Page 10 of A Tempting Seduction

“Ladies, ladies.” I held up my hands, trying to restore peace. “Can we please focus on quilting? Dorothy, show me that corner technique you mentioned last week.”

Dorothy winked at me but obediently launched into a demonstration of mitered corners, though I caught her muttering something about “young people these days” under her breath. Margaret continued to look flustered while the others settled back into their work with knowing smiles.

The evening flew by in a blur of stitching and gentle chatter. By the time we packed up our supplies, I'd managed to forget about Ford Larson for a full twenty minutes.

Yay, progress!

Maverick's Bar and Grill buzzed with its usual Tuesday night crowd when I walked in at eight-thirty. The familiar scent of fried food and beer mixed with the sound of classic rock playing from the jukebox. I spotted Maddie Avery and Fallon Vickers at their usual corner table, both nursing drinks and deep in conversation.

“Ruby!” Maddie waved me over, her expression a mixture of relief and exasperation. “Thank goodness you're here. I need someone with sense to talk to.”

I slid into the booth beside Fallon, who looked like she was floating on a cloud of pure happiness. The contrast between the two women couldn't have been starker. Maddie's dark hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and stress lines creased her forehead. Fallon glowed like a woman deeply in love, her blonde hair perfectly styled and her smile soft and dreamy.

“Let me guess,” I said to Maddie. “Drake's coming for another visit.”

“Yep, big brother arrives next week.” Maddie took a long sip of her beer. “And you know what that means. Total chaos. Trenda won’t have to worry, because Simon will keep him away. Zoe won’t have to worry because she’ll just make sure she’s not around. Piper, Evie and Karen are all taking a spa day. So, it’s a win.”

“What about Chloe?”

“That’s the problem. He doesn’t know how to approach Chloe. Heck, none of us do. Heaven knows we’ve tried. It breaks my heart, it really does.” I hated seeing Maddie—and Chloe for that matter—in so much pain.

“Even with his shiny new degree in psychology?” Fallon asked.

Maddie sighed. “She’s seeing a therapist now, so he knows enough not to butt in. We all agree that getting back with Zarek is the right thing for her to do… at least that’s what we’ve thought.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Haven’t they been together forever?”

Maddie nodded. “But I think seeing him brings her a lot of pain. Maybe they are truly over.” I could see tears glistening in her eyes. “The good news is, she is coming out of her shell a little bit. She showed me a couple of panels that weren’t inked in for a new issue of Oracle’s Silence. It hits hard. I don’t think she realizes that she’s taking parts of her own life and putting it on the page. This might just be the thing to get her through her pain.”

“Oh Maddie, that would be such a blessing,” I agreed.

“But in the meantime, Drake’s focus will be on you.” Fallon pouted as she grabbed a chili cheese fry.

I rubbed my hands together. “Talk to Trenda. Suggest that she and Simon go away for a long weekend so that Drake can babysit Bella and his namesake. He loves Bella, and that little rascal, Little Drake, is the apple of his eye.”

“That’s brilliant!” Maddie bounced in her seat. She squeezed me around my neck.

I caught the waitress's attention and ordered a Diet Coke.

“Any other ideas, oh wise woman?” Maddie asked as she scooped up some chili fries and dipped them in horseradish. I shuddered.

“Maybe you need to give him a project,” I suggested. “Something that keeps him busy and makes him feel useful without driving you crazy.”

Maddie's eyes sharpened with interest. “What kind of project?”

“Onyx Security. Simon and Roan could probably use his expertise for something. Get him focused on helping other people instead of micromanaging you.”

“Ruby, you sly little minx.” Maddie grinned. “I’m liking this. He'd feel important, they'd get free consulting, and I'd get to breathe.”

“Win-win-win,” I wiggled my eyebrows.

Fallon had been listening with half her attention, her fingers absently twisting the engagement ring on her left hand. “Sorry, what were we talking about?”

Maddie and I exchanged amused looks. “Drake's visit,” I said. “But you're thinking about planning your wedding, aren't you?”

Fallon's cheeks turned pink. “Michael and I were talking last night about keeping it small. Maybe twenty people, somewhere intimate. His parents' backyard has that beautiful garden, and we could string lights in the trees...”

“That sounds perfect,” I said sincerely. “Small weddings are more personal, anyway.”