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Angelica turned and caught her breath. It was Max Parrish. There was no mistaking that thick, dark curly hair, those bright blue eyes and the formidable jawline. His mouth was full and though his lips were curled in a genial smile she knew that he wasn’t all laid-back and easygoing.
“We did,” Angelica said. “This is Cosima Rossi and I’m Angelica Rossi.”
“Have we met? The name sounds familiar,” Max said.
Angelica felt overheated again. She was never ever wearing this suit in the future. Never again. She forced a firm smile to her lips and tried to remember what Cosima had told her to say, but once she met Max Parrish’s bright blue gaze, her mind went blank.
“We haven’t sadly,” Cosima said with a big smile. “But we are friends with Logan Calloway and he suggested we come to your party.”
“Any friend of Logan’s is a friend of mine,” he said. “Are you Texans or from California?”
“We’re actually both. Cosima and I are cousins. Her branch of the family has a vineyard in the Napa area and my branch runs a profitable import/export business. We relocated from New Orleans to Whiskey River last year,” Angelica said.
“I think I do know the Rossi name. Is Nico related to you?” he asked.
Angelica felt better talking about Nico than their supposed friendship with Logan. “He’s my brother.”
“I like him,” Max said. “Is he here?”
“Not tonight. He’s still in New York for another week.”
Angelica took a deep breath. Before this progressed much further, she should mention the community center they wanted him to invest in. But she couldn’t think of how to bring it up.
“We’re here hoping you’ll back a miracle for The Barrels and the creative kids who don’t get much opportunity,” Cosima said.
“Have you sent me a proposal?” Max asked.
“Not yet. We wanted to meet you first,” Angelica said. Which was the truth. She was afraid once he saw her name on paper and started to look her up the answer would be no.
“Max, introduce me to your friends.”
“Ladies, this is Reg Harden—one of my business partners. Reg, this is Cosima and Angelica Rossi.”
Reg took her hand and kissed the back of it before turning to Cosima to do the same. Reg must be R.T., Angelica thought. He was charming but looked like a paler version of Max. With his slicked-back hair and his festive holiday tie he seemed…well lighter than Max. His smile was easy.
“So lovely to meet you both,” he said.
The jazz trio started to play ‘The Most Wonderful Time of Year’ and some couples started to dance. “Would you like to dance?”
Angelica shook her head. But Cosima smiled. “I’d love to. And when we come back perhaps Ange and I can tell you about our idea.”
“Sounds good to me,” Max said.
Reg and Cosima drifted away to start dancing and she turned to Max. He was watching her with an intensity that made her feel hot but not in that sweaty-I’m-about-to-get-busted way that she had earlier. He made her remember that she was a woman and that she used to flirt and have fun and be open.
“So how do you two know Logan?” he asked.
She had been mid sip of her champagne and it went down wrong and she started coughing. He patted her lightly on the back.
“Are you okay?”
“I am,” she said, blinking a few times to clear her watering eyes as Max took her glass and put it on the tray of another waiter.
“So Logan?”
“Uh, well, you see…we don’t actually know Logan at all. He and Nico are friends and we thought…well…that you might not mind if we came,” she said at last.
“Yes. Why are you here instead of sending me a proposal?” he asked bluntly.
