Bennett Green peered between the scraggly branches of the pine tree he was using for cover. In the past few days, it had become his usual spot, and he was getting quite attached to the lopsided evergreen. The tree provided a good view of the side and even an oblique front angle of the Pax house while being bushy enough to hide his substantial frame. It was even close enough for him to see into the kitchen and living room windows using his binoculars, but he didn’t do that. It’d be crossing the line from professional stalking to creepy stalking.
And Bennett had been struggling to stay on the right side of that line since he’d gotten his first glimpse of Felicity Pax.
As if that thought had summoned her, Felicity emerged from the trees about thirty feet from Bennett. Just the sight of her made his heart rate speed up. She was in her usual running gear—leggings and a thin, long-sleeve shirt—and her straight black hair swung in its high ponytail as she walked across the side yard toward the front of the house.
During his years as a PI, Bennett Green had surveilled a lot of people. He’d never had trouble staying in the background, doing his work, and then leaving the case behind…until now. The Pax sisters—well, this specific Pax sister—had somehow managed to break through his thick shell of objectivity, all without even speaking with him.
Or even knowing he existed.
She got nearer to his hiding spot, passing just fifteen feet from him, and he tensed even as he took the chance to admire her up close. Although her mom, Jane, was a tall, pale-skinned redhead, Felicity must’ve gotten her diminutive height and warm brown skin from her Native Hawai‘ian dad, Lono Hale. According to his file, Jane had married and divorced the guy twice, with two other husbands—and three kids—in between, so Felicity, Jane’s youngest, and Molly, the oldest, were full sisters. That left remaining sisters Charlotte, Cara, and Norah to round out the family.
Bennett watched as Felicity walked away from him toward the front of the house. He reveled in the surge of adrenaline sharpening his vision and making all the early fall morning colors more vibrant. He could hardly believe it had only been a week ago that his whole life had felt muted and dull, his daily routine just a pointless, repetitive slog.
Then Maxwell Insurance offered him a case. On paper, it would’ve been fascinating—a small-time criminal, Jane Pax, allegedly stole a necklace from famous sculptor Simone Pichet’s hotel room—but Bennett’s deadened emotions hadn’t let him feel anything more than mild interest. Since the diamond-and-sapphire piece of jewelry was worth twelve million dollars, the insurance company responsible for the payout was very invested in finding this Jane Pax—and therefore the necklace.
When Bennett had started looking into Jane, he’d discovered that her five adult daughters ran a bond recovery company—bounty hunters, in other words. Until the theft, Jane’s main residence had been the same Langston, Colorado, house where her daughters lived. Bennett wasn’t sure how that worked—the lawbreaking mom with the bounty-hunting daughters—but he hadn’t really cared much then.
It wasn’t until he’d gotten his first glimpse of Felicity Pax that the fascination had hit.
Fascination? his brain scoffed. More like obsession.
Felicity wasn’t the Pax sister most people immediately noticed, but Bennett had. And as he’d continued watching her, he’d seen how matter-of-factly she supported her family. She was the one who trained them, pushing them through endless running and self-defense drills. Felicity also kept her more impulsive sister, Charlotte, in check, ensuring both stayed safe even as they operated as an impressively efficient bounty-hunting team. Felicity Pax wasn’t just smart and loving and beautiful, she was loyal to her very core.
His phone vibrated against his leg, and he reluctantly melted deeper into the national forest that ran along the Paxes’ yard before fishing his phone out of one of his many pockets. When he saw the screen, he slipped farther through the trees until he was far enough away from the Pax house to not be overheard.
“Hi, Zena,” he answered quietly.
“Oh, you’re using your quiet voice,” his foster mom whispered in solidarity, which almost made Bennett smile. “Is this a bad time? Are you on a stakeout?”
Although Zena wasn’t wrong, he’d rather get the call over with rather than have the obligation of a future return call hanging over his head. He loved the foster parents who’d cared for him since Bennett was sixteen, but he hated all phone calls. “It’s fine,” he said, still keeping his voice low. “What’s up?”
“I just want to make sure you’re coming to Dean’s retirement party.”
He frowned, confused. “Yeah, but that’s over a month away.”
“I know.” Her voice had returned to its usual volume. “I just want to make sure it’s etched in stone in your schedule. Dean would be so disappointed if you can’t make it.”
“I’ll be there,” he promised, itchy to get back to watching the house…and Felicity. “It’s in stone. Better go. I’ll text you later.”
“Good. Keep it in stone,” Zena said. “Now go catch that cheating husband.”
His huff of amusement was almost soundless. “That’s not all I do.”
“I know. But you won’t tell us stories about your cases, so I have to go off movies and private dick clichés.”
He held back a groan. “Please don’t say that.”
“What?” Her innocent tone was ruined by giggles. “Private dick?”
“Please stop.”
Still laughing, she said, “Okay, fine. Go catch that cheating wife then. Bye. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Even after twelve years of practice, it was still hard to say, coming out more as a grunt. After he ended the call, he returned to his favorite hiding spot. He got back in place just in time to see Felicity and two of her sisters—Molly and one of the twins, probably Charlotte—leave the house.
Molly and her new boyfriend—John Carmondy, another Langston bounty hunter—got into his car and drove off, while Felicity and her half sister hurried toward the trees. Bennett frowned, wondering why they’d be heading out for another trail run right after finishing their usual morning workout. He decided to follow them, silently making his way through the trees until he reached a path that he knew would eventually bisect the trail the sisters had taken.
His pulse jumped in excitement, and he allowed himself a smile. For some reason he couldn’t define, Felicity Pax had woken him up, and he couldn’t get enough of her. Setting his jaw, he felt determination fill him. Today he’d talk to Felicity. It was time to move the investigation forward…and past time to meet her face-to-face. Buzzing with anticipation, he started to jog.