As if she read Katherine's mind, her mother smoothed her dress down and smiled. “He's definitely not gay. His fiancée jilted him a year ago right at the altar, at least that's what I heard folks say.” She paused. “Course, mind you, I'm not one to gossip.” She shook her head. “He hasn't dated any decent women that I know of since that terrible thing happened to him."

That didn't sound good. “Meaning what?” she said casually around sips. “He dates indecent women?” She held the steaming cup to her nose, and inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh hazelnut wafting from the brown liquid.

Her mother blushed and lowered her voice. “Not exactly indecent, mind you, but they have a reputation for being kind of wild, if you know what I mean."

Katherine set her cup down and frowned. She knew what her mother meant only too well. He preferred the kind of women her ex-husband kept as mistresses.

“I told you, he's a prominent attorney. Wins every case.” Her mother pointed to the magazine rack. “He's got offices in New York and Texas.” Katherine stood, walked to the rack hanging on the wall and lifted People magazine out. Jared Randall's wolfish smile stared back at her from the cover. A supermodel draped on each of his tuxedo-clad arms, helping him celebrate after winning another whopping divorce settlement for a major movie star.

After replacing the magazine, she spun around and shook her head.

“Don't you get that sour look on your face, Katherine Marisa Cahill. There's nothing wrong with Jared. He helps around the house when things tear up on me. The man's just looking in the wrong places for what he really needs. As for you, you don't want to look ‘cause you got singed.” Her mother touched her hip and grimaced.

Katherine moved to her side. “You've been on your feet too long. Rest.” She helped her to a chair.

Her mother swatted at Katherine's hands. “I'm not an invalid. They put a pin in my hip. It's bionic now."

A picture of her mother jumping over hurdles popped into Katherine's head and she chuckled. “Bionic, huh?"

Katherine reached down and rubbed her mother's hands, remembering the fall in the tub that necessitated the emergency surgery. “I came home three weeks early to help you with the cooking and shopping for Christmas. Please, let me be your arms and legs this year. I don't want you overdoing it."

The back door swung open and Matt sped into the kitchen. “I made sure he didn't miss any spots.” Matt beamed. “We tested ‘em. Santa can land fine now."

She dragged her gaze to the door and froze. Jared stood watching her. The smile he wore gave him an air of innocence, but the look in his eyes made a tingling start in the base of her skull. His gaze trailed down her body to her toes before it meandered back up. The seductive grin hadn't changed a bit when he finally met her eyes again. She swallowed unevenly. He knew what he was doing to her, saw the way her shirt lifted and fell on shallow breaths.

Is this his hobby, she wondered angrily, making women swoon for his own macho-entertainment?

He's no good. Definitely, no good.

Good for her or not, her breath still came short and shallow. The top of her knees banged against the table leg, as she jerked away. Traitorous body. Fortunately for her, no one noticed her agitation.

Her mother coughed.

Katherine's face flushed even hotter and stared down, away from the others.

You'd better tread carefully, Katherine girl, lest you jump from the frying pan into the fire.

She glanced down to find Matt gazing at her. He looked down at the dirt covering his hands, which happened to be where her grim stare ended. Matt backed up a step and placed his little hand in Jared's huge one. “We gotta go wash after we've been outside, or Mom will get mad.” He led Jared down the carpeted hall.

Her face still burned from embarrassment when they returned. Matt led Jared to stand in front of her for an ‘official hand inspection'. She had her dad to thank for the predicament she found herself in right now. He always laughed and obediently stood behind Matt to set an example for his grandson. Her throat went dry at the mischief in Jared's eyes and the thought of touching and feeling the warmth of his skin.

“Smells good in here,” Jared remarked innocently, holding his hands out.

Oh my stars!

Chapter Two

Jared wore black denim, a rich-chocolate shirt and smelled of mint soap from washing up. Katherine didn't touch the broad hands he extended. His long, thick fingers made her thoughts turn to distinctly unwelcomed ideas. She studied them with reluctant interest. At least on his hands his skin had a tan. A fleeting thought of where else he might be tanned made her blush and pronounce them clean.

He regarded her with amusement and whispered, “Chicken,” before he moved aside for Matt to have his turn.

She glanced to the side. Her mother winked at Katherine and patted the chair, motioning for Matt to sit beside her. Jared remained standing around the table, looking down at her with that dark, arched brow and the hint of a roguish smile.

Where were her manners? Katherine leapt from her chair and offered Jared a seat, sloshed some coffee into a cup and shoved it in front of him. He reached out, she pushed it forward, wanting to keep distance between them, and the cup toppled over.

It spilled across the table. Katherine stared at the spreading mess. Jared's eyes were reflected back at her in the creamy brown pool of coffee. Eyes she could drown in. She turned, grabbed paper towels, wadded them up and sopped up the puddle. Tossing the wet mess in the trashcan, she turned, topped his cup again and handed everyone napkins. Anything to keep her clumsy hands occupied.

Jared held his cup close to his chest, as if protecting it. He frowned every once in a while like she represented the plague moving in his direction. How could she blame him? She'd suddenly turned into the biggest butter-fingered klutz in Texas.

“Help yourself to some cookies,” she said.

Jared reached out to the plate piled with still-warm cookies and removed his unsettling gaze from her. She breathed a sigh of relief. From the gallon container, she poured Matt a glass of milk, set it in front of him and smiled when he helped himself to three of the largest cookies.

“She baked these,” her mother said, smiling at Jared. “They have raisins and coconut. Matt loves them."

Katherine rolled her eyes, silently pleading. Please. No matchmaking.

Jared picked out a plump, juicy raisin, rolled it between his fingers and plopped it into his mouth, before he took a bite of the cookie. “These taste even better than they smell."

Everyone nibbled on cookies, except Matt. He inhaled one and came up for air, looking expectantly at Katherine. “You know what?"

She almost spilled her coffee and Jared gave her the plague look again. Oh, no. Please. Not, “You know what?” Say anything but “You know what?” Last time Matt said that, she climbed a ladder, almost fell off a two-story roof and bloodied Jared's nose. She held her breath.

“What?” Jared asked, taking another bite of cookie.

“We gotta get a Christmas tree.” Matt held his hands up as high as they could reach. “A real big one. For big presents."

Katherine exhaled slowly, relieved. Surely she could handle getting a tree for Matt. What could possibly go wrong?

She thought about the toys hidden in the closet, none that came fully assembled. She convinced herself that men did this to get even with women. First, the instructions were written for mechanical engineers. Second, parts were always left when she finished and she'd have to start all over to figure out exactly where those parts belonged. She did not look forward to putting Matt's toys together at all.

Jared glanced at her. “You want to go this afternoon around five and get a tree, or do you have something else planned?” he asked in a casual tone, never taking his eyes off her.

Going anywhere with him spelled trouble. Maybe he thought because she was divorced, and he assumed she had been celibate for a long time she was an easy lay, like the women he dated. But, he couldn't know she'd stayed celibate. She gazed at him and bit her lower lip. Could he? I mean a thing like not having sex for a very long time, that doesn't show, does it?

“We can manage. Thank you.” She lifted her chin so he'd get her message.

Jared sipped his coffee, watching her intensely over the rim. “You're doing it again."

“Doing what?"

“Reading something into my actions that I never intended, like when I stopped your fall and accidentally grabbed your you-know-whats."

Katherine gasped. She choked on her cookie and gulped down a stream of hot coffee, fighting for air.

Her mother placed the back of her hand over her mouth, hiding a fit of laughter.

Matt turned and beat between Katherine's shoulder blades. He repeated what he'd heard her say for years when he swallowed wrong. “Did that cookie have a bone in it?"

She wiped at the water filling her eyes. “Yes, it did, but you made it better.” She coughed again. “Thanks, Matt."

Jared leaned toward her. “Are you all right? Your face is really flushed. How about more coffee?"

She shook her head and whispered, “I'm fine. Really."

He fell silent a few seconds before suggesting, “If this afternoon's not convenient, I'd be willing to change it to some other day."

I'll bet you are. “We wouldn't dream of making you change your plans. We'll be fine without your help."

“Dear.” Her mother turned toward her with a dreamy, far-away look Katherine recognized immediately. That twinkle in her eyes meant one thing. Matchmaking. “What Jared's offering sounds like a good idea. How are you going to fit a tree into that small car of yours?"