He’d always felt Conner was safer with Autumn. That she would do a lot better job of taking care of him than Sam would. That was probably stil true, but Conner needed him, too. Not some guy he saw in sports clips and on occasional weekends. His son needed him to step up. The jet engines slowed as it prepared to descend into Seattle. It was about 3:00 A.M. Saturday morning, and Sam looked out at the lights below. He planned to sleep for about the next ten hours, then some of the guys were going to meet downtown to judge a Hal oween contest. When he’d talked to Conner earlier, he’d learned that his son had decided to dress up as a hockey player. A Chinook hockey player like his dad. He wouldn’t mind seeing Conner wearing a sweater with Sam’s number on it, but Hal oween wasn’t his holiday, and Autumn was a real stickler about holiday visitation. Normal y, he might just risk showing up and incurring the wrath of Autumn, but after the night he’d dropped Conner off home after the game, they’d been getting along. Although getting along might be a bit of an overstatement. The few times he’d dropped Conner off instead of relying on Nat to do it for him, they were civil, and he hadn’t felt the urge to cover his nuts. He figured that as long as he didn’t bring Conner home late without cal ing, or try and muscle her out of her holiday, he was probably safe from her foot in his crotch.

He’d see Conner the day after Hal oween. Maybe take him to that arcade he liked so much. Spending more time with his son was important to him, but getting more serious about his son’s life didn’t mean he had to give up other things on his free nights. Things like hanging out in a bar fil ed with slutty Snow Whites and naughty nurses.

“Vince?”

“Yeah?”

Through the dark Hal oween night, Autumn watched Conner run between the flickering lights of jack-o’-lanterns and knock on the door of a neighbor a few blocks from their house. A candy bag in one hand, a Chinooks’ jersey over his coat. “Do you think I’m man-repel ent?”

“What?” Vince looked down at her. “What’s that?”

“A few weeks ago, Shiloh said I act like I’ve sprayed myself with man repel ant?”

Conner ran toward them, the black eye she’d drawn on him a little smeared, but his red scar stil stuck to his cheek. “I got some Nerds.”

Goody. Straight sugar. They moved to the next house, and Vince said, “Don’t pay attention to Shiloh. She’s one of those girls who isn’t real y serious about anything. She’s not like you.”

“What does that mean?” Conner ran up toward another door decorated with a spider.

“It means you’re a mother and a businesswoman. You have a lot going on and a lot going for you.”

“Yes, but I’d like to think men find me attractive. That I’m more than a mother and a businesswoman.”

He hooked his arm round her neck. “You’re a beautiful woman, and if you wanted a man in your life, you’d have one.”

She and Vince had always been close, even when he’d been away, but he was also her brother and would lie to spare her feelings. “You real y think so?”

“Yeah, but don’t hang out in bars to meet men. That didn’t work out so wel the last time you tried it.”

Autumn laughed. “True.” They rounded a corner and, from half a block away, she saw a red trunk parked next to Vince’s Harley in her driveway

“Dad came.” Conner switched his candy bag from one hand to the other.

“Yeah.” Vince dropped his arm to his side.

It wasn’t Sam’s day. Why was he there? “Don’t run,” she cal ed out, as Conner took off down the sidewalk. He ran beneath a pool of light from the streetlamp, then cut across the yard fil ed with happy scarecrows and smiling jack-o’-lanterns. Beside her, Vince muttered something she couldn’t quite hear. Which was probably for the best, then he asked, “What does that idiot want?”

“I don’t know. I thought he was out of town.” Within the shadows of her house, Sam rose from the bottom step of her porch, and Conner disappeared into his dark wool coat. So typical of him just to assume he could show up without cal ing.

“Has he suddenly decided to be father of the year?”

“Something like that, but it won’t last.” She shook her head, and her ponytail brushed the shoulders of her navy peacoat. The sound of Vince’s bootheels was heavy and ominous as the two of them closed the distance to Sam. “Promise me you won’t start anything.”

A stitch on his leather bomber’s jacket popped as if he was flexing his muscles like the Incredible Hulk. Vince was a kind, loving brother and a good uncle. He was protective, but he had a few anger issues. He could also hold a grudge longer than anyone she knew. Even her. While Autumn had moved on from her bitter feelings for Sam, Vince had not and probably never would. Even though their mother had been very religious, “Forgive and forget” was a foreign concept for the Haven kids. Especial y for Vince, and while Autumn had moved on, she couldn’t say she’d forgiven Sam. Not that Sam had ever asked for her forgiveness. Never said he was sorry, and she’d never forget. That was impossible. Too much to ask. It was more like she’d just let go of it al and didn’t care.

As she and Vince walked up the driveway, the tension between Sam and her brother pinched the back of her bare neck, and her ponytail felt too tight. “Behave,” she said under her breath. She stopped in front of Sam and looked up into his face, light from the house spil ed across his forehead, the slight crook in his nose and across half his lips. “I didn’t know you were in town.”

“I am.”

Obviously. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“I didn’t either until about half an hour ago.” His chin jerked up a little. “Vince.”

“Sam.”

“I need to talk to you a minute,” Sam said as he stared down Vince.

“Me?”


Tags: Rachel Gibson Chinooks Hockey Team Romance