Lydia's Twin Temptation(Divine Creek Ranch 8)(93)
Out of habit he scanned the front of the store and the surrounding area. His eyes settled on a vehicle only partially visible through the windows of the grocery store. It was parked in a lot a couple of blocks down from the grocer’s. It was very familiar and rather uncommon, so it drew more than the casual glance from him.
He was blocked from getting a good look at it by all the sale signs taped in the store windows. He growled to himself when he missed Summer coming out of the store and she climbed into the Hummer without his help.
“Ready?” she asked when he kept peering through the glass. He backed out of the parking spot and drove to the exit that led out to Main Street. He slowed to a stop at the next intersection and peered at the red 1973 Karmann Ghia parked in front of Divine Auto Repair. He waited for another vehicle to turn and then proceeded through the intersection.
Summer said, “So anyway, I was telling you about Chance and Clayton’s new arrival on the ranch. Grace said she looked strikingly familiar to her when she met her in the grocery store and then Rachel confirmed it when I talked to her today. Rachel didn’t say much else, except that she had beautiful, pale-turquoise eyes.” What Summer was saying only partly registered as he rolled ever closer to the auto repair shop.
What the fuck?
He pulled into the parking lot and sat staring at the telltale bumper sticker on Gunther’s rear end. Life is better in Bliss, CO. He realized Summer had gone quiet.
Staring at the car, he murmured, “I’m sorry, kitten. I missed the last part of what you said.”
“I said Lydia has pale-turquoise eyes. Why are we stopping?”
Ace nearly strained his neck when his head swiveled as he turned to look at her. “What?”
Summer suddenly sat back in the car, her eyebrows drawing together, and he realized he must have said that louder than he’d intended. His heart made like a jackhammer in his chest. “I’m sorry, kitten. You said Chance and Clayton’s girlfriend has pale-turquoise eyes?”
“Yes. I remember Chance telling me once that they were like greenish-blue turquoise. He bought Lydia some turquoise jewelry for that very reason.”
Ace cradled his head in his hands and growled, “Oh, fuck me.”
Summer chuckled and replied, “Well, not that I don’t find the offer scintillating, big boy, but you don’t look in a fit mood for me to fuck. You want to tell me what’s going on?”
Ace gestured out the window. “That is my sister’s car. I’d know it anywhere.”
“Really? Wow. Wonder what it’s doing in Divine.”
“My sister, Lydia. Lydia Webster.”
“Lydia? You mean—”
“My sister, Lydia with the greenish-blue eyes.”
“That Lydia? Her name is Lydia?”
“Yeah. I guess somehow we never mentioned her name. What a dumb-ass I am.”
“Well, you’ve been a bit busy, with that whole blog mess and the crazy shooter and trying to help Patrick Owen. It’s a simple mistake. Are you okay, Ace? Ace?”
Ace barely heard her as all the parts started fitting into place. His baby sister with two grown men. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Chance and Clayton Carlisle. Wait until Kemp finds out. They’d better hope he doesn’t have access to duct tape.
The shit had hit the fan.
“Ace? Talk to me, honey.” Summer didn’t sound concerned. She almost sounded amused. He failed to see what was so amusing. He hit Duke on his speed dial.
“Hey, boss.”
“You at the house?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m almost home. Wait for me.”
“Sure thing.”
His thoughts whirred in his brain as he drove home. Lightning struck nearby as Summer took her phone out and sent a text message. He hoped she was texting Kemp because he needed him as well. The wind gusted, blowing dried leaves and dust into the air.
At the house, he pulled close to the front door, helped Summer from the vehicle and into the house then asked her to wait for him inside. Big, fat drops of rain began falling as he climbed into the wind-buffeted van and found Duke at work on one of the laptops.
“Quite a storm brewing out there. What do you need?”
“Can you show me the footage from Discretion yesterday? You said you thought you saw Lydia in the shop.”
“Sure. Give me just a second to find it.” Duke turned his chair from his work table and began searching for the footage. After a minute, during which Ace planned the demise of the Lydia’s corruptors, Duke said, “Here it is. That is her, isn’t it?”
“Shit.” Those cowboys were fucking his baby sister. “Thanks, Duke.”
He climbed from the van and strode back to the Hummer, barely noticing the wind, rain, or leaves blowing all around him. Kemp wasn’t home yet. Slamming the vehicle into gear, he tore down the driveway, not caring that he probably left a black mark on the raindrop-dampened pavement.