âSo we agree to work as a team. For Tommyâs sake.â
âFor Tommyâs sake.â Lucy took a step closer, and Niall inhaled the scents of baby powder and something slightly more exotic that didnât have anything to do with the infant she was pushing into his arms.
âSince Iâve convinced you that weâre on the same side now, would you feel comfortable watching him for about ten minutes? Thatâs all the time Iâll need to freshen up and change so weâre ready to go.â
Her fingers caught for a moment between Tommy and the placket of Niallâs shirt, and even through the pressed cotton, his stomach muscles clenched at the imprint of her knuckles brushing against his skin. But she pulled away to drape a burp rag over his shoulder, apparently unaware of his physiological reactions to her touch and scent.
Prologue
Dr. Niall Watson would rather be at the crime lab conducting an autopsy instead of standing at the altar, babysitting his brothers.
But saying no to his baby sister on the day of her wedding wasnât an option. Putting on the groomsmanâs suit and facing the crowd of smiles and tears that filled the church was as much a gift to Olivia and her fiancé as the sterling silver tableware heâd bought at the online department store where theyâd registered. If Olivia, the youngest of the four Watson siblings, and the only sister, asked him to keep older brother Duff and younger brother Keir in line today, then Niall would do it. It was a brilliant strategy on her part, he silently admitted. Not only would their rowdier brothers be kept in check, but asking the favor of him was sure to keep Niall engaged in the ceremony. It was smart to give him a specific task to focus on so his mind didnât wander back to the dead body heâd analyzed yesterday morning at the lab in southeast Kansas City, and the follow-up notes he wanted to log in, or to the facts on a drowning victim he wanted to double-check before turning his findings over to the detectives supervising those particular cases.
As a third-generation cop in a close-knit family of law enforcement professionals, it was practically impossible not to be filled with investigative curiosity, or to have dedication and responsibility running through his veins. When it came to work and family, at any rate. And for Niall, there was nothing else. Work filled his life, and the Watson family filled his heart.
Except when they were screwing aroundâlike Duff beside him, running his finger beneath the starched collar of his white shirt and grumbling something about Valentineâs Day curses while he fiddled with the knot on his cherry-red tie. Or Keir, chattering up the aisle behind Niall, saying something outrageous enough to the bridesmaid he was escorting to make her giggle. Then Keir patted her hand on his arm and turned to wink at Millie, the family housekeeper-cook theyâd all grown up with, as he passed the silver-haired woman in the second pew. The older woman blushed, and Keir blew her a kiss.
Niall adjusted the dark frames of his glasses and nailed Keir with a look warning him to let go of the bridesmaid, stop working the room and assume his place beside him as one of Gabeâs groomsmen, already.
âNatalie is married to Livâs partner, you know.â The tallest of the three brothers, Niall dropped his chin to whisper under his breath.
âRelax, charm-school dropout.â Keir clapped Niall on the shoulder of the black tuxedo he wore, grinning as he stepped up beside him. âYoung or old, married or notâit never hurts to be friendly.â
Olivia might be the youngest of the four siblings, all third-generation law enforcement who served their city proudly. And she might be the only woman in the tight-knit Watson family since their motherâs murder when Niall had barely been a teen. But there was no question that Liv ran the show. Despite Duffâs tough-guy grousing or Keirâs clever charm or Niallâs own reserved, logical prowess, Olivia Mary Watsonâsoon to be Olivia Knightâhad each of them, including their widowed father and grandfather, wrapped around her pretty little finger. If she asked Niall to keep their headstrong Irish family in line today, then he would do exactly that.
With Keir set for the moment, Niall angled his position toward the groom and best man Duff. He didnât need to adjust his glasses to see the bulge at the small of Duffâs back beneath the tailored black jacket. Niallâs nostrils flared with a patience-inducing breath before he whispered, âSeriously? Are you packing today?â