.

Katie’s gums. “You’ll feel better in just a minute.”

      Viv had brought Katie into his office a couple times when her neighbor wasn’t available to babysit. During those occasions, Jack found a reason to step out for the day. Being near this combination of beautiful woman and enchanting baby was like getting smacked in the face with all he’d lost...his family being the sole reason he was determined to bring down those who kept skirting the law.

      As Jack watched Viv console a fussy Katie, he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would’ve been like had his wife lived. He tried not to go there in his mind, but sometimes that just wasn’t possible.

      “Sorry.” Viv looked up at him with a soft smile. “Why don’t you go ahead and eat. I’d hate to hold you up any longer.”

      Thankful for the chance to focus on something else, Jack started filling both of their plates. “How was today? Did you work with Laney?”

      Laney O’Shea, the baby of the clan, was now engaged to Ryker Barrett, right-hand man and family enforcer. The two were expecting their first child in the summer and Jack hated the jealousy that rolled through him. People like that shouldn’t get to experience the happiness that had been robbed from him.

      “What?” she looked up at him, then back to the baby. “Oh, yeah. Laney was there all day.”

      “Any interesting clients?” he asked. “Did Ryker or her brothers stop in?”

      Viv eased the baby up onto her shoulder, patting her back in an attempt to calm her. “Ryker dropped by and brought Laney lunch. He’s been pretty territorial and protective of her since she got pregnant.”

      Gritting his teeth, Jack set her full plate in front of her. “Did he do anything else? Use the computers, make a call?”

      “No. He was actually in and out in about ten minutes.” Viv looked down to her plate. “There’s no way I’ll eat all of this.”

      “Eat what you want. Tilly takes any leftovers to the homeless shelter by her house. She actually always makes extra and takes it there anyway.”

      Viv stilled, her hand resting on Katie’s back. “That’s so sweet.”

      Jack shrugged. “She’s got a big heart and she doesn’t mind using my money to help others.”

      Katie’s cries had calmed. Either the meds had kicked in or the poor thing was exhausted from crying.

      Viv picked up her fork and stabbed one roasted potato. “And what about you? I’d say your heart is big or you wouldn’t let her use your money for such things.”

      “I have no problem helping anyone when I see the need.” He stared across the table, realizing she hadn’t looked at him since mentioning work and was now trying to steer the conversation into another territory. “I grew up with a single mother who worked hard to make sure we never wanted for anything. I figure she struggled raising me alone. I would often hear her crying at night when she thought I was asleep.”

      Jack stopped, not wanting to dig too far into his suppressed memories. The past could easily cripple him, pull him down. The only thing he could use his past for was to propel him forward, to always remember where he came from. And he’d never forget the mother who sacrificed so much.

      He pulled in a breath, determined to get back on track. “What happened today at the office?”

      Her fork clattered to the plate, but she quickly picked it back up and shrugged. “Nothing. Just the same daily routine.”

      Again, the lack of eye contact. He’d known Viv long enough, hell, he’d been a soldier and investigator long enough, to know when someone was lying. What was going on?

      Slowly, without taking his eyes off her, he leaned forward in his seat. “What happened today?” he repeated, slower this time until she finally looked directly at him.

      “Jack, I’m telling you what happened.” Now she held his eyes. Katie had fallen asleep and lay across Viv’s arm, curled into Viv’s body. “We were busy this morning with a new client and Laney handled that. I stayed in the back and logged inventory for the spring auction.”

      He listened, easing back in his cushioned seat. Why was he doubting her? He’d never second-guessed her before and she was his most trusted ally in this quest. He wouldn’t have put her in this position if he didn’t trust her completely.

      “And then Ryker came with lunch,” she went on. Her eyes darted down to the sleeping baby. “After that it was slow for about an hour and Laney and I ended up in the office talking baby things. She knows I foster and she had some questions.”

      “Like what?” He literally wanted every detail of what went on in that office. The key to his case was in there and he was not going to rest until every possible avenue was explored.

      Viv shrugged. “She was asking about different milestones at different ages. But I’ve never had an infant until now. My foster children have always been older. The youngest I’d had was three.”

      Jack knew why Viv’s taking Katie in deviated from her normal pattern of only fostering older children. One, she’d worked with the Parkers when they’d come into O’Shea’s so she had a mild connection. According to Viv, she’d even played with little Katie during one of their visits.

      Two, she knew the system was overloaded. Because she was certified to take in children, and since she was more than aware of the tragic situation, she’d actually asked to foster Katie.

      “About an hour before we closed, an elderly lady came in and wanted to discuss some pieces she wanted to sell. She claimed they were from her honeymoon in Rome and thought they were valuable art.”

      Intrigued, Jack tipped his head. “What were they?”

      Viv picked up her fork and took a bite of her potato. “I’m not sure. She had some pictures, but didn’t want to bring the actual pieces without talking to Laney first.”

      That all sounded like a typical, boring day. A day that didn’t help him one bit. But something was off. Viv had literally frozen when he’d first mentioned her workday at O’Shea’s, then she wouldn’t look at him.

      “You’re sure that’s all?” he asked.

      She shifted Katie to the other arm, which only aided in pulling her jacket open a bit more when Katie’s hand got caught in the V. Viv did readjust the gap, but not before he was awarded another view of the swell of her breast.

      “I’m just stressed,” she assured him with a smile. “Katie is teething and the auction is going to be here before we know it. Working at O’Shea’s isn’t just me snooping and eavesdropping. They expect me to actually do a job, so it’s tiresome at times.”

      Not to mention all the work she was doing for him. She was technically a single mother working two part-time jobs. But that part-time added up and when he was constantly meeting her outside of business hours, that didn’t help. Damn it, he was ready to wrap this case up and let the justice system take care of this mob family. But he had to be patient. It was a trait he hated, yet it was necessary in his line of work.

      With Katie resting peacefully, Viv continued to eat. Jack didn’t press the topic again. He didn’t know if he was just reading too much into her actions or if she was truly just stressed, but he wasn’t about to add more to her plate.

      “They don’t suspect you, right?”

      Viv took a sip of her wine. “They suspect everyone who’s been in and out of that office. But, not me specifically. I’m careful, Jack.”

      Why was his name on her lips like a tight ball of lust hitting his gut? He couldn’t afford the distraction—especially when it came to his damn assistant.

      When this case was over, he’d head to his villa in Italy. He could relax, find a woman to spend a meaningless night with. He clearly was not thinking straight and he blamed everything on being