Incumbent(23)

Once the door was closed, I cupped her face with my hands. “You look nervous.”

“I am.”

“Do you like me, Lucy?” I stared at her beautiful brown eyes that had a hint of bronze in them in the sunlight.

After inhaling a swift breath, she said, “Yes.”

“Good, because I like you a lot, and I know just the way to relax you.”

Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheekbones. “How do you plan on doing that?”

Our lips met, and I slid my fingers into her silky hair. When a soft moan escaped her, I deepened the kiss. Our tongues met for a moment before I ended the kiss and gave her a peck on the lips.

Resting my forehead against hers, I asked, “Feel better now?”

She nodded, her face flushed.

I grabbed her hand and chuckled as she swiped her thumb under her lower lip. “Good, because I feel fantastic.”

Inside, laughter erupted from the kitchen, and I couldn’t help but be happy.

“There you are!” a voice called out behind us. “I thought that was you I heard drive up.”

My mom stepped into the foyer to embrace me. She loosened her grip on me and turned toward Lucy. Mom’s smile and warmth were contagious, something I’d always admired about her.

“You must be Lucy.”

“I am. Hi, Mrs. Prescott.” Lucy extended her hand, but my mother pulled her in and gave her a quick squeeze. “Please, call me Tina.”

Gretchen came in to join us. “Hey, you two.” She gave us both a kiss on the cheek.

“Hi, sis. Who else is here?”

“Josh is out back grilling, and Jack is supervising.” Gretchen laughed, and I joined in.

When I looked at Lucy, her brows were drawn together as she looked between us.

“Jack is the world’s worst griller,” I explained, “but he’d never admit it.” She smiled, but I thought seeing was believing. “Let’s go out back.”

Sure enough, Josh was standing in front of the grill on the large fieldstone patio out back, while Jack kicked back in a chaise lounge nearby. They were both having a beer and debating baseball stats, but when Jack saw Lucy, he stopped talking.

Immediately, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Jack might be my brother, but he was also a man, and he certainly wasn’t blind.

“Hey, Lucy!” Josh wiped his hands on the towel he had tossed over his shoulder and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you made it this time. You look beautiful.” He looked at me. “You’re not too bad yourself, for an old man.”

“Why don’t you go back to grilling?” I shot back, and Josh laughed.

When Jack stood and strolled toward us, I made the introductions.

“Lucy, this is my brother Jack. Jack, this is Lucy.”

As my brother took in Lucy’s beauty, a sense of possessiveness consumed me. Jack and I had always had the same taste in women, and sometimes they’d flip-flop between us. But that wasn’t going to happen this time.

“It’s great to meet you,” he said, and I was pleased when they just shook hands.

Mom and Gretchen came out the back door with platters of salad and other side dishes, and placed them on the oversized picnic table on the patio. We all sat down as Josh plated the steaks he’d been grilling.

Turning to Mom, I asked, “Where’s Dad?”

“He was called to the hospital. There was a multiple-victim car accident, and he had to go in.”

We were all used to him being called away, so it wasn’t anything new to us. I was just disappointed because I wanted Lucy to meet him.

The food was delicious, as usual. Conversation at the table flowed back and forth, mostly between my family as we ate, and we were all sitting back in our chairs taking a break before dessert when my mom turned her attention to Lucy.

“So, is your family from Virginia, Lucy?” Mom smiled, but Lucy’s back stiffened, and although she formed a tight smile, it didn’t meet her eyes.

“No, I moved here for college and decided to stay.”

“Where are you from?” Jack asked, always the most inquisitive one.

I’d been down this path before with Lucy, and it wasn’t a comfortable one for her. Biting my lip, I glanced between them, not sure what to do. Although I wanted to know more about her, I didn’t want her to feel uneasy.

Lucy took a sip of her water and released a shaky breath. I didn’t think anyone else noticed, but I did, and it worried me.

“I was born in Colorado.”

Jack leaned forward, interested. “I did some business there in Denver. What a beautiful city. It was as if I was driving into a postcard every day.”

Lucy nodded, but kept her answer short. “Yes, it’s a beautiful state. The weather was a bit unpredictable, though.”

She reached for her water glass again, and Gretchen grinned mischievously.

“Is it true if you have sex in Colorado, you’re inducted into the Mile High Club?”

Lucy’s eyes widened, and she choked a bit on her water.

“Gretchen Margaret!” Mom’s scolding voice said it for all of us. Even though my mom was biting back a smile, the rest of us just stared at our baby sister.

“Settle down, boys, it’s a valid question.” Gretchen rolled her eyes at Lucy. “They treat me like a teenager.”