

“I take it word got back to you about the panty thief.”

Now those hands on her shoulders gave her a little shake. “There’s no point pretending you’re not upset.”

“Of course I am. Nobody likes to imagine somebody invading their home and messing around with their things. But that’s what happened, and taking the classic step of closing the barn door after, I’m calling a locksmith in the morning, and I’ll look into a security system.”

She patted the hand still on her shoulder in hopes of dimming the angry light in his eyes. “You didn’t have to change your plans.”

“Yeah, I did. And I have to wonder why you’d think I’d sit around tossing back a beer and some wings after you had a break-in.” Now he cupped her face, firmly. “Don’t do that.”

“I don’t want to be one of those needy women.”

He let out a half laugh, walked over to get a glass to join her with the wine. “You’re the least needy person I know. In fact, you could use a little needy in there.”

“The needy’s why I ended up with Trent.”

He sat, considered her. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know. My father leaves me and my mother, and I want—need—someone to love me, a guy who’ll stand by me, stick with me. Thick and thin. He saw that, played on that, and, well, it didn’t work out very well for me. Maybe I’ve overcompensated,” she admitted. “I’m working on finding the balance.”

“Wanting someone to love you, stand, and stick isn’t needy, darlin’, it’s human. I’m here right now, standing by you.”

“I know it.” She did know it, and it made the back of her throat ache. “And under all the I’m fine, no big deal, I’m really glad you are. I mean, what kind of perv steals plain cotton underwear? They’re not even sexy.”

“They are when you wear them. So just that and half your house cash?”

“Panties, a hundred bucks, and a bottle of Coke. What I figure is most people wouldn’t have noticed any of it. Even the cash you might dismiss as being forgetful, you know? It’s creepy, and disturbing, but basically harmless. Mostly I’m pissed because I didn’t feel comfortable staying there tonight and getting that bathroom painted.”

“We’ll paint it tomorrow after work.”

“Tomorrow’s the third. We should spend it in party prep.”

“That bathroom has about ten square feet of wall space. How long could it take? After, we can prep our asses off.”

He settled her down, she realized, when she hadn’t really understood she’d needed to settle down.

“We could start now, working on your list. Like did you rent the extra tables and chairs?”

The sulky came back to his face. She thought it was adorable.

“I bought the damn tables and chairs. Micah and I are picking them up tomorrow. We’re having pizza,” he decided and rose to switch on the oven.

“You bought them?”

“Don’t play innocent with a lawyer. We know. You and the other women decided this bash would be an annual event, so I bought the tables, the chairs, which I’ll now have to haul in and out of the storage room every year.”

He poured more wine. “Along with the ridiculous red, white, and blue tablecloths Britt demanded, with coordinating plates, napkins, cups, flatware, and some dumbass serving pieces. And the stupid lights, lanterns, and God-all, including arranging for half a million hamburger patties, hot dogs, buns, gallons of beer, wine, soft drinks, and the gargantuan Hefty bags we’ll need to haul all the debris away when it’s over.”

She sipped her wine, smiled when he got the pizza out of the freezer. “You didn’t shop for all that.”

“Shopped for some, paid for all.”

“Grumpy.”

“One moment of weakness, and I’m throwing a crazy-ass party every Fourth for the rest of my life.”

“It’s probably not a good time to mention you’re going to want to throw a crazy-ass party around Christmas every year.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Who says I want to do something like that?”

She rose, wrapped her arms around him.

“That won’t soften me up.”

“It’s not for that—I have other ways to soften you up. It’s for being here when I didn’t want to need you being here.”

“Get used to it,” he replied, and brushed his lips over her hair. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re not going to think about panty-stealing perverts or crazy-ass parties. We’re going to eat pizza, drink wine, then put a bag of popcorn in the mike, drink more wine, watch a movie. Then we’re going to have some wild sex.”

“What kind of wild sex? Our definitions may vary.”

“We’ll find out.”

* * *

But he did think about perverts and just how isolated and vulnerable her house was. Zane thought about it enough to leave shortly after Darby in the morning to drive over and catch Lee at home.

“You after breakfast?” Lee asked him. “I sweet-talked Emily into making French toast.”

“Nobody turns down Em’s French toast,” he said, and kissed her cheek.

“Then you’re in luck.” She returned the kiss before he bent down to give Rufus a full-body rub. “Gabe’s already gone, and Brody’s still in bed. You’re up early.”

“It’s getting to be a habit. Darby’s up at dawn.” At home, he poured coffee, got out another plate, then sat with Lee.

“I expect you want to know where I’m at with her break-in.”

“I’d be surprised if you’re anywhere on that, considering.”

“You’d be right. It wouldn’t take much to figure out she’s not home some nights, and she’s got flimsy locks.”

Zane gave himself one more mental kick for not so much as thinking of either of those facts beforehand.

“She’s taking care of that part today, and she’s going to talk to Micah about a security system.”

“I’m glad to hear it, both counts.”

Emily brought a plate piled with French toast to the table, sat with them.

Now that the family had settled, Rufus curled himself under the table to join them.

“How’s she doing?” Emily asked.

“Not pissed enough if you ask me. Mostly baffled because the whole thing seems stupid.”

Lee slathered on butter, poured syrup. “I’d agree with her if it wasn’t for the door, the drawers being wiped down. Not a print on them. Now, it may be some asshole, hormonal kid who watched enough TV to worry about leaving prints, but it strikes me some asshole kid’s going to take all the money.”

He wagged his fork in the air. “Taking part of it, that’s smart. Most people are going to say, well, I’d swear I had two hundred in here, then figure they forgot taking some cash out. And I don’t know anybody who knows just exactly how many pair of underwear they’ve got, or Cokes in the fridge, or the rest.”

“She would,” Zane said. “It’s how she operates.”

“I got that, so I’d think asshole kid getting a little rush. But it doesn’t feel quite right. I’d like her to get that security system ASAP. I’d feel some better knowing if somebody tried to get in while she was there, they’d be in for one hell of a surprise.”

“Problem is she sleeps like the dead. Seriously.”

Lee smiled a little. “Is that so?”

“First few times I actually checked to make sure she was breathing. Once she’s out, she’s out. I swear, the proverbial bomb could go off and she wouldn’t so much as twitch.”

“Then she ought to stay with you at least until Lee figures this out, and she gets new locks and that security.” Emily got the worry line between her eyebrows. “I don’t like thinking of her alone up there after this.”

“Neither do I. I asked her to move in with me before this happened. She’s not ready.”

“You…” Emily put down her fork. “That’s a big step, Zane. A big one for you, but apparently you’re ready.”

“Yeah, surprise. I am.”

“Then ask her again.”

He shook his head. “She’s not ready. She’s got more issues in there than she shows.”