“Besides, those women are a thousand miles away. You’re here and he’s giving you his undivided attention,” Katelyn said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
“Cheers to that.” Gemma took a sip and then stopped when she realized no one else was taking a drink. Tammy’s eyes were wide. Katelyn’s drink was paused in the air and Annie thumped her head with her hand. “What?” Gemma asked, but her question died in her throat as she turned in her chair.
A blonde knockout in cut-off jean shorts, sexy heeled boots, and a shirt that didn't quite cover her navel stood in the door of the café. “Excuse me. I’m looking for Cy Davidson. Can someone help me?” the young bombshell asked the stunned restaurant.
Gemma downed the rest of the glass of the ice tea. “Taylor freaking Jefferies.” She turned and grabbed Tammy’s glass and started drinking hers. The door tinkled again and Cy walked in with his little grin that she used to think was sexy.
“Cy,” Taylor squealed as she leaped into his arms.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Gemma groaned and she finished Tammy’s drink. The only sound in the café was the clinking of the ice in her now empty glass.
“Taylor, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Cy asked with a grin Gemma realized as his real look. Apparently he didn’t feel the need to be his undercover self with her.
“Oh, I’m fine. I just wanted to see you and you said I could come anytime,” Taylor told him as she finally let go. Gemma grabbed the drink from where Katelyn still had it paused halfway to her mouth and downed it. They had told her it was special and she had to agree with the way the world was tilting around her. Maybe a couple more and the perfectly perky blonde would simply disappear.
As she set the glass down, Cy caught her eye and smiled. “Gemma, you have to meet Taylor.”
Gemma smiled, raised her middle finger, and passed out.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Cy dropped his arm from around Taylor and stared at the woman he loved face down in a plate of peach cobbler. Katelyn’s mouth was open, Tammy’s eyes were wider than he knew possible, Paige looked ready to stab him with a fork, and Kenna would back Paige up. Morgan’s look was so cold he practically shook where he stood and then heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being unholstered. Annie gave him a sweet little smile as she placed the gun on the table.
“What is wrong with you all?” Taylor gasped at the sight and hid behind Cy. Annie directed her gaze to the starlet and cocked the gun.
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong. Cyland, you should be ashamed of yourself.” Miss Violet came at him with her wooden spoon in hand and thwacked him on the head before he knew what was happening. “You toy with a woman and make her fall in love with you and all the while you have some blonde tart in the background,” Miss Violet berated before she lowered her voice and looked to Taylor, “Sorry, hon, I loved you in Mountain Falls.”
“Wait. Everyone calm down. There’s been a misunderstanding.” Cy held up his hands in self-defense. The table of women shot him a can’t-wait-to-hear-this look so he knew he had to hurry. “Taylor and I aren’t dating. We’ve never dated and we’re never going to date.”
“Eww, I couldn’t date Uncle Cy. That would be totally weird,” Taylor’s voice said from behind him.
“I’ve known her since she was eight. I helped her out on the set and took care of her when she emancipated from her parents,” Cy told the café.
“That’s right. He taught me to cook, clean, and drive a car. He even made me get my GED.” Taylor stuck her head out from behind Cy.
“So he was the perfect big brother?” Paige asked as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Yes,” Taylor said, relieved that someone understood.
Cy grimaced as Paige calmly stood up, grabbed her purse, said goodbye to the table. She stopped before him and grabbed Miss Violet’s spoon and cracked it over his head.
“Paige, wait.” Cy grabbed his sister as she sailed by him. “I know you’re upset. But you need to know that you and our family are the reason I decided to retire and come home. I missed everyone and I’m here now. I can’t help but feel like such an outsider. You’re married with a beautiful child. You’ve all moved on and it’s like I was never even here. I know I was gone for a long time, but I’m trying, Paige. I’m trying to be part of the family again. Don’t shut me out now.”
“Shut you out? I called you every week for the past eight years; sometimes you answered and sometimes you didn’t. And you think I’m shutting you out? You shut yourself out, Cy—you still are. Wake up and realize we all want to see you, be with you, and hear what you’ve been up to. But we can’t. You won’t talk to us. You won’t be you, Cy Davies. You’re still Cy Davidson. When you realize we don’t give a crap who you were, just that you’re here and we love you, then I’ll talk to you again. Shoot, even Gemma realizes it.”
Paige yanked her arm free and shoved the door to the café open. It slammed shut as the sound reverberated through the café. The only noise was the slight snore coming from Gemma as she unconsciously took a lick of the caramel sauce she was sleeping on.
He thought he was doing such a good job of being good ol’ Cy. He guessed he was wrong. Now Paige was mad at him and Gemma thought he was having an affair all because he let his undercover work come home with him.
“Who’s Cy Davies?” Taylor asked quietly.
“I am. Or at least I used to be.”
Cy sat on the bench outside of the café with a quiet Taylor next to him. He had just told her the whole story and what she had unknowingly walked into. He had tried to carry Gemma home, but Annie had rested her hand on her gun again and ordered him to “fix this” before he saw her again. Even sweet Tammy narrowed her eyes at him.
He had disappointed them all when he had tried so hard not to. And that was the problem. He had been doing what he had been doing in Hollywood as a spy. Pretending to be someone else to make everyone happy and like him. Although this time he couldn’t pull it off. They all knew him too well and instead were insulted. So rather than taking care of the woman he loved, he was forced to watch Annie and Katelyn maneuver her into the car and take her back to Miss Lily’s.
“Let me make sure I got this.” Taylor took a breath and looked up at the sky. “You’re a spy. You’ve been pretending with your family and now because you aren’t pretending with me, they’re kinda mad at you. And your girlfriend, whom you just figured out you’re in love with, thinks we’re having an affair.”
“Yep. That about wraps it up.”
“Well, that’s easy. Just go talk to them while Gemma sleeps it off. If they’re as great as you’ve said, they’ll understand and help you with this transition. Sometimes just talking helps. Or so says my therapist of ten years.” Taylor gave him a nudge and Cy realized she was right.
He’d wanted to be like his brothers. Wanted to prove he was tough enough to handle undercover work and just bounce right back to who he was before, but that person didn’t exist anymore. A new Cy Davies did; he just needed to discover him. The door to the café opened and Trey Everett walked out. He saw the open curiosity on Taylor’s face and grinned. Maybe he wasn’t the only one discovering who they were. “Trey,” Cy called out.
“Yes, sir?” Trey stopped and politely took off his Vanderbilt football cap.
“Trey Everett, meet Taylor Jefferies. Taylor, this is Trey.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” they both said at the same time and then blushed.
“Trey, would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Of course, sir. What is it?”
“I need some time to talk with my family. Could you spare an hour or so and show Taylor around Keeneston?”
“I’d be happy to. I can drop Miss Jefferies off at the bed-and-breakfast before practice.”
“Practice?” Taylor asked as she stood up.
“Yes, I play football. I’m working out this summer with some coaches. I just transferred to Vanderbilt.”
“Vanderbilt? I’m star
ting my freshman year there. It’s so wonderful to meet someone who’s going to the same college. And you’re already a sophomore? What is college like? Tell me all about it.” Taylor hit him with rapid-fire questions as the two started walking down the street. Well, at least he did something right today.
Cy hugged his mother as his father stood proudly by. Paige even managed to give him a little smile. He had sat the family down, all except Cade, and told them the trouble he was having adapting. He felt stuck between L.A.'s Cy Davidson and Keeneston's Cy Davies. Surprisingly, he was the last to know. Everyone had already figured it out. It was why his brothers were taking him around the farm and showing him what they had done. Not as an example of what he missed, but to remind him of what he was returning to.
“We love you and we’re very proud of you,” his mother said sweetly before letting him go.
“I don’t know if it helps, but I had trouble readjusting to civilian life, too. Why don’t you come with Bill and me on some visits to the hospital? He’s a great therapy dog. I think you’ll like it.”
“Thanks, Miles. That means a lot. Let me know next time you go and I’ll tag along.” Cy’s attention was drawn to the door as Cade came hurrying in.
“You have a cell phone for a reason,” Cade yelled impatiently. “I found something. Hey, where’s Gemma?”
“At Miss Lily’s. I’m surprised Annie didn’t call you since she almost shot me earlier,” Cy informed him. When Cade grimaced at his own cell phone, Cy just smirked.
“I’ll ignore that. What did you do?”
“She may have misinterpreted a zealous hug from a friend,” Cy hedged.
“From Taylor Jefferies to be specific.” Paige smiled as she happily filled in the blanks.
“I can’t wait to hear the details, but now’s the time for you to kiss and make up. I found a thread, but now I need to figure out how to pull on it. It’s a company name. Happens to be the same company name that rented the house Mr. Goatee Man was staying at.”
“That’s fantastic. What’s the problem?” Cy asked as he stopped to kiss his mother and sister goodbye.
“It’s a legal game of hide and seek. There’re so many shell corporations and different names of officers that I’m having trouble finding a real lead,” Cade told him.
“What about asking Henry and Neely Grace if they can help. As much as you get distracted by the shiny suits, Henry’s pretty smart. And from what I’ve heard about Neely Grace, she puts him to shame.”
“Good idea. I’ll talk to them while you’re begging Gemma to believe you,” Cade chuckled.
* * *
He paced the large office at his newest home in Kentucky. He had homes all over the world, but never one in such a small, out-of-the-way place like this. The quiet was getting to him. He heard things at night, things that he knew weren’t real. Even though his team surrounded him, he felt more and more isolated. There was no one he could trust anymore.
“Sir. There’s been activity on that account you wanted me to watch.”
He nodded and the guard hurried from the room. Taking a breath, he made his way to the massive desk and turned on his computer. He pulled up his account and searched out Sarah Flannery’s page. A picture was front and center that caused him to throw his glass of whiskey into the fireplace. In the middle of his screen sat a picture of his beautiful daughter with that son-of-a-bitch spy and no-good journalist determined to bring him down.
“Sergei!” he roared as he slammed his fist on his desk. He was going to take care of this himself.
* * *
Gemma opened her eyes to a room of women. The smell of coffee whiffed through the air along with a huge tray of brownies. And then she remembered what happened. Taylor Jefferies leaping into Cy’s open arms.
“Oh no,” Gemma groaned and rolled back into her pillow.
“Here, dear. Have some coffee. It’ll help clear your head. Cyland is downstairs and needs to talk to you,” Miss Lily told her.
“I don’t want to see him.”
“You really should. We might have misjudged the situation,” Katelyn told her.
“Yeah. It turns out that Taylor really is just a friend. Trust me, I would've shot him if it were otherwise,” Annie said reassuringly while patting her sidearm.
“Thanks. That’s very nice of you.” Gemma attempted to laugh but it hurt her head to do so.
“And I should tell you that little Miss Jefferies is staying in the room on the third floor,” Miss Lily said hesitantly.
“No,” Gemma squeaked as she hid her head in the pillow. “I made such a fool of myself.”
“There, there. She’s actually quite sweet. Poor dear, she’s never been a teenager before. She acts as if she’s already forty years old instead of eighteen,” Miss Lily clucked as she shook her head.
“Thank you all for your help. Now if only I could get over the embarrassment of it all, I could leave this house again.” Gemma sat up and took a sip of the strong coffee.
“Oh, we’ve all been there. It’s nothing compared to that time I walked through school with my skirt tucked into my drawers,” Miss Lily shrugged. “It happens.”
Katelyn and Annie shook their heads as they grinned at Miss Lily. “It does happen. Especially when the Rose sisters’ special iced tea is involved. We’ll meet you downstairs.” Katelyn smiled in a way that had Gemma thinking there was a story to be told there.
Gemma took another drink of coffee as the room cleared and finally stood up to take a quick shower. The hot water felt good as she began to wake up. Unfortunately, now the only thing she felt was foolishness for getting so upset over someone she didn’t even have a well-defined relationship with. They were sleeping together and sometimes he called her his girlfriend. But she knew the real reason she was so upset. She loved the man.
Not the incredibly hot Hollywood stunt hero and international spy, but the kind, caring gentleman he was when they were alone together. The one who loved his family and wanted to take care of her. The one who told her corny jokes and helped Miss Lily carry in the groceries. The one who snuggled with her tiny fur ball of a dog and then took him to playdates with his brothers’ dogs. That’s the man she loved.
Gemma turned off the shower and slipped on a skirt and shirt before brushing out her hair and quickly braiding it. She knew she had kept him waiting. But quite honestly, she was scared to see him. What would she do if he looked at her with pity or worse, without that spark in his eyes?
Cy paced back and forth on the porch as his brother and sisters-in-law laughed in the parlor. He didn’t see what was so funny. He had never been this nervous before. Waiting to see if the woman he loved with all his heart would even talk to him was worse than the time he had to lift a passkey from a warlord in the Sudan.
The screen door opened and Cy turned around to see a freshly washed and barefoot Gemma standing shyly by the door. “Gemma, please believe me. There’s nothing going on with Taylor. I . . .”
Gemma cut him off. “I know. The girls told me. Can we forget it happened? I’m so embarrassed I don’t think I can stand it.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I would've done the same thing had a man hugged you like that.” Cy paused. “Well, after I punched him.” Cy opened his arms and relief flooded him when she tucked her head under his and placed it against his chest. He closed his arms around her and never wanted to let her go.
“Good. Glad that’s settled. Now we need to discuss something important,” Cade said as he pushed open the door. “Ow.” Annie and Katelyn both slapped Cade against the head at the same time while they shot Cy and Gemma an apologetic look.
“It’s okay. What’s going on?” Gemma asked from where Cy kept her tight against him.
“First, we discovered that Sarah is very popular. But, we found an IP address from Lexington. It’s registered to the same company that rented the house for the Goatee Man. Someone in that house saw the picture.”
“Mr. X?” Gemma asked.
“Some
one did. I’m guessing you’ll find out soon enough if Cy’s plan works the way he thinks it will. Henry and Neely Grace are making progress, but it’s slow work. Maybe they’ll have something by Noodle’s wedding tomorrow, but Neely Grace warned that it could take time. I’ll let you know if we find anything else out.”
“We’ll see y’all there, won’t we?” Katelyn asked, as she looked him right in the eyes, making it more of a statement than a question.
“Yes, of course. Noodle invited me the other day and I happily accepted. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Keeneston wedding.” Cy looked down at Gemma and smiled. “They’re a blast. The whole town is there and there’s food galore, music, dancing, and more gossip than you can shake a stick at.”
“Sounds fun. But what about Mr. X?”
“The whole town will be there. By the time the reception starts, we’ll know all of Dr. Francis’s family. It would be very difficult to slip in unnoticed. Hopefully, Mr. X will act before then.” Cy gently ran his hand down her back and wished this were over. He couldn’t move on with Gemma until it was.
* * *
Gemma stroked her fingers down the back of Cy’s neck as they swayed to the music. His hand gently rested on the small of her back as he held her to him. The wedding had been beautiful and packed with every person in town, half the hospital, and all the bride’s family. The reception, true to Noodle, was held outside in a field next to his favorite fishing spot. Trees surrounded the open area that had been decorated with beautiful lanterns casting a warm glow onto the happy group. Lanterns also lined the small waterway, causing the water to twinkle.
Gemma pressed herself against Cy’s hard body and ran her other hand from his chest down his stomach.
“You’re killing me,” he whispered into her ear as he pressed her bottom toward him so she could feel just how much she was killing him.
Gemma slid her hand down and as she let it fall, her nails skimmed the bulge in his suit pants. She enjoyed the hiss he made as he slid his hand around her upper back and gently used his thumb to stroke the side of her breast.
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