Page 17 of Love in Bloom

He pictured Wren with her chin-length, possibly red hair, thin frame, and stubborn mouth.Sir! Yes, sir!sounded an immediate salute from below. Miller shook his head and sat down at his desk. Based on his track record, he shouldn’t be attracted to Wren, and yet he was. Attracted to a prickly flower who didn’t want him.

And Wren had turned him down. No woman had ever done that until now. As he opened his email, he wondered why her mouth had said no when her body language had said yes. During the deposition, he’d caught her looking at him more than once when she thought he was otherwise engaged. She had leaned toward him when she wasn’t fighting him. He was sure she was interested because he’d seen delight on her face. So why was she denying it, and what was he going to do to overcome it? He loved a challenge. He’d think of something. He always did.

Thursday, 7:32 PM

Jackson: Parker just bailed. It’s just you and me for Saturday.

Miller: No females?

Jackson: Nope. Finding music for the wedding is my job.

Miller: Really?

Jackson: Yes.

Miller: Music is important. Invite Emily. Proxy MOH should come too.

Jackson: OK. I’ll check.

Friday, 1:15 PM

Jackson: Em and Wren both on board. Leaving my house tomorrow at 6:15. Don’t be late.

Miller: I’m never late. Not picking me up?

Jackson: I’m 3 doors down. Walk.

Miller: You’re a lousy date. Does Emily know this?

Jackson: Too late now. She’s committed.

Miller: She should be.

Jackson: Says the loveless single man.

Loveless single man. Miller had been turning over Jackson’s supposed insult in his head for the last day. After viewing it from every possible angle, he still couldn’t muster the energy to be upset by it. He was fine with being a loveless single man. In fact, he was great with it. He didn’t have the energy for a relationship or any interest in one.

And the timing was off. Way off. Once he made partner at AAS and proved to everyone he wasn’t his legacy, then the timing would be right to find Mrs. Right. But for now, all he wanted was casual. Something easy like dinner and a movie, not I-want-to-bring-you-home-to-meet-my-mom.

Happy being single, he reminded himself as Wren slid into the car. She wore figure-hugging distressed jeans with a thin, dark-colored cable-knit sweater. Perfect attire for a night of surveillance and blending into the background. “Hi, Emily. Hi, Jackson. Thanks for picking me up,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt. “Counselor.”

“I thought we were done with that,” Miller grumbled. Dusk was falling so he couldn’t get a clear read on Wren’s face to see if she was serious or joking.

“Yeah, why do you keep calling him that?” Emily asked from the safety of the front seat.

“The deal was I could call him Counselor until I was done with the subpoena and deposition—”

“And now that she is, she’s supposed to call me Miller because we’re friends.” He leaned against the door, challenging her to disagree.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She hesitated. “Acquaintances, maybe.” He heard the doubt in her voice. Miller turned to face the front of the car.

“So, Jackson, what’s the plan?”

“I’m hoping to hit two live bands and two DJs. The first band is playing at the Edina Country Club, then we’ll see a DJ at a Bloomington Elk’s Club. There’s another DJ at the Landmark Center, and the last band is at the St. Paul Hotel.”

“Sounds pretty ambitious,” Emily said. “It will take at least an hour to get to the country club.”

“I think it’s doable. They’ve already been pre-screened and the Landmark Center and St. Paul Hotel are practically next door to each other, so it should work.”

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