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by Dawn Kimberly Johnson

  Eli sipped his tea and looked at her. “Alec’s team… the Kestrels? They train Wednesday in Richmond.”

  Casey nodded, obviously still distracted, and Eli looked worriedly at Alec.

  “Are you okay, Casey?” Alec asked.

  “Yeah, just disappointed that Ilsa couldn’t make it.”

  Eli brightened. “Speaking of… any ideas how you want to handle her birthday this year? It’s the first for you two as a couple.”

  Casey grinned, suddenly becoming more animated. “At first I thought a nice intimate dinner party would be nice… very adult and all—”

  “But?” Alec asked.

  “But you and I both know Ilsa would never properly relinquish the kitchen to let someone else do the cooking. And if it were catered, she’d be critiquing all the dishes.” Alec and Eli nodded. “So I’ve decided on a big party at the house. I’ll invite everyone we know and ask them to bring a dish of some kind.” Casey smiled broadly at them. “She wouldn’t dare critique their cooking.”

  Eli laughed. “True.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Alec asked.

  Casey thought for a moment. “It’s still a ways off, but if I think of anything, I promise to let you know. Okay?”

  “Good enough,” Eli said.

  Casey glanced over the remnants of their lunch. “Dessert?” she asked hopefully.

  “Casey, we just came from working out,” Alec said.

  “And you’ve barely touched your salad,” Eli added.

  She rolled her twinkling blue eyes at them. “The point of working out is so you can eat dessert without guilt.” She laughed, looking at them. “And I’m more in the mood for chocolate than salad.”

  “None for me, thanks,” Alec said, paying his portion and standing. “I’ve got to get back to the university. But you stay, babe.” He kissed Eli. “Stay and indulge.”

  “I think I will.”

  They grinned at each other. “See you soon, Casey.” Alec headed for the door.

  Casey and Eli watched him leave and then turned to each other, simultaneously asking, “What’s up with you two?” They blinked at each other and immediately followed that with, “What do you mean?”

  They could read each other very well by now. Casey had been at Eli’s side during his recuperation and physical therapy. During that long, painful process, the two of them had become the best of friends. And the young nurse had fallen for Ilsa a bit more with each visit.

  “Dessert?” their waiter asked, suddenly appearing.

  Without even looking at the menu or the waiter, Casey asked for a warm nut brownie with ice cream, and Eli ordered peach pie à la mode.

  When the waiter had gone, the two friends leaned closer, each reaching a hand across the table toward the other. “What are you talking about?” Eli asked.

  “You and Alec were uncommonly lovey-dovey over lunch.” Casey grinned wickedly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the foot play under the table.”

  Eli blushed brightly. “Well, we… uh, we had an argument earlier.”

  “About?”

  He hesitated. “I… I pitched one too many tant—I got upset over Dray and—”

  The waiter reappeared, placing their respective desserts on the table in front of them, and Eli dug in immediately.

  “And?” Casey prompted.

  “And nothing,” he said around a mouth full of peach pie and ice cream. “We made up.”

  “Yeah,” she said, taking a bite of her brownie. “I know how nice making up can be.” Her expression grew dreamy, and he wasn’t sure if she was remembering something specific or if that brownie was very good.

  “Your turn,” he said.

  “Hmm?” Casey continued savoring her brownie.

  “I noticed the tension between you and Ilsa at the party and earlier on the phone.”

  She sighed, taking another bite of her dessert. “It’s just not how I thought it would be.” He just looked at her, not understanding. “I mean—hell, I don’t know what I mean.”

  “You… you don’t….” He didn’t know how to finish.

  “What?”

  “You don’t seem like yourself when you’re around Ilsa, not like you are with me, with your other friends.”

  Casey thought about this. “I’m afraid I’m going to need an example.”

  “Off the top of my head… your outfit for the party last night.”

  “What about it? You said I looked great.”

  “You did! You were the best-looking bird there, but….”

  “What?”

  “Were you comfortable in that?”

  “Clothes like that aren’t meant for comfort, Eli.”

  He rolled his eyes. “What are they meant for, Casey? Making the woman you want think you’re someone you’re not?”

  She stared at him, and then her eyes wandered over the remainder of her dessert. The ice cream had quickly melted, turning the once neat, perfect pairing into a delicious, sticky mess. “Been holding that in for a while, have you?”

  He lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, Casey. I just want the two of you to be happy.”

  She looked out the window at the shoppers strolling through Covent Garden Market. “When I first began pursuing her, I remember you warning me that Ilsa and I were looking for different things.”

  “And you told me you could do casual.”

  She turned back to him and smiled. “I thought I could, but the thought of her with anyone else—”

  “Makes you want to chew through a brick?”

  She laughed. “Or hit the other woman with one.”

  “I have a brick somewhere with Dray’s name on it.”

  “Now, now, love. Isn’t that what you and Alec were arguing about?”

  He looked around the room at the other diners, spreading his arms wide. “I don’t see Alec here, do you?”

  They both laughed.

  “What exactly is your issue with Dray?”

  “He tried to come between me and Bennett, and now he’s sniffing after Alec.”

  “But he didn’t succeed with Bennett, and Alec’s not interested in him.” He shrugged and took another bite of pie. She watched him finish it off. “Are you sure that’s all that’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, looking at her sharply.

  “I get the feeling there’s something else on your mind.”

  He began to fidget. “Well… this morning Alec mentioned something about us maybe finding our own flat.”

  “Ooh, how exciting! Tony said there were units opening up in their building.”

  “So you think it’s a good idea?”

  Casey appeared surprised. “Don’t you? The two of you on one level and in your own home.” She paused, but he didn’t say anything. “Eli, what else would keep you in the house?”

  “What about Ilsa? She’s already peeved at Tony and Lyle.”

  “No, she isn’t.” He stared at her until she rethought her position. “Okay, perhaps… but—”

  “I’m not…. I’m not ready to completely undo our family.”

  “This is about Bennett.”

  “No—”

  “Yes, it is!” A couple of heads turned toward their table, and Casey lowered her voice. “What did Alec say when you told him you didn’t want to move out?”

  Eli signaled to the waiter for the bill but didn’t say anything.

  He finally looked into her eyes. “We haven’t talked about it yet.” Casey was clearly confused, and he told her about that morning and how he’d pretended not to hear Alec.

  Casey smiled, shaking her head. “Smooth move, Casanova.”

  He laughed. “What was I supposed to say? At first I was so stunned I couldn’t speak… and I sort of just let the silence stretch out, and then he was gone.”

  “It’s obviously on his mind. It’ll come up again.”

  “I know.”

  “What will you say?”

  “No idea.”

  Th
ey paid their check, left the restaurant, and hugged.

  “Good luck with your woman,” he said.

  Casey grinned. “Thanks, but I don’t know if I can exactly call her mine, sweetie.”

  They smiled sadly at each other and parted ways.

  Chapter 11

  FOR the next day or so, Eli was able to avoid discussing moving out easily enough, because Alec didn’t bring it up again. He seemed preoccupied by something, so Eli had time to think. Wednesday afternoon, following two clients and one intense study session for his signing certification, he returned to a seemingly empty house. Alec had planned to go directly from the university to meet up with the Kestrels for training that evening, and from the silence that greeted him, Eli guessed Ilsa was either working late or with Casey somewhere.

  He slung his messenger bag off his shoulder and onto the floor, heading for the kitchen in search of food, but paused at the stairs, hearing movement above him.

  “Hello?” He heard a muffled response, but he couldn’t make it out. Eli eyed the stairs and considered the possible consequences of attempting them alone. “Fuck it.” He started climbing.

  The last time he’d done this alone was to check on Alec’s injuries after a fight with skinheads outside a local club. That night he’d struggled up two flights of stairs, fearing the entire time what he’d find in Alec’s attic room. He thought this time would be easier for several reasons: his goal was only the second floor, to discover who their mystery guest was; and this time he wasn’t motivated by the terror of losing someone.

  “Hello?”

  “In here!” Ilsa said, stepping out of Tony and Lyle’s former room and greeting him on the second landing. She had a tape measure in one hand and a pencil behind her ear. “What the hell are you doing climbing those stairs on your own?”

  He finally reached her and sighed. “Why the bloody hell are you skulking about up here?”

  She smiled at him, took his arm and led him back into the room. “I was taking measurements.” She spread her arms and spun around in the center of the room. “I’m thinking about making this my bedroom. It’s so much bigger. Big enough to—” she crossed to the windows facing the front of the house, “—have a little reading area here by the windows.” He shook his head, following her movements as she dashed around. “Or maybe some tall bookshelves here.” Ilsa put her hands on her hips, scrunching her lovely face in concentration. “I’m wondering about the color,” she said, looking around. “I’m thinking something a little less neutral? Maybe a faux treatment.” She looked at Eli and smiled broadly. “What do you think?”

  Her enthusiasm had infected him, and he grinned at her. “I think it will look spectacular.”

  She flashed a satisfied smile at him before her eyes began to wander over the room, apparently imagining what it might look like soon.

  “My momma and daddy had a really nice bedroom,” she said, her hand absently stroking the wall as she looked around. “She used to read to me and my sister there before bedtime.” Ilsa smiled wistfully at him. “I remember climbing into their bed was like trying to climb a mountain. It seemed so tall.” She laughed to herself.

  Eli watched her. “You miss them, don’t you?”

  Ilsa’s face clouded, and her voice became hard. “Their decision, not mine.” She ran her hand roughly through her tangle of dark brown curls.

  “When did you speak to them last?”

  “I talked to Sissy a couple of months ago. She’d like to visit, but she’s afraid of what Momma and Daddy will say.” Ilsa made some notations in the pad she held. “She’s become more involved with the church, and it might ‘look bad’.” She turned to stare at the windows again, waggling the eraser end of her pencil at them. “I was thinking of getting some input from Lyle. He has great taste.”

  Sensing the discussion of family was over, Eli jumped on board. “What kind of reading area were you thinking of? A leather wingback, or maybe a chaise?”

  Ilsa considered for a moment. “I think Casey would like a chaise. She’s on her feet so much at the hospital, she’d probably appreciate being able to stretch out, right?” She looked to Eli and seemed taken aback by his expression. “What?”

  “I… I just didn’t realize you were taking Casey into account.”

  She turned fully around to face him. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I wasn’t sure where… uh, you two were…” he said, waving his hand in an unfocused gesture, “in all this.”

  Ilsa stared at him for a few moments. “What do you mean, ‘in all this’?”

  “I’ve been wondering how serious you two were getting, that’s all.”

  Ilsa flinched and began furiously scribbling on her notepad. She focused intently on it, writing measurements and ideas for the room. “I… I’m not sure.” She didn’t look at Eli as she spoke. She only shrugged and made more notations. “I just thought of her… thought maybe she’d appreciate a chaise by the window.” He stared at her, smiling, but she wouldn’t look at him again. “Doesn’t mean anything,” she mumbled, dropping the pad, turning her back to him, and pulling out her tape measure for the largest wall.

  “It’s okay if you’re falling for her, Ilsa,” he said very softly, and suddenly he felt the urge to hug her, comfort her.

  She turned suddenly to face him. Her expression was unreadable, but before she could speak, the phone rang.

  “I’ll get it,” she said, rushing past him and down the stairs. He sighed and walked over to pick up the notepad she’d dropped. He read the list of colors she was considering, all of them rich, deep, and luxurious. He looked up, trying to imagine those colors and treatments on the walls surrounding him. He could hear Ilsa speaking with someone, and he smiled. She apparently had hopes for an opulent love den for her—and Casey.

  He continued to explore the notepad as he waited for Ilsa to return. He found magazine clippings secreted away within its pages. There were stunning examples of bedrooms with rich, dark wood furniture, modern artwork, and lush bedding and linens. He heard her say goodbye.

  “You know what you need, Ilsa?” he asked, expecting her to return soon. He held up one of the clippings to compare the burgundy comforter on the bed in the picture to the current wall color. “You need some fabric pieces… uh… swatches?” He turned to see her standing in the doorway. “Wait… those are watches, right?” Eli’s expression puckered as he tried to make his brain work. “I’m getting something wrong, aren’t I? Anyway, you need something more than pages ripped from—” He stopped when he saw her face. “What’s the matter?” Ilsa didn’t say anything, but he saw a small piece of paper in her hand. “What’s that?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Huh? Tell you wh—”

  “That you and Alec were planning to move out?”

  He blinked at her, unable to speak, and the devastated look on her face wasn’t making it any easier to collect his thoughts.

  “Ilsa… I… we’re not plan—”

  She held up the paper in her hand and crossed the room to him, holding it under his nose. “This is a message about apartments in Tony and Lyle’s building,” she accused. “It’s from Chase Mackens, some Realtor.” Eli couldn’t read the note with it held so close to his face, so he took it from her. “He said the units are coming ready sooner than expected,” she continued, “and he’s urging interested buyers to act now.” He stared at it for a couple of moments. That’s what it says, all right. He looked at her, saw the hurt in her eyes.

  “Ilsa….”

  “You can’t tell me Alec would do this without running it by you first.”

  “He mentioned something about it Monday morning, but we haven’t discussed anything.”

  She took a deep, slightly shuddering breath and smiled weakly. “Well, whatever you want to do,” she said lightly, whirling around and heading for the stairs. “I’m going to get dinner going.”

  Eli stood there, holding the note tightly. He was torn between being furious with
Alec and thinking of a way to put Ilsa’s mind at ease. He turned off the light as he left the room without once considering what it was he wanted.

  Chapter 12

  “YEAH?”

  Alec squinted at the pair of brown eyes peering at him through the narrowly opened door. “Uh, hi, I’m Alec Sumner. I called the other day about—”

  The door slammed in his face, startling and disappointing him until he heard the security chain being removed. The door swung wide, revealing a thin, shirtless, young man securing a pair of freshly pressed black trousers, followed by his belt. His hair was so blond it appeared nearly white and was so short it stood up rigidly in an oddly hip military cut. He also sported a matching neat, blond goatee.

  “Come in, mate,” he said, stepping back from the door. “I’m just gettin’ fixed for work.”

  Alec stepped in and closed the door behind him. The young man struggled into an undershirt, shouting a muffled, “Mum! Where is it?”

  “Comin’, dear.” A short, round woman came rushing from what looked like the kitchen, holding a crisp white dress shirt in front of her. “Here it is. Here it is,” she said handing it to her son. He took it and slipped it on hurriedly as she spotted Alec standing in the entryway. “And who are you, then?” she asked, looking him up and down, wrinkling her nose at his tousled hair, grass-stained T-shirt, shorts, and the pair of black soccer cleats slung over his shoulder. From her scrutiny, Alec was glad he’d stopped outside to knock the grass free of the shoes. “Just come from a match, have you?”

  “Uh, yes, ma’am, I’m Alec Sum—”

  “He’s here to ask me about Mickey, Mum. Leave him be.”

  “You don’t talk to your mother like that, Lincoln,” she snapped as she rushed back out of the room.

  “In here,” Lincoln said, pointing to Alec’s left. Alec followed him out of the hall and into another room where they sat down. “Sorry about her. She’s in for the week. She’s afraid I’m lonely here without Mickey.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve nearly got the screamin’ ab-dabs she won’t want to leave,” he said with a smile and a wink. Lincoln grabbed a highly polished black shoe from next to his chair. “Mum, did you pick up the laces I asked for?”