His Tattooed Virgin(Divine Creek Ranch 12)(36)

Seth tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. What he felt for her went beyond mere girlfriend status. “I know, me too. We’ll still get our chance, if that’s agreeable?”

Jayne tilted her head as she gazed up at him, mirroring her mother’s earlier reaction. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen as she looked him up and down. “Yeah, it’s agreeable. I wonder what kinds of perks are available. You’ll have to teach me all about them.” Her eyes sparkled enticingly.

“You’re killing me, baby. Go spend time with your mom. I’ll call you later tonight.”

After one final, sweltering, cock-hardening kiss, Seth returned to his truck, texted his cock-blocking sister, then dialed his mom’s number as he backed out of the driveway. He was home for five minutes when his front door barreled open and a familiar, comical voice called out, “Ricky! I’m home!”

Seth scoffed and rolled his eyes that she still used this greeting with him. Too many years of watching TV Land sitcoms together when they were growing up.

As he leafed through his mail, he called out, “Lucy! You got some ’splaining to do!”

His drop-dead-gorgeous sister came bustling into the house with her hands filled with shopping bags, which she dropped onto the couch before running to him.

“Butthead!” Her eyes sparkled playfully as she threw her arms around him.

His heart gave a little lurch as he hugged her. The old nicknames still made him smile, but he could see the anguish in her eyes that she vainly tried to hide. Even though there were several years’ difference between their ages, they’d always been close as siblings, and all he’d ever had to do was look in her eyes to know something was bothering her. Their mother had said they’d had an almost psychic bond.

“Beavis!”

“No noogies! Mess up my hairdo and I’ll kick your ass.” Lucy was nearly eye to eye with him, and she’d been working out, so she’d give him a run for his money. Messing up her long, wavy black hair wasn’t worth it.

He gestured at the shopping bags. “I see you cleared out the store.”

Lucy nodded. “Yep. Rosemary set me up.”

“So, how long will you be in Divine?”

He picked up the bags and beckoned her down the hall to his extra bedroom. He grabbed up the clean laundry piled on the bed and tidied the room as she unloaded the shopping bags and they chatted.

He noticed that she had bags from Walmart and asked, “Is your luggage in the trunk of your car?”

Lucy stopped arranging her purchases and gave him a discomfited look. “I didn’t pack any luggage. And at this point, I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying in Divine.” She put out her hands and added, “But I won’t be in your hair any longer than necessary.”

Seth sat on the edge of the bed and braced his elbows on his knees. “I talked to Mom a few minutes ago. What happened?”

His resilient, bubbly sister slumped her shoulders in an uncommon display of defeat as tears sparkled in her eyes. “Casey didn’t take it well when I broke off our engagement.”

“Don’t you think that’s putting it mildly? Mom said he burned your house down.”

She used the side of her hand to wipe away a tear. “The fire is still under investigation. They haven’t been able to find him, but, yes, he’s a suspect until the police and arson investigators can interview him.”

“You broke the engagement with him?”

Her eyes flitted away as she answered. “Yes. He was putting too much pressure on me.”

“Pressure? What kind of pressure?”

“I heard his mom make a comment about his bride being a tad dumpy and I think it upset him. He wanted me to lose weight before the wedding.”

“What bullshit!” Seth’s sister had always been active and fit. It just so happened she came from a long line of hourglass-shaped women. But she was tall and usually carried herself with confidence. That evidently wasn’t enough for snobs like her ex-fiancé had been. Appearance was everything with some people. It wasn’t the first time his sister had been hurt by men for that reason, and Seth’s protective big-brother instincts made him want to hunt Casey down.

“I already had enough pressure with planning a wedding to satisfy his mother, and build up a clientele at Lake Breeze Spa, and…I had enough. I broke it off and I guess he snapped.”

“No one knows where he is?”

“Nope. But this is how he’s always been. Going off half-cocked. I imagine he’ll show up in a few days and his parents will have purchased an alibi for him to keep him out of trouble.”