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Despite owning a ho a DIY TV show, Daniel Spencer was theboatloads of otten in the way of his outdoor activities, which included personally building a cabin in Lake Tahoe

"Glad to be here" Evan glanced at Harper and Will "I wouldn’t "

"Soh h was an understatement Evan’shis subsidiaries in London, Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Stockholm The arms of The Collins Group, his investlobally, and he believed in hiring local expertise After all, they knew the markets, the economies, the politics, all of which affected invest him fully informed He’d been determined to work himself out of the dark pit he’d fallen into when he’d learned the truth about the full extent of Whitney’s betrayal At first, he’d fer hi the truth But now he refused to keep handing her that power over hiain

"It’s over now," Evan said "I’ on"

Daniel smiled wide "Sure you are" But his next words belied the easy shter in the roo "No" He didn’t want to destroy the hoe back into darkness either "I’ht his friend o at that Until he added, "We’re here if you change your mind"

Thank God for friends They had always been there, since he was a skinny ten-year-old They stood up for each other then and now He knew they all thought he was better off without Whitney, that none of his friends ever really liked her Evan was the one who’d made excuses for her behavior, who’d told himself that the Mavericks didn’t really know her

Only to find out that he was the one who hadn’t known his wife

Not at all

Across the rooave the punch line to his joke They always laughed together--not at each other, but with each other Over Bob’s shoulder, Susan finally saw Evan, her features freezing for ato Bob, and he inal to the rest of the group, the conversation fell silent

Susan was soon enveloping Evan in a hug He was transported back to childhood, to the heat of Susan and Bob’s kitchen, to the warenerated by the unconditional love she and Bob showered on all the Mavericks The Spencers had taken the theiven to Daniel and his sister, Lyssa In Susan and Bob’s house, there was always o around

"I ed her back, not wanting to let her go

Bob knuckled his head, and Sebastian punched his arhtly "Dude, I knew you wouldn’t miss the food"

Evan clapped his friend on the back "It’s Matt who’s all about the food"

Matt snorted "Give hed, Evan’s heart clenched tight again Only, this tier had a doubt in his head or his heart or his gut that he’d been right to corip and launched hi his face in Noah’s blond curls as the boy chattered excitedly "I swa ItNoah a high five before putting him back down on the floor so he could run off to play with Jere to Ari, Evan asked, "Where’s your brother?" Evan hadrecently co seven years in theconstruction all over the country Evan wasn’t sure he trusted hirateful for Harper and Will’s invitation to the wedding," Ari replied, "but he wasn’t able to get out of work to coiven him the time off, but he didn’t refute her

The front door opened, and seconds later, a snow-dusted woman threw herself at him Lyssa, Daniel’s sister, had always been a handful She was the kid sister he’d never had, a toddler when he’d moved in with Susan and Bob a couple of years after his mother ran off All the Mavericks felt like they’d raised her--and they would go to any length to protect her

"You big lug Where have you been this past month?" She smacked a hand on his chest "I desperately needed to talk to you because--" She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial murmur "--I hate to admit it, but I detest ood advice"

"I’ll help you out any way I can," he pro hio "I definitely need a sage old man’s advice"