main house. She hesitated at the door. “Tomorrow is a Sunday. Their old high school won’t be open, but I suspect we could manage to pay a visit to someone else who might be able to shed light on the past for us.”
“You already have something lined up, don’t you?” Sure, she did.
“I might.” She faced him. “Turns out, the retired librarian from that high school lives about thirty minutes away. Maybe we could join her for a spot of tea.”
“People in England have a spot of tea. People down here have sweet tea served in pitchers, often with lots and lots of sugar added. Iced tea. Cold and delicious.”
“Then we should join her for one of those pitchers of the cold tea.”
God, she made him want to smile. He rubbed his chest. “Say…noon?”
“That’s precisely what I was thinking. Though we should plan to leave so that we can arrive at the librarian’s house at noon.”
Holy hell. She’d already scheduled the meeting. “Did you just test me? Like, you already had all of this in your head, and you just wanted to see if I could come to the same conclusion that you did?”
“If it was a test, you passed.”
Well, happy day.
She reached for the door. It opened before she could curl her fingers around the doorknob.
“Thought I heard someone,” Reese announced blandly. “I was going for a drink of water. Figured I’d better check to make sure thieves weren’t afoot.” His gaze trailed over Chloe. His eyebrows shot up. “Interesting fashion choice.”
“Thank you. I do feel quite comfortable.”
No embarrassment at all. That was his Chloe.
Wait. Back up…mine?
She offered him a faint smile. “Good night, Joel. Let’s plan to meet around eleven, shall we?”
He nodded. “See you then.”
She brushed past her brother.
Reese stared at him. He didn’t look very happy.
Too bad. For the first time in a very long while, Joel felt happy. Because of her.
Reese waited a little, probably long enough for Chloe to head upstairs, then he stepped forward, coming outside fully. He shut the door behind him. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at my sister.”
Ah, the faint British accent was in full effect. “Exactly how am I looking at her?”
“You know how you’re looking at her,” he snapped back.
Joel nodded. “She’s an adult. I’m an adult. Don’t really see how this is your business.”
“She is my sister.”
“Is she?” Now he was truly curious. “There doesn’t seem to be much of a family resemblance between you. And you know what?” He leaned conspiratorially close to Reese. “When you drink enough, you lose your inhibitions…and your accent.”
Reese swallowed. “Chloe is my family. I value her more than I value anyone else in this world.”
The guy sounded one hundred percent sincere. Interesting.
“I would do anything to protect her. You need to understand that from the get-go. She may think you’re not dangerous, but she’s been wrong before.” A rough laugh rumbled from Reese. “Sure, Chloe hates to admit when she’s wrong. But it happens. I had to pick up the pieces last time. I had to see her pain. I won’t let her go through that again.”
“I’m very curious now.” He was. “A few days ago, you were the one offering me a job. Now—and correct me if I’m wrong here—you’re the one threatening me? What do you want, for me to leave Chloe? Because that’s—” Joel stopped before he said…Not ever going to happen.
Whoa. Way whoa. They’d had sex one time. Only one. They’d known each other for a few days. This was hardly some permanent relationship.
“Of course, I don’t want you to leave her.” Reese squinted at him. “Why the hell would you think that?”
His temples were starting to throb. “Because you’re warning me away from her?”
“I’m telling you not to hurt her, jackass! I happen to love that woman. I don’t love many things in this world, but I love her. She saved me. So if she’s wrong about you, if you turn out to be some crazed, out-of-your-head, psycho killer, then I will end you. Do you understand me?”
“I think you are being exceptionally clear.” Truly. Clear and loud. “And you know what? If I do turn out to be some crazed, out-of-my-head, psycho killer…you need to come for me.”
“What?”
“Stop me. Come and—” Shit. His breath heaved out.
“You okay, man?” Reese asked. “You just…your face just went all weird.”
“Come and get me,” Joel rasped.
“Yes, damn straight I will. Didn’t you hear what I said to you like thirty seconds ago?”
“No, that’s what the killer