She moved toward the couples trickling out the back door, leaving Josh with her still-confused friend. The number of guests had increased to about twenty. Bart was talking to three other men, and Josh considered joining them, but he needed to figure out a way to encourage Megan to keep him around longer. If not, he might find himself kicked out before he’d even started investigating. He had a hunch Libby would make a perfect ally.
“Why don’t we get you a drink?” he asked, motioning to the bar, where Megan’s brother had taken up residence. Apparently all his experience from their grandparents’ parties was being put to use for the evening.
Half-empty glass in hand, Josh led the way.
Kevin gave him a measured glare before flashing a smile at Libby. “What can I get for my favorite hippie?”
Libby rolled her eyes, but her grin neutralized the action. “I’ll take a glass of white wine. And how many times do I have to tell you I’m not a hippie? That generalization would apply more to your sister than to me.”
Kevin grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass. “She works for an environmental nonprofit, and that’s the extent of it. You dye your own clothes, grow your own food, and make art out of recycled glass. Hippie.”
Libby laughed, a happy sound that helped ease some of Josh’s tension over being left alone with Megan’s hostile family and friends. At least not all of them were hostile.
“Please. I dyed some clothes in high school for an art project, and I have tomato plants in pots on the balcony of my apartment. That hardly qualifies me for a commune.”
Kevin handed Libby her glass. “But you do make art out of recycled glass. Megan told me about your exhibit. Belated congrats.”
“Thanks.”
Though she’d been standing to the side of the bar, listening in on their conversation, Blair finally spoke up, her gaze locked on Josh. “Maybe Megan’s turned vegan or something,” she said with a tight smile. “Has she, Josh?”
Kevin turned to look at him.
He froze. Damn her. “No. She definitely hasn’t.” He turned his attention to Kevin. “Have you got any beers back there?”
“Preference?”
“Anything alcoholic.”
Kevin opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle, popping off the top before handing it to Josh.
“Spending time with your fiancée’s family got you drinking?” Blair asked in a snotty tone.
“No, it’s not her family.” He took a big swig.
Libby burst out laughing. “Don’t mind Blair. I don’t think she’s ever approved of any of our boyfriends.” Swooping in to his rescue, she hooked her arm through his and dragged him away from the bar, leading to the other side of the pool, which was blessedly absent of guests.
Josh scanned the deck, which was now dotted with more than three dozen people. He spotted Megan in the center of a small group. He hadn’t known her long, but he could tell the smile on her face was forced.
Libby looked to see what had his attention, then shot him a grin. “How long have you known Megan?”
“About eight hours.”
Libby choked on her wine and began to cough. “I’m sorry. Did you say eight hours?”
Which was his cue to launch into an abbreviated version of the turn of events.
“So you’re helping her out of the kindness of your heart?” she asked with a sly grin.
“Of course. I have a few spare days, so I figured why not?”
She shook her head. “You’re lying.”
He’d been accused of as much by Blair and Megan, but the way Libby said it came across differently. His breath caught. What did she know?
He took a drink of his beer, seeking out Megan in the crowd. She was caught between two women who were talking nonstop. She held her hand to her face, and he couldn’t keep from smiling when he realized she was trying to hide a yawn.
Focus, McMillan. Megan’s best friend had just accused him of lying, and he was acting like a middle-school boy with a crush. “Why do you say that?”
“The way you’re looking at her right now. Like you’ve been fed salad for six months and Megan’s a medium-rare steak.”
He turned to her, surprised by the anger that smoldered in his gut. “What are you accusing me of? Do you think I’m out to hurt her?”
“No,” she said, taking another sip of her wine and looking over at Megan. “Quite the opposite. I think you really like her.”
“So I’m pretending to be her fiancé to get her into bed?” he asked, sounding indignant, though the thought of her in bed with him . . .
Well, now that it was in his head, it would be hard to get it out. Down, boy. Wondering what Megan Vandemeer looked like sans clothes wouldn’t help his case.
“No, I think you’re helping her out of a difficult situation because there’s a spark between you two and you want the chance to get to know her better.”
“By pretending to be her fiancé?”
She shrugged, still grinning at him. “Hey, stranger things have happened.”
“So you approve?”
“Wholeheartedly. The guy she was supposed to marry is a cutthroat bastard. Only, Megan wore blinders the entire time and refused to see it until she saw more than she ever wanted to when she found him screwing his secretary on his desk.”
Josh cringed at the mental image, but it bothered him even more to think about what it must have done to Megan. “And how do you know I’m not a cutthroat bastard, too?”
She grabbed the beer out of his hand and set it on a nearby table along with her wine. Then she picked up his right hand and spread out his palm. Her index finger traced the lines. “Your love line. It runs deep and long.” She looked up into his face. “Your love is very strong and loyal. You will probably only truly love one woman, and you will fall head over heels within a day of meeting her.”
He chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”
A mischievous glint filled her hazel eyes. “That’s what makes it all the better. You’re not that kind of man.” She traced more lines, smoothing out the pad of his hand with her thumb. “No, you’re usually methodical. You think everything through and have a detailed plan. You’re not prone to that sort of impulsiveness.”
Josh told himself that she was guessing. But how had she managed to describe him so perfectly? Besides, she’d formed her opinion before she even looked at his hand.
“There’s a branch in your life line that suggests you will veer off your usual path. That you take a risk and find love. It totally changes the course of your life.” She looked up at him with a quizzical expression. “Are you on a journey right now, Josh McMillan?”
He tried not to visibly react. “That sounds like a philosophical question. Aren’t we all on a journey?”
“Am I interrupting something?”
The surprise made Josh jump, and he swiveled to find Megan standing next to him. He knew it looked bad. Libby was caressing his hand while they looked into each other’s eyes. Libby was a beautiful woman. Her almost-black hair, olive complexion, and dancing hazel eyes gave her an exotic look. But while Josh noticed her beauty, he wasn’t drawn to it.