The Secret Agent's Surprises (Harlequin American Romance) by Leonard Tina

Author:Leonard, Tina [Leonard, Tina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2009-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

IN A SMALL CAFÉ in Union Junction, Pete studied his brother Jack carefully as they wolfed down burgers and tea at a local hamburger joint. He’d forgotten Jack didn’t drink alcohol. He couldn’t recall why, either, but maybe he just wanted to be as different from Pop as possible. Pete decided Jack looked lean but not hungry; for a thirty-two-year-old, he lived a fairly clean life he called his own. “You’ve been hanging around these parts a lot lately,” Pete observed. “It’s been good to see you.”

Jack shrugged. “I like the Lonely Hearts Station rodeo.”

“Got a lady friend?”

Jack eyed him over a french fry. “Must you ask?”

“You asked me about Priscilla,” Pete reminded him without rancor. Jack had always been private, though they’d been close as kids.

“True,” Jack said, “but that doesn’t mean I want to talk about women. I merely wanted to warn you that your friend is in financial straits.”

Pete frowned. “She hasn’t mentioned it.”

“Who would? I wouldn’t.”

“So why would you care enough about her to mention it to me?”

“I like her. I like Cricket.” Jack grinned. “Pop’s batting a thousand, the jackass. Lucky for me, I’m not part of his game. And his letter signed me off from any responsibility.”

“Yeah. That’s great. Leave it to the rest of us to patch things up with the old man.” Pete was starving. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten a full meal, and then realized why—he hadn’t been cooking. “Jeez, I don’t think Pop’s eaten anything decent in days.”

“What the hell?” Jack asked. “Do you have to feed him like a baby?”

“I look out for him since we’re under the same roof.” Pete wondered how much he could say about Pop without Jack heading out like a streak of spring lightning. “He can’t really get to a restaurant himself. Tires him out.”

Jack sighed. “Can we have a Pop-free discussion? I’m only here to talk about Priscilla and what you’re going to do about her. Although I don’t mind if you babble about those babies, even if you’re crazy to want all of them.” Jack chewed on his burger with the contentment of a single bachelor. “Can’t you start small? Like with just one?”

“No,” Pete stated flatly. “And I don’t plan to do anything about Priscilla, unless there’s something you recommend?”

Jack shook his head. “I do no recommending. Unlike the root of our family tree, I mind my own business.”

“Good policy.” Pete was bothered, more than he wanted to admit, about Priscilla. “So when you say that nothing this rodeo-finance friend of yours told you isn’t common knowledge, to what exactly are you referring? Priscilla has never mentioned that her parents are having issues. I knew about her tea shop having some financial difficulties—Pop tried to bribe her to marry me—but she seems to be too independent to fall for Pop’s game.”

“Yeah, well,” Jack said, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but since it’ll be in the newspaper next week, the Perkinses have a small bankruptcy problem.

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