Page 45 of Hula Girl

“I can’t believe you haven’t shaken vacation mode yet,” he says. “Okay, I’m going to see if I can find him real quick. Don’t leave. I promise it will be worth it.”

I shake my head, smiling at his dedication to this mission. “Okay, I’ll stay for a little bit.”

I watch him rush away, his head swiveling from side to side as he hunts for his prey in the sea of suits and cocktail dresses. I’m wearing one of my favorite day-to-night dresses for the occasion along with heels. Without the blazer I pair it with for work, my arms are bare and the scoop neck somehow becomes more suggestive. The way it hugs my curves and exposes my legs above the knee has gotten me a few lingering looks. Me being me, I shut down any interest by pulling up my walls and moving on quickly. I have no desire to get involved with another lawyer, not after the disappointment that was Bryce.

Speaking of whom … here he comes, making a beeline for me. I have no choice but to stand still and await him, as I’ve already made accidental eye contact.

“Ava,” he says, his slightly gravelly voice revealing that he’s had a few cocktails already.

He leans in and I give him my cheek to kiss, but at the last second, he plants his lips against mine sloppily. I pull away and wipe at my mouth, glaring at him.

“Oops,” he says.

“Not cute,” I tell him and he shrugs. “Neither was that move you tried with my client while I was away. Good thing my firm had it covered and you didn’t succeed.”

He had tried to approach my client directly, without involving me or my firm. That’s a big no-no and he should know better. Other than pure hubris, I don’t know why he tried it.

“Where were you, anyway?” he asks.

“On vacation.”

He laughs. “No, seriously. Was it that conference in Boston?”

“No, I was actually on vacation. I completely disconnected.”

Eyeing me skeptically for a moment, he finally nods sagely. “Yeah, sure. Okay, if you don’t want to share, I guess I can live with the mystery.”

“You need to recuse yourself from this case,” I tell him, preferring to get back to business. That’s the only relationship we have left, at least in my mind.

“What? Why would I do that?”

“You were only supposed to be temporarily filling in for Polanski when he was out sick. Why are you sticking with this? Just to mess with me?”

He smiles and steps closer to me. “I’d love tomesswith you again, it’s true.”

“Ugh.” I put my hand on his chest and push him back. “Your whiskey breath is not charming.”

“Ah, give me a chance,” he says, reaching out for me.

I step back just as I feel someone else’s hand circle my waist from my right side.

“There you are, honey.”

What I see makes me catch my breath.

It’s Ford.

MyFord.

Only, he doesn’t look the same. His normally tousled hair has been trimmed and is tamed into a neat style. His scruffy face has been cleanly shaven. And his usual board shorts have been replaced by a finely tailored gray suit, light-blue dress shirt, and no tie. He smells the same, though. God, he smells so good. It’s some sort of sandalwood, salty, beachy scent.

Before I can ask what he’s doing here, he offers his hand to Bryce, saying, “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Ava’s fiancé.”

I open my mouth to dispute this surreal notion but stop when I feel Ford’s fingers squeezing my waist.

“Fiancé?” Bryce repeats dubiously. His eyes fall to my left hand. Mybareleft hand.

“The ring is getting sized,” Ford explains smoothly. “We should have it back in no time, shouldn’t we, Ava?”

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