Brock did not feel the same and nonverbally let this be known (another time he looked at me like I was crazy) but he didn’t say word one.

Also in the room was a tall blond man with light-blue eyes who was smiling at me like a madman (my correct guess, Austin). A stocky salt-and-pepper close-cropped-but-obviously-still-frizzy-haired man (another correct guess, Fritz). A tall dark-haired girl who was for some reason in late November wearing short-shorts and a thin drapey T-shirt over a camisole (and that reason might be because she was young, she was gorgeous, she had great legs, and I was with her—if you had them, flaunt them) who had to be Kellie (Jill and Fritz’s youngest). And the girl hugging Brock who had to be Kalie.

Lastly, a breathtakingly handsome man who, with his tall, lean, powerful, fit body, thick dark hair, but strangely, since no one else had them, hazel eyes, had to be Levi.

Hovering visibly nervously at Levi’s side was a young woman (another correct guess, in her late twenties) with a fabulous figure, blonde hair in a pixie cut that suited her very pretty features, and a carefully selected outfit that said she wanted to impress but not show off. Levi’s latest squeeze.

Jill introduced me to Fritz as Kellie went in for her snuggle with her uncle (and also got stick from him for “disappearing into thin air,” his words). Laura introduced me to Austin, who smiled warmly at me while giving me an equally warm hand squeeze. Elvira muttered, “Yo bitch,” at me, to which everyone chuckled even though they all had just met her that day.

Then Levi came forward with his girl and I watched him as he did it.

Oh man.

Suffice it to say, one look at him and I knew he trusted me a fair sight less than Cob did.

He clapped his brother’s arm while shaking his hand, kissed my cheek, stepped back, and introduced his girl as Lenore before he launched in.

“Tess, been hearin’ a lot about you.”

“I’ll bet,” I replied.

“You been hearin’ a lot, which makes me wonder why we haven’t seen you a lot,” Brock put in and Levi’s eyes went to his brother.

“Been busy,” he muttered.

“Not too busy to hear a lot about Tess,” Brock remarked.

Levi decided to ignore that and he looked back at me.

“Got tight with Slim quick,” he noted.

“Levi,” Fern said in a warning tone.

“Oh boy,” Elvira said to the potatoes in an undertone.

“Not exactly,” Brock said in a rumbling tone and Levi looked back to his brother.

“Yeah, heard about that too.”

I tensed at Brock’s side. Brock felt it and his arm came around my shoulders.