“You want coffee or something else? Nan has a full
bar.”
“I need to drive home so coffee is good,” he said.
I kept myself busy making the coffee and let Adam look around the place as he waited. “Is your brother staying here, too?” His question immediately made me tense. I had to remind
myself that he was just trying to make small talk. Talking about Mase did not mean he was interested in my dad.
“He’s staying here while he’s visiting.”
“A family gathering,” he said with a smile.
I wouldn’t think about that. I would not. I had to learn to trust people. Just because he was mentioning my family did not mean he was a fan of my father’s. I had to overcome that
insecurity.
“Not exactly,” I replied, and pulled two cups down from the cabinet.
I heard the beep that sounded when an entry door or window opened and I froze. If it was Nan this could be bad. Then I heard her voice laughing and a deeper voice. I felt sick to my stomach.
Please, God, don’t let that be Grant. Not right now. I can’t deal with that.
I wasn’t ready just yet.
Her heels clacked against the marble as she walked down the hallway. They were headed this way.
“Nan,” I explained to him as I poured a cup of coffee.
“Ah,” he said simply.
“Cream and sugar?” I asked.
“Black is good,” he replied.
I handed him the cup as Nan came staggering into the kitchen on the arm of a tall blond guy with a dark tan. He was dressed in a pale pink polo and a pair of plaid shorts. If he weren’t so
attractive the outfit would have looked ridiculous on him.
“Well, hello,” he said, smiling at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Then his gaze moved to Adam and his eyes widened a bit. “Adam, hey,” he said as Nan looked
sourly at both of us.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped.
“I live here, and he’s my company,” I replied, stirring the sugar into my coffee and praying she would just go away.
“Pull in the claws, kitty. It’s your sister and Adam. Be nice.”
“She’s not my sister,” Nan said angrily.
I wasn’t in the mood for her stupid temper tantrums. I was getting sick of it.
“Then you probably should move out of the house my daddy paid for,” I said, and took a sip of my coffee.
The hate sparking off her eyes told me I’d pushed the right buttons. Good. She needed to grow up.
“How dare you!”
“How dare I what, Nan? Remind you that we share a father who owns this house? It’s as much mine as it is yours. If you want to argue, then please call him. I’m sure he’ll
clarify that for you.”
The smart mouth was coming from somewhere. I wasn’t sure where; it was as if I’d been possessed and had no control over my words.
The tall blond guy laughed, then patted Nan’s arms as if to soothe her. “She’s your sister, all right. That mouth says it all. Calm your sexy ass and leave her and Adam alone.
We aren’t here to drink coffee,” he said, then winked at me as if I wanted to know about his and Nan’s plans. “I’m August, by the way,” he said.
He was the golf pro I had heard about. I was just glad he wasn’t Grant. More glad than I wanted to admit. “Harlow. Nice to meet you,” I replied.
“Don’t talk to her,” Nan spat.
“You get mean when you drink tequila. I told you I was going to stop letting you drink so much,” August said.
“No, she’s mean all the time. Tequila has nothing to do with it,” I assured him.
Adam laughed this time, and I saw August hold back a smile. “I think I’ll stop things before we have a fight on our hands. Come on, Nan, let’s go upstairs.”
The beep sounded again and we all turned to see who was here.
The heavy sound of boots told me it was Mase before he walked into the kitchen.
“Shit, now
he’s
here,” Nan complained, which only made me smile.
Mase stepped into the kitchen and around Nan and August with a glance at them before he looked at me and Adam. “What’s up? Am I missing a family
bar.”
“I need to drive home so coffee is good,” he said.
I kept myself busy making the coffee and let Adam look around the place as he waited. “Is your brother staying here, too?” His question immediately made me tense. I had to remind
myself that he was just trying to make small talk. Talking about Mase did not mean he was interested in my dad.
“He’s staying here while he’s visiting.”
“A family gathering,” he said with a smile.
I wouldn’t think about that. I would not. I had to learn to trust people. Just because he was mentioning my family did not mean he was a fan of my father’s. I had to overcome that
insecurity.
“Not exactly,” I replied, and pulled two cups down from the cabinet.
I heard the beep that sounded when an entry door or window opened and I froze. If it was Nan this could be bad. Then I heard her voice laughing and a deeper voice. I felt sick to my stomach.
Please, God, don’t let that be Grant. Not right now. I can’t deal with that.
I wasn’t ready just yet.
Her heels clacked against the marble as she walked down the hallway. They were headed this way.
“Nan,” I explained to him as I poured a cup of coffee.
“Ah,” he said simply.
“Cream and sugar?” I asked.
“Black is good,” he replied.
I handed him the cup as Nan came staggering into the kitchen on the arm of a tall blond guy with a dark tan. He was dressed in a pale pink polo and a pair of plaid shorts. If he weren’t so
attractive the outfit would have looked ridiculous on him.
“Well, hello,” he said, smiling at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Then his gaze moved to Adam and his eyes widened a bit. “Adam, hey,” he said as Nan looked
sourly at both of us.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped.
“I live here, and he’s my company,” I replied, stirring the sugar into my coffee and praying she would just go away.
“Pull in the claws, kitty. It’s your sister and Adam. Be nice.”
“She’s not my sister,” Nan said angrily.
I wasn’t in the mood for her stupid temper tantrums. I was getting sick of it.
“Then you probably should move out of the house my daddy paid for,” I said, and took a sip of my coffee.
The hate sparking off her eyes told me I’d pushed the right buttons. Good. She needed to grow up.
“How dare you!”
“How dare I what, Nan? Remind you that we share a father who owns this house? It’s as much mine as it is yours. If you want to argue, then please call him. I’m sure he’ll
clarify that for you.”
The smart mouth was coming from somewhere. I wasn’t sure where; it was as if I’d been possessed and had no control over my words.
The tall blond guy laughed, then patted Nan’s arms as if to soothe her. “She’s your sister, all right. That mouth says it all. Calm your sexy ass and leave her and Adam alone.
We aren’t here to drink coffee,” he said, then winked at me as if I wanted to know about his and Nan’s plans. “I’m August, by the way,” he said.
He was the golf pro I had heard about. I was just glad he wasn’t Grant. More glad than I wanted to admit. “Harlow. Nice to meet you,” I replied.
“Don’t talk to her,” Nan spat.
“You get mean when you drink tequila. I told you I was going to stop letting you drink so much,” August said.
“No, she’s mean all the time. Tequila has nothing to do with it,” I assured him.
Adam laughed this time, and I saw August hold back a smile. “I think I’ll stop things before we have a fight on our hands. Come on, Nan, let’s go upstairs.”
The beep sounded again and we all turned to see who was here.
The heavy sound of boots told me it was Mase before he walked into the kitchen.
“Shit, now
he’s
here,” Nan complained, which only made me smile.
Mase stepped into the kitchen and around Nan and August with a glance at them before he looked at me and Adam. “What’s up? Am I missing a family
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