Luke’s next step? Get a read on Rosco. To do that, he’d need to meet him.
He dialed Rosco’s office and left a voice mail. “Hello, this is Luke Dempsey. I’m interested in hiring an attorney to prepare my will and would like to schedule a meeting with Mr. Horton.” He left his number and disconnected.
The party’s start time had come and gone.
See? He wasn’t going. Now he could relax.
Except the fact that he’d missed the start time only intensified the unsettled feeling in his gut. His chest was tight and prickly. He couldn’t shake the sense that he should be at the party.
Finley would be there. With another man.
Who? Who was he? Could her date have gotten close to her because he wanted to try to gain information about the hunt?
His gaze returned to the time. It had been ten minutes since he’d last checked. He’d spent all ten minutes arguing with himself.
He didn’t like the idea of CeCe’s balloons waiting on the driveway for a truck that wasn’t coming—
Who cares?He told her not to buy any stupid balloons. But he was certain she’d gone ahead and bought some anyway.
Which wasn’t his problem.
Yet it bothered him that she’d asked for a favor and he’d left her hanging.
Setting the computer aside, he rose.
Inside his closet, he considered the few items he owned that were formal enough to wear to CeCe’s party.
He didn’t want to go.
He wasn’t going.
With a groan, he raked his fingers through his hair. Then he peeled off his T-shirt and reached for a sweater. He could stomach the party for a short time. Going would give him a chance to come through for CeCe, meet Finley’s date, and keep an eye on the crowd to see if anyone appeared to be watching Finley.
Those were good reasons to go.
He definitely wasn’t going because he was jealous.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Finley swirled her glass, then sipped in the raspberry that had been bobbing around in her fizzy drink. She chewed its squishy sweetness while scanning the packed living room. The party was in full swing—
Her vision collided with Luke.
The sight of him so astonished her that she nearly choked on the raspberry. Conscientiously, she swallowed. What in the world was Luke,herLuke, doing at a party? She would have sworn thatLukeandpartywere mutually exclusive. But here he was.
He must’ve just entered, because he stood near the entrance. Oblivious to her, he was in conversation with Ben. He’d chosen a beautifully cut dark gray sweater and narrow black suit pants. It looked as if he’d used a wide-toothed comb and a little gel on his hair, which gleamed subtly under the lights. She loved the tousled way his hair usually fell. But this more severe style suited his bone structure. He’d never resembled an Italian prince more strongly than he did tonight.
Excitement tingled from the soles of her feet, up the backs of her knees, to the tip of her scalp. She’d been having a very nice time, but now that Luke had arrived, her enjoyment had quadrupled. She felt the way she had when she was in high school and her long-time crush, Benton Nichols, had appeared unexpectedly at her friend Dorrie’s Fourth of July party.
She adjusted her dress—a cream floral design on a backdrop of red. It had fluttery sleeves and a gathered waist that flowed to a short breezy skirt. Holding her glass in one hand, she threaded her way through people toward Luke. She checked to make sure her three gold necklaces hadn’t tangled. They had a little, so she straightened them.
Since the day she and Luke kissed, she’d done a lot of thinking about whether the time had come to try dating again. She’d prayed. Talked about it more with Meadow and Bridget.
God’s will wasn’t always the easiest thing to discern. In this case, it was subtle—a gentle invitation to lay down her shields and regard relationships with an open mind. She’d been shoving even the thought of romance aside for a long time. She needed to quit doing that out of habit. And cautiously put herself back out there.
That much, she’d deduced.
She couldn’t date Luke, but to her chagrin, her body hadn’t gotten the memo. She was more and more drawn to him every day. Lately, when they made eye contact, her senses jumped with electric awareness.
