“Don’t mention flying, please,” she muttered, and staggered gratefully into the house.

*  *  *

“Dad! Why am I the last to ever know anything of importance around here?”

Cole’s question came as his brother, Buddy, was trying to maneuver their father back into the house from his latest trip to the doctor’s office.

Morgan Brownfield sank into his favorite chair and dropped his cane onto the floor. He grunted, lifting his leg as Cole quickly shoved a hassock beneath the heavy cast. He leaned back and stared at his eldest son’s angry impatience.

“Yes, the doctor said I’m healing just fine. Thank you for asking,” Morgan drawled. Ignoring the look of guilt sweeping across Cole’s face, he asked, “Now what are you so worked up about?”

“That…that girl…from Oklahoma is here. You know! Lily’s friend…Debbie something or other.” He knew good and well what her name was. But he wasn’t about to admit to his family that she’d haunted his dreams for months.

“Oh! Debbie’s here! Great! Lily called days ago to tell us she was coming. Lily was going to come herself but her doctor discouraged it. She’s into her eighth month of pregnancy and too near delivery for air travel. The only way Case and Debbie could talk her out of coming anyway was for Debbie to promise to come in her stead. I was going to have a pay a live-in to help out until I got back to my feet anyway. I’d rather pay someone I know than have a total stranger living in my house.”

Cole grimaced. This meant she wasn’t here for a day or two. This sounded like weeks, even months.

“Why didn’t I know about this?” he asked, and ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. Bone straight and in need of a haircut, it fell back perfectly into its state of disarray as his fingers raked across his scalp.

Buddy’s answer was short and, as usual, to the point. “You didn’t know it because you’re never here.”

“Hell!” Cole said succinctly, and glared at his brother, who calmly stared back, knowing that there was nothing Cole could do to argue the point.

“Where is she?” Morgan asked. “I’ve been looking forward to her visit.”

“She’s in bed,” Cole drawled. “I don’t know who’s going to take care of whom. I peeled her out of the floor of a cab and dumped her in Lily’s old room. She’s suffering from motion sickness. You guys are on your own. I’ve got to get to the P.D.” The Laguna Beach Police Department was Cole’s second home.