Love Under Two Detectives by Cara Covington (good books to read for women txt) 📗

the moment, and it was going to be end of shift in fifteen minutes, he figured their chances were good.

“You’re still coming to Aunt Samantha’s for supper, aren’t you?” Toby headed for the passenger side of the car. His willingness to always let Anthony drive was a fact Anthony appreciated.

“Are you kidding? Your aunt and uncles are the best cooks I’ve ever known. Not to mention the entertainment value of Sunday supper at the New House.”

Toby grinned. “I know. Dinner and a show in one comfortable venue. Oh, Grandpa Noah told me to remind you that since this will be your third time at Sunday supper, you’re no longer considered a guest, you’re family. That means you will be considered fair game.”

You’re family. Toby knew what those words meant to Anthony because in the short few months they’d been partners, they had clicked. They’d shared a mutual instant rapport that had only strengthened since they met.

Anthony started the car and turned to his partner. “I’m looking forward to that part of Sunday supper, especially.”

“And the other? We both finally tasted her last night. It’s nearly end of shift, and time for us to decide.” Toby had waited until they were underway.

Anthony drove another block then pulled over against the curb. He put the car in park and then put his attention on his partner.

“Aunt Samantha called earlier to let me know she’d be there,” Toby said.

Toby’s distant cousin, Mary, had relocated from New York City and was now considered a citizen of Lusty.

A few weeks ago, Anthony and Toby had begun to discuss the possibility of forming a partnership of a different sort. Since first laying eyes on Mary, they’d wondered—each on his own and then, finally, discussing it several times together—if she would be interested in getting together with them. They knew she was single, and they also knew she was in Texas to stay.

Anthony had confessed to Toby that, for a long time, something about the concept of the ménage lifestyle called to him. Toby had more or less said the same thing—that when he heard his brothers had fallen in love with Brittany and intended to be her husbands, he’d been intrigued.

Anthony wasn’t a man to believe in fate, necessarily. But between being raised by a mother who’d believed her late husband had been her soul mate and having so easily become friends with so many of the Kendalls, Jessops, and Benedicts, he had to wonder. And then when Toby had joined the force, and the captain had assigned them as partners—well, he was convinced. Fate was definitely playing a hand where he was concerned.

His thoughts turned to Mary. Her soft brown shoulder-length hair might be in a sweet style or messy bun, depending. Her hazel eyes could flash yellow or green, again, depending. No one could ever call Mary Kendall malleable, and thank God for that. Anthony admired a woman who could function on several levels at the same time, and one who didn’t need to be the center of attention. Everything about Mary Judith Kendall appealed to Anthony Corbett. He had his fingers crossed—well, mentally at any rate.

Then last night at the community center dance, they’d made their first move—they’d drawn Mary away from the family to a dark corner and dared to kiss her.

Just that easily, Anthony Corbett found himself addicted.

“Yes.” Anthony had turned himself slightly so they could have this conversation face to face. “I can’t stop thinking about her, about the taste of her and the more I think about sharing her… If we can woo her, that is.”

Toby grinned. “She is a bit prickly at times. I like that about her.”

Anthony laughed out loud. “Me, too, partner. Me, too.”

“You realize of course that Aunt Samantha is going to know that we’re looking at her after supper tonight, right?”

“I figured she would have known because of the conversations we’ve had with your uncles,” Anthony said.

Toby shook his head. “No. They’d have kept those to themselves, because we spoke to them in confidence.”

Anthony didn’t disabuse his partner of his naïve belief. Anthony’s mother and father had shared everything, and he’d bet the same could be said between the senior Kendalls of Lusty, Texas. “That’s good, then. So, I guess I’d better get us back to the office so we can get on our way to Lusty.”

“Drive on, partner. Drive on.”

* * * *

Mary didn’t know if she could take any more family this day, but she had promised she’d come to Sunday supper. She’d be damned if she wimped out just because she felt a little put upon. And by put upon, she meant completely taken aback that her aunts and Grandma Kate knew her secret. And I’d been so careful!

She’d been certain her secret was safe. After all, Thomas Northcliffe had copped a plea and was currently a resident of some mental health facility somewhere in the state of New York. She thought she’d been successful in keeping her name out of the papers. It was over and done with. Nothing to see here. Everybody move on, just move on please.

Yes, she felt safe here in Lusty. That didn’t mean she wanted her soul laid bare and her secret passed around as a topic of conversation as if it had been served up on a platter to be the subject of jabs by the very large Kendall clan seated here for supper.

And there were a hell of a lot of people sitting at the table tonight, too. Because she couldn’t not, Mary had counted. In all, twenty-four Kendalls from Lusty, Wyoming, and from New York had been seated. Not seated at this table but at another smaller table in this very large dining room were six children, aged six to fourteen. There were giggles and a few other sounds reaching them, and of course, every few minutes one of them needed a quick hug or conference with Grandma Sam.

Mary wasn’t the sole representative of the Empire State tonight, either. Her first cousins