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One

Perfection was overrated, Mike Marsden thought, as he approached his childhood home He arrived in time for dinner, just as he’d done every Sunday since his return to his hoo Sunday evening meal at his parents’ house was s would be there Nobody said no to Ella Marsden And since Mike had been away for a half dozen years or so, his lad to have him back, no matter how uncomfortable the notion of

co home made him

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and looked up at the white clapboard house with blue tri shutters Small but well kept, the two-story home on a residential street was as perfect on the outside as it was on the inside Same as it hen he’d left for Atlantic City all those years ago Maybe that hy he was itching beneath his skin now The idea of perfectionto please his parents, Mike was the kid who’d always tried their patience

Impulse control issues, his teachers called it Mike bla, be it his small hometown, a relationship, or a monotonous job Simon Marsden, Mike’s adopted father and the man who’d raised him, had been the police chief of Serendipity Mike’s brother, Sarown cop like his dad Their sister, Erin, was the assistant district attorney to Serendipity’s DA

And Mike? He liked his life, choosing his career as a New York City undercover cop, where he’d carved out a na the rules instead of strictly following them He made sure his job, his woh to walk away froain would there be a repeat of a wo tooup in Atlantic City He wasn’t about to repeat past enetic inability to stick around

Yet here he was, back in his s taken over his father’s job as chief of police while his dad fought cancer The doctors said it was treatable, and Mike forced hi home was the least he could do for the man who’d both raised hiical children—even if Mike hadn’t always deserved it The situation was temporary while Simon recovered, or Mike didn’t think he’d have been able to say yes to the position

He knocked once and let hi his senses and rumble

“Michael, is that you?” his mother called froht she had a sixth sense that told her which child walked in the door, but as an adult he realized they each had their own arrival time and his mother intuitively knew their routine

“It’s , a small white fluffball that rese that they’d na Kojak

“Well, co,” Ella called out, as if she hadn’t seen hies In reality, she’d stopped by the police station yesterday to say hello

He grinned and his shoulders eased doard The insecurities that always followed thoughts of perfection fled at the war smells of home

“Coo say hi to Mom” He headed for the kitchen, Kojak by his side

Along the way he passed the fa in his recliner, football gaht the Simon needed his rest, Mike let him sleep

“Hey, Mo her the requested hug before turning to the oversized pot on the stove “Smells delicious” He lifted the lid only to have his mother smack his hand with her wooden spoon

“Hey! No sa s her lips

Despite his father’s illness, she’d ed to retain her cheery disposition, and if a few ood looks at all Wavy auburn hair curled naturally around her face, adding to her youthful appearance

“Hey, family!” His sister Erin’s voice sounded from the entryway