Jesse by C H Admirand Read Free Book Online Page B

fridge.”
    Jesse blinked and frowned at his brothers. “Did you try it yet, Tyler?”
    â€œI’m getting to it.”
    â€œIt’s even good cold,” Dylan said, grabbing a clean fork, spearing the eggplant, and shoving it toward Jesse.
    He took it, stared down at it, then shrugged and grabbed the fork. Bold, spicy flavors danced on his tongue, mingling with cold cheese he couldn’t identify and what he guessed was the innocuous taste of the eggplant. “Not bad.” He grinned. “It’d probably taste better if we nuked it.” Moving out of striking range of Dylan’s long reach, he washed up and dug into the casserole and heaped some on a dish.
    With the hot, fragrant plate of cheese-filled eggplant in front of him, Jesse realized that he owed Emily and Ronnie; they’d brought a sense of hearth and home back to the Circle G. The only thing missing was a woman he could call his own.
    â€œHell,” he mumbled, forking another bite of food into his mouth. “Don’t need one.”
    Tyler tossed a hunk of bread at Jesse. “What don’t you need?”
    Jesse saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, reached up, snagged the bread with one hand, and stopped the plate of butter Dylan had slid toward him with unerring accuracy. It was good to be part of the family, even if he was feeling a little left out as of late.
    â€œNothing. Hey, Dylan, where’s Ronnie today?” Jesse asked.
    â€œGetting ready to open up for business next week.”
    â€œThe shop looks great,” Jesse said. “If I hadn’t seen the damage myself, I never would have believed it.”
    Dylan grinned. “It brought the woman I love into my life.”
    Tyler chuckled. “And here I thought it was when you tossed your lasso around her.”
    â€œYeah,” Jesse answered, “and reeled her in!”
    Dylan accepted their ribbing good-naturedly. Hell, everything about his brother seemed to be positive and upbeat since he married Ronnie DelVecchio. Go figure.
    Turning to Tyler he asked, “Is Emily coming home late tonight?”
    The satisfied smile on the oldest brother’s face should have annoyed him, but instead, he was happy for him.
    Tyler finally answered, “I’ll be driving into town to pick her up at closing time.”
    â€œWhat about you, Dylan? Are you driving into town to pick up your wife?” Jesse got a kick out of saying that; she was the first Garahan bride for their generation and kind of cool.
    Dylan locked gazes with Tyler, and Jesse knew what his brothers were thinking, planning, and going to be doing a few hours from now. “Damn!”
    â€œGo find your own woman,” Dylan said.
    â€œMaybe I’ve already found one.”
    â€œReally?” Tyler tried to sound disinterested, but Jesse could tell he finally had the attention of both brothers. No small feat.
    â€œHey, I already told you all about her.”
    â€œThe hell you did,” Dylan grumbled. “Wait—was this the damsel you saved this morning riding into town?”
    Jesse smiled. “So you were listening.”
    â€œHell, Jess,” Tyler ground out. “We always hear you. Sometimes we pay attention.”
    Dylan leaned back in his chair. “So she’s blonde, curvy, and pretty?”
    â€œâ€™Bout covers it,” Jesse said, “well, except for little Lacy.”
    â€œShe has a pet named Lacy?”
    Jesse grinned and pushed away from his place, sighing in contentment because the food had been great and filled the hole in his belly. “Nope, a little pink cowgirl. I need one of you to follow me to Sullivan’s so I can drop off her car.”
    His brothers grinned at one another, and Tyler drawled, “It’ll cost you, Bro.”
    It was after ten when they dropped off the car.

Chapter 4
    Riding to her uncle’s house, Danielle was thinking about how much her life had changed since the last