Page 10 of Family Affair

“Seven, I think.”

“You looked too cute.”

“Looked? And now?”

She laughed. “Even cuter.”

“That’s what every grown man wants to hear, that he looks cute. I guess I asked for it.”

She laughed again at Dan’s pretend indignation.“Whereare you at? Doesn't look like Georgia."

“We went to Maine that summer. It was cold and I hated it. Haven’t been back to Maine since.”

“Is this Cade?”Cocopointed to her mystery boy.

“No.”Dan’s tone became reserved, and she wondered if she asked something he didn’t want to talk about.Dan pointed to the other tall boy on the far right. “This is Cade.”

“Oh, okay. Is this other boy one of your relatives?”Now she felt awkward and nosy, but oddly unable to drop her inquiry.

“That’s Frank.”

There it was again in Dan's voice - the caution and the reluctance. And did he expect her to recognize the name?

“Who’s Frank?”

“My brother.”

Dan had never before mentioned a brother named Frank. "I thought you had three brothers: Alex, Ross and Cade.”

“And Frank.” Dan’s reply was short, and he half turned away giving her a hint that he didn’t want to continue this conversation.“And before you say it, yes, that's a lot of boys. My mother has lamented that fact on more than one occasion."

He gave her a mischievous smile, no doubt intended to distract her, and it worked.

Of all the things Coco found appealing about Dan, his smile topped the list. When he smiled, two deep creases bracketed his firm mouth and his teeth flashed, straight and white. It was a man’s smile, confident and sensual, and it never failed to elicit a warm tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach that spread outward, bringing with it the excitement and anticipation of something special.

Catching her staring at his mouth, Dan took a step toward her and leaned close. He nuzzled her ear and it tickled. Slowly, he brought his lips within an inch of hers, looking intently in her eyes. And then he kissed her.

Coco stilled, absorbing the sensations, thinking that Dan had a heady taste to him. She kissed him back, slowly exploring the heat of his mouth until he groaned.

The sound made her pull back. "My coffee is growing cold," she said with a small smile.

"Are you sure you want to drink coffee right now?"

“I’m sure, Dan. And you promised.”

“I remember.” He left her and poured himself a stiff drink.

Coco’s gaze fell on that picture again. On Frank. Out of the blue, she wanted to see him smile, to discover how his sullen face would transform.

Surprised at her thoughts, she asked Dan, "You and Frank don't get along? Is that why you don't want to answer my questions?"

Dan didn't reply right away. "I can't really tell you much about him, except that he brought a lot of trouble down on our family. But it all happened a long time ago."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She most certainly did but decided to back away for now. “I am just surprised you’ve never mentioned Frank before."

"I don't think about him anymore." Dan's voice held a hint of annoyance. "I was only sixteen when he died."