Page 63 of Queen of Diamonds
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“Dude,” Alex said, his gaze narrowed on Rand’s neck. “Tell me a bee stung you and you didn’t have my sister doing dirty things to you.”
“Dude, none of your business.” Rand knew he’d get shit from the Gentrys at the Saturday afternoon cookout that had become a tradition since Kinsey and her brothers had discovered each other. He could have worn a shirt with a collar instead of a tee, but he was damn proud of Kinsey’s mark on him and had no intention of hiding it.
“He said ‘dude,’ dudes,” Alex said, his gaze going from Court to Nate. “Does that mean he’s finally one of us?”
Court lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “He’s getting there.”
“We’ll bring him to the dark side eventually,” Nate said with a smirk on his face. Then he leveled a hard gaze on Rand. “Not sure why, but you seem to make her happy. As long as she has a smile on her face, you get to live.”
“Good to know,” Rand muttered.
Nate’s expression turned serious. “I’ve got some news. A trial date has been set for Summer for next month. His attorney asked for a plea bargain, but the DA refused. The evidence against him is strong enough that the DA’s confident he’ll get the maximum.”
“That’s great news.” Apparently tired of getting his son out of trouble, Jacob Summer hadn’t posted his bail. Rand wished Kinsey’s involvement with the man was done. “I thought Kinsey might be dreading the trial, but when she learned of his past deeds, she said she couldn’t wait to get on the witness stand and do her part in sending him to prison.” He was damn proud of her.
“Good for her,” Court said.
A bloodcurdling shriek had him and the brothers reaching for their guns.
“Oh my God, Kinsey,” Madison screamed. “What’s that on your hand? It’s blinding my eyes.”
“A ring?” Alex said.
“Yep.” Rand smiled when Kinsey waved her hand in front of the Gentry wives.
“Thought it would take a little longer but not surprised,” Court said.
“When I know what I want, I don’t waste time.”
Alex scowled. “Dude, you’re supposed to ask us for permission to marry her.”
“Oops.”
Nate held up his beer. “Congratulations. But if you ever make her cry, I’ll shoot you.”
“Tough crowd,” Rand said.
“The toughest,” Nate agreed.
“Well, this calls for a celebration.” Alex stood. “I’ve got some champagne Madison and I bought last New Year’s but never got around to drinking. Her fault. She distracted me when she—”
“TMI, baby brother.” Court reached into the cooler and grabbed a handful of ice, throwing the cubes at Alex’s retreating back.
“Dude, you’ll pay for that,” Alex called over his shoulder.
“If he teaches my kids to say ‘dude,’ I’ll never forgive him,” Rand said.
Nate narrowed his eyes. “She’s not pregnant, is she?”
“Not yet.” But he was looking forward to the day she was, and wasn’t that something? “We’re talking about a destination wedding. Some island, maybe St. Thomas. Just our families, and the expense is on me for everyone. Wherever we decide on, I’ll charter a plane so we won’t have to deal with a gaggle of children on a commercial flight.”
“I might like having you for a brother-in-law after all,” Nate said.
Rand grinned. “Thought you’d say that.”
The St. Thomasweather was picture-perfect. Sunset was two hours away, only two more hours before Kinsey would be his wife. Rand couldn’t wait. But he had something to do first. He slipped away from his soon-to-be brothers-in-law for a few minutes of quiet time. There was a cove a little ways from the resort, and he made his way to it. A grouping of palm trees stood tall near the water, their fronds swaying in the breeze. He stopped in their shade and looked out over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.
