Any Way You Want It (Brand Clan #2)(51)

Tawny’s eyes narrowed before she stretched her lips into another one of those fake smiles. “Oh, how nice for both of you. I must say I’m a little surprised though. You two were always more like brother and sister. It’d seem almost, well, incestuous if you wound up together.”

Remy chuckled, nuzzling behind Zandra’s ear. “Nothing incestuous about this good thing right here.”

“Mmm.” Purring contentedly as his lips caressed her sweet spot, Zandra smiled at Tawny, whose face looked pinched. “So how have you been?”

Tawny’s expression brightened. “Oh, I’ve been wonderful,” she preened with a toss of her long dark hair. “Kevin and I stayed together after high school and went away to the same college. After he was drafted by the Browns, we got married—” she paused deliberately, letting Zandra absorb this news “—and moved to Cleveland. We had a huge, beautiful house with a swimming pool.”

“Hey, I didn’t know Kevin played for the Browns,” Roderick interjected. “That’s great. What was his number?”

Tawny faltered. “Oh, goodness, can you believe I’m actually drawing a blank? Unfortunately he, um, got injured and had to retire a few years early. But we liked Cleveland so much that we decided to stay there. We just moved back to Chicago this summer, so I’ve been trying to get caught up on everyone’s lives.”

“Welcome home,” Zandra murmured. “And congratulations to you and Kevin.”

“Thank you. We’re very blessed.” Tawny smiled sweetly. “How are your parents?”

Zandra stiffened, having an instant flashback to the day Tawny had eavesdropped on her conversation with their homeroom teacher. Noticing the bruise on Zandra’s cheek, the concerned woman had detained her in the hallway before class, listening compassionately as Zandra tearfully explained that she had to go live with her grandmother because her father had beaten her the night before. It was the first time Landis had struck her, but it was enough to convince Autumn to get Zandra out of harm’s way. If only she’d done the same for herself.

Before Zandra could answer Tawny’s question—which had clearly been intended to draw blood—Roderick murmured thoughtfully, “Hmm. That’s odd.”

Tawny’s gaze shifted to him. “What?”

Roderick glanced up from his smartphone. “I’m on the Browns’ website looking through their old team rosters, and I don’t see Kevin’s name anywhere.”

“Really?” Tawny’s face flamed. “They, ah, probably just haven’t had a chance to, um, update the rosters.”

“Right.” Roderick smiled, eyes glinting. “I’m sure that’s what it is.”

Tawny looked like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Zandra didn’t miss the amused glances that passed between Roderick and Remy. While Remy could strike fear with a look, Roderick could cut you down to size with just the keen edge of his smile. Both were equally formidable.

“Oh, look,” Roderick drawled. “Here comes Kevin right now.”

Everyone followed the direction of his gaze.

Zandra did a double take when she saw the rotund man lumbering toward them, munching on a giant turkey leg. His rumpled gray T-shirt was ringed with sweat, and he’d spilled some food down the front. He looked nothing like the cute, popular jock she’d once tutored and gone to the prom with.

“There you are,” he groused to Tawny. “I thought you were gonna find a spot closer to the stage.”

Tawny glanced at Remy and Roderick, then at her husband, and Zandra knew by her embarrassed flush that Kevin had been found woefully lacking.

“Look at you,” she sniped at him. “You look a hot mess.”

“Gee, thanks, baby. Love you, too.” Kevin rolled his eyes, then grinned at Remy and Roderick. “Wassup, fellas. Been a long time. I—” He broke off, his jaw going slack as he stared at Zandra.

“Close your mouth,” Tawny hissed in disgust. “Nobody wants to see your food.”

Kevin did, slowly looking Zandra over with frank male appreciation. As his eyes lingered on her bare legs revealed by her cutoff shorts, he licked his greasy lips. “Damn. You look good, Zandra.”

Her smile was cool. “Hello, Kevin. Nice to see you again.”

“You have no idea.” He looked from Zandra to Remy, then shook his head and snorted out the disbelieving laugh of someone who just realized he’d been duped. “That talk on prom night. It all makes sense now.”

Remy smiled narrowly.

Zandra threw him a curious glance and mouthed, What talk?

He ignored her.

“Well, it was nice running into all of you again,” Tawny said with a strained smile that suggested otherwise, “but we need to get home to our kids.”

Kevin looked disappointed. “I thought we could all hang out together and catch up.”

“I don’t think so.” Gripping his fleshy arm until he winced, Tawny nodded tightly to Zandra, Remy, Roderick and Lena. “Enjoy the rest of the concert.”

As the bickering couple moved off, Lena raised amused brows at Zandra. “Well. That was interesting.”

“Very.” Zandra narrowed her eyes at Remy. “Did you say something to Kevin on my prom night?”