Page 74 of Moonlit Colorado

After Dane leftto go to the bathroom, his brother got up with a determined expression and followed. Which seemed like a bad sign.

Then Bristol came and sat right next to me in Dane’s seat, and I knew for sure that was a bad sign. Everyone else at the table was already mingling or over at the bar except for her, me, and Ainsley.

“Dane seems smitten with you,” Bristol said. “It’s so cute. You’re not his usual type though.”

Really? We’re doing this?You would’ve thought the bride would have better things to do on the eve of her wedding.

I returned her smile with an equally sardonic one. “I like him too.”

“I would assume so. Dane has that magic touch when it comes to women. Isn’t that right, Ainsley?” She looked over at her sister across the table. “You and Dane had a thing too.”

Ainsley picked up her glass of red wine and sipped it instead of answering.

Then Bristol looked over at me, pretending to be shocked. “Oops. You probably didn’t know that.”

Annoyance started to build, inching up my throat. But I kept my tone civil. “I did. Dane told me.” I dipped my spoon into my dessert.

She was getting to me, and I hated it.

“Did he tell you that his father wants him and Ainsley to get back together?”

“Bristol, stop,” Ainsley said. “Don’t be a bitch.”

She gasped. “Such harsh language. Grace is going to get a bad impression of us.”

“Don’t be fooled by the glasses and small-town accent,” I said evenly. “I have claws.” I waggled my pink fingernails at her to emphasize the point.

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

“Just letting you know. If you think this small-town girl doesn’t have a hell of a lot of fight in her, you would be wrong. And trust me, I’m not afraid to fight dirty, either.” I smiled and took another bite of chocolatey cake. “But I’d much rather be sweet.”

Bristol dropped her sugary veneer altogether. “You’re very impressed with yourself for someone who will be gone in a week. Dane will get tired of you in no time. And then you’ll be back to nowheresville where you belong.” She got up and strode away, smile already back in place as she went to greet the occupants of another table.

Then I glanced over at Ainsley and found her lifting her glass toward me. “I should apologize for my sister. But if she wasn’t so awful, I would’ve missed your comebacks. Seriously entertaining.”

“At leastsomeonewas laughing.” I was trying not to be jealous of this girl, given her history with Dane. I had no right to be. But I still didn’t like the thought of her touching him.

Maybe I was a bit more attached to him than I’d wanted to admit.

Earlier he’d mentioned us visiting New York again, but had that just been a throwaway comment? Did I want it to mean something more?

“My sister was right about one thing though. Dane really likes you. He never acts this way about a woman, not that I’ve seen.”

I took another careful bite of dessert. “Sounds like you know him pretty well.”

“I used to. But please retract those claws, because I promise I’m no threat.”

I raised my eyebrows at her.

Like Bristol, Ainsley had jet-black hair, but her features were less angular than her sister’s. Her eyes were kind instead of cruel. She got up and rounded the table, coming to sit beside me so she could lower her voice. “Dane and I were friends back in high school. And more than that for a while, but it was nothing. That was practically a million years ago. Our fathers might have other ideas about setting us up, but… How can I put this? Dane’s really not my type.”

“But he has such a magic touch with the ladies.”

I was glad when she laughed. “Maybe. But I prefer men who let me take the lead. Dane is way too bossy for me.”

Now, I was the one who laughed. “He’s definitely bossy. Luckily, I don’t mind it.” In fact, I enjoyed Dane’s bossiness. That man knew how to push all my buttons. In the good way.

“Then it sounds like a match. Which is obvious to everyone else in the room when they see the way he looks at you. That’s why Bristol feels threatened.”

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