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His hand rode possessively on her lower back as they headed for the food tents. After piling barbeque, fried chicken and sides onto their plates, he opened the back hatch of the Hummer to sit.
    She sipped her beer. “How’s your mom?” No doubt, Mona was still searching for the man to fix her broken heart. In contrast, her dad never trusted another woman. Jo barely remembered her mother.
    “Living in Pennsylvania with some guy, for now.” He chewed and rolled his eyes.
    “Have you met Sarah?” She doubted Bobby had time for his brother from another mother now.
    “While grocery shopping with the crew. She seems his type. He says she’s a great cook.” He bit into a chicken wing.
    She laughed and bumped her shoulder against his. “That’s so Bobby. No man will ever compliment me on cooking.”
    “Mom offered to teach you.” He arched a brow.
    “And mess up the cooking for car and house maintenance barter system she and dad had going?”
    “I believe your talents lay elsewhere,” he said with a mischievous squint.
    His innuendo made her nipples tighten. Sex with Ray would be like surfing the Hawaiian Pipeline, something she’d always dreamed of, but considered a near death experience.
    Twilight descended and the party moved inside. Desperate to avoid the house and questions about her return, she asked, “Can we go for a ride?”
    “Is this a date?” His blue eyes gleamed.
    Years ago, when they took off for Hatteras to surf it was never a date. They were just hanging out. She upped the ante. “If it’s four-wheeling on the beach.”
    “Lucky me, I got a special permit.”
    “Peachy.” She slipped off the back and climbed into the passenger’s seat. The black beast roared to life, and his MP3 player filled the cab with rock music. Once they reached the beach access ramp, he lowered the tire pressure. Seconds later, the truck hummed down the beach.
    He cut a sensual glance toward her, making her heart flip-flop.
    With a fingertip, she traced the pattern encircling his bicep. “When did you get the tat?”
    He claimed her fingers and held her hand.
    So they both had secrets.
    A few miles later, he parked near the surf and cut the engine, but left the music playing. A pale, crescent moon climbed above the watery horizon.
    The day’s heat and humidity had vanished with a refreshing north breeze. She rubbed her arms.
    “Cold?” He opened the back of the truck and snatched his firefighter hoodie from the cargo area.
    Her heart thumped furiously. She wanted to trust him. She dug her arms inside the soft cotton. The lingering scent of his woodsy aftershave mixed with the ocean air invading her senses and took her back to a time when she felt safe. “Mmm. Thanks.”
    He caught a windblown curl and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers lingered. After a deep breath, he asked, “So…exactly how long are you planning to stay? Did you graduate?”
    She forced her gaze to meet his. His rejection now would kill her. “Yeah, but I couldn’t leave California while on probation.”
    In the dim light, his jaw fell slack.
    Cold dread seized her lungs.
    “So that’s what you had to fix,” he said softly squeezing her shoulder.
    His empathetic tone eased and warmed her as much as his hoodie. “I trusted somebody who put me in a bad way.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “Vic?”
    Afraid she might see ridicule on his face, she studied her flip-flops before sitting on the truck’s bumper. Losing his respect would almost be as bad as sitting in jail.
    Lion-like paws wrapped around her shivering fingers as he stepped between her legs. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    She met his gaze. “No point in worrying you, too. Bobby found me a good lawyer and the DA offered a deal for turning in Vic’s phone contacts.”
    His voice could have cut steel. “He set you up?”
    “I was naïve and stupid.”
    He drew her into a tender hug. “No, Jo. You’re neither. He was a dick.”
    Weak in his arms, she rested her head against