A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,94

dim light. The hickey on her neck had begun sizzling, and she tugged her hair down to cover it.

Maisie approached the window, and Con rolled it down. “These cars are worth a fortune. Conroy, you are a very lucky man.”

As Maisie turned to say something to Dino, Lizzie narrowed her eyes. “So, Conroy,” she said, in an impersonation of Maisie’s interviewer voice. “Will you be giving these fine automobiles away to charity?”

Con rested his palm on the smooth round head of the stick shift and looked up at her, dark eyes wide. “Hell, no.”

Chapter 22

“So they think this guy is your brother?” Lizzie was almost more nervous than Con. Neither of them had touched the plate of chips and salsa set out to stave off starvation back at the house.

“Yes.” Con stared out into the gloom. “Eyewitness News said they interviewed him at the station, and he’s on his way over right now.”

It was dusk, and despite a large electrical crew working most of the day, the lights still weren’t back on. Everyone sat out on the darkening patio, rubbing bug repellant on sunburned flesh and mixing hard lemonade with a jug of vodka and two cartons of Paul Newman’s pink lemonade.

Con hadn’t touched a drop. He kept leaping up and pacing about. Lizzie put down the alcohol-free lemonade that was making her stomach feel even worse and fanned herself with a paper napkin.

“They’re here!” Rog called around the side of the house.

“Dino, get into position,” said Maisie, leaping up with her clipboard.

Con rubbed his mouth nervously with his hand. Lizzie instinctively went up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked almost startled to see her. “It probably isn’t even him,” he said, blinking.

“Maybe not,” she said softly. “But it can’t hurt to meet the guy.”

“What if I don’t recognize him?”

“It’s been a long time; I don’t think anyone would expect you to. Come on.” She linked her arm though his and led him around the side of the house. A blitzkrieg of lights had been set up near the Eyewitness News van camped there, and Lizzie saw the reporter having a microphone attached to her lapel and the back of her waist.

A pickup truck pulled in behind the news van.

“Do you suppose that’s his truck?” whispered Lizzie, as they hung back in the shadows.

“Could be.” Con’s voice was barely audible. The door of the truck opened, and someone got out. A big guy. Bigger than Con. It was hard to see much in the mauve semidarkness.

“Come on, Con,” hissed Maisie behind them. “We need you in the lights.”

“I’ll just wait here,” whispered Lizzie.

“No way.” Con tugged her hand. “I need you.”

A funny warm feeling smothered her jangling nerves and tightened her hand around his as they stepped cautiously toward the lights.

The reporter fiddled with her mike and said something to the cameraman. She gestured to the large man who’d climbed out of the truck.

He didn’t look anything like Con.

She squeezed Con’s hand.

As he stepped into the light, she saw the man had sun-bleached hair and rough-looking features. Totally unlike Con’s dark hair and aristocratic profile. Nut brown skin, a worn T-shirt, dirty jeans and pale rubber boots completed the contrast.

Lizzie bit the inside of her mouth. There was no way this could be the guy. Was Con feeling the same pinch of disappointment?

Con made a strange sound and let go of her hand. He said something she couldn’t understand. The big man let out a long, colorful curse, stepped forward and embraced him in a bear hug.

Lizzie stepped back out of the light. Did Con really think this was his brother? Wasn’t he supposedly called Tiny because he was so small?

Headlights raked over her as another car pulled into the driveway. Dwight? Timing was never his strong suit. Gia rushed forward to intercept him.

Con and the big man had pulled back slightly to stare each other in the face. Con said something, but again she couldn’t make it out. Too much emotion in his voice.

“You did what you had to do,” said the other.

Con was crying. Tears glittered on his cheeks, and she could see his shoulders heaving. She bit her knuckle, suddenly horribly embarrassed for him, with all the lights and technicians and cameras and total strangers standing around gawking.

Shouldn’t they all get out of here and leave him in peace? She started to back away as the brothers embraced again, even tighter.

Tears stung her eyes and she bit down harder on her knuckle,