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dangerous it was, wasn’t any better. Trent loved his family and didn’t like the fact that they worried about him when he was away on assignments. But that was his job, he couldn’t really see himself doing anything else.
    Or at least he hadn’t until Sam had proposed the private investigation agency. The jury was still out on that one.
    “So,” Adam continued. “One of the drivers told me he saw you carrying Tia to your car before the party was over.”
    Trent sighed. This town was too damn small. “She wasn’t feeling well so I took her home.”
    “Yeah, you’re the perfect gentleman,” Linc quipped. “Today’s Tuesday—is she able to walk on her own now?”
    Adam was laughing again and Trent wanted to stuff something into his big mouth to keep him quiet.
    “She was walking yesterday,” he answered tightly.
    “Then you obviously didn’t do your job right,” Adam guffawed.
    Trent moved across the room taking a seat on one of the bar stools. “Does Camille know you’re this vulgar? Shegets after me about every word that comes out of my mouth but yet you talk like that.”
    Adam straightened in the chair still smiling. “I’m smart enough not to talk like this around her.”
    “Just like Trent’s smart enough to see a woman who’s in trouble home safely. Good job, son,” Henry said.
    His father was tracing a finger along the line of his cigar now and Trent wondered when he was just going to smoke the damn thing. Sunday on the golf range had been so nice with them. For a minute Trent had thought Adam was going to mention Tia, but he hadn’t. He wondered why he did now.
    “Thanks, Dad. I’m glad somebody knows when to do the right thing.” He glared at his brothers.
    “The right thing?” Linc grinned. “What time did you leave her in the morning and have you called her since?”
    Trent didn’t answer.
    Adam went on, “Well, she worked on a catalog shoot yesterday. I know because I stopped by the shoot to see Camille and Tia was there.”
    And that’s why Adam was bringing her up now. Trent wondered if she’d said anything about him.
    “You slept with her, didn’t you?” Linc asked as he sat back in his seat, eyeing Trent.
    Trent couldn’t help but grin. His brothers knew him too well. “What’s my name?”

Chapter 8
    A t Trent’s words they all laughed, Henry included, even though he still hadn’t lit that cigar.
    “Now back to Linc’s question. Have you called her?” Adam asked.
    Trent sighed. “No.” When Adam opened his mouth to speak again Trent held up a hand to stop him. “But not for the reason you think.”
    “There doesn’t have to be a reason, it’s just what you do,” Linc said seriously.
    For a minute Trent was bothered by the tinge of disappointment he heard in Linc’s voice. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “It means, you are still in your love ’em and leave ’em stage. You’re not calling her because you got what you wanted all along.”
    With another woman that might have been true. But Trent still wanted Tia, desperately.

    “What would you say if I said you were wrong?”
    Every Donovan in the room had his gaze aimed at him. To himself even Trent had to admit that the words sounded strange. “I wanted to call her. As soon as I left her on Sunday afternoon I wanted to call.”
    Linc dropped his cell phone into his lap. Adam sat straight up in his seat. And Henry, who had just lit the lighter and held it to his cigar, watched Trent in shock as the flame quickly tapped out.
    “So did you?” Linc finally asked.
    “No.”
    Adam leaned forward, his arms resting on his legs as he continued to stare at Trent. “Why?”
    “Because I had her investigated instead.”
    “What?”
    “Now that sounds like my brother.”
    Linc and Adam spoke simultaneously. Henry shook his head, flicked the lighter once more and took his first puff of the cigar.
    “I did it because I think she’s hiding something and I wanted to know what it was.”
    “You just