“It is. He’s Hope’s brother,” Noah added.
“What!”
“No need to roar, bud,” Noah said as Faith rose with Christie in her arms.
“There is every need. What is with you people keeping sh-stuff like that from me?”
“You never asked.” Faith found a smile. The Texan was easily excitable when faced with famous people. He’d struggled to come to grips with Branna McBride and her daddy, Declan O’Donnell when he first met them. Both were well-known crime writers.
“Why would I ask if Ryan Lawrence was Militant Lawrence’s son? I mean, who would ever come up with that conclusion?”
“Possibly Hope, as she’s his sister,” Faith said.
“Don’t introduce me; I don’t think I’m ready,” Tex said quickly.
“Oh, for pity’s sake,” Faith said, disgusted. “You are so much more than this”—she waved a hand at him—“glorified groupie act you have going on when faced with famous people. You’re a distinguished military man, a multimillionaire, and from what I’ve heard, you can add two and two. Man up.”
He wasn’t insulted by her words. “I know, but I can’t help it. I’m passionate about what I’m passionate about.”
“He sang that ‘Let it Go’ song to Rose in The Hoot before,” Noah said, smiling.
“Get out!” Tex looked ready to faint.
“I’m leaving,” Faith said, disgusted.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Tex shook his hands and inhaled. “Introduce me.”
“He’s not even the lead singer,” Faith muttered.
“But everyone knows that’s because he doesn’t like the limelight,” Tex said. “He’s got an amazing voice and writes most of their songs, but he’s not good at the interviews like Elijah is.”
“Ryan!” Noah raised a hand. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Christ, you sound like some teenage groupie,” Faith said. “I’ll take Christie into The Howler for a cookie,” Faith said. “All that gushing makes me nauseous.”
She walked away without a backward glance.
Chapter 5
Ryan walked to where his old friend stood with a tall dark-haired man and tried to keep his eyes from Faith’s tight rear end. The woman was hot, no getting around that fact, and wanted him in hell.
“This is Ethan Gelderman the Third, aka Tex. He’s the man lucky enough to marry our Annabelle.”
Ryan shook the man’s hand and smiled. It was automatic for him now. He’d once hated people in his personal space; being raised with a mother who pushed people away, you tended to learn to put distance between yourself and others.
“I… ah.”
“Tex, you’re humiliating yourself.” Noah sighed. “Get it together, bud.”
The man Noah had called Tex nodded.
“He’s starstruck, Ryan. He could buy and sell this entire town and is a war hero, and yet put him before anyone famous and he becomes a bumbling idiot. He couldn’t talk to Declan O’Donnell for months when he first came to town.”
“The writer? Branna O’Donnell’s dad who taught us?”
“Branna McBride now,” Noah corrected Ryan.
“Right. Hope and Mom kept me up to date on most things, but I sometimes forget.”