I Do...: Her Accidental Engagement / A Bride's Tangled Vows

“And your only family in town is your granddad?”

She nodded.

Okay, that was good. He knew something about the woman he saw every day at work. He looked around her brightly colored workspace. “I’m guessing your favorite color is yellow.”

She smiled. “Yours is hunter green.”

How did she know that?

“Does Julia make you happy?” she asked after a moment.

“Yes,” he answered automatically. “Why?”

“I just wouldn’t have pictured her as your type.” Abby fidgeted with a paper clip. “She’s beautiful and everything, but I always saw you with someone more...”

“More?”

“Someone nicer, I suppose.”

“You don’t think Julia’s nice? Has she been unkind to you?”

Abby shook her head. “No, but I hear stories from when she was in high school. I’m in a book club with some ladies who knew her then.”

“People change.”

“You deserve someone who will take care of you.”

“I’m a grown man, Abby. I can take care of myself.”

“I know but you need—” She stopped midsentence when the phone rang. She answered and, after a moment, cupped her hand over the receiver. “Someone ran into a telephone pole out at the county line. No injuries but a live wire might be down.”

Sam nodded and headed for the front door. “Call it in to the utility company. I’m on my way.”

He drove toward the edge of town, grateful to get out and clear his head. He’d done more talking about himself and what he needed and felt in the past twenty-four hours than he had in the previous five years. His dad’s fault, for sure.

This engagement was supposed to help Sam dodge his father’s attempts to make him more in touch with his feelings. Hopefully, this dinner would smooth things over enough so life could return to normal. Other than the pretend engagement.

It wouldn’t be as difficult as Julia thought to fool people. They’d hold hands, be seen around town together for a few PDAs and everyone would believe them. Kissing Julia was one of the perks of this arrangement. He loved her moment of surprise each time he leaned in. Sam hadn’t been with a woman for a long time, which must explain why her touch affected him so much.

He understood the importance of making this work. Tonight, they’d come to an understanding of how to get what they both wanted.

* * *

Julia lifted Charlie out of his car seat and turned to face the quaint house tucked onto one of the tree-lined streets near downtown Brevia.

“He even has a picket fence,” she said to her son, who answered her with a hearty laugh and a slew of indecipherable words.

“My sentiments exactly.” She kissed the top of Charlie’s head.

“Do you need a hand?”

Joe Callahan stepped off the porch and headed toward her.

“I’ve got it, Mr. Callahan. Thank you.”

He met her halfway up the walk. “Call me Joe. And you—” he held out his hands for Charlie “—can call me Papa.”

“Pap-y,” Charlie repeated in his singsong voice and leaned forward for Joe to scoop him up. Her son, the extrovert.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Joe was already swinging Charlie above his head, much to the boy’s delight. “What a handsome fellow,” he said. He smiled at Julia. “He favors his beautiful mother.”

Julia couldn’t help but return his grin. “Are you always this charming?”

Joe gave an easy laugh. “For decades I was a real hard—” He lifted Charlie again. “I was hard-nosed. A walking grim reaper. Sam and his brother got the brunt of that. I’ve learned a lot since then.”

“Wisdom you want to impart to your son?”

“If he’ll let me.” Joe tucked Charlie into the crook of his arm and the boy shoved his fist into his mouth, sucking contently. “You’ve already helped him start.”

It was Julia’s turn to laugh. “I don’t have much wisdom to share with anyone.”

Joe started toward the house. “Mothers have inherent wisdom. My late wife was the smartest, most insightful woman I’ve ever met.”

“How old was Sam when she died?”

“Ten and Scott was seven. It was a dark period for our family.”

“Was it a long illness?”

Joe turned and immediately Julia realized her mistake. “Sam hasn’t told you about his mother?”

She shook her head, unable to hide her lack of knowledge. “It’s difficult for him to speak about.”

Joe sighed as if he understood. “That’s my fault. After Lorraine passed, I was so overcome with grief that I shut down and made the boys do the same. Looking back, it was selfish and cowardly. They were kids and they needed me.”

Julia patted his arm. “How did she die?”

“A car accident,” he said quietly. Charlie rested his small head on Joe’s shoulder as if sensing the older man needed comfort.

“How tragic. I’m so sorry for all of you.”

“The tragic part was that it was my fault. I’d been on the force over ten years. I became obsessed with being the most dedicated cop Boston had ever seen. Like a bonehead, I took on the most dangerous assignments they’d give me—whatever I could do to prove that I was the baddest dude on the block. Lorraine couldn’t handle the stress. She begged me to slow down. I wouldn’t listen, brushed aside her worries and only focused on what I wanted.”

He ran his hands through his hair, so much like Sam, then continued, “She’d started drinking at night—not so much that she was falling-down drunk, but enough to numb her. I was tuned out and didn’t realize how bad it had gotten. I got home late one night and we fought. She went for a drive after the boys were in bed—to cool off. She wasn’t even a half mile from the house when she ran the red light. She swerved to avoid another car. Wrapped her car around a telephone pole. She was gone instantly.”

Julia sucked in a breath. The first time she’d met Sam had been when he’d found her after she’d hydroplaned on a wet road and gone over an embankment, her car slamming into a tree. She’d been pregnant at the time, and thinking the accident might have hurt her baby had been the scariest moment of her life. Sam had gotten her to the hospital and stayed with her until Lainey had arrived. She wondered if he’d thought about his mother during that time, or if it had just been another day on the job.

“How devastating for all of you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Joe. Charlie squealed with delight then wriggled to be let down.

“Okay.” She lifted him from Joe’s arms and deposited him on the porch.

Joe swiped at his eyes. “I would have followed her in a minute. I could barely function and had two boys at home who needed me more than ever. Instead, I threw myself into the job like I was tempting fate. If they gave awards for stupidity and selfishness, I would have been a top candidate.”

“Nothing can prepare you for something like that. I’m sure you did the best you could. Sam and his brother must know that.”

Joe held open the screen door and Charlie headed into the house. “It should have been a wake-up call but it took me another twenty years to get my priorities straight. I want to make it right by Sam.”

She looked into Joe Callahan’s kind eyes and her stomach twisted. Julia didn’t have much luck making things right by anyone, and if Joe knew the details of their arrangement, it would break his heart.

“Mama, come.” Charlie peered around the doorway to the kitchen. Charlie. He was the reason she’d entered into this deal in the first place.

“Where’s Sam?” She held out her hand to her son, who ran toward her to take it.

Joe smiled. “Grilling out back.”

She scooped Charlie into her arms and followed Joe down the hall. She’d guess Sam’s house had been built in the early 1900s, and he’d obviously renovated, drawing inspiration from the Craftsman tradition with hardwood floors throughout. In the open kitchen, beautiful maple cabinets hung on each wall. The colors were neutral but not boring, a mix of classic and modern traditions.

Joe led her through one of the French doors that opened to the back patio. It hadn’t rained for a couple of days, and while it was cool, the evening air held the unmistakable scent of spring, with the elms and oaks surrounding the green yard beginning to bud.

Sam stood in front of a stainless-steel grill, enveloped in smoke. He turned and smiled at her and her chest caught again. He wore a dark T-shirt, faded jeans and flip-flops. Julia hadn’t often seen him out of uniform, and while the casual outfit should have made him less intimidating, certain parts of her body responded differently.

“Ball,” Charlie shouted and squirmed in her arms. When Julia put him down, he ran toward an oversized bouncy ball and several plastic trucks stacked near the wrought-iron table.

Sam closed the grill’s lid and met her questioning gaze. “I thought he’d like some toys to play with over here.”

She nodded, a little dumbfounded at the impact the small gesture had on her.

“Sammy said you two are mainly at your place.”

“It’s easier that way.”

“Have you given any thought to where you’ll live once you’re married?”

“Here,” Sam answered at the same time Julia said, “Not really.”

Joe’s brows furrowed, so she added, “My apartment is a rental, so I assumed we’d move in with Sam.”

Sam came to her side and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’re going to make the spare bedroom into Charlie’s room.”

Julia coughed wildly.

“Can I get you a glass of water?” Sam asked.

“I’ll grab it,” Joe said and disappeared into the house.

Sam clapped her on the back. “Are you okay?”

“Not at all.” She drew in a breath. “Charlie’s room?”

“We’re engaged, remember. It’s going to seem strange enough that the kid barely knows me. I didn’t have any of his stuff or toys in the house and my dad started asking questions.”

At that moment, the bouncy ball knocked against Julia’s leg.

“Ball, Mama. Ball.” Charlie squealed with delight.

Sam handed Julia a pair of tongs. “Will you pull the steaks off the grill?” He picked up the ball and tucked it under his arm. “I’m going in for some male bonding.”

Julia watched, fascinated as Sam walked over to Charlie and held out a hand. Without hesitation, Charlie took it and Sam led him into the yard to roll the ball back and forth.

The only man in Charlie’s life was Ethan. Julia tried not to depend too much on him. Lainey, Ethan and Julia had a long history between them, and Julia didn’t want to push the limits of their relationship.

Charlie did his best to mimic Sam’s motions as he rolled and threw the ball, and Julia realized how important it was for her son to have a father figure.

“I knew he’d be great with kids,” Joe said as he handed her a tall glass of water. “Scott is a wild one, but Sam...”

“Why do you think Sam never married?” Julia asked, tapping one finger against her lips. Annabeth’s story about Sam’s record as a three-dates-and-done serial dater came back to her.

“It’s not for lack of trying,” Joe answered candidly then amended. “But I can tell you’re a better fit for him than Jenny.”

Julia tried not to look startled. “Jenny?”

Joe studied her. “His ex-fiancée. He did tell you about her?”

“He was really hurt when it ended,” she offered, not an outright lie but enough to cover her lack of knowledge. She and Sam had a lot they needed to get clear about each other if this charade was going to work.

Joe nodded. “Not that he would have told anyone. He bottled up his emotions just like I’d done when his mom passed. But Jenny’s infidelity was a huge blow to him.”

“I can understand why.” Julia’s mind reeled at this new information. Sam had been previously engaged and his fiancée had cheated on him. That might explain a little about his commitment issues.

“She wasn’t a good match even before that. Sure, she was perfect on paper—a schoolteacher, sweet and popular with his friends, but she didn’t get him. They were marrying what they thought they wanted without paying attention to what they needed.”

Julia understood that line of thinking better than most. It was what had led her to believe her ex-boyfriend could make her happy. She’d thought she loved Jeff but realized what she loved was the image she’d had of him, not who he truly was. Was that what Sam had thought about his ex, as well, or had this Jenny been the love of his life? The thought gave Julia a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Sam looked up from where he was currently chasing Charlie across the backyard. “How about those steaks, sweetie?”

“I’m on it,” she called and headed for the grill.

Much to Joe’s delight, Charlie insisted on sitting on Sam’s lap during dinner. Sam looked vaguely uncomfortable as the toddler fed him bites of meat but dutifully ate each one.

In addition to the steak, Sam had roasted vegetables and made a salad. She’d brought a loaf of bread from the bakery next to the salon, along with a bottle of red wine. The dinner was surprisingly fun and Julia found herself relaxing. Joe did most of the talking, regaling her with stories, of his years with the force and more recently of the workshops he facilitated around the region.

“Someone needs a diaper change,” she said as they finished the meal. At the look of horror on Sam’s face, she laughed. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Good idea,” he agreed.

“You’d better get used to stinky bottoms,” his father chided.

Sam’s eyes widened and Julia laughed again. “All in good time, Joe. For now, I’ll take the poop duty.”

Sam stood quickly and handed Charlie to her. “I’ll clear the dishes.” To her surprise, he placed a soft kiss on her mouth. Charlie giggled and Julia felt her world tilt the tiniest bit.

“Right,” she said around a gulp of air. She met Joe’s gaze as she turned for the house and he winked at her. Right. Sam was her fake fiancé. Of course he was going to kiss her sometimes. They’d discussed that it was all part of the act. It didn’t mean anything.

At least, not to her.

Right.

She changed Charlie’s diaper on the floor of Sam’s living room. Unlike her cozy apartment filled with well-worn flea-market finds and hand-me-downs from her mother, the furnishings in this room appeared very new and hardly used.

A sleek leather couch faced an entertainment center with an enormous flat-screen television and several pieces of stereo equipment. He had a few books scattered on the shelves, mainly fly-fishing manuals and guidebooks for the North Carolina mountains. A couple of pieces of abstract art hung on the walls. Unlike her family room, there wasn’t a single framed photo of any of Sam’s family or friends.

Julia loved the reminders of each stage in Charlie’s life on display around her house. It was as though Sam didn’t have a personal life. Maybe it was just a guy thing, she thought, but then remembered how Jeff had documented each of his research trips with photos spread around their condo in Columbus.

Maybe not.

She pulled on Charlie’s sweatpants and watched as he scrambled to his feet and headed back toward the kitchen.

“Hey, little man, where are you headed in such a rush?”

Joe picked him up as Charlie answered, “Ou-side,” and he planted a raspberry on the boy’s belly, making him laugh out loud.

“I’ll see you later, gator.” Joe put Charlie on the ground and he made a beeline for the back of the house.

“It was nice to spend time with you.” Julia gave the older man a quick hug.

“I hope it’s the first of many dinners. I’d love to meet your family while I’m in town. Sammy said your mom is famous around here for the animal shelter she runs.”

“It was a labor of love after my dad died.” The thought of Joe Callahan and her mother getting together made her want to squirm. Keeping their respective families separate would make the summer much simpler. The complications of this arrangement were almost more than she could handle.

“I meant what I said at the restaurant,” Joe told her. “Sam will protect you and Charlie. I don’t know the details of your custody arrangement, but I believe that boy is better off with you than anyone else in the world.”

Julia blinked back sudden tears. “Thank you. I better go track him down.”

Joe nodded. “Good night, Julia. I’ll see you soon.”

The front door shut behind him, and Julia thought about Joe’s last words. Charlie was better off with her. She had to believe that. He belonged to her and she to him. Nothing and no one was going to change that.

She turned for the kitchen just as Charlie’s high-pitched scream came from the backyard.

Chapter Six

Julia raced onto the patio, following the sounds of her son’s cries, her heart pounding in her chest.

Sam stood in the backyard, cradling Charlie against his chest with one arm. With his free hand he waved the tongs she’d used for the meat. A large gray dog hopped up and down in front of him.

“What happened?” Julia yelled as she sprinted down the back steps. “Is Charlie hurt?”

At the sound of his mother’s voice, the boy lifted his tear-streaked face from Sam’s shoulder. “Ball, Mama. No doggy.” He pointed a slobbery finger at the Weimaraner running circles in the yard, the deflated bouncy ball clamped in his jaws.

His eyes never leaving the dog, Sam scooted closer to Julia. “Charlie’s fine. Take him back to the house. I’ve never seen this animal before. He could be rabid.”

Charlie shook his head. “No doggy,” he repeated. “Charlie ball.”

Julia looked from her son to Sam to the dog bounding and leaping, his stubby tail wagging, clearly relishing this impromptu game of keep-away. Rabid? Overenthusiastic and in need of some training. Not rabid.

Julia had grown up with a variety of animals underfoot. Her dad had been Brevia’s vet for years, and the shelter her mother had built and run after his death attracted animals from all over the South. Her mom’s ability to rehabilitate strays was legendary—Vera had even written a dog-behavior book that had become a bestseller a few years ago. Julia might not be the expert her mother was, but she had a fairly good sense for reading canine energy. And every inch of the Weimaraner was shouting “let’s play.”

“Sam, the dog isn’t going to hurt you.”

“It bared its teeth. It’s a lunatic.”

“You’ve never seen it before?” Julia moved slowly forward.

“No. I told you to get back on the porch. I don’t want you or Charlie hurt.”

She gave a quick whistle. The dog stopped and looked at her, its tail still wagging.

“Julia, you can’t—”

“Drop it,” she commanded, her finger pointed to the ground.

“Dop.” Charlie mimicked her. “Charlie ball.”

The dog waited a moment then lowered the lump of plastic to the ground.

“Sit.”

The dog’s bottom plopped to the ground.

She held out her palm. “Stay.”

She took a step toward the dog. His bottom lifted but she gave a stern “No,” and he sank back down.

“I’m sorry about your ball, sweetie,” she told Charlie.

“Bad,” he said with a whine.

“Not bad, but he needs someone to help him learn.”

As she got nearer, the animal trembled with excitement.

“You shouldn’t be that close.”

“Do you have any rope?”

“I’m not leaving you out here. I’m serious. Back off from the dog.”

“What is your problem? This dog isn’t a threat.”

“You don’t know—”

As if sensing that her attention was divided, the dog stood and bounded the few feet toward her. The skin around its mouth drew back and wrinkled, exposing a row of shiny teeth.

“Get back, Julia. It’s snarling.” Sam lunged forward, but before he got the animal, the dog flopped at Julia’s feet and flipped onto his back, writhing in apparent ecstasy as she bent to rub his belly.

Sam stopped in his tracks. “What the...?”

“He’s a smiler.”

“Dogs don’t smile.”

“Some do.”

Charlie wriggled out of Sam’s arms and, before either of them could stop him, headed for the dog. “Good doggy. No ball.”

Julia put an arm around Charlie, holding him back, as Sam’s breath hitched. “You shouldn’t let him so near that thing.”

She offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “My mom runs an animal shelter, remember? Charlie’s been around dogs since he was born. I’m careful to supervise him and make sure he’s safe.” She tickled her fingers under the dog’s ear and got a soft lick on her arm for the effort. “This boy is gorgeous.”

“A good-looking animal can still be crazy.”

Julia’s shoulders stiffened. “What makes you think he’s crazy?” Before he’d left for good, Jeff had said something similar to her. He’d told her she was beautiful but a nut job. He’d thrown in a dig about her intelligence as icing on the cake.

Her mother was the expert on stray animals, but Julia knew a thing or two about being damaged on the inside. Her gut told her this dog had a heart of gold.

“He snarled at me.”

“He smiled at you,” she insisted. “Pet him. He’s a real sweetie.”

“I don’t like dogs,” Sam said simply.

“I wouldn’t have guessed it.” She ran her hand along the length of the dog’s side. “He’s way underweight. No collar and he’s dirty. I’d guess he’s been on his own for a while now. You haven’t seen him around?”

Sam shook his head. “A section of the fenced yard came loose in the storm a few nights ago. He must have smelled the grill and come in that way.”

She straightened. “Would you take Charlie for a minute? I have a leash in the trunk of my car.”

“You don’t have a dog.”

“Mom makes everyone keep an extra in case we come across a stray.” The Weimaraner jumped to his feet and nudged at Julia’s pants leg.

“Mama doggy,” Charlie said as Julia shifted him into Sam’s arms.

“No, honey, not mine. We’ll take him to Grandma in the morning and she’ll find a good home for him.”

Charlie frowned. “Mama doggy.”

Julia noticed Sam tense as the dog trotted over to sniff him. “Are you scared of dogs, Chief Callahan?”

“Wary, not scared.” He held Charlie a little higher in his arms.

“If you say so.” She headed up the steps toward the house and the dog followed.

“What if he runs away?”

“I have a feeling he’ll stick close by. Weims are usually Velcro dogs.”

“Are you going to keep him overnight?”

She nodded. “It won’t be the first time. Mom says the strays have a knack for finding me. The scrappier they are, the harder I work to bring them in. I’ve rescued dogs from Dumpsters, highway ditches—”

“Stop!” Sam shook his head. “The thought of you luring in unknown dogs from who knows where makes my head pound.”

“What can I tell you?” She laughed. “I have a soft spot for lost causes.”

Sam met her gaze then, and for an instant she saw the kind of longing and vulnerability in his eyes she’d never imagined from a man as tough and strong as he seemed. “Lucky dogs,” he whispered.

The hair on her arms stood on end and her mouth went dry. He blinked, closing off his feelings from her.

“Add this one to the lucky list,” she said, her voice a little breathy. Quickly, she led the dog through the house, grabbing a piece of bread off the counter for good measure. But she didn’t need it. The dog walked by her side, his early rambunctiousness tempered because he had her attention.

She pulled the leash out of her trunk and looped it over his head. He shook his head, as if he wasn’t used to a collar. “Easy there, boy,” Julia crooned and knelt to pet him. The dog nuzzled into her chest. “I bet you’ve had a rough time of it. If anyone can find you a good home, it’s my mom.”

She walked the dog back onto the porch, where she could hear the sound of the television coming through the open screen door.

“Is it okay if I bring him in the house?”

“As long as he doesn’t lift his leg on the furniture,” came the hushed reply.

She leveled a look at the dog, who cocked his head at her. “Keep it together,” she told him, and his stubby tail wagged again.