Exposed to You (One Night of Passion 2)

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or polite,” Katie said with wry amusement.

“No, I mean it in the best kind of way,” Joy said in a burst of honesty. “I’ve never met anyone like him.”

Katie smiled and tossed her dish towel on the counter. “He’s one of a kind, that’s for sure. Mom jokes that light poured out of her womb before Everett popped his head into the world.”

Joy laughed. “Too funny. But you know, I can see what she means.” She made a face. “Was it hard for you? Being his little sister?”

“You mean always walking around in the shadow of his brilliance?”

“I think you’re pretty brilliant yourself,” Joy said quietly. “I just meant—”

“I know what you meant. And the fact of the matter is, if I didn’t adore Everett so much, if he weren’t genuinely one of the most awesome people I’d ever met, I would have had an inferiority complex the size of Mount Everest. Everett has never been secretive about his own vulnerabilities, though. It helps to know he bleeds just like we all do.”

“Maybe I’m a poor observer of character, but I couldn’t begin to guess what Everett’s vulnerabilities are. It’s like you said out there on the porch—he doesn’t seem to know how to feel awkward or question himself.”

Katie gave her a quick, assessing glance before she opened a cabinet and placed the pitcher inside.

“You may not have recognized it yet about him, but Everett is all about family and close friends. He’d do anything for Mom and Dad. He would—and has—dropped everything on a dime and flown to my side when I needed him. He’d open a vein for Rill or Daisy.”

“That’s wonderful,” Joy murmured. She’d already guessed that about Everett, but hearing his sister say it brought it home.

“It is wonderful,” Katie agreed. “The thing of it is, though, Everett worries he’ll never have that. Not for himself.”

“You mean his own family?”

Katie nodded.

“But . . . surely he’s had his pick of available women.”

“Of course. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found the one he wants to spend his life with. He never has said it in so many words, but I think he sort of worries he’s . . . cursed in that department.”

“What?” Joy asked, confused.

“Not cursed, exactly. But he’s very aware of his blessings. Never think otherwise. He doesn’t take for granted his influence or his money or his luck. He’s incredibly charitable with his time and his money. He knows he won some kind of colossal cosmic lottery.”

“But . . .” Joy said slowly, sensing there was more.

“The only thing that hasn’t come to him easily is love, partnership . . . a family,” Katie said quietly, leaning her hip against the counter.

Joy frowned. “It’s got to be so hard for him. He probably questions other people’s motives all the time, wonders if they’re just using him.”

Katie shook her head. “That’s not the problem. Everett has an instinct for users. No, I think he’s just worried fate gave him so much, that it’d be too much for him to find love.”

“You mean like it’d be unfair in a karmic sense?”

“Yeah.”

“He envies you. I see the way he looks at you and Rill and Daisy sometimes,” Joy said quietly.

“I see the way he looks at you.”

Joy looked up quickly. Katie’s expression was unusually somber. Was it worry she saw etched on Everett’s sister’s face? She swallowed. Her throat felt tight.

“I . . . I don’t know what’s happening,” she admitted to Katie in a burst of honesty.

“It’s pretty clear to me. Everett’s falling in love with you,” Katie said in a quiet, matter-of-fact tone.

Joy put her hand over her heart.