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Library assistant.
“You’re early,” a familiar voice rang out as she marched into the break room. Her one friend, Evelyn Hayes, was sitting at the table drinking coffee.
“Hey, Evie.” She smiled and walked over to her locker. “How’s it been today?”
“Quiet, as usual. So, did you think about it?” Evie asked, hope lining her voice.
Without turning around, Aspen knew that her friend would be bouncing in her chair. For weeks now, Evie had been trying to arrange a blind date for Aspen with her neighbor. Aspen had tried to avoid the subject. She’d had too much on her mind to think of dating.
Things like testifying against her father’s best friend and partner and staying alive.
“I don’t know, Evie,” she groaned, securing her belongings up in her locker. She turned and leaned her back against it to stare at Evie.
“Oh, come on. I’m not saying you have to marry him.” Evie jumped up from her chair and rushed toward Aspen. “It would just be a date. I think you two would be perfect together.”
“How do you know that? We’ve only been friends for a few months.” Aspen chuckled. She’d moved to Columbia a little over three months ago and had been working at the library less than that.
“I have an eye for this sort of thing.” Evie shrugged her shoulder.
“Well, if he’s so sexy and good-looking, why aren’t you dating him?” She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She’d never had to have anyone arrange a date for her before and she wouldn’t be starting now. It wasn’t that she was vain about her appearance, but she knew she was blessed in the looks department.
“He’s not my type,” she replied matter-of-factly. “But you two would make a perfect couple.”
“What’s wrong with him if he can’t get a date himself?” Something had to be wrong with the guy. A sexy man never needed help finding a woman. If he was as good-looking as Evie gushed, something had to be wrong with him.
“I promise. There is nothing wrong with Declan. Pinkie swear.” Evie offered her pinky to Aspen. Her friend was vastly growing on her, and Aspen knew she meant well.
Try making a friend or two, the words of Agent Ball rang in her head.
Well, if it didn’t work out between her and this Declan, she could always use another friend.
“Okay.” She sighed, hooking her pinky with Evie’s, who let out a squeal of delight. “One date and that’s it.”
“I promise. Declan Owen will rock your world.”
Declan Owen pulledinto the parking lot of his apartment building and sighed. He was dogshit tired from a long day’s work. Shutting off his truck, he glanced around the lot. His neighbor’s car was parked not too far from his. He had been trying to avoid her at all costs the last few weeks. Apparently she had decided he needed a woman in his life and she’d be the perfect person to match him up.
Declan Owen didn’t need help finding a woman. He had plenty that he could call on if he were to ever get lonely.
He stepped out of his truck and grabbed his duffle bag from the back seat. It had been a long day for the SWAT sergeant. His team had been called out to two incidents, and he was beat. He just wanted to take a shower, drink a cold beer or two, and then crash on either his couch or his bed. He wasn’t picky.
Dec entered his complex and quickly checked his mailbox. It was a small building, three stories tall, and housed two apartments on each level. Grabbing the few bits of mail he had in his box, he made his way up to the second floor where his apartment was located.
He tried to get inside his home before his nosey neighbor heard him, but he was too late.
“Dec!” Evie’s cheerful voice called out from behind him.
He blew out a deep breath and turned.
“Hey, Evie,” he murmured, trying to keep all emotions from his face. No matter how many times he scowled at her, growled, or just put on his best ‘fuck off’ attitude, she seemed to see right through him. Her bubbly personality just couldn’t take a hint.
“Long day at work? You look beat,” she said, leaning against her doorjamb. She was sporting two blonde pigtails on top of her head.
If he hadn’t known her age, he would have assumed she was about twelve. A background check he had run on her when she’d moved in confirmed she was twenty-seven.
“Yeah, long day. Have a good night.” He nodded to her and turned his back, hefting his duffle bag on his shoulder. He stepped over the threshold into his apartment and paused as he felt a presence behind him.
“You remember my friend from work I was telling you about?” Evie asked, standing in his doorway.
