His Unexpected Twins. Carrie Nichols

with cancer in her teens, one of her first thoughts had been that she might never get to kiss Liam McBride.

      “Be right back,” Meg threw over her shoulder and rushed to meet her brother as he crossed the room.

      “Oh, my. I mean, I had no idea,” Mary whispered, leaning closer to Ellie. “Whenever she mentioned her brother, I was picturing a male version of Meg. You know...vertically challenged, wild red hair, freckles.”

      Ellie burst out laughing, but drew in a sharp breath when Liam’s head snapped up. His gaze captured hers and his lips quirked into an irresistible half grin. The air she’d sucked in got caught in her chest. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? As if handsomeness had been handed out unchecked on the day he received his looks.

      “Liam takes after their dad,” she whispered to Mary. And not just in physical appearance.

      Ellie knew Liam and his dad had buried themselves in work when Bridget McBride got sick. Firefighting was an admirable profession, but relationships needed care and feeding, too. All Ellie had to do was look at her parents to understand the cost when one partner checked out emotionally during a life-threatening situation. She might have survived the cancer that had plagued her childhood, but her parents’ close relationship hadn’t. As an adult she knew the guilt she’d carried throughout her teen years was irrational, but that didn’t stop it from gnawing at her whenever she saw her parents together. What happened to them proved no relationship was immune to life’s challenges.

      So she’d admire the sexy firefighter, and if given the chance, she’d take that secret Make-A-Wish kiss, but she’d keep her heart and hopes for the future far, far away from Liam McBride.

      “Heart? You listening?” she asked sotto voce before sneaking another longing glance at Liam.

      * * *

      Liam’s footsteps had faltered at that distinctive laugh. Ellie Harding. Her laughter, like her honey-brown eyes, sparkled and drew him in whenever she was close. Today, her long, shiny dark hair was pulled back and secured with one of those rubber band thingies his sister and niece favored. He shook his head and tried to force his thoughts into safer territory. As his sister’s friend, Ellie was off-limits, a permanent resident of the no-dating zone. It was a good thing they lived three hours apart so he wasn’t faced with temptation on a regular basis. The last time he’d seen her was at his nephew’s christening, nearly nine months ago.

      The fact that she’d had cancer as a child and could have died had nothing to do with his resistance to her charms. Nothing at all. He’d hate to think he was that shallow, despite knowing the destruction illness left in its wake.

      No. His reluctance was because messing with a sibling’s friend could have nasty consequences. He and his best friend, Riley Cooper, were just patching up a huge rift in their friendship. Riley had broken the bro code and Liam’s trust by getting Meg pregnant before deploying to Afghanistan and disappearing from her life. But all that was in the past. His sister was crazy in love with Riley, who’d come back, taken responsibility for his daughter and convinced Meg to marry him. Riley was also the reason for the glow of happiness in his sister’s eyes these days.

      So he’d buried the hatchet, and not in Riley’s privates as he’d longed to do once upon a time. He was even spending saved vacation time in Loon Lake to help his brother-in-law renovate. Meg and Riley were outgrowing their modest cottage-style home after the birth of their second child, James.

      His gaze met Ellie’s and objections scattered like ashes. Damn, but off-limits would be a lot easier if she weren’t so appealing. Why some guy hadn’t scooped her up by now was a mystery. He almost wished one had and removed temptation. Almost. Something he kept buried deep and refused to explore railed against the picture of Ellie married to a random dude, forever out of reach. Except out of reach was where she needed to stay, because he’d filled his quota of losing people. From here on out, his heart belonged to his job. Stay back three hundred feet, Ellie Harding.

      “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...