Somebody's Lover: The Jackson Brothers, Book 1

refused to load the dishwasher,” Taylor said, recovering quickly, but her eyes had gone wide, and Jace read her thoughts. Almost busted.
    Part of him wanted David to have caught him fondling Taylor’s breasts and ass. At least they’d be out in the open then, and Taylor would have to make a decision.
    He might have gotten her to agree that it wasn’t over between them, but acknowledge their relationship out loud? It was too soon. At this point, he was sure she wouldn’t make the choice he wanted.
    “Loading the dishwasher is woman’s work. I cooked the hamburgers. Tell her, David.”
    A tick of silence. David had forgotten how to tease. He’d forgotten how to smile. Then, surprisingly, he said, “I cooked the burgers. You just watched. Better load the dishwasher, buddy, or she might cut off the family jewels. Women can be sensitive about things like that.”
    Jace looked at him. Damn. His brother had made a joke.
    Taylor pointed the knife at David. “Dad cooked the burgers. You have to load the dishwasher while Jace gets the rest of the dirty dishes.”
    The door opened again, this time it was his mom.
    “Mom,” David said plaintively. “Taylor’s trying to make us do the dishes. Tell her we cooked. It’s a rule we don’t have to clean up if we cook.”
    Taylor’s lips twitched. Mom’s didn’t. She was good at playing possum and hiding expressions when she wanted to.
    “Finish the salad, Taylor. Both of you boys get the rest of the dishes, and I’ll load the dishwasher. Men suck at loading.”
    David laughed. Everyone looked at him, but he didn’t seem to notice anything was different. “You can’t say suck , Mom. That’s a bad word.”
    “Suck. There, I said it again. I’m the mom, and I can say anything I want.” Then she flapped her hands and moved aside. “Now get on with you two.”
    David pushed Jace out the door ahead of him. “See what you got me into, asswipe.”
    “ Asswipe’s a bad word. I’m telling Mom.”
    “Not if I beat the crap out of you first.”
    Damn. They hadn’t had fun like this in three fricking years. Taylor was good for him. She was good for all of them.
    Everything was going to work out.

    * * * * *

    Merciful heavens, this was awful.
    Should she talk to Jace, ask him what was going on? Evelyn never interfered in her sons’ lives. If Connie came running with some nitpick about Mitch, Evelyn remained neutral. She wouldn’t choose her daughter-in-law’s side against her son, but she wasn’t about to do it in reverse either.
    What would she say to Jace anyway? Are you making a mistake? Is she going to hurt you? Are you going to hurt her? Are you in love with her, or is this some meaningless fling?
    Can you ever mean more to her than Lou did?
    No. She couldn’t ask any of her questions. The answers terrified her. As did the thought of having to tell Arthur what she’d found out. Goodness knows, she couldn’t do it. It was better not to ask.
    Evelyn had watched them all afternoon. Jace couldn’t keep his hands off Taylor. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her either. Then he followed like a hound dog when she went into the kitchen.
    No one else had seemed to notice, except perhaps Connie. If Connie mentioned her suspicions to Mitch...well, Evelyn didn’t know what he’d say or do.
    And that scene in the kitchen, oh my heavens. She’d wanted so badly to laugh with them. The family laughed and played with the kids, they all enjoyed that, but between themselves, when the children were off being children, all the gaiety seemed to have died when Lou died.
    But David had laughed. He’d actually laughed. And joked. Like the old days. Before Lou died.
    She should have been delirious. It should have signified her family was on the mend.
    Instead, she feared worse times were coming.

Chapter Nine

    Taylor knew what that whole scene yesterday in Evelyn’s kitchen was about. Jace wanted to see how far he could push her.
    How far would she go? She wasn’t sure. But she did know that if David hadn’t walked in, she’d have followed Jace to his old room in his mom’s house and gone down on her knees for him.
    She knocked her morning coffee over all the papers on her desk. “Darn it.”
    Evelyn hurried over with a roll of paper towels, and they mopped and sopped together.
    “You’ve seemed pretty preoccupied lately.”
    Taylor avoided Evelyn’s gaze. “Too much coffee. It makes me jittery.” That had been her first cup of the day.
    Taylor couldn’t