“Let’s not. You look great.”
“You, too.”
He glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, there, friend. I’ll take a wild guess you’re the one she wants me to meet.”
“I am.” Luis stepped forward and offered his hand. “Luis Bridger.”
“Cole Sterling.”
She moved to one side as the two men eyed each other.
Cole nudged back his Stetson. “In case you can’t tell, my sister is fudging important to me.”
With a deadpan expression, Luis pushed on the brim of his hat with his forefinger. “She’s fudging important to me, too.”
Cole stared at him, and then he started laughing. “She told you.”
“She did.”
“Hell’s bells, Jordie! What else did you tell him about me?”
“That was it. Seemed like it was your profile in a nutshell.”
“Guess that’s about right.” He studied Luis. “How long have you known my sister?”
“Technically five years.”
“Five years?” He looked at her. “How come I’ve never heard about him?”
“We met at a clinic five years ago. Then we lost touch until I decided to come to Mustang Valley for the weekend and we… reconnected.”
He held her gaze. “I see. Lucky my shotgun’s in the backseat of my truck.”
Luis snorted. “You’ll have to point it at her. She refuses to make an honest man of me.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. She’s always been tough to pin down.” He turned to her. “So what’s wrong with this guy, Jordie? Snores too loud? Won’t pick up his socks? Leaves the toilet seat up?”
“It’s way worse than that. He’s delusional.”
“Is that true, Bridger?”
“You be the judge. She insists we wouldn’t make it for the long haul because she’s impossible to live with. But she has yet to prove it, so I’m calling bullshit.”
“Hm. This sounds like a discussion the three of us should be having over a beer after this event is over.”
“I’m game. Jordan?”
“I’m thinking.” She hadn’t known what to expect from this meeting of her brother and Luis, but instant friendship between the two men had never occurred to her.
It should have. She’d naturally be attracted to someone who shared characteristics with Cole. And at this point she felt outnumbered.
But there was a solution. “I’m up for that on one condition. I get to invite Mila.”
“Mila. That name sounds familiar.”
“She and her sister Claudette head up Hearts & Hooves. She knows Luis and she understands where I’m coming from.”
Her brother nodded. “Sounds good. Now let’s go check out this book signing.”
