Shell Game

Chapter One

Two years later

The black-and-white from Miami PD pulled into Sharla Kramer's driveway.

Not again.

Tyler Hawk, former partner of her late husband, Danny, eased out of the driver seat. His expression blank, he opened the back door and out popped Sophia Garibaldi.

Not that Sharla had expected to see anyone else. At all of five foot two and a hundred pounds soaking wet, her grandmother still managed to cause more trouble than a rabbit in a lettuce patch. "Nana. Not again."

"Don't fuss. Tyler offered me a ride."

Sharla's gaze met Tyler's. Lips pressed tightly together, the six-foot-four policeman ran his hand across the back of his neck before speaking. "We picked her up at the mall."

"Nana," Sharla whined. "You promised."

"I didn't do anything." The older woman straightened her proud shoulders and lifted her stubborn chin. "That daft head of security called the police over a little misunderstanding."

Ever since Nana had retired to Florida to live with Sharla, "a little misunderstanding" had become the three most unsettling words in the English language.

"A shopper at the discount shoe store insisted your grandmother tried to pick her pocket. Said she saw Sophia's hand coming out of her purse just as the woman was about to pay for her purchases."

Sharla turned to her grandmother. "You had her wallet?"

"No," Tyler answered. "But the woman insisted she'd merely foiled your grandmother's attempt to steal it."

"Poppycock." Nana huffed. "If I'd wanted—"

"Yes, Nana, we know." Sharla cut off her grandmother before she could incriminate herself. Not that Tyler wasn't fully aware of the family history. He'd already been partnered with Danny when he had started dating Sharla and had witnessed firsthand the antics of her crazy family as they, one by one, retired—supposedly—to Florida. It was almost enough to make her want to move to Alaska. Or anyplace no one would be tempted to follow her.

Tyler waited until Sophia had crossed the doorway into the kitchen. "We've got lots of new rookies on board since...well, new guys who didn't know Danny."

Sharla bobbed her head. Tyler didn't have to say anything else. "I understand. Thanks for bringing her home. I'll go to the mall tomorrow after my shift at the hospital and have another talk with Mr. Delvecchio."

"You okay otherwise?"

Tyler flashed his trademark killer smile that would make most women weak in the knees. Especially if they were gazing into his crystal-blue eyes. A light, almost-gray shade of blue, they always twinkled with a little mischief no matter how serious the situation. But it had been Danny's reserved smile and warm chocolate eyes that had stolen her heart the first time he'd arrived at her apartment door with her great-aunts Alicia and Leticia in tow. "I'm fine. Thanks."

After Danny's funeral, Tyler had kept frequent tabs on her. At first she was glad for the company. Someone to talk to who knew Danny almost as well as she did. As the months passed by, she realized she couldn't keep living her life with Danny through shared memories. Eventually Tyler's calls and visits came less often. And now, three years later, she mostly only saw Tyler when he'd swoop in to rescue one of the great-aunts or, like tonight, her grandmother.

"You'll let me know if—"

"I need anything," Sharla finished for him with a smile. "Thanks again, Ty."

Front door latched shut, Sharla spun about and leaned back. What was she going to do with her nimble-fingered relatives? At least starting in a few days the next month would be surprise-free. While Great-Aunt Alicia visited her daughter in California for the summer, Nana and Great-Aunt Leticia were going on another Caribbean cruise and then planned to visit old friends in New York for a couple of weeks. As long as Nana and her former cohorts had an audience to entertain with their old stories, Sharla could rest assured they would stay out of trouble.