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“No. I forgot about my friends’ birthday party.”
“You have a friend other than my brothers?” she teased, the humor returning to her eyes.
He chuckled. “Yes. Believe it or not, my life does not revolve around just your family.” Thankfully, she didn’t call him out on spending the last three days with her.
“Does your friend live far from here?”
“Actually, he’s on the way to Paradise Ridge.”
“Oh.” Her frown was back. “I know it’s been a long day. If you want to just go to your friend’s, I can get an Uber home.”
“Seriously? You think I’d make you Uber home?” Had she really just said that to him? Even if she didn’t have four over protective older brothers, what kind of man did she think he was?
“Sorry. I was just trying to help.”
Now he felt bad for taking the sparkle from her eyes.
“There’s an easy solution, if you’re up to staying out a little later?”
Her face lit up as she straightened in her seat. “Always.”
“Want to join me at the party?”
“I heard the words bonfire. Will there be s’mores?”
He could not stop himself from cackling out loud. “You can’t possibly still be hungry?”
“I’m always hungry, but I’ll come even if there aren’t any s’mores.”
“Okay, then. One stop for ice and we’re off to a birthday party.” A few minutes ago the idea of heading to a party after such a long day held as much appeal as swimming with crocodiles in the bayou. Now, with Siobhan joining him, a long night sounded just fine.
He was starting to get used to her taking control of the radio, singing and swaying along to whatever tune she found. Even when she lowered the windows and sang loud enough to cause a scene for the cars driving by, all he could do was smile. By the time he pulled onto the double-wide circular drive at John’s house, the long line of cars told him the party was in full swing.
“Hey, Jack.” John slapped his friend on the back.
“John, this is Siobhan Baron.”
His friend shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“You have a lovely home.”
“Thanks.” He turned and waved a poker across the way. “The drinks are on the table, food’s over there, and there are plenty of fixings for s’mores if you’re so inclined. Just go ahead and make yourselves at home, I have to tend to the fire. Excuse me.”
Siobhan looked up at him, the smile on her face as wide as the Rio Grande. “S’mores.”
If all it took to put that huge grin on Siobhan’s face was a little chocolate covered marshmallow with graham crackers, then he would gladly buy a lifetime supply. And didn’t that hold way more appeal than it should have—a lifetime with Siobhan?
Chapter Eight
Across the lawn, large flames darted upward from a lit pile of logs. There were benefits to living outside city limits with no close neighbors. From nearby speakers, music played and Siobhan danced toward the fire much the way she bounced to the tunes in his car.
“Love a woman with rhythm.” His friend Eddie, who had clearly started partying a long while ago, grabbed her hand and spun her around, his feet twisting around in such a way that Jack expected him to fall flat on his face any second.
And if the man didn’t let go of Siobhan sooner than that, Jack just might help Eddie hit the dirt.
For the first time, Jack noticed a sharp similarity in Siobhan with her sisters. The fun-loving, carefree young woman had stiffened ever so slightly. She smiled politely at Eddie. The same plastic smile that Jack had seen on every socialite he’d ever had to spend a fundraising evening with. Siobhan’s simple words of, thank you for the dance, as she backed away reminded him of the same graceful demeanor her older sisters had used when dispatching an unwanted suitor. Not till this very second did he realize there were two sides to Siobhan Baron, and the one he was looking at right now was very much grown up.
“Just one more dance,” Eddie slurred.
