on formality around here.” The woman disappeared back into the kitchen.
Gavin squeezed her hand and led her into the bright, open breakfast room. A table to seat eight sat under a five-bulb chandelier, and just beyond the table was a bar with four stools. Mrs. Black pulled a dish from the oven and set it on the waiting hot plate. “I hope you like chicken casserole.”
“I like just about anything,” Sarah said. “Especially if it’s cooked by someone else.”
“I understand that.”
“Smells good in here.” The gravelly voice came from the man wearing a faded Army T-shirt and a Bahamas baseball cap.
Gavin settled a hand on her lower back. “Dad, this is Sarah. Sarah, this is my father, Tucker Black.”
The man studied her, sizing her up in a way that made her want to squirm. The look wasn’t offensive in any way, but she wondered if she passed the inspection. He finally smiled. “Good to meet you, Sarah. I hear you’re a good woman to have on the team.”
She cocked a brow at Gavin. “Well, thank you, I appreciate that.”
“Owen and Jefferson are out on the deck. Pris, you about ready?”
Gavin’s mom nodded. “We’ll serve from the bar.”
“Perfect.”
Mr. Black headed out to gather his friends from the deck and she looked at Gavin. “Who are they?” she whispered.
“I’ll introduce you when they come in, but be forewarned, they’re huge competitors.”
“Competitors in what?”
“The reporting world.”
She gaped, then snapped her mouth shut as a young woman floated into the kitchen. Sarah couldn’t even use the word walked. The girl definitely floated. Kaylynn, no doubt. When she saw Gavin, her jaw tightened and she spun to leave.
“Kaylynn,” Gavin said, “I want to introduce you to a friend.”
Kaylynn turned back with a forced smile. “Hi.”
“Hi. I’m Sarah.”
Gavin stepped forward. “Can we talk after dinner?”
Kaylynn eyed them and shrugged, snitched a roll from the plate on the bar, and floated back out of the kitchen. Sarah thought she heard a smothered sigh from Gavin’s mother, but the woman didn’t say a word.
“. . . can’t compete with that,” a man said, stepping through the sliding glass doors. “I’m telling you, he’s the next Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather. You wait and see.”
“You’re dreaming. He’s got about as much talent as—” The second man caught sight of Sarah and Gavin. “Gavin, it’s been a long time.”
“It has. I see nothing’s changed between you two.”
“Aw, it’s all fun and games.”
Right. Sarah knew the two men by reputation only, but their competition wasn’t all fun and games. However, it seemed they were at least making the attempt to get along. “How do you all know each other?”
Mr. Black laughed. “I went to high school with these two jokers.”
“They’ve been friends forever,” Mrs. Black said. “I know it seems like they hate each other, but they really don’t.” She handed Sarah a plate. “Please, go first. If you don’t, you might not get to eat.”
“Hey now,” Gavin protested.
His mother winked. “I made extra. Help yourself.”
Sarah filled her plate and settled at the table. Once everyone had served themselves, minus the absent Kaylynn, Sarah took note of her companions. She didn’t think it coincidence that she found herself eating with two of the best-known men in the local reporting world, and slid Gavin a glance. He sat to her left and caught her eye. And shrugged.
“So, Sarah, I hear you were kidnapped by a group of terrorists,” Owen said. “You want to write that up and let me run it?”
Sarah choked on the bite of casserole she’d just taken. She swallowed, guzzled half of her glass of water, and stared at the man. “What?”
“I hear you’re a reporter. I want the story.”
“Investigative journalist, but—”
“So do I,” Jefferson said with a glare at his rival. “You have no class. That’s how you approach someone?”
“I’ll pay you a hefty advance for it,” Owen said as though the other man hadn’t spoken.
“I’ll pay more.”
Gavin stood and glared at the men. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Sarah’s a guest in my parents’ home and you’re like sharks circling bait. Knock it off.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped. The two men fell silent.
Gavin sighed. “I’m sorry, Sarah. This is my fault.”
“How so?”
“I told my father you might need a job and asked him to use his connections to see if these two might be interested. I didn’t think he’d invite them both at the same time.”
“You asked him to find me a job?”
“In a sense.” He paused. “Actually, no. I just asked him to introduce you to