May smiled at her. “I’m the one who needs to thank you. I couldn’t possibly do it all alone. Glen is terrified I’m going to bring home all the animals that don’t get adopted, but I’ve promised I won’t. Right now we have travel plans. Getting a new house pet wouldn’t be fair to the animal. But Rafe and Heidi are thinking of looking at dogs.”

Evie thought about Alexander. She wasn’t sure how a cat would fit in her life. She’d never had a pet before and hadn’t grown up with them, either. For all her love of animals, May hadn’t wanted pets around. Probably because she’d had enough to do with four children and little money, Evie thought. Maybe she should look up cats on the internet and find out what was involved with owning one. The guest room of her townhouse faced south, and there was a small window seat. Didn’t cats like to lie in the sun?

They worked out when they would next meet to discuss the event, then Evie started to say goodbye. But before she managed to get out the words, her mother touched her arm.

“I heard about what happened with your brothers and Dante.”

Evie had managed to forget the incident while they were helping with the animals, so she was unprepared to have her mother bring it up now. She felt herself flush, which was followed by reminding herself she was an adult and what she did in her private life was no one’s business but her own. As good as the words sounded, however, she didn’t exactly remain convinced.

“My brothers need to knock before walking into my house, and I need to make sure the front door is locked,” she said.

“Dante seems very nice,” her mother said. “I hope you’re being smart about things.”

Smart? As in not falling for a man who had made it clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship? Smart as in…

“You’re talking birth control,” Evie said slowly, her stomach clenching as an emotional blow hit directly home.

Of course that was something her mother would worry about. She’d had to deal with the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. The fact that Evie was the result made things a little awkward.

May touched her arm again, this time hanging on. “No,” she said quickly. “I’m talking protecting your health. I hear so many scary things on the news about sexually transmitted diseases. Dante has a bit of a reputation and I was worried.”

“Oh. You mean condoms. Don’t worry. We used them.”

May’s expression turned sad. “Is that what you think? That I regret having you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Evie, I don’t. I wouldn’t change anything.” May sighed. “All right. That’s not true. If I could go back in time, I would do so many things differently, when it came to you. I would be there for you and make sure you felt as if you were a part of the family. But I would never, ever not have you. You’re my baby girl.”

When Clay had mournfully informed her that her brothers loved her, she’d almost been able to believe his words. But with her mother, she was less sure.

“I want to think that’s true,” she said slowly.

“I know.” May squeezed her arm again, then released her. “You’re cautious with me, and I understand that. You’ve been through so much. I just hope you’ll give me a chance and the time it’s going to take to win you over. I’m not giving up on us, and I’d like you to get to the place where you feel the same way.”

Evie nodded slowly, not sure what she felt. May hugged her briefly, then got into her car and drove away.

Evie continued to stand in the parking lot and thought about all the reasons she could still be angry with her mother. Unbidden, a disconcerting thought popped into her head. She was twenty-six. Her mother had only been a few years older when her husband had died, leaving her a widow with three boys and no money. No doubt she’d been terrified and desperately lonely. One night a handsome stranger had come calling, and May had made a mistake.

The man had disappeared the next morning, and a few weeks later, May had discovered she was pregnant.

For the first time ever, Evie tried to understand what that must have been like. No doubt May had been humiliated and ashamed. She would have also been worried about how she was supposed to pay for the birth, not to mention all the things an infant needed.

What her mother had done to her wasn’t right, but maybe, just maybe, it was a little understandable. As Dante and Charlie and even her brothers had pointed out, she had to be willing to accept what was offered. To make peace. Being a part of her family wasn’t a given—it required work on everyone’s part. May had shown she was willing to go more than halfway. Now Evie had to decide how far she was willing to go herself.

* * *

DANTE FINISHED GOING OVER the contract. Most people found the idea of a novel-length legal document daunting, but he enjoyed the challenge. Most of the company’s business transactions were straightforward. Still, every now and then, someone tried to screw with them. His job was to make sure that person wasn’t successful.

He saved the document on his computer, then printed out a final copy for signature. As the paper spewed out into the tray, Rafe walked around the corner and paused by his desk.

“Have a minute?”

Dante took one look at his friend’s face and knew he wasn’t going to like whatever Rafe had on his mind. He also had a good idea what the subject was going to be. But Evie was Rafe’s sister, so the man deserved to be heard.

“Sure.”

Rafe pulled up a chair and sat down.

“Do I need to kill you?” he asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Dante studied his friend. He could challenge the question—Rafe wasn’t the murderous type. But Rafe was more than a business partner and he deserved answers.

“Evie and I like each other.”

“And that’s supposed to make it okay?”

“It’s supposed to tell you that I understand why you might be concerned,” Dante told him. “Look, we’re spending some time together. I didn’t mean for it to happen. You’re the one who asked me to look out for her.”

“Not by sleeping with her. What were you thinking?”

“That she’s a beautiful woman with a great sense of humor who shares my ambivalence about the holidays.”

Rafe’s gaze was steady. “She’s my sister and I don’t want her hurt.”

“We’re clear on what we’re doing.”

“You’re clear,” Rafe told him. “But I’m worried about her. Evie isn’t like you.”

Dante looked at his friend. “You sure about that? From what she’s told me, no one in her family knows her very well.”

Rafe shifted. “That’s true, but I know what you’re like in a relationship. I don’t want that for her.”

Dante understood the complaint. Rafe didn’t object to Dante’s style so much as the inevitable outcome. There was no happy ending. Ever.

“We’ve discussed ground rules,” Dante told him. “But the next time I see her, I’ll bring them up again and make sure she and I are on the same page.”

“If you’re not and she’s upset, I’ll have to kill you.”

Dante slapped him on the back. “There’s that holiday spirit.”

Rafe glowered at him. “Dammit, Dante. My sister?”

“I’m sorry, Rafe. I tried to remember that she was your sister, but this attraction was mutual.”

Rafe grumbled something under his breath and stalked away. Dante sat at his desk, suddenly less sure he’d made himself clear to Evie. He checked his watch. She would be arriving for work in less than an hour. He would talk to her before her classes began and make sure they had the same expectations. He’d meant what he said—he liked her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

* * *

EVIE ARRIVED AT THE dance studio forty-five minutes before her classes started. The first thing she did was crank up the heat. The old building was drafty and cold in winter. If it were up to her, she would relocate the dance studio to a newer place, with a bigger dance floor and maybe a second practice room. As it was, she waited until she heard the telltale whoosh of the furnace starting, then hung her coat on the rack and went over the classes for that day.

They were getting close to the panic period for the production. In less than two weeks, they would start practicing on stage so everyone could perform in the actual location. The stage was considerably wider than their studio, so that would take some getting used to. There was also the seemingly endless rows of chairs. The thought of an audience could be daunting to even a seasoned professional.

She crossed to the stereo system and connected her phone to speakers, then scrolled through her list of music and found a favorite song. She’d just walked over to the barre when Dante walked in.

She smiled as she glanced from the living, breathing, tempting man to his many reflections in the mirror. Both were appealing although she had to admit she preferred the one she could put her hands on.

“Hi,” she said, crossing to him.

“Hi, yourself.” He rested his hands on her waist and lightly kissed her. “You going to do some fancy dance moves?”

“I haven’t warmed up.”

“Can I help with that?”

She laughed. “No. I have students arriving in about thirty minutes.”

“Bummer.” He drew in a breath. “I had a talk with your brother earlier today.”

As the two men worked together, that was hardly news. Except he wasn’t sharing a part of a day—instead he was passing on information.

She pressed her fingertips against his chest and winced. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I had a talk with my mother.”

Dante grimaced. “About the pet adoption?”

“Not exactly. She told me to make sure we were using condoms so I wouldn’t catch a disease.”

“She didn’t.”

Evie stared into his eyes. “Do I look like I’m lying?”

“Sorry.”

“Me, too. About my brother. Not about the other night.”

“Me, either.” But he didn’t sound completely sure.

She carefully lowered her arms to her sides and took a small step back, pulling away from his light touch. “Dante, this isn’t the 1800s. One great night doesn’t mean we’re engaged.”

“I know, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

She could translate easily enough. He wanted to make sure she remembered their time together was meant to be fun. Not a relationship.

She’d been very clear on what they were doing when they’d started hanging out together. So she couldn’t complain about being misled. If she’d started to look forward to seeing Dante more than she should, it was her own business, right? If she was hoping for more than a good time, that was her problem.

She continued to watch Dante’s face. “You and I are friends. We like each other and are enjoying spending time together. We’re both a little freaked out about the town’s obsession with being cheerful and embracing every nuance of all things Christmas. Holidays are stressful and we’re getting each other through. The other night we discovered that you earned your reputation with women the hard way and I appreciate that. There are no expectations between us. Does that sum it up?”

She spoke lightly, doing her best to sound as blasé and experienced as any other woman he’d been with. The slight jab of pain in the vicinity of her heart didn’t have anything to do with him.

“Perfectly.” His blue eyes crinkled with amusement. “I’m glad you enjoyed the other night. I did, too.”

“See? We’re good. Now you ignore my brother and I’ll ignore my mother and all will be well.”

“Promise,” he told her. He gave her a quick kiss. “We’ll both be working late tonight. How about lunch tomorrow?”

“I have to help Annabelle with the book drive.”

“There’s a book drive? Why? Because the town needed one more philanthropic event?”

“I know. But Annabelle called and asked and I couldn’t figure out how to say no. Apparently every child in Fool’s Gold gets a book for Christmas. They have to be wrapped, so I’m going up to Ronan’s Lodge. We’re meeting in the Mountain ballroom.” She held up both hands. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’m not very good at wrapping presents.”

“We could practice tonight,” he suggested. “Wrapping and unwrapping.”

A tempting offer, she thought. But one she wasn’t sure her heart could risk her accepting. Before she could decide, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Light footsteps from one of her beginning classes. Dante took a step back.

“Later,” he mouthed and walked out of the studio.

As Evie greeted her students, she glanced toward the door. Being sensible about Dante was the smartest move. She had to protect herself and her heart. But deep inside, she knew there was a part of her that wanted more. Wanted to believe in someone. To have a little faith and maybe find love.

Chapter Twelve

Evie parked in front of the Fool’s Gold Animal Shelter and got out of her car. She’d called ahead to make sure this was a convenient time for the staff, but now she hesitated. Was she really ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a cat?

“I guess that’s what I’m here to find out.”

Tammy was waiting for her as she walked into the building. Alexander was sitting on a tall, carpeted platform, his long tail swishing as he looked around the room.