Mediterranean Tycoons. Jacqueline Baird

jabbed her finger more forcefully toward Jill.

      “You want to invite Jill to your dance recital?” he asked.

      A bright smile lit up Evie’s face and she pumped her head up and down. Brent tried not to stare, but it’d been so long since he’d been able to communicate effectively with her. And seeing her smile again knocked the breath right out of him.

      His gaze swung back to Jill. “Um, Evie would like to invite you to her dance recital tomorrow night. It’s at seven, in the civic center.”

      Okay, he’d made the invitation. From the withdrawn expression on Jill’s face, he could tell she felt uncomfortable about it, too. It didn’t help that she’d tripped and he’d held her in his arms like a giant leech.

      Jill bent at the waist and smiled at Evie. “I’d love to come, sweetheart, but I’ve already got a commitment with my own family. I’ll try to make it if I can. Okay?”

      The woman was trying to be so careful. So considerate. Trying not to injure Evie’s feelings. And Brent appreciated her efforts more than he could say.

      Evie nodded, but didn’t hide her disappointment. She sidled over to Brent and took his hand as she stared at the ground in dejection.

      “Ah, we’re still friends, aren’t we?” Jill asked, her voice filled with invitation.

      Evie glanced at her, then gave a timid smile indicating they were.

      “Good.” Jill stepped back. “Well, I’ve got to get back to work. Nice to see you both again.”

      “Yeah. You, too,” Brent said.

      He breathed an audible sigh of relief when she got into her car, turned on the engine and headed down the dirt road.

      Watching her go, he missed her already. And he shouldn’t miss this woman. She was nothing to him. Just a permittee whose sawmill cut logs on national forest lands. And yet, he couldn’t fight the bevy of mixed emotions in his mind. How he wished they’d met under different circumstances. How he regretted that the timber-theft issue stood between them like a huge dangerous giant.

      Maybe it was best if Jill didn’t attend Evie’s dance program tomorrow evening. Because his heart and mind couldn’t take the emotional assault.