The Danforths: Reid, Kimberly and Jake: The Cinderella Scandal / Man Beneath the Uniform / Sin City Wedding

‘‘Sorry if I interrupted.’’ In an attempt to see around Jason, Reid moved a couple feet to the left. Jason moved, too.

‘‘No problem,’’ Jason said, though his voice gave away his nervousness.

‘‘Look.’’ Reid sighed. ‘‘Why don’t we just—’’

‘‘What in the world are you doing out here? Are you crazy?’’

Startled at the sound of Tina’s hushed shout from behind him, Reid turned. She hurried across the patio toward them. Confused, Reid looked back at Jason, then watched a woman step hesitantly from the shadows.

Rachel.

‘‘Mom is looking for you both,’’ Tina said to her sister. ‘‘You’ve got to get back inside before—’’

‘‘What is going on out here?’’

At the sound of her mother’s voice, Tina froze, then slowly turned. Hands on her hips, eyes narrowed suspiciously, Mariska looked at the group assembled on the patio.

‘‘I was just—’’ Tina faltered. ‘‘We were just—’’

‘‘Rachel said she had a headache,’’ Reid said easily as he moved closer to Rachel. ‘‘I brought her out here for some fresh air.’’

Stunned, Tina looked at Reid, wasn’t quite sure why he was lying for them, but was thankful nonetheless.

‘‘That’s right,’’ Tina added quickly. ‘‘Jason and I just came out to see how she’s doing.’’

‘‘Oh.’’ Mariska glanced from Rachel to Reid, then her eyes widened with delight. ‘‘Ohh. I see. Yes, well, fresh air is good for a headache, is it not?’’

Nodding, Rachel glanced hesitantly at Reid, then smiled stiffly. ‘‘I…I’m feeling much better now.’’

Her mother was obviously hearing wedding bells, Tina knew. What her mother didn’t know, was that she was looking at the wrong groom.

‘‘Well, then,’’ Mariska said, already turning. ‘‘I will just go back inside and tell your father that you are all right.’’

‘‘We’ll be right there,’’ Reid called after her.

When Mariska disappeared back inside, Jason glared at Reid, then took Rachel’s hand in a blatant display of possessiveness. ‘‘Rachel, we’ve got to settle this now. I’ll talk to your parents and—’’

‘‘No.’’ Rachel pulled her hand from Jason’s, then looked at Reid. ‘‘We didn’t mean to involve you. I’m sorry.’’

Tears shining in her eyes, Rachel quickly followed after her mother. Jason started after her.

‘‘Jason.’’ Tina touched his shoulder and shook her head. ‘‘Please. Not now.’’

Jason stopped; a muscle jumped in his jaw. Shaking off Tina’s hand, he turned on his heel and stomped out the side garden gate, slamming it behind him.

Tina slowly released the breath she’d been holding. That had been close. Too close. Forcing a smile, she turned to Reid. ‘‘Thank you. You have no idea what kind of disaster you just diverted.’’

‘‘Why don’t you tell me?’’

Though her first impulse was to hold back, Tina reminded herself he had helped, after all. She supposed she at least owed him the truth. ‘‘Jason and Rachel are in love.’’

The look he gave her said, ‘‘Duh.’’

‘‘Rachel doesn’t like confrontation,’’ Tina explained. ‘‘She knows my parents wouldn’t approve of her dating Jason, so they’ve kept it a secret.’’

‘‘Why wouldn’t they approve?’’

‘‘For one thing, he’s an employee. That’s always been absolutely forbidden.’’

‘‘So why doesn’t he just quit?’’

‘‘It’s not that simple.’’ Tina sighed. ‘‘He’s also the lead singer in a band called Controversy.’’

‘‘The struggling musician,’’ Reid said thoughtfully.

‘‘A double whammy,’’ Tina said with a nod. ‘‘Even if he quit the bakery, my parents still wouldn’t approve. And Rachel won’t let him quit the band. She knows how much his music means to him.’’

‘‘Is he any good?’’

‘‘Rachel says so.’’ Tina hugged herself when a cold breeze swirled leaves around her feet. ‘‘But it’s a tough business.’’

‘‘You’re cold.’’ Reid shrugged out of his suit jacket and dropped it over her shoulders. ‘‘Here.’’

‘‘No, really, I’m fine, you don’t have to—’’

When he took hold of the lapels and tugged her closer, Tina’s protest died on her lips. She could feel his warmth inside the jacket, could smell his masculine scent on the brushed wool. When he tugged her closer still, her pulse skipped, then raced.

‘‘When I came out here tonight,’’ he said, gazing down at her, ‘‘I thought you were the woman Jason was kissing.’’

If she’d had any air left in her lungs, Tina might have laughed. ‘‘Me?’’

He nodded. ‘‘I thought you two were involved.’’

She did laugh now, though it was such a throaty, deep sound that she wondered where it came from. ‘‘That’s why you asked me about Jason earlier, after—’’ She stopped, felt her cheeks heat up.

‘‘After you kissed me,’’ he murmured.

‘‘I kissed you?’’ Lifting an indignant brow, she angled her head and met his dark gaze. ‘‘That’s not the way I remember it.’’

‘‘Yeah?’’ His gaze dropped to her mouth. ‘‘How do you remember it?’’

Ignoring the voice in her head that told her to run, Tina placed her palms flat on Reid’s chest and leaned into him. She felt the steady thud of his heart under her fingertips and the heat of his skin through his cotton dress shirt. ‘‘Remember what?’’

Smiling, he lowered his mouth to hers.

It was the same as before. The same wild rush. The same build of heat.

The same insanity.