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Authors: Tara Randel
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right.”
“I sort of know him.”
Jewel’s eyes went wide. “Explain ‘sort of.’”
Lilli squirmed. “We met twelve years ago. Just once. At the beach.” She laughed. “I got him into trouble with the police.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, he’s still holding a grudge.”
“And now you’ve reconnected. Interesting.”
Lilli frowned. “There’s nothing to be interested in.”
“So you say.”
Okay, so maybe she missed their verbal skirmishes already. She squirmed under Jewel’s smug scrutiny, not wanting to delve too deeply into the matter here in the middle of the sidewalk. Bad enough she’d provoked the guy. She didn’t want to uncover the reasons why.
“Let’s not go there,” Lilli said.
“I knew it. You’re totally crushing on Max.”
“Am not.”
“Are, too. Why are you denying it? What are you afraid of?”
Flashbacks of the night on the beach were quickly overshadowed by the catastrophe that had been her wedding rehearsal dinner. The pain and humiliation. Afraid? Yes. But she’d never admit it out loud.
“My relationship with Max, if you could call it that, is difficult.”
“Looks like it.”
“He’s infuriating.”
“That’s half the fun.”
Lilli glanced down the empty sidewalk. “I knew you’d say that.”
* * ** * *
B ACK AT WORK , Jewel continued her running commentary about Bart while Lilli tried to concentrate on the Natural Puppy account. She’d hoped that Jewel’s evaluation of Lilli’s attraction to Max would prove wrong, but with reluctance, admitted she might be right.
What was she going to do about it?
As the question swirled around in her brain, an annoying chime sounded from her purse. Digging through the tan leather bag, she found her cell.
She squinted at the caller ID, sighing heavily. Her mother’s timing could be uncanny. “Mom, I’m in the middle of a deadline,” Lilli said by way of greeting. “I can’t talk about the benefit right now.”
“Of course you can,” Celeste Barclay informed her only daughter in her cultured tone. “It’s for the good of the society.”
Lilli gripped the phone tightly. “I don’t even belong to the society.”
“Of course you do. I added you to the roster years ago.”
Lilli clenched her teeth. Of course she had. With her mother, every answer started with, of course you do. Or can. Or will. Of course you can swim, just pump your legs. Of course you’ll attend the ballet, we bought you a ticket. Of course I can upset your life, I’m your mother and I love you.
“You promised you’d be back in plenty of time for Tie the Knot,” Lilly reminded her.
“No, dear. I promised to do everything in my power to get back in plenty of time. My ladies are counting on you.”
Her ladies. Lilli rolled her eyes. Just because they were her mom’s ladies didn’t mean Lilli should inherit them. “So are you saying you won’t make it back in time?”
“If your father hadn’t left his tennis bag on the floor right by the balcony of our suite, I wouldn’t have tripped over it.”
“Dad is with you?”
A slight pause. “He was.”
“Why?”
“I told you. Aunt Marian got herself into a little legal entanglement. Your father came here as her attorney.”
That made sense. But still, her parents, together?
“As I was saying, I nearly pitched right over the railing. I could have died. Instead I only hurt my arm.”
“Your arm?”
“It’s a sprain. I told that man a thousand times not to leave his things in the middle of the floor. He never listened. Briefcase, gym bags, shoes, you name it. It’s been like this—”
Lilli had heard these complaints before and knew if she didn’t cut her mother’s tirade short, she’d go on all afternoon.
“Does it hurt?”
“Does what hurt?”
“Your arm.”
“My arm? Oh, my arm.” She paused on a well-timed moan. “My wrist hurts and there is some swelling, but I don’t need a cast. Could you
“I sort of know him.”
Jewel’s eyes went wide. “Explain ‘sort of.’”
Lilli squirmed. “We met twelve years ago. Just once. At the beach.” She laughed. “I got him into trouble with the police.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, he’s still holding a grudge.”
“And now you’ve reconnected. Interesting.”
Lilli frowned. “There’s nothing to be interested in.”
“So you say.”
Okay, so maybe she missed their verbal skirmishes already. She squirmed under Jewel’s smug scrutiny, not wanting to delve too deeply into the matter here in the middle of the sidewalk. Bad enough she’d provoked the guy. She didn’t want to uncover the reasons why.
“Let’s not go there,” Lilli said.
“I knew it. You’re totally crushing on Max.”
“Am not.”
“Are, too. Why are you denying it? What are you afraid of?”
Flashbacks of the night on the beach were quickly overshadowed by the catastrophe that had been her wedding rehearsal dinner. The pain and humiliation. Afraid? Yes. But she’d never admit it out loud.
“My relationship with Max, if you could call it that, is difficult.”
“Looks like it.”
“He’s infuriating.”
“That’s half the fun.”
Lilli glanced down the empty sidewalk. “I knew you’d say that.”
* * ** * *
B ACK AT WORK , Jewel continued her running commentary about Bart while Lilli tried to concentrate on the Natural Puppy account. She’d hoped that Jewel’s evaluation of Lilli’s attraction to Max would prove wrong, but with reluctance, admitted she might be right.
What was she going to do about it?
As the question swirled around in her brain, an annoying chime sounded from her purse. Digging through the tan leather bag, she found her cell.
She squinted at the caller ID, sighing heavily. Her mother’s timing could be uncanny. “Mom, I’m in the middle of a deadline,” Lilli said by way of greeting. “I can’t talk about the benefit right now.”
“Of course you can,” Celeste Barclay informed her only daughter in her cultured tone. “It’s for the good of the society.”
Lilli gripped the phone tightly. “I don’t even belong to the society.”
“Of course you do. I added you to the roster years ago.”
Lilli clenched her teeth. Of course she had. With her mother, every answer started with, of course you do. Or can. Or will. Of course you can swim, just pump your legs. Of course you’ll attend the ballet, we bought you a ticket. Of course I can upset your life, I’m your mother and I love you.
“You promised you’d be back in plenty of time for Tie the Knot,” Lilly reminded her.
“No, dear. I promised to do everything in my power to get back in plenty of time. My ladies are counting on you.”
Her ladies. Lilli rolled her eyes. Just because they were her mom’s ladies didn’t mean Lilli should inherit them. “So are you saying you won’t make it back in time?”
“If your father hadn’t left his tennis bag on the floor right by the balcony of our suite, I wouldn’t have tripped over it.”
“Dad is with you?”
A slight pause. “He was.”
“Why?”
“I told you. Aunt Marian got herself into a little legal entanglement. Your father came here as her attorney.”
That made sense. But still, her parents, together?
“As I was saying, I nearly pitched right over the railing. I could have died. Instead I only hurt my arm.”
“Your arm?”
“It’s a sprain. I told that man a thousand times not to leave his things in the middle of the floor. He never listened. Briefcase, gym bags, shoes, you name it. It’s been like this—”
Lilli had heard these complaints before and knew if she didn’t cut her mother’s tirade short, she’d go on all afternoon.
“Does it hurt?”
“Does what hurt?”
“Your arm.”
“My arm? Oh, my arm.” She paused on a well-timed moan. “My wrist hurts and there is some swelling, but I don’t need a cast. Could you
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