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York had picked up, and his mother was beginning to mention various women’s names prominently again.
     
    I know there is nothing I can say to make you spend time with your family. However, I do expect you to attend at least one of the get-togethers you are invited to this season. There is a fundraiser dinner a week from Saturday that is of vital importance to the family. Please tell me you can dig yourself out from whatever place you’ve disappeared to and join us. RSVP quickly—I need to inform the host. That is the polite thing to do, and really, isn’t it time for a short excursion into civilization?
     
    He sighed and closed the message without responding. He just didn’t have the energy for his family, not this morning. He’d try, again, to craft a properly worded explanation of his time away from the heritage home and the family social standing.
    Not that they would listen, but even if they chose to be impolite and pushy, he could act differently.
    He just didn’t give a damn about the money, and they would not understand. He snorted in disgust. Probably more like they couldn’t understand. Why would anyone turn their back on a soft comfortable life, where the battles were fought and discoveries were made in the boardroom and stock market, instead of with a shovel and hours of fine research?
    It was going to be a long day.
    The thought of spending time with Chelsea was the only thing bringing a spot of brightness to the cloud that had moved in over his head. And still—should he tell her he didn’t feel they should try to scam Braden anymore? Or would that make her too uncomfortable in his presence?
    What about Braden himself?
    Jamie looked around the room. The man’s taste in art intrigued him. The beauty of the apartment’s location and the delicate touches in decorating contrasted sharply with the size and appearance of the man. Why the hell was Braden so fascinating?
    Jamie collapsed onto the couch. Between his job and his family and their expectations, he had more than he wanted on his to-be-dealt-with list. Adding in the strange sense of restlessness and the sexual frustration he was experiencing…
    It wasn’t even seven a.m. and he was ready to go back to bed.

Chapter Four
    Braden eyed the enormous heap of paperwork on his desk with suspicion. “What the hell is all that?”
    Getting into the office early was supposed to be a respite from hanging around Chelsea. He still wasn’t sure what to do about his attraction to her, and after watching her with Jamie for the past week, it had taken all his willpower to not make a move. Allowing someone else to get close to her seemed stupider by the minute.
    The other officer on duty tapped the wad of forms under her hand. “Complaints, non-urgent.”
    Shit . “No way. I’ve never seen a pile that big around here. Jaffrey’s Cove is a nice quiet place. Have aliens suddenly invaded us?” Braden sat in his chair and rolled closer, dragging a couple of forms over to examine them. “These can’t be serious. Someone wants to report they saw a spaceship landing in Miller’s field?”
    “You did mention aliens. UFOs would make sense.”
    “ Jesus . So I’m going to have to spend the morning reassuring Old Man Cedric it’s safe to walk the shore without zombies attacking?”
    Helen laughed at him. “Hey, you’re not the only one dealing with crap. Things are getting downright silly around here. All my callouts this morning ended up being pranks. Deck furniture dumped in a swimming pool, someone tipped over the outhouse at the lighthouse lookout—”
    Braden snorted. “Tipped over the outhouse. Isn’t that just a little trite?”
    She shrugged. “There’s something up this tourist season, that’s for sure. Here…” She grabbed the papers and started sorting them into two piles. “I’ll deal with the obviously stupid ones today. You can have them tomorrow.”
    “You think this insanity is going to keep up for the rest of the summer?” He