will appreciate making this a threesome.” They both climbed into the truck and Adam started the engine.
He turned quickly and looked at Lisa, humored by her reaction. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Lisa was jealous. “You didn’t think she’s my girlfriend—did you?”
Lisa shrugged, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks. “She sounded...well...a bit possessive, like a girlfriend might.”
She does care. “And how would a jealous girlfriend sound?”
Lisa buckled her seat belt and hugged her bags to her body. “She kept asking who I was.”
Trying to keep the humor from his expression, he said, “And what did you tell her?”
“She asked if I was Millie, I said no. She asked if I was your sister, I said no. I was very professional. I asked for her name and number to take a message for you.”
A laugh rumbled from deep in his chest and he leaned across the seat and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Bless you, Lisa. I owe you my life.”
Lisa’s fingers lingered on the spot he’d just kissed. “You and she aren’t...”
He shook his head as he backed out of the parking space and pressed the accelerator. “Let me make one thing absolutely clear right now. I don’t kiss one woman while I’m dating, seeing or in any way involved with another. Not that Tara wouldn’t love to claim otherwise. She’s on the Sweetheart Festival committee.” On the way to the restaurant, Adam explained how Tara had weaseled her way on to the site selection committee and into the position as hostess. As he pulled into a parking place at the Italian restaurant, Adam added, “Whatever you do, don’t make the lady mad. The last thing I need right now is to have her leave me to host this thing myself.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“ H I, I ’M SORRY we’re late.” Adam realized his mistake when he saw the shock on Tara’s face turn to fury. Tara’s skin flushed all the way down to her generously exposed cleavage.
He’d had to drag Lisa out of the truck and into the restaurant, assuring her the entire way that there never was, nor had there ever been anything between him and the woman who had affixed herself to the idea that there was a romance brewing.
Adam held Lisa’s chair for her, then casually pulled an extra chair from a nearby table for himself. Through the tight-lipped smile, Tara’s tone was velvet, yet edged with steel daggers. “Adam, I didn’t realize you were bringing anyone. Is she one of your hired help for the party?”
Apparently there had been more to Lisa and Tara’s conversation than simply words. He laughed lightly, hoping Tara wouldn’t read any more into Lisa’s presence. “No, Lisa’s a family friend who’s visiting the ranch for a while. We had errands to run in town this morning and I didn’t think it would be hospitable to leave her to find lunch on her own.”
Tara deliberately removed the reading glasses from her nose. Her gaze darted between them and settled visciously on Lisa. “I see. I’m surprised you didn’t simply say that last night, Lisa.”
Lisa glanced at Adam, then to Tara. “Most establishments value a guest’s privacy second only to their owner’s. I simply answered the phone as a courtesy to Adam.”
Adam hoped his smile reflected his appreciation of Lisa’s tact. While he didn’t want to alienate Tara two weeks before the celebration, he certainly wasn’t into fueling her assumption that he shared her interest in the two of them dating.
The three ordered, and Adam turned the conversation to the business at hand. Valentine’s Day.
Tara efficiently opened her leather-covered day planner to the Sweetheart Ball header. “I’ve arranged with the county maintenance crews to grade or plow the roads to the ranch the afternoon of the party. I don’t want ruts or snow to stop anyone from attending. We’ve poured too much into this.”
Adam said, “I wouldn’t have thought either to be a problem any typical Colorado winter, but with every record
He turned quickly and looked at Lisa, humored by her reaction. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Lisa was jealous. “You didn’t think she’s my girlfriend—did you?”
Lisa shrugged, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks. “She sounded...well...a bit possessive, like a girlfriend might.”
She does care. “And how would a jealous girlfriend sound?”
Lisa buckled her seat belt and hugged her bags to her body. “She kept asking who I was.”
Trying to keep the humor from his expression, he said, “And what did you tell her?”
“She asked if I was Millie, I said no. She asked if I was your sister, I said no. I was very professional. I asked for her name and number to take a message for you.”
A laugh rumbled from deep in his chest and he leaned across the seat and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Bless you, Lisa. I owe you my life.”
Lisa’s fingers lingered on the spot he’d just kissed. “You and she aren’t...”
He shook his head as he backed out of the parking space and pressed the accelerator. “Let me make one thing absolutely clear right now. I don’t kiss one woman while I’m dating, seeing or in any way involved with another. Not that Tara wouldn’t love to claim otherwise. She’s on the Sweetheart Festival committee.” On the way to the restaurant, Adam explained how Tara had weaseled her way on to the site selection committee and into the position as hostess. As he pulled into a parking place at the Italian restaurant, Adam added, “Whatever you do, don’t make the lady mad. The last thing I need right now is to have her leave me to host this thing myself.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“ H I, I ’M SORRY we’re late.” Adam realized his mistake when he saw the shock on Tara’s face turn to fury. Tara’s skin flushed all the way down to her generously exposed cleavage.
He’d had to drag Lisa out of the truck and into the restaurant, assuring her the entire way that there never was, nor had there ever been anything between him and the woman who had affixed herself to the idea that there was a romance brewing.
Adam held Lisa’s chair for her, then casually pulled an extra chair from a nearby table for himself. Through the tight-lipped smile, Tara’s tone was velvet, yet edged with steel daggers. “Adam, I didn’t realize you were bringing anyone. Is she one of your hired help for the party?”
Apparently there had been more to Lisa and Tara’s conversation than simply words. He laughed lightly, hoping Tara wouldn’t read any more into Lisa’s presence. “No, Lisa’s a family friend who’s visiting the ranch for a while. We had errands to run in town this morning and I didn’t think it would be hospitable to leave her to find lunch on her own.”
Tara deliberately removed the reading glasses from her nose. Her gaze darted between them and settled visciously on Lisa. “I see. I’m surprised you didn’t simply say that last night, Lisa.”
Lisa glanced at Adam, then to Tara. “Most establishments value a guest’s privacy second only to their owner’s. I simply answered the phone as a courtesy to Adam.”
Adam hoped his smile reflected his appreciation of Lisa’s tact. While he didn’t want to alienate Tara two weeks before the celebration, he certainly wasn’t into fueling her assumption that he shared her interest in the two of them dating.
The three ordered, and Adam turned the conversation to the business at hand. Valentine’s Day.
Tara efficiently opened her leather-covered day planner to the Sweetheart Ball header. “I’ve arranged with the county maintenance crews to grade or plow the roads to the ranch the afternoon of the party. I don’t want ruts or snow to stop anyone from attending. We’ve poured too much into this.”
Adam said, “I wouldn’t have thought either to be a problem any typical Colorado winter, but with every record
Similar Books
