Page 5 of Rode Hard

"Mrs Roby. She said she didn't trust Wendy and me to buy healthy. She does it once a week from a list and we text her if we need anything different or extra."

Luke laughed. "Is she right about buying healthy?"

I lowered my head but it was a false show of shame. "Yep. I have a weakness for anything salty…" like your cock. "…and Wendy has a wicked sweet tooth."

"She sounds like a godsend, your Mrs Roby."

"Ours now and yes she is. She's originally from the Philippines, and is married to the owner of Ledger's Accounting. Never seen two people more different and more in love. He's tall and skinny, balding with a scruffy beard. She's tiny, petite, and immaculately dressed with her dark hair always tied up in a tight bun. Don’t let her angelic looks deceive you. She’s bright enough to have been anything she wanted and is as fierce as new mama cow when it comes to me and Wendy."

"I’ll keep that in mind. So, David Ledger married? Doesn’t sound like he's changed from the nerd I remember at school. I can picture him as an accountant."

"Mrs Roby has softened him somewhat and he's not as unkempt as he was. Their kids, Alice and Mitchell are adorable. They're at school so Mrs Roby comes out here during school hours except when they're on holidays, then she brings them with her. I make the time to teach them about the station and have been giving them riding lessons."

"So, she comes once a week?"

"Yep, it's the only job she has apart from helping David with the books. Being our housekeeper started as a favour to mum who thought Wendy and I needed to be taken care of."

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Need to be taken care of."

"When it comes to housework, laundry, and shopping, I certainly do. I'm grateful for her help, as is Wendy who's almost as hopeless with domestic chores as I am. Mrs Roby doesn't have to work, David is well off and he spoils her, but she says she enjoys having what she calls her own money to spend on whatever she likes. I think she's very conscious of what she buys when it's David's money although he encourages her to have whatever she needs. She said earning her own makes her feel like she's contributing."

"Why do you call her Mrs Roby?"

"Her name is Maria but we call her Mrs as a matter of respect. She didn’t take David’s surname. She's quite a bit older than us—in her late forties so it's a habit I guess."

"David was what, four years behind us? He’d be twenty-nine? He married a woman almost twenty years older?"

"Yep, and as I said, you would be hard pressed to find another couple more in love than they are."

"How old are the kids?"

"Alice is twelve and Michael is ten. How about we continue downstairs so I can get a start on dinner? Wendy will be back in soon. I'll introduce you to the men tomorrow."

I turned away from the window and was stopped by Luke's hand on my shoulder.

"Yes?" I managed to croak out as emotions zipped through me, exploding when they collided.

"Thanks, I'm gonna love being here with you."

A shiver of pleasure had me smiling. "Who would have thought the geeky boy would be sharing his home with the hunky front forward? I guess I need to expect quite a few female visitors to the station when word gets around that you're back."

I started for downstairs very aware Luke was following close behind.

"I doubt it…at least I hope not."

Something about the wistful tone of Luke's voice had me turning to face him. His eyes appeared to be lost in a memory. He seemed quieter, more controlled, not as fun loving and up for a joke as he had been with his friends in school. What was the real reason he'd come back? What was he running from? Yep, I had no doubt he was hiding, but what I couldn't figure out was, how could he hide as an in-charge cop when he'd moved only a few hours from where he'd been?

***

When we strode into the kitchen, Wendy was seated at the table scrolling on her iPad. She glanced up at us.

"All set?"

Luke nodded. "Yep. I'm looking forward to living here."

I crossed the room to the fridge and removed a large pack of mince I'd put in earlier to thaw out. Luke hovered nearby. My hands shook as his cologne wafted up my nose and his unique scent floated around me. I fought to control myself against pushing him up against the fridge door and kissing the ever loving fuck out of him.

"Take a seat, Luke. Mexican Chili okay? It's my specialty."

Luke pulled out a chair opposite Wendy and sat. "Sounds great."

Wendy crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward. "Tell me your story, Luke, and don’t leave anything out. I'd like to know who I'm about to be living with."

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