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Kennedy tilted her head and studied her. "When are you going to let us hook you up, babe? Don't you think it's time?"
Izzy wondered if she'd ever again feel ready to have a relationship. Then again, that had been the reason she avoided entanglements in the first place. Much easier to make drugs her one and only lover. They were a possessive, jealous, and demanding partner. She'd passed her two-year anniversary drug-free and built a solid, comforting life for herself. Even her mentor agreed she could begin to test the dating waters, but for the first time ever, Izzy enjoyed the boredom. She'd become everything she once detested, trapped in a regular routine with no additional color.
She was finally at a certain level of peace.
Izzy waved a hand in the air and laughed. "Thanks for the thought, but I'm good. I am thinking of getting a dog, though."
Arilyn clapped her hands together. "I'm so excited! Just tell me when and I'll take you to Animals Alive. They have so many sweet dogs there needing a home."
Kennedy rolled her eyes. "Was thinking more of a six-foot-five hunk of a blond keeping her warm at night. Hey, what about Stone's partner, Devine? He's single. And H-O-T."
Izzy spoke up. "Umm, guys--"
"I never thought of Devine!" Kate jumped in. "I can't believe they still haven't met. He may be perfect to test the waters, Izzy. He's good-looking and really nice. Not too nice."
"The perfect mix of nice," Kennedy said.
Izzy tried again. "I'm not--"
"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but Devine may be a great match for her," Arilyn said slowly. "Stone said he's not seeing anyone right now but has been looking to settle in with someone."
Izzy gulped. "What?"
"Oh, not marriage or jumping into anything," Arilyn corrected. "But I think he's getting tired of endlessly dating and not making a connection. It may be worth a try. I can have Stone bring him by after his shift. Test the chemistry between you."
"Definitely," Kennedy said.
"Agreed," Kate said.
"No."
They looked at her in sheer surprise. Izzy shook her head. "I'm sorry, and I'm truly grateful for the love doctors trying to hook me up, but I'm still not ready. I don't want the pressure."
Uh-oh. Three women's gazes echoed a determination she wasn't used to dealing with. They shared a glance, then nodded in unison.
"We understand," Arilyn said.
Kennedy held her hands up in surrender. "No problem. We just figured we'd try."
Kate didn't say anything.
Suspicion formed, but it wasn't the time to push. "Kate, I think you forgot that Shelby's waiting for you."
Kate clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my goodness! Thanks, Izzy--check in with you later."
She raced away, shutting the door behind her, and Izzy faced the two remaining partners. Originally Genevieve's close friends, Izzy now felt as if a bond had formed and she was finally able to consider them as more than just her employers. They'd accepted her fully without hesitation and let her prove herself with her work.
Kennedy sighed. "I'm telling you, babe. Devine is divine. You'll thank me."
"No, thank you."
Arilyn laughed at Ken's disappointment. "Give her time. I believe in fate and the power of energy guiding us in the right direction. Maybe there's another way for her to meet someone other than Kinnections, or setting her up with Devine."
"What's better than Kinnections?"
"What about Earth Mother?"
Arilyn's odd response made Kennedy stiffen. Shock gleamed in her whiskey eyes, and suddenly a giant, smug grin curved her lips. "Gotcha. You're so smart, A."
Arilyn sighed. "I know. But right now I have to prep for my next session, then get back home to feed Pinky. See you guys later."
Izzy said good-bye, turning toward Kennedy for answers. "Okay, what's going on? Who's Earth Mother?"
Kennedy practically oozed fake innocence. "Oh, never mind. It's nothing. I have to go, too. See ya."
She shot out of Kinnections, leaving Izzy more confused and a tad bit curious. She should've known these three would be obsessed with hooking her up. Not only did they run a matchmaking agency, but they were all happily involved with gorgeous men who were also kind. Did they even make such combinations in the male species anymore?
The phone rang, the doorbell chirped, and Izzy pushed the thought out of her mind, focusing on work.
chapter two
"YOU'VE BEEN AWAY on vacation and you still haven't gotten laid?"
Officer William Devine regarded his partner with annoyance. "Why are you stuck on my love life all of a sudden? It was a family vacation. My brother was getting married."
Officer Stone Petty snorted. He sat in the passenger seat of the squad car, his gaze assessing their surroundings, looking for any type of action that would perk up their day in Verily. His head almost hit the ceiling of the car. With his staggering height, coal-black hair, craggy features, and goatee, Stone easily intimidated perps. They made the perfect team of bad cop/good cop and it had been working for a few years now. Besides being a great cop, Stone was an actual friend he trusted with his life. "There must've been a pretty bridesmaid or flower girl or someone."
"Flower girls are usually young girls."
"Maid of honor, then. Or matron--whatever. Chicks love to get laid at weddings."
Amusement made his lips twitch. Even after years of being partners, Stone still was able to make him laugh. "When was the last time you got laid at a wedding?"
His friend puffed up like a proud cock. "Recently. At Kate's wedding. That's when Arilyn and I really hooked up."
"Doesn't count. You were already in a relationship with her."
"Semantics. And I'm not stuck on your love life. I've just noticed you've been a bit bitchy lately, and with men, that channels itself into one direction. The almighty dick."
Devine shook his head. "Not bitchy. Just restless. I don't know; it's stupid."
"Try me. Looks like everyone's obeying the law, so we have time to kill."
True. Verily was a small upstate town located on the Hudson River in New York. It held a quaint main street complete with cafes, wine bars, bakeries, a dog park, and a bunch of artist shops. On a warm September evening, as dusk fell over the valley, touched by a blend of color from the leaves just beginning to turn, the view of the majestic mountains was breathtaking. Jagged, shadowed cliffs rose up from the river, with Verily squeezed right in the middle, like a jewel encased in gold.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much crime in the town. A drunken brawl, speeding ticket, or weed bust kept them occupied, but they were never going to see the hard-core action one of the city boroughs would. Stone had come from the Bronx originally before transferring to Verily, and had some tough issues to deal with.
Devine used to love the fact he could do his part without burning out or losing his faith in humanity. Too many of his fellow officers did, especially after 9/11. But lately an itch crawled under his skin, urging him to break out of his usual routine and do something different.
Something crazy.
But he didn't do crazy. Never had, never will.
He tried to explain in words that didn't even make sense to him. "Maybe I'm going through some weird midlife crisis. I watched my brother get married and he's so damn happy. Hell, even you're happy, and I never would've bet the ranch on Arilyn loving your sorry ass."
Stone grunted. "So, you want to find your love match or something? Why don't you let Arilyn hook you up with Kinnections?"
"Hell, no. That's humiliating. I don't need an agency to find a date."
"Not talking about a date--you've found plenty of those. Talking about a real match with a woman you can connect with. Maybe that's why you're restless."
Devine stared at his partner in shock. Damned if his once surly, sarcastic, sometimes mean-tempered friend had gotten bit by the love bug. Now he was shitting sunshine. "You're scaring me."
Stone shrugged. "I'm happy. Sue me for wanting yo
u to be happy, too."
Devine couldn't argue with that statement. His friend deserved everything he had finally found with Arilyn--and their rescue Chihuahua, Pinky. He'd missed both of them during his family trip. He'd missed his job, too, and Ray's Billiards where he hung out, and the life he had built here.
Then why did he feel so lost?
He rubbed his temple and forced the thought aside. Maybe Stone was right. Maybe he needed to connect with a woman on a deeper level and not just scratch a physical itch. He'd dated plenty of nice women and usually had his pick. Quantity wasn't the problem and never had been.
