* * *
“ANNABELLE!” JAKE CALLED. “I’m on my way out.”
His daughter popped out of the bathroom and flashed her endearingly wide smile as she waved a curling iron. “Whatever happened to twenty-four on, twenty-four off? You worked yesterday.”
“I’m captain now. That’s what happened.”
She set the curling iron down and hurried toward him, her blond curls bouncing. He was struck, as always, by how beautiful she was. It still amazed him, even after twenty-four years. “I’m worried about you, Dad.”
He scowled. Hard. This again? “I’m great.” It was nice having his daughter back in the house, but she wouldn’t stop with this.
“You need to have some fun.”
“I do have fun. I run. I bike. I help you plan the wedding.”
“You don’t plan. You sit there, pretending to listen and grunting halfhearted agreements when I force you to weigh in on decorations.”
He scrubbed a hand over his hair. “I like helping, I just don’t have much to offer. If your mother were here...”
“Well, she’s not here, and you need to start dating.”
Jake managed to hide his wince. “I’ve dated. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Have you gotten back in the saddle? Like, really in the saddle?”
“Jesus, Annabelle!” Jake grabbed his keys and backed toward the door, heat climbing up the back of his neck. “You don’t need to know that. Just like I don’t need to know what you and Kevin do. I assume you’re waiting for the honeymoon—”
“Dad!” she laughed.
“And that you’re also really careful with birth control.”
Annabelle rested a hip against the counter and cocked her head. “While waiting for the honeymoon?”
“Exactly.” Jake pointed at her as he backed out onto the front porch. “Condoms. Pills. Celibacy. All of it.”
Her laughter followed him out to his truck. She was only home for another three months, then she’d get married and be gone again. Overprotective as he was, Jake really liked his future son-in-law, which was a damn good thing since he worked with the guy.
Kevin Chen was as outgoing and adventurous as most young firefighters were. Jake could see why Annabelle liked him. But the reason Jake liked him was that Kevin was also deeply caring and kind. The other guys looked up to him already, even though Kevin was only twenty-seven.
Kevin had been working in Casper when he’d met Annabelle, but he’d happily agreed to move to Jackson so Annabelle could come back home. The good skiing in Jackson hadn’t hurt Kevin’s decision, either, according to him, but Jake suspected it was more because he was crazy about Annabelle. Even an old dog like Jake could see that they were perfect for each other.
He still gave them a hard time, though. He’d told Annabelle all her life never to date a cop or a firefighter. In retrospect, he should’ve kept his mouth shut so she wouldn’t get any ideas.
Now she was the one giving dating advice. Jake shook his head as he pulled into the parking lot behind the station. He’d tried dating. He hadn’t been able to avoid it. The whole world seemed to have a hard-on over the idea of a widower dating again. And it wasn’t that he wasn’t ready. His wife had died four years ago. But it all just felt...weird. He’d met his wife in college, when you wandered through parties until you ran into a woman who made your heart beat faster. This “meeting over coffee” crap was just awkward.
He’d progressed to dinner and drinks with a few of them, and he’d even gotten back in the saddle, not that he’d ever tell Annabelle that. But Jesus. What had happened to just noticing someone across the room? Feeling that surge of awareness when a pretty woman walked your way? It was all online dating and finding a computer-generated match these days.
Sometimes a guy just wanted to notice the swing of a woman’s hips as she walked past his truck and headed toward the library, her ass perfectly hugged by a tight black dress that ended a few inches above her knee and—
Jake blinked and frowned toward the woman reaching for the back door of the library. His eyes rose from her nicely rounded hips to the pretty curve of her waist to the dark hair streaming straight down her back. Was that...
“Lauren,” he murmured.
Of course. Speaking of women to be noticed. He’d been noticing her for so long that he hardly registered it anymore. Lauren, whose blue eyes always met his straight-on. Who never backed down from anything. Who’d been married to one of his oldest friends.
He admired her, or that’s what he’d been telling himself, but that was an easier lie when she was wearing khakis and a modest sweater and reading a book to a gang of kids.
But today she was a woman with hips. And an ass. And shiny hair that tempted a man’s hands.
Jake cursed and reached to turn off his truck before realizing the engine was already silent. After making sure he’d put the damn thing in Park, he headed inside, telling himself that Lauren Foster’s ass was none of his business and never would be.
LAUREN SHOULD’VE WORN a regular work outfit and changed at the end of her shift. Sophie had been making flirtatious comments all day, and now Lauren felt supremely self-conscious as she hid behind the closed office door and slipped off her flats to replace them with heels. But when she’d gotten out the black dress this morning, she hadn’t been able to force herself into something more frumpy.
She’d bought the dress during a rare trip to Salt Lake City, telling herself that everyone needed a simple little black dress. But that had been a year ago and she hadn’t gotten the chance to wear it until today.
She smoothed her hand over the skirt. It was tight enough to take off a few pounds, the material was thick enough to hide some flaws, and she loved the way it made her feel perfectly curvy.
Once the black heels were on, Lauren untied the royal-blue silk scarf she’d worn around her neck to hide her cleavage. Then she brushed her hair, powdered her nose and slid on deep pink lipstick. The sight of that new berry shade reminded her instantly of the cougars Sophie had spoken of. Lauren looked like a woman on the prowl.
Maybe that was just what she needed. One night in bed with a hot young stud who’d be thrilled to let her take the edge off these new needs. She’d use him, he’d use her and they’d both leave spent and happy.
A sharp shock of lust pulsed through her at the thought of a man above her, his shoulders slick with exertion, her nails digging into his skin as he filled her over and over.
God. She needed that. It had been more than a year, and longer than that since anyone had really made it worth her while.
Someone knocked on the door. “Ready?” Sophie called.
Lauren stood, grabbed her purse, and opened the door. “I’m ready,” she said, and meant it.
Sophie’s eyes widened. “You look perfect.”
No, not perfect. She wasn’t as thin and young as Sophie. And there was no competing with that pretty red hair and tiny waist. Sophie adjusted her scarlet lipstick and pulled the pin from her hair twist. “Let’s go.”
Lauren tried not to grin, but she couldn’t help the extra swing in her step as she followed Sophie to the back door. By the time they walked outside, she was laughing for no other reason than it seemed funny to wear such high heels when the sun was still up.
She startled a little when she realized the boys from the fire station were playing basketball. But she watched idly as she nudged the door closed