Tia was an ex-supermodel, but she still looked like a very current supermodel to Ben. Long legs, gorgeously toned body and a face that should be classified as a lethal weapon. She was madly in love with Trent and their son Trevor, hence the reason she was now only a part-time model.
“It’s my job,” he said with a shrug knowing instinctively it would spark more conversation.
His family was very supportive of his career choice. Now, the direction in which he’d decided to study law had come as a surprise to some, but Ben didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day reading boring contracts or negotiating corporate legalities. He wanted to make a difference.
“Vega’s not a good guy,” Tia said solemnly.
“You may be right,” Ben stated. “But everybody deserves a defense.”
Trent rubbed his wife’s shoulders, more in an attempt to tell her not to push the issue than to comfort. “And he’s going to get an excellent defense with Ben on his side. I came down to the Justice Center a couple days of the trial and caught you in action. Pretty good, little cuz.”
The words filled Ben with pride. Affirmation that he was doing a good thing was always welcomed. Even though he had no intention of representing Vega again. Somehow, Ben knew if he’d said that the door to even more questions would open.
“Enough talk about business,” Alma said. “I want to talk about the upcoming family reunion.”
And so the conversation shifted with the women making plans and the men trying to keep their mouths shut for fear of suggesting the wrong thing.
When they figured they were no longer needed a few of the cousins moved into the den where the pool table was located. Linc took the liberty of racking the balls while Adam went to the bar and began pouring himself a drink.
“FYI,” Max said coming into the room and giving Ben a playful slap on the back of his head. “Mom’s got some woman she wants you to meet.”
Ben groaned while the others laughed.
“The only remedy is to find your own woman,” Linc offered.
Linc had been the first of the Triple Threat Donovans to cave into marriage with the lovely Jade. They now had twin daughters, Torian and Tamala, and lived in their own lavish home a few miles from the Strip where Linc’s Gramercy Casino was located.
“I don’t want to be set up,” Ben said grabbing a stick and moving to the end of the table.
“But it’s been too long since she’s seen you with a date. You know how she gets,” Max told him.
“It’s your fault, getting married and having a baby,” Ben replied to Max. Then he lifted his stick and pointed around the room. “It’s actually all you guys’ fault. Getting married is like an epidemic in this family now.”
“Nobody’s getting any younger,” Adam added with a chuckle.
“Donovans don’t fall easily, but when they do, they fall hard,” Linc said with confidence.
Trent leaned over the pool table, lined up his shot. “He’s right. Once you get a taste of the right woman, you’re not gonna want to let her go. Marriage keeps her there forever.”
Ben was already shaking his head. “Have you checked the divorce rate lately? Marriages aren’t lasting as long as they used to.”
“That’s because people are rushing in with blinders on instead of marrying for love,” Adam told him.
Of the bunch gathered here, Adam would be the one talking about love. Even though Ben had no doubt all of his cousins loved their wives explicitly, because Donovans were just loyal like that. But the others weren’t the wearing-feelings-on-their-sleeves type of men.
Offhand Ben wondered what type of man he would be, or what type of woman he would possibly fall in love with. As he took a sip of his rum and Coke, a picture of a woman flashed before his eyes. Icy gray eyes, luminous skin, and a smile—which she never directed at him—that stopped his breath and hardened his body each time he’d been blessed enough to see it.
He immediately began to choke.
“Can’t handle your liquor, little bro?” Max asked clapping him on the back.
Ben covered his mouth and tried to catch his breath. Visualizing Victoria Lashley when he was thinking about the woman of his dreams, was not a good thing.
Hours later, after they’d eaten their share of barbeque and grilled corn—Ben’s favorite—the Donovan family all sat on the back terrace still talking, kids falling off to sleep or just enjoying each other’s company.
Ben hadn’t wanted to leave and had actually contemplated staying the night. He’d missed his family, missed their easy conversation and unwavering connection. For some reason he felt like he needed that now more than ever. Later this evening he would cling to that fact and swear he was having a premonition.
His cell phone chimed and Ben reached into his pocket to retrieve it.
