someone who will love her.”
Cole nodded. Max sounded like a man in love, or at least deep like. “Max, do you have feelings for Jami?” He expected his friend to deny it.
“Does it show that bad?”
Cole sighed. “Man, you do realize that you’re not in a position to have feelings for anyone but your wife?”
“Yes, Cole. I haven’t acted on anything. She has no idea of how I feel, and I plan to keep it that way. Besides, I don’t want to lose her friendship over something that could turn out to be nothing.”
Cole wished he had that kind of control. “That’s why you’ve been drinking so much.”
“No, my wife is my reason for my drinking. But I’d rather not talk about her, if you don’t mind.”
“Got it.”
Max laughed. “What I would like to talk about is how you’re going to approach Kendall when we get to the club.”
Cole had figured he was being set up, and his new best friend had just confirmed it. He was headed for trouble, he knew, but he was going to take Kendall down with him.
* * *
“He’s just a man,” Kendall chanted to herself as she walked to the table in Arlington’s hottest place to be seen. “He’s just a man.”
In her first effort to bond with the nurses and other members of her staff, Kendall was in the one place she’d always thought she’d never return to. Larry’s Ribs and Blues was the place where she’d caught her ex cheating on her the first time. She hadn’t been inside the place since.
But that was the old Kendall. The new Kendall was trying to make a change in her life. The new Kendall was going to face her demons from now on, and that included one Coltrane Highpoint. She approached the table, plastered a smile on her face, and greeted her co-workers. Of course everyone but Jami and Max looked at her as if she were definitely in the wrong place. Cole was staring at her until she returned his gaze. She instantly realized he was looking at her attire.
Okay, staring or gawking would be a better word. Exactly the effect she’d hoped for after Jami informed her that Max was bringing his new best friend. She decided to make the best of a semi-awkward situation by greeting everyone. “Hi, guys, thanks for inviting me.”
Cole tried his best to hide his nervousness behind his glass of Scotch. Kendall looked hot! He’d never in all his days seen a woman so beautiful. He couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to her cleavage until Max cleared his throat.
“You’re gonna blow it,” Max whispered. “Quit looking at her chest. She hates when men do that.”
Cole knew Kendall would be a challenge even if she hadn’t dressed in a revealing blouse. He took a swig of Chivas Regal scotch, feeling the drink warm his soul. “Please sit down, Kendall. I promise I won’t bite.” He nodded to the vacant chair next to him.
Kendall sighed, took the seat, and hung her purse on the back of the wooden chair. Cole didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to feel the tension at the table. He felt it from Kendall, too, and there was only one thing to do to relieve it. He leaned closer to her and whispered, “Let’s dance.”
Kendall shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Do you disapprove of me that much? It’s just a freaking dance, not a proposal of marriage.”
She turned to him with a look of anger that made Max gasp. “I don’t dance,” she said just above a whisper. “My ex-husband said I’m stiffer than cardboard.”
He’d stuck his foot in his mouth, of course, but he’d fix it. He reached for Kendall’s hand and stood. She’d never make a scene, so he felt pretty secure that she’d follow him to the dance floor.
She did. Suddenly, he realized that now Kendall was at least an inch taller than his six feet, one inch. How tall were those stilettos?
As the band settled into a slow number, Cole pulled Kendall closer to his body. She did move rather stiffly, but he would soon fix that. His hands settled around her waist. She was a perfect
Cole nodded. Max sounded like a man in love, or at least deep like. “Max, do you have feelings for Jami?” He expected his friend to deny it.
“Does it show that bad?”
Cole sighed. “Man, you do realize that you’re not in a position to have feelings for anyone but your wife?”
“Yes, Cole. I haven’t acted on anything. She has no idea of how I feel, and I plan to keep it that way. Besides, I don’t want to lose her friendship over something that could turn out to be nothing.”
Cole wished he had that kind of control. “That’s why you’ve been drinking so much.”
“No, my wife is my reason for my drinking. But I’d rather not talk about her, if you don’t mind.”
“Got it.”
Max laughed. “What I would like to talk about is how you’re going to approach Kendall when we get to the club.”
Cole had figured he was being set up, and his new best friend had just confirmed it. He was headed for trouble, he knew, but he was going to take Kendall down with him.
* * *
“He’s just a man,” Kendall chanted to herself as she walked to the table in Arlington’s hottest place to be seen. “He’s just a man.”
In her first effort to bond with the nurses and other members of her staff, Kendall was in the one place she’d always thought she’d never return to. Larry’s Ribs and Blues was the place where she’d caught her ex cheating on her the first time. She hadn’t been inside the place since.
But that was the old Kendall. The new Kendall was trying to make a change in her life. The new Kendall was going to face her demons from now on, and that included one Coltrane Highpoint. She approached the table, plastered a smile on her face, and greeted her co-workers. Of course everyone but Jami and Max looked at her as if she were definitely in the wrong place. Cole was staring at her until she returned his gaze. She instantly realized he was looking at her attire.
Okay, staring or gawking would be a better word. Exactly the effect she’d hoped for after Jami informed her that Max was bringing his new best friend. She decided to make the best of a semi-awkward situation by greeting everyone. “Hi, guys, thanks for inviting me.”
Cole tried his best to hide his nervousness behind his glass of Scotch. Kendall looked hot! He’d never in all his days seen a woman so beautiful. He couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to her cleavage until Max cleared his throat.
“You’re gonna blow it,” Max whispered. “Quit looking at her chest. She hates when men do that.”
Cole knew Kendall would be a challenge even if she hadn’t dressed in a revealing blouse. He took a swig of Chivas Regal scotch, feeling the drink warm his soul. “Please sit down, Kendall. I promise I won’t bite.” He nodded to the vacant chair next to him.
Kendall sighed, took the seat, and hung her purse on the back of the wooden chair. Cole didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to feel the tension at the table. He felt it from Kendall, too, and there was only one thing to do to relieve it. He leaned closer to her and whispered, “Let’s dance.”
Kendall shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Do you disapprove of me that much? It’s just a freaking dance, not a proposal of marriage.”
She turned to him with a look of anger that made Max gasp. “I don’t dance,” she said just above a whisper. “My ex-husband said I’m stiffer than cardboard.”
He’d stuck his foot in his mouth, of course, but he’d fix it. He reached for Kendall’s hand and stood. She’d never make a scene, so he felt pretty secure that she’d follow him to the dance floor.
She did. Suddenly, he realized that now Kendall was at least an inch taller than his six feet, one inch. How tall were those stilettos?
As the band settled into a slow number, Cole pulled Kendall closer to his body. She did move rather stiffly, but he would soon fix that. His hands settled around her waist. She was a perfect
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