Naughty Stranger (Dangerous Love 1)

Boone licked his thumb and in a single breath said, “My brother-in-law was involved in some insider trading. My reputation took a hit after he was arrested. And yeah, that’s also why my marriage ended.”

“I wasn’t going to ask about that,” she said softly, her heart reaching for him at his dark expression.

He took a swig of his beer. “Everything changed after the arrest. Cops…” Those warm eyes connected with her again, any trace of his pain washed from his expression—“Some—not all, of course—but some can be funny when it comes to family who commit a crime.”

“Well, they shouldn’t hold it against you. That’s stupid.”

“You’re right,” he agreed with a firm nod. “But some things cannot be forgiven.”

Peyton got the feeling there was more to the story, but who was she to press? The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her past. If she knew anything, it was that sometimes the best thing to do was let the past go and leave it behind. “Do you still talk to Chelsea?” she asked gently.

“She doesn’t want to speak.” He gave her a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “That seems to be a trend with the women in my life.”

“Women?” she repeated. “Were you married more than once?”

His brows winged up, obvious surprise glistening in his eyes. “Did Kinsley not tell you about our mother?”

“I thought she passed away, since Kinsley never mentioned her.”

Boone reached for his napkin, wiping the butter from his fingers. “My mother left us when I was five and Kinsley was three.”

“Left you?”

Boone nodded.

Peyton paused, her heart suddenly in her throat. “How could a mother do that?”

Boone dipped his lobster in the butter, then tossed the piece into his mouth. “Easy. She got herself a new husband and new kids out in California.” He seemed to try to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but Peyton heard the pain there. “She divorced my dad, drained their bank accounts, and left.”

“That’s really awful, Boone. I’m so sorry,” Peyton said, ignoring her food for now. She reached for his arm, squeezing tight.

Boone’s eyes warmed. “Thank you. It couldn’t have been an easy time for my father.”

“I bet not,” she agreed, then a question rose. She removed her hand to grab a shrimp, and before she took a bite, she said, “Why didn’t he go after her for the money she took?”

Boone swatted at the seagull that landed on the bench next to him, obviously looking for its next meal. “My mother didn’t love him. Or want us. I guess he could have gone after her for the money, but my father didn’t, for reasons I’m sure are important to him.”

Peyton couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for your dad.”

Boone nodded, a softness reaching his eyes. “We moved in with my grandparents, and with their help, life was easier for him, and he did a good job with us.”

Peyton considered that. “Your father’s a good man.”

“There is no one better, believe me.” Boone said, “We hear from our mother on our birthdays and Christmases, but that’s more out of her guilt than anything else.”

Peyton mulled this over, coming to the same conclusion as before. “I just don’t get how a mother could do that.”

“She didn’t want to live in a small town. My father wouldn’t move to the big city. She was miserable here.” Boone used the napkin to clean off his face before reaching for his beer. “I hated her for that for a long time. Had trouble with it as a kid. But much, much later I realized that she was better gone. What we had as a family was perfect. Dad, Kinsley, and I, and our grandparents. We didn’t need her.”

“It’s good you had them.” Peyton smiled, thinking all this through, when something occurred to her. She parted her lips and promptly shut them.

“Don’t hold back now.” His mouth twitched. “What do you want to know?”

She shrugged and laughed softly at him. “Your cop instincts about being able to read people could become really annoying.”

He chuckled. “Probably.” His smile slipped away. “But ask anyway.”

She felt like asking him anything would make her due to answer questions she didn’t want to answer, but curiosity got the better of her. “Did you move to New York to try to make Chelsea happy because of what happened with your mother?”