One kick and it’d shatter, though. One kick to their family and the Maguires might shatter. They were only strong and solidwhen they were put together right. Like they were getting back to now. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be yanked apartagain.
He smoothed a hand over the well-sanded top. “Do you ever feel guilty for getting Mollie involved in all of this? For thedanger that might—at some point—come our way? She’d be in the cross fire if that happened.”
“There’s an image I didn’t need in my head.” Rafe scrubbed his palms over his eyes.
“Don’t stand there and pretend it hasn’t occurred to you.”
“Fine.” Rafe toed out a chair from the glass-topped table and sank into it. “Of course I worry about Mollie. You and I, wecan take care of ourselves. But Kellan? Mollie? They don’t know our world. They don’t know how vicious it can get.”
“So how do you live with the guilt of dragging her into it?”
“I don’t have any. I still feel guilt for dragging you two into WITSEC, but I’ve got zero on my conscience about Mollie.”
“Why?” Flynn asked as he dropped into the opposite chair.
That was the key question. He’d thought that telling Sierra the truth was the right thing to do. But even though she’d brokenup with him, what if she worried every night? Without him around to comfort her? He was fucking racked with guilt for dialingher in to his messed-up life.
“Because Mollie’s an adult. I laid out the facts. Staying with me was her decision. I mean, I’m awesome and all that, butshe could’ve walked away.”
Flynn knew his brother’s ego was big, but that was off the charts. “You think your alleged awesomeness is bigger than thepossibility of being gunned down when we walk past that weird-ass red statue into the Dirksen Courthouse in October?”
“Mollie’s a doctor. She’s more aware than most how quickly a life can end, without any warning. So she focuses on enjoyingeach day that she gets. Each day that we get together. It took some convincing on my part. I didn’t think I was being fair to her. It’s why I refused to date her whenwe met.”
“You did date her.” In fact, Rafe, who’d left a trail of women in his wake in Chicago without so much as a backward glance,had dated Mollie from day one like his life depended on it. Flynn had never seen someone fall so hard, so fast—all while tryingto deny it. He and Kellan laughed about it all the time.
Rafe’s whole face sort of . . . melted. Melted into a look of love that said he’d follow Mollie anywhere. Even go shoppingwith her on Black Friday, if that’s what it took to get another kiss. “Well, that woman’s damned irresistible. The point isthat I was worried about the future. She taught me to enjoy the present. Because, yeah, it may be all we get. Might as welllive it up.”
“I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“I’d say you haven’t thought about much of anything besides how pissed off you were for a long time. Now that Sierra got youto pull your head out of your ass, you should live it up, too. Do something awesome for the Fourth.”
“I tried that. My girlfriend broke up with me. And I have to be at work in three hours to help everyone else celebrate the holiday.”
Rafe winced. “Mollie and I’ll swing by the Gorse later. Keep you company after the fireworks. How’s that?”
“Probably the best offer I’ll get. Thanks.”
Female laughter floated down the path along the side of the house. He didn’t need to look up to know that Sierra was one ofthem. He’d recognize her laughter, her voice, her scent anywhere. When they appeared from the behind the six-foot-tall bush with big red flowers, Flynn white-knuckled the arms of the chairto keep himself from leaping up and running to her.
Karen stopped first, with her hands planted on her hips. “Flynn, where’s your sexy brother?”
“I’m right here,” Rafe said, sounding plenty put out.
“Very funny. You’re not only taken, you’re not my type.”
Even Mollie looked surprised, along with amused. “You don’t go for tall, dark, and muscled?”
“In my fantasies, sure. In real life?” Karen’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Your man’s too much for me. He has a dangerousswagger about him.”
“I know.” Mollie wrapped her arms around Rafe’s neck and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “It’s super hot.”
“I like my men more . . . polished. Suave. Kellan seems like he knows things. Like he’d know how to show me a good time.”
“We don’t know where he is. But you can bet I’ll tell him that you’re interested. If he’s absorbed even half of my charm andtalents with women over the years, I guarantee he’ll come through on that good time.”
Flynn couldn’t believe they were standing there talking like everything was normal.
It wasn’t. It wasn’t fucking normal at all. Because Sierra was across the yard, not looking at him, not touching him. Andhe didn’t have any damn right to go over there.
God, it hurt. Yet he couldn’t stop looking at her, in her plain white tank and denim shorts, with a red, white, and blue striped bow around her ponytail. Hecouldn’t stop drinking her in like she was the first water he’d been given after a week crawling across the desert. Sierralooked beautiful. She looked like everything he wanted.
Everything he couldn’t have.
Mollie tugged Rafe out of his chair. “Hey, Karen and I were hoping you could set us up with some cold ginger ales. We’ve beenon the boardwalk with the sun beating down for too long.”
Rafe looked at all three women. Then over at Flynn, confusion pulling his brows together. “Suuuure,” he drawled out.
Karen and Mollie hustled him inside. Flynn just kept his grip tight on the arms of the chair. Because he didn’t know whatSierra was doing here. She’d made it clear that he wasn’t supposed to talk to her. Wasn’t supposed to make any move at allin her
