His brown eyes held warmth, and she’d always gotten such interesting vibes from the man. There were days when his spirit seemed so placid as to belie his ginger-colored hair. But a few times when she’d encountered him, she’d sensed a turbulence as great as the ocean within him.
“Welcome to the family, Tasha. I’ve never seen Gord look as happy as he has since you came into his life.” He hugged her, and then turned to look at Clay’s children, all three of whom were sitting with Clay’s cousins, Matt and Steven. “I think I need to go and visit with my other new cousins.”
“I told you these two men were making goo-goo eyes at you!” Ari Benedict laughed, and then threw her arms around Tasha.
Tasha beamed. “So you did, my friend. How’s the house coming?”
“It’s nearly done. Grandma Kate took us over to the warehouse—have you seen that place?”
“I have, indeed. It’s like being in your own private big box store.”
“It is! There were a couple of pieces she wanted to show us that used to belong to Cord and Jackson’s great-grandparents. One was an exquisite dining table James and Jacob actually made for their Rosie. Of course, the guys wanted that for the house.”
“I think that’s wonderful,” Tasha said.
“It is. From time to time I visit the family cemetery—actually, I did that for the first time, right after you dragged me to the museum last year.”
“Cemeteries can be peaceful places.”
“That’s what my Nan always used to say. I’ve taken the guys there, too. It’s kind of cool in a way, because we’re learning about the Benedict family history together.” Then she grinned. “Except for Sarah’s journal, of course. They can’t read that.”
Cord and Jackson Benedict chuckled at their wife’s quip. Jackson gave her a playful swat on her butt. Then they hugged Tasha, and then each took one of Ari’s hands as they stood nearby chatting with Chloe and the firemen.
Tasha took a moment to really appreciate the new peace and contentment her friend wore. Ari had completely changed from the angry, edgy woman Tasha had first met.
The power of love—the love of two men and the love of an entire community—was an awesome, awesome thing.
Carol came over to them, with the glow of a bride still mentally and emotionally on her honeymoon. “I’m so happy for you!” She hugged Tasha tight. Here’s another woman who’s been transformed by love.
“I’m happy for us, too,” Tasha said.
“Welcome to the family,” Warren said. “Gord and Clay are good men. You couldn’t have chosen better.”
Tasha giggled, because Gord and Clay were both blushing at that.
“Actually,” Clay said, “we’re the lucky ones.” He met Gord’s gaze and then looked at the paramedics. “Tasha is our salvation.”
Edward nodded. “We know exactly what you mean.” Then he turned his head slightly. “Ah, The Hurricane.”
Tasha knew he was referring to their sister, Nancy, who made her way over to them just then.
“Congratulations.” She offered Tasha a hug, and Clay and Gord handshakes.
Gord kissed her cheek. “Thanks, honey. I hear you’re home for good. What are you going to do with yourself?”
“Believe it or not, I actually have a plan. We have the library at the other end of town, but that’s really the only place in town to get a book. I’ve always wanted to open a bookstore. So I spoke to Mom, and Aunt Samantha and Grandma Kate. And, I’ve been speaking with Kelsey, too.”
Clay was the first to get it. “You’re going to build a bookstore right next door to here, aren’t you? Maybe connect the two businesses?”
Nancy seemed impressed by his insight. “Yes! The old video store has been standing empty for a while. Jordan said it wouldn’t take much to renovate it and then put in an archway between here and there.” She pointed toward the back of the restaurant. “That will give Kelsey a bit more space for the restaurant proper and allow for a ‘between’ kind of place.”
“Oh, afternoon coffee break by the fire, with a book in hand!” Tasha said.
Nancy narrowed her eyes. “You must have been speaking to Jordan. This past winter was so cold, Kelsey thought it might be a good idea to have a two-sided gas fireplace installed, and I agree.”
“No, actually, that’s just one of my happy places,” Tasha said. “Imagining myself somewhere with a fire, a coffee, and a good book.”
Nancy was called over by her parents, and wandered off in that direction.
“Like her brothers said, Hurricane Nancy.” Gord grinned. “I hope she didn’t offend you. She always thinks she knows what’s going on, when very often, she doesn’t have a clue.”
Clay moved so he was on Tasha’s left side. He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Grandma said nearly the same thing about her, and that her ‘clueless’ self got blindsided recently.” His gaze followed the woman as she sat down again. “Grandma didn’t have the details, but apparently her boss of several years called her in one day and told her that her job was done.”
“Personally you couldn’t pay me enough to work in DC, especially lately. No one knows the meaning of the word ‘co-operation’ there anymore,” Gord said.
“Her boss was Senator Cordell, right?” Tasha had only heard a little about this particular Jessop cousin since she’d been in Lusty.
Gord nodded. “Yeah. He’s actually one of the few politicians that I’ve met that I like.”
“I haven’t always followed the politics down here,” Clay said. “But I have a hunch Nancy may be better off away from the Capitol.” He looked at Gord, and then her. “She looked really stressed out that first day we met her—the day of your great adventure, pal. Like she was angry and tense—she’s a lot less so than she was.”
“But just as sad,” Tasha said.
“Do you think someone did something to her? Oh, I don’t know what,” Gord said. “But ‘sad’ isn’t a word I’d ever have associated with my dynamic female cousin.”
“At first I thought our cousin had been betrayed, professionally,” Clay said. “But the more I’ve thought about it, the less likely that seemed.”
Tasha knew exactly what he meant. “I can’t imagine Jake or Grandma Kate letting something like that fly.”
“Hell, no,” Gord said. Then he looked over at Clay. “You said ‘our cousin.’ That was good to hear.”
“Hey, I might be an introvert but I get around to making connections. Eventually.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Gord lifted Tasha’s hand and kissed it.
“I’m looking forward to getting to really know personally the people here I’ve only before known of peripherally.” Clay sighed. He looked at Tasha. “I think the gregarious side of you is rubbing off on me, sweetheart.”
Tasha grinned as she looked at Gord. “What about you, handsome? Am I rubbing off on you, too?”
“Hell, yes,” Gord said. His gaze was drawn to the table where Terry and Shaun appeared to be in deep conversation. He was drawing something on a napkin, and Shaun was pointing and asking questions.
“I like him,” Tasha said. Gord was right. Terry was a shy man. She’d only had a handful of conversations with him. When he wasn’t working with Gord over a car or truck engine, or over at the airfield giving those flyboys a hand, he was out at Mike’s place—he’d moved in there soon after he’d come home after resigning from the Air Force. Carpentry was his hobby, and word had it he and Mike were burning the midnight oil, planning something. Probably working on the plans for that yacht that Gord told us about.
“I like him, too,” Gord said. “But he’s a restless soul.”
“But not as much as he was when he first came home last month,” Kate Benedict said.
Tasha hadn’t noticed the elderly woman approach. Clay reached her first. He gave her a big hug, lifting her right off her feet. Kate giggled like a schoolgirl, and her smile was bright enough to light the room.
“Thank you, Grandma. Thank you for talking me
into coming home to Lusty.” He looked over her head and met Tasha’s gaze. “Thanks to you, I’ve found my second chance.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just grateful you decided to make the move.”
He grinned down at her. “You know, some of my Benedict cousins have been filling me in on a few very interesting facts about things in Lusty.”
“Well, good. There’s no such thing as too much information, I always say.”
“That’s not, apparently, the only thing you always say.” Clay looked at Gord, and then Tasha. “It seems there’s this little hobby you’ve developed of late—matchmaking. Matt said the moment I came to town, he figured you had ‘plans’ for me.”
Kate laughed. “You young people, always looking for a conspiracy. I, myself, prefer to think that destiny plays its part in our lives. And when we zig it sometimes zags to counter us. And in the end, things turn out the way they’re meant to be—and sometimes how they’re meant to be is a real surprise to us all.”
Tasha couldn’t have agreed more. She opened her mouth to say as much, but her attention was snagged when two men entered the restaurant.
Tall, dark, and dangerous-looking, these were men she’d never met before in her life. One wore his hair short and had a slight mustache, the other was clean shaven with longish hair, and both were handsome as two devils. Instinctively, Tasha tuned into her senses—and got quite an interesting little buzz.
Just then, Nancy Jessop gasped, jumped to her feet, and made a beeline for the new arrivals.
“Eli Barton and Jeremiah Winthrop, you just turn right around and go back to where you came from! I can’t further your careers anymore.” She folded her arms across her chest and gave them what could only be called a superior grin. “I no longer work for Senator Cordell. In fact, I no longer even live in DC. So y’all just wasted your time following me. Now, get the hell out of here. Go lobby someplace else.”
The restaurant fell silent as a tomb. All eyes were turned to the little scene playing out. Some looked completely abashed—Nancy had, after all, cussed out two strangers without so much as a “bless your heart.”
Some looked like they wanted to cheer the arrival of the newcomers.
Two people in particular—Peter Alvarez-Kendall and Joe Grant—looked as if they’d just received the shock of their lives. That’s interesting. Our local Feds know these men.
The mustached man turned to his friend. “A typical warm, loving, Nancy Jessop kind of welcome. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it Jeremiah?”
“It certainly does, Eli,” Jeremiah said.
“We know you no longer work for Cordell.” Eli slipped his hands into his pants pockets.
“What you don’t know is we quit our jobs, too.” Jeremiah folded his arms across his chest, mimicking Nancy’s pose.
“Isn’t it great, Nance? No more conflict of interest. No more ‘too busy’ taking care of Cordell’s every whim. In fact, no more obstacles to hide behind at all.”
“Just you, and us, and this interesting little town with such a promising name.”
Tasha was watching closely. She didn’t see fear or anger cross Nancy’s face. What she saw was a flash of hope.
Then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
“Argh!” Nancy turned on her heel and headed toward her brothers and new sister-in-law.
“Well now,” Kate said softly. “I think I should go and welcome those two boys to town.”
Kate headed over to do just that. Conversation resumed, with a few cousins chuckling at the look of horrified disbelief that crossed Nancy’s face when Kate went up to the pair and proceeded to steer them to a table by the window.
Clay looked like he was going to say something, but Gord chuckled. “If I know Kate, she already knows who those two men are.”
Thinking of the way the Town Trust handled security, Tasha said, “Or she will shortly.”
Clay shook his head, and then he laughed. “I forgot for just a moment where we live. Maybe we should grab something to eat and see if there’s an act two for our entertainment.”
“You’re bad,” Tasha said. “I like that about you.”
“I love you. And I’m looking forward to the life we’re all going to build, together.”
“You said it, brother.” Gord kissed Tasha’s hand. “From your lips to God’s ear.”
Tasha grinned. Gord and Clay’s words had been a prayer and a vow rolled into one. They were, in fact, the perfect words for her.
THE END
WWW.MORGANASHBURY.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan Ashbury, also writing as Cara Covington, has been a writer since she was first able to pick up a pen. In the beginning it was a hobby, a way to create a world of her own, and who could resist the allure of that? Then as she grew and matured, life got in the way, as life often does. She got married and had three children, and worked in the field of accounting, for that was the practical thing to do and the children did need to be fed. And all the time she was being practical, she would squirrel herself away on quiet Sunday afternoons and write.
Most children are raised knowing the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Morgan’s children also learned the Paper Rule: thou shalt not throw out any paper that has thy mother’s words upon it.
Believing in tradition, Morgan ensured that her children’s children learned this rule, too.
Life threw Morgan a curve when, in 2002, she underwent emergency triple bypass surgery. Second chances are to be cherished, and with the encouragement and support of her husband, Morgan decided to use hers to do what she’d always dreamed of doing—writing full-time.
Morgan has always loved writing romance. It is the one genre that can incorporate every other genre within its pulsating heart. Romance showcases all that humankind can aspire to be. And, she admits, she’s a sucker for a happy ending.
Morgan’s favorite hobbies are reading, cooking, and traveling—though she would rather you didn’t mention that last one to her husband. She has too much fun teasing him about having become a “Traveling Fool” of late.
Morgan lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a mysterious cat, a nine-pound Morkie dog who thinks he’s a German Shepherd, and her husband of forty-one years, David.
For all titles by Cara Covington, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/cara-covington
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Love Under Two Introverts [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 26
