Page 51 of Bulletproof

I nodded.

“How do you know David?”

“I don’t. I know Hayes.”

She let out a long-drawn-out sigh as she decided right then and there that she liked me. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Jory.”

But I doubted she would.

“Wait … Harcourt?”

“Yep.” I grinned. “Dane Harcourt is my brother.”

Her eyes went round. “I met him at a charity auction two weeks ago. He was very gracious and generous to our cause.”

“And what is that?”

“I’m a docent at the children’s art museum.”

“That follows. Dane loves kids.”

“Does he have any of his own?”

“Not yet, but I suspect soon.”

“Oh.” Her face fell. “How wonderful for them.”

“Did you meet his wife, Aja?” I asked.

“No, he was alone.”

So, she had thought, just like I was sure a lot of women had, that him flying solo meant something when, in reality, it meant nothing. Aja didn’t like to have Dane go to functions alone, and the reverse was true as well, but it was necessary at times.

“You two look nothing alike.”

And that was because Dane Harcourt and I were not related by any blood at all. I had worked for the man for five years, and somewhere along the way, I went from assistant to friend to the person he wanted to have for a brother. He was an orphan, and so was I. So, when he had said that he didn’t want me to work for him anymore, but he did want me in his life forever and always, I had discarded my old last name and taken Harcourt.

“Except that you’re both just stunning.”

“Thank you,” I sighed, looping back into the conversation, reaching out to squeeze her arm so she never knew I had sort of checked out in the middle and run fast to catch up.

She patted my hand and then turned and told her kids that it was time to go. I lifted Becca off the counter and went down on one knee so she could wrap her arms around me and kiss and hug me goodbye. The head buried in the side of my neck let me know that we were pals. Scott gave me a big hug I hadn’t expected, arms tight around my neck, and then both of them trailed after their mother out of the kitchen.

It took me a bit to completely right the kitchen as though I had never been in there, and as I was hanging up the towels, I heard a throat clearing behind me. I found myself alone with David Fisher.

“Come join the adults now. My mother is opening her gifts.”

“Sure.”

He held the swinging door open for me, and then I followed him out into the enormous living room. Everyone was clustered around a beautiful woman holding court. She was opening gifts, but her eyebrows were scrunched. I moved across the floor and over to her so she had to tip her head back since she was sitting.

“If you tell me where some paper and pen are, ma’am, I’ll be your secretary and make a list of your haul for ya.”

“How did you know? I didn’t even⁠—”

“I was a personal assistant for five years, and my boss was big on the nonverbal cues as well.”

Her eyes were soft as she looked up at me. “Well, thank you, dear. In the desk drawer in the foyer should be a pad and your choice of pen.”