Catch (Coronado Series Book 4) Read online

“Sweet-talker.”

  “You might be the first person to say that about me.”

  “And hopefully the last.”

  “Definitely the last.”

  “Now that you said that, I’m going to make you something yummy for breakfast.”

  “I think yummy was already taken care of. I’ll have some eggs and toast, though.”

  “Mr. Ellis, you’re a bad man, and it’s exactly what I’ve been searching for.”

  “Ms. Miller, I’m happy to know that.” He laughed and hugged her. He wanted to keep his feelings of concern to himself. She had enough worry. It was his turn to shoulder it. There was a solution. He just had to figure it out. “Let’s take your car this morning, because I’m going to give Jack mine.”

  “Sounds good. Should I make enough for him?”

  “No. I think he’s going to the warehouse to work out, and then he’ll eat.”

  She started taking things out for breakfast, and noticed that he was staring out the window, deep in thought. “Everything okay?”

  He turned and took her hand. “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Before I forget to tell you, Derick is going to take me over to Birdie’s tonight for book club. He always drives Gracie, and I asked him for a lift. I didn’t want to interrupt your plans with your brother.”

  “I can take you.”

  “It’s book club. It’s only the ladies.”

  “No, it’s not. Everyone knows that if you have a wife or girlfriend who goes, you are welcome to go over and play poker with Mark. It’s an unspoken invitation. All the guys know that you ladies drink too much wine at those get-togethers.”

  “I’ve never really noticed, but I guess you’re right. I have only one glass, sometimes two.”

  “This is the first time that I can go, because I finally have a girlfriend, and that gives me a pass. I’m happy finally to be included.”

  Patting his chest as she passed in front of him, she said, “I’m glad that I can provide you with the invitation you’ve been coveting.”

  “It’s really the only reason that I’ve been interested in you. It was all about the invite to poker night.”

  “Well, at least I’m good for something.”

  He took the egg carton out of her hand, put it on the counter, picked her up, and kissed her. “And the kissing…definitely the kissing.”

  She kissed him back as she laughed. He moved his mouth against hers, and soon she was lost in the taste of him. As she fell under the waves of desire, she heard someone clear his throat. Spell broken. Lifting her head, she peeked over Chris’s shoulder and smiled at Jack. “Good morning, Jack. Would you like to eat before you work out, or are you going to wait? I’m making eggs, if you would like some.”

  “Is that what you two are making?” Chris lowered Rachel down the front of his body, and Jack felt a strange pang of jealousy. He was happy that his brother had found happiness, because nobody deserved it more than him. They were a great match and probably destined for years and years of happiness. For the first time, he realized that he might not be averse to finding someone himself.

  Rachel turned toward the counter and started working on the eggs so no one would notice her red face. Perhaps it was inevitable that she was going to embarrass herself around Chris’s brother. Glancing over her shoulder, she spoke to both men. “Help yourself to coffee and then set the table.”

  They followed directions and left her alone in the kitchen. Both of them were well trained and knew when it was in their best interests to leave the cook alone. It was never a good idea to mess with the person who was making their food.

  Each man took a section of the paper and opened it in exactly the same way as they leaned back and started reading. Apparently, they were related. She got everything together quickly, made their plates, and served them at the table. “Enjoy. I’m going to finish getting ready.”

  Chris tugged her hand before she got away. “Wait a minute. What did you eat?”

  “I had some yogurt earlier.”

  “You need to eat more. Sit down and eat this, and I’ll make some more.”

  She tugged her hand away. “No, thanks. I’m full, and I want to finish getting ready.” She turned, walked down the hall, and closed the door to the bedroom.

  “What did I do?” Chris asked. “Why doesn’t she want to eat?”

  Jack shoved eggs in his mouth and tried to answer him. “You didn’t do anything. She said she ate.”

  “There was an underlying message that I completely missed. Women speak a different language, and I often miss the meaning of things.”

  “I don’t think there was anything to miss. It seems pretty straightforward.”

  Chris continued to look down the hall. He had an uneasy feeling. His gut was telling him something was off, and he wasn’t going to ignore it.

  “What’s the plan today?”

  “I’m going to take Rachel to the office and knock out about an hour of work. You can have my truck, and I’ll meet you over at the warehouse. We can work out and then have lunch. We have poker tonight at Mark and Birdie’s.”

  “I thought you never got invited to that.”

  “I haven’t been invited before. You have to have a girlfriend or wife who is part of the book club to be included. Rachel is our pass for the evening.”

  “It’s good to know that you are finally hanging around the right women.”

  “There are no women. There is only one woman. And she’s it for the rest of my life.”

  “So that’s it.”

  “That’s it.”

  Jack leaned forward and clapped his brother on the back. “Congratulations. You deserve it more than anyone I know.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  Chris heard the bedroom door open and watched Rachel come down the hall. He whistled and wagged his eyebrows. “Honey, you look amazing.”

  She gave him a strange look as she stood next to him, and put her hand on his forehead. Leaving it there for a moment, she decided he was fine. “No fever. It’s must be mental instability.”

  Turning around, she returned to the kitchen and filled her travel mug. She grabbed a piece of fruit and started going through her purse.

  The Ellis men got up, cleared their plates, and brought them into the kitchen. Chris started rinsing and putting dishes in the dishwasher. “I was admiring my girlfriend in her jeans. That doesn’t make me crazy.”

  “These are not whistling jeans. These are regular jeans.”

  He dried his hands, turned her around, and stared at her ass. “Those are whistling jeans.”

  She shook her head. “If you like these, then wait until I wear my good jeans. I’m going to blow your mind with my Friday jeans.”

  “I’m ready to have my mind blown. Is it Friday yet?”

  “No, honey. It’s only Wednesday.”

  Jack finally interrupted them. “Since the whole jean question has been answered, I’m going to interrupt. Chris, leave me the address for the warehouse, and tell me what time you want me to meet you there.”

  “I’ll text it to you. We are going to leave in ten minutes. Are you going to jump in the pool?”

  “Yeah, I need to stretch some things out before you abuse me at the gym.” He turned to Rachel and hugged her. “Thanks again for dinner last night.”

  She hugged him back. “My pleasure. I meant to ask you if you live in Florida year-round.”

  “I do. I have a home in Coral Gables.”

  “The reason I’m asking is that Birdie’s cousin Ana is moving to Miami next week. In fact, our meeting tonight is her going-away party. She has a fellowship at the University of Miami. I don’t think the two of you would have anything in common, but it might be nice if she knew more than one person when she moves to town.”

  “Who else does she know?”

  “Her best friend and college roommate lives there, so I think she’s going to be fine. Ronnie knows a ton of people, and I’m sure she’s going to introduce her around.�
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  “My financial manager is named Ronnie. Ronnie DuMond.”

  “That’s Ana’s best friend, and you’ll see her tonight at the Fraziers’. She’s coming to book club. I got to know her last week, and she’s a lot of fun. Too bad Ana doesn’t really like jocks. If she did, then I’m sure Ronnie would introduce her to some of her clients.”

  “Why doesn’t she like jocks?”

  “It has something to do with high school. Ana is terribly smart and probably got picked on back then. Who knows?”

  Chris interrupted them. “Honey, we’d better get going. I don’t want you to be late.”

  “You’re right. Have a good day, Jack. I’ll see you tonight at Birdie’s.”

  Jack waved at them as they walked out of the house. He couldn’t believe Ronnie was in town, and they were going to end up at the same party. He was in luck because he wanted to run his latest endorsement offer past her.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Rachel walked to the conference room in search of David. Peeking her head in, she spotted him with a big pile of papers in front of him. “Hey, David. I take it the hostage op went well.”

  He finished writing something and looked up with a smile. “Hey, Rach. We brought everyone home safe and sound. We had a little interference from the local drug lord, but we took care of that quickly and got everyone out.”

  “Congratulations. I was wondering if you had time to escort me to the bakery. I need to get some brownies for book club, and Chris is out of the office today.”

  “I will do it on one condition. I would like some homemade cookies.”

  “Can I buy you some at the bakery?”

  “No, I want real homemade cookies.”

  “Maybe I can get you interested in Jill. She owns the bakery, and she’s a riot. Just imagine if you had a girlfriend who baked. All of your dreams would come true.”

  “I would be open to dating a baker. Does she like men who are smart, funny, and handsome?”

  “I’m not sure. But don’t count yourself out. She might like all of your tattoos.” She watched him stack his papers and shove them into a folder. “I’m just kidding, David. I sure she would like you.”

  “It’s been a bad run for me for this last year. First, Birdie drops me. Then Zoey turns out to have a secret boyfriend. All of my friends are getting married and having kids. I’m tired of going to the bar to look for company.”

  “I think that’s the most honest and heartfelt thing I have ever heard a man say. I feel like you just opened the door to all kinds of possibilities.”

  “I hope you’re right.” He stood up and gathered his stuff. “Let’s go to the bakery. Maybe Jill will take pity on me.”

  They stepped out of the conference room. “I’ll meet you up front in five minutes,” David said.

  Rachel went back to her office and noticed that Zoey was still frosty with her. She ignored it, grabbed her purse, and turned off her computer. “Do you want something from the bakery, Zoey?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Shrugging, Rachel walked out. She didn’t enjoy having Zoey in a snit, but she wasn’t going to sell out Jack just to have a happy office mate.

  She met David at the door, and they made their way out of the building. “Did you tell Chris where we’re going? I don’t want him to give me a hard time when I see him tomorrow.”

  “I texted him, and he wanted me to thank you for him. He appreciates that you’re taking the time to do this.”

  “He doesn’t have to thank me. That’s what we do for each other. Always have, always will.”

  “Why don’t you come over to dinner tomorrow night? I think Jack is leaving on Friday, so it will be chance for you all to catch up.”

  “Are you inviting me because you feel sorry for me?”

  She laughed. “I don’t feel sorry for you. You’re a good-looking man with a successful career and a ton of charm. You’re the last person I would feel sorry for.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.”

  “Maybe we’re walking in the direction of the woman of your dreams. You may think back and remember this moment as the one that changed your life.”

  “Now that you’ve said it, she’s not going to be there. All we’re going to get of this little excursion is some brownies and cookies.”

  “If it doesn’t happen today, then I will make a point of introducing you to her.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  ***

  Chris waited in the lobby for Rachel to come downstairs. He looked around and realized how much had changed in the last two weeks. He remembered the moment when he saw Dean with his hands on Rachel. It still made him crazy with rage. He wanted the guy locked down and Rachel feeling safe. Once those things were accomplished, they could begin their lives with one another. He heard the elevator bell and watched the doors slide open and Rachel emerge with a pink box in her hands. “Hi, honey.”

  “Hi, handsome. Did you have fun with your brother today?”

  Leaning down, he kissed her like a man who was starved. Finally lifting his mouth from hers, he smiled into her eyes. “We had a great time. It was fun to hang out and relax. We haven’t had the opportunity to do that in a long time.”

  She handed him the pink box from the bakery as she dug in her purse for her sunglasses. “I invited David over for dinner tomorrow night. I figured that you all would want to hang out and catch up before your brother leaves.”

  “Sounds good. But let’s go out to dinner. I don’t want you to cook again.”

  “I’m happy to do it. It will just be something simple.” Rachel replied.

  He kissed her before they walked outside. “I didn’t know pink boxes were allowed. The last time I brought one over to your house, you gave it a dirty look and told me to take it away.”

  “Pink boxes are allowed when they don’t have donuts in them. Donuts are my weakness, and once I start…I can’t seem to stop.”

  “Maybe you can write the rules down for me. That way I won’t be confused by the subtleties.”

  “Speaking of pink boxes, I tried to introduce David to Jill today at the bakery, but she wasn’t there. I’m not giving up, though, because I feel like this is a match made in heaven. He’s bound to fall for her, what with his obsession with cookies and all.”

  “Let me know if you plan on joining Birdie and Rory in their matchmaking. I understand that Travis’s wife, Cary, has joined their attempts. I wish the men from the Team and SAI good luck in resisting the efforts of you ladies.”

  “I have one match in mind. That doesn’t make me a matchmaker.”

  “It always starts that way.”

  “You know that you’re not discouraging me in the least.”

  “I know, honey. It isn’t possible.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  They walked up to the Fraziers’ home and heard a lot of laughter. Before they knocked, Chris stopped Rachel on the steps. “Thanks for getting me a pass to come tonight. I never thought I would get the woman of my dreams and a night of poker.”

  “Dreams really do come true.” She leaned up to kiss him. “It’s a lot easier to kiss you when I’m wearing heels.”

  “I’m glad I wasn’t in the office today. I never would have gotten anything done with you moving around in your jeans and high heels.”

  Leaning against him, she sighed. “Mr. Ellis, you are a charming man. And hard to resist.”

  “Don’t resist.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  The door opened, and Birdie gave them both an enormous smile. “Come in, my little lovebirds.” They both laughed and stepped through the door. “I never would’ve put you two together. Yet when I see you both, I wondered how I missed it. You’re perfect for one another.”

  Mark came up wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist. “Welcome to book club and poker. Mostly we eat and visit, but at least we pretend that we’re doing something else.” Mark shook Chris’s hand. “Did you fall in love with Rachel
because you wanted to be included in poker?”

  “I fell in love with her because I didn’t have a choice. She’s the one for me.”

  “That’s how it works. I saw Birdie, and I was done. I even heard her sing, and it didn’t slow me down.”

  Rachel and Birdie looked at one another and rolled their eyes. “I hope you two are done,” Birdie said.

  Smiling down at his wife, Mark responded, “I guess we’re done for now.”

  Birdie took the box from Rachel and led her into the kitchen. “You’re not going to believe Ana’s transformation. We did the last thing today, and my cousin is finally the butterfly she was always meant to be.”

  “Ana is a beautiful woman. She just never spent any time getting herself dolled up. She was too busy getting her doctorate to worry about her hair. It’s what happens when you’re a genius.”

  “My genius cousin now has an outside to match the inside. I want her to go to Miami and feel invincible. She finally has a chance to explore all the facets of life, and I want her to feel confident. Unfortunately, the nonsense with Blake made her question the possibilities.”

  “I want to introduce her to Chris’s brother, Jack. He lives in Coral Gables, and I thought it might be good if she knows more than one person there.”

  “I think that’s a great idea. What does he do?”

  “He plays for the Sharks. I don’t remember what position he plays.”

  Birdie scrunched up her face. “She doesn’t care for football players. She had a bad experience in high school.”

  “I thought maybe they could be friends. Nothing more.”

  “It’s worth a shot.” They joined the group of ladies and soon were involved with the current discussion about the presidential candidates.

  Chris came up behind Rachel and whispered in her ear, “Honey, I’m going to be in the backyard. Let me know if you need anything.”

  She kissed his cheek and returned to the conversation. Once he was out of earshot, Cary leaned over and made kissing noises in her ear. “Are you making fun of me, Cary?”

  “No, I’m happy for you. I think you two are perfect. I’m a newlywed, and I believe in mushy-gushy love, and I’m happy when I see my friends smooching.”