“You okay with that?”
“Still deciding.”
“Well, she’s gorgeous and she’s here. Seems like if you tell yourself from the get-go that it’s temporary, you could have some fun. She certainly was into you.”
A wave of heat brought back the tension he’d sloughed off. “Even if she is, I’m not sure of the logistics. This is a family-focused weekend.”
“During the day. But at night? You have your own house. She likely has a hotel room. Not exactly a big hurdle.”
He had a good point.
“For what it’s worth, if she’s willing, I think you’d be crazy to pass up the opportunity.”
He let out a breath. “Just have some fun, huh?”
Monty shrugged. “Why not? You’ve been working really hard and right now you have a rare break and some free time. Why not take advantage of the opportunity?”
Chapter Four
Heading off to the Raccoon with the Bridger matriarchs and Luis’s sisters without having a private moment to talk to Luis first hadn’t been Jordan’s plan. However, it might work out well. She could learn a lot about Luis’s current situation from his family.
While she chatted with everyone about the parade and the festivities yet to come, she processed her recent encounter with the man who could arouse her with a single glance. Still.
Clearly he was affected by her, too. But he hadn’t said a word to his family about her, which indicated he wasn’t certain where they stood. Neither was she, exactly. He also didn’t seem any more prepared than she was to handle the heat they generated.
At twenty-three she’d welcomed their spontaneous affair, a three-day adventure with no backstory and no future. Well, they had a backstory now. Her arrival in town had put a fine point on that.
They needed a private discussion so she could find out if they were still on the same page.
Taking a deep breath, she filed into the Raccoon with the Bridger women and the handful of out-of-town supporters, mostly women.
The staff had pushed several tables together and laid out munchies. Mila took one end, Claudette and Raquel took the other and Jordan opted for a spot midway down the table.
“Is this seat taken?” Luis’s Aunt Kat, or Kat as she’d introduced herself when they’d met, appeared to her left, still in costume but minus her torch.
“Sure isn’t. I’d love to have you sit there.”
“Thank you.” She slid gracefully onto the wooden chair and adjusted her drape. “This outfit is more comfortable and practical than I expected.”
“It’s gorgeous.”
“She just wore it to drive Eli crazy.” Ezzie took the seat on her other side.
She’d heard that name before. “Is he a member of the Polar Bear Club?”
“He’s the head of it.”
Kat let out a gusty sigh. “To think I campaigned to become a member of that motley crew. Their entry was a rolling nightmare. Curdled my eyeballs. Those old boys wouldn’t know class if it bit ’em on the tuchus.”
“Well, they made me laugh.” Luis’s Grandma Doris took the seat across from Kat. “Pretending to be drunk on non-alcoholic beer and wine.”
“Was it non-alcoholic?” Carmen joined them, grabbing the vacant seat beside Doris. “I couldn’t tell.”
“Oh, yeah.” Doris adjusted her ruffled cap. “Betty wasn’t gonna let ’em have the real thing. Not on her watch.” She leaned toward Jordan. “Betty’s on the town council and she’s been the parade marshal since God was a child.”
“She clearly knows her stuff. I loved that parade.” What a kick to be surrounded by the Dazzling Damsels.
As the waitstaff circulated taking drink orders and the discussion of the parade continued, her anxiety about Luis faded into the background. She sipped her coffee and enjoyed a brownie.
