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"But you aren’t afraid to trust him, are you?"

She blinked up at her former boss, a man who had always looked out for her, and had become her friend He was second only to Matt in all he’d done for her "Everyone says I should be, but I don’t want to be afraid" She forced herself to hold his gaze "I care about Matt And Noah" She wasn’t going to drop the word love on Daniel, but she had a feeling he could already hear it "They both aze roamed her face before he finally nodded "I won’t be one of those people telling you to put up your guard" He paused, probably considering how to phrase what he felt she needed to hear "But I also don’t want you to get hurt I sure as hell hope he’ll realize how good you could be for hiood for them?" It meant more than she could say that one of Matt’s closet friends--one of his brothers, especially Daniel--believed in her

"Of course I do" He s of his lips "And if he hurts you, I’hed, but it sounded a little soggy "When you suggested s to turn out this way"

Daniel pulled her in close, al "I know you didn’t You would never be one of those wo house You took the job because you love kids and you could see howelse that happened…" He shook his head "It’s starting to seem like divine intervention Like you were meant to come into their lives when they needed you ood to you as you are to him"--he shook his fist--"we’ll sh She could actually have cried Daniel was going to bat for her, even against one of his best friends, if it ca like she didn’t have anyone, it was almost too much to believe

"Now come back over to the fire"

He led her down to the fire pit and into the circle of his family

The faht

But forever

Matt hung back at the head of the stairs leading up froame room He’d searched downstairs and outside for Ari only to find her here, surrounded by his fa with theain a fa a Dracula costu with the strange gloves she wore Bob was chatting with Daniel, while Susan was in a lively discussion with Ari

Only Evan stood just outside the group, his gaze on his wife’s sister, Paige Steauy, and Matt wondered if he bla to the party Orthat Whitney was ood person, but in that she wanted to be one of the family

Ari, Matt realized, had already becoed around theroup--and they’d automatically taken Ari into theirwheel Noah climbed onto her lap, and she cuddled hione to bat for her, threatening hiht And so they should--they knew better than anyone what a mess he was inside

All he wanted was to treat Ari as well as she deserved But as best for her? To be with hie, not the least of which was Irene and the havoc she would cause from here to eternity? Or to find a uy ould take care of her, one ould give her children all her own rather than asking her to raise another woman’s son?

A muscle jumped in Matt’s jaw as the difficult, conflicted questions spun around his usually logical --who’d built a billion-dollar business with those answers

But tonight, he knew only one thing for sure: He couldn’t let Ari go Not yet, not even when he couldn’t clearly see the answers to his future