A Conflict of Interest

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They took the staircase leading to the equipment lockers.

“I’m single and she’s single. She can bang half of D.C. while I’m gone for all I care.”

“I take it she’s not ‘the one.’”

“It’s way too soon to tell.”

Max couldn’t help but grin at that as they entered the cavernous, warehouselike building. “Trust me, Jake. If she was the one, you’d kill any guy who looked sideways at her, never mind slept with her.”

“You’re an expert?” Jake scoffed.

“I know that much.”

Max wasn’t even Cara’s boyfriend and he had a hard time thinking about her with any other guy. Technically, the two of them were single. But that was only a technicality, based on current circumstances. It didn’t mean he’d look twice at another woman.

They stowed their boards and gear, changed out of the snowboard boots and headed for the Alpine Grill on the street out front. Max was still pondering his and Cara’s single status when the waitress brought them each a mug of red ale from a local microbrewery.

He and Jake had taken seats on the lounge side of the rustic, hewn-beam restaurant, which was adults only. But the shrieks and cries of children came through the doorway from the restaurant. Then a group of people burst into a rollicking rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Evidently, someone named Amy had reached a milestone.

“Shall I mention that it’s your birthday?” asked Jake.

“Now that would be a treat,” Max returned dryly.

He took a drink of the foamy beer. He’d turned thirty today. Some people thought of it as a milestone. Max didn’t see it that way. He’d been twenty-nine and three hundred and sixty-four days yesterday. Thirty was only twenty-four hours older. He really didn’t get the big deal.

Jake craned his neck. “Good grief, they gave those little kids sparklers.”

Max turned to look.

When he did, it wasn’t the potential fire hazard that caught his eye. It was Cara. She was standing in the restaurant foyer, looking adorable in a waist-length, puffy, turquoise jacket, a pair of snug blue jeans and set of ankle-high black books. Her cheeks were bright red, her lips were shiny and her blue eyes were as striking as ever.

Max’s chest went tight. He scraped back his chair and rose from the table.

“Nobody’s on fire,” Jake pointed out. “Yet.”

Max didn’t respond. His attention was locked on Cara as he instinctively wound his way through the other tables. The shrieks of the children, the smell of grilling beef, the rainbow of ski clothing disappeared from his perception.

“Hello, Cara.” He offered her a friendly smile.

In response, her eyes went round with obvious shock and her jaw dropped open a notch. “Max,” she managed. “You’re in Fields.”

“I’m in Fields,” he returned.

She gave her head a little shake, as if she was trying to wake herself from a dream. But Max wasn’t going anywhere.

The hostess appeared in front of them. “For two?” the young woman asked, glancing from Cara to Max.

“Just one,” said Cara.

“Join us,” said Max. “Jake is here,” he quickly finished, so she wouldn’t think it would look like a date.

Cara had met Jake a couple of times over the past few months. As far as Jake was concerned, Cara was an acquaintance of Max’s, no different than hundreds of other people on the periphery of his life as a news reporter.

Cara hesitated while the woman waited, her bright, welcoming smile flickering with confusion.

Cara glanced to Jake, then obviously concluded refusing his offer would garner more curiosity than accepting it would.

“Sure,” she said to Max. “Why not?”

Max thanked the hostess, then guided Cara to their table.

When they got there, Max introduced her. “You remember Cara Cranshaw.”

Jake got to his feet. His smile was warm and his eyes alight as he shook Cara’s hand. “It’s very nice to see you again.”

Max instantly realized his mistake. Jake and Cara were both single. Sure, Jake was in the news business like Max. But a cameraman was quite a few steps removed from the people who actually researched and crafted the stories. He’d be a much safer choice for Cara.

And Jake certainly seemed to appeal to women. He was tall, physically fit, square-chinned and gray-eyed, with a devil-may-care attitude that got him a steady string of offers from women all around the world.

“Cara doesn’t date newsmen,” Max announced.

Cara shot him an appalled expression.

But Jake laughed easily. “I’m sure she can make an exception in this case.”

This time she blanched, gripping the back of her chair. And Max realized she’d drawn the conclusion Jake knew about their relationship.

“Jake means for him,” Max pointed out.

“What do you say?” Jake asked her easily. “My girlfriend just dumped me. I’m wounded and terribly lonely.”

Cara seemed to recover from her shock very quickly. She smoothly took her seat and unfolded the burgundy cloth napkin in front of her.

Then she looked to Jake. “I’m afraid I don’t go on pity dates.”

Jake clutched at his chest as if he’d been stabbed.

“Better for you to stay away from the ones with brains, anyway,” Max said to Jake.

“Aren’t you cynical,” Cara chided Max.

“Because I don’t think Jake can get a date with a woman whose IQ is over one hundred?”

“Because you seem to think there’s a critical mass of low-intelligence women for him to choose from.”

“Ouch,” said Jake.

“I didn’t mean to offend your gender,” said Max.

“Which makes it that much worse,” she said tartly.

“Keep digging, buddy,” said Jake, making shoveling motions with his hands. To Cara, he said. “Can I get you a drink?”

Max cursed himself for being slow on the uptake.

“Thank you,” Cara responded with a sweet smile for Jake. “Ginger ale, please.”

Jake glanced around the crowded pub, obviously checking for their waitress. After a moment, he rose to walk over to the bar himself.

“He’s a gentleman,” said Cara, her tone a rebuke to Max as she smoothed the napkin out in her lap.

“He’s flirting with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Really, Max. Thank you for clearing that up, since, like many women, I’m of low intelligence and wouldn’t have figured it out for myself.”

Max clamped his jaw, fighting the urge to defend himself. Instead, their gazes locked, and an instant rush of desire washed through him as the noise of the crowd ebbed and flowed.

Cara cracked first. “So, what are you doing in Fields?”

“Same thing as you.”

“I doubt that.”

“We’re both here after the story.”

She straightened in her chair. “No. You’re here after the story. I’m here looking for the truth.”

“Don’t get all self-righteous on me. It’s not an attractive quality.”

She leaned in and hissed, “You think I want to be attractive? To you?”

He lowered his voice, matching her posture. “There’s no way for you to help it, sweetheart.”

Jake’s arrival broke the moment. “Your ginger ale, ma’am.”

Cara turned to him and smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

“Pleasure to be of assistance.”

Max snagged his beer mug by the handle, struggling not to gag on the syrupy sweetness. “Give me a break.”

“Did you know it was Max’s birthday?” Jake asked Cara in a hearty, if slightly malicious, voice.

“I did not.” She gave Max an overly sweet smile. “Happy birthday.”