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Chapter Five
“What’s gotten into you? You look like someone spit on your burger.”
Blake startled and glanced up at James, who’d come up behind him. He forced a smile and gave a shrug.
“Nah, just got a lot on my mind.”
Like your sister.
“I hear you. My brain is nothing but legal shit. You’re lucky to be done with all your training.”
Blake gave a small nod. “You’re almost there. A year from now this stress will be a memory.”
James grimaced. “Right now, it feels about as abstract as you promising me a money-shitting unicorn.”
“Nah, if I had one of those suckers, I’d keep it for myself.”
“Yeah, you would, selfish prick.” James grinned. “You must be off tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“Those twenty-four-hour shifts seem brutal.”
“I like them. More time off, less hours spent commuting. I work tomorrow, but then not again until Thursday.”
“Nice.” James glanced out of the kitchen to the living room. “I see my sister brought one of her friends.”
Blake refused to look over that way but grunted. “You know her?”
“Met her a few times when they were in high school. She seems all right.”
The slight note in James’s tone had Blake giving him a closer look. Oh yeah, James wasn’t immune to just how hot Kristen’s friend was, either.
He hid a smile and brought his friend back to reality. “So, where’s Hannah?”
James blinked, and his face reddened slightly. “Uh, out playing cornhole. I think.”
Blake glanced behind him out the sliding glass door and, in the growing darkness, spotted Hannah and Eric playing the game together.
She laughed at something Eric had just said and nudged him with her elbow in the side. Even from inside the house, Blake didn’t miss the way Eric watched her with a kind of goofy look on his face.
Damn, but sometimes Blake swore Eric was crushing a bit on James’s girl. He hid it pretty well, but being more of the silent-and-observative type, Blake had picked up on it.
The way Eric stared a little too long. The way he got a little awkward when talking to her. There were signs if you were looking.
James, however, seemed to be blind to it all. Maybe a good thing? For their friendship, at least. That had the potential to be a total shit show.
“You should join them,” Blake tried to suggest casually. “Get outside a bit.”
“Yeah, that’s not really my kind of gaming.” James gave a dismissive shrug. “Eric bought them on clearance last fall for the house. Glad someone is getting some use out of them.”
“Hey, James, we’re going to take off.” The soft words had them both turning around.
Kristen and her friend stood beside them.
Blake narrowed his eyes. She’d been here, what, an hour tops? Her friend even less time.
“Already? Guess you got things to do and people to see.” James hugged his sister. “Thanks for dropping by, kid.” James’s gaze slid to Kristen’s friend. “Good to see you again…”
