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“I’m not going to think about that,” she told herself.
The phone rang, interrupting her celebration. She skittered over to the desk and picked it up.
“Jill Strathern. ”
“Hey, it’s Gracie. How are things?”
“Good. ” Jill sank into the chair Mr. Harrison had vacated. “I solved one of most difficult cases this morning. ”
“Congrats. Any news on the job front?”
Jill told her about the fish offer from Los Angeles. “And you?” she asked. “What’s going on in your world?”
“I’m going to be in People magazine. ”
Jill sprang to her feet and shrieked. “You’re kidding? That’s so great!”
“I know. It’s a whole issue about weddings and there’s going to be a page featuring my wedding cakes. Do you know what this means?”
“Fame, fortune and more orders than you can handle. ”
“Exactly. ” Gracie started laughing. “Isn’t it the best? The phone is already ringing. I’ve had to redo my baking schedule and everything. ”
Jill knew how hard her friend had worked at her business. “You’ve earned this. ”
“I hope so. There’s just this one thing…. ”
“What?”
“Vivian’s engaged. ”
Gracie spoke as if her baby sister had just caught the plague.
“Why is that a problem?” Jill sank down onto the chair and groaned. “Oh, God. She’s not marrying Riley, is she?”
“What? No. The groom is this guy she met in college. But here’s the thing, Jill. Vivian has always wanted a hometown wedding. You know—the country club, white chairs on the lawn, the whole thing. ”
“Sounds nice. So what’s the problem?”
“If she gets married there, I’ll have to come home. ”
Jill tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it.
“You don’t sound very sympathetic,” Gracie accused.
“Sorry. I know this is terrible and all…” She cleared her throat. “Honestly, I don’t get the problem. It’s been years, Gracie. Almost no one remembers what happened. ”
“Uh-huh. You said I was a legend. ”
“No, I said that fourteen-year-old girl was a legend. You’re a different person. ”
“I am, but I don’t like the idea of spending two weeks being tortured about my past. ”
“You won’t be. Besides, it’s not as if Riley ever came back. If he lived here, I could completely understand your reluctance, but no one’s heard from him in years. ”
“Good point. ”
“And I want to see you. ”
“The wedding isn’t until next spring. You’ll be long gone. ”
“You got that right,” Jill said. “But I can come visit. ”
“Good. I’ll need someone to protect me from my past. ”
“Count on it. ”
They chatted for a few more minutes, then hung up. Jill moved around to her side of the desk and pulled out an envelope of papers that had arrived that morning. She scanned the property settlement Lyle had proposed and took great satisfaction in drawing a line through every page and writing “no” across them. Then she turned to her computer and started her own settlement schedule…starting with the car.
“THIS IS ALL your fault,” Mac said as he leaned against the porch railing.
Jill thought he had to be kidding, but one look at his stern, accusing expression told her he meant it.
She pushed against the porch with her bare foot and relaxed into the swing.
“What did I do?” she asked.
He glanced past her to the screen leading into the living room. Emily was in the family room at the back of the house, watching a Disney movie, but still he lowered his voice.
“They came here because of you,” he told her. “Why don’t you send them away?”
“They’re not doing anything wrong. Mac, has it occurred to you that you’re overreacting about Rudy and Mr. Smith? They just want to be a part of the town. ”
“Why?” he asked her. “What’s so great about Los Lobos?”
“I thought you liked it here. ”
“I do, but I have specific reasons. Why would two guys from Las Vegas find this hick of a town charming? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Rudy says he likes that it’s quiet. I know he likes Bev, she likes him. That should be allowed. ”
She leaned forward and ignored how sexy Mac looked in jeans and a T-shirt. Like her, he was barefoot. If only he could be naked all over.
“What exactly are they doing that’s so bad?” she asked. “Tell me one thing. ”
“Rudy gave money to Yardley’s reelection campaign. ”
She winced. “Okay, a case could be made to question his judgment, but it’s not against the law or any thing. So Rudy is helping old ladies with fence painting and he’s given a ton of money to the pier restoration? Isn’t that good?”
Mac’s dark gaze pinned her in place. “People don’t change. Rudy is what he has always ever been and eventually it’s going to come out. Someone will get hurt. ”
Jill wanted to have him sit next to her, hold her hand and tell her how amazing their night together had been. She wanted him to whisper the time and place of a rendezvous so they could be together again. She wanted to talk about the stars or kissing or even politics. Just not this.
“You’ve changed,” she pointed out. “Look at how you’re worried about Emily and making things right with her. ”
“I’ve always loved my daughter,” he said. “I have my priorities back on track, but I’m not any different than I was. ” He walked forward and crouched in front of her. “What about you, Jill? Have you changed? Are you thinking that you want to settle in Los Lobos permanently?”
“Not even on a bet,” she said, then realized his point. “But I don’t want to change. ”
“Does Rudy?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it. ”
“So you don’t know for sure his motives are altruistic?”
“I…” She pressed her lips together. “No. I don’t know. ”
He stood and returned to the railing. Silence stretched between them. Why on earth were they fighting about Rudy? She searched for a more bonding topic.
“How was your meeting with Hollis?” she asked.
“That little prick. I’m reading this book he gave me on anger management. That’s bad enough, but every time he asks about it, I want to squash him like a bug. ”
She couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, right. So he doesn’t have a point about your temper. ”
He crossed to the swing and sat down next to her. “Do I have a temper?”
Interesting question, she thought, as she recalled their time together. “I’ve never really seen you angry. You were annoyed a few minutes ago about Rudy, but not really mad. ”
“Hollis hasn’t seen it, either. He assumes, because I’m a cop, that I have a lousy temper. Bastard. ”
She slid closer and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s just for the summer,” she reminded him. “Think about why you’re doing all this. You can stand him for a few more weeks. ”
He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “A lot of things are just for the summer. You doing okay?”
She’d been so caught up in the feel of him touching her that she almost missed the question. “Okay about what?”
He smiled a slow, sexy smile that made her tummy clench and her thighs burn.
“Oh, that,” she whispered.
“Yeah. That. ”
“I’m good with it. ”
“Me, too. It’s just there was only Lyle, then me. ”
“I didn’t want Lyle to be the only one,” she said. “I had some bad luck along the way. ”
“Yeah, me and the gay guy. You’re so smart about everything
else, Jill, but I have to tell you, except for me, you have lousy taste in guys. ”
She chuckled. “You think?”
“Oh, yeah. I should probably give you some pointers. Only I don’t want to share. ”
He leaned close and brushed his mouth against hers. Need swept through her like a tornado, leaving her shaky and aroused.
She wrapped one arm around him, pulling him against her, and put her heart and soul into the kiss. In a matter of seconds they were both breathing hard.
Mac drew back first. Fire flared in his dark eyes. Need tightened his jaw. He looked like a man in some serious pain.
“Emily,” she said into the silence.
“Yeah. Just down the hall. ”
“But if she was at a friend’s house…”
“In a heartbeat. ”
She smiled. “Me, too. ”
TWO DAYS LATER Mac went looking for Rudy and found him dining with Mr. Smith at Bill’s Mexican Grill. The timing probably sucked because he’d just come off another frustrating meeting with Hollis, but he couldn’t help himself.
“How are the fajitas?” Mac asked as he pulled out a chair and settled into it.
Mr. Smith glanced at Rudy, who shook his head.
“It’s all right,” Rudy said. “The sheriff is always welcome. What can I do for you, Mac?”
“You really want to know?”
Rudy waved over the waitress. “Mandy, would get the good sheriff here something to drink. Beer? Margarita?” He pointed to his own frosty, salt-rimmed glass. “They do make a great margarita. ”
“I’m fine,” Mac told the waitress and she left.
Rudy shook his head. “You’re acting as if you don’t want to be friends, Mac, and I don’t understand why. I’m a successful businessman looking for a getaway place. Los Lobos is very appealing. You should be proud. ”
“I’d prefer you settled somewhere else. ”
“I know that. ”
Rudy sipped his drink. While Mr. Smith wore a suit, Rudy had traded in custom tailoring for upscale resort wear.
“I could be good for this town,” Rudy said. “Bring in a little money, spruce things up. ”
“No thanks. We don’t need your kind of help, or the strings that go with it. ”
“Jill was right,” Rudy said regretfully. “You don’t think a man could change. ”
Mac felt as if he’d been sucker punched. The blood rushed from his head and the room seemed to tilt.
“What?”
“She was telling me this morning that you didn’t believe a man such as myself could change. ” Rudy shook his head. “I have to tell you, Mac, I’m wounded to my soul. I thought we could be friends. ”
Mac swore silently. Was that the way it was with Jill? She might be his friend and lover, but she was Rudy’s lawyer, and being a lawyer came first with her? Why else would she have shared their private conversation with a scumbag?
“Watch yourself,” he told Rudy. “You don’t want to step out of line in my town. ”
Rudy took a bite of rice and chewed. When he’d swallowed, he said, “Is it your town, Mac? I’m not so sure. The mayor and I are real tight, and the residents seem to like what I’m doing. It seems to me that you’re the one out of step. Don’t you have an election coming up in a couple of months? And don’t you need this job to keep custody of your daughter? It seems to me you should be worrying more about making nice than trying to throw around your weight. ”
Rage poured through Mac. How the hell did Rudy know so much about his life? Had Jill told him? What kind of information would she consider part of her responsibility as Rudy’s attorney?