Page 59 of Home Town

She’d never tell Quinn this—since he viewed Xander as his nemesis most days—but she and Xander worked great together.

Xander left to go back to Cooperstown, apparently they were taking Merry’s family’s boat out on the lake. Can you say old money?

After he drove his big Land Rover out of the drive, Josie slumped back on the sofa. Energized to start on her list of tasks, but just as exhausted. From the planning meeting with Xander. The stress of the past couple of days while the compass was missing. And then there was the lack of sleep last night due to her raunchy sex romp with Corey.

Yeah, she’d been busy enough to put that out of her mind while Xander had been here so she could concentrate on work—thank God—but now he was gone the thoughts came flooding back.

At the knock on the door and the sight of Corey through the glass, she wondered if she’d summoned him with her thoughts.

More likely he’d been watching—and waiting—for Xander to leave. If she wasn’t mistaken, there’d been a bit of Neanderthal male competition in the air between Corey and Xander.

Like two dogs sizing each other up—although Corey seemed to be doing most of the sizing. Xander maintained an air of having nothing to prove to anyone because he and everyone around him knew he was the smartest, richest, most handsome and successful man in the room.

No wonder he rubbed Quinn the wrong way. Corey wasn’t all that different from her brother. Quinn and Xander had been in a perpetual pissing contest since they’d met. It must be a military thing, she thought as she pulled open the door.

She turned and went back to the sofa, leaving Corey to let himself in and shut the door as she threw herself back against the cushions. Snagging her cup of iced tea from the side table she took a long sip. It had been a long day already and it was only lunchtime.

Corey stayed standing for a moment, then sat on the edge of the chair opposite her, his forearms braced on his knees. “So, uh, what did you and city boy do?”

“Oh my God. He was amazing!” She put a bit of extra enthusiasm into her reply and enjoyed watching the muscle start to jump in Corey’s jaw. “He really knows how to plan an event.”

It wasn’t like she was lying. That was no exaggeration. But she still enjoyed seeing the frown that creased Corey’s forehead as she praised Xander.

“Seems a bit odd. Don’t you think? A guy like that being a party planner.” He said the last words with a judgmental disdain in his tone.

She laughed. “He’s not exactly a party planner. He works for some fancy agency in the city. He represents some big-name celebrities.”

“And he’s helping you? Plan the anniversary event for Sidney, New York?”

She knew how ridiculous it sounded.

At first she had been as shocked as Corey seemed. But that was exactly what was happening.

Josie understood it now, mostly. Especially after speaking with Merry—as in Merry Clark of the Cooperstown Clarks who ran the Clark Foundation and the Leatherstocking Corporation. The de facto first family of Cooperstown had always been very community minded. The Sidney founder’s event might be small but it fit right in the Clark’s wheelhouse.

Of course, Xander was married to a Clark. She’d expect no less from a man who looked and dressed like that—right down to what appeared to be manicured nails.

“Yup. He is.” She nodded in response to Corey’s question, so happy she couldn’t help but grin. “And it’s gonna be great!”

“Even without the compass being there?” he asked, leaning back in the chair and cocking one dark brow high.

Was he just trying to ruin her good mood? The way he lobbed that bomb it sure seemed so. Well, she wasn’t going to let him. They knew who had the compass. It wasn’t missing any longer. And she had a bombshell of her own about how she planned to get it back.

“About that…” she began.

“Yeah. About that,” he repeated with an attitude this conversation didn’t warrant.

Wow, he could be cranky. For a man who’d had as much sex as he had last night, she’d think he’d be a little happier. Apparently not.

Anyway… “So Xander has an opinion on the situation.”

“Of course he does. And on what situation?” he spat.

“The compass.”

“You told him?” Corey asked wide-eyed.

“Yes. Why not?”

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