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“No more problems lately, I guess, since I haven’t heard from you?”
“I haven’t had a single phone call since the arrest, and just a couple of angry letters, but not the crazy, threatening kind.”
Luke nodded, studying her. “That’s good.”
Jane crossed her legs and bobbed one foot nervously up and down. “Yep.”
He nodded.
Okay, so she owed him an apology. “I’m sorry for the way things ended. It was rude of me to just pretend you were nothing more than my bodyguard, and—”
Their conversation was interrupted by the commotion of the rest of the wedding party arriving in the church lobby. Before Jane could say another word about her lousy behavior, her family came bustling into the sanctuary along with the rest of the wedding party and the minister.
She endured the rehearsal, the entire time confused over her desire to finish her conversation with Luke versus her preconceived plan to approach Bradley tonight. Strange that when she was in the same room with both men, only one of them drew her attention now. And he was the one she already knew she’d be doomed to failure with.
After the rehearsal, everyone drove the short distance to the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner would be held.
Once inside the dining area, Jane was shocked to see seating assignments, with her name card located right next to Luke’s. Of course, everyone would just assume they were still an item. She’d avoided discussing anything about Luke with her family, so they had no idea the sexual frenzy had ended.
Luke, already at his seat, noticed Jane hanging back and narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” he said as he stood up and pulled out a chair for her.
She forced a smile and sat down. “Let’s call a truce, okay? I want to enjoy my sister’s wedding, and I want you to know that I’m truly sorry.”
His expression softened. “Apology accepted.”
Waiters brought shrimp cocktails to the table, and as she ate, Jane scanned the room, taking in the crowd of family and friends that had been invited to the dinner. She realized that there was no one she would have rather been sitting next to than Luke, and she looked over and smiled at him again.
“How’s the new book coming along?” he asked.
“Not good. I guess certain things that I’ve done recently have forced me to reexamine my relationship theories. I may have to do some major revisions.”
Luke’s grin revealed that he knew exactly what she was talking about. “What sort of revisions?”
“Stop looking so pleased with yourself,” she warned, but she couldn’t help laughing. “I was wrong about a few things.”
She popped a shrimp into her mouth, just as she saw her mother heading straight toward them from the other side of the room.
“What’s the matter?” Luke asked.
“My mother,” Jane nodded her head in the direction of Luke’s left shoulder, “approaching at eleven o’clock.”
Luke glanced over at her mother and smiled.
“And how are you two lovebirds doing?” her mother said as she slipped one arm around Luke’s shoulders.
“We’re fine, Mom. But Luke is my former bodyguard, not my boyfriend.”
Her mother gave her a knowing look. “If that’s what you’d like me to believe, fine. I won’t meddle any further.”
“You look lovely tonight, Mrs. Langston.”
“Why, thank you, Luke. I’m surprised I managed to get myself pulled together at all, I’m such a nervous wreck about the wedding tomorrow.”
Jane saw her opportunity to escape, while her mother was still focused on her own worries. “If you two will excuse me—”
“Just a minute, dear. It’s you I need to talk to, actually.” She turned to Luke and flashed her best beauty pageant smile. “If you could just excuse us for a few teeny-tiny moments.”
Luke nodded. “I think I’ll go find a waiter and get this drink refilled.”
When he was out of earshot, Livvy said in hushed tones, “Janie, darling, you really should think about wearing a support undergarment tomorrow.”
“A what?”
“You know, a girdle.”
Jane knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she did anyway. “Why, exactly, should I wear a girdle to my sister’s wedding?”
“I just noticed tonight, in that dress you’re wearing, it’s very obvious that you’re…jiggling a bit.”
An image of strawberry Jell-O popped into Jane’s head. Strawberry Jell-O taking a ride on a hay wagon.
“Um…” She was speechless.
“I thought you’d rather I point it out to you than have someone like that hunky boyfr—ex-bodyguard of yours notice it, if he hasn’t already.”
