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“And what?”
“Nothing. He was a cheater. I loved him but I wasn’t enough to keep him happy. My brothers detest him. They would pummel him into dust if they knew…”
Hank leaned toward her, his gray eyes riveted to her face. “If they knew what?”
She blinked slowly and shook her head. “Nothing. It’s in the past. Did I tell you my brothers were famous? They’re my favorites. They like me.” Every time she said “nothing,” Travis’s mental radar pinged.
Hank met Travis’s gaze over her head and Travis slid the glass of iced tea close to her hand and took her empty wineglass and gave it to the waiter who passed by.
“Veronica, what do you mean they like you? Of course they like you. You’re beautiful and smart and funny, and you’re their baby sister.”
“Nope. I mean yep. I mean…I don’t know what I mean. Heck.” Veronica took a slow breath and let it out. “Cord and Jackson are the closest to me. They’re fraternal twins and they were both quarterbacks for the—”
“Billings Badgers?” At her nod, Travis and Hank both whistled in surprise. “Wow. Cord and Jackson Benedict are your brothers? I was sorry to see they retired.”
“Yup. Jackson’s doctor told him that to continue playing was too much of a risk. There are only so many concussions a body can handle.”
“They didn’t like your boyfriend?”
“No, but I don’t see them that often. Many a time, they’ve told me”—she adopted a deep manly voice, impersonating one of her brothers—“Nika, you need to dump that knuckle-dragger.” She sighed. “Sorry. I don’t drink very often. I probably sound silly.”
Travis knew that her sleep deprivation probably played a big role in how quickly she’d found her happy buzz and he didn’t want to take advantage of it…at least not too much. “They call you Nika?”
The smile on Veronica’s face was breathtaking. “Yes, but only when no one else hears. They don’t call me by the stupid nicknames the others use. They tried to stop them but it didn’t do any good. I don’t go home much so I don’t have to hear them that often.”
Hank frowned as she rambled. “Only Cord and Jackson call you Nika? Who are the others?”
“Jesse and Barry, my other brothers, and my older sister, Addison. They call me Round Ronnie and Mom and Dad call me Pudge. And the knuckle-dragger called my Chubbs. I don’t miss him at all. Can you believe that? We were together for two years and I haven’t missed him once while I’ve been here.”
Hank nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I can imagine that. Do you like being called Nika?”
Veronica nodded vigorously and swayed in her chair. “Yes. I love it. It’s nice, and it makes more sense than Ronnie, which is a boy’s name. I’m a girl,” she enunciated and rolled her eyes.
Travis smiled. “Yes, you are.” She was also adorable with her wine-induced buzz. “I want to ask you something.”
“Ask away, Mr. Game Warden,” she said with a salute, then sat up in her chair after she slid forward a bit.
“Would you consider letting us help you with your ménage research while you’re here? You said that dynamic fascinated you earlier. Maybe we could help you to get answers for your questions.”
Hank rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. Travis grinned, willing to risk looking like a horndog if it would mean spending more time with Veronica. Soon enough, Hank would realize that he didn’t intend to take advantage of her while she was tipsy. He just wanted time with her while she was in Divine.
“How would you do that?”
Hank scanned the gathering. “We could start by satisfying your curiosity here at the reception. Of course, we won’t share any private information but we could fill in the blanks for you. Who would you like to know about?”
Veronica settled her gaze on a pretty blonde woman standing near the entry. Travis didn’t recognize her but he understood immediately why Veronica was interested as she said, “Notice how those three men have closed in around her. I’ve been watching her while we’ve been talking and she’s kissed all three of them at one time or another. She’s wearing a wedding band, as are the three of them, so I’m assuming that they’re a committed foursome.”
