Gina Wilkins - Surprise Partners

“We won’t be dating,” he had argued. “Not really. We’ll just be keeping each other company at the occasional obligatory social event. I really enjoy your company, Lydia.”

“I enjoy yours, too. But—”

“We’re friends. I’d much rather spend an evening with a friend than with a blind date, wouldn’t you?”

She had almost shuddered. “I hate blind dates. I’ve never had one that wasn’t a disaster.”

“Same here. And every time I ask anyone out lately, it seems like she wants a hell of a lot more than I’ve got time or energy to offer while I’m pursuing a partnership with my firm. You have your own career goals and you don’t want anyone to interfere with them—which I wouldn’t. It seems to be the perfect plan—at least until Heather and Larissa realize that they might as well give up.”

“And how long do you think that will take?”

“Heather’s getting married at the end of June—four months from now. I figure she’ll start getting pretty busy with that soon. Too busy to worry about my social life, I hope. As for Larissa—what do you think?”

“She has a pretty short attention span,” Lydia had admitted. “She’ll probably drift on to another scheme within the next few weeks.”

“So there you are. We aren’t committing to anything long-term or time-consuming. You’ll go with me to a couple of things. I’ll escort you when you need me. Our sisters will assume we’re together and they’ll stop trying to arrange dates for us.”

“And what if they assume there’s more between us than there really is?”

“Who cares? We’ll know the truth.”

“Well,” she had said slowly, “Larissa has been hinting about throwing a housewarming party at her new apartment. She’s determined to use the occasion to introduce me to some guy named Gary. If you were there with me, it would be much less awkward.”

“I’d be delighted,” he had said cheerfully.

So here they were, turning onto the road that ended at the Walker ranch outside of Dallas. Scott was confident that he and Lydia would share a very pleasant evening with his friends. He could really relax tonight, he thought in satisfaction. Unlike a “real” date, Lydia wouldn’t expect him to pay more attention to her than to his friends. She wouldn’t get her feelings crushed if he talked to someone else for a while. There wouldn’t be any awkward, how-will-the-evening-end questions. All he would owe her after the party ended was a reciprocal turn at her sister’s affair.

He should have thought of something like this months ago when Heather had first started going overboard with this matchmaking thing. Of course, he hadn’t really known Lydia well enough to suggest such a plan then, and he couldn’t imagine anyone else he knew being such a good sport about it.

He parked his sports car between Cameron’s fancy SUV and Michael Chang’s aging pickup. “Looks like everyone’s here already. That’s Heather’s car over there.”

“We’re late?” Perpetually punctual Lydia seemed disturbed by the possibility.

“We’re right on time. Everyone else is early.”

She cleared her throat and patted a hand over her sleek brown hair. “Signal me if I do anything stupid.”

He laughed. “As if you could.”

“Trust me. When it comes to intimate social situations, I am definitely challenged.”

He only laughed again and opened his door.

Although there were only three other couples, it seemed to Lydia that the small house was filled with people, all watching her in surreptitious speculation. Apparently, Scott usually attended this sort of gathering without bringing a date. Her presence with him this time—following so closely their appearance at the charity affair last weekend—was obviously arousing his friends’ curiosity.

She found herself wondering if this plan Scott had concocted was such a good idea after all.

Because he knew she wouldn’t remember everyone she’d met at the charity event, Scott reintroduced her to everyone. He started with their hosts, Shane and Kelly Walker.

“It’s very nice to see you again,” Lydia assured them politely. “You have a lovely home.”

Kelly, a petite strawberry blonde with a gamine haircut and a warm, friendly expression, looked pleased by the compliment. “Thank you. We didn’t really have a chance to talk at that crowded, noisy thing last weekend. We can get to know each other better this evening.”

Kelly’s husband, a tanned, blue-eyed cowboy with a smile that had probably broken hearts all over Texas, studied Lydia with open curiosity. “I understand you’re a science professor?”

“An associate professor.”

“She teaches microbiology classes,” Scott added.

“And are you involved in research?” Shane asked.

“Not as much as I hope to be after I obtain my doctorate this spring.”

“That explains it, then,” Shane drawled, looping an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

Scott eyed his friend suspiciously. “Explains what?”

Shane’s grin was definitely wicked. “I was just wondering how you persuaded such an attractive and intelligent woman to spend a second evening with you. Obviously, she’s conducting some sort of scientific research on strange and unusual subjects.”

As Scott muttered something that might have been a mild obscenity, Lydia smiled and shook her head. “I confine my research to bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. I leave studies of subjects like Scott to my colleagues in the psychology department.”

Shane and Kelly laughed. Scott turned to Lydia with a look of amused surprise. “Hey!” he said. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Our side, obviously,” a man Lydia remembered from the charity event said as he joined them. “I can tell she’s going to fit right in.”

Trying to remember his name, Lydia smiled, pleased that her impulsive jest had proven entertaining.

“Don’t you start, Cameron,” Scott warned. “If I want insults, I’ll depend on my sister. Or my date, apparently,” he added darkly, giving Lydia an exaggerated glower that made her laugh.

Maybe the evening wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought.

And then Scott’s sister approached and Lydia’s smile faded a bit. Even as Heather greeted her quite courteously, Lydia once again had the impression that Heather wasn’t enthusiastic about seeing her with Scott. She wished she knew what she’d done to cause Heather to disapprove of her—if it was true.

“Are you people insulting my dear brother?” Heather demanded.

“Of course we are,” Cameron replied.

“Great. How can I get in on the fun?” she asked with a grin.

“Why don’t you guys come up with some original material while Lydia and I speak to the others?” Scott suggested, taking her arm.

“I’ll bring out the snacks,” Kelly said, giving her husband a look.

He responded promptly. “I’ll help you.”

True to his word, Scott guided Lydia around the roomy, wood-paneled den where the other guests were grouped on comfortable furniture. She greeted Heather’s fiancé, Dr. Steve Carter, and was relieved that he didn’t seem to share Heather’s doubts about her. Scott introduced her to Michael and Judy Chang, who seemed like a nice couple. They hadn’t attended the charity affair as far as she remembered.

Scott turned then to the golden-haired, blue-eyed man who had approached them earlier—Cameron North, she remembered now. “Cam, you want to introduce your friend?” Scott asked.

Cameron nodded toward the curvaceous, rather bored-looking brunette who hadn’t bothered to rise from her chair. “This is Alexis Thorne. Alexis, meet my buddy, Scott Pearson, and his friend, Lydia McKinley.”

Something about the way Alexis glanced at Cameron made Lydia suspect that the couple had recently quarreled and she still hadn’t gotten over her irritation with him. Alexis murmured a cool acknowledgment of the introduction, then subsided into silence again.