Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
“Think you’ll dance with your hunky bodyguard again tonight?”
Barbara grinned at Riley’s reflection in the ladies’ room mirror Friday night.
Riley, Avery, and Frances had pulled off a minor miracle to surprise her for her thirtieth—the last of their foursome to hit the milestone birthday— along with fifty or so other guests at a popular new upscale downtown Houston restaurant they’d bought out for the evening.
Riley threw her friend a side-eye in the mirror. “Hard no. Not standard protocol.”
Frances chuckled. “Didn’t appear he was too worried about protocol Monday night at the fundraiser. You two were downright cozy on the dance floor.”
“He only accepted my invitation because it was a private residence with its own security team. This might be a private party, but I’m sure he’ll stick to his post tonight. Not when there was no way to vet everybody here.”
Riley studied her reflection. Rethinking her decision to wear a black blouse with her black jeans and boots, she cocked her head and scrunched her lips to one side. This was a party, after all, not a wake.
Her eyes met Fran’s in the mirror. “Frannie, trade tops with me. I look goth in all this black.”
“You look amazing in all that black,” Frances replied, while at the same time lifting her red sweater over her head. “But you look amazing in red too. Here you go.”
Barbara pulled her hands through her shoulder-length brown hair while Riley and Frances traded clothes. “Is he a believer?”
“I think so. His family founded Faith Community Church, but I don’t think he’s very active. Probably because of his work, but I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something … painful there.”
Avery blotted powder onto her face with a small pouf. “If he’s struggling with his faith, hanging with you can only be a good thing.”
Riley pulled the red sweater over her head. “For another week and two days.”
Then she’d probably never see him again. It surprised her how that didn’t thrill her like it would’ve a few days ago.
Grinning, Barbara’s brown eyes sparkled behind her fashionable cat-eye glasses. “I don’t think I’d mind having that Colton around so much if it were me. Is he dating anyone?”
Riley shrugged, her belly squirming at the image of Barbara and Colton … dating. “No idea. Want me to ask him for you?”
Barbara’s mouth dropped open. “No. Not for me. For you.”
Oh. “Yeah, no. Not gonna happen.” She pulled her hair out of the sweater and let it fall over her shoulders. “This is so much better, Fran. Thanks.”
Avery finished applying a coat of lipstick. “I wouldn’t be in a hurry to lose your detail if I were you, Riley. John said they’re no closer to finding the guy than they were at the beginning. You should think about keeping them around until they do.”
“We’ll see.” She smiled at her red-haired friend. “I noticed you and Detective John seemed awfully smitten. Did he ask you out, or did you ask him?”
“Both, actually. I asked if he’d like to grab a coffee after we did the composite sketch on Sunday, and when he walked me to my car after, he asked if I wanted to have dinner with him Wednesday. Then I invited him to Babs’ birthday party tonight.”
“You’ve seen each other two other times this week, and we’re just now hearing about it?”
Avery’s eyes glinted with her girlish giggle. “I didn’t want you guys thinking I was crazy. But he’s amazing.” Her smile beamed as she turned from the mirror. “I mean it. A man of faith, strong values, close to his family. Even Mom likes him, and you know how picky she is about the guys I date.”
“I’m happy for you.” She picked up her small black bag. “Let’s go back to the party. I want to dance, but I don’t want to keep these guys out too late. They’ve already put in a hectic week with me.”
Avery pulled her arm through Riley’s on their way out to join the other guests. “What does Graham think about your tall, blond, and gorgeous knight in shining armor?”
Riley winced. “He wasn’t thrilled to be watched at lunch on Monday. But I haven’t talked to him since then, so I don’t know.”
Fran shook her head. “Riley, you have to cut him loose. This is not a love match. You’re much too good for him.”
“Oh, I don’t think it’s that I’m too good for him. I just never intended for it to go anywhere beyond friendship, and it’s becoming more and more clear he has different ideas. I definitely need to rein it in, but I know he’ll be hurt.”
“Do it soon, sister,” Avery said over a heavy bass line thumping through speakers hanging overhead. “It’ll get harder the longer you wait. And, besides, you have a much bigger fish to reel in.”
Riley rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Trust me. Colton in no way finds me attractive.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Barbara said with a coy smile, staring across the dance floor. “Isn’t he supposed to be watching the room, not just you?”
Following her friend’s line of sight, Riley’s gaze snagged onto Colton’s across the expanse of the dance floor. And for a split second, she thought there might have been a spark of something in those amazing baby blues. Until he looked away.
Annoyance. More than likely all it was. Probably for being out of sight for too long.
Frances grinned. “Yeah, switching tops was smart. That red is definitely eye-catching.”