Bennett had always maintained that, as parents, theyd done everything right. Julia stayed at home with their child, while Bennett built his company. Margot was loved. She was given freedom and opportunity. She had dance and piano and French lessons. She went to the most exclusive private schools and summer camps. She was given a brand-new red convertible BMW when she turned sixteen. A Yale education. A Fifth Avenue wardrobe.

But Bennett wasnt entirely delusional. He noticed early on that his daughter hadnt inherited all shed need to be successful in life. She lacked an inner strength. She chafed at discipline. She didnt know the meaning of restraint. And so when she had an abortion at nineteen, it was a huge disappointment to Bennett, but not exactly a surprise. Up until the night of the accident, Margots life continued to be an orgy of excesstoo many parties, too many drugs, too many bad boys.

And Rick Rousseau was the worst of the worst. Hed gotten Margot pregnant at nineteen, and hed killed her at twenty-eight.

Without taking her eyes from the ocean, Julia reached up and over her chest to pat Bennetts hand where it lay on her shoulder. She was silent.

Its time, he said, staring out the window with her, searching for that elusive point in the distance that had fascinated her so, day after day, month after month, year after year. I have everything in place.

Julia squeezed his hand in comprehension.

He must be held accountable, darling, Bennett whispered.

Julia nodded, her hair brushing the top of his hand.

Tell me again this is what you want.

Very slowly, Julia turned her body away from the sea and toward her husband. She raised her face to him. Her eyes were vacant. Deep crevices framed her mouth. Flesh hung from her once dramatic cheekbones. Kill him, she said, the lack of expression on her face so chilling that Bennett took a step back. Do it for me.

Bennett stifled a gasp. His beautiful wife was a hideous stranger to him noweaten away by hate and loss. How had he let this happen? How had he failed his precious girls so miserably, so totally? How had hea brilliant, powerful, respected manlet a pretty-boy punk like Rick Rousseau ruin their lives?

Im going to get caught, he said to her, matter-of-factly. I fully expect to spend the rest of my life in prison.

Julia shrugged, an act that seemed to drain all the strength from her thin body. She turned away from him and toward the sea.

Bennett knew hed been dismissed. He retreated from the sitting room, the sound of his footsteps echoing through his empty house, the sound of his heart thudding inside his empty shell.

He would do what had to be done, though in truth, there was no passion in himonly exhaustion and a dull sense of duty.

Rick found her place with no trouble. She lived on the second floor of a white stucco apartment building in the Mission District, on a narrow one-way street off Seventeenth. Rick waved at Teeny as his friend pulled his Lexus from the curb with a shake of his head. He wondered how long Teeny would be entertained with how Rick had exchanged his solitude for the companionship of Josie Sheehan. He decided it could be a while.

Rick stopped on the sidewalk and looked up, admiring how flowers and greenery spilled from planters on Josies small wrought-iron balcony. He glanced at the spring bouquet he held in his hand, hoping it didnt pale in comparison. /Rhrrrr… umph./ The sound came from the balcony. Rick looked up again, seeing a bearded snout poke through the balcony railings. Two beady brown eyes zeroed in on him down on the sidewalk.

Genghis, my man. Rick noticed that the dog had yet to benefit from any groomings, free or otherwise.

The Labradoodles tongue lolled over his bottom lip and his tail began twirling like a hairy ceiling fan. /Woomph,/ the dog said. /Woomph.

Woomph. Woomph!/ Josie arrived at the set of French doors and made kissy sounds to get her dog to come inside. Rick saw how shed pulled up her hair and clipped it onto the back of her head, with errant spirals of curls falling down around her face. She looked so pretty, in such an unassuming way. She was nothing like the women hed pursued back in the day, and nothing like the women who continued to pursue him. She was sweet and funny and down-to-earth. There was something almost innocent about her. He knew hed been right that evening at the ranch, when hed told Teeny there was something wholesome about his feelings toward this woman.

Get in here, you beast, she snapped.

Im coming as fast as I can, Rick replied, laughing at the shocked look on her face and how she blushed outrageously.

Oh, my God! Not you! Youre not a beast… are you? Josie looked as flustered as she sounded. Youre early! How long have you been down there?

Long enough to know Id rather be up there with you.

Josie scrunched her lips, clearly trying to tame an all-out, full-mouth smile of delight. She managed to reach the railing before her grin broke loose.

Whats up, Juliet? Rick asked.

Josie wrapped her fingers around the iron rail and beamed down on him.

Her round cheeks blazed and her eyes sparkled. /Wooomph,/ Genghis said, rising on his back legs and plopping his paws on the rail.

The doors open, she said, running inside.

Josie greeted Rick at the top of the stairs a moment later. Shed let down her hair, and it fell in soft curls at her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a cute pink top that showed just a hint of freckled cleavage. She looked soft and round and he was drowning in the need to plant his face in the crook of her neck and sink his fingers into her flesh. But he thought better of it. It was an odd feeling, second-guessing himself like that. He couldnt remember the last time hed ever done anything with a woman except exactly what he wanted, exactly when he wanted, for as long as hed wanted. The last time hed been this conflicted had to have been before puberty.

A large brown fur ball zoomed around the corner, sailed through the air, and body-slammed him. Rick nearly fell on his ass from the impact, which surely would have crushed the flowers he held behind his back.

Sit! Josie commanded. Genghis removed his paws from Ricks chest and assumed the position, though his entire body wiggled with excitement.

Josie wrapped her hand around the dogs collar and looked up at Rick, clearly embarrassed. Im very sorry. Were still working on polite greetings.

Rick laughed at the understatement, running his free hand over the front of his disheveled shirt, feeling for rips and missing buttons. Finding none, he smiled at her. I have to admit its been a while since Ive been molested like that.

Josie grimaced.

Maybe next time it can be you instead of your dog? Rick whipped the bouquet from behind his back and held it out to her. These are for you, Josephine Sheehan, he said, offering up the florists creation. Hed asked for something seasonal and simple, yet pretty. He hoped it fit the bill.

Theyre gorgeous! Josie grabbed the bouquet with both hands and buried her nose in the fragrance exactly the way he longed to inhale the hills and valleys of her flesh. She rose on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. That was really sweet of you. Come on in.

Before he could take a step, Josie pointed sternly to the floor and ordered Genghis to lie down. Surprisingly, he did as commanded, for about three seconds.

Rick followed Josie into the apartment. He knew he should have used those first moments to respectfully look around her living room.

Instead, he rudely ogled her round ass as she hustled into the kitchen for a vase. She had a firm, full bottom and thighs that looked like theyd be a handful of solid heaven.

When she turned the corner, taking her ass with her, Rick had no choice but to glance around the place. It wasnt huge, but it made a statement, and shed obviously put a lot of thought into how it looked. The wood floors were polished to a sheen. The high ceiling was a dazzling white.