Tucker (The Family Simon 1)
Teague slipped off his jacket, smiling at a woman a few seats down and then stretched out his long arms. “Your secretary. Told me you had a meeting here and that I’d find you in the bar.” Teague winked. “She knows you well and she’s damn cute.”
Tucker’s eyebrows rose. “She’s too young. Christ, she’s barely out of college.”
“Yeah,” Teague said with a grin. “But still. She’s pretty damn cute although…” his grin widened. “…she’s not as hot as the woman in the picture on your desk. I take it that’s your Abby?”
Tucker nodded. Busted.
“That’s her.”
The brothers sat in silence for a few moments and then Teague spoke gruffly. “I’m happy for you. After Marley…well, I just didn’t think you were ever going to climb out of that pit.” He shrugged. “At least not all the way.”
The bartender brought them another round, pointing to the woman whose hungry gaze was still on Teague. The brothers accepted the drinks and while Tucker nursed the glass, Teague slammed his back.
“Do you love her?” Teague asked.
Tucker glanced at his brother and then nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
“That’s good.” Teague paused and shot him a sideways glance. “Have you told
her yet?”
Christ, his brother knew him well.
“No.” He thought of his big plans and smiled. “But that’s all gonna change tonight.”
Just then his cell buzzed and he whipped it out, the smile still in place. It had to be Abby. But his smile faded when he saw Kate Danvers name again. Marley’s mother. An odd sensation washed over him. A weird sort of de je vu.
“That your girl?” Teague asked.
“No.” He glanced up to his brother. “I’m going to have to take this. When’s your flight? Do you still have some time?”
“Go,” Teague glanced toward the blond who’d bought them a round. “I’ll be here when you get back.” He shoved away from the bar and chuckled. “Besides, I need to meet this Abby woman. See if she’s as hot in real life as she is in that picture on your desk.”
“Don’t be getting any ideas about her,” Tucker warned.
“It’s not me you have to worry about. Has Cooper met her?”
“Yeah.”
“And how did that go?”
“How do you think?”
Teague’s grin was contagious. “As fucked up as this world is, I love that some things never change.”
Tucker hit return call on his cell and moved to the lobby of the hotel, where the reception was better and the noise was minimal. Outside it was snowing, big old snowflakes falling down in soft gusts, bathed in the streetlights that lit up the night.
He didn’t think the phone rang. Didn’t remember hearing a ring and yet all of a sudden there was his mother-in-law’s panicked voice in his ear.
“Tucker Simon, I have been calling you for hours. Why haven’t you answered me?”
“I…” Shit. What the hell was going on? “I’m sorry, Kate. I was in a meeting and my brother just flew into New York for a few hours. We were catching—”
“I don’t care about that. Tucker haven’t you seen the news?”
A shrill undertone colored her words and that prickly sensation was back. Big time.
“No. I…”