Page 56 of Enticing Her Love

Dawn: I don’t know what those are, but hey, if that’s what he’s into, it obviously does his body good.

A hot-faced emoji popped up.

Dawn: Enjoy the brownies. I have to get back to the set. I’m making Gâteau St. Honore cake today. YUM!

Sutton: I have no idea what that is, so put it on the list of things you should make for me. She added praying hands and a red heart.

She finished her second brownie, and her phone vibrated again, this time with a family group text.

Jules: FaceTime in 2 minutes!

FaceTime? Sutton scrolled through her messages to see if she’d missed one from Jules about setting up a video call, but there weren’t any missed texts. Then it dawned on her. This was why Jules had asked if she was free for lunch.

Maybe thirty seconds later, her phone lit up with the incoming call, and Jules’s bright eyes lit up the screen. Her golden-brown hair hung past her shoulders, the top layer pinned up in a ponytail in the middle of her head like a fountain. That had been her signature look since she was little. She was sitting with her husband, Grant Silver, who was eight years her senior and treated her like gold. His shaggy hair and beard were a shade darker than hers, and his eyes no longer held the shadow of a man who had lost too much. He had, in fact, lost too much during his military career and after. While Jules could never bring back the comrades or the limb he’d lost, Sutton knew he had her younger sister to thank for the happiness looking back at her.

“Hi, Sutton. You look amazing!” Jules exclaimed.

Everyone thought Jules was dramatic, and she was, but Sutton also believed her little sister, who had taken a brush with death, felt everything deeper than most people did, and she simply gave weight to those emotions. It was just one of the things Sutton adored about her.

Grant lifted his chin. “Hey, Sutton. Glad you’re safe.”

“Me too. I’ve missed you guys.”

Her parents’ warm smiles appeared on-screen, as Daphne, Jock, Levi, Leni, and their grandmother joined them. Everyone talked at once, and Sutton tried to keep up as Leni told them her fiancé, Raz, was in LA for meetings this week and was sorry to miss their call, and Levi said his fiancée, Tara, a photographer, should join them any minute.

“It’s great to see everyone,” Sutton said.

“How are you, darlin’?” her father asked. “You got some sun on your cheeks. It looks good on you.”

“Thanks, Dad. I’m doing okay. Just a little tired,” Sutton said.

“Of course you’re tired,” her grandmother said. “You’ve been traipsing around a jungle with that good-looking jackass boss of yours.”

“Mom,” Sutton’s mother chided, her long auburn hair and bangs framing her pretty face.

“Pfft.” Her grandmother waved a hand dismissively. “I call it like it is. Sutton, sweetheart, if you’re into jungle boys, I have a friend at bingo who would fill out a loincloth nicely, if you know what I mean.”

Everyone knew her grandmother, and many of the original Bra Brigaders, frequented a strip club on Cape Cod called Pythons when they claimed they were playing bingo. They all stifled their laughter as their mother glared at their grandmother. “Mom, please.”

Tara’s pretty young face appeared on-screen.

“Hi, babe,” Levi said.

“Hi. Sorry I’m late,” Tara said. “I had a photo shoot that ran over. Welcome home, Sutton. Joey made me promise to tell you she misses you.”

“Tell her I miss her, too, and I’ll see her at Indi and Archer’s wedding.”

“Where are Archer and Indi? Has anyone talked to them?” Jules asked. “I told them we were calling at noon sharp.”

“They’re probably in their boat making waves at the marina,” Levi said, making everyone chuckle.

“I’m sure they’ll be along any minute,” her mother said, just as Archer’s and Indi’s faces appeared on-screen. “Speak of the devils.”

“Sorry we’re late to the party,” Indi said, smoothing her tousled hair. “You can blame Archer for showing up at my work and cornering me in my office.”

“He gets that overactive libido from his grandfather,” their grandmother said.

Archer grinned smugly. “I’m not sorry about that.”