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“It’s a pleasure, Terri.”
Nicole’s beagle dashed up the steps from the yard and Barton bent to pet the eager little animal.
“He seems to like you,” Chelsea said.
“We’ve met before and he probably smells my cat, Spike.”
“You’re a cat person?”
“Spike decided I was going to be,” he replied, “whether I wanted to be or not.”
She laughed.
The large deck was a pleasant spot for a gathering. There was even a well-equipped cooking area at one end, with a chimney to vent the smoke from the built-in barbecue.
Nicole hurried out and started the flame on the gas grill, then came over and greeted him.
“I’ll be back and forth for a while. Help yourself to something to drink,” she invited, gesturing to the refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen.
She disappeared inside again while he collected a bottle of sparkling cider and sat next to Chelsea.
“How did grading the tests and papers go?” Chelsea asked.
“Terrific. I’m pleased with how far my students have progressed this year.”
“Nice to know you didn’t waste all that time on the little beasts, right?” Terri interjected with a sardonic note.
Chelsea cast an uncertain glance at her sister before turning back to him. “I think teaching must be a satisfying job.”
“It is for me.”
The doorbell rang again in the house and Chelsea ran to answer it. A minute later she returned with a tall, imposing man who had the same watchful hardness in his face as Terri. It had to be the brother that Nicole had mentioned.
“This is my neighbor, Barton Smith,” Nicole said, coming out of the kitchen door again. “Barton, this is Jordan Masters. And I’m sure Chelsea has introduced her sister. As you can see, you’re here to help provide balance against the Masters of the Universe.”
Barton grinned at the superhero reference along with Chelsea, though Jordan and Terri barely cracked a smile.
“Don’t mind them, Barton,” Nicole told him, “these two can be too serious for their own good.”
“Are you implying that I don’t have a sense of humor?” Terri demanded.
“Not at all,” Nicole answered. “I just think it struggles to escape at times—at least it did when we were kids.”
Both Terri and Jordan appeared surprised by Nicole’s comment, but she’d said they hadn’t seen each other since childhood and Barton suspected it hadn’t always been a comfortable relationship.
Chelsea sat down once more and Barton thought again about how nice she seemed. Nicole had said he was doing her a favor by coming to dinner, but he was the one who felt as if he’d been given something.
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, Jordan looked at the gathering around the patio table and felt a headache developing, even though the conversation had remained relaxed. Nicole seemed to have things well organized as she set out bowls of food and a platter of shish kebabs fresh off the grill.
He did wonder if she had invited her neighbor with matchmaking in mind, but his sister was unlikely to jump into another romantic entanglement right away. Besides, Nicole might be interested in Barton herself. An unpleasant sensation surged through him at the idea and he was stunned by the desire to tell her neighbor to back off.
Jordan swallowed the feeling even as he stifled a yawn. His eyes were gritty from lack of sleep—cold showers could do that to a guy. Then that morning he’d gotten a text from Chelsea saying that Nicole had invited them all to dinner and she’d see him then. It was the last thing he’d needed.
After reliving the previous evening’s kiss, he wasn’t sure what to think. Nicole had responded—not enthusiastically, but she’d definitely returned the kiss. And she’d kept her cool better than he had, cutting it short and not overreacting.
He ought to be grateful.
Barton Smith leaned toward him. “Nicole says you’re doing a series of magazine articles about the talent agency. I’ve always heard about the importance of being objective in journalism. So what do you do when you’re assigned to cover someone you knew as a kid and you can’t be totally objective?”
With a wickedly amused expression, Nicole turned to him. “Yes, Jordan, tell us how that works.”
