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I heard the front door open, followed by voices that carried easily through the house.

“Seth. Randy.” Graham's tone stayed perfectly neutral. “Come on in. Joy's just starting breakfast.”

I turned the bacon in the pan, hoping the smell would make it to the doorway. Then I poured the first round of batter into the waffle maker.

“Smells good.” That was Randy, already sounding slightly less confrontational. Food had always been his weakness.

I turned as the three men entered the kitchen, wiping my hands on a dish towel. “Hey, guys.” I crossed to hug them both, breathing in the familiar scent of home that clung to their clothes.

Seth's arms wrapped around me tightly. “Good morning, JoJo.”

Randy stepped up next and gave me a big hug as well, then he looked at Graham and tilted his chin toward the empty living room. “I see most of the patio furniture is back on the deck.”

The dig was unmistakable. I felt my shoulders tense.

“Graham has a minimalistic style.”

Graham snorted.

I needed to stop this nonsense. “Coffee's fresh. Mugs are in the cabinet above the pot,” I said over my shoulder to Seth, who was inspecting the kitchen.

Seth poured coffee for himself and Randy while Graham leaned against the counter, perfectly relaxed despite the obvious tension.

“So.” Randy settled into one of the bar stools, wrapping his hands around his mug. “How long have you two been together?”

“A couple of months.” I slid the first waffle in front of him, along with butter, whipped cream, strawberries, and three strips of bacon.

“And you're already living together?”

“Randy.” Seth's voice carried a warning.

“What? I'm just asking questions.” Randy cut into his waffle, but his attention stayed fixed on Graham. “So what brought you to Jasper Creek?”

“After twelve years in the service, I roamed around a bit and landed here. It was a good fit.”

“So, a drifter.” Randy nodded slowly. “What makes you think you’ll stay here?”

“Randy, stop.” I set a plate with three strips of bacon in front of Seth while I waited for the next waffle to finish, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“I'm just trying to get to know the guy our sister's shacking up with.”

“We're not shacking up.” The words came out sharper than I intended. “This is Graham's house, and you're being rude to him in his own home. Either fix your attitude or leave.”

Randy's eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” I turned to face him fully, hands on my hips. “Graham opened his home to you so I could make you breakfast, and you're sitting there being deliberately insulting. I won't tolerate it.”

“Joy, it's okay.” Graham's voice stayed calm, but I caught the slight smile tugging at his lips.

“No, it's not okay.” I pointed my spatula at Randy. “You don't get to come into someone's house and act like a jackass.”

Seth cleared his throat. “She's right, Randy. We're guests here.”

Randy had the grace to look slightly ashamed. “Fine. Sorry, man. Let’s just say I got up on the wrong side of the bed, okay?”

Graham nodded. “Happens to all of us. If someone was dating my sister, if I had one, I'd want to make sure he was good enough for her, too.”

The simple acknowledgment seemed to defuse some of Randy's hostility. He took another bite of waffle, chewing thoughtfully.