I Do…. Dani Wade
his early rambunctiousness tempered because he had her attention.
She pulled the leash out of her trunk and looped it over his head. He shook his head, as if he wasn’t used to a collar. “Easy there, boy,” Julia crooned and knelt to pet him. The dog nuzzled into her chest. “I bet you’ve had a rough time of it. If anyone can find you a good home, it’s my mom.”
She walked the dog back onto the porch, where she could hear the sound of the television coming through the open screen door.
“Is it okay if I bring him in the house?”
“As long as he doesn’t lift his leg on the furniture,” came the hushed reply.
She leveled a look at the dog, who cocked his head at her. “Keep it together,” she told him, and his stubby tail wagged again.
“I should get Charlie home and to bed,” she said as she walked into the family room then stopped short. Sam sat on the couch, Charlie nestled into the crook of his arm, their attention riveted to the television. An IndyCar race was on the big set, and Sam was quietly explaining the details of the scene to Charlie.
“Lubock thinks he’s got this one in the bag. He’s in the blue-and-yellow car out front.”
“Blue,” Charlie said, his fist popping out of his mouth to point to the screen.
“That’s right, but watch out for Eckhard in the red and white. See where he’s coming around the outside?”
Charlie nodded drowsily then snuggled in deeper.
“I thought you didn’t like kids,” Julia said quietly, as Charlie’s eyes drifted shut.
Sam glanced at the boy then tucked a blanket from the back of the couch around him. “I like kids. Everyone likes kids.”
Julia scoffed. “Hardly. Most people like dogs. You don’t.”
“That’s different.”
She watched the pair for several seconds then added, “Charlie’s father doesn’t like kids.”
Sam met her gaze. “His loss.”
“You’ve never even said hello to Charlie before this week.”
“He and I don’t run in the same circles,” he countered.
“You know what I mean.”
Sam picked up the remote and hit the mute button. He knew what she meant. Ever since he’d found Julia after her car crashed, he’d avoided both her and her son. That moment had terrified him more than it should someone in his position. He didn’t know whether it was the memory of losing his mother, or the strange way his body reacted to the woman sitting across from him. Or a combination of both. But when he’d lifted her out of that car and carried her to his cruiser, his instinct for danger had been on high alert.
Sam was used to saving people from mishaps. It was part of the job. But she’d looked at him as if she’d put all her faith in him. That had made it feel different. More real, and scary as hell. Charlie had been born that same day, and Sam had decided it was better for both of them if he stayed away. He had nothing to offer a single mom and her child. His heart had shut down a long time ago.
Holding Charlie in his arms, he felt something fierce and protective roar to life inside him. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily fall for this boy and his mother. He had to keep his distance but still play the part. His dad had spent most of the evening fawning over Julia and her son, leaving Sam blessedly alone.
He wanted to keep up the charade long enough for his father to leave town satisfied. When the eventual breakup came, Sam was sure he’d have a better chance of convincing Joe how heartbroken he was over the phone than in person.
“We should go over a few things before you leave,” he said, trying to make his tone all business but soft enough that he didn’t wake Charlie.
Julia nodded. “I can take him from you first.”
Sam shook his head and adjusted the blanket. “He’s fine. Thanks for bringing him. You saw how happy it made my dad.”
“He’s going to be devastated when this doesn’t work out.”
Sam shrugged. “He’ll get over it. You’ve given him hope that I’m not a total lost cause in the commitment department. That should hold him over for a while.”
Julia adjusted in her chair as the dog settled at her feet with a contented sigh. Sam had heard a lot about Vera Morgan’s exceptional skills with animals. It appeared the gift was genetic.
“He mentioned your ex-girlfriend.”
Sam flinched. If he didn’t have Charlie sleeping against him, he would have gotten up to pace the room. “Leave it to dear old dad to knock the skeleton from my closet.”
“We’re engaged. He assumed I already knew.”
“And you thought knowing my favorite color was going to be a big deal.”
“We need to understand the details about each other if this is going to work. Otherwise, no one is going to believe we’re legitimate.”
“Why not?” he countered. “People run off to Vegas all the time. Maybe you fell so head over heels for me that you didn’t care about the details.”
“Highly unlikely. You’re not that irresistible.”
Her comeback made him smile, which he realized was her intention. It was strange that this woman he knew so little could read him so well. “I was engaged for six months. She cheated on me a month before the wedding.”
“That’s awful.”
“I caught her with my brother.”
Julia’s jaw dropped. “Wow.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“What happened? Do you still speak to your brother? Are they together? What kind of awful people would do that to someone they both loved?”
“The way Scott explained it, before I kicked him out of my house, was that she was bad news and he was saving me from making a mistake. The way Jenny spun it before she followed him out the door was that he’d seduced her.” He expected to feel the familiar pain of betrayal but only emptiness washed over him. “They aren’t together and weren’t again as far as I know. Turns out he was right. I found out later it wasn’t the first time she’d cheated. She’d also been with one of the guys on the squad. Made me look like a fool.”
“She’s the fool.” Julia came to stand before him. She lifted Charlie from his arms and sat down, laying her son beside her on the soft leather. “And your brother?”
“Scott was in the army for several years. Now he works out of D.C. for the U.S. Marshals.”
She squeezed his arm and the warmth of her hand relaxed him a little. “I’m not interested in his job. What about your relationship?”
“My dad had a health scare almost two years ago. I passed my brother in the hall at the hospital. That’s the extent of it.”
“Oh, Sam.”
“We were never close. My dad didn’t encourage family bonding.”
“Still—”
“This isn’t helping our arrangement.” Sam took her hand in his. “How long have we been dating?”
“Four months,” Julia answered automatically.
“Favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Where we going on a honeymoon?”
“A Disney cruise.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Because of Charlie.”
He