Wilde Thing. Jannine Gallant

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СКАЧАТЬ each divorce, and she had an excellent attorney. She didn’t give her exes anything more than she had to.”

      “Hannah?”

      She glanced up from the menu. “Hmm?”

      He clenched the artfully folded napkin tight in his fist before spreading it on his lap. “I don’t think I like your mother very much.”

      “Most of the time, I don’t either, but I don’t remember missing Luther after he was gone. Honestly, I can’t remember much at all from those years. I liked husband number three well enough. Brad was around through most of middle school and part of high school. He used to take me skiing and mountain biking. We were buddies.”

      “I’m glad.” Tripp let out a harsh breath. “I need a drink.”

      She reached across the table to lay a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to pity me. I was smart and driven—still am. I channeled any underlying frustrations into my studies and got accepted into one of the top colleges in the country.” She pulled her hand back as their server approached. “I wasn’t scarred for life or anything.”

      “Good to know.”

      The young man dressed in black slacks and a white shirt stopped beside their table and smiled. “Can I get you folks something to drink this evening?”

      Tripp gave a quick nod. “I’ll have a vodka tonic. Make it a double. Hannah?”

      “Your house chardonnay, please.”

      “Would you like to order appetizers?”

      Tripp glanced down at the menu. “We haven’t had a chance to make any decisions yet.”

      “No problem. Take your time.” The man glided away.

      “That’s probably way more about my past than you wanted to know. It’s your birthday. No more gloomy talk.” Hannah pointed at the menu. “I’m having salmon. What looks good to you?”

      She did. Her positive attitude was incredibly refreshing. He should take lessons. “Prime rib. How about the tomatoes with mozzarella to start? I love those things.”

      Her eyes brightened. “Me, too.”

      Conversation flowed easily between them throughout the meal. They’d moved from a discussion of travel and all the unique corners of the world he’d skied, to some of Hannah’s more colorful clients as they drank coffee and shared a piece of the richest chocolate cake he’d ever eaten.

      “Okay, who was the biggest idiot?” He held up the hand clutching his fork. “Don’t say me.”

      “A football player for the Raiders. I’m not naming names because the jerk would probably sue me.”

      “Hmm, I could try to guess, but I won’t. How about the nicest?”

      “That’s easy. I worked with the sweetest little ice skater after she sustained a bad knee injury. The girl was desperate to get back on her training schedule since she hopes for a shot at the next Olympics. She never argued with me once.”

      “Unlike me.” Tripp grinned. “Coolest dude. Present company excluded, of course.”

      “Has to be Parnell Jones.”

      “The Lakers’ superstar?”

      “Yep. He gets the most handsome prize, too.”

      “Damn. Good thing I took myself out of the contest. Did you know Griff and Ainslee met him while they were on that crazy treasure hunt?”

      “Eden mentioned it once. I…” Her gaze slid upward. “Luther. How are you?”

      Tripp turned to glance over his shoulder.

      A stocky man with a full head of gray hair approached. He stopped beside their table and squeezed Hannah’s shoulder. “I’m fine, just fine. You look spectacular.”

      “Thanks. Tripp Wilde, meet my former stepfather, Luther Vandenberg.”

      Tripp shook the outstretched hand. “Nice place. This is my first time eating here.”

      “I hope you were impressed with the food and service. I comped your drinks, by the way. The least I could do for my Hannah girl.” He flashed a broad smile.

      “Generous of you.” Her tone was cool. “The meal was excellent.”

      “I’ll be sure to tell my chef. Tripp, I was sorry to hear your ski season was cut short by that avalanche.”

      “With Hannah’s help, I’m still hoping to get back out there before the final competitions.” He frowned. “I don’t think we’ve met before, but you look familiar.”

      “Probably from the TV ad campaign marketing set up when we had our grand opening for the restaurant.”

      Tripp snapped his fingers. “That’s right. You cruise up to the dock outside in a beautiful, old woody. Are you making any progress getting the hotel and convention center underway?”

      “Thank God, yes. We recently cleared the last financial roadblock and will be breaking ground as soon as the snow melts.”

      Hannah cradled her coffee cup in her hands then bent to take a sip. “That’s great news.”

      “My partner and I are relieved. Anything new with you, Hannah? I heard a few rumors around town…”

      Tripp let out a sigh. “What, that we were making up horror stories out on the mountain?”

      “Something like that. Did you really see someone pushed off a chairlift?”

      “Since no one believes us, we aren’t discussing what we saw.” Hannah’s lips pinched tight. “At least not right now.”

      Tripp snorted. “Maybe the authorities will take us more seriously if a body shows up in the spring. I’m sure they’ll want to hear what we have to say then.”

      Luther stepped back from the table. “Well, I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your dessert. Have a nice evening.”

      Tripp polished off the last few bites of cake since Hannah seemed to have lost interest. He noted her hunched shoulders and frowned. “You give off a weird vibe around him.”

      She shrugged. “I can’t help it. I always feel awkward.” The coffee cup clattered against the saucer when she set it down. “Bitter doesn’t begin to describe Luther’s feelings toward my mother. She did pretty well in that divorce—at his expense. So, even though he’s always nice to me, I can’t help having some sort of strange guilt complex. For that reason, I tend to stay clear of him.”

      “Why didn’t you say something earlier? We could have gone to a different restaurant.”

      “It’s no big deal. I can handle casual meetings, but I don’t want to spend holidays with the man or pretend we’re still family. Anyway, dinner was truly excellent.”

      “Right СКАЧАТЬ