Read Diva 01 _ Diva Runs Out of Thyme, The for Free Online Page B

behind and Dad stood back to snap pictures on his fancy digital camera.

    “Is it true?” Hannah said. “Simon asked you out?”

    News traveled fast in the ballroom. “Where did you hear that?”

    “Everyone’s buzzing about it. I can’t believe it. My sister’s going to be rich. Filthy rich!”

    Great. The first date I’d had since my divorce could have been with a rich and charming guy and I was going to ruin it all by telling him I couldn’t go.

    Mom beamed. “I knew you wouldn’t be wearing flannel pajamas for long. That cute cop from yesterday is here, too. I believe he’s sweet on you.”

    Wolf? Here? I’d zeroed in on him because he looked like the kind of guy who liked food, but I didn’t imagine he’d be interested in the stuffing contest.

    Mars’s sister-in-law, Vicki, joined us and I could hear her husband, Andrew, talking too loudly nearby. Although Andrew looked a good deal like Mars, he’d never found contentment in any of his business undertakings. He drifted from idea to job to disaster on a regular basis. Thankfully, the svelte, very together Vicki sustained them by being one of Washington’s most-sought-after marriage counselors. She exuded self-confidence in a way I never could.

    Vicki gave me a big hug. “What’s this I hear? A new man in your life?”

    Hannah practically swooned. “Simon Greer asked her out. Can you believe it?”

    “Simon! Aren’t you the lucky one.”

    I excused myself to look for the rascal but could hear my mother asking Vicki, “Exactly how much is this Simon worth?”

    I plowed through the crowd searching for him but found Mars’s mother, June, instead. She waylaid me with a hug and kisses. I’d always enjoyed June and was genuinely pleased to see her. Mars’s entire family was present. Which made me wonder why Natasha’s mother hadn’t made the trip to cheer her daughter on. Or maybe she was there and I simply hadn’t seen her yet. With a twinkle in her lively eyes, June said, “I have to sit over by Natasha, but I’ll be cheering for you.”

    I was parched from all the chatting. Besides, I needed a fortifying cup of coffee to face Simon. I stopped by the refreshment table and was filling a cup with steaming coffee that smelled like hazelnuts when an arm curled around my shoulders. My ex-husband, Mars, short for Marshall. I’d known he would be there and steeled myself for a little shock of awkwardness that didn’t come. Seeing him again was like eating a bowl of lobster bisque. Warm, cozy, familiar, even a little exciting, but I didn’t want more. We would always be friends but I realized with joy at that moment that I truly had moved on.

    Mars’s magnetic personality earned him the nickname Teflon Mars among friends. No matter how dire his actions, everything slid off of him. A handy attribute for a political advisor.

    He kissed my cheek. “Good luck, Soph. Don’t tell Nat but your country bread stuffing was always my favorite.”

    “Gnat? You call her Gnat, like a bug?”

    He shook hands with someone and we moved away from the coffee setup. “Yeah, she hates it. So undignified.”

    He jammed his hands into his pockets, a gesture I knew well. Something was wrong.

    “I hear Simon is taking you out.”

    This was my lucky day. I couldn’t resist a chance to tweak Mars a little bit. “The ballet.”

    “Steer clear of him, Soph. You’ll end up getting hurt.”

    “Why, Mars,” I said in my best imitation of Scarlett O’Hara, “I do believe you might be a tad jealous.”

    I’d always liked Mars’s eyes. They twinkled with humor like his mother’s. He stared at me with those kind eyes.

    “He’s trouble. On the outside Simon comes across as a great guy, but he’s crafty and conniving beneath that facade. Trust me on this, Soph. Don’t get involved with him. He’s ruthless. He didn’t get to be rich by being nice.”

    I didn’t resist the grin that came to my lips. “You don’t get to tell me what to do