The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

control, wiping tears off her cheeks. “Girlfriend, you have to figure that one out on your own, and when you do, please share it with the rest of us because we all tried to figure it out.”

“You’ve talked about Austin’s sex life?”

All Kenzie could do was nod and then burst out laughing again. “I’m sorry. Really. But over the past decade, the girls have had several conversations about it, but I can’t offer you any practical tips, except this one. I’ve met a couple of his dates who didn’t play for the WNBA, and they were all small like you.”

Now Ensley laughed. “Good. That means he knows what to do with little women.”

A knock on the door quieted both of them. “Kenz,” David said. “It is safe to come in?”

“Sure, hon.”

He came in and stood still for a moment, arms crossed. “The only time I hear ye girls laughing so hard is when ye’re talking about us men. From the guilty look on Ensley’s face, ye’ve been talking about”—he stroked his chin—“Austin’s…height?”

Kenzie’s jaw dropped. “McBain, sometimes you’re entirely too perceptive.”

“No, just observant. I don’t know what Austin saw a few minutes ago, but he walked out and went straight to the liquor cabinet.”

Ensley and Kenzie looked at each other, and Ensley put her finger to her lips. “Shhh.”

Kenzie drew a cross over her breast. “The secret is safe with me.”

David leaned close to his wife and whispered, loud enough for Ensley to hear, “Ye’ll tell me later, right?”

Kenzie patted his check. “No, hon. You’ll have to find out from Austin.”

David gave her a big, whopping kiss, complete with bodies leaning into each other, and Ensley was in awe of their relationship. They’d been married for years, and the passion was still there.

“Talking privately to Austin will have to wait. Elliott’s back and ready to go.” David swatted Kenzie on the ass before opening the door. “Ensley, do me a favor. Keep yer eye on him.”

“Austin? He’s fine.”

“No, Elliott. There’s much more going on than what he told us. We all worry about his health. Don’t let him blow a gasket—and do what ye can to get him and Meredith in a room alone. They’re our foundation, and if they can’t work this out, it’ll destroy the clan.”

“I’ll do what I can, but I doubt either one of them will listen to me.”

“Don’t be so sure. I sense Elliott will. I see it in his eyes when he looks at ye. I believe he has a message for ye. I don’t know what or from whom, but when the time’s right, he’ll tell ye what he knows.”

Kenzie cocked her head, then looked at David. “That’s perceptive, McBain.”

“Aye, but ye would have noticed if ye hadn’t been so busy busting Elliott’s balls.”

Kenzie elbowed David in the ribs. “Next time, tell me to shut up and listen with my eyes.”

“Nah. Elliott deserved it. Ye were much easier on him than I’d have been.”

They walked out of the locker room to find Austin, Braham, and Elliott standing at the refreshment center scrolling through mobile devices.

“There’s the lass. We can go now,” Elliott said, pocketing his phone.

Austin smiled at her. “You look beautiful, but you looked more beautiful before.”

“Good try, Austin. I’m sure I’m not the first naked woman you’ve seen, and you probably told all of them they were beautiful.”

David laughed and slapped Austin on the back. “Watch out, ol’ soul. Ensley will give as good as she gets.”

Austin winked. “I figured that out when I first heard her name mentioned.”

Ensley immediately knew what he was talking about, but she didn’t respond. They still had a few unresolved issues concerning his manuscript, and beyond that, she wanted him to rewrite the ending and resubmit to a publisher. But they’d deal with that later.

“Do you have an extra laptop I could borrow? I’d love to get the notes from my time with Teddy Roosevelt typed out.”

“There’s no electricity where we’re going,” Austin said.

“Duh. You’re right.” She smiled. “I teased JC that he was going to stay in the lap of luxury at MacKlenna Farm and drink mint juleps on the veranda while I slept on the ground and ate dust on a cattle drive.” She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. “And look what happened to him. Damn. It sucks.”

Austin stood there, barely breathing, taking in every word. He reached out for her, and the look on his face said he needed her more than she needed him. But she didn’t think that was possible. A large, adoring family loved and supported him. How could he ever resent their interference? The only family she ever had consisted of her mom, dad, and grandmother, and now they were gone, and so was her ranch. No, he didn’t need her more than she needed him.

“Now you can go drink mint juleps on the veranda,” Kenzie said.

Charlotte stuck her head out of her exam room. “And if that doesn’t work out, you can drink mint juleps on our veranda any time you want to visit.”

“I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more as soon as this is all over.”

Kenzie’s eyes lit up. “I can. You and Austin can stay in the cabin. It’s secluded and backs up to the river. You’ll love it. And you’ll have plenty of uninterrupted time to work out all your concerns while you’re there.”

“That’s where Penny and Rick stayed when they came back from the Battle of New Orleans,” Austin said, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “You’ll like it.”

Sensing there was a big story there, she said, “I’m not going to ask.”

“That’s smart,” David said. “Now, to answer yer question about a laptop, I have one ye can use along with a portable solar power bank.” He opened another cabinet full of devices and picked out a laptop and a small orange pack that resembled a charger. “This should be all ye need.”

Ensley hugged her gifts. “That’s impressive. Is there anything you don’t have in here?”

David looked around the