Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest 1)

Cara inclined her head. “Good. I can drive Daniella now and you can meet us. Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”

Cara walked over to Sam, who was about to escort Bob out to the squad car. He handed the now-calm man over to Ted. “I’ll meet you at the car.”

With a nod, Ted prodded Bob and they headed out the door. “Dani, I’m sorry,” he called out.

She turned away without answering.

Cara shook her head in disgust. “Daniella said she’d press charges.”

“That’s good,” Sam said.

“I can drive her over now. The manager needs to lock up and she’ll meet us at the station so we can all make a formal statement,” Cara concluded, since she was off duty when the incident occurred.

“She okay?” Sam tipped his head in Daniella’s direction.

Cara nodded. “She is. I just hope she stays that way.” She’d seen too many women, her own mother included, back down and change their minds once faced with the reality of testifying and pressing charges.

“And you? Okay?” Sam eyed her critically, as he always did after any kind of incident.

“Just another day at the office,” she said with a grin.

Sam shook his head. “Smart-ass,” he muttered. “See you at the station.”

Cara spent the rest of the night filling out forms and making sure Daniella was settled. Bev insisted that Daniella go home with her, and Daniella agreed. As long as she was somewhere she felt safe, there was no risk of her returning to the apartment she shared with Bob. For now, the bastard was in jail, but after his arraignment in the morning, he might get out on bail. And Daniella would have to make some smart and hopefully permanent decisions.

Sunday dawned cold and sunny after the snowstorm the night before. Mike had spent all day yesterday at the station catching up on endless paperwork, which was still piled high on his desk, and he’d met with the tech guy to go over the potential computerization of files. Last night he’d spent at Ethan’s playing poker with guys they’d gone to school with, where Mike had won a decent amount of cash and caught up with old friends. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night, short of seeing Cara and spending the night in her bed.

He hadn’t seen her much since their return from Vegas, their schedules keeping them apart. He’d been busy, but he thought about her often. Although he was getting used to it, stranger still was that he missed having her around—in his bathroom, sharing drawers, and in his space. There was never a time when being apart from a woman bothered him. He’d even invited her to the family dinner tonight, but she’d begged off, claiming she was exhausted. Considering he’d woken her when he called this morning at eleven, he didn’t doubt it.

At his parents’, Mike handled chores his father used to do himself, like shoveling the walk clear of snow and de-icing the driveway. Sam and Erin pitched in to do their parts as well. Between the three of them, Mike hoped they kept Ella and Simon’s lives running as smoothly as possible until this nightmare ended.

No wonder people whispered the word cancer. The damned disease took a toll on everyone within loving distance of the person afflicted. But Simon appeared stronger today and hadn’t been napping when Mike arrived.

Mike kicked the snow off his boots and left them along with his coat and gloves in the laundry room to dry. Dinner was their normal affair, joking with each other, and for the first time in ages, even Simon participated, leaving Mike with a feeling of warmth about his family he hadn’t experienced in too long—if ever. Maybe meeting Rex had given him a newfound appreciation for all he had here in Serendipity.

“Where’s Cara tonight?” Mike’s mother asked over dessert.

Mike paused, his spoon full of his mother’s delicious bread pudding midway to his mouth. “Home. She said she’s exhausted and asked me to send her apologies.”

“Which of course you forgot to do,” Erin teased him. “I don’t blame her for being tired after last night’s excitement.”

“Excitement?” Suddenly uneasy, Mike laid his spoon down on his plate.

“Someone hasn’t checked the blotter today,” his father said, laughing as he glanced at Mike. “I can relate. There were Sundays I didn’t want to know what was happening in town. I figured if the world was falling apart, someone would let me know. That’s what deputy chiefs are for.”

“I was the assistant D.A. on call last night,” Erin said.

Mike’s mouth grew dry. “What happened?” he asked his brother, who he knew had been on duty.

“Cara didn’t tell you?” Sam asked.

Mike shook his head.

“Shit,” Sam muttered. “I thought you knew or I would’ve said something sooner.”

“Tell me now,” Mike said.

Sam cleared his throat. “We got a call about a disturbance at the McDonald’s off Route 80. Manager said a drunk guy was threatening one of her workers. Ted Shaeffer was with me. We arrived to find the perp with his arm around his girlfriend’s throat and Cara holding a gun on him.”