I dish our food onto real plates, and push one across the table to him.

“So, Maria was really nice.”

Brand looks up and grins.  “You met Maria?  She’s a sweet lady.  Don’t let her fool you, though.  Her husband died last year. She’s hard as nails.”

I take a bite of lasagna, trying to act casual.

“Yeah, she mentioned that Tony died.  She mentioned a lot….about you, and Gabe and Jacey.”

Brand looks up at me, but he doesn’t show any reaction.  “She did, huh?”

I nod.  “Yeah.  She said that Jacey’s ex ran Tony off the road.”

Brand sighs and takes a bite of his food.  “Yeah.  It was a hard time.  Jacey didn’t always make good decisions.  But she’s doing better now.”

“Yeah, Maria mentioned that, too.  And that’s she’s married to Dominic Kinkaide.”

Again, Brand shows no reaction.

“Yep.  In fact, I think they’re in Europe right now. You probably won’t see her this summer.”

This causes my head to snap up. “Why would I see her?”

Brand looks at me in surprise.  “This is her cabin.  Well, she shares it with Gabe.  Like I mentioned, they inherited it from their grandparents.”

He’d mentioned his friends had inherited it.  He hadn’t said that one of the friend’s was Jacey Vincent-Kinkaide.

“Oh.”  I feel a bit deflated.  I don’t know why.  He might be in love with Jacey, but she’s married.  To one of the world’s most famous actors.  And she’s thousands of miles away right now.  She’s not a threat to me.  Brand can’t have her.

We eat in comfortable silence and after I clear away our leftovers, I turn to Brand.

“There’s no cable here.”

He smiles. “I know.  It used to drive us crazy in the summers.”

“I can imagine.  But I saw a checkers board in one of the bookcases.  Do you want to sit outside and play?”

Brand stares at me in surprise.  “Sure.  I just never figured you for a board games girl.”

I roll my eyes. “You don’t know me yet.”

Yet.

I set the game up and Brand hobbles out on his crutches.  Even injured, his biceps bulge and flex with each movement.  I could watch his arms all day.  But I can’t.  I’ve got a game to play…in more ways than one.

Instead, I look up.  “Black or red?”

Brand sits down. “Black.”

“Then you go first,” I suggest.  “But I’ve got a caveat…something that will make the game more interesting.”

Brand raises a blond eyebrow.  “Oh, yeah?  And what’s that?  Strip checkers?”

I smirk.  “You wish.  But no.  If one of us gets jumped, the other one gets to ask a question.  And we have to answer.”

Brand cocks his head. “Clever.  What if we don’t really want to know the answers?  Sometimes mystery is better than reality.”

I shake my head. “I disagree.  There are things I’m dying to know about you.”

Brand rolls his eyes.  “I’m not that interesting.”

“Let me decide that,” I suggest.  “Your move….if you’re not afraid.”

He snorts, and I push the board toward him.  He moves a black checker forward.

Then I move a red one.

We go back and forth a few times, until he manages to jump one of mine.

“Bingo,” he says with a grin.

“Wrong game,” I tell him.  “What’s your question?”

He thinks on that, his large hand drumming on his thigh.  “Hmm.  Let’s see.  Okay, why are you spending the summer here in Angel Bay?”

I answer immediately.  “My father wanted me to take the summer off and recharge my batteries.  I just finished law school.”

“So your brain is tired?” Brand grins and I swear, it could light up the entire lake.  I nod.

“I guess you could say that.”

“Your move,” he tells me.

I move. Then he moves. We parry back and forth, until I finally manage to jump him.

“Do you love Jacey?”

I’m not one to beat around the bush.  Brand’s head snaps back and he stares at me in disbelief.

“Wow.  You don’t mess around, do you?”

“No.  Maria talked so much about her that I’m curious.  What’s your answer?”  I stare into his eyes and he stares back.  Finally he nods and for a minute, my heart stops beating.  But then he clarifies.

“Yes. But not in the romantic way.  I thought I did for a while, but maybe I never did.  She and Gabe have been like my family.  I was close to her, and maybe I got confused. Emotions aren’t my forte.”

“So you don’t love her romantically?”

Brand shakes his head.  “That’s two questions, sweetheart.”

I suck in my breath at the endearment, and Brand smirks.  “What?  No one’s ever called you that?”

He’s kidding, but I shake my head.  “No.”

“You’re joking.”

Brand is dumbfounded now and I have to laugh.  “No, I’m not kidding.  Believe it or not, I haven’t had that many relationships. My father never approves of anyone.”

Brand stares at me drolly. “But you were away at college.  What your father didn’t know wouldn’t have hurt him.”

I almost shudder.  “My father knows everything. Trust me.  It’s your turn.”

Brand drops it, and goes, much to my relief.  I don’t want to get into how my father kept tabs on me at school.  Before long, Brand jumps me again.  He levels a blue, blue gaze at me.

“Are you happy?” he asks thoughtfully, rocking back in his seat with his good leg.  I suck in a breath.

“Blunt, aren’t you?”

He chuckles.  “No more than you.”

Touché.

“No, not really,” I answer honestly.  “I hope to be someday.”

Brand stares at me hard.  “Why aren’t you happy now?”

“That’s two questions,” I throw his words back at him.  “It’s my turn to go.”

Brand rolls his eyes, but I ignore him as I move.