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“You’re right. But Gennessey is different from the rest of the women in our family. They don’t know how to handle someone who has goals for her life which don’t align with theirs. They love her. They just wish different things for her. She loves them. She just wishes they would support her choices instead of pushing her to follow the plans they want for her.”
BB sipped his beer as he regarded Cohen. “You know her better than anyone. What can I do to make it easier for her?”
“Don’t be sucked in by all of this…” Cohen swept his hand to indicate the rowdiness of the room. “…that you forget to have Gennessey’s back. Make sure you show her you are here to support her, not to fit in with them. That’s usually my job, but I’m otherwise committed this weekend.”
“That I can do.”
Cohen nodded as if satisfied with his answer. “Good. Listen, I know Gennessey is joining Autumn and her friends tomorrow night for a bachelorette party and girls’ night. Why don’t you join me and my buddies for poker night? We’re meeting at the best man’s house. I can text Gennessey all the details, or I can pick you up on the way.”
“If you’ll send the details, I’ll drive my truck unless Gen needs to use it. Thanks for the invite.”
Cohen smiled as he stood. “Good to meet you, BB. Thanks. For being here for her. She is very strong, sometimes too much for her own good. She could use someone to lean on even if she won’t admit it.”
“She can count on me.”
As Cohen walked away, BB realized he meant his promise. No matter what the weekend held in store, he was determined to be there for Gennessey and show her she could rely on him as much in their personal lives as she could when they were on the job.
Chapter Eleven
The South Carolina air hung heavy, humidity sticking to her skin in a thin sheen of sweat. Her hair twisted into tighter curls, and though she still wore the thick strands up and away from her face, she knew the style failed to tame the riotous mass as it responded to the summer temperature. Gennessey had swapped her dress for a flowy tank top and cotton shorts, not just to be more comfortable but also to be cooler.
Common sense told her to seek out the air-conditioned coolness of the hotel room, but the calming view from the balcony kept her in the uncomfortable outdoor chair. The only thing missing was a cool beer…and being in her own home instead of her family’s hotel.
She knew BB returned even before he stepped out on the balcony. He’d gotten rid of his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. His clothes clung to his frame as if custom made to fit his trim, muscular body. His dark hair remained impeccable, unchanging in the Southern humidity and causing her mood to turn even more sour.
“Sorry I left you there. I just couldn’t stand it any longer.”
His hands were stuffed into his pants pockets as he walked to the balcony railing before turning to look at her. “I told them you had a headache and needed to go where it was quiet to rest. I reminded them they would see you tomorrow for all the festivities, and they told me to reach out if you needed anything.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear about how rude I was for leaving without saying goodbye,” she grumbled.
“Your aunt started to say something along those lines until she heard you weren’t well. Then she became sympathetic and asked if there was anything she could do to help you. I assured her rest would do wonders for you after the long day we’ve had.”
She nodded. “Thank you for covering for me. When did you realize I wasn’t coming back?”
“When you got up and said you were going to the bathroom. I debated on whether to follow you. Then I figured you wanted to be alone and would probably sneak away to the room, so I stayed behind and made sure your cover was intact.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyebrows shot up as she eyed him suspiciously.
BB settled on a chair beside her, his gaze resting on the view. “Since you left before your family could interrogate you about me, I stayed to answer their questions. It was very beneficial. I feel like I know you much better now.”
“Oh, God,” she groaned. “Don’t tell me…”
He grinned as her words trailed off. “Yep. Your family was more than happy to swap stories. I told them things such as how we met, and they returned the favor with stories of their own.”
Gennessey shifted in her seat. The security lighting around the hotel was bright enough to cut through the darkness, , so she could better see his profile. “Okay. Out with it. What stories did they tell?”
He tilted his head back as if trying to recall what he’d heard, but she knew he didn’t have to try. He would remember every embarrassing detail and not hesitate to remind her every chance he had.
“There was the time you cracked a hole in the glass of the fish tank in your classroom without telling your teacher and then pretended you didn’t know how all the water drained out while everyone was gone for the weekend.”
“In my defense, that fish tank couldn’t have been made of sturdy material to begin with if it could be cracked by a few taps from a pencil. The cracks didn’t look big enough to let the water escape. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have told someone.”
He watched her out of the corner of his eye. “You scarred your classmates for life when they came in on Monday morning to see the goldfish massacre.”
“Oh, please. Two goldfish hardly constitute a massacre. My mother can be dramatic.”
“Your brothers told me the story and the story of your prom switcheroo.”
