Enlisted by Love by Jenny Jacobs Page A

place.
    â€œI’m sure it is,” Tess said in a way that made Ian grind his teeth.
    â€œIt’s not like I picked them up at Pier 1,” he said. He detected the defensive note in his voice and he was suddenly less sure of himself, which was not a feeling he enjoyed experiencing. He always knew what he was doing and when he didn’t, he was confident that whatever he did would be the right thing to do because, well, it was him doing it. He disliked circumstances under which he questioned his own judgment.
    â€œHow’s the new job working out?” Michael asked, changing the subject without giving any indication that he’d even been paying attention to it in the first place, showing the kind of instinct about dangerous waters that he obviously hadn’t demonstrated when Tess had wandered into his life or he wouldn’t be in his current predicament. Not that he seemed worried about his predicament, or even considered it to be one. It occurred to Ian that Michael had been fully capable of avoiding his fate if he had wanted to. Apparently he hadn’t wanted to.
    What if something like that happened to Ian?
    Now there was a disturbing thought. Ian immediately squashed it, the way he did anything remotely disturbing.
    â€œThe job is going well,” he said to Michael, glad to have the change of subject and thankful that he didn’t have to continue arguing his case with Tess. He’d already lost to Greta. Why did he think it would be easier to persuade her sister? “I’m actually enjoying it more than I thought I would,” he admitted. He’d thought that a life where he wasn’t getting shot at might prove a little dull but so far it wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. Greta was making up for all the bullets that weren’t being propelled in his direction.
    â€œWhat exactly do you do?” Tess asked. She’d settled back on the sofa, Michael’s arm around her shoulders.
    Ian didn’t think she was all that interested in hearing about his job. Probably she just wanted to get off the subject of interior design. Well, so did he. “I train business executives in understanding cultural differences,” he said. “Actually, it’s not just business people. We’re developing programs for anyone doing any kind of work or business overseas, even just studying in other countries. My area includes most of Asia.” Now he was starting to sound like a brochure. He cleared his throat. “You know, so they don’t derail a deal or get fired from a job because they inadvertently insult their host.”
    â€œSounds interesting,” she said, clearly trying not to yawn. “You must have to be pretty knowledgeable and diplomatic to be successful at it.”
    â€œI’m pretty good at judging situations and not acting precipitously,” he said modestly.
    Tess gave a sudden wide smile that counteracted the yawn and made Ian forgive her for it. “I would be a dead loss at that,” she admitted.
    Michael hugged her closer to him. “I’m glad you’re just the way you are,” he said with such a look of affection in his eyes that Ian’s jaw dropped. Quickly averting his eyes, Ian focused on the football game. He heard the distinct sounds of kissing and leaned closer to the television.
    â€œI think we’re embarrassing Ian,” Tess said breathlessly when Michael let her up for air.
    â€œI can’t hear you,” Ian said. “I’m not noticing anything. How ’bout them Chiefs?”
    â€¢ • •
    Tess swung the bedroom door open and charged into the room, making enough commotion to rattle the lamps. “He’s camping out,” she said. The drama in her voice made Greta, well accustomed to Tess’s exuberances, look up from her laptop.
    â€œHe who?”
    â€œIan, of course.”
    Of course. Did she care about anything Ian was doing? She did not. She turned her