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“Yes.” Nina sighed complacently. “My career has taken off since Evan helped me find that new agency.”
“Anything to help,” Evan said suavely. He was trying not to notice Anna and failing miserably. In that silver gown, her exquisite skin was displayed almost too blatantly. Her honey-brown tan made her complexion even prettier and emphasized her big blue eyes. It was an effort to keep away from her.
“The band is very good,” Nina remarked. “Evan, do let’s dance!”
She took his hand and headed for the dance floor without giving him time to speak to Randall or Anna. Not that he would have, anyway, Anna thought. He was giving her a blatant message—hands off. She lifted her cup of punch to her lips with a sigh.
“This punch needs help,” one of the guests remarked, slipping a bottle of whiskey from under his dinner jacket. “Here goes!”
Anna watched him fill the bowl with a wry grin. She knew one of the guests would have hives if he saw that. Evan didn’t like punch, though, so there was little likelihood that he’d imbibe. He hated alcohol. Anna had heard that he actually took a glass of wine back to the kitchen one night when he was having dinner with Justin and Shelby Ballenger.
She mentioned that to Randall after the punch spiker had sampled his handiwork and retired to the dance floor with his partner.
“Yes, I heard about that,” Randall remarked. “Justin and Shelby have three boys now, haven’t they?”
“Yes. They’re neck and neck with Calhoun and Abby.”
“They have two boys and a girl,” he reminded her. “I heard Harden and Evan’s brother Connal mention it at a party I attended a week ago.”
She laughed gently. “Connal insisted that Calhoun and Abby had a daughter just after their second child was born. They don’t. They have a son named Terry, and when Connal heard the name, he assumed they’d gotten the daughter they wanted. He knows better now, of course, but it’s become something of a family joke. Not that anybody mentions it to Calhoun or Abby.”
“Terry is kind of a unisex name,” Randall said.
“It’s short for Terrance, which isn’t,” she corrected. “Imagine that—two brothers and six sons and not a girl in the bunch.” She shook her head.
“What about Shelby’s brother, Tyler?”
“He and his wife can’t have children,” Anna said with quiet regret. “But they’ve adopted five! Nell was very upset, but Tyler involved her in one of those foster parent programs. In no time, she was knee-deep in kids who’d had no real home at all. They said the children are the greatest miracle of their lives.”
“A unique solution,” Randall agreed. “One couple in seven is infertile. It must be difficult, although they seem to have found a way to cope with the loss.”
Anna lowered her eyes to the punch table and thought about never having Evan’s children. Not that she would, because he had Nina. It was sad and sobering.
“I suppose if you love each other, no obstacle is insurmountable,” she said dimly.
“I suppose. Here. Try some of this. It’s rather good.”
He handed her a cup of spiked punch and she sipped it, wincing at the sting of the alcohol on her tongue. The ice fruit ring hadn’t diluted the whiskey very much, and Anna seldom drank.
“That’s strong stuff,” she remarked.
“Only if you aren’t used to it.” He chuckled. “You’re just like Evan about alcohol, aren’t you?”
She averted her face. He obviously had no idea how much that remark hurt her. “I don’t like alcohol,” she said absently.
“Yes, I’ve noticed.”
She didn’t hear the faint mockery in his tone. Her eyes had been drawn against her will to Evan. He was so tall and husky that he dwarfed almost every other man in the room. He had the lovely Nina close in his big arms and he was holding her with casual intimacy. Both her slender arms were looped around his neck; his hands on her waist held her carelessly close. He’d never held Anna like that. Probably he never would.
Her eyes softened and saddened at the sight of him. In evening clothes, he was devastating. His dark tan was emphasized by the white shirt he wore, and the black tie, dinner jacket and slacks made him look taller and very dignified. Just looking at him made Anna feel warm and safe, like coming home. If only he felt that way about her. It would be heaven.
Evan felt her rapt gaze and met it across the room. It was like lightning striking. His body tautened helplessly, and his eyes narrowed. Anna again, he thought angrily, playing with matches. She didn’t know what she was doing. At nineteen she was just beginning to feel her power as a woman, and she was using it blatantly with every man who came close to her. That was all it was, so he’d better remember.
He tore his gaze away and bent to kiss Nina in front of the whole assembly. He did it thoroughly and with fierce need, to banish the sight of Anna’s wounded face.
Nina was breathless when he let her go, and Anna had vanished. At least he’d accomplished that much.
“Want to take me home right now, big man?” Nina asked huskily. “I’m willing.”
But Evan wasn’t. He shook his head. “We’d better not vanish before Polly makes her speech,” he said with forced humor.
Nina sighed. “You still don’t really want me, do you?” she asked quietly. “I can’t get you within a mile of my apartment.”
“We’re friends,” he reminded her, smiling. “Otherwise, why would I be giving your career a helping hand?”
“To make some other woman jealous, I’m beginning to think,” she said candidly, watching his eyelids flinch. “Or to use me as camouflage. Because you certainly don’t want me just for myself. You hardly ever take me out.”
He smiled. “I keep busy.”
“Not that busy, and you don’t go out with many women. That’s right—” she nodded when she saw his puzzled expression “—I still have friends in Jacobsville who keep me up-to-date on who’s seeing whom. You don’t date anyone regularly. The gossip is that Anna Cochran has been seen pursuing you everywhere except up a tree.”
He drew in a heavy breath. “That’s partially true.”
“So that’s why you brought me here. Probably why you kissed me, too.” She smiled lazily. “Okay, lover. If you need protection, here I am. Do your worst. We’ll say it’s for old times’ sake.”
“You’re very generous,” he mused.
“You’ve been that,” she replied seriously. “I’ll help you scrape the kid off, no problem.”
He didn’t like it put that way, as if Anna was a leech. He frowned.
“She’s a babe in the woods, isn’t she?” Nina was saying, her eyes on Anna standing at the punch bowl with Randall. “Is she going to marry the medical student, do you think?”
“How should I know?” he asked irritably. He’d never thought of Randall as much of a threat to Anna’s maidenhood, but she was spending a lot of time with the younger man lately.
“She’s well-to-do. Or her mother is,” Nina mused, thinking aloud. “A young doctor going into practice needs a rich wife.”
Evan stiffened. “Anna isn’t that stupid.”
“Darling, she’s a teenager. What does she know about men? My God, I’ll bet she’s even a virgin!”
Evan didn’t want to think about that. It made his blood run hot. He turned Nina to the rhythm. “Anna is Randall’s business, not mine. Dance. Help me get her off my neck.”
Nina smiled warmly. “My pleasure.”
Anna watched them dance and took another sip of her punch, and then another. “I wish you could dance, Randall,” she said, the words sounding a little slurred. She felt very relaxed.
“So do I, sometimes. Want to try it?” he asked, putting down his cup. “I feel pretty loose right now.”
“Good.”
She went into his arms and taught him the basic two-step. He began to grin, and his hands brought her gently closer.
“This is nice,” he said wonderingly.
“So it is.” She lay her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes, barely moving as the music continued. The devil with Evan, she told herself. She didn’t care if he made love to his old flame right there on the dance floor. She just wouldn’t look.
“Having a good time, Anna?” one of Polly’s friends asked as she danced nearby with her husband.
“Oh, yes,” Anna replied politely. “I hope you are.”
“It’s lovely. Evan’s brought someone with him, I see,” the woman added with a faintly mocking smile. “Warding you off, is he?”
Anna flushed. Over the years she’d gotten used to being teased about her pursuit of Evan, but tonight it stung. “Nina’s an old friend of his,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but he doesn’t usually come to Polly’s parties with a woman in tow. In fact,” she said cattily, “he doesn’t usually come at all these days, does he? I suppose he’s really desperate if he has to look up old flames to discourage you.”
Anna pulled away from Randall, who was openly scowling, and moved back to the punch bowl, leaving the woman with her mouth open.
“What are you so upset about?” Randall asked, joining her there. “Everybody knows that you used to chase Evan. You’re not doing it now, so why let people bother you?” He slid an arm around her waist. “You’ve got me, now.”
Had she really? Every time a new woman came into the room, she could see Randall’s eyes sizing her up. He was a born flirt, and despite his lack of conventional good looks, he could be utterly charming.
“I guess I didn’t realize how blatant I must have seemed,” Anna said quietly, her eyes downcast. “I was only playing.” She hadn’t been, but it salvaged some of her pride to pretend she was.
“I know that,” Randall said. “So do most other people. Don’t worry about gossip. I’ve been ignoring it for weeks.”
Her head jerked up. “What have you heard?”
He shrugged and smiled a little. “Just that you’d been madly pursuing Evan all over town. Accidental meetings that weren’t accidental, hanging around him at parties and flirting shamelessly, that kind of thing. They said Evan couldn’t go anywhere in Jacobsville without your turning up there. I thought it was funny.”
“Evan didn’t,” she said miserably. “I went overboard and he’s finally reached the end of his rope. I wish I’d realized sooner how silly I was behaving.”
“Was that woman right? Did he bring the lovely Nina to ward you off?”
She nodded, feeling conspicuous now. “I’m sure of it. Poor Evan.”
“I don’t know,” Randall murmured, smiling at her. “It must be flattering to be chased by a pretty young woman.”
“It must be exasperating, you mean,” she said, suddenly understanding. How could she have let things go that far without realizing the position she was putting Evan in? She’d teased and flirted, hoping to make him notice her. But all she’d accomplished was to scare him off. What an idiot she’d been!
As if realizing that wasn’t bad enough, she had to face the fact that everyone knew that his squiring of Nina was to keep her at bay. It was humiliating to have him publicly reject her like this. As she glanced around, she caught people looking at her and began to notice the faint pity in their eyes.
She had to fight tears as the evening wore on. Evan danced with no one except Nina and was so attentive to her that speculation on the rekindling of the old relationship ran rampant. The way he avoided Anna spoke volumes. Nobody noticed that Anna was doing her best to avoid him as well. She clung to Randall like a leech.
Polly gave a speech and introduced two of the mall’s main backers, along with the merchants who were already committed to opening businesses in it. The speech was well received, and it did divert Anna from her misery.
But despite Randall’s company, Anna felt dejected and empty inside. She put on a good front, laughing and glittering, so that no one would guess how badly hurt she was.
When the crowd started to dwindle, Polly paused beside her daughter with an affectionate smile. “I thought it went rather well. How are you doing, darling?”
“Marvelous, thanks,” Anna said airily, forcing a smile. “It’s been lovely, hasn’t it, Randall?”
Randall was watching her narrowly. “How many times have you hit that punch bowl, Anna?”
“Only three,” she said, blinking. “Why?”
He exchanged a knowing look with Polly.
“Somebody spiked the punch,” Polly guessed.
“How did you know?”
“Evan smelled his punch and put it down with a vicious glare in my direction,” Polly said dryly.
“I should have known he’d notice it first.” Randall laughed. He checked his watch. “Goodness, I’ve got to go. I’m on call at the hospital from midnight, and it’s almost that. I’ll be in touch tomorrow or the next day, as soon as I get some free time. ’Night,” he murmured, brushing a careless kiss across Anna’s forehead.
She watched him go with no real interest. Polly put an affectionate arm around her shoulders.
“It’s killing you, isn’t it?” she asked with unusual protectiveness. “You’ll survive, my darling. We all do. Evan just isn’t the type to settle down. You’ve always known that.”
“I was only ever flirting,” Anna said stubbornly. “It wasn’t for real. I thought he knew it.”
Polly didn’t contradict her daughter. She recognized the anguish in those blue eyes, though. Her arm contracted. “Let’s go and listen to the band. Randall will phone tomorrow. Maybe he’ll take you out to eat. You stay home too much.”
“I guess I do. Randall’s nice.”
“You’ll learn one day that we have to take what we can get out of life and not wish for the impossible things too hard,” Polly said gently. “One day at a time, pet.”
Anna smiled. “Yes.” But she was thinking of how many days it was going to take to get over tonight.
Evan and Nina gravitated toward them, and Anna had to fight the urge to cut and run.
“It was a lovely party. Thank you for asking me,” Nina said with a smile in Polly’s direction.
“It was my pleasure,” the older woman replied. “Evan, I’m glad you came, too. I didn’t really expect you. If Nina managed to pry you out of your office, good for her.”
“I plan to pry him out a lot more often, now,” Nina purred, leaning against Evan’s shoulder. Anna didn’t speak or look at him, and after a minute, he stared at her openly.
“How much of that punch have you had?” Evan demanded of Anna, his dark eyes sparking.
She didn’t look at him. “Only a little,” she lied. “I know it’s spiked.”
“You should have poured it out and made more,” he told Polly bluntly. “Anna isn’t allowed to drink hard liquor, surely?”
Polly started. “Evan, she’s nineteen, going on twenty,” she said with urbane amusement. “Of course she’s allowed to drink.”
“Alcohol can kill,” he persisted. “Especially if she ever gets in the habit of driving under the influence. She could go to jail…”
