"Now, let Uncle Evan put them down," some woman with blond hair and a very pregnant belly shouted.
Uncle Evan?
"Evan! Over here!" Phew! There was Josie, across the backyard, waving at him.
Focusing on her, he beat his way through the crowds, holding the platter above the grubby hands flailing in his face. He set it down on the picnic table in front of Josie, immediately getting a peanut buttery finger up his nose as a tiny hand reached for the watermelon.
Josie laughed and handed him a napkin. "Sorry about that. It's a little crazy tonight. Big turnout."
"I guess." He plopped down next to her, letting his shoulder rest against hers for a moment of comfort. "I've never seen a family like this."
She looked wary and a mite defensive. "You don't like my family?"
"Hell, no. It's incredible. I just...it's just a little overwhelming."
"Oh, good." She tucked her arm through his and laid her cheek against his upper arm. "So, how'd it go with my mom?"
He cleared his throat. "She, ah, won't be bothering you about finding a man."
Josie sat up to look at him. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"How'd you do it?"
He forced a wicked grin on his face. "Ah, but I cannot reveal my secrets, my dear. You must trust me."
"You rock." She threw her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss.
Only the screeches of their audience kept him from wrestling her to the ground and returning the kiss the way he wanted to. Instead, he broke the kiss and removed her from his lap. "Audience."
"Right." She licked her lips and didn't look embarrassed.
He felt a tug on his jacket and looked down to see two little girls gazing up at him. "Hi, there. Do you want some watermelon?"
They shook their heads and kept tugging on his jacket.
"Um...you want Josie?"
They shook their heads again.
Josie's warm breath tickled his ear. "They want shoulder rides."
"How do you know?"
"You're the tallest guy here, therefore, your shoulders are very appealing." She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "They have good taste."
Her suggestive look sent his blood rushing south. How could he possibly be turned on in the middle of a crowd? Obviously, just being around Josie was enough. Which meant he needed to not be around her. "Who wants a shoulder ride?"
The two girls screamed and giggled, jumping up and down, shouting something that sounded relatively close to his name. He settled one on each shoulder, then stood up. "I'll be back."
Josie grinned. "No hurry. Enjoy yourself."
As he walked across the yard, dodging whiffle balls and interested looks from adults, he realized that he was indeed having fun. For the first time in ages, he was having a blast.
Chapter 15
Josie watched Evan hoist the ninth kid to his shoulders, amazed that he was still grinning.
"He'll make a great dad."
She turned to find her sister Rose sitting beside her. "Hey, Rose. How are you feeling?"
Rose patted her expanding belly. "I'll feel better in three weeks when I can move again." She propped her chin up on her hands. "He's great with the kids."
"Isn't he? I don't think he has much experience around them, but he's a natural." Josie returned to watching Evan. "He has this big bluster he puts on of being all dignified and bossy, but I think he's a softie underneath."
"You have a knack for finding the softie in every guy," Rose said.
Josie stiffened. "This isn't like my other men."
Her sister patted her hand. "Oh, relax, Josie. I meant it as a compliment."
"I'm not involved with him."
Rose snorted. "Are you still on that kick? Give me a break, Josie. Anyone can tell how you feel about him. You haven't taken your eyes off him since you got here."
"I just don't want him to be overwhelmed by this family."
"And he doesn't go more than a minute without checking for you."
Josie felt a thud in her belly. "Really?"
Rose grinned. "Yep."
"We're not involved."
"And I'm not pregnant."
Josie glowered at her sister. "Don't start with me."
"I heard he's paying for vet school."
She froze. Had Evan told her mom about their bet? That would be so humiliating. "He offered," she said carefully.
"What a gem. Marry him now," Rose sighed. "Plus, he's so handsome."
She was going to protest the marriage thing, but before she could respond, the backyard erupted in laughter. She whipped around to see Evan literally dripping, his suit hanging from his body in limp protest. Two of her brothers were standing behind him, holding the trashcan that had been filled with ice water for the drinks. The trashcan was empty and the ice littered the ground by Evan's feet. Dear God. For a split second, all she could do was be grateful that her most eccentric brother, Les, who tended to overreact with axes when he got upset, was still off on a goat farm in Vermont, finding inner peace.
Then she saw the look on Evan's face, and she forget about her brother. "Oh, God. He'll be furious. His suits are really expensive." She started to rise, only to have Rose pull her back down.
"Don't interfere, Josie. This is a male bonding thing."
"Are you kidding?"
"While Evan's wearing a suit, he doesn't belong. Just watch."
Josie was afraid she'd see Evan lay her brothers out on the grass. Sure, her brothers were big, but Evan was bigger.
But he didn't get mad. He just turned to her brothers and held his hands out in defeat. "You got me."
And then he laughed. Laughed! His gorgeous suit was ruined, and he was laughing?
One of her brothers clapped Evan on the shoulder. "I told them you'd be a sport. Come on inside. You can borrow some of Jack's clothes. He lives here and he's about your size."
Evan socked her brother in the shoulder, then followed him inside, peeling off his tie as he went. "I had no idea," she whispered.
"No idea what?" Rose picked up a piece of watermelon.
"That he could relax like this. He seems so rigid."
"He likes our family. That's a good sign if you're going to marry him."
"If I'm what?" She jerked her eyes off the backdoor Evan had disappeared through.
"Sorry. When you marry him. Don't get so testy." Rose grimaced. "Bathroom run. I'll be back in a sec."
She waddled across the yard before Josie could protest. Marriage? To Evan? No chance of that ever happening. Before she could list all the reasons why she'd never marry Evan, one of her nieces demanded that she braid her hair.
Josie had just wrapped the elastic around the end when Evan walked outside. Wearing jeans, boots and an old tee shirt of her brothers. He looked rugged, tough, and fit in perfectly with her family. With his suit, he was a perfect match for his house, but now? He looked so natural as he joined the whiffle ball game and wrestled one of her fourteen-year-old nephews to the ground as they fought for the ball, the boy howling with joyful outrage.
Tom had never fit in with her family like this, even after seven years. He'd always thought they were a little crazy and a little overwhelming, and all the kids had annoyed him. She'd suspected that some of his work-conflicts had just been an excuse not to attend the family gatherings.
But Evan? He'd cancelled meetings to come.
Damn the man.
How was she supposed to have an affair with him if she was actually starting to like him?
He was ruining all her plans.
Chapter 16
She was in the middle of her cereal when Evan stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a mug, dumped some coffee into the coffee maker, slammed his arms across his chest, and leaned back to wait. All the time keeping an impressive scowl on his face.
"What kind of bug crawled up your shorts?"
His scowl deepened. "I'm in a perfectly good mood."
"Nice snarl. You sound like an ornery Rottweiler."
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine."
"And I've been asked to do next month's Playboy centerfold." She took a bite of her cereal and tried really hard not to let his bad mood bother her. What had she done? Last night, he'd been in such a good mood on the way home from her parents' house, even after her dad had hauled him off to the den to talk behind closed doors. She'd been the one in a bad mood, because she was starting to like him. No longer a problem, unless she yearned for moody jerks.
"If you ever modeled for Playboy, I'd shoot you."
She lifted a brow. "Since when do you have any say in what I do?"
He glared at her. "Don't start with me. It's not worth it."
"Why not?" It might be very worth it if she could stop liking him. Of course, having him mad at her wasn't exactly doing wonders for her self-confidence and self-esteem. But what was more important? Self-image or some great sex for the first time in her life? It depended on her long-term goals. Self-esteem probably gave her a more solid foundation to carry her through the next fifty years of her life. "Fine. You win. I won't bug you."
Evan grunted, then silence fell over the kitchen.
Hoohee, not goading him was sure a hell of a lot of fun. Sitting around in awkward silence, waiting for Mr. Grouchy to get over his attitude.
She looked at her watch. It had been almost six and a half seconds since she'd stopped talking. That was long enough. "So, what did my dad talk to you about last night?"
Evan jumped ever so slightly. "Nothing."
"Really? He just dragged you into the den, locked the door, and then you guys sat in silence? Is that a male bonding ritual or something? Maybe I should incorporate that into the New Josie emotional fitness regime." Darn it. Why was she so upset Evan was mad at her? He'd been a jerk since they'd met, so why was his grouchiness suddenly bugging her? "Dammit, Evan. I've had enough of this."
He had the gall to look surprised. "Enough of what?"
"You and this attitude. I did nothing to you and I don't appreciate being treated like cow dung." She pushed back her chair so she could face him. "I'll have you know that just because I let my ex-husband and Buddy treat me however they wanted to, it doesn't mean that you can do the same thing. I don't do that anymore. You can't make me feel bad without being accountable. I hereby declare my refusal to let this nonsense continue. Shape up and be nice or..." Or what? She was so pathetic she couldn't even knock out a credible threat.
"Or you'll shave my chest while I'm asleep and write love poems on my forehead with a permanent marker?"
She stared. "Did you just make a joke?"
"No." His face was deadpan.
"Was that your way of apologizing?"
"No." The coffee machine beeped, and he levered himself off the counter to pour a cup. "Want some?"
"No. I don't do caffeine."
He lifted a brow "Why not?"
"Because it's the one thing about my emotional state that I can control." Dang it. Why did those truths slip out of her mouth like that? Those were secrets, you numbnut.
"On the contrary, I think you keep it together very well. You've been through a lot lately."
At least he was being civil now, even if he wasn't looking at her. Maybe now he'd talk about last night. "So, what happened with my mom? Whatever you said worked, because she didn't make one mention about being married. Just asked me a few questions about school and they weren't even derogatory."
Evan choked on his coffee, promptly spitting the entire mouthful into the sink. "I have to go."
"Without breakfast? Don't you watch those kids' cereal commercials? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Keep it light, Josie. Don't let him see your self-confidence waning just because he wouldn't even look at you this morning.
"I'll see you later."
"Want me to make dinner tonight?" She immediately smacked herself mentally. What kind of offer was that? The kind you'd make to someone you are dating, which they weren't.
He looked horrified for a moment. "No!" He recovered quickly, donning a bored look she didn't believe. What was his problem? "I'll be working late all week. Eat without me."
"Oh." That was better. If he ignored her all week, then she could classify him as an insensitive workaholic like Tom, and then she could hate him, and her emotions and heart would be safe once again. "Good. Work."
Still dodging eye contact, he grabbed his keys. "You can use the SUV today if you want. I'll take the truck."
"All right."
She doubted he heard her words, since he bolted out of the kitchen so fast.
And men complain that women are moody.
Evan was like two different men. Jerk and jerkier. She smiled at her own joke. As long as she amused herself, what did the rest of her life matter?
Perhaps that was how people descended into insanity. Would that be so bad, living in a fictional world of her own creation, oblivious to the nightmare reality her life had become? She believed she was a sexy movie star who made thirty million dollars per movie, and who married a rugged cowboy with two days of stubble who had just come back from two days of riding non-stop to rescue an orphaned baby from the jaws of death at the hands of his evil brother.
Phew. What a fantasy.
She was going to have to sit down for this one.
Blasted Harper woman was going to be the death of him. "Hi, Bertie."
His admin said something to him as he stormed by her, but he didn't hear her. How could he? He was too busy recounting all the reasons why Josie was evil incarnate. And her family. Not to mention her killer cat.
He dropped his briefcase on the floor, parked himself on his chair, took one glance at his computer screen, then spun the chair so he could look out over the Boston skyline. "She really isn't my type. And that family is crazy." Who played whiffle ball until dark on a weeknight? He'd actually managed to convince himself that he was enjoying himself, that he belonged to a family for the first time in his life.
Until he woke up this morning in his same bed, in his same empty house, with a missing brother. He didn't even have any plants, for crying out loud. And it had never bothered him like it had this morning.
And it was because Josie was evil incarnate.
Obviously, that was the only explanation.
The door slammed open, startling him back to the present. Bertie was in his door, hands on hips, chin raised, eyes flashing.
He was definitely in trouble. Birthday? Anniversary? One of her kid's birthdays? What had he forgotten?
"How dare you march by me and ignore my polite inquiry into how your evening was?"
"That's it? I thought I'd forgotten your birthday?"
"What do you mean, 'that's it?' Haven't you learned anything I taught you? When someone from your professional circles address you, you always respond. Always. Even if it's me. I have a lot of control over your professional life, you know. I could royally interfere with a lot of things."
Evan grinned at the threat he'd heard before. Bertie would never mess with him. But she was right. "Fine. I apologize. I'm a little distracted this morning."
"Her? Is it her?"
"Who?" He stalled while Bertie ensconced herself in his client chair.
She rolled her eyes even as she crossed her ankles. "I had to rearrange six meetings to get you out of here at five o'clock yesterday. What more do I need to hear? You went out with her and I want to hear about it."
There was no avoiding her. "It was nothing. I went to her family dinner to get them off her back, and she's going to dinner with Dr. Black and me this weekend to see if she can connect with him. A business trade."
Bertie widened her eyes. "You trust her with Dr. Black?"
"She can't do worse than I've done."
"Huh." She leaned forward. "So tell me about dinner."
Evan obligingly ran through a quick description of the evening, which stretched into a twenty-minute monologue before he realized it. By the time he finished, Bertie was nodding sagely. "So, her family so
unds like a treat."
He scowled. "They're okay."
"Just like the family you've always wanted."
"No." Josie's family wasn't his and they never would be. Sure, being around them underscored the lack of family in his own life, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. Someday he'd find someone, and he'd get married and have a kid or two. It wouldn't be like Josie's family, but it would be more than he had now. "Just because her family's pretty good doesn't mean anything. I'm not interested in her and she hates me. So get that look off your face."
Bertie blinked innocently. "My, my, aren't we grouchy this morning?"
"Women. You all accuse me of being in a bad mood just because I'm not skipping through the halls singing some pop tune."
"Josie noticed too, huh?"
"I don't know."
"Is she the reason you're being so annoying?"
He glared at Bertie. "Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Because I want to know, obviously. Why else would I ask?" She leaned forward in the chair. "Did you kiss her last night? And now you're upset because you like her and her family? Why be upset? Embrace it. It's about time you found a woman. And if she comes with a big family, all the better! You could start filling up those rooms at your house with her family until she starts pumping out all those kids you want."
"Stop it!" He snapped so fiercely that even unflappable Bertie looked startled.
But only for an instant, after a while she recovered nicely. "Why does it bug you for me to speak the truth?"
He scowled at her. "She belongs to Buddy."
Bertie laughed, so hard she actually snorted. So hard she couldn't even apologize for being so unladylike.
"I fail to see what's so funny."
"You!"
At least that's what he thought she said. Kinda hard to tell between the guffaws. "Bertie!"
She waved her hand, pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blotted her eyes. "I'm sorry, Evan. You know I love you. It's just that this martyr thing is really going too far."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sacrificing your future with a woman because you think Buddy liked her at one point. It's not heroic. It's just plain stupid. He wouldn't save you from death if he had five dollars to gain from you dying, and you're willing to give up this woman because you think he liked her? Grow up, Evan."
Paws Up for Love Page 12
