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him, she watched Gary instead. For once, eying Damien, her formerly talkative date appeared at a loss for words.

      Signaling the waitress, Damien ordered. “Scotch for him, Coors Light for me, and a Shirley Temple for the lady.”

      “How’d you know that’s what she was drinking?” Gary asked.

      Damien shrugged. “Eve and I go way back. She was telling me you’re involved in the Mark Walsh murder investigation? How so?”

      “Part of my job dictates that I occasionally have to do pro bono work as a public defender. When—and if—the police find any suspects, I’m on call in case they can’t afford an attorney.” He spread his hands. “They won’t even realize how lucky they are. I was the best criminal attorney in Fargo before I moved here and switched to private practice.”

      Eve glared at him. “So you’re actually not working on the case then. You’re just prepared to help if they need you?”

      Before he could answer, Damien stood, waving. “Maisie. Over here.”

      Wearing a full-length fake fur and stiletto-heeled boots, Maisie Colton looked like a glamorous movie star. She breezed up to their table, giving Damien a quick hug before turning to face Eve and Gary.

      “Hi, Eve,” she said dismissively, turning to Gary, eyeing his clean-cut features and business attire. “Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

      “Maisie Colton, meet Gary Jackson. Gary, this is Maisie, Damien’s sister.”

      To Eve’s amazement, Gary’s face turned beet-red as he took Maisie’s perfectly manicured hand. “My pleasure,” he murmured, kissing her hand.

      It took every bit of Eve’s self-restraint to keep from rolling her eyes. She didn’t dare glance at Damien to see his reaction.

      For her part, Maisie appeared to be eating it up. Fluttering her long lashes, she took a seat, perching on the end of the bench. “I can’t believe I haven’t met you. Have you been in town long?”

      Gary had to lean across the table to hear her breathy question, jabbing Eve with his elbow in the process.

      “You know what?” Eve said, pushing to her feet. “I think I’m going to have to call it a night. It was nice to meet you, Gary.”

      “Likewise,” he said, never tearing his gaze away from Maisie’s perfect features. “Have a nice night.”

      “Excuse me.” Damien nudged Maisie to get up so he could get out. “I need to be going, too.”

      Maisie slid out without protest, taking her seat back immediately after Damien stood. As Eve turned to go she saw Maisie reach across the table and capture Gary’s hand.

      “They deserve each other,” Damien said, helping Eve on with her coat. “Let me walk you to your truck.”

      “This will be all over town by morning.” Glancing around, Eve saw half of the place watching her and Damien and the other half staring at Gary and Maisie.

      “Gossip. Don’t worry about it.”

      “Easy for you to say. You forget, I run a beauty shop, aka gossip central. I will hear about this on Tuesday, both from my customers and from my mother.” She brightened. “Though at least I can blame Maisie for the failed date. That way I don’t have to tell my mother that I thought Gary was a jerk.”

      One hand on the door handle, Damien stopped and studied Eve’s face. “You seem to spend a lot of time pretending to be something you’re not. That’s not the Eve Kelley I remember.”

      Stunned, she could only retort with the first thing that came to her. “Maybe your memory’s faulty.”

      Brushing past him, she slipped out the door.

      She should have known he wouldn’t give up that easily.

      “Eve, wait.”

      “Oh, won’t this give them something to talk about,” she groused.

      “Why are you so worried about what people think?”

      “I’m not.” With a sigh, she acknowledged her lie. “Okay, maybe I am. A little. But you have to understand what will happen when I open the salon tomorrow. Every one of my customers, whether or not they have an appointment, will be stopping by to ask about this.”

      “Are you sure you’re not exaggerating?”

      Tilting her head, she thought for a second. “I’m sure.”

      “What about him?” He jerked his head toward the bar. “Is he all right to leave with Maisie?”

      “Oh, sure.” Unable to suppress a grin, she shook her head. “Who knows? Maybe they’re perfect for each other.”

      “Maybe. Eve, I—”

      Suddenly skittish, Eve took a step back. “Damien, I’ve got to go.”

      One corner of his mouth lifted in an amused smile. “Have a nice night. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

      This stopped her short. “Tomorrow? For what?”

      “Our date. Remember?”

      Her stomach rolled. “You didn’t say it would be so soon.”

      He took a step toward her, causing her to move back. “Eve, what are you so afraid of? Is it me?”

      Oh, God, did he really think she was like some of the other people in town, frightened of him because he’d been in prison?

      “It’s not that. I told you, I don’t want or need to get involved with anyone right now.”

      “We don’t have to get involved.” He held out his hand. “Just friends.”

      Blood humming, she stared at him. Then, slowly, she took his hand. “Friends,” she said. Because the feel of his large, calloused hand enveloping hers made her want to touch more of him, she jerked her hand free. Moving so quickly she slid on the snow-covered ice, she headed for her car with the sound of his very male laughter following her.

      Watching Eve drive away, Damien debated returning to the Corner Bar and finishing his beer. Finally, he decided against it, not wanting to interfere with Maisie and her apparent fascination with Eve’s blind date. Still, he had to see if his sister wanted a ride home.

      Entering the bar’s warmth, he headed for the booth. Maisie and Gary were so engrossed in conversation that neither noticed his approach.

      “Maisie, I’m about to head home.”

      “Oh.” She pouted, slanting a look of invitation at Gary under her long eyelashes. “Then I guess I have to go.”

      “I can drive you home later,” Gary gallantly offered.

      In response, her brilliant smile was designed to blind. Tongue in cheek, Damien watched as the other man fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Poor guy could barely form a coherent thought, he was so taken with Maisie.

      Kind of the way Damien felt about Eve.

      Saying his goodbyes, Damien headed back into the cold and climbed into his pickup.

      On the way home, acting completely on impulse, he turned down the road that led toward Eve’s place. Yellow light beamed from the windows, warm and inviting. Cruising to a stop in front of her house, he eyed the beautiful log home. What would she do if he went up and rang the doorbell? Would she let him in or turn him away?

      Debating, he finally put the truck in Drive and turned around, this time heading back to the Colton ranch.

      Arriving at home, he parked and went around to the back door, knowing this way he had a better chance of avoiding Darius if he were skulking around and drinking. Coming in through the mudroom, off the back downstairs bathroom, he opened the door quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible, and just about

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