That kind of thing. Heâs from Alaska.â
âWe did a job there.â
âIs there anywhere you havenât done a job?â
âNot really.â He glanced around the room. âI never had anything like this to come home to. My mom died when I was a baby. Dad hired a nanny and took both of us with him.â
âI canât imagine living without my family. Theyâre everything to me.â
Tucker rubbed his jaw. âYour brother sure looks out for you.â
âYou deserved it.â
He surprised her by laughing. âYouâre right. I did. Have I apologized?â
âYes, and you donât have to again.â
Ethan walked over and joined them. âEverything all right here?â
âStop fighting my battles,â she told him. âI can do it myself.â
âSometimes a guy has to step in and take care of his own. Tucker gets that.â
Tucker nodded.
Ethan asked if Tucker planned to watch the pre-season football games this Sunday. While the guys talked football, Nevada thought about where Tucker might usually spend the afternoon. Heâd always been on his ownâodd man out. He wasnât just dealing with a new school every couple of years, but a new country and a new culture, not to mention language barriers. She couldnât imagine what it would be like not to have roots.
âBe careful,â Ethan was saying. âThere are a million single women in town.â
âYouâre exaggerating.â Tucker sipped his wine. âIâm not worried.â
Nevada grinned. âYou should be. Until recently, weâve had a man shortage. The ladies will be all over you. A strong, rich, construction guy.â She blinked her eyes several times.
Tucker laughed. âI can handle myself.â
Nevada turned to her brother. âJust think. In a couple of weeks, youâll get to say, âI told you so.ââ
âIâm looking forward to it.â Ethan laughed.
Tucker shifted uneasily. âIt canât be that bad.â
âKeep telling yourself that,â Nevada said, before heading to the kitchen to help her mom.
Â
âI KNOW THE WAY HOME ,â she said four hours later, after a huge dinner.
âIâm not walking you home,â Tucker told her. âYouâre walking me. If what you and Ethan said is true, I need the protection.â
âOh, please. I think you can handle a few love-starved women.â
âNot at the same time.â He leaned toward her and lowered his voice. âIâve never been into the group thing. After the first five or six times, itâs not all that fun.â
âYouâre not impressing me with stories like that.â
âWhat kind of stories do impress you?â
âMove across time like Kyle Reese in the first Terminator movie. That will get my attention.â
âIâll work on it.â
The night was warm and clear, stars dotting the sky. There were still plenty of people walking around, so nothing about walking next to Tucker should have felt intimate. Still, she was aware of him close to her, of the breadth of his shoulders and the sound of his voice.
âYour family is great,â he said. âYour mom really has it together.â
âSheâs good at managing a crowd.â
âSheâs been alone a long time. Does she date?â
âShe started this year. I canât believe my dadâs beengone over ten years. Thatâs a long time for her to be by herself.â She glanced at Tucker. âYour dad never remarried.â
âTrue, but he wasnât alone. Heâs a big believer in the concept of a girl in every port. Or in his case, a woman at every job site. The manâs made a fool of himself over more women than I can count.â
âDoes that bother you?â
Tucker shrugged. âI donât get the volume. He never takes a break. But he loves to keep them coming.
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
John O'Riley
Brenda Sinclair
Christopher George
Stephen Lloyd Jones
Karl Iagnemma
Celya Bowers
Jill Gregory
Aria Cunningham