“Well?” he asked. “Is it better than Lurch’s punch?”

Her eyes lit up. “I thought you didn’t care if I judged you.”

“I don’t, but you have to admit, it would have to be pretty bad to fall below Lurch’s standards.”

She laughed. “It’s better than what I get at Prohibition.” He’d been in town long enough to know that was a Roaring Twenties-style cocktail bar. A popular one. Then she added, “But don’t let it go to your head.”

He put the bottles back in the cabinet, then motioned to the back door. More people had filtered into the yard, and miracle of miracles, the goats were still contained. He’d left Diego in the bedroom, and he suspected Dottie was going to come back to a situation. Still, he’d done as he was told. “I feel like I need to make an appearance out there. Would you mind being my bodyguard?”

She gave him a puzzled look. Then understanding filled her eyes. “Because they’re staffers and you’re Buchanan management?”

He shrugged, not wanting to explain. There was a fine line between getting along with your employees and earning their respect, between being their friend and letting them take advantage of you. He wanted the Buchanan employees to respect him, but he also wanted them to feel comfortable coming to him if they had a problem. Which involved out-of-the-office interaction from time to time. He hadn’t wanted to come tonight, especially since he was literally picking his sister up at the airport tomorrow, after which his life would be devoted to getting her settled in. To making up for all of the things their mother had failed to be. But now…

Thank God he’d come.

“As for a bodyguard,” she said, “it seems like I need you more than you need me.Goose whisperer.”

He grinned. “I was thinking about the goat lady. I need you to be my harridan.”

A saucy grin lit up her face. “Oh, I can do that with one hand tied behind my back.”

An image of Maisie with his silk tie around her wrist sent his blood pooling south at a rapid rate, and he started to conjugateSpanish verbs in his head, a trick he’d learned in high school. It usually served him well, but for some reason it wasn’t working.

Maisie walked out the back door, leaving him to follow.

And he did, like before, only the pull was stronger this time.

At least he had the sense not to reach out and hold her hand or wrap an arm around her back like he was sorely tempted to do. Instead, he kept a small distance between them.

“So what does this mingling entail?” she asked as they passed a few people and stopped a few feet from the food table, which was all but destroyed. Jack hadn’t eaten much at lunch and had skipped dinner. He suddenly realized he was hungry.

“You know, the usual. Small talk.” But that seemed nearly impossible with Maisie next to him, and he’d sooner cut off his foot than walk away from her now.

“So should we approach someone?” she asked. Then her guard went back up. “Unless you think you should talk to them alone.”

“Don’t you dare leave me,” he said, and it took everything in him to keep from reaching out for her hand. “I need you to protect me.”

“From Stella?” She nodded across the yard toward the older woman, who had gotten out yet another canvas and was painting a naked Lurch riding a goat. Thankfully, Lurch was posing with only his shirt off, several feet to her side.

“Obviously,” he said with a grin. “What if she finishes the painting and decides she needs a new model?”

He was about to lead her over to a small group of employees when River and Georgie walked through the back gate, looking happier than ever, if that were possible. He’d seen the spark between them before anyone else, on the night of the will reading. Of course, Adalia and Finn were now running neck and neck for the happiest couple distinction, and while Jack was happy for his sisters, he realized there was a tiny spark ofjealousy too. Some people took him for a loner, but that was more because he’d had to be alone most of his life than because he preferred it that way.

“Say,” Maisie said, “you want to get out of here?”

He glanced down at her in surprise. “You want to get a bite to eat somewhere?”

“No,” she said, her voice husky. “I was thinking my place. I have food…and other things.”

Those words were like music to his ears, but this was dangerous ground.

“Don’t think so hard, Jack,” she whispered. “There’s only one rule: this is just for tonight.” She tilted her head up, her eyes glimmering with mischief and lust, her full lips slightly parted. “Deal?”

She was right. For once, he was going to stop thinking with his head and think with his… “Deal.”

CHAPTER THREE

They about-faced to cut back through the house, acting like bandits. And maybe they were—they were stealing away with Dottie’s clothes, after all. But Dottie was the only person who saw them, and she just caught Maisie’s eye and winked, which was basically like giving her blessing.