Mari kicked the refrigerator door shut and paused when she saw what Colleen was doing.
“Colleen, don’t! Let the assistant Marc hired clean up. I can’t believe you’re doing dishes in that gorgeous dress,” Mari scolded.
“Amanda is busy serving. Besides, I needed something to do.”
Mari gave her a concerned glance. “Is everything all right? You seem preoccupied. All this party and wedding planning has been too much for you, hasn’t it? Especially after all you did for Marc’s and my wedding.”
“I’m not too busy. I swear. I enjoy it,” she insisted when she saw Mari’s doubtful glance.
“I feel terrible. I’m Natalie’s matron of honor, and Marc is Liam’s best man, but you and Eric have been doing the lion’s share of the work. It’s not fair.”
“It hasn’t been difficult at all. Eric and I are here in town, and you’re not. Mom has been helping out, as well. Here, stir it up before you serve it,” Colleen directed, handing Mari a whisk for the sauce.
“I was surprised to hear Eric has been so involved in the planning,” Mari said as she gave Colleen a sideways, speculative glance. “Hasn’t that been…challenging for you?”
In truth, she had been spending too much time in Eric’s presence lately. She’d been spending too much time thinking about Eric lately. Being forced into his company as they planned the upcoming nuptials had been both annoying and…stimulating.
“The two of you have always been like oil and water,” Mari added.
“Or a lit fuse and dynamite?”
Mari chuckled. “I remember how worried I was about both of you working at The Family Center.”
“I can’t imagine why. Did it have anything to do with the fact that I slugged him in the parking lot of Jake’s Place a few days before you hired me?” Colleen muttered wryly.
Mari paused and leaned her hip against the counter, a curious expression on her face. “You know, I always wondered about that. I’ve never known you to act that way. I mean, emotions were certainly running high that night. But while you’ve always had a temper, I’ve never known you to get physical. Why does Eric bother you so much?”
Colleen scrubbed at the pan extra hard. It was a good question, and she wasn’t sure how much she should reveal. Mari didn’t know that she and Eric had kissed on Sunset Beach just weeks before she’d punched him in a whirlwind of fury and bewilderment.
“He’s insufferable,” she said.
Mari laughed and picked up the ladle. “You’re the only person on the planet who thinks so. Most women adore him. He’s smart, he’s handsome, he’s charming, he’s great with kids. If I recall correctly,” Mari said, giving Colleen a sly glance, “you were right there like the rest of us when we were teenagers, waiting for Eric to take off his shirt while he worked for that landscaping company. You did your fair share of drooling whenever he did, too.”
Colleen snorted with laughter. Their mirth was interrupted by the sound of the music getting louder and the squeak of the swinging door. Both women glanced around, but Mari recovered at the sight of Eric faster than Colleen.
“Hey.” Mari greeted him with a grin. “We were just talking about you. You and Colleen should be proud. The party is a huge success.”
Colleen’s wide grin faded as her gaze ran down Eric’s body. He looked beyond good, wearing a dark blue suit that set off the width of his shoulders and trim hips. His dress shirt seemed appealingly white next to his bronzed skin. His hair looked almost black against the contrast of his collar.
When he’d come over earlier to help prepare for the party, her heart had seemed to jerk in her chest. Had he always been so handsome? She’d known he was good-looking, of course. Most women in Harbor Town knew that. But the intensity of his attractiveness, his sheer sexual potency, seemed to have escaped her until now.
Or it had until that kiss last summer.
“Liam and Natalie were having a terrific time,” Eric said.
Colleen set down the dish towel and smoothed her dress over her hips, trying to ignore the fact that Eric’s gaze flickered downward, following the path of her hands. “What do you mean?” she asked, concerned.
“It’s Tony Tejada and Janice,” he told her. For the first time, she realized his jaw looked tense. “Tony didn’t take to me dancing with Janice very well.”
“Eric, you didn’t—” Colleen began in a rush, suspicious that he’d “tweaked” events a little too stringently in order to make his precious point about the foolishness of impulsive romance and marriage.
“Oh, no—” Mari muttered at the same time Colleen spoke, but both of them were cut off as Tony stormed into the kitchen. He was about a head and a half shorter than Eric, but he had the muscular build of a one-time athlete. Eric met his angry gaze levelly.
“I would prefer it if you kept your hands off my wife,” Tony said aggressively.
“Your ex-wife is my friend and coworker. And we were just dancing. If you don’t want to see Janice in someone else’s arms, I suggest you ask her to dance yourself.” Given Tony’s agitation, Colleen couldn’t help but respect Eric’s cool, even response. Eric turned his dark-eyed gaze to her.
“Actually, I came looking for you,” he told Colleen before Tony could utter another word.