Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“How do you know that?”
“Russ the rheumatologist? Are you kidding?”
“Oh yeah, well, we hardly ever see him anymore. His new wife doesn't like me,” Aja mused.
“Russ,” I said it again so I'd remember. “That's it. And why doesn't she like you? Everybody likes you.”
“I keep calling her by the fourth wife's name. But really, the difference between Marnie and Marcie is hard to keep straight.”
The door opened as I started to use the steamer, and Aja was right, it was fast.
“Hey,” Duncan said as he leaned in with a glass of wine for Aja and a beer in a can and a cold class for Sam. “Your husband asked me to deliver drinks.”
“Oh.” She beamed at him. “That was so thoughtful.”
“Look at what he did.” Sam sounded so pleased. “He got me the $120 Nachos from Hoof Hearted Brewing. I’ve been dying to try this.”
“That’s beer, not nachos,” Duncan pointed out, taking the piece of bread Aja offered him.
“No, the beer is called—never mind,” Sam said, opening the pop-top of the can and pouring it like it was liquid gold.
“Hi,” Duncan greeted Carwood, stepping into the laundry room, which still wasn’t crowded even with all of us in there, that’s how big it was, and offered the man his hand. “I’m Duncan Stiel, nice to meet you.”
“And you, Mr. Stiel. I’m Carwood, Carwood Brower.”
“Call me Duncan. But is there a reason you’re in here, Carwood?”
“It’s not important,” I assured him, walking over to my new friend with his clean, perfectly pressed shirt.
“Oh, Jory, thank you so much,” he told me.
“It’s just part of the service we provide here at Chez Harcourt.”
“I should have a sign made,” Aja announced. “Oooh, that would be so cute.”
“This is really good beer,” Sam informed us all.
“What a beautiful wedding ring,” Carwood told Duncan.
“It’s big is what it is,” Sam chimed in. “You can see it from the space shuttle.”
“Lots of diamonds,” Aja sighed. “But when you’re married to a billionaire, these things happen.”
“Like that ice rink on your hand is small,” I teased her.
“We’re not talking about mine,” she said, shooting me a look.
“He’s the caveman?” Carwood asked Sam, pointing at Duncan.
“Yeah. Are you not seeing him? You don’t see that forehead?”
“What now?” Duncan asked.
“Hey, tell Aaron, the guy's name is Russ.”
Duncan glanced around the room and then back to me. “I don't know what's going on right now.”
“Oh we know, buddy,” Sam placated him
The door opened again and Dane leaned in. “Is Mr. Brower’s shirt finished being laundered?”
“It is,” Aja replied, smiling at him. “Thank you for the glass of prosecco, love.”
“You’re welcome, but if the shirt is clean, do you think we might all reconvene to the living room? I’m getting asked where my wife is.”
“Oh yes,” Aja said quickly, moving to the door, taking the plate of bread with her.
“This is really good beer,” Sam told Dane.
“I’m glad you like it. Come drink it in the living room.”
“What did you say about me?” Duncan asked, following Sam out of the room.
“Shall we?” I asked Carwood, picking up the bowls, stacking them as we’d both finished.
He followed me out, and when we were both in the kitchen, his brother and sister-in-law showed up.
“Where were you?” she asked him. “We were wanting to leave but––”
“Oh, you can go ahead and go,” I told her. “My husband and I will drive him home.”
“And you are?” she snapped at me.
“Jory Harcourt-Kage,” I said, trying it on.
“Harcourt?”
“And Kage,” I reminded her. “My brother is Dane Harcourt, the architect, the guy whose home you’re in, and my husband, Sam Kage, is that guy right there enjoying his beer, who happens to be the chief deputy of the Northern District of Illinois.”
“He’s a marshal,” Carwood sighed. “How exciting.”
“Sam Kage,” his brother said in awe, turning to me. “Sir, your husband saved me, and my grad students, during a prison break at Elgin a few years ago. We were there conducting interviews and—he and one of his men were shot, but they saved us all. And the prisoner who tried to escape…didn’t.”
I remembered that all too well.
“I could have died.” He turned to his wife. “Do you remember that?”
She nodded quickly, feeling, I was certain, just as thankful as I was. It was stupid of him to ask if she remembered. Of course she did.
“Could you…introduce us?” he asked me hopefully.
“Carwood can,” I told him. “He knows Sam.”
He turned expectantly to his brother.
“Of course,” he said, glancing at me before gesturing his brother forward.
“Would you––” his sister-in-law barely got out, clearly overwhelmed. “Car.”
He put his arm around her. “Come on, Lori, I’ll introduce you too.”
More nodding, and he took both of them over to meet my husband.
Later, I was in the kitchen, rinsing dishes for Aja, when Sam walked up behind me and kissed the side of my neck.
“Carwood told me you hyphenated when you introduced yourself to his family.”