Page 16 of Karma

“Get out!” Cara’s smile broadened. “I’d like to see the look on the rest of the committee members’ faces when you broach the idea. And for the thought alone, next round’s on me.” Cara finished her beer and rose to her feet. “What do you all want?”

“I’ll take a diet soda this time,” Alexa said.

“Just a club soda for me,” Faith said, turning to her sister-in-law. “Kelly?”

“Same as Cara, and thanks.”

Another thing Dare had come to appreciate about his brothers’ wives: no false pretenses for them. Especially not for Faith, who’d returned to town to regain a sense of self, not what her upbringing dictated.

He stretched in his seat, and Faith’s earlier words registered in his brain. “You said you’re meeting your assistants?” he asked Faith. “As in plural?”

“So Nash was right,” Faith said, her knowing stare on Dare. “Youareinterested in Liza!” His sister-in-law practically shouted her thoughts.

Dare shook his head and groaned. “Faith?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes?”

“Shut up. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

She patted him on the cheek. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.” She glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, those people are getting up! Be a sweetheart and pull that table together with this one before someone else grabs it.”

Before Dare could reply, Sam did as she asked, and soon, his small group of three had become one of five, just as Cara returned with Joe, carrying drinks for the expanded table.

“I thought you said this was a business meeting,” Dare said to Faith.

“But I also said it was too noisy to work tonight.” Faith shrugged and shot him a smile, leaving his stomach in knots as he waited for Liza to show.

***

Liza didn’t usuallyhang out at Joe’s. Too many people and too much of a chance of running into her drunk brother, but Faith had insisted they meet there tonight. Although the other woman mentioned getting together to discuss the fundraiser, the sign outside the bar saidLADIES’ NIGHTand the crowd she waded through was so thick that Liza figured little work would get done tonight.

She searched the bar area first but didn’t see Faith, though it was hard to tell at a glance. Then she worked her way around the room, checking individual tables. She caught sight of Faith’s blond hair and made her way over, only to discover Faith wasn’t alone. Nor was she just with her sister-in-law, Kelly.

No, Faith was sitting with Brian’s arresting officer, Sam Marsden, a cute woman Liza didn’t recognize, and the pretty cop who was even more attractive out of uniform and with her brown hair let down… and Dare.

He also wasn’t in uniform, and with a hint of scruff on his face, he was even better looking. He wore a faded gray T-shirt with the police department logo and the acronym SPD emblazoned on the upper left side of his chest. His gold-flecked dark brown hair was messy and casual, and oh boy, he had a tattoo that curled around his left bicep. She hadn’t noticed it the other night. His shirt had to have covered the marking because no way would she have missed it otherwise.

The only thing stopping her from drooling was that he’d seen her and those gorgeous eyes locked with hers.

“Liza!” She vaguely heard Faith’s voice over the noisy crowd.

All she could focus on was Dare.

His hot gaze slid over her, making her acutely aware of her body’s reaction to his stare. Thinking she’d be meeting two women at a casual bar, she hadn’t thought about her clothes. She’d run home after work and changed into the first things she’d found on the laundry basket of clean clothes she’d yet to put away. Never mind that he’d seen her in damp running gear—suddenly, her skinny jeans and cropped top that exposed a hint of her stomach felt way too snug and revealing.

Drawing a deep breath, she forced her gaze away from his, walked to the table, and smiled at Faith. “Hi.”

Faith nodded. “So glad you could make it on short notice. This is my sister-in-law, Kelly, and she’ll be working with us on the fundraiser.”

Liza glanced at the woman she knew by name, though they’d never been formally introduced. Unlike Faith, who possessed an uptown look no matter how much she dressed down, Kelly was more like the pretty girl next door with her straight brown hair and blond highlights.

She greeted Liza with a warm smile. “Hi.”

“Nice to meet you,” Liza said in return.

“Do we have a place where we can talk about the gala?” Liza asked without looking at the rest of the table, though she knew they all stared at her.

Faith shook her head. “Can you believe I forgot it was Ladies’ Night here? Silly me,” she said, tapping the side of her head with her palm.

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