“I just want to get them to the point where they don’t feel they have to take crap from anybody.”
“And then?”
“I’m not their mother.”
He smiled. “I’m just saying…you stirred the pot.”
“That doesn’t put me in charge. What they need to do is unify.”
His eyebrows drew together in a thoughtful frown. “They still need a leader.”
“God, you look like my father.”
“Shit.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “You’re not gonna be able to walk away from this.”
“Who said anything about walking away?” Guilt needled her. She wasn’t exactly anxious to carry the torch. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to organize another meeting.
“Well, butter my toast. Aren’t you getting testy?”
She laughed. “Butter my toast?”
Tony shrugged, looking adorably sheepish. “My mother’s from the south,” he muttered. “She says stuff like that sometimes.”
“Who knew?”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Is she Italian?”
“Nope. Half French and half Irish. Atlanta born and bred.”
“Wow! I always pictured you as part of this big Italian family who’s been here for three generations.”
“Stereotyping, huh?”
“No.”
Tony grinned.
Her indignation died a quick death, and she sighed. “That did sound pretty bad.”
“Nah, I just wanted to bust your chops. Anyway, you got it half right.” Angling his head, he looked past her, the odd expression on his face making her turn to see what had captured his interest.
“Dakota?” She stared as her sister approached from not six feet away, clearly uncomfortable walking in heels on the soft grass. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, obviously,” she said, the sarcasm in her tone entirely uncharacteristic. She darted an un smiling glance at Tony.
“Why?” Dallas pushed to her feet because she knew Dakota wasn’t about to sit on the grass. Not that Dallas blamed her. The gorgeously tailored navy blue suit she wore hadn’t simply been yanked off the rack. “How did you know I was here?”
“I stopped at your job site.” The clipped tone and the annoyance in her gray eyes pretty much said it all. “How can you work with those Neanderthals?”
Tony started laughing, and Dakota gave him a scathing look. “This is when you’re supposed to say ‘present company excepted,’” he said, dusting his hands together and getting to his feet.
Dakota’s perfectly arched eyebrows went up. She wanted to say something. Dallas knew that look. But Dakota was the genteel one of the siblings. She needed harmony even if it meant trying to please everyone.
Tony gave her one of his killer grins. “You have to be the sister.”
Dakota didn’t seem as susceptible as most women were to Tony’s smile, and Dallas quickly made the introduction before Tony did or said something totally annoying. Dakota grudgingly extended her hand, and Tony made a show of wiping his palms down the front of his jeans. Which would’ve been okay if his jeans were clean.
Dallas sighed. Designer suit, perfect nails, perfect hair, perfect everything, her sister was just the kind of woman Tony liked to give a hard time. At the risk of seeming rude, she gave Tony her back and asked, “So, what’s up?”
“I wanted to remind you about dinner at Mother and Dad’s Saturday night.”
“You came in person for that?”
“Yes, because it’s that important.”
Dallas glanced over her shoulder at Tony. He’d taken the hint, sat down and returned to his lunch. His gaze, however, stayed on Dakota. Poor guy. That was never going to happen.
“Why is it so important?”
“Because you didn’t show up the last two times.”
“Wrong terminology. I didn’t not show up. I declined the invitation. Big difference.”
“You know what I mean.”
Dallas groaned. She hadn’t really thought about dinner yet. “I’ll be there, okay?”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
Dakota grinned. “Want me to pick you up?”
“Don’t you trust me?” She smiled back. “No, thanks, I don’t need a ride.” A wild thought popped into her head. “Hey, are you taking a date?”
Dakota’s eyes widened. “To Mother and Dad’s? I—I hadn’t even considered it.” Her gaze narrowed, and she shot a look at Tony. “Are you?”
Dallas bit back a laugh. Her sister could pontificate all she wanted about the importance of family and the duty of children to their parents, but when it came right down to it, she kept her distance, too. Not as blatantly as Dallas, but she wasn’t exactly ready to open the door to her life.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Dallas said slowly. “I’m thinking about it.”
Dakota blinked, and her gaze briefly flitted to Tony again.
“Not him. He’s just a friend.” Dallas smiled. “But I could bring him for you if you like.”
“Are you—” Dakota lowered her voice. Fortunately a couple of kids arguing over a ball drowned her out. “Are you insane?”
“Why? He’s really a nice guy.”
With a haughty lift of her chin, Dakota adjusted her starched white collar. “Dinner will be served at seven. Mother says to come anytime after six. And I suggest you warn her if you do bring someone else.”
“Thank you. I never would have thought of that.”
Dakota rolled her eyes. “See you Saturday,” she said as she turned and headed for the sidewalk.
Dallas idly watched her go, wondering why in the hell she’d even given the idea of taking Eric a passing thought. Of course, she hadn’t, really. Mostly she’d wanted to tease Dakota.
“Hey, how come she didn’t say goodbye?”
At the sound of Tony’s voice behind her, Dallas smiled and went back to join him.
With an exaggerated sigh he put a hand to his heart. “I think I’m in love.”
“You said that on Monday about the blonde at the deli.”
“Did I?” He frowned. “Hmm.”
She shook her head, chuckling as she reclaimed her spot on the grass and unwrapped a piece of Gouda. She probably ought to set him straight. Not that she thought he was really serious. Or not that she wouldn’t like to see them hook up. Tony would be good for Dakota. He’d loosen her up. But she’d never go for someone like him. Not in a million years.
Tony grinned suddenly, his gaze focused on some thing in the distance, and he lifted his hand in a wave.
Dallas twisted around in time to see Dakota snub him and disappear around the corner.
“She turned for a last look,” Tony said, still grinning. “She likes me.”
“You’re too much.”
“That’s what all the women say.”
“Oh, please.” Dallas laughed, darted another look in the direction her sister had gone. Dakota was not the type to look back. Interesting.
She was about to take a bite of cheese when her cell phone rang. As she pulled it off the clip on her belt, she checked caller ID. Her heart skipped two beats. It was Eric.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me,” he said. “Tell me you haven’t had lunch yet.”
“Just had it.” Giving Tony an apologetic look, she struggled to her feet.
Snorting, he tore open a bag of chips. “Nice having lunch with you.”
She glared at him before moving out of earshot.
“Uh, sorry.” Eric cleared his throat. “Sounds like I’ve interrupted.”
“No, not really. That was one of the guys I work with.”
“Ah, well, since you already had lunch, how about a drink after work?”
She glanced down at her miserable-looking nails. “What time?”
“I’m flexible.”
“Okay, well…” Her gaze on her watch, she started calculating the time it would take her to dash home and get cleaned up.
Several feet from Dallas one of the kids playing ball let out an ear-piercing scream.
“What was that?”
“Some kid.” She walked farther away as the fight between the little boys escalated.
“Where are you?”
“In a park.”
“You ate lunch there?”
“Yeah.”
Silence stretched and she knew what he was thinking. A park was a strange place to have lunch with a business associate. God, she didn’t want Eric to think she was jerking him around.
“Okay, well, if you’re busy, no problem,” he said, his tone suddenly and achingly indifferent.
“No, really I’m not. I’d met my sister here. She left a minute before you called.”
“Ah, I didn’t know she worked in the city.”
“Yep. Not far from here.”
“Where’s here?”
Dallas smiled. “Where should we meet for a drink?”
He sighed, his impatience with her evasiveness clear. “Any preference?”
“How about— Oh, no!”
“What?”
“I can’t tonight. I’m meeting Wendy and Trudie.” How could she have forgotten? “My roommate and an other college friend. We get together once a month. Tonight’s it.” Why did she feel compelled to give him an explanation? She didn’t owe him any. “Sorry.”