LITMIR.BIZ

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give extra consideration to all the handsome, eligible men we invited.”

      “Yes, but we never suspected…you’re right,” Bess said suddenly. “Maybe that’s why she’s not here. She’s angry with us because she thinks we set her up by sending Mitch down there.”

      “Well, she has every right to be.” Martin put the phone down and took a seat on a cushioned chair in the hallway. “Crystal most probably suspects we were matchmaking. Which we were, just not with our neighbor in mind. We had no way of knowing he’d be in town, and even if we had known…”

      He trailed off. Bess thought that was a minor dilemma they’d been spared. “Oh, dear, what a quandary!” She paced for a moment before snapping her fingers. “If Mitch shows up tonight, which would be the height of ill manners, we will endeavor to keep them apart. There are enough rooms in this house to achieve that.”

      Elle nodded. “That way she’ll know we weren’t trying to run her life. Uh, aren’t trying to run her life.”

      “Exactly,” Bess agreed.

      The doorbell rang, and the three shot downstairs. Bess couldn’t see anyone through the panes of the front door, so she cautiously opened it.

      Outside, a small neighborhood boy staggered under the cumbersome girth of an enormous garden bouquet of salmon-and-white garden roses. Bess recognized the child and relieved him of the burden. “How lovely!”

      Martin plucked the note from the roses. “It’s addressed to Crystal.”

      Elle chucked the little boy under the chin. “Thank you, honey. Are you a secret admirer of Crystal’s?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

      “No. He is,” the child said, pointing across the street at Mitch’s home before speeding off.

      The threesome gaped at one another.

      “I don’t think this bodes well. Crystal’s definitely going to think we’re up to something,” Bess warned.

      “I’d read the note, but I think that comes under the heading of spying or snooping, something I’m not ready to stoop to,” Martin said, replacing the note in the roses.

      “Oh, dear,” Elle moaned. “Wouldn’t he just complicate things for us on Crystal’s second big night? The night we’re planning to relaunch her into the dating stream?”

      “No need to upset her.” Bess swept the flowers into the kitchen, putting them in a vase and burying the card among the stems. “We’ll tell her about the flowers after the party.”

      They went into the front dining room to survey the hors d’oeuvres they’d labored over. The tablecloth shone white and lacy under the light. Peach candles glowed in tall silver holders. “I wish she’d come on,” Bess grumbled. “I want Martin to run her off on the ‘errand’ before the guests arrive.” All the tension of the evening was beginning to build in her muscles and in the back of her neck. She didn’t want anything to spoil the surprise for Crystal. This should be a night of happiness for my daughter.

      “I’ll try her house again,” Martin said. “And the shop.”

      “You need not bother. It’ll be a few more minutes before she gets here,” Elle said suddenly, letting the lace panel of the drape fall back into place. “She just went into Mitch’s house.”

      CRYSTAL HAD TO FORCE herself to move past Mitch into the hallway. Her heart beat quickly, enough to make her feel even more nervous than she already was. He stared at her with curious eyes, and every instinct screamed that she’d made a mistake in coming. “I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday,” she said, her tone crisp to cover her discomfort. “Not that I appreciate the joke that was played on me, of course. But I overreacted to something that was, after all, only a joke.”

      His eyes widened. “I didn’t play a joke on you, Crystal. And I certainly understood your reaction. Actually, I was quite stunned to be jerked inside your store.”

      “It’s hard to believe you,” she murmured. “My trio of loving family members had just been stating their feelings about my unwed status. And then, presto! Available high school boyfriend appears, like a canned man. Instant relationship. Or at least I suppose they’d hoped it would be.”

      “I’m not available,” he corrected her, “nor would I be a candidate for a canned man, as you put it.”

      Her lips parted just a fraction, though she caught herself before her mouth fell completely open. “Not available! I haven’t heard anything about you being married.” Then she blushed, because she had as much admitted she’d been keeping an ear attuned to his bachelor status.

      “Oh, you mean available as in unmarried!” he exclaimed, as if he hadn’t known all along that was what she’d meant. A twinkle gleamed in his eyes. “Since you’re inquiring, actually, I am currently unattached.”

      “I was not inquiring,” Crystal said, her feathers totally ruffled. “It makes no difference to me at all. I’m a very happy single woman, and I couldn’t care less about any man!”

      “Ooh, that sounds angry.” He pulled her by the hand into the sitting room. “Care to talk to me about it?”

      “No!” Jerking her hand out of his, she glared at him.

      He appeared nonplussed. “Oh. I just thought maybe you had some issues with men you’d like to talk about.”

      “I wouldn’t discuss them with you, even if I did have men issues, which I most certainly do not!”

      “Well, clearly something’s going on, if your family is jerking strange men off the street to go out with you.” He sucked his teeth in a “poor Crystal” emphasis as he shook his head. “Think of me as your big brother, ready to counsel you.”

      If Crystal could have steamed, she would have. “The last person I would ever want to help me with any psychological trauma is you. You are no big brother figure in my life, Mitch McStern!”

      “I see it now,” he murmured.

      “See what?” she demanded, cursing herself for falling for his ploy.

      “That fire you used to have. Ah, Crystal, I thought you’d lost your shine for good. All you needed was a little heat, and the radiance is reflecting right back off your transparent heart.”

      He pulled her into his arms, giving her a kiss that was guaranteed to melt any remaining ice she might have possessed. Crystal struggled at first, outraged, before slowly allowing herself to give in to the memories. He still kissed the same, wonderfully gentle and deep, taking his time with her. She was special in his arms. He had the power to make her feel that way. If he was heat to her ice, she was liquid water now, flowing smooth and wet.

      She gasped when he pulled away from her. His hand swooshed a fast smack to her fanny, and she jumped away from him as if lightning had zapped her. “Oh!”

      “A kiss for good luck, and a spanking to grow on. Happy birthday, Crystal.”

      “How dare you?” He stood looking at her smugly, and Crystal wanted to smack him upside the head with a sofa cushion.

      The phone rang, startling both of them. She whirled to leave.

      “Uh-uh,” he said, grabbing hold of her wrist. “No running off in a huff or the previously offered apology is moot.”

      “I’m not apologizing for being angry now!” Crystal tried to loosen her wrist but she couldn’t. His grip was strong, and his grin was huge. He was toying with her!

      He reached to answer the phone, and she considered sending a fast kick to his ankle. But he shook his head at her, warning her in case she made that mistake. The way things were going, they’d end up on the floor in a wrestling match, and that would do no good for the little composure she had left.

      “Elle? How are you doing? I haven’t seen you, well, since yesterday,

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