A basket of warm homemade chips landed on the table almost immediately, still glistening with oil and dusted with salt, beside smoky salsa and bright green guacamole that looked like someone had mashed the avocados minutes earlier.
She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she popped a chip with guacamole into her mouth and nearly groaned with pleasure. "Oh, wow."
"That good?" Jax asked, grabbing a chip.
"Better than good—fantastic. I think I hit another home run."
"Don't get cocky. We haven't even ordered yet."
"I've always thought that chips and salsa are a powerful indicator of how good the meal is going to be at a Mexican restaurant." She perused her menu, torn between several options. "What are you going to get?"
"The steak fajitas. How about you?"
"I was thinking enchiladas, but maybe I'll go for the chicken fajitas," she said as a waiter delivered a sizzling platter of fajitas to the table next to them. "That smells delicious."
After making sure the next table had everything they needed, the server turned to them, and they put in their order for steak and chicken fajitas. Jax suggested margaritas, and after dealing with her irate father, she couldn't say no to that.
As the server left, she sat back in her chair. "I feel like I can breathe again."
"Good. For what it's worth, I think your dad is being well taken care of, and everything that needs to be done is being done."
"I agree, but it's nice to hear that from someone else. I really appreciate you coming with me today. I'm sure it's not what you had in mind."
"I was happy to do it."
"You didn't look happy when you were talking to Ben," she commented, pausing as the server set down their margaritas. Then she added, "What did he say to you?"
"First, let's have a toast."
"To what?" she asked, picking up her glass.
"To a crisis averted and what looks to be a great lunch coming our way."
She clinked her glass to his. "I will drink to that. But I'd probably drink to anything right now."
"Well, I'm driving, so have at it."
She took a sip of her tart, cold drink. "This is good. Just what I needed. But let's get back to what you and Ben were talking about."
"He said he looked me up because he was wondering about our relationship. He didn't find anything on Jax Ridley, but while he was on the Internet, he saw a photo of you and me and figured it all out."
"I'm surprised he didn't say anything to me. I'm also annoyed he stuck his nose in my business."
"Seems to be a family trait. I wouldn't hold it against him. He has your best interests at heart."
"Did he tell you to stay away from me? Because that is not going to fly with me."
"He just asked me if you knew who I was, and I said you did. And then he said something about not hurting you, or I'd be sorry."
"Oh, my God! I can't believe he played that big brother card."
"It really wasn't that big of a deal. Frankly, if I had a sister and she was dating a guy with my reputation, I'd say the same thing. And I'd tell her to run away."
"You've already told me that. I make my own decisions." She took another sip of her margarita, then said, "There's someone else I wanted to talk to you about. The guy who was at your apartment yesterday. Who is he?"
"Clay is my former agent. He took Wren and me on when we were just starting out. He was also just starting his career in his father's agency. We all kind of grew up together and made some money together."
"And now you're not making money, and he wants what?"
