Which irritated the ever-living tar out of him. He was their big brother, damn it. He led the Shades, and he was supposed to call the shots around here . . . but he was also supposed to be a gentleman. That was how his mama had raised him, and it was obvious that putting the kibosh on Dillon and Kate's invitation didn't fall under the "mannerly" category.
But it was more than that, and deep down he knew it. He was the eldest, but both of his younger siblings had settled down, while he kept burning through girlfriends like a book of matches. Hell, who was he fooling? It had been years since he'd had a legitimate "girlfriend." He dated. He hooked up. He prowled. But he rarely had the same girl in his life for more than a few weeks, and until recently, he'd liked it that way. His line of work wasn't exactly conducive to healthy, intimate relationships, not when he spent nearly every night patrolling the streets of the city and taking down vile, evil creatures.
Shay walked over to where he sat, and wrapped her arms about his neck. "Come on, Jamie. It'll be good for you to open your mind a little. Besides, Kate is bringing a friend," she trilled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, and releasing him from the embrace.
"Sissy cat, I'm not interested in dating anyone seriously. Least of all a vampire." He wasn't about to admit that over the holidays, starting at Thanksgiving and culminating on Christmas Day, he'd realized how very alone he was.
Mace leaned back in his seat, sipping his iced tea. "She's not a vampire. She's what Kate calls a 'Normal.' "
Shay pulled out a chair and sat down beside him at the table. "Just chill and it'll be fine, Jamie.
And I really think you might like her friend Sunny. She's nothing like your usual type. . . ."
"Booby and blond and none too bright," Mason volunteered helpfully.
"Nope, none of that describes Sunny, but she's . . ." Shay stared into space for a moment, smiling. "She's kind of weirdly magical. I don't know how else to put it."
Jamie took a bite of scrambled eggs and said, "In other words, she's got a great personality. Code words for 'not very attractive.' "
"Oh, not at all." Shay laughed. "She's absolutely gorgeous."
"And single," Mason clarified. "I might be g*y, bro, but I can still appreciate a nice-looking woman. Trust us—Sunny's hot."
"Why else do you think I made sure Kate was bringing her along?" Shay laughed, giving Jamie a conspiratorial wink that he pretended not to see.
Great, his siblings were tag-teaming like crazy. Were they reading him like one of the lore volumes their family kept down in the cellar, deciphering his emotional codes like some complex and ancient text? Or maybe he'd been more obvious than he realized. On Christmas Eve, Jax had given Shay a gorgeous ruby ring . . . and then he'd walked in on Nik kissing Mason under the mistletoe. It had been like a one-two punch, proof that he was painfully single while everyone else he cared about had found true love.
After that, he'd poured himself a double Scotch and gone to bed. Alone. And wished that, just once, he had someone special of his own to hold close on the unseasonably cold holiday night.
He stabbed a fork into his cheese grits with an irritable gesture. "So what y'allare saying is it doesn't matter what I want. Kate and company are coming, and that's it."
"No." Shay reached for the frosty iced tea pitcher and began pouring herself a glass. "But I am saying you'd better deal, because they're gonna be here in five minutes—ten, tops."
"What?" Jamie roared. "It's not New Year's for another three days!"
Shay slid into the seat beside him. "Well, it's like this. Apparently someone—not saying who . . . "
Very slowly Shay swung her gaze in Mason's direction. He got a sheepish look, and stared down at his plate. "But someone slipped the word to Dill that you're not too keen on this whole thing."
Jamie flung his napkin onto the table and shoved out of his seat. "Bastard."
"Vampist," Mace shot back. "They're my friends. And as I recall, you're the one who told me you'd always accept me and the people I care about.... Remember that tap dance? Nothing I'd ever do that you'd judge, yada, yada?"
Mace had him there. It had been his big-brother pep talk the night Mason told him he was g*y.
Jamie sighed and stared at the ceiling. "I think I'll go sit on the veranda and smoke a cigar until they leave."
Shay frowned at him, her light blue eyes narrowing like lasers acquiring a target. "Oh, no, you don't, James Dixon. They're coming over for brunch so we can plan the menu for the party."
"Be sure to pick lots of garlic recipes. And I do mean lots of 'em." With that retort, Jamie grabbed his plate and stormed off toward the kitchen. Maybe he could hide in the pantry until the invasion was over.
Sunny sat up in the backseat of Kate's BMW. "Holy cats! This place is crazy big." She peered out the window at the mile-long sandy drive and the long row of live oak trees that lined both sides of it. "I can practically smellthe money."
Kate grunted, glancing at Sunny in the rearview mirror. "Don't be too impressed. . . . Trust me, I grew up with these people."
"You grew up with me, too." Sunny rolled down the window, the smellof the nearby river and marsh filling her nostrils. She smiled, closing her eyes, savoring the familiar low-country scents.
The river and marshes and creeks ran in her veins at this point, and she offered a quick prayer that she could always stay in Savannah, all the more because of how Kate needed her protection.
The run-in at the Piggly Wiggly had been only one of a dozen such encounters in the past few weeks alone.
Kate made a sound of disgust. "Yes, but unlike the Angels, you never wanted to destroy me, my family, and anyone else like me," Kate retorted, speeding up a little as they continued down the seemingly endless driveway.
"No, girl, I love you. Always."
Kate had been Sunny's best friend since the fateful day in fifth grade when trashy Raylene Gibbs had called Sunny the N-word, and Kate stood up for her. Of course, Kate hadn't known that Sunny wasn't your average ten-year-old—just as she remained unaware of Sunny's true nature even now, some sixteen years later. And that Sunny had been planted in Kate's life for a very particular reason. Certain secrets had to be kept, no matter how much you loved and cared for someone, and Sunny's carefully guarded mission fell into that category.
Dillon spoke up from where he rode in the passenger seat, his guide dog, Lulu, curled across his feet. "Y'all are pals with Shay, and Mason's good people," he drawled, his Nashville accent sultry as ever.