Chapter 23

“Damn, Jordie,” Simon said sympathetically as he pushed a glass across the kitchen counter to her. “That’s cold.”

She shrugged and shook the glass, watching the ice cubes rattle. “Not so much. I mean, I guess we both knew I was going back to New York. Maybe he’s right to say that everything will be less complicated the sooner I do.”

Jordan took a sip of the drink and made a face. “What the hell is this?”

“Lemonade,” Simon said in an offended voice. “Vicky gave me the recipe.”

Jordan resisted the urge to scratch her tongue. “It tastes like pure sugar.”

“That’s just your bad mood talking,” Simon said, taking the glass from her and squeezing a half lemon into it before handing it back.

Jordan took another sip. It was slightly more tolerable, but not much.

“So what’s our plan?” Simon asked.

She appreciated the solidarity expressed in his use of the word our and tried to smile, but she couldn’t muster much more than a strained twitching of her lips.

She kept seeing the coldness on Luke’s face when he’d pushed her away.

Not that she’d expected him to declare undying love or anything, but after the decidedly sensual morning, she thought she deserved more than what had basically been a screw you and get out of my town.

What bothered her more than anything was his reluctance to talk about Eva. She’d told him about her family—the hardest thing that had ever happened to her. But he’d brick-walled her on something that obviously caused him pain.

Then shut her out altogether.

Simon poured himself a glass of lemonade, took a sip, then winced. “Screw this.”

He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of sauvignon blanc and got down two glasses.

“Um, it’s one o’clock.”

“Yes, love, but you also just told your boyfriend that you’re bringing his ex-girlfriend into town for a confrontation on camera.”

“Did you know?” she asked Simon, keeping her voice as non-accusatory as possible. None of this was his fault.

“Found out this morning,” he said, meeting her eyes. “Must have been a recent decision, because just yesterday afternoon Boss sent me an email to book a flight back to New York, but then this morning he called and said never mind, because this nightmare was going down.”

“So you think it’s a bad idea?”

Simon blew out a breath. “Look, I like your hot firefighter. A lot. I think he’d have been an absolute doll if we could have talked him into Jilted, but…didn’t happen. So do I think what this Eva chick is doing is sort of sketchy? Absolutely. Do I think it has the potential to make for good television? Absolutely.”

“Well, you’re allowed to think that,” she muttered. “You’re not half in love with Luke.”

Simon reached across the counter and held her hand. “Shit. I was worried it was love.”

“Half love,” she corrected, taking a sip of the drink. It was five o’clock somewhere, right?

“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured. “And how does being half in love with him mean you’re going to deal with the bosses bringing his former fiancée into town?”

“I don’t know,” she groaned. “As my bestie you’re supposed to have an answer.”

“Well, my first thought was that if you cared about him even a little, you couldn’t let him be blindsided, but you’ve already taken care of that.”

“Right, but now that I’ve warned him, he’s got it in his head that he wants it to happen.”

“Well, then, perhaps you should let it,” Simon said gently.

“You mean actually help Raven in setting up a meeting between Luke and Eva?”

“It’s your job, Jordie,” Simon said quietly. “And babe, this thing is happening with or without you. You’ve just got to decide whether to get on board or get out of the way.”

He was right. Jordan hated that he was right. Hated even more that she didn’t know what the right course of action was.

“Do you know anything about this Eva chick?” she asked Simon.

Simon looked away, and her eyes narrowed. “You do.”

“I may have been sent a picture,” he said hesitantly.

“And?”

This time it was her glass that Simon topped off. Not a good sign.

“Simon.”

“She’s…one of the more gorgeous creatures I’ve ever seen.”

Jordan groaned and leaned forward until her forehead touched the cool counter. “And I’m supposed to bring her here. To have a face-to-face with Luke.”

“Look on the bright side. He left her at the altar. There has to be a reason.”

“Yes, but what?” Jordan asked, going to the fridge and pulling out a block of emergency Brie. “What if the fact that he won’t talk about it means he’s still not over her?”

“Well.” Simon took a sip of wine, then pulled out the small wooden cheese board he’d brought in his suitcase, because he was Simon. “Let’s look on the bright side. If Eva comes into town, I’d guess that whatever that secret Luke’s holding on to is? Not gonna stay secret for long.”