“Hi. I’m Duane. One of the twins,” he said flatly, as though meeting me was a chore. I stepped all the way into the kitchen and accepted his hand, oddly charmed by his bad attitude.
“Hi. I’m Sienna. Nice to meet you.”
“This is Jessica.” He placed his hand on the back of the blonde woman who’d entered with him. When he looked at her it was the first time since he’d entered that he didn’t appear to be irritated. By contrast, he looked proud, or happy, or a mix of both.
“Nice to meet you, Sienna.” Jessica shook my hand, giving me a lopsided grin. “I recognize you from your film roles and all that ruckus at The Front Porch a few weeks ago. I’m so sorry those people didn’t leave you and Jethro in peace. Some folks have no manners.”
“You were there? At the restaurant?” She didn’t look familiar. Then again, I’d been overwhelmed by faces and disappointments that evening.
“I was, but I didn’t approach. I’m a teacher at the local high school, and the PTA was meeting that night,” she explained.
“She teaches calculus,” Cletus announced, entering from the same door Duane and Jessica had just used. With some deference, he nodded to Jessica, “Good evening, Ms. James.”
“Cletus,” she returned with a small grin.
“You look lovely today, Ms. James,” Cletus remarked, causing the reemergence of Duane’s scowl.
“Thank you, Cletus.” Jessica appeared to be holding in laughter. “And may I say, you look lovely—”
“All right. That’s enough,” Duane cut in, stepping between them and sliding his arm around Jessica’s waist. “I’m watching you, sneak. No miraculously ‘finding’ the mistletoe from last Christmas tonight, do you hear me?” This question was aimed at Cletus, who widened his eyes innocently.
“I am affronted by your insinuation,” he said, not sounding affronted. Then, turning to me, he stepped forward, slipped his hand in mine, and tugged me toward him. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek. Now that I hadn’t been expecting.
“You also look lovely, Ms. Diaz,” he announced loudly.
“Thank you, Cletus,” I responded automatically, then remembered to add, “you look very dapper this evening.”
“Oh, this old thing?” he asked loud enough to be heard, kissing my other cheek, then whispered, “Is Jethro watching?”
My gaze moved to Jethro. He was watching and his scowl resembled Duane’s.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Cletus leaned away, giving me a small smile. Further surprising me, Cletus slid his arm around my waist and pressed me to his side. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what he was up to. I didn’t have to wait long.
Wearing an unhappy expression, Jethro walked over and gripped my arm gently, tugging me out of Cletus’s hold and tucking me next to him. “None of that,” he said to his brother. “Duane doesn’t like it. What makes you think I would like it?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Cletus sounded exasperated and put out. “I’m just trying to be friendly.”
“Take your friendly somewhere else,” Duane said just as another man walked into the kitchen behind him and Jessica. This new man’s piercing stare moved over the five of us, landing on Jethro’s hand where it gripped my waist, while Jethro and Duane ganged up on Cletus.
“I thought you didn’t want to get in her hair,” Cletus was saying to Jethro, his hands on his hips.
The newcomer was taller than Jethro, taller and stockier. His hair and his beard were darker, nearly black. His eyes were the most amazing shade of blue and his face was startlingly handsome. Like, I needed a minute to recover from the handsome. Beautiful, even. As I studied him I noted that his features were perfectly symmetrical. The camera would love this guy.
And yet, though he was intense levels of physically striking, he projected an air of cool disinterest. By contrast, he lacked Jethro’s ever-present friendliness and warmth, warmth I’d been drawn to immediately and couldn’t seem to bask in enough.
My only experience with a brooder had been Tom, and since Tom, brooders held no allure. From my quick inspection, this new guy would rival Tom in both looks and frostiness. I hypothesized he could cause a snow flurry just by sneezing.
Mr. Freeze’s eyes connected with mine, and they felt like two icicles aimed at my brain. I saw intelligence there, but also something unpleasant that had me pressing closer to Jethro’s side.
“You will kindly leave Sienna’s hair out of this conversation. And leave off touching her as well. Keep your paws to yourself.” The edge of Jethro’s scowl was tinged with amusement. I loved this about him. Even when he was irritated, he had to work to keep his good mood and easy temper from taking over.