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“You were thinking it.”
“You having fun there in my brain, Luc?”
“Yeah, it’s afascinatingplace, Val.Lots of tumbleweeds with the occasional evil plan for world domination, one matchmaking success at a time.”
“Finally, someone gets me.”She winks at me before straightening and pushing up out of her chair.“Now, as fun as it is to be your new therapist ...”
“More like a life coach, Val.Don’t sell yourself short.”
“Okay, life coach.I’m not missing out on any more of Dee’s delicious food, andyou, dear brother, need to start putting things into motion.”She arches her brow.“You’re on your own now.”
“And if it doesn’t work?”
“Well then, some old biddy who wants you to clean her oven in your turnouts, andonlyyour turnouts, will win you at the auction, and you’ll be serving the community on your knees with a cloth in your hand.”
“Thanks for the visual, Val.Very supportive.”
She grins.“Just doing my sisterly duty,” she says with a snicker before leaving me sitting there.My eyes naturally drift back to where Lonnie was standing but she’s disappeared.
Knowing it’s now or never, I down the rest of my beer and lift my chin to the guys around the table as I get up and cross the yard to look for her.
“Where you off to, Luc?”Marco asks.
“Just getting another beer.”
He studies me and for a moment, I wonder if he knows something he’s not supposed to.“Grab me one on your way back.”
“Sure,” I reply, but he’s going to be waiting a while.At least until I’ve found the object of my newly realized desire anyway ...
And when Idofind her, she’s sitting on the arm of the couch in the living room, animatedly watching Rhodes’s son Jake and Rhodes’s stepson—Dee’s son, Harvey—dueling it out, playing a car-racing game.
I come to a stop beside her, nudging her thigh with mine.She looks up at me and smiles.My pulse spikes at the sight as warmth I’ve always known was there but neverletmyself feel courses through me.All I can think about is how stunning she is—so much so that she actually takes my breath away.Good Lord, was I an ignorant fool not seeing it ...
“Hey.You showing the kids how it’s done?”
She snickers.“Not yet.I’m due to play the winner, and I think it’s going to be Harvey if he keeps it up.”
“Yeah.See?Even hot chicks like me more than you, Jake.Takethat,” Harvey says.
Jake snorts as a startled giggle escapes London’s lips, and I just smirk, shaking my head at the far-too-confident eleven-year-old.
London turns and looks up at me again.“Not sure whether I should be flattered or horrified that I’m a ‘hot chick,’” she whispers.
“Definitely a compliment, Lonnie,” the seventeen-year-old Jake mutters, eyes still glued to the screen as he twists and turns his whole body along with the controller in his hand, trying to catch up to his speed demon brother.
“Yeah,” Harvey says before jumping to his feet as the last lap flag is waved on screen.“C’mon, Jake.At leasttryand catch me, slow poke.”
I chuckle at the competitive kid as I’m reminded of how fiercely I fought in any kind of battle between me and my siblings when we were growing up.Even now, there’s always a friendly level of competition between us, whether it be on a run, or playing in rival baseball teams, or at the upcoming auction where MarcoandGio are talking up just how much they’re going to go for.What’s even funnier is that they don’t know thatIknow—thanks to Val—that both of them are getting their significant others to bid on them.Whatever it takes, howevermuchit takes.
A minute later, with a lot of ribbing between the boys and cheering and encouragement from Lonnie and myself, Harvey wins with a huge yell of triumph, which just makes us laugh and clap as he jumps and twerks and teases the older Jake.
“I need refueling after that.Here, Lonnie.You and Luc should have a go,” Jake says, putting his controller in London’s hand before Harvey runs over and does the same to me.
“It’s fun, I promise,” the kid says with a grin before playfully shoving Jake out of the way and running toward the kitchen.“Bet I can beat you again.”
Then we’re suddenly alone and the race on the TV screen is starting to count down to the green light.
“You think you can handle being beaten by agirl, Luca Rossi?”London teases as she slides down on the couch cushions, bracing her feet on the floor and leaning her arms forward on her legs, ready to apparently kick my ass.I think I can handle anything you’ve got to give me, London Kelly ...
