Read Online Just Perfect by Julie Ortolon - Free Book Online Page B

explain, but the man had already turned to scan the crowd for a fresh target.
    “Honey, you wound me.” Alec pressed a hand to his chest, his look so sincere, she considered forgiving him for running off Bob, who would easily have won the Maddy and Amy Stamp of Approval. “And after you came here looking for me.”
    Exasperation dampened her amusement. “I came here assuming you’d be gone since you usually come here for happy hour and it’s now nine o’clock. What do you do, live here?”
    “Actually, I do. Well, not here, here.” He pointed at the spot where he stood. “I live upstairs.”
    “So you spend your entire evening here?”
    “Normally, no. Tonight’s special. I’m throwing a party.”
    “Let me guess. For ‘the guys’?” She looked toward the table where he’d been sitting to get a look at the infamous gang of men. She found every one of them staring back at her, openly checking her out. Trent and Bruce she recognized, but the rest were an odd mix that ranged in age from two college-age kids on up to a stern-looking older man with a military buzz cut.
    “Unfortunately, it’s a bachelor party,” Alec said. “Or I’d ask you to join us.”
    “The waitress’s fiance?” She looked closer. “So who’s the lucky groom?”
    “The guy at the head of the table with the goofy-looking grin.”
    “Hmm.” She considered the sandy-haired man with the pleasant face. “Cute.”
    “Taken.”
    “So I gathered.”
The good ones always are
, she added to herself.
    “Yeah, they’re getting married tomorrow, with me as best man. Why they had to pick the same weekend as the big snowboarding competition, I have no idea. Talk about a test of friendship.”
    “The what competition?” Her attention was piqued.
    “Snowboarding. On Jibber’s Run. Are you going?”
    “I hadn’t heard about it.”
    “You’re kidding.” His eyes widened. “Not only do you hibernate in Austin, you hibernate here too.”
    “Pretty much,” she admitted.
    “What a waste. If you do nothing else while you’re here, you should go to the competition this weekend and see some airdogs in action.” His face lit up. “Hey, why don’t we go together on Sunday? I can get you into the VIP stands.”
    How did he always know how to tempt her? “Actually, my family’s flying in tomorrow, so what I do Sunday depends on them.”
    “Bring them along. That’ll give me a chance to meet this hotshot brother of yours.”
    Before she could come up with a reason to turn him down, a golden retriever came through the tables, trotting toward them. “Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed as the dog sat at Alec’s feet and let loose one sharp bark. Even knowing Colorado was a pet-friendly state, seeing a dog in a pub surprised her. “Who’s this?”
    “Who, this mangy mutt? This is Buddy.” Alec ruffled the dog’s ears, bringing forth a canine grin. “What’d they do, boy, send you to fetch me?”
    Buddy barked again, then grabbed Alec’s pant leg and started tugging.
    “In a minute.” Alec tried to brush the dog away. Buddy tugged harder, nearly jerking Alec off his feet. “Come on, Buddy, be a pal. Can’t you see I’m making time with a beautiful woman here? You’re cramping my style.”
    Christine laughed at that. She’d always wanted a dog, and what could be better than a big, friendly golden retriever?
    “Jeez, all right!” Alec made a grab for the pitcher of beer, nearly sloshing its contents as Buddy kept tugging. “Apparently I have to go. But you stay put. I’ll find a way to sneak back.”
    She felt instantly deflated as he left, the way she had that afternoon. She knew continuing the game of flirt and resist was asking for trouble, but hadn’t she proved she could hold her own? As long as she didn’t do something stupid, like fall for him, she could still talk to him, couldn’t she?
    As she watched him take his seat, the men leaned forward in a huddle around the table, apparently demanding details as they