Tully was her father's sister. A round, short, blond dynamo who dressed like she was twenty...or maybe sixteen. Except for the jewelry. It was all flash and proof that she'd married well. Several times. Tully was currently looking for husband number six.
Married or not, Tully loved men. All men--even those who were married or involved with other women. She was the life of the party, a charming drunk and completely lacking in boundaries. Katie both loved and feared her.
Jackson seemed to recover. He held out his hand. "You must be Aunt Tully. Nice to meet you."
"Come now," Tully said, holding out her arms. "We're family. We need to do more than shake hands."
He moved in warily and leaned toward her, as if to give her a nonromantic A-frame hug. It was like one of those twisted reality shows on TV. As much as Katie wanted to look away, she couldn't.
Tully waited until Jackson was close and slightly off balance, then grabbed him and pulled hard. He crashed into her ample chest, tried to right himself, and found the natural place his hands needed for leverage was her br**sts. Obviously determined not to touch them, he flailed for a few seconds before managing to step away. But not before Tully planted a kiss on his mouth.
Tully smiled with satisfaction. "Any good?" she asked Katie.
Katie moved toward the slightly stunned Jackson and slipped her arm through his. "He's mine. You can't have him."
Tully pouted, her blue eyes thoughtful. "Are you sure? I'll buy you a car. The new Lexus hybrid."
"Thanks, but no."
"Cash?"
Jackson cleared his throat. "Ms. McCormick, while I'm flattered by--"
Tully dismissed him with a wave. "You don't get to negotiate. Katie?"
"Sorry. No."
"Fine. I'll have to see who else is available. Does the groom have a brother?"
"No," Katie said, proud of herself for not suggesting Alex instead. While there would be karmic justice in having the man Courtney had stolen taken from her, it would create too much trouble for everyone else. Besides, there was a slight possibility that Courtney really did love Alex.
The elevator returned to their floor. Tully got on it.
"We'll take the next one," Katie said, thinking Jackson would need a moment.
"See you at the party."
The door closed.
Jackson leaned against the wall. "That was Aunt Tully."
"I tried to warn you."
"She wanted to buy me."
"I know."
"For cash."
"She likes men."
"She's old enough to be my mother."
"Technically she might be old enough to be your very young grandmother, but try not to think about it."
He shook his head and straightened. "Now I know why you needed a date for the wedding."
"My family isn't all bad. My parents are great. Courtney is very pretty." Katie wanted to add that it would be nice if Jackson didn't fall for her sister, but what was the point? He either would or wouldn't.
"Tully's the worst of it, right?" he asked.
Katie laughed. "Yes. I promise. The rest of my family will only ask pointed questions. Things like how long have we been going out and what are your intentions."
"They want you married, huh?"
"It's an ongoing goal. You'd think having a great career and lots of friends would be enough, but it's not. You, being a man, don't get the same kind of pressure."
"My mother makes not-so-subtle statements about wanting grandchildren, but I ignore her."
If only she could do the same, she thought. She tried, but every now and then, the volume got to her.
She pushed the down button to call the elevator. "Which begs the question--why aren't you married? Or are you one of those men who doesn't want to be tied down?"
"I like the idea of a wife and family," he said, moving next to her. "When I was younger, I couldn't get the girl."
She glanced at his broad shoulders, the sexy green eyes and the shape of his mouth. "At the risk of feeding your ego, I don't think that's a problem anymore."
"No. Now the problem is finding the right girl."
"What are you looking for?"
His gaze settled on her. There was something knowing in his expression. As if he thought maybe--
The elevator doors opened.
"Katie, darling. There you are." Katie's mother swayed slightly on her feet.
Katie got on the elevator and turned to her dad. "She's drunk."
"You think?" Her father held out his hand to Jackson. "Mike McCormick."
"Jackson Kent. I'm Tina's son."
"Of course." He kept his arm around his wife. "Your mother had two martinis."
Katie winced. "One usually puts her on her butt. While she's a charming drunk, I doubt this is the time or the place."
Janis patted her husband's cheek. "Don't be mad. You know you like me drunk. It's when you get lucky."
"Mo-om!" Katie covered her ears. "Please, stop. I don't want to hear this."
Janis smiled at her daughter. "You should be happy your parents are still having sex. It means we have a good marriage. You don't want us getting a divorce, do you?"
"Should I hum loudly?" Jackson asked with a grin.