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"I did , and Evan realized he’d totally zoned out "It’s a princess cake, with that fondant icing you roll on But don’t tell Will and Harper anything It’s a surprise" Her eyes were shining She was so happy with all her fa his dahts and return fully to the present, he zipped his lips "Mu, and all heads in the living room turned As Bob crossed to the front hall to answer, Susan rose froe must be here"

Evan’s heart started to pound hard and fast as Paige stepped inside The other Mavericks closed around her with hugs and kisses on the cheek He watched like he rapped in a fog, like his li had beenof Whitney’s lies Other things had been revealed that weekend Things that had uilt skyrocket

He hadn’t had a clue about Whitney’s lies the day he’d looked at Paige in her gorgeous peacock-blue dress and thought, Isister

It was crazy He’d told himself repeatedly that it was just his frustrations with his e was not only his sister-in-law, she was also the girl next door She eet Gentle A nice girl He had no business thinking that way about her

Yet even now, as he tried to reason with hiht, she’d worn jeans and a soft sweater that fit all her curves Curves that made his heart beat faster

When she’d texted him while he ay, he hadn’t answered her It was only now that he finally ad her

Because of the way he’d reacted when he’d seen her in the for Cleopatra costume at the Halloween party

Because of the desire he’d felt for her over the past month, no matter how hard he tried to push it away and pretend it wasn’t there

Because of the dreaht when he couldn’t control his thoughts

Evan was still sitting in the dining roo with an aardness he hadn’t felt since he was in his early teens, he counted every one of her steps as she approached, then held his breath as she rose on her toes to hug hiainst his, her scent surrounding him Her hair brushed his cheek, her breath teased his ear, her heat singed hi Dahts

Damned for his desire for the one woman he could never have

Chapter Three

Evan’s hands ree stepped back to look up into his eyes She’d missed him so much this past month--especially his sht into even her darkest corner

He was thinner now, his face a little pale, the circles beneath his hazel eyes darker She wondered when she’d see his sain--there wasn’t even a hint of it in the flat line of his beautiful mouth

She wanted to put her hand to his face and smooth away the lines across his forehead But she wouldn’t Because while she felt terrible for what he’d endured in his e was also furious with hilad the whole fa after your flight," Susan said She was always looking out for everyone "We have plenty of food laid out"

"Thank you, it all looks delicious" Paige smiled her appreciation She wished she hadn’trehearsal, but the holidays were a difficult time for many of her therapy clients, full of bad ether--so she’d driven straight from her last appointment to the airport

Truthfully, she’d also been unable to fully push away the worry that, with Whitney out of the picture now, Paige didn’t really have a place in the group anymore But Susan had quickly dispelled that worry with her coe had arrived And of course the other Mavericks had welcohts, whose emotions, whose response to his soon-to-be ex-wife’s sister, re yet," Susan continued as she took Paige’s coat, "why don’t you help Paige fill up her plate at the buffet, and then the two of you can catch up?"

Susan spoke in a light voice with a sestion Clearly, she could see they had plenty to hash out tonight--friends ere also linked by a sister and a ho had hurt the to let either of the rooe, a wary shadow filled his eyes He da that he hadn’t responded to any of her texts, e the past month What’s more, she’d bet money that no one here had confronted Evan about his behavior

Susan, Bob, and the Mavericks had continually told her they thought it best to give hie was concerned, all that had acco with every passing week If not for to, he’d probably still be thousands of miles away