Page 62 of So That Happened
She smiled, and a satisfied warmth spread through him. ‘I’m glad.’
‘Kudos to you, by the way, for getting through my thick skull. I didn’t realise how much you’d influenced me until I was picking up the phone and talking to Abi.’
She grinned. ‘So the drip-drip approach worked.’
‘Yeah, smarty-pants. You got me.’
‘Well, you never would have made that decision if I’d nagged you to do it. You’re too damn stubborn.’ She slapped him gently on the arm. ‘Control freak.’
‘Workaholic!’
‘Dromomaniac!’
He gave her a puzzled frown.
‘It means you have a mania for travel.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not so maniacal about it now. Not when I have such a good reason to stay put,’ he said, dropping his mouth to hers and savouring the sweetly familiar softness of her lips.
* * *
There was a commotion at the entrance to the bar and Josie reluctantly pulled away from the kiss to see a large group of people walking in, with Maddie at its epicentre.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ she said, not wanting to have to introduce Connor to her family tonight. Nor her family to Connor, for that matter. Not until she’d had time to get her head around everything. And she really didn’t want this moment to be overshadowed by her sister’s overwhelming presence.
‘Why don’t you want me to meet Maddie?’
She sighed. How could she have thought Connor wouldn’t call her on it?
There was no point in lying – not after she’d resolved to stop hiding from her fears.
‘Because I’m afraid that when you look at me afterwards all you’ll see is a watered-down version of her.’
He frowned. ‘You think I’m going to drop you and run off with your sister?’
She shrugged. ‘It’s happened in the past.’
He barely had time to flash her a look of concern before Maddie caught sight of them both and swept gracefully over, her eyes zeroing in on Connor as if he were a magnet and she were a beautiful, beguiling, sister-surpassing iron missile.
‘Josie, who’s this? I didn’t know you were bringing a date tonight.’
Josie’s shoulders drooped, despite her determination not to let her sister’s overwhelming presence intrude on her newfound and apparently rather shaky confidence. ‘This is Connor. Connor – my sister, Maddie.’
Maddie gave him one of the devastating smiles that had made her such a hit with the TV-viewing public and Josie’s stomach crashed to the ground. Please, please don’t let Maddie make a play for him. Not tonight. Not when things are so fresh and raw and precariously balanced.
Connor gave her a steady smile. ‘I just want to tell you what a huge fan I am.’
Maddie’s grin widened, then faltered as he put his arm around Josie’s shoulder.
‘Of your sister,’ he said, drawing Josie close to his body. ‘She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and you should be proud to have her as part of your family.’
Maddie opened and shut her mouth in surprise, before pulling herself together – ever the consummate professional. ‘I am.’
Josie could barely stop herself from laughing. Her sister’s face was a picture. She’d never seen her so rattled.
Maddie stepped forward, blocking Connor with her back and leaning in to Josie as if giving her a sisterly hug.
‘My God, he’s a bit bloody gorgeous. Where have you been hiding him?’ she whispered against her ear.
