sprawled on the floor in front of her, leaning back
against her legs.
After their traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings,
the family relaxed around the spacious home. They talked, they watched
football—just like any other family. Jason was right. They were just ordinary
people like everyone else.
Well, almost.
“Hey, whassup! Anybody home?”
Hannah knew the voice immediately. In mere seconds she would meet another
member of Blue. Gevin Michaels. She noticed her hands trembling so she
intertwined her fingers, hoping to still them.
She watched across the room as a whole new flock of cousins and nieces
and nephews and aunts and uncles spilled into the family room. Jason jumped up
to greet them all, hugging kids and kissing aunts and uncles on the cheek. She
spotted Gevin, a head taller than the rest of his family.
“Don’t even think about it!” Gevin warned as Jason pretended he
was going to kiss his famous cousin. Gevin faked a punch to Jason’s stomach.
“It’s bad enough I have to work with you day in and day out. You’d think I
could have a little space on Christmas.”
“How’s it goin’, Cuz?” The teasing aside, they shared a hug. Jason cocked
his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. “And what’s with the silly grin?”
Hannah watched Gevin’s face beam. Everyone called him the serious member
of the band, but you’d never know it today. “What’re you talking about? What
grin?”
Jason twisted his head the other direction, curiosity still etched on his
face.
“There’s someone here I think you know,” Gevin said. He reached back
through the pack of people behind him, grabbing a hand the color of coffee with
cream. Suddenly, a striking African-American woman squeezed through the crowd.
“Marissa!” Jason pounced on her, scooping her up in his arms. “What are
you doing here? This is great!” As he hugged her, the slender beauty’s wild
curls danced all over his face. “What a nice surprise!”
“Sheesh, McKenzie, you guys sure have a lot of family,” she laughed, looking
over the crowd. “Who are all these people?”
She stepped back beside Gevin, his arm wrapping around her slender waist.
“I talked Rissa into spending Christmas with me, family obligations and all, so
here we are.”
Hannah watched Marissa Shaw snuggle into the comfort of Gevin’s arm. Back
in her groupie days, she’d read about the talented tour manager for the band . She was known for her no-nonsense approach to management, keeping the
entire production team in line and on schedule. Her peers maintained a healthy
respect for her, recognizing her immense talent and vision overseeing one of
the hottest groups in the industry. Quite a remarkable feat for a woman so
young. But Marissa was also known to adore her “boys.” With them from the start,
she was part of their huge success story. But Hannah had never known how
beautiful she was—tall and graceful with arresting caramel eyes, flawless skin,
and a captivating smile with perfect white teeth.
Hannah turned to notice the strange look on Jason’s face. Then, as if snapping
out of a fog, he suddenly faced her with blinking eyes. “I’m so sorry! Hey, Gevin—Rissa.
I’ve got someone you need to meet.” He grabbed Hannah’s hand, pulling her into
the circle. “This is Hannah. Mom picked her up at the grocery store yesterday
and well, we can’t seem to get rid of her.”
“Jason!” Hannah laughed
out loud, elbowing him in the ribs.
He put his arm
over her shoulder. “I’m teasing. Well, sort o f. Anyway, Hannah this is Gevin, but you probably already knew that.”
Gevin’s smile broadened as his eyes grew wide. “Nice to meet you,
Hannah.” He embraced her in a hug and pretended to whisper in her ear. “But I
probably need to talk to you later about your taste in men.” His thick eyebrows
raised to acknowledge some inside wisdom. “We’ll talk,” he whispered loudly.
She laughed. “It’s nice to meet
K. Sterling
Jacquie Rogers
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Shiloh Walker
Elizabeth Moynihan
Mary Balogh
Tara Fox Hall
Jonathan Maberry
Jane Hunt
James Kakalios