The Heartbreaker by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page B

that you did it for Alana, not me. I just happened to be along.”
    â€œLet me refresh your memory,” he said. “Alana wasn’t there. And the time I skateboarded down Tombstone Canyon Road and just about killed myself, Alana wasn’t there. And when I climbed over the fence into the open-pit mine and almost fell four hundred feet, Alana wasn’t there. I did those things to impress you, not Alana.”
    â€œBut Alana was the one who—”
    â€œWho told me I was her boyfriend. At that age you don’t argue. You don’t even know what’s going on. You go with the flow. A teenage crush somehow escalates into wedding plans. And then, one champagne-filled night, you make a mistake, or maybe you finally follow your heart, and you’re holding the other sister in your arms. Then—”
    â€œI don’t want to hear this.” She put her hands over her ears in a gesture that came straight from their childhood. Her cheeks grew pink as she took them away again immediately and straightened in an apparent attempt to seem more adult. “I think you’re rewriting history.”
    â€œMaybe. Or maybe eight years in the jungle gives a guy some perspective.”
    She ran a tongue nervously over her lips. “I need to get back to the studio.”
    He followed the direction of her tongue and a sweet ache invaded his groin. “And I need to settle in here and get used to the equipment so I can start turning out some cutters for you.” He remembered that she had an appointment with Huxford tonight. “Want me to come over and hang around while you give our friend from Chicago the bad news?”
    â€œNo. Thanks for offering, but I’ll handle it.”
    â€œHe planned to buy you dinner, didn’t he?”
    â€œI don’t think he will, under the circumstances.”
    â€œThen let me.”
    â€œMike, that’s really not a good idea. The less we see of each other socially, the better.”
    â€œOr maybe if we spend some time together we’ll figure this thing out. Is Café Roca as good as it used to be?”
    â€œYes, but—”
    â€œWe can meet there if you don’t want me to pick you up. Then we can each go home to our respective places.”
    â€œYou’re not driving into Tucson to see Ernie?”
    â€œNo. When I was there this morning I told him I’d be staying at the shop late to get ready for a full day of work tomorrow.” He could tell she was tempted. “Come on, Beth. I don’t have any buddies in town anymore, and I don’t want to eat hot dogs and beans by myself tonight.”
    She smiled. “Is that what’s in your father’s cupboard?”
    â€œMostly. Ernie’s not much on gourmet food, which is okay because I never learned to cook, either, except over a campfire.”
    She sighed. “Okay, we can have dinner. Dutch.”
    â€œListen, I’d like to—”
    â€œNo, you listen. Dutch,” she said. “Give me about forty-five minutes with Colby. I’ll meet you at the restaurant about quarter to eight, if you’ll be through at the shop by then.”
    â€œI’ll be through.” He gazed at her. “If I came by for you, it might be easier to get rid of him in case he’s still around.”
    â€œMike, I’m a big girl. I’ll handle Colby.”
    â€œOkay.” He forced himself to accept that He wanted like hell to go to the studio and make sure Huxford had been kicked out of town, but she didn’t want him to, so he’d meet her at the restaurant They’d share a meal and a bottle of wine. And then...they’d see.
    Â 
    COLBY ARRIVED at the studio while Beth was behind the counter totaling the day’s receipts. His dark hair was slicked back as usual, and he wore what Beth concluded was casual dress for a guy like him—an open-necked shirt, slacks and a blazer. She hoped he was careful to stay in