Probably not the best way to discourage Danny’s advances. But she really wanted to. If only they’d met under different circumstances, like the kind that didn’t include threats to her family members’ lives. It wasn’t meant to be. Reluctantly, she moved away from it, and him, into the safety of her kitchen. The smell of freshly baked cinnamon bread camouflaged his scent.

A glance at the clock told her she needed to get breakfast rolling. She moved to the fridge and pulled out a dozen eggs. When she turned around, Danny was tying a plain black apron around his waist. She raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“Thought I’d help with breakfast.” He washed his hands at the sink.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Don’t worry. I promise not to ask you any questions about the case.”

“I’m very particular about the food that comes out of my kitchen.”

“Seriously, breakfast food isn’t that tough. As long as it’s simple, I can cook it. Short order is my specialty. My family owns a tavern. My brother Pat put me to work in the kitchen at a young age. He was trying to keep me out of trouble.”

“Did it work?”

“Not a bit.” His face split into the sexy bad-boy grin that melted her resolve faster than butter on a hot griddle. He dried his hands. “What are you serving this morning?”

“Waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon.” Mandy grabbed her own apron and washed up. “Plus the basics.”

Danny lifted a large skillet from the overhead rack. “I’ll take the scrambled eggs. Do you do anything special with them?”

“I’ve made herbed cream cheese to fold in at the end.”

“Nice.” Danny lit the burner under the pan and went to work cracking eggs like a pro.

Mandy started on the waffles. “Tell me about your family.”

Danny tossed a slab of butter into the pan with a sizzle. “My parents died when I was eleven.”

“I’m sorry. That’s awful.” Mandy paused, a ladle of batter suspended over the waffle maker.

“For a long time it was,” Danny said. “Anyway, there are four of us. I’m the youngest. Jayne’s a year older. Then there’s Conor and Pat. Poor Pat. As the oldest, he took over running the family business and raising me and my sister. In exchange, I made his life hell.”

Mandy poured batter into the machine, closed it, and set the timer. “I’m sure you weren’t all that bad.”

“Oh, I was.” Danny selected a whisk and whipped eggs with an angry zeal. “I skipped school, barely stayed out of juvie, and dragged my sister into my nefarious exploits whenever I could. That’s what I feel the worst about. It was one thing to self-implode, but to pull Jayne into my downward spiral with me was selfish.”