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"Things could be different now," his mother said "She's lovely"

"Uh-huh"

His htened in her chair Tina Kent was se her by her size

"Do you reo when I had breast cancer?" she asked

He held in a groan and nodded Not this, he thought Anything but this

"You were in college I didn't want you to kno bad it was because I wanted you to focus on getting your masters"

It was in that program he'd developed the software that had launched his company and turned him into a multimillionaire in three short years

"Moan

She held up a hand "When you caet better" She paused expectantly

"I said I would do anything if you would," he said dutifully

"I keptto be Katie's date for the wedding You'll spend four days at the resort in Fool's Gold, and you'll do everything you can to make Katie feel like a princess"

Dammit all to hell Why couldn't he be like some of his friends and never talk to his parents? Why did he and his ? Except for this obsession with Katie McCorreat woman to have around They'd always been able to talk and he respected her opinion But right noould give anything for a brief but ement

"Moan, then shook his head It was four days Surely he could survive that "Fine You win"

She smiled broadly "Good Janis was there for me every day when I was sick I'm so happy to finally be able to repay her, at least a little"

"You're selling out your only son What will the neighbors think?"

"That it's about time you found yourself a woman"

Two

Katie waited nervously at the entrance to the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort The name misled those who didn't know the history of the place, or the luxury of the rooms

The hotel nestled in the rand old place with an architectural style somewhere between Victorian and chalet What should have looked aard or busy was instead welco The vieere impressive, the restaurant five-star and the service unmatched There orld-class boutiques in the lobby and a spa that tempted celebrities fro, she would have chosen to have the ceremony on the shore of the lake in toith the reception in one of the local restaurants But her sister had alanted soanza at the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort it was

Katie had already checked in, as had the rest of her i fro any second and she had to find Howie before anyone else did Getting their stories straight was essential Otherwise, there was no point in having hi weekend

For a brief second, she weighed the idea of exposing the sham She would be free of Howie, but reduced to spinster status Yes, it was a new century Yes, wo Yet in the world of the McCorle and within three years of thirty was both a disaster and a source of shame

"But you're a sports writer," her aunt Tully would say yet again "Can't you catch a rich husband from all those sports you watch?"

If only it were that simple The problereatness, the odd quirks that --she was less thrilled by athletes Maybe because she'd seen them at their worst--one of the perks of her job It was sort of like working in the kitchen of a restaurant Dining out would never be the saain

A tall, dark-haired h to turn heads, with a body to s, all dressed neatly in a soft-looking blue-striped shirt tucked into jeans If only, she thought regretfully, looking past the hunky guy and hoping to see the bu late

He was into computers Maybe she should have sent Howie an e-mail reminder

"Katie?"

The tall, dark stranger stopped next to her She stared at his firreen eyes barely concealed behind steel-rilasses

Her mouth opened She felt it, then had to consciously close it No way Not possible On what planet could this be happening?

"H-Howie?"

Thesmiles that made every woman in the room want to purr

"Jackson," he corrected "I go by Jackson now My middle name"

Or eye candy That na as she attees He was taller, more muscular, even his hair was perfect

"H-Howie?" she repeated

The smile turned into a low chuckle "I'm not that different"

Au contraire

"You've, ah, grown up," sheshe didn't look as stupid as she felt

"So have you"

She wrinkled her nose Up wasn't exactly the right word She was about the sae five foot five The difference was she'd lost about forty pounds since then And figured out how to play up her equally average features She wasn't co--not exactly But in a family of very tall, thin, attractive people, she was a throwback to the short, curvy lineage that everyone thought had been bred out

"Yes, well, I've at least lost the baby fat," she said, figuring there was no point in ignoring the obvious

Jackson studied her "Your eyes are the same Pretty I remember the color"

"Because I was glaring at you?" she asked

"Uh-huh I was terrified you were going to beat me up"

"You treated me like I was an idiot"

"I was overcoed "Don't take it personally I acted that way everywhere"