Oh, shit, really? Thomas hadn’t known that. He clenched his teeth and forced a smile. “Well, okay then,” he said, keeping his voice light as he picked up his burger, pretending he hadn’t just lost his appetite. “I’ll stay out of sight. Low profile.”
“Yeah, no, I don’t want that,” Alan countered, and again his smile was rueful—apologetic even. “You know that expression,Walk softly, but carry a big stick?You’re kinda my big stick.”
This time, Thomas let his eyebrows rise to that full, uncensoredAre you fucking kidding me...?
“I know,” Alan said, sighing heavily for both of them, “and I’m sorry, but I need you to do the whole, miserable, steely-eyed, visible bodyguard thing. Follow her wherever she goes, stand nearby at parade rest while she’s having lunch and dinner.”
“Jesus,” Thomas said, adding, “sir,” but thinkingDamn, Uncle Crazy...
“Please,” Alan said. “There’s no one I trust more than you.”
So Thomas nodded. “I’ll make sure she’s safe, sir,” he said again, but he said it through clenched teeth.
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Alan smiled and took a huge bite of his burger. Clearlyhisappetite was just fine.
Yeah.
Damn.
This was going tosuck.
* * *
“I’m sorry,what...?” Natasha Francisco turned from zipping closed her suitcase to stare at her aunt, Mia.
The older woman was pretending to be apologetic, but Tasha knew she was really trying to hide her smile. Mia had an interesting sense of humor. To be fair, it was one of the things Tasha loved best about her. Right now, however, it was far less adorable.
“It was the only way Alan was going to let you go—” Mia told her.
“Uncle Alan doesn’t have the right toletme go anywhere,” Tash pointed out crisply. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve been flying to the ski lodge out of Logan Airport, via small commuter plane. But she’d planned this trip back home to California to visit Mia, her uncle, and her two adorable and adoring cousins long before she and Ted had ramped their relationship up to its current new level of DefCon Stupid.
“Alone.” Mia finished the sentence that Tasha had interrupted. “We were invited, too,” she countered. “Allof us. Even your mother. We could all still grab our ski pants and come with.”
Tasha closed her eyes. “Don’t even joke about that.” This week was going to be hard enough—meeting Ted’s parents. God, doing it while juggling herunconventionalmother, while also under Aunt Mia’s and Uncle Alan’s watchful gazes...? No, no no no no.
“I’m not joking.” Mia pushed. “I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of room on that private jet.”
With a sigh, Tasha opened her eyes and looked at her aunt, who clearly knew she’d won. “Please,” Tash said. “Just... not Thomas. Mia, talk to Uncle Alan for me. Please? He’ll listen to you. I’d be okay with, I don’t know, Dave or Mike. Rio, even. Please, just anyone but Thomas King.”
Mia gazed at her. “But I thought... You guys are such good friends, I thought...”
“Were,” Tasha corrected her, even as saying the words aloud still made her heart break a little at the hard, cold truth. “Wewerefriends.” She shook her head.
She’d messed that up. It was her fault, entirely. She’d made an assumption, and...
It had been five years—at least—since she’d spoken to Thomas. At least not more than a cursoryHiwith a forced smile, when they bumped into each other at some Team Ten family event.
He was still embarrassed, too. She knew because she’d seen relief in his eyes more than once as he was leaving some function, when he’d managed to navigate the party without having to exchange full sentences with her.
Tash couldn’t remember the last time Thomas had teased her, calling herMartian GirlorWild ThingorPrincess, his dark brown eyes warm as he flashed his killer smile. It certainly wasn’t after she’d turned eighteen.
When she’d gone to college, she’d intentionally chosen a school on the East Coast to put distance between them.
Meeting Erik at the end of her freshman year had helped—her childhood crush on Thomas had given way to... well, not exactly love. More like mutual heavy-duty physical attraction combined with a case of serious like. She and E had stayed together for several years, only breaking up right before graduation.
Which was right around the time she’d met Ted, through his roommate Jeff Willems and...
Shit, what a mess.
