“Thanks. I think I’ll keep Mint around after all.”
“Your political manager?”
“Yes.”
“You were actually thinking of firing the guy?”
Seeing her serious expression, he wanted to assure her that wasn’t the case. “Not hardly. Mint Stover and I have been a team since our college days at Harvard. He always said if I ever ran for public office that he would be my campaign manager. Mint does a great job, although sometimes he does get carried away with how he wants to direct my future.”
She nodded as she followed him to the table. Glancing over his shoulder at her, their gazes met. He couldn’t stop the electrical current that passed through him. He figured she had to have felt it, too. They could either ignore it or address it. It seemed she planned to ignore it, so he thought it would be best to follow her lead.
The last thing he needed was to become involved with a woman, no matter what advice the senate majority leader had given him. When he’d met with Senator Lansing, he’d pretty much agreed with Roman. When and if he ever decided to marry it should be for love and not politics. Roman was glad his mentor felt that way because he wasn’t in a hurry to make any woman the future Mrs. Roman Malone.
However, he would admit there was something going on with him and Victoria. There was an attraction—he knew that, but he wasn’t sure that was all there was. But then what more could there be? Hadn’t she told him yesterday that she was promised to someone? He’d heard about her great-grandmother’s matchmaking schemes from her brothers and cousins.
It just so happened that Felicia Laverne Madaris was also good friends with his father’s sister, his aunt Nora. It seemed the old lady had a pretty good track record for getting people together. He wondered what kind of man she had chosen for Victoria.
“Thanks for breakfast, Roman.”
He slid into the chair across from her. How could a woman who was about to spend the day fishing smell so good? “It’s the least I could do since you might have a disappointing day.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t think I’ll be able to catch anything?”
A smile touched his lips. “I’m keeping my opinions to myself.”
“That might be best,” she said, smiling back.
He tried not to stare when she bit into her muffin and then used her tongue to lick a crumb off her top lip. Hearing her moan afterward didn’t help, either. “This muffin is so good.”
Roman forced his heart rate to slow. Otherwise he might have a heart attack. She was affecting him just that much. He had to get a grip. He wasn’t a man who lost his focus for any reason. But then there was a reason—a real good reason—and she was sitting across from him. “Glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it.”
He wondered what else she loved. For some reason he was goaded into finding out. “Tell me about this guy you’re ‘promised’ to. How does he feel about it?”
The sound of her chuckle seemed to float across him like he figured the caress of her hand would have done. “He doesn’t know it yet. But then again, he might have figured things out, which is why he hasn’t called for our rain check.”
“Your rain check?”
“Yes, we ran in to each other over a week ago. He asked me to dinner, but I couldn’t go because Christy was in town. He and I agreed on a rain check and exchanged phone numbers. He hasn’t called.”
In a way Roman was glad he hadn’t. He then pondered what she’d said, which propelled him to ask about it. “You’re promised to a man you don’t know that well?”
She looked at him. “What gave you that idea?”
He took a sip of coffee, then shrugged. “You said you ran in to him and the two of you exchanged numbers.”
“Only because Tanner and I never had a reason to have each other’s phone numbers. Tanner Jamison. Do you know him?”
Roman shook his head. “No.”
“I thought maybe you did since he’s a good friend of Blade’s. In fact, Blade, Tanner and Wyatt Bannister are thick as thieves.”
Nodding, Roman said, “I know Wyatt Bannister very well since he’s Marilyn’s nephew. A lot of summers that I spent in Houston with Jonathan and Marilyn while growing up would often include Wyatt. He also lived in San Antonio, not far from my grandparents’ home. Whenever I visited them, I got to spend time with Wyatt, as well. However, I don’t recall ever meeting any friend of his and Blade’s named Tanner Jamison.”
Victoria nodded. “Probably because Blade, Wyatt and Tanner became close friends during their college years.”
She then took a small bite of her muffin and added, “I’m sure Tanner assumed it was a coincidence that we ran in to each other at that bakery last week, but now I know our paths would have crossed eventually.”
“Why do you think that?”
She licked a crumb from her lips again before leaning over the table. “Because we’re dealing with my great-grandmother, Felicia Laverne Madaris. She never leaves anything to chance. Tanner told me she suggested he look me up when he got to New Orleans. And then she gave both of us gift cards to Susan’s Bakery, the very place where I happened to run in to him. That’s a clear sign of her handiwork.”
Roman sipped his coffee. “You’re not bothered that your great-grandmother is doing that? Selecting a man for you?”
“No. I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Nolan when he called to warn me after finding out I was next on Mama Laverne’s ‘marry off’ list. I have no problem with our great-grandmother finding a husband for me. It frees up my time in doing so because I know Mama Laverne is going to vet him to the nth degree.”
He leaned back in his seat. “So you’re looking for a husband?”
She rolled her eyes. “Heck no. A permanent man in my life is the last thing I want now, but if Mama Laverne says I’m next, then I’m not going to buck the idea. She has an astounding track record and I hear about too many women out there who can’t find a good man. I’m happy to let her find one for me.”
He took another sip of coffee. “Are the people she put together happy?”
“They’re extremely happy and in love, but believe me when I say that originally, they were upset with how she did things.”
He didn’t say anything as he thought about what she’d said. He could understand them being upset about it. Who would want their lives manipulated that way, regardless of the outcome?
He bit into his muffin and instantly decided he liked it. “This is good.”