“I’m a lawyer, I can do both at the same time. It’s not that bad, right?”

“You’re going to have a black eye—left side. He didn’t land any on the right. I can butterfly the cut over the bad eye. Your jaw’s bruised and scraped up, same side—you need to work on the left guard. Cheekbone, left, that’s cut up some. I can butterfly that, too, but you might need some X-rays.”

“Nothing’s broken. I know what it feels like.”

Because she did, too, she nodded. “Any blurred vision, nausea?”

“No.”

Face impassive, she turned back. “Strip off the shirt. Let’s see the rest of you.”

He started to, hissed again. “O … kay. He got some past me.”

“More than some. You didn’t mean it, at first.”

He let her help peel him out of the shirt. “His brother’s dead.”

“And you holding back doesn’t change that. He did a little number on your ribs.”

Zane took her hand before she could test for breaks. “You pissed at me?”

“No, why would I be?”

He skimmed a finger down her cheek. “You look pissed.”

“I am pissed, but not at you. I’m pissed you had to come home to that, that I did, that you had to fight off some idiot I’ve never even met. Hold the ice on the ribs while I feed the dog.”

She poured food for Zod to pounce on, opened the kitchen doors so he could go out as he pleased. “You didn’t want me to call Lee because you didn’t want him—what was his name? Jed? You didn’t want him to pay for it. You didn’t end it sooner, and you could have, because you wanted to let him get a few in. You didn’t stop holding back until he made that stupid crack about me.”

“You’re not wrong.”

She turned to him, her face a study of fury and sorrow. “It wasn’t our fault, Zane.”

“Darlin’, I know that. I don’t even think he much liked Clint, but blood’s blood. He didn’t come here with a gun. I figure he wanted to beat a confession out of me, and instead, I have to figure he left knowing I didn’t kill his brother.”

“If it comes to anything like that again, don’t you hold back.”

“Probably won’t.” Gently, he wiggled his jaw. “Especially if I have court in the morning.”

It annoyed the hell out of her that she admired how he handled it. She wrung out the wet cloth in a bowl.

“Let me deal with that face of yours.”

She had a good touch, he thought, gentle but not hesitant. And she didn’t get all pale and weird when she squeezed blood out of the cloth.

He watched her eyes as she cleaned him up, those deep, dark blue eyes. She smelled of the earth and growing things.

“I guess I forgot to use my filter,” he began, “when I said that stuff about the rest of my life, and building a family and all.”

“Mmm. Gonna sting,” she warned when she picked up the antiseptic.

He let out a stream of curses as she applied it to various cuts and scrapes. “Why is the cure nearly as painful as the cause?”

“Maybe to remind us to stay out of fights. Is that a legal term?” Carefully she fixed the butterfly bandage to close the cut over his left eye. “The filter?”

“I planned—as far as I planned—to give you more time before bringing up lifetime commitments, marriage, kids. Blame it on the heat of the moment.”

“Okay.” When she picked up another bandage, he took her hand again.

“Do you want kids down the road, Darby? Marriage, building a life with me?”

She just rested her brow against his. “Marriage still catches in my throat, but I want kids, and I feel like we’re starting to build a life.”

“Marriage is just a contract.”

She eased back, met his eyes. “No, it’s not.”

“No, it’s not. I can put the filter back on till you’re ready.”

“We’re good, right, even with all this?”

“We’re more than good from where I’m sitting.”

She bent forward, touched her lips to the cuts and bruises on his face.

“I wondered if you’d get around to that.”

“I had to work through being mad first. Not at you. I mean that. Did you box in college?”

“Some. The elbow thing’s a problem.”

She went to dump the bloody water. “I might be able to show you some moves to help you compensate for that.”

“Aren’t you handy?”

“In all things. Zane, you have to tell Lee. I’m not saying to press charges, or have him confront this guy, but he needs to know.”

“I know it.” And was already working out just how to approach it. “I don’t have to like it, but I know it.”

“Anybody who sees your face is going to know you were in a fight anyway.” She got him three ibuprofen, a glass of water. “So tell him, get it over with. Then we’ll have some pulled pork barbecue and another beer.”

“You know you don’t give me a choice but to be crazy in love with you.”

“I’m a hell of a catch. You call him, talk it through. I’ll get dinner warmed back up.”

Calling Lee—and he should’ve known—meant Lee insisted on coming over to see Zane for himself. Which meant Emily and the kids came, too.

Then because Emily insisted on telling Britt, that brought the rest of them. At least Silas and Britt picked up a bunch more pork and sides.

So a violent confrontation morphed into an impromptu family gathering. Darby watched Audra kiss Zane’s “hurts” much as she had, and cuddle against him to comfort.

She supposed she’d missed out on big, impromptu family gatherings, being the only child of a single parent. She decided being a part of them now landed on the plus side of living with Zane.

Even when Britt used the excuse of a gardening question to lure her away from the others and around to the front of the house.

“I just want to ask how you’re feeling, if you’re all right.”

“Zane’s the one who got punched.”

“I know your history, and I know you’ve been through three violent experiences in the last few months. If you need to talk—as friends, just friends—I’m here.”

“Then I’ll be honest with you. Part of me hit panic, hit shaky when I drove up on Zane and the latest Draper problem. I had to push that back because it doesn’t help. But the rest of me? The rest of me was impressed, because Zane, despite how he looks right now, had it under control.”

She looked down at the lake, going soft in the quieting light. “I know how to take care of myself, and that’s important to me. Now I know Zane can take care of himself, and me if he needs to.”

“Yes,” Britt agreed. “We grew up in a terrible place, but I always knew he’d look out for me. So I know exactly what you mean. But if the shaky comes back, you call me.”

“I’m really hoping this is the end of this cycle of crazy.” She tapped the tattoo on the back of her neck. “It’s really time for the calm and easy to balance it out.”

While Darby talked to Britt around front, Zane signaled Brody, slipped off with him and the dog for cover into the woods.

“Real quick, I want your go-ahead to share what you told me with Darby.”

“Oh, hey, I don’t—”

“Hear me out. Say you’re right, and we’ve got a bad guy. She lives here, too. And more, I really want her take on it. If I tell her in confidence, she’ll keep that confidence.”

“She has to swear.”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay. But nobody else.”

“Nobody else. I’ve got a line on his full name—without telling anybody else.”

“You do?”

The kid’s instant admiration gave Zane a lift. “Yeah, and I’m going to check it out after everybody goes home. I can’t promise anything, Brody, but I’ve got a place to start. Now think about this. If I find anything illegal, or really off, we need to tell your dad.”

At that, Brody gave a decisive nod. “If you find proof, we talk to Dad.”

“Good enough.” They shared a fist bump.

“Can you show me where Clint Draper got killed?”

“No.”

“Aw, man.” Brody kicked the dirt. “How about you show me how you knocked his brother on his butt, and made him stay down.”

Zane faked a punch, then caught Brody in a headlock. “We’re going back.”

* * *

He nearly put off filling in Darby, as his family didn’t leave until after nine. But since he wanted to start his search, he thought it best to get that take of hers.

He ran a hand down her short cap of hair as they sat another moment in the glow of the garden lights.

“I have a client who’s given me permission to share some information with you on the condition of treating said information as privileged and confidential.”

“Why would one of your clients…” She trailed off as he gave her that “just go with me” look. “Fine. I can keep my mouth shut.”

“The client requires you swear to same.”

“Your client—whoever it may be—has my solemn word to keep my mouth shut on this matter. What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you, but let’s walk around some. I’m going to stiffen up if I sit too long.”

“You’re going to stiffen up overnight, but good idea.”

The moon, little more than a thumbnail, curved its thin crescent in clear, star-drenched skies. The dog trotted along with them, pausing occasionally to leap at the wink of fireflies.

The night-blooming jasmine Darby had spotlighted drenched the air with scent.