“I made a promise. It’s part of the pledge when you join, as you very well know,” Branna said.
“I’m the man you love. That should come with some weight.”
They joked and poked fun at each other for another hour, and all the time Annabelle was aware of the Texan, and she hated it, because she’d been aware of him before but now it was worse—now that she knew what it felt like to be kissed by him. Knew that he could take a woman under in two seconds just by brushing his lips against hers. The imprint of his warm hand was still on her neck and the smell of his body lingered in her nostrils.
“I would be the first person in the history of the Howling Book Club to be booted out. Jake, you wouldn’t want that for me, would you?”
Grateful for the reprieve from her thoughts by the ringing of her cell phone, Annabelle dove into her bag. Looking at the caller ID, she turned it to silent and shoved it back in. Cooper could go to hell before she spoke to him again.
“You’re not going to answer that?” Mikey questioned her.
“No one important.”
“How are your brothers, Annabelle?”
Her eyes shot to Jake as he asked the question. There was nothing in his expression to suggest anything but genuine curiosity, so she relaxed.
“Good. Zach’s at sea somewhere, and Coop’s still taking Vegas by storm.”
“What does your brother do at sea?” It was Ethan who had spoken this time, so she had to look at him again.
“He’s in the Navy.”
“Zach’s just made Chief Petty Officer, Tex,” Jake added.
“And Cooper’s in IT, right?”
Annabelle nodded in answer to Ethan’s question this time.
“In school he was like this geeky nerd who could fix anything that had a cable,” Jake added. “Brightest person I knew.”
“That’s changed now, of course,” Branna added.
“No, I actually I think he’d take you on and win, Rosebud. The guy’s a genius.”
“I’m a genius,” Branna said calmly. “Remember how I kicked your butt at Scrabble last night?”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Only because you cheat and I have no idea you’re cheating because you always come up with the origin of the word, and an elaborate meaning.”
“She’s always cheated at Scrabble,” Declan said.
“Dad!”
“It’s true, Branna, and you know it.”
“So Cooper works in Vegas?” Ethan said over the top of the teasing, his eyes on Annabelle.
“Yup.”
“Who does he work for?”
“Some corporation. He goes around fixing things when they break.”
“Must be doing well for himself.”
“Peachy,” Annabelle snapped, thinking about her $25,000.
“When did you last catch up with your brothers?”
