The muscles in J.D.’s shoulders tensed. “Careful, Tiff,” he said. “I had my reasons.”

She flushed and her eyes sparked with anger. For a second he thought she might slap him. “None of them good, Jay,” she said through lips that barely moved. “None of them good.”

“Good, no. Valid, yes.”

“Philip and I had a . . . a strong marriage.” Her chin inched up a notch as if she dared him to challenge her.

“If it worked for you.”

“It did.”

He bit back a sharp retort and stared down at her. His gaze lingered on her lips for a second before lowering to the neckline of her blouse, where her skin was flushed with anger, her pulse leaping at the base of her throat. His bad knee throbbed, his stupid crotch was suddenly tight and he realized that he still wanted her. As he always had. Hell, what a mess.

“Mind if I sit down?” he asked, then didn’t wait for an answer, but slid into one of the tall ladder-back chairs that flanked an old claw-footed table.

“Suit yourself.” She ran stiff fingers through her hair, then seemed to realize she was being too defensive. Waving with one hand, as if to disperse the cloud of fury surrounding her, she said, “Come on, Jay. Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing down here? If it isn’t to spy on me, there must be a reason. The last I heard, you hated all things that had to do with me or this town.”

“Hate’s a pretty strong word.” But she was right. He didn’t trust her and as far as Bittersweet, Oregon, went, he had plenty of reasons to despise this small town filled with small-minded citizens.

Folding her arms over her chest she lifted one delicately arched eyebrow, silently urging him on.

“As I said, I’m here on business.”

“In Bittersweet?” She shoved a lock of blue-black hair from her eyes. “Don’t tell me you chased an ambulance all the way from Portland down here.”

That stung. “I left the firm.”

“No way.” She cocked her head as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. “But I thought you were a partner.”

“I was. Sold out.”

“So,” she encouraged, suddenly wary, “why?”

“Dad offered me a job with his company.”

She laughed without a drop of mirth. “Come on. Don’t give me that worn-out line about an offer you ‘couldn’t refuse,’ Jay.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, this is rich. You with Santini Brothers. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Neither did I.” He stretched his bad leg and rubbed at the pain in his knee through his jeans. “Since I was down here on business anyway, I thought I’d check up on you and the kids.”