under her loose-fitting slacks and baggy sweater-she was rounder and fuller than Jazzy. Not fat, but definitely not slim. She was every bit as pretty as Jazzy, maybe prettier because she didn't cover up her flawless complexion with a layer of makeup.
"Would you care for another piece of cake, Reve?" Genny asked.
"It was delicious, but no, thank you," she replied. "Besides, I doubt there's any cake left." She glanced directly at Jacob when she spoke.
Dallas and Caleb both chuckled. Jacob shot them both scurrilous glares, damning them with only a look.
"I guess you're watching your weight anyway, aren't you, Ms. Sorrell?" Jacob ran his gaze over her. "Why is it that you plump girls are the ones always dieting and the skinny ones eat whatever they want?"
Reve gasped. When Jacob noted the hurt look on her face, he halfway wished the words back. Usually he didn't intentionally hurt anybody's feelings, and certainly never a lady's, but damn it, this particular lady made him want to instantly go for the jugular.
A hushed silence fell over the room. Genny gave Jacob a condemning look, then said loudly, "Well, if everyone's finished, why don't we go into the living room and visit for a while. We can all have a glass of Ludie's muscadine wine to celebrate Jazzy and Caleb's engagement."
Caleb and Jazzy scooted back their chairs and stood.
"It won't be official until she's wearing my ring." Caleb put his arm around Jazzy's shoulders. "But I'm all for some of that wine before we head into town." He glanced down at Reve and smiled. "Have you ever tasted muscadine wine, Reve?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that's one experience I've missed."
"You men go on," Jazzy said. "Reve and I will help Genny clean up in here."
"Why don't we all go on into the living room now." Dallas slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "I'll help Genny clean up in here later."
"I really ought to be going." Jacob had no intention of spending the rest of the evening with Reve Sorrell. He didn't care if she did turn out to be Jazzy's twin, there was no way the two of them would ever be friends.
Jacob got up, but before he could make his getaway, Genny grabbed his arm. "Don't be silly. You never leave this early when you're not on duty."
"Maybe I've got a late date," Jacob told her.
"Do you?" she asked.
Why he glanced over at Reve about that time, he didn't know, but when he did he caught her glaring at him. He wanted to lie and say yes, that he had a hot late date. But he'd never lied to Genny and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now.
"Nope. No late date. But I've got a ton of paperwork I need to catch up on."
The others meandered out of the kitchen, while Jacob remained there with Genny, who kept a tight hold on him. The minute they were alone, she said in a low, quiet voice, "I want you to stop being hateful to Reve."
"Damn, Genny, the woman gets on my last nerve."
"Shush. Don't talk so loud. I think you've insulted her enough for one evening."
He grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have said what I did about her being plump, but whenever I'm around that woman, I want to strangle her. She's such a snooty bitch."
"She is not what she seems."
"And just what does that mean?"
"She is afraid to trust others, so she has built this strong protective shield around herself. But deep inside she is a lonely woman who longs for true friends and longs to be loved for herself alone."
"Why tell me all this?" Jacob's gut tightened painfully. Not a good sign.
"Because she is in danger. Both she and Jazzy."
"What sort of danger?"
"I'm not sure. But I believe there is someone out there who would harm them in order to keep a terrible secret from being revealed." Genny released her tenacious hold on Jacob's arm. "I gave Jazzy a reading today and although I sensed that it is a good thing that she and Reve are sisters, they're both in grave danger. And I sense the danger is greatest for Jazzy, at least at the present."
"As the sheriff and as
"Would you care for another piece of cake, Reve?" Genny asked.
"It was delicious, but no, thank you," she replied. "Besides, I doubt there's any cake left." She glanced directly at Jacob when she spoke.
Dallas and Caleb both chuckled. Jacob shot them both scurrilous glares, damning them with only a look.
"I guess you're watching your weight anyway, aren't you, Ms. Sorrell?" Jacob ran his gaze over her. "Why is it that you plump girls are the ones always dieting and the skinny ones eat whatever they want?"
Reve gasped. When Jacob noted the hurt look on her face, he halfway wished the words back. Usually he didn't intentionally hurt anybody's feelings, and certainly never a lady's, but damn it, this particular lady made him want to instantly go for the jugular.
A hushed silence fell over the room. Genny gave Jacob a condemning look, then said loudly, "Well, if everyone's finished, why don't we go into the living room and visit for a while. We can all have a glass of Ludie's muscadine wine to celebrate Jazzy and Caleb's engagement."
Caleb and Jazzy scooted back their chairs and stood.
"It won't be official until she's wearing my ring." Caleb put his arm around Jazzy's shoulders. "But I'm all for some of that wine before we head into town." He glanced down at Reve and smiled. "Have you ever tasted muscadine wine, Reve?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that's one experience I've missed."
"You men go on," Jazzy said. "Reve and I will help Genny clean up in here."
"Why don't we all go on into the living room now." Dallas slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "I'll help Genny clean up in here later."
"I really ought to be going." Jacob had no intention of spending the rest of the evening with Reve Sorrell. He didn't care if she did turn out to be Jazzy's twin, there was no way the two of them would ever be friends.
Jacob got up, but before he could make his getaway, Genny grabbed his arm. "Don't be silly. You never leave this early when you're not on duty."
"Maybe I've got a late date," Jacob told her.
"Do you?" she asked.
Why he glanced over at Reve about that time, he didn't know, but when he did he caught her glaring at him. He wanted to lie and say yes, that he had a hot late date. But he'd never lied to Genny and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now.
"Nope. No late date. But I've got a ton of paperwork I need to catch up on."
The others meandered out of the kitchen, while Jacob remained there with Genny, who kept a tight hold on him. The minute they were alone, she said in a low, quiet voice, "I want you to stop being hateful to Reve."
"Damn, Genny, the woman gets on my last nerve."
"Shush. Don't talk so loud. I think you've insulted her enough for one evening."
He grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have said what I did about her being plump, but whenever I'm around that woman, I want to strangle her. She's such a snooty bitch."
"She is not what she seems."
"And just what does that mean?"
"She is afraid to trust others, so she has built this strong protective shield around herself. But deep inside she is a lonely woman who longs for true friends and longs to be loved for herself alone."
"Why tell me all this?" Jacob's gut tightened painfully. Not a good sign.
"Because she is in danger. Both she and Jazzy."
"What sort of danger?"
"I'm not sure. But I believe there is someone out there who would harm them in order to keep a terrible secret from being revealed." Genny released her tenacious hold on Jacob's arm. "I gave Jazzy a reading today and although I sensed that it is a good thing that she and Reve are sisters, they're both in grave danger. And I sense the danger is greatest for Jazzy, at least at the present."
"As the sheriff and as
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