Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) (4 page)

The first person she ran into was Dani Lennox, also wearing a big hat and even bigger sunglasses. The other woman grinned knowingly at Brenda and handed her a glass of what appeared to be tomato juice but was probably a Bloody Mary sans the celery stick. “You look like you could use one of these.”

“Not if it has alcohol in it. Thank God the company provides rides home on the Fourth. My head feels like an overinflated balloon, and I swear I only had two…or maybe three drinks.”

“This is torture. I don’t know why the partners insist on this Fourth of July/
company picnic combo. We’re all zombies after a night on the roof.”

“At least
they stopped those ridiculous games. If I had to run a three-legged race today, somebody would get hurt.”

“You can thank Chase for that. He gave Esterhause some mumbo jumbo about liability because Reggie twisted his ankle last year, so they opted for a trivia challenge instead. We all get to sit down and put our feet up.”

“Are you going to play with the band this year and sing? You were fantastic last year.” Brenda sniffed her drink and sipped. Yep, there was vodka, but just a splash. She’d manage as long as this was the only one she had.

“I dunno. Maybe later. Right now, I just want to find a
quiet place to sit where no one will notice my eyes are closed behind my glasses.”

“Oh, me
, too. Save me a seat?”

“You bet.” Danielle wandered off
, and Brenda made the rounds of the snack table to pick up a small bowl of fruit. She eyed the gorgeous trays of muffins and pastries on the next display and thought of all the rich food she’d eaten the night before. “Down girl. No carbs until after lunch.”

“I’m sorry, were you talking to yourself?” Riley appeared to Brenda’s right. He held a bottled water and a blueberry muffin. “The problem with all this food is, after last night, everyone is afraid to eat.”

She laughed and held up her “not quite a virgin” Bloody Mary. “But we’re not afraid to drink. Imagine that.”

He laughed
, too, but she noticed the circles under his eyes. For someone who’d left the party early, he certainly didn’t look like he’d gotten any more sleep than she had.

“How did the studying go?”

“I don’t know. Is it good or bad when you wake up drooling into a textbook?”

She cringed. “I’d say bad. I haven’t done that since college.”

“I should have left the party earlier, but I was actually having a good time.”

“
Then it was a good thing you stayed. A little fun is good for you.”

“I suppose you’re right. I guess it’s better to regret the stuff you’ve done than regret the stuff you haven’t.”

Brenda tilted her head. Was that the universe trying to tell her something? What better chance would she have than right now? He’d already set up her intro. All she had to do was take the cue. “That’s a great philosophy. On that note, what would you say to—”

“You’re welcome. Really, you’re all very welcome.” Chase
appeared like magic and put an arm around each of them. “Don’t thank me. Seriously…it’s too much. I can’t accept all this adulation.”

Riley and Brenda exchanged a look. Her heart fluttered just a bit.

“Chase?” Riley squinted at the interloper.

“I know
, if it wasn’t for me, the two of you would be tied together at the ankle and hobbling down the lawn while balancing a hardboiled egg on a plastic spoon. I’ve been thanked by half a dozen people already. Figured I’d save you guys the trouble. I didn’t do it for fame or recognition. I did it because…I care.”

Brenda would have rolled her eyes dramatically at him, but one, he wouldn’t have seen the gesture behind her glasses
, and two, it hurt to strain her eye muscles. She offered a derisive snort instead. “Can we expect a statue in your honor?”

“I’m flattered
, of course, but no…I’m far too humble for that. I’d be more than satisfied with a plaque and maybe a holiday named after me.”

“I’ll ask purchasing to order the plaque,” Riley quipped.

Brenda smiled, hoping to make eye contact with him, but his attention had strayed already to a group on the far side of the picnic area.

“Well, it looks like there’s a legal argument taking place over the chicken kabobs. I’d better go intervene. You two save me a seat later, okay?”

“Sure.” Brenda sighed as he walked away, then turned to Chase. “There’s a difference between making someone a little jealous and boring them to the point that they run away in self-defense.”

“That wasn’t running away. That was running
to
. Tyler Brady is over there, and Riley has to suck up to him because, as I understand it, he’s the outlier in the vote to bring him onto the fast track.” He scooped up a sinfully delicious-looking chocolate muffin and handed it to her. “Here, if you’re going to start drinking this early, you should eat something more substantial than a couple of mango slices.”

She looked at her plate
, then at her half-finished drink. “I’m not. This isn’t… Dani gave it to me.”

Chase took it out of her hand. “Come on. Let’s get you some plain juice.”

“What am I, in pre-school? Juice and a muffin to keep me out of trouble?”

He grinned, and for the first time she noticed he hadn’t shaved. She’d never seen Chase with stubble before
, and oddly it transformed him. He looked rugged this morning in stonewashed jeans and a faded denim shirt. A red bandana hung from his back pocket, giving him a down-home look. All he needed was a cowboy hat and a hayseed, and he could have graced the cover of one of the western romances she liked to read. The look made a nice change from his usually crisp business suit and studious wire-rimmed glasses.

“Do you
need
keeping out of trouble?” he asked.

After last night, she’d begun to wonder. Her obsession with
snagging Riley’s attention was getting out of hand. How hard should it be, after all, to let a man know she was interested in him? Of course, Riley was a special case. He was trapped in his own personal bubble of responsibility, and Chase kept making her wonder if piercing that bubble was a good idea, assuming it was even possible. “The only trouble I see around here is you. My instincts tell me to keep my eye on you.”

He grinned and followed her to one of the shady picnic tables. “Then you’ve got good instincts.”

Fortunately, the company picnic tended have a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than the Penthouse Fourth Party, so Chase didn’t feel the same pressure Riley obviously did to make the rounds and keep the partners entertained.

Neither did Brenda. She remained under the shade trees, much like most of the women, hidden behind her hangover costume
—the sunhat and huge glasses—looking like an undercover celebrity. He had to admit, on her, the ensemble was incredibly sexy. She looked mysterious and troubled, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He even convinced himself that behind those black reflective lenses she was watching him and not Riley.

Fighting a twinge of guilt all day, he managed to run interference whenever Thayer approached her, which wasn’t all that often. There was a short conversation over the chicken kabobs and a longer one revolving around the best way to toast a marshm
allow, but each time Chase subtly maneuvered his competition back toward the senior staff huddle.

By five
o’clock, the party was winding down, and people were saying their good-byes and leaving for the true holiday weekend. Dani had agreed to sing one number, which had all the remnants at the party swaying to the lilting melody of a sad love song. Chase watched Brenda working her way through the crowd toward Riley, who looked just about dead on his feet. If nothing else, the guy was a stroke waiting to happen, but the feisty brunette wasn’t going to give up yet.

Chase decided he had one last chance to
intervene, so he made his way over to cut her off. She’d just sidled up next to Riley as the song ended, and everyone broke into applause for Dani. On the makeshift stage, she bowed, and Chase took a second to let lose an appreciative wolf whistle, then cut in between Brenda and Riley.

“Hey, before you go home, I wanted to ask you something.” He glanced sidelong at Riley to make sure he
’d heard the question.

Brenda eyed him suspiciously. “I’m sure it can wait until Monday.”

“No…actually it’s not work-related. What do you say to having dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Her jaw dropped. Not exactly the response he was hoping for, but his question produced a double take from Riley.

“I…uh…”

“My treat, of course. It’ll be fun. I promise.”

“Uh…sure.”

Chase’s heart soared, though he figured his elation would be short-lived. Thayer walked away
, and as soon as he disappeared into the waning crowd, Brenda transformed into the hellcat that hid under her mild-mannered exterior.

“Are you crazy? I was just about to ask him out. I was
this
close.” She actually growled in frustration.

He suppressed a grin. “And Riley lost. His type doesn’t like to lose. They’re wired to hate it
, in fact. So now he really has a challenge. Wait and see. He’s starting to get the picture here, and I can guarantee he doesn’t like it. You have to let him come to you. You shouldn’t have to do the asking.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before fixing him with her stern gaze. “You better be right.”

“I am. Look, if the tables were turned, I wouldn’t be able to get you out of my head all weekend.”
Oh wait, that’s not rhetorical
, he added silently. “I’d be plotting how to get you away from him.”

Brenda looked skeptical. “All right, fine. But if nothing happens next week, I’m done with
this little charade.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. Fine.”

“Fine. Well, all this fresh air wore me out, so I’m going to head home. Have a good weekend.”

Chase touched her arm. Her skin was warm from the July heat, but soft as silk. “Wait a second
—we have a date tomorrow night.”

“Oh, right. I should say, see you tomorrow.” She winked.

“No, I mean, let’s really go out.”

“Why?”

He made a noise like the answer should be obvious. “People will see us. Word will get back to him. This is a very small town, you know.”

“So we feed the gossip mill?”

“I’m not suggesting we make out in public. Let’s just go out to dinner. Besides, what other plans do you have for the weekend?”

She floundered for a moment, clearly debating whether she should lie or not. The truth won out. “Nothing.” The grudging admission left her looki
ng a little bereft. He hadn’t meant to make her feel sorry for herself.

“Me neither, so we might as well have a little fun, and we can talk strategy.”

“Do we really need a strategy?”

“Do you want what you want?”

She shrugged, but he knew she did.

“Then you have to be willing to work for it. I’ll pick you up at six tomorrow night
. Dress fancy.”

She wrinkled up her nose. God, she was adorable. “Fancy?”

“When I ask someone out on a fake date, I don’t skimp.”

* * * *

Brenda sat on her front stoop at five to six the next night, waiting for Chase and wondering why she was waiting for Chase. She’d ended up with the dinner date she’d been after, but somehow with the wrong guy. The situation was getting out of control, as was the heat.

She fanned herself intermittently with the small datebook she carried in her purse. It didn’t move much of the humid air, but it gave her something
to do until Chase’s car pulled up in front of her building.

He stepped out of the car and rounded the front end, tall and lean in black pants and a crisp white shirt and skinny tie. Something in the middle of her chest twinged at the sight
, but she dismissed it as a hunger pang. He looked good, still with a faint stubble he would never have worn to the office and dark aviators obscuring his unusual eyes. They were brown, she reminded herself, but a light color, like ginger or Scotch. She shook off the thought as he approached the steps and held out his hand to her.

“Anxiously waiting
, I see.”

She ignored his hand and hauled herself off the steps, dusted off her skirt
, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “The super can’t fix my A/C until Monday morning, so at least if I faint from the heat out here, someone will notice me and call 911.”

“Sorry. I could take a look at it. I’m pretty handy with heating and cooling systems. I spent my
high-school summers working with my stepfather in his plumbing business.”

She eyed him sidelong as he opened the car door for her. “
I’d love that, but it’s the whole building, not a single unit.”