Pink covered Jewels cheeks. “I’ve run into him around town a few times. We went to high school together,” she explained. “Recently we reconnected. I even invited him to join us for lunch today...before we were interrupted. But he turned me down.”
Interrupted by Max. Lilli peeked over at him again, her stomach fluttering. For the second time in her life, Max Sanders caught and held her attention, but she resisted the lure. She had a lot on her plate, which didn’t include getting tangled up with Max again.
“The officer has your statements, ladies, so if you’ll excuse me, I should probably get back to Max.” The chief excused himself.
“Isn’t that peachy,” Jewel grumbled.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Lilli told her friend.
“Bart’s not even here to defend himself.”
Lilli decided not to point out the fact that his disappearing act looked suspicious. While Jewel complained, her attention went back to Max.
He stood only a few feet away, so she couldn’t help but hear the chief laughing while Max spoke in a low tone. He frowned and seemed put out, while the chief enjoyed the entire situation, especially when he handed Max a square brown object that could only have been the pilfered wallet. Max’s neck grew red as he shoved the billfold into his back pocket. Lilli chuckled at his disgruntled expression.
He headed in her direction. Uh-oh.
“Look, things got out of hand. Thanks for not blowing my cover.”
“Are you appreciative enough to be a groom?”
“No way.”
“You know, I could have told the officer you were causing trouble.”
“I still would have ended up here. Like the last time the police brought us both in.” His eyes narrowed. “You seem to have a special ability for getting me in hot water.”
“Hey, I didn’t plan to.”
“Today? Or years ago?”
“Neither. And I resent the implication.”
“You’re trouble, pure and simple.”
“And you’re not?”
The chief chuckled. “Should I leave you two alone to work things out?”
She grimaced. “No, thanks.”
The chief still grinned. “That’s good, ’cuz Max here doesn’t like being cornered.”
By his scowl, Lilli knew she’d managed that. Twice in one day.
“I still lost Bart,” Max groused.
“Are you implying it’s my fault he got away?” Lilli planted her fists on her hips. Max leaned toward her and she couldn’t deny the sparks flaring between them as they squared off. Every flash of potent energy threw off tantalizing heat, yet she didn’t back down.
“No, I’m flat-out saying it.”
They were still glaring at each other when the chief stepped between them.
“Bart’s a slippery one, I’ll give you that. But I have no doubt you’ll get the job done.” He slapped Max on the back, as if giving Max his cue to leave. Max’s neck grew red again. He sent Lilli a curt nod and strode off.
“Our lunch hour is completely blown.” Jewel told Lilli as they left the station. “But watching you push Mr. Security Consultant’s buttons? Worth not eating.”
“Did I do that?” Lilli asked innocently while batting her eyelashes.
“Like a pro.” Jewel held up her hand for a high five. Lilli slapped her hand against Jewel’s. “So really, what’s going on between you two?”
Lilli adjusted her purse strap, her gaze following the path Max had taken. “Nothing.”
Jewel snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“I sort of know him.”
Jewel’s eyes went wide. “Explain ‘sort of.’”
Lilli squirmed. “We met twelve years ago. Just once. At the beach.” She laughed. “I got him into trouble with the police.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, he’s still holding a grudge.”
“And now you’ve reconnected. Interesting.”
Lilli frowned. “There’s nothing to be interested in.”
“So you say.”
Okay, so maybe she missed their verbal skirmishes already. She squirmed under Jewel’s smug scrutiny, not wanting to delve too deeply into the matter here in the middle of the sidewalk. Bad enough she’d provoked the guy. She didn’t want to uncover the reasons why.
“Let’s not go there,” Lilli said.
“I knew it. You’re totally crushing on Max.”
“Am not.”
“Are, too. Why are you denying it? What are you afraid of?”
Flashbacks of the night on the beach were quickly overshadowed by the catastrophe that had been her wedding rehearsal dinner. The pain and humiliation. Afraid? Yes. But she’d never admit it out loud.
“My relationship with Max, if you could call it that, is difficult.”
“Looks like it.”
“He’s infuriating.”
“That’s half the fun.”
Lilli glanced down the empty sidewalk. “I knew you’d say that.”
* * ** * *
BACK AT WORK, Jewel continued her running commentary about Bart while Lilli tried to concentrate on the Natural Puppy account. She’d hoped that Jewel’s evaluation of Lilli’s attraction to Max would prove wrong, but with reluctance, admitted she might be right.
What was she going to do about it?
As the question swirled around in her brain, an annoying chime sounded from her purse. Digging through the tan leather bag, she found her cell.
She squinted at the caller ID, sighing heavily. Her mother’s timing could be uncanny. “Mom, I’m in the middle of a deadline,” Lilli said by way of greeting. “I can’t talk about the benefit right now.”
“Of course you can,” Celeste Barclay informed her only daughter in her cultured tone. “It’s for the good of the society.”
Lilli gripped the phone tightly. “I don’t even belong to the society.”
“Of course you do. I added you to the roster years ago.”
Lilli clenched her teeth. Of course she had. With her mother, every answer started with, of course you do. Or can. Or will. Of course you can swim, just pump your legs. Of course you’ll attend the ballet, we bought you a ticket. Of course I can upset your life, I’m your mother and I love you.
“You promised you’d be back in plenty of time for Tie the Knot,” Lilly reminded her.
“No, dear. I promised to do everything in my power to get back in plenty of time. My ladies are counting on you.”
Her ladies. Lilli rolled her eyes. Just because they were her mom’s ladies didn’t mean Lilli should inherit them. “So are you saying you won’t make it back in time?”
“If your father hadn’t left his tennis bag on the floor right by the balcony of our suite, I wouldn’t have tripped over it.”
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