Treasured. Sherryl Woods

his aunt in the eye. “Are you an artist?”

      “Not anymore,” she said at once.

      “Because you no longer paint?” he pressed.

      Destiny frowned at him. “I still dabble.”

      “Then it must be because you don’t show or sell your work,” he said. “Is that why you’re no longer an artist?”

      “Yes,” she said at once. “That’s it exactly.”

      He gave Destiny a triumphant look. “Neither do I. No shows. No sales. I dabble.” He found himself winking at Kathleen. “I guess we can forget about me offering a professional opinion on your current show.”

      A grin tugged at the corners of Kathleen’s mouth. “Clever,” she praised.

      “Too clever for his own good,” Destiny muttered.

      “Uh-oh,” Mack murmured, grinning broadly. “You’ve done it now, Ben. Destiny’s on the warpath. You’re doomed.”

      Funny, Ben thought, glancing around the room at the sea of amused expressions, that was the same conclusion he’d reached about an hour ago. He should have quit back then and saved himself the aggravation.

       2

      Kathleen felt as if the undercurrents swirling around Ben Carlton’s living room were about to drag her under. Every single suspicion she’d had about the real reason she’d been invited tonight was being confirmed with every subtle dig, every dark look between Ben and his aunt. Even his brothers and sisters-in-law seemed to be in on the game and were enjoying it thoroughly. In fact, she was the only one who didn’t seem to get the rules. If she could have fled without appearing unbearably rude, she might have.

      “Would you like to freshen up before dinner?” Beth Carlton asked, regarding her with sympathy.

      If it meant escaping from this room, Kathleen would have agreed to join a trek across the still-green fields of winter wheat that stretched as far as the eye could see.

      “Yes, please,” she said gratefully.

      “I’ll show you where the powder room is,” Beth said.

      The minute they were out of earshot of the others, Beth gave her a warm smile. “Feel as if you’re caught in an intricate web you didn’t even realize was being spun?”

      Kathleen nodded. “Worse, I have no idea how I got there. Am I some sort of sacrificial lamb?”

      “Pretty much,” Beth said. “Believe me, Melanie and I know exactly how you feel. We’ve been there. We were tangled up with Carlton men before we knew it.”

      “I don’t suppose there’s a way out?” Kathleen asked.

      “Obviously neither of us found one,” Beth said cheerfully. “Maybe you’ll be the exception. Right now she’s batting two for two, but Destiny’s track record is bound to falter sooner or later.”

      Kathleen studied the pediatric oncologist who’d married Mack. Beth Carlton struck her as quiet, intelligent and lovely in an understated way, very much the opposite of Kathleen’s eccentricity and flamboyance. It was hard to imagine that the same woman would have chosen them as potential marriage material for beloved nephews. Then, again, Ben was a far cry from his more outgoing, athletic brother. Destiny obviously knew her nephews well. As Beth had just noted, her knack for choosing the right women was outstanding.

      “Then I’m not crazy,” Kathleen ventured carefully. “Destiny is plotting to set me up with Ben? She didn’t get me out here just to look at his art?”

      Beth’s grin spread. “Have you actually seen a single canvas since you arrived?”

      “No.”

      “Were you asked to tag along when Destiny went to fetch Ben from his studio?”

      “No.”

      Beth took a little bow, her expression amused. “I rest my case.”

      “But why me?” Kathleen couldn’t keep the plaintive note out of her voice.

      “Believe me, I asked the same thing when I realized what Destiny was up to with me and Mack. He was a professional football player, for heaven’s sakes, and I’d never even watched a game. At least you and Ben have art in common. On the surface you’re a much better match than Mack and I were.”

      “But Destiny got it right with the two of you, didn’t she?” Kathleen concluded.

      “Exactly right,” Beth admitted happily. “She was absolutely on target with Richard and Melanie, too, though they fought it just as hard as Mack and I did. My advice is to go with the flow and see what happens. Assuming you ever want to get married, maybe having a woman with Destiny’s intuition in your corner is not all bad.”

      “But I’m not looking for a husband,” Kathleen protested. “Especially not an artist. I was married to one once. It did not turn out well.”

      Beth’s expression turned thoughtful. “Does Destiny know about that?”

      Kathleen shook her head. “I doubt it. I don’t talk about it, and I took back my maiden name after the divorce.”

      “Let me think about this a minute,” Beth said, then gestured toward a door. “The powder room’s in there. I’ll wait right here to show you the way to the dining room.”

      When Kathleen emerged a few minutes later, she found Beth and Melanie huddled together. They glanced up and beamed at her.

      “So, here’s the way we see it,” Beth said. “Either Destiny knows about your past and figures that will make you a real challenge for Ben.”

      “Or she’s made a serious miscalculation,” Melanie said, grinning. “I like that one. Just once I’d like to see her get it wrong. No offense.”

      “None taken,” Kathleen said, liking these two women immensely. She had a feeling their advice was going to be invaluable if she was to evade Destiny Carlton’s snare. With any luck Ben would be equally appalled by this scheme, and the whole crazy thing would die for lack of participation by either one of them. He certainly hadn’t looked especially happy earlier.

      “We’d better go in to dinner before Destiny comes looking for us,” Beth said, casting a worried look in the direction of the living room. “Destiny’s allowed her conspiracies. Ours make her nervous.”

      “Why is that?” Kathleen asked.

      “Because we’re on to her,” Melanie explained. “She was terrified I’d warn Beth away. Now she’s equally worried that we might gang up and help you escape her clutches. I think she anticipates that the day will come when we’ll get even with her, even though we’re happy about the outcome of her machinations.” She gave Kathleen the same sort of sympathetic look Beth had given her earlier. “We will, you know. If you need backup, just holler. We love Ben and we want to see him happy, but we also feel a certain amount of loyalty to any woman caught up in one of Destiny’s matchmaking plots. It’s a sisterhood thing.”

      Kathleen listened to the offer with amusement. Now that she’d been forewarned about the lengths to which Destiny might go, she felt much more confident that she was prepared to deal with her. “Don’t worry. I think I can handle Destiny.”

      The declaration drew hoots of laughter. Despite her confidence in her own willpower and strength, that laughter gave Kathleen pause. That was the voice of experience responding. Two voices, in fact.

      “Maybe I’d better get your phone numbers, just in case,” she said as they walked toward the dining room where the other guests had now assembled.

      In the doorway, Destiny gave them all a sharp look, then beamed at Kathleen. “Come, dear, I’ve seated you next