Page 5 of Montana Born

“The tequila don’t care. Tequila is very friendly to other liquors. Oh, and bring everyone a shot of your best tequila while you’re at it. Elle is paying for those.”

Armando hurried away after counting heads and promising shots and margaritas for everyone except her mother.

Margie Tyler was a proper lady. How she’d ended up with a circus for a family was a mystery. She didn’t cuss, drink or ever raise her voice. She dressed tastefully and was so sweet sometimes it made Elle’s teeth hurt.

“Why in the world would you bring an important client to dinner on a Wednesday night?” Her mother grabbed Elle’s arm and steered her away from the others. “They won’t give the poor man a chance to get a word in edgewise.”

At the murmur of voices from other restaurant patrons, they looked to the entrance just as Lori and Sandy walked in. Sandy clung to her twin’s arm to keep from falling off her four-inch heels. Both were dressed what looked like belly dancing costumes, except, thankfully, their midsections were covered. Long sparkling earrings hung from their ears and they wore enough necklaces to make Mr. T proud.

It was a stupid mistake. She’d call Sullivan Cole right away and make excuses. “I’m going to call him and reschedule,” Elle announced to no one in particular, held up her phone and hurried to the doorway. When she attempted to round her cousins, Sandy latched on to her arm. “What are Deana and Jennifer doing here? Who invited them?”

“Since when does anyone need an invitation for Wednesday night?” Elle yanked her arm away.

Sandy screamed and flapped her arms twice before falling backward into Armando’s tray full of margaritas. Unfortunately, Elle tried to save a pitcher only for it to flip forward and splash all over her feet.

“Dang it!” She leaned forward just as Armando straightened the tray slamming her in the face.

Elle wobbled backward and would have landed on her butt if not for someone catching her around the waist.

Huffing, she pushed her rescuer’s hands away. “Lori, get your sister to the table. I have to go outside and cancel with my client. Although I don’t like the man, even he doesn’t deserve to be around my crazy ass family.”

“Should I leave then?”

The deep voice pouring over her was colder than the frozen margarita mush between her toes.

It seemed Sullivan Cole had arrived early.

Damn his punctuality.