A VERY UN-SHAKESPEARE ROMANCE: ‘A Fake Dad Grumpy Sunshine Romantic Comedy’

Waiting for the bad guys to show up was hell.

Especially since it didn’t allow her and Robbie to focus on what they really wanted—each other. Sitting next to him on the couch and trying to be professional took special skills. Because as good as she was at blocking out distractions while on a case, his scent would still wash over her and make her skin tingle. He’d told her he was going insane too, but still, he’d sat beside her on the couch. They were both gluttons for punishment, clearly.

“Pizza good tonight?” Sheila yelled from the kitchen. “I figure driving my sports car into town with my hot boy toy to go pick it up would be another perfect way to lay breadcrumbs for the guys the Kellys are sending down tomorrow. I’m glad criminals move fast when they’re pissed. We only started posting two days ago, and we’re having visitors.”

Buck had ordered wiretaps on the Kellys after submitting joint evidence to a judge with Internal Affairs. They’d picked up chatter immediately about needing to plug a couple of holes in North Carolina, with the goons leaving tomorrow.

A few confidential informants had confirmed that Branigan Kelly was on the rampage about Tara spending his money, especially on the McLaren. Apparently, he was ignoring his councilors, who’d advised him it could be a trap. All he wanted was “to shut that bitch up and stop her from spending all his money.”

“I told you the spending spree was genius,” Lily put in. “Plenty of incentive to hustle down here to stop her.”

“You know the saying,” Tyler continued, the sounds of him typing away on his laptop at the kitchen table audible. “Crime never sleeps. Good thing this boy toy doesn’t object to such blatant sexism or lack of regard for his personal well-being.”

“Ah, feeling a little unappreciated?” Sheila asked in a playful tone. “Come to mama.”

Tyler gave a gusty laugh. “Never change, Sheila. And I’m good with pizza—and you driving around your new boy toy.”

“I really hate that term,” Robbie whispered for Lily’s ears only, making her bite her lip to control her humor.

She knew he’d gritted his teeth plenty over the past several days, but he’d stood fast through it all. When Tara had said goodbye, he’d been a downright mountain of assurance. Not that Tara had shown one iota of worry or sadness. She’d been dry-eyed and strong, something Lily was coming to appreciate about the O’Connor clan. They stood up. No matter what.

“Pizza is fine with me too, if you really wanted my opinion, Sheila,” Robbie called back.

“Are you feeling a little unappreciated too?” her partner shot back cheekily.

Robbie rolled his eyes before lowering his voice to say, “I wish I could take you out tonight, Lily.”

She mirrored him rolling his eyes. “But we’d give ourselves away.”

“Since we’re not supposed to be here,” he agreed, his voice hushed and sexy. “Especially me. God, this is going to sound weird, but I actually miss my brothers and the girls. And Tara, of course.”

“Not Miss Purrfect?” she asked, hoping to improve his mood. “Your new friend.”

“That’s a stretch if I ever heard it.” He shuddered playfully, making her lips twitch. “It’s nice not having to hide my underwear. You know, Tara coming back really changed things with the girls—not that I’d want it any other way. She’s their mother and a damn good one. But it was…nice having them need me a little. God, I sound like an idiot.”

If they were alone, she’d have kissed him ever so softly on the lips and then wrapped her arms around him. “I think it’s sweet.”

“Don’t breathe a word of it to anyone.” Robbie turned to face her. “Promise me. Now that we’re…involved, you’re going to need to remember the one cardinal rule about the O’Connors. Never show true emotion, or it will bite you in the ass.”

“I promise.” She winked even though she wanted to caress the hard line of his jaw. “You can trust me.”

His hand grazed her arm, his eyes filled with the warmth and affection she was becoming used to. “I know, Lily. And another thing you should know about the O’Connors. When we find someone we can trust, they’re ours for life.”

Her heart expanded with a sweet roller coaster of emotion. “I’m the same way.”

His eyes flashed with promise. With happiness. She felt her own spirits rising in her chest. God, when had she ever been this happy? And on an undercover op. She was on a teeter-totter between job excitement and a dating high. Totally crazy but oh so wonderful.

“Buck just texted us.” Tyler clapped his hands, startling her. “They have eyes on the two guys the Kellys are sending down. Lily, you win the prize. They’re driving down.”

“I was also right about the number of guys they’d send.” She smiled. “The mob does like to send people in pairs.”

“They tend to be family operations, and camaraderie and chemistry are important,” Robbie said dryly. “I’m glad it’s only two guys. We’ve got them outnumbered big-time. Us four here. Agents Johnson and Mather across the street.”

She knew he’d been worried about the heat coming. He’d explained that caring about her ratcheted up the stakes for him. She’d felt the personal pull as well. “Me too. We’ll catch them on attempted murder, conspiracy, and a whole bunch of other offenses. Because I know they won’t be abiding by local gun laws regarding bringing in weapons from another state. Oh, I can’t wait! I’ll split them up and work them over at the FBI office in Charlotte. They’ll flip on their boss and want to turn state’s evidence. It will be like Christmas in the interrogation room.”

“You’re sexy when you talk like that.” His blue eyes twinkled. “But I hate to burst your bubble. You’re going to have a hell of a time getting them to talk.”

She waggled her brows. “I excel at establishing rapport with bad guys. You’d be surprised what they tell me.”

“Having been hoodwinked by you, I wouldn’t bet against you.” He laid his hand next to hers, their fingers tangling loosely.

Sheila appeared in the doorway with a knowing look. “Hey, lovebirds. Why don’t you go for a run or something? Your sexual energy is reaching all the way into the kitchen and ruining the batch of virgin margaritas I’m making.”

“Yeah, go for a run,” Tyler agreed, joining her in the doorway. “Buck is flying high back in Boston leading that arm of the investigation. All we’re doing here is sitting around and waiting. You know how it goes.”

Lily shared a look with Robbie. “Okay, only if you’re sure.”

“We are.” Sheila jerked her finger behind her. “We’ve got two more watchers across the street. Plus, the ones tailing the Kelly guys. Go.”

Lily felt the pull, knowing they were covered. Agents Johnson and Mather—the undercover couple on a romantic getaway—were positioned so they had eyes on the front of the house. “You game, Grandpa?”

“Always.” He pushed off the couch, extending his hand to her. She took it even though it wasn’t exactly professional, but the lines were blurred.

She was trying to accept that. Plus, there was nothing unethical about them seeing each other. But she was struggling with the whole being too obvious about it part. Like sleeping together on an active investigation. Fortunately, Robbie had the same moral quandary, so they hadn’t done more than catch a few stolen moments together. Good moments. Hot moments. Spine-tingling, toe-curling moments. Sheila had wisely not teased her about it. Much. But her partner encouraging this alone time was really sweet.

“I’ll change and meet you outside,” she told him, squeezing his hand a moment longer before taking off toward her house next door.

Inside she quickly changed, delighted to find him waiting for her at the beach’s edge, stretching his calves. “I like watching you work your muscles like that,” she admitted, coming closer to him and brushing his butt with the back of her hand in an oops, I accidentally just did that move.

He stood up, grinning. “Put your hands on me again like that, and we won’t be running.”

She stepped closer, feeling the heat already emanating from him. “Promises, promises. Come on, Grandpa. Let’s go.”

She kept her pace easy to let them both warm up. But soon he shot her a cheeky smile and sprinted ahead.

“Consider that your challenge, sweetheart,” he called over his shoulder.

“Accepted!” Oh, he was so deliciously sexy, and she kept her pace easy so she could watch the hard muscles of his legs ripple along with the lats through his T-shirt. No bare chest this run. Probably wise of him. But when they got back to Boston—weather permitting—she was going to make a special request that he never run with a shirt on. Call her scandalous, but Lily Meadows was over the moon, dancing on air, and totally head over heels for Robbie O’Connor.

Punching up her speed, she enjoyed the grim look on his face when she passed him in a blur. “Ta-ta.”

His heartfelt growl sounded on the empty beach, and she nearly laughed out loud. It was good any final renters were off having dinner, or they would have been scared by the sound.

Sand shifting under the quicksilver of her feet, she cruised to the right, following the beach out as it curved into the ocean. The blue waves were calm today, the white tips of the breakers as much of an afterthought as day-old frosting. Only a few jellyfish lay on the beach, washed up by the waves.

She filled her lungs with the salty air and savored the view. God, she was going to miss this place. Maybe they would come back for a real vacation sometime. They hadn’t explored the area, and she’d love to do more surfing. She sighted a few larger waves off in the distance and noted a boater coming in hot, parting the ocean with his form of idiocy. She was glad no one else was on the water, because he was the kind of boating enthusiast who was dangerous and likely bolstered by a few beers.

Looking over her shoulder, she glanced back at Robbie. His face was clenched, his arms pumping madly as he sprinted after her. She sometimes wondered why some people were just naturally faster than others, conditioning being equal.

“You want me to slow down?” she called.

He only shook his head, his focus locked. She turned to face forward and set about running her own race. She rather liked that he didn’t mind that they ran at their own pace. Okay, he did. But he’d never ask her to slow down.

God, he was such a keeper, and she found herself thinking about meeting the rest of his family. Truth be told, she was missing the girls as well as Tim and Billie. Sure, she was closer to Tim. They got each other and had similar senses of empathy and humor. Billie was a total tough guy but still good to her. Then there was Tara, who was brave and funny and really sweet. She thought they could be good friends.

But she wondered about the rest of his family. Robbie had a sister, another adopted one of sorts, and four more brothers. Tyler said he really liked Danny, who ran the Irish pub that bore the family’s last name. Goodness, there were a lot of them. She’d never had anyone really.

Then there was his father. What kind of man must Mr. O’Connor be?

“Lily!”

Robbie calling her name had her turning her head around. He was frantically pointing at something to her left on the beach. Whipping back in that direction, she noticed a solitary man jogging her way.

A ripple of shock rolled over her as she realized it was Scotty Flanagan.

Why had Tara’s soon-to-be ex-husband decided to show up? They’d discussed the possibility that he might show up in the Outer Banks after Tara’s posts went out, but everyone had agreed the probability was super low. Why would he show up when he had to know the Kellys were coming?

Scanning the beach, she didn’t see anyone else coming from the small parking area where he’d emerged from.

Dialing down her speed, she thought the situation through. He’d obviously seen Tara’s social media posts and discovered their location. Of course, they had purposely planted clues in the videos, with the curve of the beach they were running as one of them.

She studied the suspected money launderer. He was wearing a navy track suit with red stripes at the hems. His lady friend was nowhere in sight.

“It’s Tara’s husband,” Robbie said, finally running her down.

“I know,” she whispered, a plan forming quickly in her mind. “So I’m still Summer Sunshine, okay? And you’ve been taking care of Tara and the girls. Of course, she’s been acting a little wild. But you’re working on that.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” He put his hand to her back protectively. “I’ll lure him away by saying Tara is back at the house. You take the street back and alert Johnson and Mather. Okay, he’s almost here. Let me do the talking.”

They slowed to a walk, Scotty now striding rapidly to intercept them. He was clearly out of shape despite a reasonably thin body. As they grew closer, Lily studied his round, passably handsome face. He looked well rested despite the anger flushing his cheeks, and while she didn’t find him attractive, she could see how others might. His brown hair curled around his forehead, making him look roguish, a little like an Irish sailor of old. He had a tan, not a sallow complexion from hiding out in a windowless room or dark circles under the eyes from trouble sleeping. God, was he stupid? The Kellys almost certainly wanted to kill him.

“I knew there was no way Tara wasn’t with you,” he spat the moment they reached each other. “She’d never leave the girls unprotected.”

“Of course she wouldn’t!” Robbie shot back, grabbing Scotty by the top of his track suit. “She’d die protecting her girls, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t gone a little crazy over everything.”

His lip curled, transforming him from roguish to downright mean. “Buying that fucking McLaren and screwing that pretty boy.”

“You know Tara.” Robbie shoved him backward. “It just so happens your own screwing really messed her up in the head. Along with the money—”

“Get rid of the girl.” Scotty jerked his head toward Lily. “I’m not talking in front of someone who’s not family.”

“You’re not my family, and she’s just someone I’ve met on this ‘fabulous’ vacation we’re on.” He slid her a tight smile. “Sorry about this. Give me a moment, sweetheart, will you?”

“Sure thing, Robbie.”

She walked away a few yards on the pretext of giving them privacy. With her back to them, she turned her gaze toward the sea, keeping her ears cocked. If only she’d brought her phone so she could text her partner about their visitor. Sheila would be as surprised as she was.

“Scotty, what in the hell were you thinking?” Robbie ground out.

“I was thinking we could have more, that’s what!” Scotty’s raised voice sounded across the beach. “It was good business and didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Except now it has or will. Do you have any idea the trouble Tara is in because of you, you piece of shit?”

“Of course I know! And since you’re down here babysitting her with Billie and Tim, who mysteriously disappeared on the same day you did, instead of trying to resolve it as a cop, I figure you haven’t figured out how to prove she didn’t know what was going on.”

Lily bit her lip, thinking it was interesting Scotty still referred to the nail salon as partially his.

“You’re right.” Robbie’s tone was sharp with reproach. “I’ve been hoping you’d come out of hiding—”

“I am not going down for this!” Scotty cried. “I told Tara all this when she kicked me out, and I’ll tell you. There’s no other way to handle this other than to keep doing what I agreed to with Branigan Kelly. Tara can take me back, and everything will go back to normal. That’s the only way we’ll all stay out of jail and stay alive.”

Lily’s brows flew to her forehead, much like she imagined Robbie’s had. He wanted Tara to take him back? And continue the crime? Where was Janice Brewster?

Robbie started laughing. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

“Look, she doesn’t have to take me back as her husband—only in name. I can do my thing with Janice, and she can do her thing. Clearly, she’s already started.”

Asked and answered, Lily thought.

“You’re unbelievable!” Robbie spat.

“Look, I can take it as long as she doesn’t embarrass me. The Kellys don’t care whether we’re a happily married couple. All they care about is the money. Frankly, so do I. Dammit, it’s not right that I’ve been hiding out in Maryland on a shoestring budget while she’s down here living it up in some fancy beach house with a McLaren in the driveaway. That car and everything else is mine. I did all the work.”

Ah, criminals have it so hard. Lily wondered how Robbie was keeping a lid on his temper. She cut him a surreptitious glance. He was pacing, his tennis shoes digging grooves in the sand.

Scotty held out his hand, entreating. “Robbie, you’ve got to talk to her. Convince her.”

A giant scoff sounded. “You do know I’m a sworn officer of the law, right? You’re insane.”

“No! Listen. You don’t want Tara or the girls to end up dead or drowned in the Mystic. The only way that doesn’t happen is if you stay quiet about this. Besides, the Kellys have people in your department. You can’t win this one. And you’re in serious hot water, being away and unavailable when there’s an arson case involving your first cousin. Everyone knows you’re a family first kind of guy. People are starting to suspect you already.”

Lily nearly smiled. They’d laid some breadcrumbs there too, hoping Robbie’s whereabouts would become the talk of the department. Interesting that Scotty was so wired in, being he was on the run and all.

“Dammit!” Robbie snarled, pacing hard as he kicked up sand. “I am not agreeing to anything.”

“Fine! We’ll talk it out. Lay it down from all the angles. With Tara.”

Lily pretended to chew her nails as she bent over and picked up a piece of red sea glass. Scotty’s pulse was pounding in his neck, and Lily imagined he reeked of flop sweat.

“Tara will have some ideas,” he continued in a rush. “Once she gets over wanting to kill me.”

“Good luck with that,” Robbie bit out. “If I do this, and I’m not saying I will, I need to know who can fix things for me at the department. Because I’m not letting this bullshit hurt my career. I’ve worked too hard.”

Way to sell it, Robbie. She fought a smile from her covert perch.

Scotty patted Robbie on the back, keeping a safe distance between them. “That’s good thinking. They’ll understand that when I introduce you. You’re only looking the other way because it’s family. Tara and the girls. You don’t want their mom or dad to end up in prison or dead. Think of how devastated Reagan and Cassidy would be.”

“If you don’t shut your mouth, I’m going to do it for you. You don’t deserve those kids.”

“Okay, okay!” He held up his hands. “But we’d better figure out our plan, because if I can find you, so can the Kellys.”

“What do you mean?” Robbie’s incredulity was perfectly pitched. “How did you find me? Did you talk to Tara’s nail client who loves it here?”

“You don’t know?” Scotty started guffawing and slapping his knee. “Tara’s been posting videos and photos on social media for the past couple days about her new car and side piece to make me jealous.”

“Dammit!” He gave an impressive curse. “I told her not to do that.”

God, he really had a talent for undercover. She was proud of the way he was playing this.

“You know Tara. Too independent for her own good. She doesn’t listen, but I knew she’d find a way to tell me where she was hiding after she realized she couldn’t lay low forever. When I saw the first post, I was with Janice in Maryland at a casino my buddy told me was hot for action. I asked the table if they knew where it was and three people said the Outer Banks. It was only six hours away. Lots of people from there come down this way for vacation.”

“Shit!” Robbie cursed again. “It was that easy? Jesus, we need to get to a hotel so we can talk. It’s not safe here. Come on. I’ll take you back to the house, but if you so much as look at Tara wrong, I’ll kill you myself. Also, you aren’t talking to the girls.”

Gosh, her knight in shining armor did love to lay down the law.

“Fine! But they’re going to hear my voice and know it’s me. I’m still their father.”

“They’ll get over it,” Robbie answered harshly. “Like Tara is. Let’s go. Hey, Summer! I need to cut our run short, okay?”

She turned at his raised voice, a bright Summer Sunshine smile on her face, grateful her girl-next-door look didn’t seem to have made Scotty suspicious. She didn’t scream Fed. “Sure thing, Robbie. Catch you later.”

She watched the two men walk back to the rental house and started to make a beeline for the street that ran all the way to the house. She could signal to the agents across the street and have them converge on the house with her so they could arrest Scotty. She couldn’t be sure whether Sheila and Tyler were still out getting the pizza, but Lily didn’t want Scotty to be alone with Robbie. He’d wonder who was watching the girls and where Tim and Billie had gone. He’d start to get suspicious. That was when things turned dangerous.

As she started running, she took one more look to check their progress back to the house. They had a ways to go, seeing as she and Robbie had run all the way out to the curve in the beach. How long would it take them to walk back? Ten minutes? She glanced at the house to calculate the distance and stopped short when she saw the boat from earlier pulled up in the shallows close to their rental house.

Her gaze scanned the deck. The hotshot speed racer wasn’t at the bow.

Her gut twitched. Something wasn’t right. No one parked a boat in the shallows like that. First, it was illegal. Second, it could ground the boat. Third, why pull up close to their rental?

Her brain calculated the possibilities in seconds. Scotty might have brought help. But why? If he only wanted to talk to Tara and Robbie…

But maybe that wasn’t his plan at all. She started jogging as she ran back through what Scotty had said. He claimed to know the names of the Kellys’ dirty cops, but was that true? Why would they tell Scotty something like that? He was a low-end-of-the-chain money launderer.

And hadn’t Scotty mentioned the McLaren being in the driveway? If he’d been out front already, why approach Robbie all the way out here? And where was Janice Brewster? He’d said they’d been at the casino. Together.

All Scotty wanted was for things to go back to normal, he’d said. How would he react when he found out neither Tara nor the girls were here? Had he brought along help to ensure their cooperation?

Lily picked up her speed, sprinting, arms pumping. She told herself Robbie was a smart cop. He’d see the boat and wonder at its presence. But he was still going back to the house alone, and she couldn’t be sure Tyler and Sheila were there. If they entered through the back, the agents across the street wouldn’t even see them.

And where was the guy in the boat?

She raced faster. Because when this much money was involved and people’s lives were at stake, there could be any number of outcomes.

Most of them were bad.