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Izzy had lifted her glass and taken a hasty drink only to choke on the citrus and champagne once Tessa's statement registered. She coughed and her eyes watered, her blurred vision catching sight of Everett's wide smile. More proof her father wasn't the only one eavesdropping.
"Girls, you're embarrassing poor Izzy," Ms. Georgia said, her gaze sharp as a tack.
"It's fine. Wrong pipe," she managed, voice husky from coughing.
"Good. Because I'd like to meet your young man," Ms. Georgia said.
"He's not mine, Ms. Georgia. He's just a friend." She'd just uttered the words when Everett's hand slid possessively around her waist and settled on her hip.
"Are you all right?"
Izzy heard the Babes and Ms. Georgia sigh with approval at his inquiry. "Fine."
Izzy stepped away from Everett only to find him moving with her, their hips and thighs brushing in the process. Her face heated up even more when a tingle of awareness zapped through her body.
"You must be Ms. Georgia," Everett said in his deep, rumbling voice. "It's a pleasure, ma'am."
Everett released Izzy's waist long enough to take the hand Ms. Georgia held out to him and squeeze it gently.
"You are a handsome devil, aren't you?" Ms. Georgia said.
Everett chuckled and Izzy rolled her eyes at the way the group of women practically swooned at his feet. Enough already. "Mama, is the food ready? I have work to do today."
"Isabel, don't be rude. We're just getting to know your guest," her mother said.
Izzy fisted her hands and managed another smile. If she wasn't so afraid of what Everett might say while she wasn't around, she'd leave him there and get out while the Babes were occupied and the gettin' was good. "Maybe our guest is hungry, Mama," she suggested sweetly, trying her best to get things moving. It was rude to talk with a mouthful after all.
"I know I am," Michael said as he joined them. "Hey, squirt."
She glared up at her cousin. "Really? Will I ever outgrow that nickname?" she asked, irritable but uncaring. Her last nerve frayed to a single thread, and she had a feeling tying it in a knot and hanging on for dear life wouldn't work. Not today. Not with Everett looking at her like he wanted to…
"Never." Michael lowered his head and kissed her cheek, looking down at her with amusement.
"Fine, let's eat then, shall we?" her mother said. "I have things set up buffet style in the dining room. Right this way."
The group moved as a whole to file into the other room, and Michael offered Ms. Georgia his arm to escort her.
Everett turned to stare down at Izzy, the last to move toward the doorway.
"Kissing cousins?" he asked her.
A laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it. "Seriously? Ew. Not everything you read about the south is true, you know."
He chuckled. "Just checking."
"Would it bother you if we had? It's not like Michael and I are actually cousins"—she lowered her voice—"nor are you and I a couple."
One of Everett's thick eyebrows shot high, but he didn't argue her statement even though it looked like he wanted to.
In fact, his lack of comment had the feel of something more. Like he knew something she didn't but wasn't going to let her in on the secret.
What the heck?
"Shall we?"
"Everett, stop. What are you doing?"
"Escorting you to brunch."
