The One Winter Collection. Rebecca Winters

lit by a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. ‘So glad you approve.’

      ‘I approve, all right,’ he said, his voice more the hoarse whisper of a lover than the light tone of a pal, no matter how he tried to keep it casual.

      The silver high heeled shoes that strapped around her ankles brought her to easy kissing height. She kissed him lightly, first on one cheek and then the other. ‘Just friends, remember,’ she murmured into his ear.

      It was an effort not to clamp her possessively to his side. To beat away anyone who came near her. She aroused caveman instincts he hadn’t known he possessed.

      ‘You look so beautiful,’ he murmured back. ‘No man would want to stop at just being friends.’

      She laughed as she pulled away from him to normal conversation level. He had better try and mask the hunger in his eyes.

      ‘I bought this dress in Paris years ago. It’s so long since I dressed up I could hardly remember how. I thought it was going to be a big fail.’

      ‘Count it as a first class honours pass,’ he said.

      She wore make-up too, dark stuff around her eyes that brought out a purple ring around her iris. And deep pink lipstick on her sweet, seductive mouth. It only made him want to kiss it off.

      ‘This is the same room where Sandy and Ben’s wedding reception was held, isn’t it?’ Lizzie asked in a low murmur. ‘Do you get a feeling of déjà vu?’

      ‘In a way,’ he said. ‘You’re the loveliest woman in the room again.’

      ‘I bet you say that to all the girls,’ she said in mock flirtation, but he saw a touch of wariness in her eyes.

      ‘No, I don’t, and that’s the truth,’ he said. He bent to whisper in her ear. ‘You have to learn to trust me, Lizzie.’ As he had to trust her.

      She nodded. ‘I know.’

      He wanted to kiss her to reassure her, but of course he couldn’t. Not with the eyes of a sizable number of his family and friends upon them.

      ‘One thing is for sure,’ she said, as if she’d read his mind. ‘Nothing could take me out onto that balcony again.’

      He didn’t want to share her. Wanted her all to himself somewhere very private. But she was right—that place wasn’t the balcony. No matter how beautiful the view of the full moon over the bay.

      He was about to tell her that when Ben came up beside them. He slapped his brother on the shoulder in greeting. ‘It’s not you I’ve come to talk to,’ Ben said. ‘It’s Lizzie.’

      ‘Okay,’ said Lizzie. Did she feel as annoyed as he did at being interrupted?

      ‘Mum wants to show you something special,’ Ben said to Lizzie. ‘She’s over there near the stage. Please don’t be surprised if it’s a dog.’

      Lizzie laughed. ‘I don’t mind at all if it’s a dog. Isn’t that what we’re here for?’

      She casually brushed her hand against Jesse’s arm as she left—he got the message she would rather stay with him and it pleased him.

      ‘I actually do want to talk to you,’ said Ben. He went from smiling to serious, as he did when money and investment was concerned.

      Jesse’s interest was sparked. When he was younger, he’d trusted Ben with financial advice that had paid off very handsomely. A generous inheritance plus business savvy and wise investment meant that at his age he was very well off. Well off enough to be able to take the weight right off Lizzie’s feet if that was what she wanted; maybe into a job that wasn’t so physically demanding. It concerned him to see her so exhausted and in pain at the end of a long day in the kitchen.

      ‘I want to talk to you about a business proposition,’ Ben said.

      ‘If you want to hire me as a full-time barista, forget it,’ Jesse said with a grin.

      ‘Sandy would sign you up in a moment,’ Ben said. ‘But that’s not the money-making proposal I have for you.’

      * * *

      As Lizzie walked away from Jesse, she was surprised to realise how much she was enjoying herself. She couldn’t help but contrast the last time she’d been in this room for Sandy’s wedding.

      Then she’d been the bride’s sister who didn’t know anyone. Now, even after only a few weeks in Dolphin Bay, she recognised lots of faces and they were all very complimentary about Bay Bites. Several people told her they’d put in bids for the prize of lunch for two she’d donated to the silent auction.

      Maura came bustling up and swept her up into a hug. ‘Gorgeous, gorgeous dress,’ she said. ‘So glad to see you having a night out.’

      ‘We had another busy day in the café today,’ Lizzie told her. ‘The fish pie I made from your recipe was a sell-out. And we’ve already got customers asking us to put your strawberry sponge cake on the regular menu.’

      ‘Only serve that cake when strawberries are at their finest,’ Maura advised. ‘It’s at its best with the freshest, sweetest strawberries. Anything else is a compromise and the flavour will suffer.’

      Lizzie smiled. Maura truly was a woman after her own heart when it came to food. ‘I’ll keep that advice in mind,’ she said.

      ‘I’m pleased about that, dear. But we’re not here to talk about cooking. There’s someone I want you to meet.’

      Lizzie followed Maura up onto the platform where the dogs were waiting to play their roles for the evening with varying degrees of good behaviour.

      ‘If we can appeal to people’s hearts for adoptions tonight that will be grand,’ said Maura. ‘If we can get them to open their wallets, too, that’s all the better.’

      Lizzie suppressed a smile. It appeared the Morgan family were born businesspeople. That augured well for the future of Bay Bites—and her own security in Dolphin Bay.

      Maura led Lizzie to where a puppy snuggled with a teenage girl. ‘He’s sad, Mrs Morgan,’ she said. ‘He misses his brother and sister who got adopted.’

      ‘Sad? Maybe a little lonely,’ said Maura. ‘But he’s quiet because he’s exhausted from being run around the yard all afternoon.’ She turned to Lizzie. ‘Meet Alfie.’

      At the sound of his name, the puppy sat up. He was black with a few irregular white patches, soulful dark eyes and long floppy ears that made Lizzie think he had some spaniel in him. He gave a sweet little whine and lifted up a furry paw to be shaken.

      Lizzie was smitten. ‘Oh, he’s adorable.’ She shook the puppy’s warm little paw.

      ‘Mother, are you up to your “get the puppy to shake paws” tricks again?’ Jesse spoke from behind her and Lizzie turned. Her heart missed a beat at the sight of how devastating he looked in a tuxedo. She hadn’t thought he could look more handsome than he did in his jeans and T-shirt but he did. Oh, yes, he did.

      ‘And if a few tricks help a homeless animal find his way into someone’s heart, who am I to miss the opportunity?’ said Maura with the charming smile that was so like her son’s.

      ‘He’s won my heart already—can I pick him up?’ Lizzie asked.

      As soon as he was in her arms the puppy tried to enthusiastically lick her face. Lizzie laughed. ‘Jesse, isn’t he cute?’

      ‘He is that,’ said Jesse with a smile she could only describe as indulgent.

      ‘Amy would adore him.’

      ‘Yes, she would,’ said Maura. ‘A dog can be a great friend to a little girl.’

      ‘Her grand-maman in France has a little dog that Amy loves. She’s heartbroken every time she says goodbye to her. It might help her to settle here if she had