Page 15 of Somebody's Watching Me
Curled up on the small couch with Colonel Brandon asleep in her lap, Annabeth shrugged. “We’re friends.”
“Friends, like how I have friends?” As a notorious serial dater, Abe knew a thing or two about keeping friends with benefits. “Because I would believe that more than you two just being a platonic thing.”
Annabeth tossed her brother an annoyed look. “No, we’re only friends. I’ve never touched him.”
“But you want to,” Jamison argued. “Admit at least that you want to. Hell, I would date him.”
All heads turned her way, and Jamison’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Hearing her say she would date someone was just as shocking to her as it was to everyone else.
But it would happen. Someday. Life would have to go on without Liam.
Which was hard to think about since she remained hopelessly in love with him.
It had all fallen apart six months ago. Years together, down the drain overnight.
They had met here at Haven House when the Bureau sent Liam to investigate a string of homicides. Back then, he had been an entry-level field agent for the FBI, and an annoyance to his superior. As the son of a world-renowned criminal profiler, Liam hadn’t exactly been welcomed onto the case and was sent to track down an obscure piece of evidence that led him straight to her family.
But the evidence in question turned out to be not so obscure after all, ending Tobias Miller’s reign of terror.
“I can find Rowan hot.” Jamison took a long sip of her wine. “Yeesh.”
Annabeth suddenly looked very uncomfortable over the idea of her finding Rowan attractive, and Jamison smirked. “I wonder if he has tattoos all over. Like on his chest and legs.”
“He does.” Annabeth glared at everyone when they all burst into laughter. “I saw them when he came over to help me relearn how to swim. What was he supposed to do? Get in our pool fully clothed?”
Her question made them laugh harder and Annabeth stood abruptly, knocking the poor disgruntled Colonel off her lap. “You know what, I need to get dinner ready. Don’t talk about me while I’m not here to defend myself.”
She hurried from the room with her head held high, and Abe leaned forward to whisper. “When she heard Rowan was on that plane, she got all weird. I think they’ll be together before Christmas.”
“No way,” Jamison replied. “This has gone on for years.”
“It’s different this time,” Abe argued. “I can smell it.”
“You can smell it?” Samuel rolled his eyes. “Like you’re what? A sex bloodhound?”
Abe blew him a kiss. “Yes, actually.”
“I agree, and I’ll even bet you fifty dollars that Abe is right.” Evie poked her husband in the chest. “Rowan and Annabeth will officially be dating before the Christmas.”
Samuel grinned. “You’ve got yourself a bet, Mrs. Fairweather.”
Averting her eyes, Jamison couldn’t look at her siblings. Not because she still had an issue with them being together. That had long since passed. It was their happiness that stung. One couldn’t exist without the other, and she knew the feeling well. Its absence chased her daily.
“I better go help Annabeth.” Evie wiggled off Samuel’s lap and tapped Abe’s shoulder as she left. “Can you help me hide the karaoke machine before the girls come down?”
Abe rolled around the coffee table to follow her. “Absolutely.”
Once alone with Samuel, Jamison polished off her wine. “Who in the hell bought them a karaoke machine?”
“Who do you think?”
“Dad.”
“He’s going to get his ass beat the next time I see him.” Samuel set his whiskey aside. “Alright, cut the act and ask me. I know you want to know.”
They were friends. Samuel and Liam. While she hadn’t spoken to Liam since the day he left their apartment, she was sure Samuel had.
“No, I don’t.”
