LITMIR.BIZ

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the skill of a consummate leader, McKenzie ushered the group into her elegant dining room, where a beautiful feast was laid out.

      “Wow, this looks fantastic,” Julia Winston, the town librarian, exclaimed.

      “I can’t believe you spent all this money to cater a meal,” Linda Fremont grumbled. “Why couldn’t we have just done potluck, like we always do?”

      “An eightieth birthday requires something special, I believe,” McKenzie said. “And anyway, Ben insisted. This is our gift to Hazel but also our gift to the rest of you. And since he’s got more money than God, I try not to argue with him when he wants to do something special for my friends.”

      “Why doesn’t Ben have any brothers?” Samantha Fremont complained. The normally effervescent Sam seemed subdued tonight, but then she had been down ever since her best friend—Marshall and Wynona’s sister, Katrina—had caught a wild hair after a breakup that summer and took off to see the world.

      “Ben is one of a kind,” his mother, Lydia, said with a fond smile.

      “He is, indeed,” McKenzie said. “Don’t think about it. Just sit back and enjoy the fabulous food. Serrano’s went above and beyond with this one.”

      The food was, indeed, delicious. Andie was nibbling on a plate of fabulous spinach lasagna when Eliza Caine sank into the chair beside her.

      “Hi, Andie. You’re just the person I need!”

      Andie instantly set down her fork. “Please tell me you’re looking for somebody to hold that sweet little boy of yours!”

      Eliza laughed. “Well, that wasn’t what I meant, but sure.”

      She carefully handed over tiny Liam Dermot Caine, born just before Thanksgiving. Andie took the bundle-wrapped infant and nestled him in her arms, falling in love all over again with his shock of dark hair like his father’s and the big blue eyes she hoped would stay that color.

      “Oh, he’s precious,” she murmured.

      “Isn’t he?” Eliza beamed.

      Liam made a little squawk of a sound and managed to tug his fist out of the bundling so he could suck on the edge of it.

      “He loves that fist. I don’t know what it is,” Eliza said. “It’s funny—Maddie did the very same thing.”

      “When my kids were little, I never wanted to do anything but sit and hold them.”

      “It’s the best part of being a new mom, isn’t it? I’m with you on that, but when Aidan’s anywhere around, I usually have to arm wrestle him for the chance. He’s completely enamored with being a father.”

      She was charmed to the core at the idea of the sexy genius CEO behind Caine Tech losing his heart to his infant son.

      “Aidan and Liam aren’t exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, though.”

      “Oh?”

      “I need a favor.”

      “Sure,” Andie said. She was feeling so warm and content right about now with adorable Liam in her arms, she would have agreed to just about anything.

      She had the random stray brainstorm that warring parties ought to take note and consider passing around sleepy, cuddly babies during complicated negotiation sessions. It would make the world a much more gentle place.

      “It’s not a huge favor. You might actually enjoy it. From what I hear, most women would.”

      “What is it?”

      Eliza let out a breath. “Aidan has this younger brother who’s coming to town for the holidays,” she began.

      Cute baby notwithstanding, Andie’s stomach did a crazy somersault, as if she’d just jumped off a ski lift without her skis. She knew what was coming and she didn’t want Eliza to go on. Why couldn’t she just sit here and hold the baby?

      “How nice for Aidan to have family here,” she said cautiously. “He comes from a large one, doesn’t he?”

      “An understatement. He’s the third of seven and they’re all wonderful. Truly wonderful, though a little overwhelming. It’s our year for hosting everyone, but Aidan was worried it would be too much this year, with a new baby and all. It worked out because he’s got a sister and a sister-in-law who are both expecting and due next month, so they all decided to stay in Hope’s Crossing and will come out this summer.”

      “Where does the brother fit in?”

      “Oh. Jamie. He called last week and asked if he could spend a few days with us, and of course we were thrilled.”

      “I thought Aidan didn’t want his family to overwhelm you.”

      “This is just Jamie. He and Aidan have always been close and we haven’t seen him in a year, since he’s been deployed overseas. Jamie is a pilot and he’s thinking about getting out of the military and maybe taking a job flying Caine Tech execs around.”

      “Oh. That would be nice for Aidan, to have his brother working with him.” If Andie could keep Eliza talking, maybe her friend would forget to ask the favor Andie was very much afraid she didn’t want to hear.

      “It would be great. The thing is, Jamie doesn’t know anybody in Haven Point except us and he’s used to a pretty active social life.”

      By that, Andie inferred Aidan’s brother was a player. This just kept getting better and better. She wanted to get up and walk to the other side of the room, but she had a feeling Eliza might protest if she kidnapped cute little Liam.

      “So here’s the thing,” Eliza finally said slowly, “I was wondering if you might be interested in showing Jamie around town a little, maybe go to the movies with him or up to the dinner theater in Shelter Springs.”

      She let out a breath as her somersaulting stomach started rolling with wild abandon. “I, um...” she began, then stopped, not sure what to say.

      “If you’re worried about the kids, Aidan and I would be happy to have Will and Chloe hang out with Maddie at Snow Angel Cove anytime and I know she would love having friends over.”

      Oh, this was awkward. She treasured her friendship with Aidan and Eliza—and his company was her biggest client. How could she possibly refuse in a graceful way?

      Yet how could she possibly agree?

      “Why me?” she finally said.

      Eliza gave a sheepish sort of smile. “I thought it might be good for both of you. Jamie is charming and sweet and very kindhearted. He might seem a little on the shallow side, but he’s really not. He’s been through a rough time lately and could use a friend, someone different from the kind of girls he usually dates.”

      He definitely sounded like a player—exactly the sort of guy she had always tried to avoid.

      “You, on the other hand, can be entirely too serious and you don’t take nearly enough time for yourself,” Eliza went on. “We thought maybe a few dates with someone sweet and funny and gorgeous like Jamie might be good for you.”

      “Who is we?” she asked. She couldn’t imagine Aidan had anything to do with this. If it wasn’t a computer screen or his beloved family, Aidan had a hard time focusing.

      Eliza’s smile was more than sheepish this time. “A few of us. Wyn and McKenzie and Meg,” she said, confirming Andie’s worst suspicions. “When I mentioned that Jamie was coming to stay for a while and I wanted to set him up with exactly the right person, your name was the first one that came to mind.”

      “How could I be the right person for anyone?” she murmured, unable to meet her friend’s gaze. “You know I’m a hot mess.”

      “Oh, honey,” Eliza exclaimed. “You are not. You’re not.”

      She squeezed

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