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you know something I don’t.” She elbowed him.
    â€œI do. Tori and I ran into him in Aubrey a little earlier. Lorraine was getting fussy in her car seat, so we stopped for a walk and—”
    â€œHey. I hope I’m not late.” Slade strolled toward them from the path Hunter had already worn between the bushes separating their houses.
    â€œPerfect timing.” Raquel stood.
    â€œYou invited him to dinner?” Brant’s whisper verged on a growl.
    â€œBe nice.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “We’ll talk about this later.”
    â€œJust proceed with caution, Rock. Do not ask him to coach Hunter until we get a chance to talk.”
    Slade stopped a few feet from the porch. Recognition dawned in his eyes and he looked as if he might turn and go back home. But then he closed the gap and climbed the steps.
    What on earth had happened between Slade and Brant?
    â€œIt’s Brant, right?” Slade offered his hand. “You’re Raquel’s brother?”
    Brant clenched his jaw and tension roiled through the air. Raquel jabbed him with her elbow again and he clasped Slade’s hand.
    â€œWe ran into each other earlier in town.” Slade’s gaze bounced from her to Brant. “I didn’t realize there was a connection between y’all.”
    â€œYeah, me neither.” Brant’s tone held a warning.
    â€œDinner’s ready.” Raquel stood. And not a moment too soon.
    * * *
    The day just kept getting better. Slade had managed to tick off Brant—his sister’s husband. And now Brant turned out to be Raquel’s brother. Great.
    Despite the tension, Raquel’s house was warm and inviting, not bare like his. Her decor had cowgirl flair, just like her. Somehow the touches of burlap and lace didn’t look too girly.
    While Brant fed Lorraine, Slade snatched glimpses of his sister and his niece. That and the roast and vegetables drowning in succulent gravy made the tension worth it. It would take more than Brant’s glare to scare Slade’s appetite away.
    Tori seemed nice, gentle, kind. And she was a great mom—attentive to Lorraine’s every sound and move. Notthe kind of person to be upset at learning she had a brother. Under different circumstances, Brant would probably be all right, too. He seemed to be a hands-on dad and a caring brother and uncle.
    He’d still gotten Tori pregnant before he married her. But once Brant learned who Slade was and that he wasn’t making moves on Tori, maybe they could build a relationship.
    â€œThis roast is awesome.” Slade stuffed another bite in his mouth.
    â€œThanks.” Raquel glanced from Brant to Slade, clearly wondering what was up.
    â€œI need to stop. I’m stuffed to the gills, but this stuff is just too good to leave on my plate.”
    â€œRaquel loves to cook and she’s great at it.” Tori shrugged. “Maybe between her and my aunt, they can teach me a thing or two now that we’re home.”
    â€œWhere were y’all for the last three months?”
    Brant glowered at him.
    â€œBrant is touring with Garrett Steele.” Raquel cleared her throat.
    â€œ The Garrett Steele?”
    â€œUh-huh.” Hunter giggled. “They’ve been friends for years.”
    â€œDo you have an album out?” Slade risked directing the question to Brant.
    â€œRecording one,” Brant growled.
    â€œBrant has wanted to be a Christian country singer for as long as I can remember.” Raquel filled empty tea glasses. “And he’s finally living his dream since Garrett Steele blazed the trail with the new genre.”
    â€œHow often do you tour?”
    â€œThree months on, three months off.” Raquel filled the silence, the perfect hostess.
    â€œAll that travel can’t be easy with a baby.”
    Tori seemed as uncomfortable with him as Brant did when he asked specifically about their