“Want another?”
She shook her head.
“Irish didn’t tell me you were coming to the wedding. Is this your first time in Texas?”
“I’ve been in Texas once or twice, and I didn’t know about the wedding. I was just passing through Dallas and decided to call Irish and Kyle, and you know Irish. The next thing I knew I was their house-guest and getting dressed for the ceremony.”
“Passing through?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
She nodded.
There was a long silence while he waited for her to expand on her comment. Finally he asked, “Going where?”
“To Austin.”
“Austin?” He waited again for her to elaborate.
“Yes,” was all she said.
Getting information out of her was harder than trying to put socks on a rooster.
“Jackson, my man,” a deep voice said as a big hand clamped his shoulder. “Might have known you would try to monopolize this lovely lady. Olivia, it’s good to see you again. I’m Mitch Harris. We met at Irish and Kyle’s wedding. I understand that you’re going to be working with Dr. Jurney at the University of Texas. That’s great, really great. Looks like we’ll be neighbors. May I be the first to welcome you to our capital?”
Rankled that Mitch seemed to know more about Olivia’s plans than he did, Jackson scowled and said, “Get lost, Mitch. This is a private conversation.”
Mitch only grinned and shook him playfully by the nape. “Now, Jackson, is that any way to talk to your governor?”
“You’re not my governor. Hell, I didn’t even vote.”
And, blast it, Olivia’s eyes widened as if she were impressed with the big lug who was standing there looking as smug as a packed-pew preacher.
“Of course I remember you, but I didn’t realize that you were the governor,” she said, extending her hand to Mitch.
“I wasn’t when we met. Hadn’t even decided to run then. I was just inaugurated this past January.”
“Congratulations, Governor.”
Mitch kept holding Olivia’s hand a lot longer than necessary, which burned Jackson good. “The only reason Mitch got elected,” Jackson said, “was that he used to play a little pro football. People didn’t know he got his brains scrambled from all the hits on the field.”
“Jackson!” she exclaimed, clearly shocked by his comment.
Mitch only chuckled. “Actually, I think it was mostly because my opponent got caught in a scandal a week before the election. Nobody was more surprised that I was, but I won, fair and square.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’re being modest,” she said.
“No, he’s not,” Jackson said. “Mitch Harris hasn’t got a modest bone in his body. And if you don’t get lost, good buddy, I’m going to revoke your golf privileges at Crow’s Nest.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Mitch asked.
Jackson shot at him with his index finger. “You got it in one, Gov.”
Mitch laughed. “Then I guess I’ll be moving along. I’ll talk to you about that other matter later, Jackson. Olivia, it was good to see you again.” He slipped a card from a case in his breast pocket and handed it to her. “Give me a call when you’re settled, and I’ll show you around, take you to dinner. Austin has some of the greatest restaurants in the state.”
If Mitch hadn’t walked away right then, Jackson would have decked him. Instead, he jerked the card from her hand, tore it in little pieces and dropped them in a nearby flowerpot.
“Jackson! Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Don’t be dense! Why did you tear up Mitch’s card?”
“’Cause I don’t want you calling him. Stay away from the man. He’s dangerous. Let’s dance.”
She didn’t budge. “Dangerous?”
“Yes. He dyes his hair, lies about his golf handicap and wears boxer shorts with little smiley faces all over them.”
She tried to keep her lips pressed together, but she finally lost the battle with a laugh. “Jackson, aren’t you ever serious?”
“More than you know, darlin’.” He pulled her close and breathed in the sweet smell of her. “I’m real serious right now.”
“Olivia!” came a feminine squeal from a few feet away.
Olivia pushed away from him, and her face lit up. “Kim!” She held out her arms and they hugged like long lost sisters. “It’s been so long. You look great!”
“And so do you. Why didn’t you write? We were worried about you.”
Olivia shrugged. “Sorry, but you know me. I hate writing letters. It’s so wonderful to see you again. Irish tells me that you’ve had an exciting offer with the state department. Let’s go powder our noses and catch up on all the news.”
And slick as a whistle, she was gone. Jackson could hardly follow her into the ladies’ room—though he considered it. His good manners finally got the upper hand, and he turned away, looking for Mitch. He and his old friend had a little business to discuss.
He hadn’t even considered Mitch’s outrageous request earlier, knowing that, sure as shootin’, he would end up humiliated. He was painfully aware of his limitations. Now things had changed. Jackson told himself that he was letting himself in for a lot of grief, but in spite of the risks, he was going to take Mitch up on his offer. Somehow he would manage to keep from looking like too much of an idiot. After all, he’d been fooling folks for years, and Olivia was worth the gamble.
Olivia and Kim talked nonstop for twenty minutes or more. Finally Kim said, “I hate to leave you, but I promised my folks that I would be right back. Irish invited me over for breakfast tomorrow. We’ll spend the morning gabbing.” Kim hugged her. “Gosh, I’ve missed you two.” With a wiggle of her fingers, her friend left.
Olivia lingered, repairing her makeup and stalling her return to the reception. She’d loved catching up on all the news with Kim. She’d missed her vivacious young friend. Although Kim was more than a decade younger than Olivia, the two of them, along with Irish, had been housemates in Washington and had become very close. Kim had been in college and working part-time for Congresswoman Ellen Crow O’Hara, Jackson and Matt’s older sister and Kim’s aunt by marriage. Olivia had been working on her doctorate in psychology and trying to get her life back on track after her divorce. Irish, who had inherited the old house they lived in, was working as a cosmetic consultant and trying to get her life back on track after a terrible mugging in New York that had ruined her modeling career.
The bonds that Olivia forged with the two women had saved her sanity. They had become the sisters
