“I think I lost.”
Truthfully, I wasn’t too broken up about it.
“Well, at least that’s a piece of good news.”
I told her about Fortnum’s and she told me she’d call Jane if I put up the sign. Then I flipped the phone shut and walked into the kitchen.
Matt was there and so was another guy. The other guy was at least six foot six and looked like Tex’s son, except without the beard and with a little bit more of his mental health intact.
Matt said, “Hey.”
I tilted my head and smiled.
“Hey yourself.”
Lee was standing in the kitchen with his fists at his h*ps and he watched this exchange, his mouth set.
I noticed, belatedly, that Lee had already showered that morning, his dark hair was still slightly damp, curling a bit along his neck and behind his ear. I also noted he needed a haircut but it looked good on him. Very good. Too good. He wore supremely faded jeans and a red t-shirt that was tight in all the right places. His feet were bare.
When I got within reaching distance, his arm shot out and pulled me to him with a hand hooked around my neck. My front pretty much slammed against his side and his arm curled further around my shoulders. From the blood draining out of Matt’s face, I’d say that the Lee’s point had been made. If he banged on his chest and grunted, “Indy, my woman,” he wouldn’t have made the point any better.
Men.
Lee introduced the other guy as Bobby and then said, “We’ve found Duke.”
My stomach clenched and my body tensed. At that point, I simply could not handle bad news, especially about Duke.
I tilted my head to look up at Lee and before I could control my reaction and not look like a total girl in front of the guys, I breathed, “Please.”
Lee’s eyes went that melty-chocolate again as he looked at me and his hand went from my shoulder to stroke my jaw.
“He’s fine, took a bender detour to Sturgis. He’s been briefed and he’s on his way home now.”
That sounded like Duke. Only Duke would detour from the Western Slope of Colorado to South Dakota for a bender.
The door buzzer went and I disengaged from Lee to answer it. It was Hank.
Hank smiled his greeting at the door I opened for him and we walked in, his arm slung around my shoulders.
“I guess you were wrong about being broken up with Lee by your Dad’s barbeque,” he teased.
My eyes shot to Lee and his eyebrows went up.
Oopsie.
“Yeah, guess I was wrong,” I muttered.
Hank dropped his arm and looked at Lee, no more teasing, all business.
“We gotta talk about last night.”
“Yeah?” Lee said.
“Anyone want coffee?” I asked.
Hank’s eyes slid to me, then back to Lee.
“Maybe we should go into the Command Center,” Hank said.