Julia’s eyes stung even harder. “I know. You really freaked him out.”
“Shit, stop crying or your face is going to be ruined.”
Julia tilted her face back, willing the tears to seep into her eyeballs. “Say something. Change the subject.”
“Money.”
Julia scowled at her sister.
“Hey look, it worked! Now onto more important matters. I think you should flirt with someone else. Someone really obnoxious.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because if Max is half the hothead I think he is, he’ll go rabid and confess his undying love for you.”
Julia consulted her gut. It told her pretending to be interested in someone other than Max would make her feel sleazy, but there was a cure for that. She downed her whiskey. “All right, I’ll attempt to flirt with someone else. Now let’s get going before I lose my nerve.”
Ash stubbed out her cigarette. “You got it, babe.”
Thirty minutes later they were pulling into the Oxheart Winery, scattering small white stones everywhere. Julia’s heart was pounding as she smoothed down her dress and licked the pink gloss from her mouth. Ash slapped her wrist. “Stop fiddling and get out of here.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” she said.
“Knock ’em dead, kid, and remember, flirting holds the key.”
The friendly hostess informed her the Brenthill party had been set up in the main ballroom, typically used for country weddings. She stepped into the reception area and instantly knew he wasn’t there, something about the way she could breathe without feeling self-conscious. She circled the room saying hello and struggling to recall the names of cops who looked completely different out of uniform. After half an hour it was impossible to talk to anyone without looking over her shoulder every few seconds. He wasn’t coming; he didn’t care after all. Julia headed for the bar, figuring that if the night was going to be a complete, soul-destroying failure she’d at least get good and wine drunk.
There was a brush at her side. “Hey, Julia. You look gorgeous.”
It was Blond Cop. Mr. Stepladder. The sleeves of his navy dress shirt were rolled back to reveal what looked like sleeve tattoos. “How are you tonight?” he asked.
“I’m good.”
Julia debated finding out his name by stealth and decided against it. “I’m sorry, I can’t remember your name. You all look different out of uniform.”
“John. John Halloran.”
Julia eyed him off. He was handsome, although he clearly knew it, nice enough, possibly a good candidate for a little flirtation. Although those tattoos…Who had that many pictures they wanted scribbled on their skin? Why couldn’t guys stick to one or two big pieces like—
Max? You’re right, why can’t this guy have tattoos like Max? And arms like Max. In fact, why can’t he justbeMax since you booted the real Max off your porch and he’s obviously never coming back?
“You look gorgeous,” John repeated with a playful grin. His corn silk-colored hair fell into his eyes and Julia wondered if he dyed it.
So first the guy’s too tattooed and now he’s too blond. Do you really want to flirt, or should you just dump an ice bucket over your head and be done with it?
Julia attempted a smile. “Thanks, you look good as well. I didn’t realize you had sleeves.”
“Yeah, I got them done last year. Want to sit down?”
Julia ignored the pang in her gut. “Sure, why not?”
They pulled up chairs and proceeded to discuss their lives. Or John did. Within fifteen minutes Julia knew more about him than most of her relatives. She let him drone on, gulping wine and wondering if being good-looking led men to think rambling stories about their cars were interesting.It can’t. Max never rambled on about this kind of shit.
As John talked, he kept making excuses to touch her, brushing her hands and collarbones. His light caresses stirred nothing inside her except mild irritation. She was pondering how best to excuse herself when a dark figure appeared in the entrance.He’s here.Julia had the urge to fling herself away from John lest Max thought, even for a second, that she was interested in him. So much for strategic flirtation.
John tapped her arm. “You ever had a problem like that?”
With a start, Julia realized she’d completely zoned out. “Uh sorry, what was that?”