In Love By Christmas. Cari Lynn Webb

their boarding schools exactly the same way: Adriana holding back tears and Theo promising to fix whatever needed fixing. He’d failed his sister back then. He refused to let down Adriana now. She deserved her own dream wedding—it was time for her to be the unique person she was, not a copycat. “You won’t have to. Mia is waiting for us in your office. Meet her while I deal with this.”

      Theo never waited for his sister’s agreement. He rushed inside his mother’s office, slid his arm around her waist and helped her off the coffee table. “Mother. What are you doing?”

      “Taking pictures of my partial wedding ensemble.” Lilian Rose Taylor pressed a button on her cell phone and stretched her smile to radiant. “I saved the veil for later.”

      His mother had retained her beauty like a priceless piece of artwork that now required protection and delicate handling to ensure its value. “You’re not engaged.” His tone lacked the softness of white gloves.

      “I’ve decided to change that.” She paused to check her reflection in the glass. “Your sister shouldn’t be the only one granted the magic of the season and a Christmas wedding.”

      Yes. Adriana should be granted all the magic she could grasp. This was his sister’s moment. No one should steal it away, especially not their mother. Their mother had stolen their childhood. Now she lived in the in-law suite attached to Theo’s house and expected to be obeyed like the parent she’d never wanted to be. “It’s too late to plan a second Christmas wedding. There isn’t enough time.”

      There also wasn’t time for his mother’s latest spectacle at the corporate headquarters for the lifestyle brand Theo had built. Too bad he couldn’t simply edit out the wedding madness dominating his life. He had a business to grow and his mother—the wild card—made that difficult.

      “Your sister is still planning her wedding.” She tapped her crown back into place as if Theo’s harsh words had knocked it askew. “Adriana has plenty of time to make her wedding happen.”

      Theo stared at the ceiling tiles, noted the tranquility posters his mother had tacked up there sometime that morning and tempered his voice. “Adriana also has a fiancé.”

      “I will, too.” His mother took one measured step at a time along the length of the glass wall. As if she was walking the aisle of the city’s oldest cathedral.

      The glass walls made a stunning architectural statement, but they also put the occupants on constant display to the staff and visitors. And Theo’s business associates—the ones from the TV network who were arriving any minute—would be very interested in his mother’s current performance. Had that been his mother’s agenda all along?

      He wanted to believe his mother was only having a momentary lapse into wedding euphoria. But he’d learned as a child to trust his gut. And every cell inside him knew his mother never suffered momentary lapses into anything. She always jumped in with both heels and little consideration for the impact on everyone else.

      He touched his mother’s elbow, guided her away from the wall and any possible spectators and led her into the far corner. Then he willed his admin assistant to take the TV producers straight to his office and bypass the coffee bar that had a clear view into his mom’s office.

      His mother tilted her head and aimed her welcoming smile at the empty leather chair behind her desk, as if she was greeting a wedding guest. “I hired a discreet matchmaker.”

      Discretion wasn’t part of Lilian Rose’s makeup. “Was one of your potential match requirements ‘must have wedding vows already memorized’?”

      “I’m lonely, Theo.” She cradled her cheek in her palm, her frown fragile. “Don’t be insensitive.”

      Theo flinched. As if claiming your own daughter’s wedding gown for yourself wasn’t insensitive enough. Still, she was his mother. And putting out fires wasn’t just what he did at the company. “What matchmaker did you hire?”

      “Daphne Holland.” His mother swiped a clear, shimmery lip gloss across her mouth, supporting her sudden smile. “Holland Matchmakers was featured in last year’s August edition. I thought I could be the featured cover story for next August’s edition.” His mother preened, her loneliness forgotten. “I’ve always wanted to be a cover story.”

      And apparently a Christmas bride, too. Theo ground his teeth together. “The August edition—”

      “Can be changed,” she interrupted. “For your own mother.”

      His own mother hadn’t changed for her own son or daughter. Boarding schools and distance had been Lilian Rose Taylor’s response to parenthood. Resentment smashed against his clenched teeth. Thanks to his parents, he’d grown up to be independent and self-reliant. More than comfortable standing on his own. Being on his own. Why, then, did he still want his mother’s approval? “I want to meet with Daphne Holland.”

      “Wonderful.” His mother pressed her hands under her chin and sighed as if he’d agreed to escort her down the aisle. Her voice was delicate and dreamy. “You could sign up, too. Then we could have a double feature in the August edition.”

      There wasn’t going to be any Taylor featured in the August edition or any future magazine edition. There also wasn’t going to be any matchmaking for himself. One Taylor on a love hunt was more than enough. Although his mother never mentioned love. But she looked more than camera-ready. “Between Adriana’s wedding and running the company, I have enough on my plate.”

      “You’re right. There’s my wedding, too.” His mother set her lip gloss into her purse and snapped the clutch closed. “After the holidays, you can sign up with Daphne. Then you can have your own Christmas love story next year.”

      The only thing Theo wanted for Christmas was a flawless wedding for his sister and a profitable year-end.

      His admin, Fran, opened the office door. Her face never twitched at his mother’s bridal outfit. Fran was a consummate professional. “Your nine o’clock is waiting in your office. Should I tell them you’re running late?”

      “It’s Tuesday. Today is the meeting with the TV producers.” His mother’s unwavering gaze pinned Theo in place. “I’m just in time.”

      Theo blanched. He knew that nothing good would happen if his mother joined him for the meeting. “I’ll be right there.”

      His admin slipped out of the room and disappeared. Now Theo needed his mother to disappear. At the last production meeting with the network, Theo had insisted the Taylor family was nothing to showcase on the company’s new TV series. His mother in her wedding paraphernalia could prove just the opposite.

      Theo left his mother’s office and searched the hallway. Mia stepped from Adriana’s office, a camera clutched in her hand. He forced himself to lessen the panic in his tone. “Mia. I have a small situation and need your help.”

      More like an all hands on deck situation to distract his mother.

      Mia Reid, one of his best contract photographers, waved and headed toward him.

      Theo adjusted his smile. He was certain from the slight tilt of Mia’s head that desperation widened his eyes and distorted his face. He ushered Mia into his mother’s office and stationed himself in the doorway. “Mia, I was hoping you could take several pictures of my mother in her wedding gown.”

      Mia’s eyebrows pulled together in slow motion as her sharp gaze shifted from his mother to Theo.

      “I’m not in my full ensemble,” his mother protested. “What about my veil?”

      “But you should see the gown from all angles. You might want to pick a different length, or style of veil.” Theo scrambled to latch onto reasonable arguments, then glanced down the hall at his closed office door. What if it opened? What if one of the TV producers stepped out for more coffee…? His words tripped out in a rush. “Mother, you want the perfect veil.”

      “You