A Fool's Gold Christmas (Fool's Gold #9.5)

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.