If I Can't Have You. Beth Kery

He smiled.

       Color rushed into her cheeks. “It wasn’t a compliment,” she snapped.

       He shrugged, hiding his grin with effort. Even when she snarled at him, she appealed. “Either way, you must realize what I’m saying makes sense. It’s not just Natalie I’m thinking of here. It’s Liam, too.”

       She narrowed her eyes. “Do not try and make it seem like you’re being generous. It’s weakening your case. Considerably.” She began to pace in front of his desk. “Even if I did agree with you that they’re being impulsive, there’s nothing we can do. I know it won’t make any difference for me to talk to Liam about it. He’s stubborn as an ox when he makes up his mind about something, a Kavanaugh through and through.” She looked up. “Can you talk to Natalie?”

       “I’ve tried a dozen times. It’s like talking to steel armor. The Kavanaughs haven’t cornered the market on stubbornness,” he said mildly.

       “Humph,” she muttered, her sweeping gaze telling him loud and clear that while she doubted his claim in his sweet sister’s case, she certainly believed he’d received his fair share of bullheadedness. “What exactly do you mean by ‘tweaking the circumstances’? Do you want me to reveal some deep, dark secret about Liam to Natalie? Should I tell her that he used to not change the empty toilet-paper roll when he was fourteen years old? Do you think that will send her running?”

       “No,” he replied levelly, refusing to allow her to prick his temper. “But I can think of a few things that might cause one of them to hit the pause button if the information was presented in just the right way.”

       “Like what?’ she asked suspiciously.

       “Don’t give me that look. I’m not picturing anything traumatic. Do you think I would ever purposefully hurt my sister?”

       She hesitated, but when she finally resumed pacing and answered, she sounded honest enough.

       “No.”

       “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said, forcing himself to look away from the distracting sight of her scissoring thighs.

       She rolled her eyes. “Are you going to tell me what you have in mind or not?”

       “It’s simple enough. We just make sure Liam and Natalie encounter the type of thing that would make any rational person stop and consider before leaping impulsively into marriage.”

       “What? Force them to watch old documentaries about failed celebrity marriages? Remind them repeatedly of how much Brad said he adored Jennifer before Angelina woke him up?”

       “No. But not too far from that. Has it ever occurred to you that we’re mutually acquainted with couples who have gone from head over heels to heading to divorce court in record time?”

       She paused and studied him. He leaned back in his desk chair, musing.

       “It might be…prudent for Liam and Natalie to observe some of those jaded couples firsthand. We can start off by asking a few of them to the engagement party,” he said.

       “I beg your pardon?” she asked, her forearms crossed beneath firm, generous breasts.

      Definitely not like the typical mother of his patients.

       “The engagement party you and I will be throwing Liam and Natalie,” he said reasonably. “We should plan to have it as soon as possible. Maybe even next weekend, given the short period of time we have before the wedding.”

       He pretended to misunderstand her incredulous—or was it horrified?—expression.

       “Sorry. I just assumed.... Somebody is going to have to throw them an engagement party, and we’re the most likely candidates. Don’t you want to? I thought that was the right thing to do.”

       “I…of course, it’s…” She made a sound of frustration. “Don’t tell me what the ‘right’ thing to do is, Reyes. Who made you the leading authority on correct wedding etiquette?”

       “I’m far from being an expert. That’s why I need your help so much,” he said as humbly as possible. He rocked back in his chair, thinking. “I want my sister to have the best of everything. She deserves that, and more. But I really believe they should consider hitting the slow-down button before taking the big plunge.”

       “Maybe,” Colleen muttered after a moment of silently wearing down his carpet with her treading feet. “But I’m not agreeing to anything malicious. If they’re determined to get married after only knowing each other a few months, there’s absolutely nothing anyone can do to change their minds.”

       “I agree one hundred percent,” he said. “It’s not meant to be hurtful. Just…a wake-up call.”

       “Other than that, we’ll give them a wonderful party.”

       “Are you kidding? We’ll throw them the best engagement party Harbor Town has ever seen. The best wedding and reception, as well.”

       She stood directly in front of him, her jean-covered thighs slightly spread. “Do you promise that’s the only thing you’ll do? Try to subtly encourage them to extend their engagement? Because I’m not agreeing to anything dishonest.”

       “I promise. I despise dishonesty,” he said truthfully.

       He waited while she studied him closely.

       “Okay,” she finally conceded. “Mari, Marc, you and I will be responsible for the cost and planning of the engagement party. As for the wedding and reception, can you speak with Natalie and get some of her thoughts on decorations, budget, that sort of thing? I’ll do the same with Liam, just so we’re all operating on a consistent plan.”

       He nodded. “I understand the bride’s family is traditionally responsible for the finances. I’m Natalie’s whole family, so I’ll be paying for the wedding.”

       She paused, her mouth hanging open.

       “That’s very generous of you to offer,” she said slowly after a moment. He couldn’t decide if he should be flattered or insulted by her expression of surprise and grudging respect at his offer. “But couples finance their weddings a lot of different ways these days, and I’m sure Natalie would agree you’re under no obligation. Plus, I doubt Liam would ever expect you to pay for everything, but that’s something we have to clarify.”

       “I agree,” Eric said.

       She nodded once firmly, despite her doubtful expression. “I’ll see you later then.”

       “Let’s have lunch tomorrow,” he declared when she started to walk out of his office.

      “Why?” she asked, spinning around.

       “To plan the engagement party. And, of course, how we implement our ideas for promoting careful consideration instead of impulsive haste with Natalie and Liam.”

       Her eyes flickered over him warily.

       “What’s bothering you?” he asked.

       “Nothing. It’s just…I had no idea you were such a cynic when it came to the idea of true love, Reyes. I suppose I should have suspected it.”

       “I like to think of myself as a realist, not a cynic. Besides, you’ve admitted you agreed about this. Committing to another person for a lifetime requires some serious contemplation. There’s no such thing as love at first sight. Right?”

       “Of course not,” she said, bristling.

       “So, what’s your excuse?”

       “What do you mean?”

       “Your excuse for being a cynic when it comes to hasty marriage?”

       A shadow fell over her features, and he immediately regretted his words. He’d just been trying to get to know her better. Instead, he’d unintentionally struck a bad chord, Eric realized.