A temperature drop brought welcome relief from the heat of the summer day. Surprised by the camaraderie and contentment filling him, Josh sat with some of the neighborhood men talking sports and golf averages, but his gaze kept straying to Serena. His beautiful pretend wife. She sat with the women, her arms full of little Kate Frellner. Serena held the child so comfortably, as if she was born to be a mother. So different from the gun-wielding, door-kicking, top-notch marshal he’d come to rely on as his partner. Seeing her like this created an ache deep in his heart. Despite how real and right kissing her had felt, how natural and intimate their relationship had seemed throughout the day, Josh couldn’t forget this was all fictitious. He was as dumb as a box of rocks to let Serena get so close. Because deep down inside he knew that if he fell for her, it would change his world. He would never be able to just be her coworker.
