“He’s great. Busy. I haven’t seen him in a couple months.”

“He’s adorable,” Charly says with a grin. “In a sexy, delicious kind of way. Is he available?”

“This is Rhys we’re talking about,” Kate says with a laugh. “Who knows? But I was able to FaceTime with him last night, and he looks as great as ever, and still stubborn as heck.”

So, she was FaceTiming with this Rhys guy.

None of my business.

“Boys!” Mama calls out the back door. “Dinner’s ready! Come eat these groceries!”

Kate sits next to me at the table and smiles up at me sweetly, and I find myself returning it, despite this perpetual frustration I can’t shake.

“You okay?” she asks softly.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You haven’t said two words to me since I got here.”

“Hello, Kate.” She narrows her eyes and tilts her head, but before she can ask any further questions, Sam and Declan join us and we all dig in. I glance up to find Charly watching Kate and me with a raised brow, but I shake my head, giving her the silent message to leave it be, and eat silently.

Kate laughs, asking more questions about Gabby’s inn, Charly’s shop, and how Sam likes the second grade, charming my whole family. How has she been friends with Dec and Van for so long and I’d never met her before?

Because you’ve been too busy keeping the business the way Dad wanted you to.

“Eli, you’re more quiet than normal,” Mama says softly, watching me with shrewd eyes. “What’s going on with you?”

I shake my head and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Just the same old thing, Mama.”

“Hmph,” she replies and glances around the table. “Why do I feel like I’m out of the loop here?”

“You’re not,” I reply with a smile. “Work as usual.”

“You work too much.”

“Not you too,” I reply, and rub my forehead with the tips of my fingers. “I get this lecture from Savannah at least once a week.”

“Well, you’ll be gettin’ it from me too. You’re my baby boy.”

Oh, God.

Kate smirks next to me and hides her smile behind a tall glass of lemonade.

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“He even took the day off yesterday,” Kate adds nonchalantly. Mama’s eyes widen as she looks between Kate and me.

“He did?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How do you know?”

Don’t say it. I lay my hand on Kate’s thigh, but she ignores me and says it anyway.

“Because he was with me. He showed me around the French Quarter all day. It’s his fault that I’m now addicted to beignets from Café du Monde.”

The table is silent for a few beats, then Mama clears her throat.

“You went to Café du Monde on Saturday mornin’?”

I meet her bright eyes with my own and nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ve always wanted to see the French Quarter. It was amazing,” Kate continues, oblivious to the tension between us siblings. They’re all staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.

Finally, in the innocent way that only a seven-year-old can, Sam speaks up.

“Pawpaw used to take us there on Saturdays,” he says, and takes a bite of the corn on the cob, missing some pieces, thanks to the gap in his front teeth. “It was fun.”

“That’s right,” Gabby says and runs her hand over her son’s hair.

Suddenly, Kate lays her hand on my thigh and I glance down into understanding eyes, and it’s all I can take.

“I’m sorry, Mama, but I just remembered that I have some work to catch up on.” I stand quickly and take care of my own dishes, then kiss her cheek. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Eli—”

But I don’t stop to hear what she has to say. I walk quickly to my car and peel out of the driveway. My heart is beating quickly, and for the first time in more than two years, I’m consumed with emotion.

What in the hell is wrong with me?

And who the fuck is Rhys?

This is all Kate’s fault. Before she showed up with her gorgeous green eyes and touchable red hair, I was fine, consumed by work. I had a routine that worked well for me, with no interruptions.

Certainly no Saturdays spent in the Quarter and evenings listening to Dec’s gigs.

I just need to get laid. That’s all there is to it. It’s been more than a minute since I last enjoyed the company of a warm, willing woman.

Yes, that’s it.

Before long, I’m back at my house, pacing through the silent, empty rooms, my phone in my hand, paging through my contacts list. I’m going to scratch this itch and get over it. Erase Kate from my mind completely.

I pour myself three fingers of brandy, sit behind my desk, and thumb through my electronic black book.

Ah, yes, I could call Amanda. She’s always fun. Tall, leggy. But she has strawberry blonde hair, and that’ll just remind me too much of Kate.

I skip to the next name.

Collette! I met Collette three years ago at a charity function. She’s smart as a whip and likes to be blindfolded. I grin, but then I remember that Collette has freckles on her shoulders, and that won’t do.

Fuck.

Fredericka. I haven’t seen her in a while. She’s curvy in all the right places with the best tits I’ve ever seen.