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girl, I think I ll put a little more effort into winning tonight.
Trey groaned, making Gaven laugh.
Between bites of food, they talked about different sports, which
sparked several fights.
Trent entered the pub and walked toward them.
Branda s eyes darted nervously away from him.
Gaven wondered what that was all about. Turning to look closely
at Trent, his eyes widened.  Damn, buddy. What happened? You been
fighting over women again? If I d known you were on the prowl, I
would have prowled with you and had your back. Remember that next
time you think of straying.
 I didn t stray, Gaven. I ran into the door. Not that you can talk,
Trent said.
 Mine s just the hazard of a rough vacation, Gaven shot back.
When everyone went silent and started eating, Gaven knew
something was up. No worries. He d find out if they wanted to spill.
If not, he understood secrets.  Doug, a beer for Trent, please, he
called out to the bartender.
Fifteen minutes later, Trey, Trent, and Gaven headed over to the
dart board.
In a low tone, Gaven asked Trent,  What s the door s name that
hit you?
 Branda.
238 Dakota Dawn
 No shit! Gaven couldn t keep the surprise out of his voice.
Damn, Branda was turning out to be full of surprises.
 She got me when I tried to wake her from a nightmare.
 Ouch, an unexpected blow in the dark. How s she doing now?
Gaven asked as a picture of her, pale and trembling, came to mind.
That was one way he never wanted to see her again. It was too
heartbreaking. He felt for the policemen who had helped her today.
Motioning his hand toward Trey, Trent answered,  She s much
better now that Trey and Troy are home and that asshole is dead. I m
so proud of her.
Gaven looked at Trey as he gathered darts.  Yeah, me too. Glad
you two came home when you did. Your vacation couldn t have come
at a better time.
Trey threw a dart.  That s for real. I would have gone crazy if we
hadn t been in town today. I still can t believe he got out of prison and
nobody told Branda. The system needs to change. If she had died
today there would have been hell to pay. We would have made sure of
that. As it is we are going to try to make it bad, real bad, for the
person that is supposed to contact the victims and doesn t when a
prison break happens.
Gaven nodded his head.  Damn, that sounds good. Let me know if
you need any help doing that. I ll gladly do whatever I can.
Trey raised his fist and Gaven bumped it.  Thanks man. Hey,
we re going to be gone for a month. Mom and Papa are in New York.
You mind helping Trent keep an eye on the bookstore? You know,
just pass by every so often, pop in sometimes. Trent is going to be
doing all the paperwork and ordering, so that s covered.
 No problem. I planned on doing it anyway. What are buddies
for? Casting a glance at Branda, Gaven added,  I m happy for you,
Troy, and Branda. I hope everything works out.
Trent threw a dart, hitting the board dead center.  Yeah, I second
that. Even though I plan on sticking to my motto, catch and release.
Blessed Times Two 239
 I so love living by that motto myself. Trent and I can have a new
hottie every week if we want to. Different flavors add spice to life.
Gaven laughed wolfishly to cover the pain. He would never settle for
just one woman. On the force, he d seen plenty. Shining eyes so
happy in the beginning almost always turned cold and bitter as the
years passed. That was one experience he never planned on having.
He always told his women up front he was only interested in a one-to-
two-night fling. He and Trent were alike on that point. Catch and
release worked well for them.
Trent raised his beer in agreement.  You said it, brother. Tipping
his bottle back, he took a long drink.
Gaven saw the pain in Trent s eyes. The death of his girlfriend
still ate away at him. In Gaven s opinion, that was just one more
reason not to get too close to a woman.
Troy and Branda strolled over after she d finished eating.
 I don t know how you guys eat so fast. You are probably
swallowing your food whole, Branda commented.
 It s all in the focus. If you ignore everything around you and only
focus on eating, you ll be done in no time at all, Trent supplied.
 Thanks for the info, but I think I ll just keep on being a
slowpoke, she responded.
 Now that you two are here, we can get to some serious
throwing, Trey said.
Several dart games later, Gaven glanced at the clock and noticed
that they d been playing for over two hours. He was still the champ.
Trent had beat him a few times though so he d have to keep on
practicing in order to stay the champ.
At around ten, Branda covered her mouth with her hand, hiding a
huge yawn.
Troy laughed.  I think that s our cue to leave.
Everyone hugged everyone then the Cortinos all headed home.
240 Dakota Dawn
Gaven spotted Marshall sitting at the bar, looking over an order.
Plopping down on a stool next to him, he slid him a beer.  How s it
going?
Marshall scratched the tip of his long, crooked nose.  Business is
growing at a fast pace. I ve had to increase the order of our two most
popular beers. His gaze shot around the pub, scanning for trouble,
and landed on an older man who was starting to push away from his
table.
 Excuse me a minute. I ll be right back.
Gaven watched him move over to the man Gaven knew was a
regular named Oscar. Oscar came in two nights a week and ordered a
burger and a Coke. Recently he d broken his ankle. Gaven watched as
Marshall helped Oscar hobble to the door. He wasn t surprised at all
when Marshall held the door for him then went outside to help him
get in his vehicle.
Sometimes Marshall looked lonely. If he wanted a woman, Gaven
hoped one day a special one would come in and see Marshall for who
he truly was. A kind, smart, and hard-working man.
Although he wasn t interested in a permanent relationship, he
wasn t against others giving it a try.
Blessed Times Two 241
Chapter Twenty-Two
The flight had been tiring, but as she watched the countryside
from the taxi window, Branda couldn t help but love this land. They
had just left the city of Sorrento. It had been lovely, with businesses
and homes perched on the cliffs, overlooking the Bay of Naples. Most
of the buildings were rectangular in shape with terracotta roofs. The
earth tones of the town blended well with the lush green landscaping.
The taxi headed out of town and up a winding road. The
countryside was a mixture of wooded hills and sprawling citrus and
olive groves whose aromas made the air delectable. Branda smiled to
herself as she pictured herself standing in a citrus grove all day long
doing nothing but breathing in the wonderfully scented air.
They rode for about fifteen minutes then turned up another
winding road. The landscaping was a beautifully done work of art that
went on for five minutes. One last turn brought them to a stop in front
of the cutest home she d ever seen. Her eyes drifted over the lush,
plant-lined stone steps that led to a large stone terrace. Stepping out of
the taxi, Branda stared at her surroundings in awe. The terrace was
dotted with plants in extra-large planters, wooden lounge chairs, and a
round tile-topped table-and-chair set. Citrus permeated the air. She
took a deep breath and looked around. A smile crossed her lips.
Lemon trees were planted on both sides of the stone terrace. She
could happily stay right here and never even enter the house.
Troy and Trey followed her up the stairs, carrying their bags.
Turning, she smiled.  I love this place. I don t even care what the
inside looks like. I could stay here forever. It s beautiful and smells
magnificent. I can t believe we get to stay here for a whole month.
242 Dakota Dawn
The twins exchanged a look as their sensual lips curled into
pleased smiles. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]