really was, just as Adam had said, totally clueless. But for the right now, Richard needed to be put down, and put down in such a way that he would stop baiting Drew’s woman.
“Did you know that your grandmother is our landlady?” Dev set down his fork and sat back, his gaze focused on Richard.
Drew smiled. It never ceased to amaze him that, at important moments, he and his best friend were on the exact same page. “And I believe she obviously not only trusts us but likes us,” Drew said, “as she brought us some of your Aunt Bernice’s homemade bread yesterday before heading off to Houston.”
Drew believed that between them, he and Dev had come up with a line of reasoning that Rick Benedict couldn’t possibly argue against.
How could he not be satisfied with that answer? In the last few days, Drew and Dev had discovered that Kate Benedict was considered by almost everyone in Lusty to be the matriarch of the families.
He didn’t think they could possibly have said anything to increase the tension between brother and sister. As it turned out, he was wrong.
“Oh,” Rick said. “Grandma chose the two of you for Julia. Good, then.” He looked at his sister. “I was hoping she would find some mates for you.”
* * * *
Julia knew she’d met and taken on these two SEALs without any help from Grandma Kate. She knew that. And yet there’d been enough whispers and speculation about the “matchmaking bug” that everyone seemed to think Grandma had. So despite all logic, little seeds of doubt began to sprout in Julia’s mind.
She didn’t like having doubts, and she especially didn’t like the fact that her pain-in-the-ass of a brother had given them to her. She felt her temper stirring all over again. No one could push her buttons the way Rick could.
Julia set her fork down, sat back in her chair, and sent Richard a stare that felt lethal because, quite simply, it was.
Before she could open her mouth, Adam said, “Personally, I’d be inclined to rule it ‘death by misadventure.’” Then he skewered Richard with as serious a stare as she’d ever seen on him. “If you open your mouth and say one more thing to your sister, I’m going to arrest you.”
“What are you pissed about?” Rick asked him. “I don’t get it.”
“That,” Adam said, “is clear to everyone.”
Peter sat forward. “Despite Tracy asking me to stay, I do have to get going. Julia, can you walk me out? I’m planning the honeymoon trip, and I need to ask you something about both of my fiancées’ preferences.” He looked at Drew and Dev. “If you don’t mind?”
Dev ran a hand down Julia’s back. Just that much of a touch eased her tension and steadied her.
“No, of course not,” Dev said.
Julia tilted her head to one side and wondered if Peter was just removing her from the front lines so the men could speak to her brother without her being there.
Richard Benedict made a hell of a savvy businessman but one piss-poor brother. So if that was what he was doing, then fine. She didn’t mind getting help from her lovers in dealing with Richard’s stubbornness.
Then again, it could very well be that Peter really just needed her advice. Who else would he ask? She pulled her thoughts back to the present, and Peter’s request. “Of course.” She looked down at her half-full plate. Her appetite had vanished. Thank you, brother mine .
“I’ll be right back.” She got to her feet, and when Dev and Drew both stood with her, she kissed each of them in turn.
Outside, Peter donned his sunglasses against the bight midday sun.
“Nice job trying to intimidate the SEALs,” she said. “Except I don’t think they intimidate very easily.”
Peter laughed. Then he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “No, I don’t think so, either. But we had to give it a try. My car’s just down by the sheriff’s office. Walk with me, please.”
“Was that the plan regardless of whether or not I showed up with them?” She
“Did you know that your grandmother is our landlady?” Dev set down his fork and sat back, his gaze focused on Richard.
Drew smiled. It never ceased to amaze him that, at important moments, he and his best friend were on the exact same page. “And I believe she obviously not only trusts us but likes us,” Drew said, “as she brought us some of your Aunt Bernice’s homemade bread yesterday before heading off to Houston.”
Drew believed that between them, he and Dev had come up with a line of reasoning that Rick Benedict couldn’t possibly argue against.
How could he not be satisfied with that answer? In the last few days, Drew and Dev had discovered that Kate Benedict was considered by almost everyone in Lusty to be the matriarch of the families.
He didn’t think they could possibly have said anything to increase the tension between brother and sister. As it turned out, he was wrong.
“Oh,” Rick said. “Grandma chose the two of you for Julia. Good, then.” He looked at his sister. “I was hoping she would find some mates for you.”
* * * *
Julia knew she’d met and taken on these two SEALs without any help from Grandma Kate. She knew that. And yet there’d been enough whispers and speculation about the “matchmaking bug” that everyone seemed to think Grandma had. So despite all logic, little seeds of doubt began to sprout in Julia’s mind.
She didn’t like having doubts, and she especially didn’t like the fact that her pain-in-the-ass of a brother had given them to her. She felt her temper stirring all over again. No one could push her buttons the way Rick could.
Julia set her fork down, sat back in her chair, and sent Richard a stare that felt lethal because, quite simply, it was.
Before she could open her mouth, Adam said, “Personally, I’d be inclined to rule it ‘death by misadventure.’” Then he skewered Richard with as serious a stare as she’d ever seen on him. “If you open your mouth and say one more thing to your sister, I’m going to arrest you.”
“What are you pissed about?” Rick asked him. “I don’t get it.”
“That,” Adam said, “is clear to everyone.”
Peter sat forward. “Despite Tracy asking me to stay, I do have to get going. Julia, can you walk me out? I’m planning the honeymoon trip, and I need to ask you something about both of my fiancées’ preferences.” He looked at Drew and Dev. “If you don’t mind?”
Dev ran a hand down Julia’s back. Just that much of a touch eased her tension and steadied her.
“No, of course not,” Dev said.
Julia tilted her head to one side and wondered if Peter was just removing her from the front lines so the men could speak to her brother without her being there.
Richard Benedict made a hell of a savvy businessman but one piss-poor brother. So if that was what he was doing, then fine. She didn’t mind getting help from her lovers in dealing with Richard’s stubbornness.
Then again, it could very well be that Peter really just needed her advice. Who else would he ask? She pulled her thoughts back to the present, and Peter’s request. “Of course.” She looked down at her half-full plate. Her appetite had vanished. Thank you, brother mine .
“I’ll be right back.” She got to her feet, and when Dev and Drew both stood with her, she kissed each of them in turn.
Outside, Peter donned his sunglasses against the bight midday sun.
“Nice job trying to intimidate the SEALs,” she said. “Except I don’t think they intimidate very easily.”
Peter laughed. Then he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “No, I don’t think so, either. But we had to give it a try. My car’s just down by the sheriff’s office. Walk with me, please.”
“Was that the plan regardless of whether or not I showed up with them?” She
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