Page 49 of Falling for the Maverick

“I watched you with your grandmother at the rehearsal dinner. You seemed to be very devoted to her.”

“That’s because Gram is my secret keeper. I can tell her something, and she is as closemouthed as a covert agent. Not even my father can get her to spill the proverbial beans.”

“When did you tell her about what went wrong with you and your ex?”

“It was only recently that I revealed everything to her. She’s glad I didn’t tell my father about it, but she’s really annoyed with Aaron for involving himself in our business.”

“Don’t worry, Michelle. Your brother will get over it.”

“What about your brother, Lucas?”

“I can manage Ethan. There’re times when we butt heads, but fortunately most times we’re able to resolve our differences. I really think it’s because he’s two years older than me that he feels he should tell me what I should and shouldn’t do. A few times I have to remind him that if he wants to boss someone, then he should have a few little Brandts of his own.”

“Is he close to getting married?”

“No. If he was, then he wouldn’t be in my business.”

“That’s probably what’s wrong with Aaron. He’s twenty-nine and acts like marriage is akin to a prison sentence. I’m willing to bet that Tristan will be the next Corey to marry.”

“How old is Tristan?”

“Thirty-one. He’s my zen brother. Very few things upset Tristan.”

“You’re fortunate. Neither Ethan nor I would be considered zen. We’re not thugs, but we don’t back down.”

Michelle worried she’d made a mistake in telling Lucas about Aaron’s objection, since any conflict would force her to choose sides. Since Aaron had seen her break down emotionally, he wanted to shield her from any heartache she might face in the future. Yet, if he kept intervening in her life, she would eventually grow to resent him.

“I really like this piece,” she said after a comfortable silence. It was the theme from Cast Away.

“So, do I,” Lucas agreed. “That’s why I decided to download it.”

They spent the next two hours listening to music without talking. It was the first time she’d been with a man where there was no need for conversation.

By the time the fire burned out, the sky had darkened, and still they lay together wrapped in a cocoon of peace and contentment.

* * *

“Are you certain your grandmother didn’t make this mac and cheese?” Lucas asked Michelle as he took another forkful.

“I made everything here. Well, not everything because you mixed the beverage.”

“It tastes exactly like your Gram’s mac and cheese.”

Michelle smiled. She pledged never to tell anyone that Angela Corey had provided her granddaughter with her prize-winning recipe. “She’s my grandma, so I take after her,” she joked.

“You weren’t being completely honest when you said you bake better than you cook, because everything you made is incredibly delicious.”

She bowed her head. “Thank you. I try.”

“You do more than try, Michelle. I’ve rarely tasted stuffed pork chops as delicious as these.”

“I found the recipe in a magazine and decided to try it. It was simple, and I needed only a few ingredients.”

“A-plus for everything. And that includes the cornbread.”

“The cornbread is my mother’s recipe. She always gets raves whenever she makes it.”

Lucas raised his glass and sampled the lemon-lime beverage. “You said all the women in your family made the dishes for the rehearsal dinner?” Michelle nodded. “All I can say is y’all are some badass cooks who know how to burn some pots.”