Her Lawman Protector. Patricia Johns
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that way.” Jack smiled back cordially. “You’re Gerard Hylton?”
“The one and the same.”
“Marie’s husband,” Liv said.
Jack looked down at his plate, newly scraped clean, and back at Gerard. “Lucky man. Your wife is a great cook.”
Gerard wasn’t easily placated by compliments about his wife. Marie drove her husband crazy.
“I’ve heard you’re police,” Gerard said brusquely.
“I am. I’m a detective—I just transferred to town.”
“We’ve done that before—the whole cop-in-the-family routine,” Gerard said. “It didn’t go well for Liv. We’re not keen for a repeat.”
Jack’s eyebrows went up, and Liv suppressed a moan.
“Uncle Gerard, we’re not that serious. You can stand down,” Liv interjected.
“Evan seems a little too interested in our land, if you ask me,” Gerard went on.
“Honestly, Uncle, you’ve got to let that one go,” she said with a sigh. Evan had offered to buy Gerard and Marie out when they were attempting to retire in Arizona. And Gerard could be touchy.
“And I don’t care if your ex is personal friends with Mayor Nelson,” Gerard went on. “He could be hobnobbing with the president for all I care. That land isn’t for sale.” Gerard’s laser glare didn’t waver away from Jack. “You cops take care of your own. Well, we Hyltons do the same.”
“So you aren’t a fan of Evan Kornekewsky,” Jack said.
“What do you think?” Gerard barked.
Liv put a hand on her uncle’s arm. “Be nice!”
“I thought I was,” Gerard retorted, then he sighed. “Marie is waving at me frantically. She’s afraid I’ll say something harsh.”
Liv shot Jack a grimace, and Uncle Gerard reached over and gave Liv’s arm a squeeze. “You look great, by the way, kiddo. Go get another plate.”
She’d always liked Uncle Gerard. He was Marie’s complete opposite. In some very good ways the couple complemented each other, and in other ways, they were a lot alike. Big hearts, big mouths and even bigger opinions. Gerard headed back toward his wife, leaving Liv and Jack in momentary peace.
“Sorry,” Liv said with a wince.
“Don’t be. I like him. He’s honest.” Jack’s squint followed her uncle. “So what’s this about Evan and land?”
“A misunderstanding,” she replied. One she still hadn’t forgiven her ex for, because he’d tossed her into the middle of it.
“Care to elaborate?”
“There’s not much to tell,” she replied, and she heard the stiffness in her own tone. She was still processing a whole lot of anger, apparently.
“And the mayor?” Evan asked with a frown.
“This is a small town,” she said, relaxing a little. “It doesn’t mean the same thing it does in Denver. Trust me.”
Jack eyed her for a moment, then shrugged.
“I need more of that potato salad,” he said after a beat of silence.
“If you were actually dating me, you wouldn’t like my uncle half as much,” Liv said, following him toward the table. Evan had detested her uncle. They’d sparred at every social event, and her uncle had glowed victorious when Evan finally proved himself the lowlife that Gerard had suspected all along.
“You’ve had boyfriends who complained?” Jack asked.
“I’ve had a husband who complained,” she retorted.
Jack was silent for a moment, then shrugged. “I like who I like.”
Not that it mattered. In a few weeks, she’d have to tell them that Jack was nothing more than security anyway and hope that the drama of all those threats overshadowed the more pathetic truth about her relationship to this hunky cop. Uncle Gerard’s bravado was for nothing.
“Liv, how are you?” Tanya said, and Liv looked up to see her cousin approaching, camera in hand.
“Hi, Tanya.” Liv tried to smile. She loved her cousin, but the more people she had to lie to about Jack, the worse she was going to feel.
Liv made the introductions, and Tanya and Jack shook hands.
“So...this is new!” Tanya said with a wide smile. “Liv sure can keep a secret. I’m serious. I mean, she’s normally pretty closemouthed about stuff, but this is crazy! How long have you kept him under wraps?”
“Almost a year,” Liv said with a wan smile. She’d been thinking about how good it would feel to rub some fake relationship into Marie’s face, not Tanya’s. This felt like collateral damage—a family relationship that would suffer because of these untruths.
“Almost...” Tanya’s smile faltered, and Liv saw the hurt in her cousin’s eyes. “What? That long?”
“With her divorce and everything, she wasn’t sure if she’d even like me,” Jack supplied.
“Well, it’s not my business,” Tanya said with a forced smile. “Obviously.”
Liv sighed. “Tanya, you and I need a coffee. When are you off work?”
Tanya and her mother ran a local deli together—it was a family affair.
“I have tomorrow morning off,” Tanya replied.
“Perfect. How about at ten, at the place on the corner?”
“Okay.” Tanya glanced down at the camera in her hand. “I’m putting together a photo album for Grandma for Christmas this year. All the couples and families and all that.”
“That’s a great idea,” Liv said, then suppressed a sigh. She’d have to follow through with appearances on this, too, it would seem. Just great—a photo of Liv beaming adoringly next to some guy she was pretending to date. She was going to have a really hard time living all of this down!
“Look, I’m not upset,” Tanya said, lowering her voice. “I’m just surprised. In fact, call me jealous! You’re on your second cute cop, and I always did like a uniform. What can I say?”
Liv laughed softly, then Tanya brightened.
“Let’s get you two over here by this tree,” Tanya said, nudging Liv over a few feet, then grabbing Jack by the arm and arranging him next to her.
Jack looked down at Liv with a mild expression of alarm. Maybe he was sensing the same thing—a photo gift for Grandma was taking this charade a little far.
“Put your arm around Liv’s waist, Jack,” Tanya ordered, looking through her camera, then she popped back up above it. “Jack—pull her in, come on! I’ve had old people look cozier than the two of you.”
Liv glanced up at Jack, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. She’d intended to be more pulled together than this... She’d wanted to lose the family’s pity, hadn’t she? But it was one thing to hold this man’s hand and quite another to slide into his arms. Should she call this off? Send Tanya over to some other couple? Before she could decide, Jack’s warm, broad palm slid around her waist and he tugged her closer against his muscled side. She fit right under his chin, and he stood behind her slightly, the sandpaper of his jaw resting against her hair.
“Oh...” she breathed. This wasn’t...terrible. It was nice, actually. Uncomfortably nice.
“That’s better!” Tanya said, lifting her camera once more. “Liv, loosen up, lean into him a bit.”
Liv turned her head toward Jack and smiled