Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest 1)

“Relax,” Cara muttered to Rex. “You’ve shown up and agitated everyone imaginable. Now are you going to leave quietly, or am I going to have to arrest you?”

He scowled. “I’m going. But you tell that son of mine that if he knows what’s good for his father, he’ll bury that journal where no one can find it.”

Cara narrowed her gaze. Having not been welcomed, he’d decided to ruin Simon’s reputation instead. “Haven’t you realized? Mike’s not like you. He’ll do the right thing even if someone gets hurt.”

“Even Saint Simon?” Rex spat with disdain, making his point before ambling toward his car like he hadn’t a care in the world.

And he didn’t. As a cop, Rex knew the same thing Cara knew. The statute of limitations on evidence tampering was ten years, and really, unless they were talking murder, the statute would have run out on any number of crimes with which Rex could be charged. Nobody in Serendipity wanted him here, so his reputation couldn’t get any worse. But Simon’s could, and clearly that was Rex’s goal.

Cara’s chest tightened at the thought of the man she respected as her boss and as Mike’s father suffering for bailing Rex out and doing right by Ella. Rex Bransom was a loose cannon for the entire Marsden family and the life they enjoyed here in Serendipity.

Cara watched until he’d climbed into his rental and driven away before refocusing on the scene behind her.

“Can I call an ambulance?” Dare asked Mrs. Baine. “Perhaps they can give him a sedative?”

She shook her head. “I’ll call Dr. Al,” she said of Dr. Alan Collins, Alexa’s father. “He’ll co

me over and tell me what’s needed.”

Dare nodded. “Okay. Need help getting him back into the house?”

Mrs. Baine shook her head. “Once everyone’s gone, he’ll calm down and go back inside.”

Cara swallowed hard. “If you have any trouble, let us know?” She felt sorry for Mrs. Baine and the difficult life she now shared with the man she loved.

“I will. Thank you.” She wrapped an arm around her husband and whispered calming words.

Cara and Dare headed for the squad car.

“Care to share what’s going on?” he asked her.

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Umm…not really? It’s not my story to tell. It’s up to Sam and Mike,” she said.

“Understood. We Barron brothers have had so many secrets, I’m not going to judge others.”

“Thanks,” she said with a grim smile.

“Think he’ll leave town?”

Cara knew Dare referred to Rex. She thought for a moment and sighed. “I don’t know. He’s not welcome here. I’d say it was sad if he hadn’t caused the hard feelings all on his own—and how he’s behaving now isn’t exactly encouraging anyone to think differently, you know?”

Dare nodded. “When Ethan came back, he wanted to make amends. Nash and I didn’t want anything to do with him, but he dug in his heels—and everything he did showed us he’d changed, even before we were ready to admit or accept it.”

“Not Rex. He showed up at the Marsdens’ claiming it was because he’d heard Simon was sick, but when he wasn’t greeted with open arms, he began issuing subtle threats.”

Dare swore under his breath. “How’s the family taking it?”

Cara stared at the long stretch of dark road in front of them as Dare drove. “They banded together. It was really nice to see.”

Even she’d felt the us-against-the-world vibe that Simon had put up against Rex. He’d enveloped Mike in complete acceptance, and everything inside Cara warmed at the sight. She knew how badly Mike had needed that sign of belonging, and Simon had given it to him.

He could take that knowledge with him when he left and know that he had his family waiting for him when he returned. He deserved that, she thought, knowing how elusive he’d found it to begin with.

When their shift finally ended, Cara headed home and slept for a solid six hours. She woke to her alarm and a message from Daniella, whom Cara immediately called back. She learned that the young woman had moved in with Bev, who’d been like a mom to her, something Daniella needed since her own mom lived out of state. Bev’s only daughter had moved across the country with her husband, so they each fulfilled a mutual need for the other. With Bev’s support and guidance, Daniella had enrolled in online classes and was continuing her work at McDonald’s. And so far, no word from Bob, who it seemed was respecting the restraining order.

Though it was afternoon, Cara needed coffee and breakfast, since the night shift always put her off schedule with the rest of the world. She stopped at Cuppa Café, where she ran into Kelly Barron, Nash’s wife, double stroller and twin boys with her, and Annie Kane, Joe’s fiancée. Cara joined the women for a little while, listening to Annie’s wedding talk with a surprising sense of envy.

Cara wasn’t the jealous type, unless she counted thinking about Mike with other women. She was genuinely happy for Annie, and yet a part of her couldn’t help but yearn for what the other women both had. A man they could count on in their lives. Cara swallowed hard, forcing down the sense of disappointment that Mike couldn’t be that guy for her. Instead she continued to smile at all the appropriate places in the conversation until she could gracefully make an escape.