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“You aren’t,” Jonas stated.
“Huh? Aren’t what? I’m not following you.” She screwed the lid on the olive jar, avoiding his gaze as she had since he had appeared.
“You aren’t delighted that I’m here now,” he mocked.
“Of course I am,” she lied brightly.
“That’s funny. You don’t look it,” Jonas observed, tipping his head to get a better view of her expression.
“I’m sorry you think that.” Bridget shrugged and picked up the relish tray. As she turned to leave, Jonas moved as if intending to keep her from going. “Would you bring the jello salad from the table when you come? I think we’re just about ready to eat.”
His brooding gray-green eyes studied her seemingly composed features for a disturbing second before he walked to the table. Bridget knew he was right behind her when she left the house.
“Hey, the guest of honor has arrived!” Bob declared when he saw Jonas following her. He lifted his glass of beer in a toast. “Welcome home, Jonas!”
Evidently this was Jonas’s first appearance at the party, Bridget guessed, as the other couples gathered around to greet him. Placing the relish tray with the other food dishes, Bridget walked to the charcoal grills where Evelyn had replaced Bob as the chef.
“Let me hold the platter,” she offered, taking the oblong flat dish that Evelyn was trying to balance while lifting the patties from the grill with a long-handled spatula.
It was surrendered willingly. “Jonas is getting a hero’s welcome, isn’t he?” Evelyn spared a brief glance in the direction of the main group.
“He certainly is!”
The hint of sharpness in Bridget’s voice didn’t go unnoticed. She realized it when she saw the flicker of concern in Evelyn’s eyes.
“You don’t mind about Jonas being here, do you?” she asked. “After Bob asked you and Jim, I wondered if it would bother you. I know it was ages ago, but the two of you broke up so suddenly. None of us ever knew exactly what went wrong. You left so soon after Jonas did.”
“No, I don’t mind,” Bridget was quick to assure her. “And you’re right, it was ages ago. When we were all young and stupid.”
Her hostess grinned. “Speak for yourself!”
The truth was that it seemed like only yesterday. Bridget’s gaze wandered to Jonas, memories rushing back. The first time she’d seen him eleven years ago she thought he looked like a mountain man, tall and rugged, standing an inch over six feet.
Well muscled despite his youth, without an ounce of spare flesh, he already had a wide chest and broad shoulders that tapered to a slim waist and hips. He had an earthy maleness that women noticed—especially one as innocent as she had been.
The years hadn’t made many changes in his appearance, except that he seemed somewhat aloof, without the open warmth in his smile that had melted her teenage heart. He was more sophisticated now—the city had left its mark. But Jonas was still a heartbreaker. Any woman would confirm that.
Watching him, Bridget saw him laugh, the slashed lines deepening around his mouth, his eyes crinkling at the corners. She remembered the potency of that smile. He was quite capable of disarming any female, herself included. Nothing could change that.
“Ah, food!” Jim was standing beside her, sniffing hungrily at the platter of meat. Possessively he curved an arm around her waist. “You and I are going to be first in line to eat.”
Bridget was about to make some idle response when Jonas swung a harsh, narrowed look at her. That was another thing about him that hadn’t changed. His alert gaze never missed anything.
He still possessed an uncanny knack of connecting with her emotionally even when he seemed not to be aware of her. It was disconcerting to learn that this invisible link hadn’t weakened.
More than ever, she knew Jonas still wanted her. But she wasn’t going to fall into that trap a second time. She’d managed to keep him at arm’s length in her shop; she could do it here. Deliberately she beamed an adoring and happy smile at Jim, knowing Jonas would see it and draw his own conclusions. She was sorry if Jim mistook her meaning, but more than ever before she needed him to stay close to her tonight, a shield to ward off trouble.
Jonas could think whatever he wanted. She didn’t have to answer to him either
