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“Yep?”
“Isn’t that…?”
Following his sister’s gaze toward the door, he froze, his mug halfway to his mouth.
“Hey,” Iris said. “Is that Kendall? What is she doing here?”
Tag didn’t answer because Kendall had already spotted him and was moving toward the table.
“Kendall, hi!” Shay rose from her seat and greeted his ex with a hug. They had gotten along well, undoubtedly the attorney connection between Jonah and Kendall providing common ground.
Ever polite, the rest of his family, sans Iris, chimed in with greetings, even though none of them had been impressed with the way Kendall had ended things. Iris glared openly at Kendall.
Tag stood. Iris joined him. Kendall moved closer. Iris and Shay were flanking him.
Kendall reached out and touched his forearm. “Hey, handsome. Are you surprised? I told you I’d see you soon.”
“Hello, Kendall. Yes, very surprised. I’d assumed you meant the next time I was in Juneau.”
“Lucky us, we didn’t have to wait that long.” She curled the fingers of one hand around his biceps. “Right?”
He wished she’d stop touching him. Most of the table, and at least half the restaurant, now appeared more interested in them than the game. Stepping back, out of her reach, he crossed his arms casually over his chest. “What brings you to town?”
“I had a meeting with a client here so I thought I’d stop in and see how you’re doing.”
“You have a client in Rankins who can afford for you to make a legal house call?” Iris asked, doubt coloring her tone.
Kendall shifted a speculative gaze toward Iris. Tone dripping with warmth, she said, “Iris, right? Tag’s little sister? The self-described misfit who hasn’t been home in ages? I don’t think we’ve ever met.”
“Yes, that’s me. And you’re Kendall, the ‘best-dressed attorney’ in all of Juneau who cheated on my brother and made him feel like it was his fault.”
Kendall gave her a condescending smile. “Spoken like a devoted baby sister.”
Tag knew Kendall hated that “best dressed” distinction, given to her by the Juneau Jester, a hip, wildly popular lifestyle blog known for its scathing assessment of the city’s social elite. How in the world Iris had known this would get to Kendall, he had no clue. But he had to give his sister credit for pulling this card.
Despite Kendall’s smile, which never wavered, her eyes were firing bullets. “You have to spend all your hard-earned money on something, right? What are you doing for work these days, Iris?”
Iris’s eyes were shooting laser beams. Tag realized he’d made a mistake in telling Kendall that Iris was working for him temporarily while she looked for a job. But Iris was answering his phone, and how was he to know these two would get along like a pair of cranky cats? He decided they could both learn a thing or two from Ally about keeping their emotions at bay.
Thankfully, Bering chose that moment to join them, greeting Kendall with a handshake and a “Nice to see you again.”
“You, too, Bering.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
Shifting into soft and gentle Kendall, she said, “Yes, Bering, I hope so.” Then she focused on Tag. “Tag, my parents are here with me, and we were hoping you might be able to join us? Mom would really like to talk to you. She has some ideas about the campaign.”
The woman knew how to get what she wanted; he’d give her that. It was about the only thing she could have said that would have torn him away. Across the room, near the door, he saw Sally and Tom Meade visiting with the hostess. It was all he could do not to groan out loud. Maura’s words of warning came to him about never alienating a possible donor. He glanced at Bering, whose enthusiastic expression made the decision a no-brainer, as painful as it would be for him.
“Sure. Of course. I’d love to see your parents.”
“He’ll meet you at your table,” Iris told her in a dismissive tone. “As his personal assistant and unofficial campaign manager, I need to have a word with him first.”
“You know, my first job was working for family, too. Nepotism isn’t so bad when you’re desperate, is it, Iris?”
