Free A Gentleman's Agreement by Joy Avery

clarification was needed.
    Eunice blinked back
more tears. “I guess I’m a sucker for beautiful love stories.”
    After speeches by Blake
and his brothers, the dinner plates were cleared and the party kicked up a
notch. The danced floor jumped with individuals eager to show off their moves.
Eunice had been led away by Casey before he got the opportunity to ask her for
a dance. The more he thought about it, it was probably for the best. Eunice’s
body pressed against his… Why torture himself?
    When he spotted Eunice
and Casey across the room, he smiled. Casey adored her Aunt Eunice ,
the child had started calling her out of the blue. Eunice glanced in his
direction as if she’d known his eyes were pinned to her. She waved, then broke
their connection when his cousin, Bobby, approached.
    Bobby’s interruption
caused a twinge of irritation to roll through him. When Eunice tossed her head
back in laughter, a sound rumbled in Blake’s chest. What in the hell had Bobby
said to her that was so damn funny? Someone clapped Blake and the back, and he turned
to see Tucker.
    Tucker stood shoulder
to shoulder with him. “What are you staring at?”
    “Nobody,” he said.
    Tucker chuckled. “The
correct answer would have been nothing , seeing how I didn’t ask you who you were staring at.”
    So what if he was casually
observing Eunice. It wasn’t like there was a law against admiring her from a
distance. “I’m contemplating whether or not I should rescue her from Bobby. You
know that smooth-talking Louisianan can chat an ear off.” More like lie an ear off.
    “Uh-huh,” Tucker said,
rocking back and forth on his heels.
    Blake folded his arms
across his chest. “Why are you giving me that look?”
    “No reason.”
    “Okay.” He shifted his focus
back to Eunice and Bobby. When Bobby whispered something in Eunice’s ear, Blake’s
jaw tightened.
    “You okay? You look a little…tense.”
    Blake refused to make
eye contact with Tucker. No, he wasn’t okay. Why in the hell did seeing Eunice
with Bobby irk him so much? Was it jealousy? No. Hell, no. He didn’t have a
right to be jealous. Eunice wasn’t technically his. Their relationship was only
make-believe. He repeated that a few more times to himself. Keep your head
in the game, Farrington .
    The sound of their
mother’s soft voice prompted them both to turn.
    “My men,” she said,
draping an arm around them both.
    Blake wrapped his arm
around his mother. “Did you like the presentation?”
    “I absolutely loved it.
You boys outdid yourselves. All of this.” She scanned the room. “It’s amazing.
Thank you.” Their mother’s voice cracked with emotion.
    “Don’t cry, Mom,”
Tucker said. “You’re going to run this squeamish one right here away.” He
popped Blake on the arm.
    Blake faked a laughed. “I
think you missed your true calling. You should have been a comedian instead of
a minister.”
    “Yeah, whatever.” Tucker
kissed their mother on the cheek. “I need to find my wife. Bobby is on the
prowl.”
    When Tucker moved away,
his mother glanced up at him. “You didn’t seem too squeamish when you were
wiping Eunice’s tears away.” She didn’t wait for a response. “Care to take an
old lady for a twirl around the dance floor?”
    Blake surveyed the
room. “Sure. Just point her out.” His mother swatted at him. “Oh, I didn’t
realize you were referring to yourself. Old? Hogwash.” He escorted his mother onto
the lighted dance floor.
    “I like Eunice, son.
You two seem good for each other.”
    “She’s amazing.” Blake stole
a glimpse of Eunice, still engulfed in conversation with Bobby. He rolled his
eyes away. “Mom, I know we traditionally visit the farm the Saturday after Thanksgiving,
but do you think we can go the day before Thanksgiving this year?”
    “Is something wrong?
You’re not leaving early, are you?”
    “No.” Without going
into detail, he said, “I want to take Eunice’s mind off the day.” His