Unlocking The Surgeon's Heart. Jessica Matthews

shrugged. “I changed my mind. I’m not participating to win a prize.”

      He didn’t think the possibility of taking first place was her motive. She was simply one of those people who threw herself into whatever project caught her fancy, which was also why he disagreed with her remark about being happy. Christy had too much vim and vigor to be content with a lackluster performance. Even he wasn’t satisfied and he was far less outgoing than she was.

      All of which meant that he was going to have to carve out time in his schedule for lessons—lessons that involved holding this woman with her citrusy scent and skimpy underwear in his arms.

      Merely picturing those moments was enough to send his blood tumbling through his body at a fast and furious rate. The things a man had to do for charity …

      Christy had known her evening was off to a bad start when Ria hid her shoes. She’d hoped to find them before Linc arrived but, as luck would have it, she hadn’t. Although he’d been polite about it, clearly the delay had taxed his patience and his perfectly timed schedule.

      Yet she’d enjoyed the little courtesies he’d shown her. Being in the close confines of his vehicle, she’d been painfully aware of his fresh, clean scent to the point her throat went dry.

      Of all the men in her circle of friends and acquaintances, why did he have to be the one who oozed sex appeal? After feeling his hand at her waist, she honestly didn’t know how she’d survive an evening as his dance partner.

      To make matters worse, Gail had seated her next to him at the dinner table and his arm had brushed against hers on several occasions as they’d passed the food.

      Maybe she needed to call an escort service in order to calm those suddenly raging hormones, but her fear of rejection was too strong to risk it. If a man who’d supposedly loved her hadn’t been able to handle her diagnosis and resultant treatment, who else could?

      No, better that she hurry home after dinner, take Ria for a long run at the dog park until they were both too tired to do more than curl up on the sofa with a carton of frozen chocolate yogurt, a handful of dog treats, and a sappy movie on the TV screen.

      Linc’s voice forced her to focus on her surroundings. “Okay, you two. What’s up? And don’t tell me ‘Nothing’ because I know you both too well to believe otherwise.”

      Gail and Ty looked at each other with such an expression of love between them that Christy was half-jealous. Made a little uncomfortable by their silent exchange, she glanced at Linc and immediately noticed the similarities between the brothers.

      They had the same bone structure, the same complexion, and the same shade of brown hair. Both Maguire males were handsome but, to her, Linc’s features were far more interesting—probably because life had left its imprint on them. According to Gail, as the oldest brother, Linc had stepped into his parents’ role after their deaths in a car accident when he was nineteen and he’d guided his younger siblings through their rocky teenage years. It was only logical that the sudden responsibility had formed him into the driven, purposeful man he was today.

      Christy glanced at her dark-haired friend and saw the gentle smile on her face. “You’re pregnant again?” she guessed.

      Gail patted her husband’s hand as she shook her head. “No. But maybe we can announce that when we get back.”

      “Get back? Where are you going?”

      Ty answered his brother’s question. “Paris.”

      Christy was stunned … and envious. It was one of the cities she’d put on the bucket list she’d created during her chemotherapy sessions. “Oh, how fun. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

      Linc didn’t seem to share her excitement. “Paris? As in France? Or Paris, as in Texas?”

      “France,” Ty told him. “My company is opening an overseas branch and they want a computer consultant to be on site. They chose me.”

      Linc reached across the table to shake his brother’s hand. “Congratulations. You’ve worked hard for this. I’m proud of you. How long will you be gone?”

      Ty exchanged a glance with Gail. “Two months, give or take a few weeks, depending on how well the project progresses. Because Gail knows the secretarial ropes of our firm, my boss has offered to send her as my assistant.”

      Theirs had been an office romance and after Derek had arrived, Gail had cut her work status to part time.

      “And the kids?” Christy thought of six-year-old Emma and eight-year-old Derek, who’d already been excused from the table to play outside with their friends. “What about them?”

      Gail’s expression turned hopeful. “That’s why you’re both here tonight. We wanted to ask a favor.”

      “Anything,” she promptly replied.

      “Would you and Linc be their guardians and take care of them while we’re gone?”