Secrets Collide (Bluegrass Brothers)

napkin to try to dry her tears but gave up in the end.
    “And I’m sure you and Cy were completely innocent in this situation,” Morgan said mischievously.
    “Oh, do tell.” Katelyn sat forward in her chair. “We all want to know about Cy. He’s so mysterious, even to us.”
    “That’s not all he is,” Tammy said as she started fanning herself.
    “Listen to you talking like that. You’re almost a married woman,” Annie chided, “but not yet.” The women laughed again and Gemma felt the warmth of sisterhood for the first time since she’d lost Gia. These women weren’t even related by blood, but they had found a similar connection and Gemma wanted it again. It felt so natural being here with these amazing women. They were all so different, but equally strong.
    “It’s actually going well. When it’s just the two of us, we’re so relaxed and comfortable with each other. It’s really quite strange, given the circumstances, isn’t it?” Gemma asked the women who all shook their heads.
    “Not at all. I think being in this kind of situation brings out the real person. There’s no time for pretending. If you all are hitting it off now with all this going on around you, you’ll be nauseatingly cute when you have time to slow down and enjoy each other,” Annie said with fake disgust.
    “I guess we’ll see. Sometimes it’s hard to get the real Cy to come out. He had become this Hollywood guy and sometimes he just falls back into it. And then there’s his phone. I am not a violent person but I daydream of shooting it or beating it with a bat until it doesn’t dink anymore.”
    “What’s that all about?” Morgan asked as Gemma tried to relax her grip on her glass of special iced tea the girls told her she had to try.
    “All these super-hot actresses,” Gemma paused and took another sip of the drink, “models, and socialites. They just keep calling and texting and it always makes me stop and wonder why he is with me when these women want him. I guess it’s giving me a little trust issue. Especially after seeing him in action at the club.”
    “You have nothing to worry about. I used to be self-conscious, too. But when the Davies men set their sights on you, they have a way of making you forget all about that,” Tammy giggled before she started to fan herself again. “Is it getting hot in here?”
    “Besides, those women are a thousand miles away. You’re here and he’s giving you his undivided attention,” Katelyn said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
    “Cheers to that.” Gemma took a sip and then stopped when she realized no one else was taking a drink. Tammy’s eyes were wide. Katelyn’s drink was paused in the air and Annie thumped her head with her hand. “What?” Gemma asked, but her question died in her throat as she turned in her chair.
    A blonde knockout in cut-off jean shorts, sexy heeled boots, and a shirt that didn't quite cover her navel stood in the door of the café. “Excuse me. I’m looking for Cy Davidson. Can someone help me?” the young bombshell asked the stunned restaurant.
    Gemma downed the rest of the glass of the ice tea. “Taylor freaking Jefferies.” She turned and grabbed Tammy’s glass and started drinking hers. The door tinkled again and Cy walked in with his little grin that she used to think was sexy.
    “Cy,” Taylor squealed as she leaped into his arms.
    “You've got to be kidding me,” Gemma groaned and she finished Tammy’s drink. The only sound in the café was the clinking of the ice in her now empty glass.
    “Taylor, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Cy asked with a grin Gemma realized as his real look. Apparently he didn’t feel the need to be his undercover self with her.
    “Oh, I’m fine. I just wanted to see you and you said I could come anytime,” Taylor told him as she finally let go. Gemma grabbed the drink from where Katelyn still had it paused halfway to her mouth and downed it. They had told her it was special and she had to agree with the way the world was tilting around her. Maybe a couple more and the perfectly perky blonde would simply disappear.
    As she set the glass down, Cy caught her eye and smiled. “Gemma, you have to meet Taylor.”
    Gemma smiled, raised her middle finger, and passed out.
     

CHAPTER TWENTY
     
    Cy dropped his arm from around Taylor and stared at the woman he loved face down in a plate of peach cobbler. Katelyn’s mouth was open, Tammy’s eyes were wider than he knew