“What ring?” I blurted out, stepping forward.

Constantine shot Colin a funny look, lightly shaking his head.

“Er, uh, nothing.” Colin hoisted the bag back up into the crook of his arm. “I meant the locket.” He grumbled something under his breath, then took off for the kitchen.

I went over to Constantine, curious about what was going on. Why’d it feel like they were keeping a secret from me? “There something I should know?”

Constantine dragged a palm over his mouth and down his tanned throat. In a low voice, he admitted, “This is going to take some getting used to.”

8. Constantine

Chapter 8

Constantine

My sister waved her hand back and forth, her engagement ring nearly whacking my nose. “You okay?”

“Yes,” I answered flatly. “Why’s your hand in my face?”

Izzy stepped back and pointed at something. Coffee spilled from my mug onto the counter as the dark liquid continued streaming from the Nespresso machine.

“Did you forget you already put a pod in, filled it up, and went for a second? Heck, maybe this is a third?” She picked up a hand towel and began cleaning my mess.

“I, uh.” I have a son. I kept that to myself, not yet ready to share those words with anyone. I needed to fully absorb their meaning and for Colin to learn the truth.

“First time I’ve seen you get your own coffee, and now I see why you shouldn’t,” she said with a laugh.

“I make my coffee all the time.”

“Sure you do.” She playfully side-checked me with her elbow while continuing to clean up.

I didn’t need to remind her I had a machine in my office. She’d ask why I was in the breakroom, then, and I didn’t have an answer for her. I’d wandered in there at some point in a daze.

“Every woman with a pulse in this building loves you and will do anything for you,” she went on because she loved pushing my buttons. “Coffee, lunch, your special vitamins, dry cleaning. You name it, they get it for you.”

Wash blood from my clothes. (No questions asked.) Yeah, maybe. “I compensate for the extras, by the way.”

“Oh, I bet you do,” she said in a teasing, amused tone. “And look at you rolling your eyes at me. A rare sight.”

“When it’s well-deserved, I do.”

“Mm-hmm.” She tossed the towel on the counter and swapped my cup for a new one, starting the machine from scratch.

“That for you or me?” I smirked.

She folded her arms, resting her back against the counter. “It’s for me. I have no plans to fawn all over you like everyone else.” She winked.

At least she’d help adjust my mood a little.