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“Feeling pretty self-righteous, Hunter,” he said. He had a deep voice that boomed out of his broad chest.
I bet he can really command a room, thought Cora. I’d listen to him read the phone book.
Hunter very carefully didn’t make a facial expression, but the corners of Ash’s mouth twitched, like he was trying not to smile.
“So you’re not interested in joining my telethon campaign to call voters in Iowa and urge them to support triad marriage rights?”
Julius’s looked dead serious, and for a second, Hunter looked at his cousin with panic on his face.
Then Julius laughed.
“Just kidding,” he said. “I wouldn’t put you on the phone with anyone, not in a million years.”
Hunter shot him a quick glare, but Cora could tell he didn’t mean it.
“Right,” Hunter muttered. “Anyway, Julius, this is Cora. She just moved to town.”
Both of Julius’s eyebrows shot up, and his glance flicked from Ash to Hunter to Cora as he offered her his hand.
“Yes, we’re on a date,” Ash said.
“Welcome to Granite Valley,” Julius said. He sounded very official, all of a sudden, and Cora’s hand was almost completely enveloped in his. He didn’t squeeze hard, but she could tell that if he wanted to, he could easily break every bone in her hand.
“Thanks,” said Cora.
“What brings you here?”
“I got a job at Alpha Advertising, in town,” she said.
Her hand was still in his, and both Ash and Hunter were starting to glare at Julius.
“Ah, I know the founder,” Julius said pleasantly. It was obvious that he’d noticed Ash and Hunter glaring, but was enjoying getting on the two men’s nerves. “He’s a good man. You’re a copywriter?”
“Well, I’m a reporter by trade, but I had to—” Cora stopped short, remembering that she had sort of omitted the truth about why she was in Cascadia.
“I had to try something else for a change,” she said, hoping that she sounded smooth.
Julius nodded.
A very low, very faint growl sounded in Ash’s throat, and Julius finally let her go.
“Glad to see some new faces around,” he said. “I ought to go make sure that Hudson isn’t getting talked into a keg stand again.”
“I don’t think anyone’s ever had to talk Hudson into doing a keg stand,” Ash said.
Cora wondered if Hudson was the man in the Harley Davidson t-shirt that Julius had been kissing earlier.
Probably, she decided.
Julius just laughed.
“Nice to meet you, Cora,” he said, and then walked away.
“He’s my older cousin on my dad’s sister’s side,” said Hunter. “He grew up next door to me, so we’re practically siblings. He can be a pain in the ass.”
“Hunter’s related to at least half the people here,” Ash said.
“It’s true,” Hunter said.
