Bed of Roses Page 0,75

if she had any brains," Emma said as Del strolled away. "He'll be bored in thirty minutes or less."

"Depends on what they're doing for thirty minutes."

She laughed up at him. "I suppose it does." She slipped a hand into his to squeeze. "It's a good day, isn't it?"

"I can never figure out how they pull this off."

"They work for weeks, and hire a platoon to help set up the games and activities. And Parker helps coordinate. Speaking of which, I - "

"Who was the guy?"

"The guy? There are a lot of them. Give me some hints."

"The one you were kissing a little while ago."

"Bigger hint."

That crawled into his spleen. "The one who looked like the prince of Denmark."

"The prince of . . . Oh, you must mean Marshall. One of the circumstances why I was so long getting back."

"So I saw."

She cocked her head, and the faintest frown line formed between her eyebrows. "He was late getting here. With his wife and their new baby boy. After he came out to get me, I went in to fuss over the baby for a while. Problem?"

"No." Idiot. "Del was yanking my chain, and I walked into it. And the mixed metaphor. Let's rewind. Speaking of which?"

"We dated a little, a few years ago, Marshall and I. I introduced him to his wife. We did their wedding about eighteen months ago."

"Got it. Apologies."

She smiled a little. "He didn't grab my ass like a certain crazy artist grabbed yours."

"His loss."

"Why don't we mingle, be sociable?"

"Good idea."

"Oh," she said as they started to walk, "speaking of which, I had a thought. Since I have several errands in town tomorrow, if I stayed at your place tonight, I'd be in town. Parker rode in with me, as we both needed to get here early to help, but she can ride back with Laurel. It would save me from going back and forth."

"Stay at my place?"

She lifted her brows, and the eyes under them went cool. "I could bunk on the couch if you don't want company."

"No. I just assumed you'd need to get home after this. You usually start pretty early in the morning."

"Tomorrow I'm starting in town, not quite as early. But if it's a problem - "

"No." He stopped, turning her so they faced each other. "It's fine. It's good. But don't you need some things - for tomorrow?"

"I put some things in my car when I had the thought."

"Then we're set." He leaned down to kiss her.

"Looks like you need another beer."

Then jerked back at her father's voice.

Phillip smiled. Casually, from the looks of it, Jack thought. Unless you were the one who'd just made arrangements to sleep with his daughter.

"Negra Modelo, right?" Phillip offered one.

"Yeah, thanks. Great party, as always."

"My favorite of the year." Phillip laid an arm around Emma's shoulders. Casually, affectionately. Territorially. "We started the tradition the spring Lucia was pregnant with Matthew. Friends, family, children. Now our children are grown and making families of their own."

"You're feeling sentimental," Emma said, and tipping her face up, brushed her lips over his jaw.

"I still see you running on the lawn with your friends, trying so hard to win prizes at ring toss, or to break one of the pinatas. Like your mother, you bring the color and the life."

"Papa."

Phillip shifted his gaze, directly into Jack's. "It's a lucky man who's offered that color and life. And a wise one who values it."

"Papa," she repeated, but in a warning tone now.

"A man only gets so many treasures," he said, and tapped her on the nose with his finger. "I'm going to check the grill. I don't trust your brothers or your uncles for long. Jack," he added with a nod before he walked away.

"Sorry. He can't help it."

"It's okay. Did I sweat through my shirt?"

Laughing, she hooked an arm around Jack's waist. "No. Why don't we go show those kids how to break a pinata?"

L ATER, THEY FLOPPED DOWN ON THE GRASS TO WATCH SOME OF the teenagers in an impromptu game of soccer. Parker joined them, slipping off her sandals, smoothing down the skirt of her sundress.

"Night soccer," Jack commented. "Not your usual."

"Do you play?" Emma asked him.

"Not my game. Give me a bat, a football, a hoop. But I like to watch."

"You like to watch anything where a ball's involved." Mac dropped down beside them, tugged Carter down with her. "Ate much too much. It just kept being there."

"Oh, that's just pitiful," Emma muttered when the ball was intercepted.