“No. Your relatives have kept me on my feet all day.” She was frowning.
“And those look like such comfortable shoes.”
She wanted to stay angry at him but couldn’t. “Even my toenails ache.”
Jamie held up a set of car keys. “How about if I drive us home and I give you a foot massage?”
“Ecstasy,” she said. “Better than sex.”
“That’s because you haven’t been to bed with me yet.”
The look in his eyes took Hallie’s breath away for a moment. “There’s no ‘yet’ and I can’t leave with you. I’m here with Braden.”
Jamie glanced at the dance floor. “He doesn’t look like he’s suffering.” He caught Adam’s arm as he walked by. “Keep the boyfriend busy, will you? I’m taking Hallie home. Give him lots of cousins and mention the word ‘heiress’ often.”
“Will do,” Adam said, then bent and kissed Hallie’s cheek. “See you tomorrow.”
Jamie stepped back to let Hallie go ahead of him.
Turning, she tried to get Braden’s attention. She should tell him she was going to leave. No, she should stay there with him. Jamie telling Adam to say “heiress” was a low blow—but unfortunately true. Just minutes ago Braden had said the word in connection with Paige.
When Braden saw her, she made a motion toward the door and he blew her a kiss. He seemed to be okay with her leaving. She waved to Leland and he smiled back.
Jamie held the door to the big tent open for her. “Braden’s not exactly worried about your running off with another man, is he?”
“I don’t think he sees you as competition.”
“Then he’s a fool,” Jamie said.
Outside, she followed him through the many parked cars to a big black Range Rover. He opened the door for her, then stood back. It was a very high step up to get into the vehicle, and Hallie’s skirt was quite short and her heels very tall.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she said. “Mind giving me a hand?”
“No,” Jamie said. “I just want to watch.”
“What’s gotten into you tonight?”
“Can’t a man be a man?”
She didn’t understand what he meant and turned back to trying to figure out how to get into the big car without her skirt riding up to her waist.
Finally, Jamie took pity on her. He leaned his crutches against the car, put his hands on her waist, and lifted her up to the car seat. “Better?”
“Yes,” she said and turned around while he got in the driver’s side. On the console was a white bakery box. “What’s this?”
“Wedding cake. I thought we’d go home, open some champagne, and have some. Sound good?”
When she didn’t answer, Jamie turned toward her. It was late afternoon and the sunlight through the trees was nice. As always on Nantucket, the weather was divine. He knew that the air hadn’t been cleared between them. “Did you overhear my brother?” he asked, his light tone gone.
Hallie’s first instinct was to say no. It wasn’t polite to eavesdrop. But she didn’t lie. “Yes.”
“And that’s what you’ve been angry about?”
She gave a shrug.
Jamie reached over to take her hand. “First of all, my brother said all that, not me. Second, it’s his job to never believe anyone, and third, he’s very protective of me. He’s worried that I’m going to die at any second. He’d like to lock me away from everyone just to keep me safe.”
“Everything he said is true,” Hallie said softly.