Free Kansas City Christmas by Julie Miller Page A

gentleman. He took care of your meal bill as well. Enjoy.”
    “Wait a minute.” But the waiter was already dashing back into the kitchen to fulfill another order.
    Jillian winked. “Do you have a secret admirer?”
    “No, I…I think you do.”
    “Good afternoon, ladies.” Holly noted the pricey wool suit before looking up into chiseled features that were a few years older, but just as strikingly handsome as they’d been during Jillian’s darkest days. “Mind if I join you?”
    Blake Rivers shook his straight blond hair off his forehead and let his Ivy League smile encompass both sisters.
    Holly’s stunned reaction to the young man’s forwardness delayed her response a moment too long. “We were just leav—”
    “Sure.” Jillian scooted over and patted the seat beside her. “It’s been a long time, Blake. I thought you were off to graduate school at M.I.T.”
    “I was. Mother and Father insisted I go back and finish my degree.” He unbuttoned his jacket and sat next to Jillian, draping his arm along the back of the booth as if they were all old friends.
    Holly curled her fingers in her lap, resisting the urge to reach across the table and knock his arm away from its comfortable perch behind Jillian’s shoulders. Instead, she bided her time, assessing the clarity of his blue eyes and trying to get a whiff of him beneath the cologne he wore. Her first impression was that he wasn’t currently using. But the cologne might be masking the scent of any alcohol he’d been drinking.
    Blake’s cool blue eyes smiled as though he was aware of her scrutiny—aware that she couldn’t find fault with him today. Not like the night when he’d dumped a stoned Jillian off on Holly’s apartment stoop and driven back to rejoin a party where they’d both gotten plastered.
    Holly tipped her chin and met his silent challenge head on. “So, what brings you back to Kansas City, Blake?”
    “I’m working at Caldwell Technologies, in their product development department.”
    Jillian prompted him to continue. “Sounds interesting.”
    “I’m in the civilian division, developing a robotics project. Caldwell Tech also has a military supply division that produces everything from communication and guidance software to experimental weaponry.” He dropped his hand down to brush Jillian’s shoulder. “If you’re interested, we could go out tonight, and I could fill you in on all the details of my work.”
    The two of them out on the town? No way. “Honey, you can’t go clubbing.”
    Blake answered before Jillian could speak. “You misunderstand me, Holly. I was thinking more along the lines of inviting Jillian to our office Christmas party tonight. Refined company. State-of-the-art catering and decor. The reception is being held at our headquarters building in Lenexa. I think she’d love it. And it would give us a chance to get reacquainted.”
    Fine. He could play the polite facade, but she needed to remind them of some nitty-gritty facts. “You both have had dependency issues in the past. Don’t you think it’s a bit risky to attend a party like that? I’m sure there will be alcohol there, and who knows what else?”
    Jillian rolled her eyes before sending over a reassuring smile. “C’mon, Holly. That’s Eli talking. You can’t protect me from every single temptation in the world. I have to live a normal life. And I’ve been doing that just fine for a long time now. A date with Blake sounds like fun.”
    “Good. Then it’s settled.” Blake squeezed Jillian’s shoulders in a sideways hug. “Where are you staying now?”
    “At Holly’s apartment. Two blocks south of Brush Creek Boulevard.”
    As Jillian proceeded to recite the exact address and home phone number, Holly realized two things. Her baby sister really had grown up and taken control of her own life. And, she wasn’t entirely comfortable with Blake Rivers knowing where she lived. Something about unnamed callers and someone she didn’t trust