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“Is she the one Mrs. Anderson told you about?”
“Yes.”
“Is she attractive?”
Ivan stopped chewing. “Cole.”
A wide grin etched his brother’s face. “What? I’m just asking.”
“She’s a client,” Ivan dismissed.
“So? That time in Munich—”
“Drop it.”
Cole glanced at his brother. “What’s the big deal? What she looks like isn’t classified information.”
Ivan took a sip of his beer. “She’s about five foot three inches tall, has bright, expressive brown eyes, dark hair with highlights that she wears spiked and beautiful mocha skin. She has a beauty mole above her right collarbone, and when she smiles…her whole face lights up. She’s left-handed, sure of herself and wears a floral fragrance that reminds me of the ocean. It suits her.”
Cole tried not to laugh. “Did you miss anything?”
“In my line of work, it’s imperative to assess problems quickly—and people.”
“I don’t doubt it. She sounds like a beautiful woman.”
Ivan didn’t like where the conversation was going one bit. “Don’t even think about it, baby brother.”
“No reason why both of us should miss out,” Cole reasoned.
Before Ivan could open his mouth, Cole burst into laughter.
“Dude, I’m kidding. Don’t get worked up.”
Ivan’s eyebrow shot upward. “You haven’t seen me worked up.”
Cole sat back and put his feet up. “I’m sure that’s true, Colonel Mangum.”
An hour of dinner and television later, Ivan stood up. “I’ve got some work to do.”
Cole glanced at him. “Go ahead, I’ll clean up.”
Ivan thanked him and headed upstairs. He retrieved his laptop and sat down on the couch in his sitting area. He placed his feet on an old leather trunk and got to work on Tiffany’s proposal.
But twenty minutes later, he found himself leaning back, closing his eyes and recalling his initial meeting with Tiffany. Her playful manner and humor were refreshing. In his line of work, a personal life was challenging. Working in the private sector was no different. Ivan’s company and his time centered on his clients. Some of his men and women traveled to dangerous locations with dignitaries, business professionals and wealthy notables.
Even when he wasn’t on assignment, Ivan was involved in each case to ensure the safety of his employees and customers. The hours were long and the job physically demanding, but he was proud of his accomplishments and thriving business. He excelled at it, and loved every minute.
A knock sounded at his bedroom door, and Cole entered.
“Mom called. She asked how the renovations were going, and if we were eating.”
Ivan shook his head and smiled. His mother was a worrier. It had been eight months since he’d moved back to his family’s home in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago. With work keeping him busy, he had taken his parents, Lennox and Maris, up on their offer to move back home and make Chicago his hub. Since they now spent the winter months in St. John, that gave him and Cole time to reconnect. So far they were making the most of their temporary bachelor pad.
“Did you tell her that you haven’t cooked since they left?”
“Ha. I told her we’re doing well, and the guest bathroom is coming along. She wants us to send some pics.”
Thanks to their father, Ivan and Cole were pretty handy carpenters. While their parents were gone, the brothers had decided to upgrade the first-floor bathroom. The remodel, his business and checking on their grandmother, Cecile Mangum, kept him busy. GiGi, as he and Cole called her, lived in an assisted-living facility in nearby Evanston. As the oldest, it was his duty to keep his feisty grandmother and Cole out of trouble while his parents were gone. It was a full-time job.
