was saved from having to answer by Rick’s reappearance. “Hey,” he said to Carrie. “You stole my seat.”
She grinned. “Yes, I did.”
He made a face at Alex, handed him his beer—Miller on tap—and sat in her old seat.
“You guys want to hear a joke?” said one of the men on the other side of the table.
“Is it clean? There are ladies present,” someone else—Alex thought his name was Mike—said.
“Ladies?” the jokester countered, laughing. “I don’t see no ladies.”
“Hey, watch it,” Carrie said.
“Oh. Didn’t see you there, Carrie,” he answered with a mock frown.
The banter continued and Alex was able to turn his attention away from Carrie without being rude, but when Rick got up a few minutes later, saying he had to leave, she put her hand on Alex’s arm and leaned closer.
“I know a much quieter and nicer place where we could have some privacy.” Her smile was suggestive. “And they have much better food.”
Alex was taken off-guard and for a moment and couldn’t think how to answer her. “Thanks, Carrie, but I have to be going myself.”
She pouted. “Oh, do you? Darn. I was really hoping to get to know you better.”
And Alex had been hoping to have dinner there, with the others, especially if P.J. should show up, but now there was no way he could. Damn. He’d have to figure out a way to head little Miss Carrie off at the pass. She wasn’t even being subtle about her intentions. But she was definitely too young for him, no matter how pretty and sexy she was. More important, he couldn’t imagine his aunt approving of someone like her, even if he were interested.
After draining his beer, he stood. “Have a good weekend, everyone. I’ve got to be going, too.”
“Sure you won’t change your mind?” Carrie asked.
Alex just shook his head and said his goodbyes, making a quick exit.
As he drove home to his apartment, he wondered if J.T. and Gray were faring any better than he was in finding a suitable candidate to be the next Mrs. Hunt. Justin, of course, had already found his—the mother of his year-old daughter, Ava. A daughter Justin’d had no idea even existed, because Lily, Ava’s mother and Justin’s former lover, had never told him about her after their breakup.
Alex smiled thinking of Ava. He hadn’t met his niece yet but he’d seen a photo of her, and she was a winner. With her dark hair and dimples, she was clearly a Hunt. In fact, she looked exactly like Justin. And from the look on Harry’s face when he’d seen that photo, she’d already captured his heart.
For a moment when Justin had told them about Lily, Ava’s mother, Alex had hoped Harry would drop the challenge for the rest of them. After all, he had his much-coveted grandchild now. But no such luck. Harry had only said the rest of them had better get busy.
Alex knew he’d have to make up his mind soon. Pick one of the women he’d met or make an effort to meet someone new. It was already entering the second week of September and he needed a bride and a baby on the way by next July.
What would Harry do if one of the brides wasn’t pregnant by July? Hell, there were no guarantees. Surely the old man would be fair. If they’d fulfilled their part by marrying suitable women, surely Harry would give them some leeway on the pregnancy question.
But what if he didn’t?
What if, after finding brides, they ended by losing their stakes in Harry’s empire, anyway?
P.J. was just about to walk out the door when her cell phone rang. Checking the number, she saw it was her brother.
She pressed the talk button. “Hey, Peter, what’s up?”
“Nothing much. Just haven’t talked to you in a couple of weeks and thought I’d better see if you were still alive.”
Why was it Peter always made her feel guilty? “I’ve been busy. For some reason, lots of people have decided they need Hunt products this month.”
“So business is good?”
“Very good.”
“And you still like that…job?”
“I still like my job.” Peter asked the same questions every time they talked. It was as if he couldn’t believe anyone could possibly enjoy the kind of work she did. He was always telling her she was wasting her education, not to mention her brain. His lack of respect for what she did used to make P.J. mad. Now she just patiently gave him the same answers and ignored his jabs.
“Allison said to tell you hello. She’s looking forward to seeing you at Dad’s birthday dinner next week.”
P.J.’s father would turn seventy the following Saturday and they were celebrating with a big family dinner at her parents’ home.
“I still haven’t figured out what to buy him,” she said. “He has everything. What’re you and Allison giving him?”
Peter laughed. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“A guitar.”
“A guitar!”
“It was Allison’s idea.”
P.J. was laughing now, too. “Did he say he wanted a guitar?”
“Nope. But you know how he is. A total workaholic. Allison said he needed something to do that was relaxing and fun. A hobby of some kind. So we settled on a guitar. I mean, he used to like Dylan. I actually heard him listening to Dylan’s music once.”
P.J. was still laughing. “Maybe I should arrange for him to have some lessons.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Think so? Okay, then. I will.” Somehow she didn’t think her father was going to be pleased, but she had to hand it to Allison and Peter. They had guts.
“So what are you doing tonight?” Peter asked. “Got a hot date?”
P.J. snorted. “Yeah. Sure. Actually, I was just getting ready to join some of the guys from work at a local pub.”
“I won’t keep you then. See you next week, okay?”
They said their goodbyes, and P.J. finished clearing off her desk, then headed out the door. Fifteen minutes later, she walked into Jake’s Grill. Quickly scanning the crowded room, she spied the group from HuntCom.
Even as she told herself she wasn’t looking for him, her gaze traveled around the group to see if Alex was there. When she didn’t see him, she told herself she wasn’t disappointed. If anything, she was relieved.
But she knew she was lying.
“Hey,
