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He’d woken up in that hotel room, drained but exhilarated. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it hadn’t been an empty bed. She had been gone, but the all-consuming hunger hadn’t. He’d found himself thinking about her at work, while walking his dog, Mikey, and right before he fell into a restless sleep. Why he couldn’t get her out of his mind, he didn’t know. It was a damn good thing he didn’t know her last name, or he’d have tried to track her down by now. And that have would be bad, for both of them. Clearly, Cady was dangerous...an addiction in the making. He’d made a mistake, giving in to her. He knew better. He didn’t have time for distractions, not now. Not ever. He’d had enough of heartache in his life. When his father was alive and on the force, it had been Patton’s job to comfort his mother through hours of grief and worry. The thought of someone who cared about him going through that... Nope, he was just fine staying a bachelor—without complication or distraction.
Spence was at his side, staring into the open refrigerator. “It’s right there.” His brother pulled the pitcher from the refrigera
tor. He shot him a look. “What’s eating you?”
Patton sighed, pushing thoughts of Cady from his mind and the door shut. “Long week.”
“Every week’s a long week,” Spence said. “Doesn’t mean you need to let all the penguins out.” He nodded at the now-closed fridge. “You okay?”
Patton nodded. “Surprised.”
“That’s for sure,” Spence agreed. “But as long as Zach’s happy.”
Patton didn’t respond to that. Happiness was a fickle emotion. Especially when it revolved around another person. Sure, he wanted his brothers loved and cared for, but this was way too fast—especially with his little brother’s track record. “How long has he known her?”
Spence put the pitcher on the tray. “A month.”
Patton shook his head.
“Don’t get all cynical. Give her a chance.” He lifted the tray. “Mom’s a pretty good judge of character—”
“Spence, Zach’s talking about getting married to this girl. Marriage leads to kids.” Patton’s grin was reluctant. “Which has been Mom’s constant birthday and holiday wish for the past eight years. I’m thinking her judgment might be a little skewed this time.”
“Maybe.” Spence laughed, carrying the tray out. “But you might as well get over it and come get acquainted with your sister-in-law-to-be.”
Patton glared at the door. Zach was the golden boy, the only non-cop amongst them. Zach made more money than both Spence and Patton combined, racking up airline points and traveling on the fly. While Patton admired his little brother’s willingness to think outside the box and work hard to get what he wanted, his brother was also a player. He and Spence had been regaled with far too many of their little brother’s romantic exploits for Patton to buy into this sudden commitment. Not Zach’s normal MO. If this whole engagement fiasco went the way he suspected, a lot of people would wind up hurt.
He pushed through the kitchen door and joined the others in the sitting room to find conversation in full swing.
“What are we talking about?” Patton asked.
“Flowers,” Zach offered. “Bianca has a flower shop. That’s where we met,” he paused, squeezing Bianca’s hand. “She helped me put an arrangement together.”
“You own your own shop?” Patton asked.
“Bianca’s Jardin?” She smiled. “It’s small. On the corner of Hazelwood and Main—in Lassiter. It’s also a tearoom. Just high tea, a few days a week, but my cousin Celeste handles that part of it.”
He glanced back and forth between Bianca and Zach, asking, “You two met a month ago?”
Zach shot him a look.
Patton cocked an eyebrow.
“I can’t believe it’s only been a month.” Bianca’s voice trembled.
“Feels like we’ve known each other for a lot longer,” Zach murmured, smiling at Bianca. And Bianca beamed back at him.
Patton popped a wedding cookie into his mouth to keep from snorting. He swallowed, adding, “Nothing wrong with a long engagement.”
“Who said anything about a long engagement?” Zach asked before biting a cookie.
His mother hopped up. “Oh, Patton, shush. There’s no time like the present. I’m going to call Henrietta and see if Tucker House has an opening for an engagement shindig.”
Bianca looked stunned. “Oh Imogene, you do not need to—”
“I want to, darling,” his mother cut her off, smiling from ear to ear. “Patton might be a stick in the mud, but I know how precious time is. We’re not putting a thing off. We’re celebrating every second.”
The way Zach was looking at Bianca made him wonder, for a second, if his brother was actually in love. Maybe it was more than attraction. Maybe... Doubtful. He sipped his lemonade, smiling pleasantly at Bianca when she glanced his way. As much as he’d like to be wrong, he knew there was no way someone could fall in love in a month. Not the kind of love that would last forever— He doubted that kind of love existed. His engagement to Ellie—someone he’d known most of his life—had ended with the first obstacle they’d faced. And now he worried his little brother’s new crush might end up having lasting consequences for them all.
