LITMIR.BIZ

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      He frowned at the statement. “We’re not suited.”

      Laila waved off the comment. “Says who?”

      “Mostly Jess,” he confessed.

      “You’ve actually asked her out and she’s blown you off?”

      “Well, no, but she’s made it abundantly clear that I make her uncomfortable.”

      “That’s exactly what Jess needs, someone who can shake her up,” Laila said. “Stop wasting your time trying to find a replacement who’ll never measure up. Go for the real thing.” She gave him a hug. “That’s my advice to you.” She grinned. “And lucky for you, I don’t charge your hourly rates for it.”

      She strode off down the street, leaving Will to stare after her and wonder why she couldn’t have been the one. Candid, no-nonsense Laila Riley was a whole lot less complicated than Jess O’Brien would ever be.

      He sighed. That, of course, was the problem. He apparently liked complications. Unfortunately, that was probably going to be his downfall.

      Connie’s first official blind date was with an accountant in Annapolis, a single father whose children, like Jenny, were away at college. On paper, he’d sounded great. Their email exchanges had revealed several other things they had in common, including a love of the water. She’d anticipated an enjoyable lunch, maybe some stimulating conversation, even if it didn’t go any further than that.

      Since she’d agreed to drive to Annapolis, she’d decided to go early and stop by Thomas O’Brien’s foundation offices to touch base on their fundraising efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay. Even though it was a Saturday morning, she knew she’d find Jess’s uncle at work. His workaholic reputation was widely recognized. When she tapped on his office door, he glanced up from the papers on his desk and beamed at her.

      “Now, if you aren’t exactly what I needed on this dreary morning,” he said, removing his reading glasses and putting aside his pen. “What brings you to Annapolis?”

      Connie’s pulse leapt at the enthusiasm in his voice, even though she’d told herself a thousand times that it was his gratitude for her efforts for the foundation and nothing more.

      “I have a date,” she admitted, wrinkling her nose. “A blind date, at that.”

      He sat back, a look of astonishment on his face. “Now tell me why a lovely woman like you would be going on a blind date?”

      “I signed up for an online dating service,” she said sheepishly. “Jess and Laila did, too.”

      “All three of you?” He gave a sad shake of his head. “I can’t imagine what the men of Chesapeake Shores are thinking if you’re resorting to an online dating service.” Still, he looked vaguely intrigued. “And is this your first date?”

      Connie nodded. “To be honest, I’m a little nervous.”

      “In this day and age, that’s perfectly understandable. Maybe you should reconsider.”

      “I can’t just not show up,” she protested. “That would be rude.”

      “Then I’ll come with you,” he said decisively. “Not on the date, of course, but just to be nearby in case there’s a problem.”

      She studied him oddly. “You’d do that?”

      “I feel obligated to, as a matter of fact. Someone needs to look out for you, and we’re practically family.”

      She laughed at the serious note in his voice. “Do you know how old I am?”

      “I have some idea. What’s your point?”

      “That I’m old enough to look out for myself.”

      “Not if this man turns out to be some kind of smooth-talking predator,” he insisted, his jaw set determinedly.

      “Why am I starting to think that stopping by here was a bad idea?” she said, amused despite herself at his overly protective attitude. And maybe a little touched, if she were to be totally honest.

      He smiled at her, the smile that always made her toes curl. “Since you obviously aren’t here for my protection, why did you stop by?”

      To see that smile, for one thing, she thought but didn’t dare say. Her conflicted feelings for Thomas O’Brien were a constant source of dismay to her. She couldn’t imagine them ever going anywhere. At the same time, she couldn’t seem to stay away. She was drawn to his passion for his work, his caring personality, his wicked sense of humor…to him, for that matter.

      “I haven’t seen you since the last of the summer events,” she said. “I wanted to catch up on how fundraising is going and see what I can do to help over the winter.”

      “Now I’ve had a few ideas about that,” he said at once. “Why don’t we go a bit early to this lunch of yours and have coffee while we wait for your date to arrive? Once I’ve met him and seen for myself that he means no harm, I’ll fade into the woodwork,” he promised.

      Connie could see all sorts of things potentially disastrous about that plan, but she couldn’t seem to tell him to forget it. Coffee with Thomas sounded a whole lot better, frankly, than lunch with a total stranger.

      “That would be great,” she said.

      They walked to the restaurant her date had suggested, chose a table overlooking the nearby Severn River and ordered coffee. Connie was so engrossed in what Thomas had to say, she barely noticed when another man approached the table and stood looking down at them with an irritated expression on his face.

      “You’re Connie Collins?” he asked.

      She jumped guiltily. “I am. Steve Lorton?”

      He nodded, then scowled at Thomas. “Am I interrupting?”

      “Of course not,” Connie said before Thomas could reply. He had an oddly territorial look on his face that she didn’t quite trust. She introduced the two men. “Thomas and I were just discussing the latest progress in his foundation’s efforts to protect the bay. I’ve been doing some volunteer work for him.”

      Steve looked somewhat mollified by the explanation, but when Thomas made no move to leave, he was forced to drag a chair over from a nearby table. He sat down next to Connie, as if to claim her for his own. Connie couldn’t recall the last time she’d been caught in a turf war between two men, if ever, but she discovered she didn’t like it nearly as much as she’d always imagined she might.

      “Thomas was just leaving,” she announced pointedly, though, to her dismay, he didn’t seem to be budging.

      “I’m sure Steve won’t mind if I stick around a little longer,” Thomas said.

      His jaw was set in a way Connie recognized. She’d seen it on other O’Brien men often enough.

      She was about to push him to leave, anyway, when he added, “There are several more things we need to discuss, Connie.”

      Connie stared at him in confusion. “What things?”

      “Our plans for next weekend, in fact.”

      Now she really was confused. “We have plans?”

      “We do,” he said emphatically, staring down Steve as he said it.

      Steve stood up so suddenly his chair fell over. “Look, I had no idea you were already involved with someone,” he said to Connie, his gaze accusing. “You should have told me.”

      Before she could defend herself, he turned and left without another word.

      She stared after him, then whirled on Thomas. “Why would you do that? Why would you deliberately chase him off?”

      “I didn’t like him,” he said, without even a hint of remorse.

      She

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