Page 23 (1/2)

Chapter One

Two months earlier

Lucy’s hands treed at the hem of her dress She’d come to the Blackwater Bar and Grill for two reasons First and foremost, to help Sarah Her coworker and friend had fallen flat-on-her-face in love with one of the restaurant’s co-owners, Brodix Jennings Unfortunately, Sarah had written a revealing article about Brodix, one that had appeared in the local newspaper for which Lucy and Sarah both worked Brodix hadn’t spoken to Sarah since

Of course, her friend had known that putting Brodix’s painfulto cause probleet the article on the front page, however, Sarah had been forced to use at least some of Brodix’s life with her readers Fortunately, it seey had worked Lucy looked around at the crowded roo of the Blackwater Bar and Grill a huge hit Whether the horde of new custoive Sarah still remained to be seen

The other reason she’d decided to come to the restaurant was a little ses were looking to hire live otten it into her head to audition She’d never actually sung for a crowd before No doubt she’d freeze up the instant she opened her ain, her dreaht never happen if she didn’t take a chance, right?

To add to her nervousness, Brodix’s brother Reilly Jennings, also a part owner, kept sending heated glances her way Lucy hadn’t expected Reilly to pay her any notice When Reilly had approached her and Sarah earlier, he’d offered to seat them at his table Of course, after Sarah had introduced theue-tied Oh, she knew exactly who Reilly was The sah school Back then, Reilly had never noticed her She’d been way too shy and aard

Daed well A white T-shirt conformed to the shape of Reilly’s upper body, the short sleeves stretched over his hs and ass, and his ruave him a devilish air He towered over le one of them to shame with his fierce masculinity

To her surprise, in the tilancing at her whenever she turned her head It made her hyperaware of her ski work of art, but there wasn’t a lot to it She’d gotten lucky the day she’d found it at the consignether in thejust below her navel It ild and uninhibited, which was fitting, since that was the way she felt tonight And aze off her

“So, where’s your brother Brodix?” she asked “I’m surprised he isn’t here”

“He’ll be here” He looked down at his watch, then said, “Not sure what’s keeping hi for the world”

As Lucy stared at the tall, dark-haired cutie next to her, sonized the feeling as desire, but she’d thought herself incapable Surely it’d been snuffed out long ago

She took another sip of her cosmopolitan and said, “So, are you pleased with the turnout?”

The Jennings bunch was the talk of the town, thanks to Sarah’s write-up Heck, Sarah had made the five brothers sound like hometown heroes and their adoptive parents like saints

“Well, I’m not real crazy with the way Sarah used Brodix’s past in the story Our days in foster care are not for public consu Lucy know just how distastefully he viewed the whole thing “But she in’ local landmark We’ve never had this many customers before Not even when Dad ran the place In the end, I’d say it all worked out”

She se, and it coincided nicely with the grand reopening of the restaurant”