Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Cole was back in his hometown on standard R&R after a deep-undercover assignment. Usually, he and one of his fellow agents did some traveling, or he crashed at one of the guys’ cabins in Montana, but Cole hadn’t been back to Serendipity in a while. Much as it pained him to admit it, he’d missed the place where he’d grown up, if not all the people.
So here he was, back in good old Serendipity, where he had some family he liked, some he didn’t, and a job to return to soon enough. At least he loved his job. Cole liked knowing he was taking down the scum of the earth, never mind that his father was convinced he was just like them. Jed Sanders hadn’t approved of his son long before he’d gone into undercover work. He wasn’t a replica of the old man and never would be. He was used to being a disappointment, but he couldn’t deny the constant digs got to him, which was why he’d avoided coming home until now.
Cole figured the last job had gotten to him more than usual if he was back to thinking about Jed’s opinion of him. He tried to avoid looking back on his childhood, taking stock, and learning that just maybe his father had a point.
His cell rang, and he picked it up on the first ring. “Hey,” he said to his cousin, Nick Mancini.
“Sorry to tell you, but we’re not working today. Fire inspector’s coming by, so everything’s on hold.”
Since his return, Cole had been working construction for Nick’s company, and Cole appreciated knowing he’d always have a place with his cousin when he needed one. Working for Nick’s dad had always been a way to stay out of the house and keep his father off his back. Too bad Cole hadn’t been smart enough to work more and stay out of trouble, but he couldn’t change the past. And since it had led his mother to take them both away from Jed and out of Serendipity, maybe his juvenile idiocy hadn’t been such a bad thing. No matter what his father thought . . . or blamed him for.
“No problem,” Cole said. “Any other sites you can use a hand on?”
Silence followed, and Cole knew exactly what his cousin wasn’t saying. Nick had already informed him that a couple of clients preferred that Cole wasn’t on the crew who worked on their homes. As if he’d steal from anyone, but old neighbors? Friends? Jeez. Much as he hated it, Cole had to admit they had good reason to be suspicious, and nothing he could do or say would dispel their mistrust. Undercover work meant he had to keep a low profile and live with the consequences.
“Don’t worry about it. Call me when you need me again,” Cole said, letting his cousin off the hook.
“My mother mentioned Uncle Jed needs some help around the house,” Nick said. “I can handle it over the weekend if you want.”
Nick’s mother was Cole’s mother’s sister. Aunt Gloria had helped Cole’s mom when she needed it most, giving her money to leave Jed, and Cole loved her for it. Nick was like his mom, giving and always there.
As much as he appreciated the offer, Cole didn’t need Nick handling Jed’s crap. “You spend the weekend with your pretty wife,” he said of Kate Andrews, whom Nick had finally married a few months ago, a wedding Cole had missed because of work. It had been one of the few times he resented the job.
Because undercover defined him. It wasn’t just what he did; it was who he was. He didn’t have a real life: friends, habits, schedule, or routine. He had his work and his downtime before going back under.
“I don’t mind. I’ll get in and out with no shitstorm. You won’t.”
“Thanks, but as long as I’m in town, I’ll pick up the slack,” he told his cousin.
Nick’s groan echoed through the phone. “No reason for you to deal with the old man.”
“He’s my father. I’m not going to let others do his shit for me, but thanks.”
Nick cleared his throat. “Fine. Come hang out over the weekend?”
“We’ll see.” They both knew he wouldn’t show. But Nick still asked, and Cole still gave him his standard answer.
He said good-bye, grabbed his coffee, and walked out of the shop. As much as Cole liked his cousin, family wasn’t part of his makeup. He hadn’t had a strong unit as a kid, at least until his mother married Brody Williams, but by then, Cole had been almost seventeen, self-reliant, self-contained, and basically on his own. He’d taught himself not to want what he couldn’t have. That mindset served him well in his line of work, and he didn’t see any reason to change now.
He stepped onto the curb as he caught sight of two women crossing Main Street. For a split second, he thought he saw Erin, then realized he was seeing what his subconscious wanted to see. The woman with reddish hair wasn’t Erin, but the thought of her had been firmly implanted in his brain.