gone on between you and her has torn a hole in you, and I know that. Maybe she’s here to mend it, maybe not.” He shrugged and bent back over the schedule. “But … there’s a hole. Her being here is either going to make it bigger or help it close up. I can’t get involved without knowing.”
He flicked Brannon one final look. “It’s not what a friend does.”
He just had to convince himself of that, because he’d lain awake most of the night, remembering the taste of her … and the feel of her in his arms.
Most of all, the way everything in him had just seemed to … know her.
CHAPTER FOUR
“It all looks the same.” Neve had always kicked ass when it came to acting, and she was pulling out all the stops as Aneila walked with her around the house.
Aneila had been all of ten when Neve had left. She was twenty now and she must have been training at her grandmother’s knee, because somehow, she already had Neve sitting at the island, and the smells of whatever was cooking had her belly rumbling.
“You didn’t think it would change much, did you?” Aneila asked as she plated up a sandwich.
Neve winced at the size of it. And when Aneila started to put together a salad, she said, “I’m really not that hungry…”
A steely look entered Aneila’s eyes, one almost identical to Ella Sue’s. “If Granny calls here and asks if you ate anything, do you really think I want to tell her no?” she asked, her red-tipped nails tapping her hip.
“Ah…” Neve plastered a smile on her face. “Have at it. I’m probably hungrier than I think.”
Aneila smiled, looking pleased with herself. Cut from the same cloth, Neve thought. Steamrollers in human suits .
Biting back a sigh, Neve reached for the peach tea she’d gotten from the fridge. “So how has your family been?”
“Well enough.” A pleased smile curved Aneila’s lips. “Did Granny tell you the news?”
“Ah … well. There’s probably a lot of news I’ve missed.”
“True.” Aneila pursed her lips. “Okay, short version … Kiara is going to college in Kentucky—planning on being a doctor. Jazzy married her boyfriend, DeVantrè. He’s off serving overseas now and she’s living on base and she’s going to make me an auntie— and Granny will be Great-Granny soon.”
“Oh!” Neve clapped her hand over her mouth in surprise. “I bet Ella Sue is ecstatic!”
“Yes,” said a satisfied voice behind them.
Both Aneila and Neve spun to find Ella Sue standing in the doorway. Aneila grinned. “Hey, Granny.”
“Are you spoiling all my gossip, girl?” Ella Sue shook her head, not waiting for an answer. She came inside, studied the plate Aneila had in her hands, and then looked at Neve. “You are going to eat, young lady?”
“Of course,” Neve said. Now she’d have to. “So. Great-grandma and one of your granddaughters is going to be a doctor, huh?”
“Oh, yes.” Ella Sue smiled and gestured toward the plate.
Aneila gave Neve a sympathetic smile as she put it down. “You know better than to think you can win when it comes to food,” she said, winking.
Ella Sue pretended not to hear. “Aneila seems to be settling in rather well, don’t you think?”
“Ah … yes?”
That was the right answer, wasn’t it? Hoping she wouldn’t have to say anything else, Neve picked up a piece of summer squash and took a bite.
Ella Sue looked at her granddaughter and smiled. “She’s going to do just fine here when she takes over for me in a year or two.” Now she looked at Neve. Softly, she said, “I’m retiring.”
Neve choked. Slamming a fist against her chest, she tried to dislodge the squash but it wouldn’t come up.
“Well, heavens, child!”
She hit her chest again, panic setting in as the bite refused to go down, and then, abruptly, a pair of arms came around her. That was when the panic really set in, but as she was hauled back against a hard chest, a fist against her diaphragm, her lungs struggling
He flicked Brannon one final look. “It’s not what a friend does.”
He just had to convince himself of that, because he’d lain awake most of the night, remembering the taste of her … and the feel of her in his arms.
Most of all, the way everything in him had just seemed to … know her.
CHAPTER FOUR
“It all looks the same.” Neve had always kicked ass when it came to acting, and she was pulling out all the stops as Aneila walked with her around the house.
Aneila had been all of ten when Neve had left. She was twenty now and she must have been training at her grandmother’s knee, because somehow, she already had Neve sitting at the island, and the smells of whatever was cooking had her belly rumbling.
“You didn’t think it would change much, did you?” Aneila asked as she plated up a sandwich.
Neve winced at the size of it. And when Aneila started to put together a salad, she said, “I’m really not that hungry…”
A steely look entered Aneila’s eyes, one almost identical to Ella Sue’s. “If Granny calls here and asks if you ate anything, do you really think I want to tell her no?” she asked, her red-tipped nails tapping her hip.
“Ah…” Neve plastered a smile on her face. “Have at it. I’m probably hungrier than I think.”
Aneila smiled, looking pleased with herself. Cut from the same cloth, Neve thought. Steamrollers in human suits .
Biting back a sigh, Neve reached for the peach tea she’d gotten from the fridge. “So how has your family been?”
“Well enough.” A pleased smile curved Aneila’s lips. “Did Granny tell you the news?”
“Ah … well. There’s probably a lot of news I’ve missed.”
“True.” Aneila pursed her lips. “Okay, short version … Kiara is going to college in Kentucky—planning on being a doctor. Jazzy married her boyfriend, DeVantrè. He’s off serving overseas now and she’s living on base and she’s going to make me an auntie— and Granny will be Great-Granny soon.”
“Oh!” Neve clapped her hand over her mouth in surprise. “I bet Ella Sue is ecstatic!”
“Yes,” said a satisfied voice behind them.
Both Aneila and Neve spun to find Ella Sue standing in the doorway. Aneila grinned. “Hey, Granny.”
“Are you spoiling all my gossip, girl?” Ella Sue shook her head, not waiting for an answer. She came inside, studied the plate Aneila had in her hands, and then looked at Neve. “You are going to eat, young lady?”
“Of course,” Neve said. Now she’d have to. “So. Great-grandma and one of your granddaughters is going to be a doctor, huh?”
“Oh, yes.” Ella Sue smiled and gestured toward the plate.
Aneila gave Neve a sympathetic smile as she put it down. “You know better than to think you can win when it comes to food,” she said, winking.
Ella Sue pretended not to hear. “Aneila seems to be settling in rather well, don’t you think?”
“Ah … yes?”
That was the right answer, wasn’t it? Hoping she wouldn’t have to say anything else, Neve picked up a piece of summer squash and took a bite.
Ella Sue looked at her granddaughter and smiled. “She’s going to do just fine here when she takes over for me in a year or two.” Now she looked at Neve. Softly, she said, “I’m retiring.”
Neve choked. Slamming a fist against her chest, she tried to dislodge the squash but it wouldn’t come up.
“Well, heavens, child!”
She hit her chest again, panic setting in as the bite refused to go down, and then, abruptly, a pair of arms came around her. That was when the panic really set in, but as she was hauled back against a hard chest, a fist against her diaphragm, her lungs struggling
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