Read Online Harlequin Intrigue, Box Set 2 of 2 by Julie Miller - Free Book Online

team, taking her seat at the table. “Just because you and Rosie eloped to Vegas doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t want to share that special day with friends and family.”
    Max jabbed his finger on the tabletop, defending his choice in wedding arrangements. “Hey. I wanted to make an honest woman out of Rosie. And you know how her last engagement turned out. She wasn’t interested in dragging out the process any more than I was.”
    Max’s new wife had barely survived the nightmare of her first engagement to an abusive boyfriend and had become a recluse as a result. Meanwhile, Max had been fighting his own demons when the two had first met and clashed during the investigation into her ex-fiancé’s unsolved murder. Mixing like oil and water, it was a wonder the prim and proper spinster and the rugged former soldier had ever gotten together at all. But Trent had never met two misfits who were a better match for each other. Max brought Rosie out of her shell, and she’d uncovered a few civilized human qualities that Trent’s rough-around-the-edges partner had lost in the years he’d been dealing with post-traumatic stress. Max had been shot twice and Rosie nearly drowned solving that case. But the close calls had made them willing to risk everything and seize the love they’d found.
    Trent might be a little envious of his older friend settling into the sort of relationship he’d once wanted with Katie Rinaldi, but he was happy for his partner. And he had been honored to fly out to Las Vegas to stand up for the couple.
    â€œAs soon as the doctor cleared me to travel, I made the reservations. There wasn’t time to send out invitations.” Max reached over to thump Trent’s shoulder as he pulled out a chair to sit beside him. “At least I took the big guy with us.”
    Trent grinned, thinking he’d better join the teasing banter before anyone questioned the tension between him and Katie. “And then you put me on a plane back to KC twenty minutes after the ceremony so you two could get started on the honeymoon.”
    Max grinned. “Hey, I’m ugly. Not stupid.”
    Olivia was smiling suspiciously, working her cool logic on Max. “Maybe, since you cheated Rosie out of the whole white-wedding thing, she’d like to put on a fancy gown and see you all dressed up for once in your life. I’ve yet to see a man that a tuxedo couldn’t make look good.”
    â€œI’d love to see her in a beautiful dress like that.” Was the old man on the team blushing? Who’d have thought? Still, Max grumbled, “You’re determined to make me miserable, aren’t you?”
    Jim Parker grinned and pulled out the chair beside his partner. “Maybe he’s worried you’re going to make him dance with you at the reception, Liv—after Gabe, your dad and your brothers, of course.”
    â€œAnd Grandpa Seamus,” Olivia added. She pointed to Max. “But you are definitely on my dance card after that.” She wiggled her finger toward Trent. “You, too, big guy. You all agreed to be our ushers, so it’s tuxes and boutonnieres for everyone.”
    Max put up his hands in surrender. “There’s only so much froufrou a man can take, Liv.”
    Jim propped his elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning over to back up Olivia. “I don’t know, Max. There are few things I like better than slow dancing with my wife. Natalie’s pregnant enough now that when we’re close, I can feel the baby kicking between us.”
    Max scrubbed his palm over the top of his military-short hair and muttered a teasing curse. “Okay, Parker. Now you’ve gone too far, buying into all of Liv’s romantic mush.” Knowing full well he was going to eventually buy into it, too, Max turned back to the lady detective. “I thought you were a tomboy.”
    Olivia smiled wistfully. “My