Carrie Nichols - His Unexpected Twins

“Liam, what are you doing here?” Meg asked.

“I’m here to help Riley with your addition, remember?”

“I mean here...at the luncheon.”

“When you weren’t home, I remembered you volunteered here on Thursdays.” He shrugged. “So, here I am.”

She grinned and looped her arm through his. “You have no idea what perfect timing you have.”

Then she began guiding—yeah, more like frog-marching—him across the church basement toward Ellie of the twinkling eyes and engaging laugh.

Liam’s indrawn breath hissed through his teeth. “Uh-oh.”

“You’re the answer to our problem,” Meg said in a too-bright tone, and squeezed his arm.

“Huh, that’s new.” He gave her a side-eye look. “Usually you’re accusing me of being or causing the problem.”

Meg’s expression was calculating, as if sizing him up for something. Crap. He knew that look and nothing good ever came from it. Now that she was happily married, she seemed to think everyone should be. Living three hours away, he’d managed to avoid her less-than-subtle hints that it was time he settled down. He loved his sister and was happy to help with the interior finishing work on her new home addition, but he wasn’t about to let her manipulate him into any sort of permanent relationship. Even if the intended target had the most beautiful golden eyes he’d ever seen.

He made a show of looking around. “Where’s Riley? Why isn’t your husband here solving your problems? Isn’t that what he’s for?”

“Nah, he can’t help with this one, so enjoy being the solution for once, brother dear.” Meg stopped at the table where Ellie and an attractive dark-haired woman about the same age were dishing out slices of chocolate cake.

“Meg tells me you need me to sample that cake.” He winked at Ellie, who blushed. His breath quickened at her flushed features. Friend zone , he repeated to himself, but his mind kept conjuring up unique and enjoyable ways of keeping that pretty pink color on her face.

Meg tugged on his am, acting like her seven-year-old daughter, Fiona. “First, agree to our proposition, then you can have cake.”

Ellie was shaking her head and mouthing the word no . Obviously whatever Meg had in mind involved her. Despite his wariness, he was intrigued.

Meg was nodding her head as vigorously as Ellie was shaking hers. “Ellie needs a date for Mary’s wedding.”

“I do not. Don’t listen to her. This was all your sister’s harebrained idea.” Ellie dumped a piece of cake onto a plate and it landed frosting side down. She cursed and he cleared his throat to disguise his laugh.

“But Liam is going to be in town, so it’s perfect,” Meg said.

He winced. Tenacious was Meg’s middle name. Another reason to keep Ellie in that friend zone. He’d have to live with the fallout into eternity.

“Hi, I’m Mary. The bride.” The raven-haired woman set aside the slice with the frosting side down and thrust out her hand. “And you’re welcome to come to my wedding with—” she glanced at Ellie “—or without a date.”

He untangled his arm from Meg’s and shook hands. “Thanks, I—”

“Oh, look. They need help at the pay station,” Meg said, and scooted away.

“Nice meeting you, Liam. I’d love to stay and chat, but I promised to help in the kitchen.” Mary disappeared as quickly and efficiently as his sister.

“Cowards,” Ellie muttered, and shook her head. “Look, I’m not hitting you up to be my date for the wedding. I’m fine going by myself.”

He nodded. Ellie was smart and independent, but that didn’t mean she wanted to go to a wedding alone if everyone else was paired up. They could go as friends. And if he happened to hold her close as they danced... He shook his head, but the image of Ellie in his arms wouldn’t go away. Huh, Meg wasn’t the only tenacious person today. And damn if Meg hadn’t once again manipulated him. “Are you saying you don’t want to go with me? I’ve been known to behave myself in public.”

Ellie raised her eyebrows, but her eyes glinted with mischief. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“Lies and exaggerations. Don’t believe a word you hear and only half of what you see.” He pulled a face.

“Uh-huh, sure.” She laughed and went back to dishing out cake.

Her laugh washed over him and he arranged the plates so the empty ones were closer to her. People had begun lining up at the other end of the string of tables, but no one had reached the dessert station yet. He took advantage and hurried to Ellie’s side of the table. He could help hand out the cake. Yeah, he was a regular do-gooder and it had nothing to do with standing next to Ellie and breathing in her light, flowery scent. “Why don’t you want to go to this wedding with me?”

Ellie shook her head. “I’m not looking for a pity date.”

He sighed. If she knew where his thoughts had been, she wouldn’t be saying that. Besides, it wasn’t like a real date because they’d be friends hanging out together. As simple as that. “So how do I appeal to your better nature and get you to take pity on me?”

“What? No. I meant...” she sputtered, her face turning pink again. She made what sounded like an impatient noise and put the last slice of cake on a plate.

He shouldn’t, but he enjoyed seeing her flustered and if he was the cause, all the better, because she certainly had that effect on him. “How did you do that?”

She looked up and frowned. “Do what?”

He could get lost in those eyes. Focus, McBride. He cleared his throat and pointed to the last cake square on the plate. “You made those come out even.”

A smile spread across her face and she glanced around before leaning close. “It’s my superpower.”

“I’m intrigued,” he whispered, but he wasn’t referring to cake or plates.

She straightened and turned her attention to a woman who appeared in front of them. “Hello, Mrs. Canterbury. Cake?”

After the woman had taken her cake and left, he bumped his hip against Ellie’s. “Whaddaya say, Harding, help a guy out. Do your good deed for the month and come to this wedding with me?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why? So I can perform CPR on the women who faint at your feet?”

Liam threw his head back and laughed. He spotted Meg watching them, a smug expression on her face. He’d deal with his sister later. Maybe he could interest Fiona in a drum set or buy James, who would be walking soon, a pair of those annoying sneakers that squeaked.

Except he was intrigued by the idea of going with Ellie, so he gave her what he hoped was his best puppy-dog face. “Please. I hear it’s the social event of the season.”

“Oh, brother,” she muttered and rolled her eyes.

Why had it suddenly become so important for her to say yes? He should be running the other way. Ellie didn’t strike him as the sort of woman who did casual, and that’s all he was looking for—with Ellie or anyone. Keep it light. No more wrenching losses. But that damn image of holding her while dancing, their bodies in sync, sometimes touching, wouldn’t go away.

“How long are you staying in Loon Lake?”

Her question dragged him away from his thoughts and he frowned. “Exactly when is this wedding?”

“You missed the point. That was my attempt at changing the subject,” she said, and greeted an elderly woman shuffling past.

Liam smiled at the woman and tried to hand her a dessert.

The woman shook her head and held up a plate loaded with meat loaf, potatoes and green beans. “Gotta eat this first, son.”

Liam nodded, put the dessert back on the table and turned his head to Ellie. “I’ll be here for a month.”