The Ten Thousand Dollar Man stood in front of her.

Her Ten Thousand Dollar Man … at least for all intents and appearances.

A sexy smile tilted the corners of his mouth. “I’m heading home to the girls. Need a lift home?”

The girls. Liam was a good father, always putting his daughters first. She told him she had her car and bid him goodnight.

She feared he’d shake her hand. Instead, he gathered her in his arms. The heat that sparked from the contact made her tingle.

“I’ll call you so we can figure out this ten-thousand-dollar date.” His breath was hot in her ear and she struggled not to melt.

When he walked away, he turned and gave her a smile.

A smile that told her she’d just bought herself a lot more than she’d bargained for …

* * *

CELEBRATIONS, INC.: Let’s get this party started!

Celebration’s

Family

Nancy Robards Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Award-winning author NANCY ROBARDS THOMPSON is a sister, wife and mother who has lived the majority of her life south of the Mason-Dixon line. As the oldest sibling, she reveled in her ability to make her brother laugh at inappropriate moments, and she soon learned she could get away with it by proclaiming, “What? I wasn’t doing anything.” It’s no wonder that upon graduating from college with a degree in journalism, she discovered that reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Since she hung up her press pass to write novels full-time, critics have deemed her books “funny, smart and observant.” She loves chocolate, champagne, cats and art (though not necessarily in that order). When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking and doing yoga.

This book is dedicated to Jennifer, who taught me the meaning of unconditional love.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Excerpt

Chapter One

A bachelor auction?

Really?

Dr. Liam Thayer waited for Cullen Dunlevy, Celebration Memorial’s chief of staff, to crack a smile, or indicate he and the pretty blonde in the business suit at his side were delivering a bad joke to lighten up the impromptu staff meeting.

Please. He could use a little levity to jolt him out of his bad mood. It had been one of those mornings. The twins, Amanda and Calee, hadn’t wanted to get out of bed. Five minutes before they were supposed to walk out the door, Amanda remembered that she was supposed to bring cupcakes for an after-school club meeting.

To spur the girls along, he’d said if they left on time, they could stop at the grocery store on the way. But then the dog got out, running several victory laps around the neighborhood, before Liam had been able to wrangle, harness and deliver him home.

They didn’t have time to stop for cupcakes, and by the time he’d deposited the girls at Celebration Middle School, they were all out of sorts. Well, he and Amanda were. Not Calee, who lived in her own little world of sugar-plum fairies and nutcracker princes. As long as Calee was dancing, the world was a beautiful place. She was so much like her mother, who had also been a ballerina, before she’d given it all up to marry Liam and start a family.

He and Amanda, on the other hand, seemed to be cast from the same mold. This morning he’d left her with a promise that their housekeeper, Rosalinda, would leave a dozen cupcakes at the school’s front desk in time for this afternoon’s club meeting—which Amanda would have to cut short because she and her sister couldn’t be late for their dance class.

Amanda had been dubious and a little surly. She hadn’t wanted to go to dance class today.

“Why can’t Rosie take Calee while I stay at the club meeting? Then Rosie can come back and get me. Or better yet, why can’t I skip dance altogether?”

“Because you have a commitment, and Rosie doesn’t need to be running herself ragged to accommodate you. She’s already going out of her way to make sure you get the cupcakes.”

It had only made matters worse when Liam had snapped, “Next time maybe you’ll remember to tell me these things before we’re walking out the door.”

He shouldn’t have said it. Not like that, dammit. Even if it was true and a lesson she needed to learn. Now, as he sat there in the conference room trying to change gears from dad mode to doctor, he couldn’t get the image of Amanda’s sad face out of his head.

At that moment he missed his wife, Joy, so much it almost leveled him. She’d always taken care of things like cupcakes, permission slips and new ballet shoes. She’d had an uncanny ability to almost read their daughters’ minds or, on the off chance when they did end up in a bind—like they had this morning—she’d always been able to pull a rabbit out of her hat and make things work.

Liam didn’t know how she’d managed it. She had been perfect like that. Tiny, intuitive and good-natured, Joy had always been all about her family.

A series of sickening flashbacks transported Liam to that night when the cop had stood on their front porch and asked, “Is this the residence of Joy Thayer?” He’d told Liam that there’d been an accident but wouldn’t give him much information, just asked if he would come to the hospital. When he’d identified his wife’s body, his life and the lives of their daughters had shattered into a million irreparable pieces.

Liam scrubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to erase the memory. It had been two years. When would life without Joy get easier? When would the numbness give way to the manageable ache that the grief counselor had promised would come in time? Maybe never. Because part of his soul had died right along with his wife that night. The part that lived and laughed and felt.

Now his daughters kept him going. Because life didn’t stop to mourn. Hell, it didn’t even slow down to regroup. It kept marching forward, and if you didn’t get on your feet fast, it would drag you right along behind it.

He refocused, irritated that he had to waste time this morning listening to the chief and this woman rattle on about...bachelor auctions? For God’s sake.

This had to be a joke.

But a sinking feeling warned him not to bank on Dunlevy delivering the punch line. Especially when his boss glanced over at the blonde and uncharacteristic warmth drew up the edges of his mouth.

“This is Kate Macintyre of the Macintyre Family Foundation,” said Dunlevy. “She and her staff have been working tirelessly to raise money for the new pediatric surgical wing here at Celebration Memorial Hospital. I’ll turn the meeting over to her and let her tell you more.”

The new surgical wing—Joy had been excited about it. In fact she’d been one of the first volunteers to organize a kick-starter fund-raiser.

“Good morning,” said the blonde.

What was her name again?

“Thank you, Dr. Dunlevy. I appreciate you letting me attend your meeting today. Even more, I am grateful that each of you has agreed to help raise money for the final leg of funding for this very special project. This pediatric wing is extremely near and dear to my family and me. I appreciate you all taking an active role in making it a reality.”

Near and dear to her family? Liam glanced at her left hand. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Reflexively his thumb found the back of the band he still wore. It was the touchstone that kept him grounded, and reminded him of what was and always would be important in life. Family.

The blonde smiled at Liam’s colleague, Charlie Benton, an internist, who was seated to her left. She held out a stack of pamphlets. “Would you mind taking one of these and passing them around, please?”

Eagerly Charlie obeyed.

Great. Judging by the look on his coworker’s face, Liam would bet if she’d asked Charlie to run out to fetch her a bagel and a cappuccino, he would’ve fallen all over himself to oblige. Liam glanced around at the other men in the room. They all seemed transfixed, too. Apparently Liam was the only one immune to a pretty face and a great pair of legs.

“For the past three years, the Macintyre Family Foundation has partnered with the hospital to raise money to build a much-needed pediatric surgical wing,” she said. “During this time we’ve been diligently working with the hospital’s Department of Charitable Giving. They’ve been amazing. We only need five percent more to reach our two-million-dollar goal.

“That’s why we were delighted when Dr. Dunlevy agreed to the idea of giving you all, the doctors of Celebration Memorial, the opportunity to play a key role in raising part of the remaining funds. When I learned that I’d be working with seven single male doctors, I thought, what was the chance of that?”

Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked from one face to the next, radiating enthusiasm and sincerity. She was doing a credible job.

“With seven eligible men, it only seemed natural to hold a bachelor auction. So, everyone, please save the date—one week from Saturday—for our first ever In Celebration of Bachelors auction.”

Liam shifted in his seat, resisting the urge to excuse himself. This bachelor auction was not a joke, but there was no way in hell that he was going to subject himself to the humiliation of being sold off to the highest bidder. Even if the shenanigan would raise money for a good cause.

As a pediatric hospitalist and a single father to two teenagers, he didn’t have enough time to devote to his daughters on a good day. He certainly didn’t want to waste a night going out on a date with a woman who’d bid on him like a steer in a cattle sale. He might have been providing all the necessities, but he hadn’t been able to give his children as much of himself as he wished he could. Not like his wife, who had always been there for them emotionally.

And, he had to admit, at the root of everything, participating in something like this felt disrespectful to Joy. Even if she was gone, it didn’t mean he felt any less married. Certainly not single.

“Is something wrong, Dr. Thayer?” Cullen asked. “You look like you smell something.”

Liam clicked his ink pen. He wanted to say, There’s nothing like the stench of a bad idea first thing in the morning. But one glance at Kate Macintyre’s hopeful expression—Kate Macintyre, that was her name—and he was weighing his words. “Is this bachelor auction idea a done deal? Do we have any other options?”

Kate blinked—once, twice—but her smile stayed unfalteringly in place. “Well, yes. I mean we’re working on a very tight time line because of some special incentives, which I’ll tell you about in a few moments.” She glanced at Cullen as if for help.

“Yes, Liam, this is a done deal,” Dunlevy said. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes. I have a family. I’m happy to make a donation, but I won’t be participating.”

With that, Kate’s smile finally faltered. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought Dr. Dunlevy said all members of the senior staff were single.”

“We are,” Cullen confirmed. Then he flashed Liam a look that was part warning, part Let’s not do this now and mostly Man up and be a team player.

By this time the pamphlets had made their way around to Liam. He took one and passed the scant remainder to Austin Roberts, an emergency room doctor who was seated to Liam’s left. The slick, glossy brochure featured a picture of a man, a woman, two kids and a yellow Lab frolicking on the green grass in the backyard of a nice suburban home.

The ideal family.

Liam waited to feel something—a stab, a pang or even a twist in his gut—but he didn’t. He was numb. The only emotion coming through loud and clear was anger. He shifted his gaze to the bottom of the page, which was emblazoned with the Macintyre Family Foundation logo and the words Family, Community and Education written in bold red letters.

“It’s true we’re all single,” Liam said. “I’m a widower.”

“I’m sorry that you lost your wife.”

Although her condolences seemed sincere, he shrugged, rejecting her pity and biting back the urge to say, Can we just get on with this? I have things to do, patients to see. Instead, he said, “A bachelor auction isn’t a good fit. Maybe we can come up with something else.”

“How can a date with a beautiful woman be a bad idea, Thayer?” asked Nick Chamberlin, who worked with Roberts in the emergency room.

Jake Lennox, the other staff internist, snickered. “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”

Liam glanced at his watch. “Knock yourselves out but don’t count me in. I have patients to see. Is there anything else on the agenda?” He managed to close his mouth before he added, Or is today’s frat party over?

“Yes, there’s more, Dr. Thayer,” Dunlevy growled at him. “We’re talking about the bachelor auction first so that Ms. Macintyre can get back to her office. But while we’re on that agenda item, I want to make it clear that we’re a team. I expect every player to be on board.”

Player. If that wasn’t the operative word. Liam worked with a bunch of players. While he respected his colleagues as professionals, doctors who put heart and soul into serving the patients of this hospital, he and the six of them were worlds apart when it came to the time they spent away from work.

They were single.

He was a single father.

“Don’t look so put upon, Thayer,” ribbed Quinn Vogler, the new orthopedic hospitalist who’d recently joined the staff. “You’re not the only single father in the bunch. I have a daughter, but I don’t have a problem with this.”

Right. Vogler had moved to Celebration from somewhere out west after a nasty divorce. Liam didn’t know the details other than that Quinn had a daughter around Calee and Amanda’s age who studied ballet at the same dance studio as his girls...or something like that. Liam wasn’t sure. He didn’t have time to keep track of his colleagues’ personal lives.

“Out of all of us, it seems like you could use a night out,” Vogler said. “You work too hard and take life way too seriously.”

“Maybe you don’t work hard enough, Dr. Vogler,” Liam said.

Quinn scoffed, and Liam suddenly remembered his girls saying something about not liking Vogler’s daughter very much because she was a bully. Liam hadn’t put too much weight into that because he figured it had something to do with competition among teenage girls.

Now he wondered if the Vogler girl’s needling nature came naturally. But Liam made it a policy not to meddle in his colleagues’ personal lives. In turn he expected Vogler, the new guy, to show him the same courtesy.

Donning a layer of emotional armor, Liam crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. Ignoring Quinn and silently challenging the others to test him further, he felt like the only grown-up in the room, embarrassed that this scene was unfolding in front of Kate Macintyre.

So he wasn’t the only family man on the small staff. It didn’t mean he needed or wanted a night out. The agonizing torture of those initial minutes, hours and days without Joy had accumulated into weeks, then added up to months that had stretched into years that were marked by the passing of birthdays, holidays and anniversaries that were nothing without her.

He did well to drag boxes of Christmas decorations down from the attic much less summon the energy to cajole the kids to put them on the tree. But somehow the three of them had managed to go through the motions. If their family had once been a tight circle when Joy was alive, now that she was gone, the circle was broken, and had become a straight line in which he and the girls were desperately hanging on to each other, grasping, making it through day by day.

Physically Liam left almost everything he had at the hospital. The emotional reserves were left for his kids. Not for a date with a woman who had won him in a sophomoric bachelor auction. Even if it was for a good cause, Amanda and Calee were the only company he wanted.

Kate Macintyre continued on with her spiel. “A moment ago I mentioned that this event would happen in short order because we have a special incentive.” She paused, and, obviously knowing who her best audience was, she looked at Liam’s colleagues with sparkling eyes, as if she were trying to contain her enthusiasm.

“Have you all heard of the reality television show Catering to Dallas? It stars Pepper Merriweather—who happens to be my sister-in-law—Sydney James, A.J. Sherwood-Antonelli and Caroline Coopersmith. It’s filmed locally but is broadcast internationally. It chronicles the inner workings of the local catering company called Celebrations, Inc.

“It’s a fun show, and it’s really caught on with the television audience. They have a huge fan base. I just learned that a scheduled event canceled, and the producers have agreed to let us have the vacant spot. The bachelor auction will be recorded and broadcast at a later date on international television. They’ve also agreed to give viewers an opportunity to contribute to our cause at the end of the show. Even though the show will air later, the hospital’s building fund will have an ongoing need.”

Everyone except Liam broke out into a round of whooping fist bumps and applause.

Liam stood. “I’m sorry to be a wet blanket, but this isn’t a good fit for me. I’ll write you a check in lieu of participating. Just let me know what the average auctioned bachelor goes for these days, and I’ll be happy to reimburse you for my part.”

As he waited for her to quote him a figure, Kate gaped at him, the pleasant smile still affixed to her perfectly formed lips but uncertainty clouded her blue eyes.

“We’ve never done this before, so I’m not exactly sure.” She paused for a moment, and he could see her virtually weighing her words. “I can assure you, Dr. Thayer, that the auction will be in very good taste. However, I certainly won’t force you to do anything against your will.”

Damn right, you won’t.

But he had to give her credit. She was good. Tossing the ball back into his court like this, trying to make it hard for him to refuse. Too bad he wasn’t playing, because once upon a long time ago she might have been just the type who could’ve changed his mind.

“I need to do my rounds now,” he answered. “When you figure out how much I owe you, let me know, and I’ll get you a check.”

The chief of staff cleared his throat, and Liam’s gaze zagged over to Cullen’s impassive expression. The guy was only a couple years older than Liam, but the message in Cullen’s eyes was full of authority, a promise that he wasn’t going to cause a scene, but this match wasn’t over. Cullen Dunlevy simply had too much class to duke it out in front of their guest and the rest of the senior staff.

Liam looked away, feeling like a jackass. But at least he’d stood his ground and won this set.

“I understand that you’re busy,” Kate said. “I appreciate your time this morning. How about if I call you, and we can set up a time to discuss this?”

She pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to Liam. It read Kathryn Macintyre, President, Macintyre Family Foundation. He glanced at it, unsure how her giving him a card would help her call him as she’d offered.

Liam answered with a curt, noncommittal nod. “I don’t have a business card on me right now. But you can reach me through the hospital.”

With that, he left the conference room, closing the door after him. He’d made it only a few feet down the hall when a voice sounded behind him.

“Liam, hold on a moment.”

He turned around to see Dunlevy standing outside the conference room, his hands on his hips.

The old familiar fight-or-flight sensation churned inside Liam, and he had to take a moment to reframe his urge to quarrel.

Reframe. That was the technique that the grief counselor had taught Liam when he felt like lashing out in anger. Of all the stages of grief, he seemed to fluctuate between feeling nothing—or as the counselor called it, “denial”—and wanting to lash out in anger. Or so thought the powers-that-be at the hospital who had forced him into counseling.

Those authorities had given him two choices: get help or take a sabbatical. Liam had still had enough of a handle on himself to know that he’d end up self-destructing if he had chosen the sabbatical. He couldn’t be alone with himself for that long. Despite how he craved more time with the girls, they were so busy with school and their ballet program that he’d have way too much time on his hands. That wouldn’t be good for the girls or his career.

Cullen Dunlevy had been one of the proponents of the ultimatum, and Liam still wasn’t sure if he’d forgiven Cullen yet. As the chief of staff walked toward him, Liam knew that he’d better cool his jets or face the possible repercussions of Cullen pronouncing that the counseling wasn’t working or that Liam wasn’t trying hard enough.

But, damn him to hell, Cullen Dunlevy hadn’t lost a wife; he wasn’t left to raise two children and navigate alone the phase of his life when he and his high school sweetheart, his life partner, his soul mate, should’ve been dreaming of growing old together.

Damn Cullen Dunlevy. He’d never been married, and he didn’t have a clue what Liam was going through. Liam had to grind his molars to keep from spitting out his angry words at his boss.

Instead, he watched Cullen stand there with a disappointed scowl turning down the edges of his mouth, and his eyes darkened with... With what? Anger? Disappointment? Disgust? Liam felt like the wayward brother about to be set straight.

Dunlevy lowered his voice. “I know you’ve been through hell and back, but you have to get a hold of yourself. We’ve already had this talk, Liam.”

“I understand,” Liam countered in a monotone. “But my private life is private. My time away from the hospital is mine. I don’t remember anything in my contract about fund-raising or bachelor auctions—”

“There is a clause in your contract that talks about performance bonuses. But if money doesn’t motivate you, you know Joy would’ve wanted you to do this. She was one of the biggest proponents of the new pediatric wing.”

Liam gritted his teeth harder. He had to keep from shouting or turning and punching a wall. Instead, he hissed the words in a low growl, “Dammit, Cullen, don’t you dare go there. You leave Joy out of this. I said I’m happy to make a donation to the cause, and I think that’s plenty.”

“Do you?” asked Dunlevy. “You think that’s plenty? Even though you are the senior staff member of pediatrics, the department that this fund-raiser is supporting? You don’t think you should be there to represent it? I’m going to be there, putting myself on the auction block.”

There was an edge to the chief of staff’s voice, and Liam knew he was pushing it. But, damn Cullen to hell, he’d had the audacity to bring Joy’s name into it. Because of that, Liam knew if he answered Cullen right now, Liam might come undone. Exactly how, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to test the situation.

So he only tilted his head. “What is this? Peer pressure?”

Dunlevy heaved an exasperated sigh. “Look, I feel for you. We all feel for you. Losing Joy was...” He trailed off. His face softened, and he shook his head. “It was awful and unfair, but you can’t keep being pissed off at the world. I need you to come back to the team.”

Liam found his voice. “I haven’t gone anywhere. I’m still here.”

That look returned to the chief of staff’s eyes. “You’ve been here in body but not in mind and spirit. Liam, before this happened, you were an opinion maker. The others have always looked up to you. They still do. I could really use your help with this project.”

Project? “You mean farce?”

“Get off your high horse,” Dunlevy said. “You know this is all in good fun. And, most important, it’s for a great cause. We are seven single doctors. That alone is going to make headlines—we’re going to be on television. This auction will draw every eligible socialite in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They will bring their checkbooks to bid on bachelors who are doctors.”

Liam knew it wouldn’t do any good to argue that he didn’t feel single. That his heart wasn’t single. That he’d tried trusting a woman too soon after Joy’s death and it had ended in disaster. But he knew the tactic the chief of staff would take. Cullen wasn’t asking any of them to get married or even take this bachelor auction debacle seriously. It was one night—well, two, if you counted the night of public humiliation and the ensuing date.

“I’m going to lay it out plain and simple,” said Dunlevy. “You’re the most senior staff member after me. I’m not going to force you into this, but I’ll say it again—I really could use your help.”

The words hung in the air between them, an unspoken ultimatum.

Finally the chief of staff shrugged. “You think about it, Liam. Let me know when you’ve decided to be part of this team again.”

Chapter Two

Joy Thayer.

Holy cow. It all made sense now, Kate thought as she stood in the empty break room of the Macintyre Family Foundation offices. She wrapped her hands around a mug of steaming-hot tea, letting the comforting warmth seep into her fingers and melt away some of the morning’s stress.

Joy Thayer was Liam Thayer’s late wife.

No wonder he was bereft.

After the meeting, as she had been waiting for the elevator, she’d glimpsed a memorial plaque that was displayed alongside the pictures of the hospital’s board of trustees. She’d put two and two together as she was leaving the hospital, and had been haunted by the revelation ever since.

As much as she’d prepared for the presentation to the hospital’s senior staff members, she hadn’t planned on hitting a land mine like Liam Thayer. She wished that Dr. Dunlevy had informed her that she had a widower in the bunch—and not just any widower, Joy Thayer’s widower—before she’d so exuberantly rolled out the bachelor auction plan at the meeting.

Dr. Thayer had obviously still not come to terms with his wife’s death. Not that one ever fully recovered from something like that. Kate had experienced enough tragedy in her own life to understand.

Even though she’d only met Joy Thayer once—when the woman had single-handedly organized a fashion show luncheon to benefit the pediatric surgical wing early in the process—Kate had been touched by Joy’s untimely death. The entire population of the Dallas metropolitan area had gone into mourning.

Joy Thayer was the type of charismatic good soul that everyone wanted to know and loved instantly. She radiated warmth and charm. And, as if all that niceness and class weren’t enough, she had been gorgeous. One of the elements that Kate remembered best about Joy—besides her petite stature and fine-boned features—was the riot of strawberry-blond curls that hung halfway down her back. She had an effortless beauty that seemed to radiate from the inside out.

Now that Kate had had a chance to digest the situation, she wasn’t surprised that Joy had been married to a handsome guy like Liam. They had probably made the perfect couple: good-looking, well-off, well connected, popular. His disposition left a lot to be desired, but he’d suffered a rough time in the grips of that profound loss.

Kate swirled the English Breakfast tea bag in her mug, then tossed it into the trash can. How long had Joy been gone now? At least a couple years. But even though Kate’s encounter with the woman had been brief, Kate had a hunch that one didn’t easily get over Joy Thayer and move on.

For that reason she would cut Liam some slack, even though his boss was being hard-nosed about it.

As she made her way back to her office, she pondered how she could shift the fund-raiser to make Liam more comfortable. She didn’t want to turn down the publicity opportunity that being on Catering to Dallas would afford. And that hinged on the bachelor auction, which would be a good visual for television. Reaching that broad of an audience, they were bound to get generous donations from the television fans. Plus the other six bachelors seemed jazzed and ready to run with it. Before she’d left the meeting, some were even tossing about ideas for date packages and where they could take the lucky ladies who won them.

She couldn’t think of a better way to make a dent in the remaining one hundred thousand dollars that she still needed to raise. Maybe it was for lack of a better idea—or maybe because six of the seven single, handsome doctors were ready and willing to auction themselves off—but they had to proceed with the auction with or without Liam.

She knew it was the right move, the prudent business decision, but she wasn’t completely at peace with it.

She closed her office door and sank into her leather desk chair. Moving her mouse to activate her computer, she stared at the dark screen until the machine woke up from its nap.

I’m a widower with two teenage daughters.

Liam’s words had echoed in the recesses of her mind all the way back to the office. If it were up to her, he would get a free pass. But she knew his boss wouldn’t be keen on that thought.

After Liam had dashed off, Dr. Dunlevy had told her not to count Liam Thayer out. Whether that meant she should just count on the promised donation or his participation in the auction was still to be determined.

Yet Liam had taken her card and had given her the green light to call him at the office.

She would do that and pave the way. She just needed to come up with a plan that made everyone happy.

At twenty-nine, Kate had never been married. But she’d watched her own father sink into a dark funk after her mother had died. It was a depression from which he’d never fully recovered. Kate and her brother, Rob, had felt responsible for their dad. It had been a sad time in their lives, but they’d gotten through it together.

Dr. Thayer and Joy must have married young if his kids were teenagers. Yet he didn’t appear to be much older than Kate was.

Kate’s baby would’ve been five later this year if it had survived. It was a memory she’d tried to suppress since the topic of death and kids had come up this morning.

Actually she hadn’t been able to get it out of her mind, despite the way she’d tried to ignore the dull ache in her heart. All the more reason to find a viable way out of this plan for the good doctor. One that didn’t involve dates or leaving his kids at home.

She clicked on her email account, glanced at the full in-box, but she couldn’t bring herself to open any of the correspondence. She swiveled her chair toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, stared out at the Dallas skyline and let her mind wander far away from the memory of the child she’d lost.

Bachelor auctions. Think. Fund-raisers. Think harder.

Cullen Dunlevy hadn’t been thrilled with Liam’s steadfast refusal. So completely letting him off the hook seemed out of the question. And Dunlevy hadn’t seemed pacified by Liam’s offer to simply write a check. He wanted Liam to take an active role like his colleagues. She wasn’t sure why Dr. Dunlevy was so adamant about Liam participating, but she’d definitely observed some underlying tension.

It didn’t really matter.

Well, it shouldn’t anyway.

But it did. To her.

If someone as busy as Liam Thayer didn’t have the time—or the inclination—to auction himself off and go on a date, why was Dunlevy pressuring him? More important, what else could she come up with to make both men happy?

Emceeing wasn’t an option because Maya LeBlanc, international chocolatier and supposed matchmaker, was fulfilling that role. But what to do with Liam?

Too bad he was so adamant about not being in the auction. I would’ve bid on him, she mused as she meditated on the geodesic sphere atop Reunion Tower.

Suddenly she had a thought; something that just might get Dr. Thayer off the hook, if he was willing to be a good sport and play along.

She glanced at the time on the lower right-hand side of her computer. Since it was close to six o’clock, he was probably gone for the day, and she wouldn’t be able to reach him at the hospital. That was all right; it would give her some time to stew on the idea and make sure it was airtight. She’d give him a call tomorrow and see just how willing he was to put his money to good use.

* * *

Liam wholeheartedly supported the pediatric surgical wing—after all, the venture had been a project Joy was passionate about. But why did they have to do this asinine auction that would dishonor Joy’s memory, embarrass his daughters and make a mockery out of the loss and grief he’d suffered?

He wheeled the car into the driveway and glanced at the glowing dashboard clock. It was nearly eight o’clock; darkness was creeping in and spreading over the sky like a stain. He’d stayed at the hospital making his final rounds later than usual. It was times like these that made him grateful he had dependable Rosalinda. Nanny, housekeeper and cook extraordinaire.

His stomach rumbled at the thought of the food Rosie would have waiting, hot and ready for him when he walked in the door. At this hour the girls would’ve already eaten. He hated missing meals with them.

Rosalinda had picked them up at the ballet studio after their dance classes and had fed them. At least he could rest assured that they were in good hands with her. She was a kind, trustworthy woman. Someone with a benevolent heart and no ulterior motives.

As he pressed the garage door opener, his gaze slid to the rearview mirror where he had a perfect view of the yellow two-story house across the street. Kimela Herring’s house. Ever since letting Kimela get too involved with his family right after Joy had died, he was cautious when he left the house. Now he and Kimela mostly avoided each other.

He might have felt bad about having to set Kimela straight, except that she had broken a cardinal rule: she’d tried to use his daughters to get to him. What was worse, it had soon become clear that Kimela’s objective was to send the girls away so that the two of them could make a life together.

The stupid thing was that Liam hadn’t even seen it coming. He’d been so out of it after losing Joy that Kimela Herring had nearly rearranged his household before he’d figured out what she was up to, all in the name of being a good neighbor.

That wasn’t going to happen again. No way in hell. Calee and Amanda were thirteen years old. In five years they would be in college. In the meantime, the best thing he could do was to spend these years focusing on the girls and his patients.

He steered the car into the garage, pressed the button again, and watched the door moan and growl as it closed, eclipsing Kimela Herring’s house.

And his emotions froze up again. The initial anger had evaporated, leaving him feeling zilch. Nada.

Nothing.

Except for an underlying fierce protectiveness that nothing was going to hurt his girls any more than they’d already been hurt. If anyone tried, he would take them out. And he didn’t mean out on a date.

The thought had his mind skittering back to Kate Macintyre, and her offer to talk to him and help work out something. He sensed that she wasn’t the type to strong-arm him into participating. That was decent of her. More than decent, he thought as he let himself out of the car. But she’d get his donation for the surgical wing. Wasn’t the bottom line always what people were after?

She was obviously passionate about her job with her family’s foundation. It was refreshing to meet a woman who was interested in the greater good of the community rather than feathering her own nest like his manipulative neighbor.

As Liam opened the door leading into the kitchen, their mixed breed dog, Frank, barked a greeting and the aroma of something delicious welcomed him home. The smells made his mouth water.

“Hola, Dr. Thayer,” Rosalinda said. “Did you have a good day?”

He petted Frank. “Hi, Rosie. It was a tough day, but everything turned out okay. It’s good to be home. Thanks for staying. I’m sorry I’m so late. Where are the girls?”

The grandmotherly woman took a plate from the cabinet. “They are upstairs showering and then they will do their homework. It’s no problem to stay a little later. I’m happy to help you when I can. Are you hungry?”

“Rosie, you read my mind. Plus the smell of your delicious cooking could make anyone hungry. What’s for dinner?”

By the time Liam had washed his hands, grabbed his e-tablet and sat down at the table, Rosalinda had set a plate of homemade meat loaf, mashed potatoes and steamed green beans in front of him.

“Thanks, Rosie,” he said. “This looks delicious.”

“You’re welcome, Dr. Thayer. I hope you enjoy it. I want you to know I made the cupcakes and left them for Amanda at school. She was very sweet. Hugged me and thanked me when I picked her up from her dancing lesson. You have a darling girl with a good heart. Two sweet girls, because Calee, she is a good girl, too.”

He was relieved that Amanda had thanked Rosie, especially when the generous woman had taken the time to make the treats from scratch rather than stopping by the bakery and buying them ready-made. Since losing her mother, Amanda, who had always been the more reserved of his twins, could sometimes appear sullen and aloof.

Liam had expressed his concerns about this to their grief counselor, but the shrink had assured him Amanda was okay. He’d attributed her moodiness to typical teenage hormones compounded by the loss of her mother. Amanda was doing well in school and engaging in dance. The counselor had told Liam those signs made him believe everything would be fine. If she appeared to worsen or withdraw, Liam should let the counselor know.

Liam had found that the best way for all of them to cope was to stay as busy as possible. He had the hospital; the girls had school and dance. It seemed to be working since they all put in full days and came home so tired at night that they usually ate dinner, showered and fell into bed. They would get through this together. The best way was to just keep marching ahead.

“Rosie, what would we do without you?”

The woman laughed. “Well, you must try for the rest of tonight because I am going to leave now. Maria has to cover part of another shift tonight and has to go in a little early. May I get you something else before I leave?”

Rosie’s family was small, consisting only of her daughter, Maria, and her infant grandson, Joaquin. Maria’s boyfriend had left before the baby was born and hadn’t been in the picture since. Now Maria lived with her mother, who kept the baby while Maria worked as the night manager at the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Celebration.

“No, thank you. You go home to your family and enjoy the rest of your night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Liam tucked into his dinner, focusing solely on feeding himself until he’d taken the edge off his ravenous hunger. Then he took a long, slow drink of iced sweet tea and flipped back the cover of his e-tablet. His curiosity had him searching the web for Kate Macintyre, wanting to know more about the woman and her family’s foundation. He clicked on the first of several listings, an article about Macintyre Enterprises in the local weekly paper, the Dallas Journal of Business and Development.

It suddenly sank in that Kate Macintyre was part of that Macintyre family. The Macintyre oil family. He wasn’t sure what he’d envisioned when he thought of Kate in her natural habitat, but the vague picture he’d formed in his mind’s eye hadn’t included big oil.

But then he read on, and discovered that Kate and her brother, Rob Macintyre, hadn’t been raised with the silver spoon. Apparently they’d both worked hard to pull themselves out of the poverty of their youth. But her brother was the one who had amassed the fortune.

Another article mentioned that an accident had killed Rob and Kate’s father, and nearly claimed the life of Rob’s young son; this was the impetus behind the new pediatric surgical wing.

The boy had been airlifted to a children’s hospital in Dallas, taking precious time that could’ve cost the boy his life. The Macintyres wanted to ensure that nothing like that ever happened to another local family, and so they had begun raising the funds for the new wing.

Liam realized how oblivious he could be when it came to matters outside his bubble. He knew the expansion was in the works, but until now, he had no clue of the story behind it. It made him appreciate Kate’s efforts all the more.

It also made him feel woefully inadequate when it came to what was happening in the community. Joy had always kept track of things like that. She’d advise him on what was going on, and help him remember names and keep people straight so that he didn’t embarrass himself.

He could virtually hear Joy say, That’s Kate Macintyre. Her brother, Rob, founded Macintyre Enterprises. Together the two of them founded the Macintyre Family Foundation. That’s Rob’s wife, Pepper, who once was the heir to the Texas Star empire before it crumbled. They were all key players in the community.

So did that make Kate a socialite? She didn’t act like one. She seemed too grounded and humble. Maybe one had to be born into social royalty. See, yet more proof that he was better off staying in his bubble. It reminded him of the saying, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” But the more appropriate reconfiguration for his situation was “If you have to ask, you don’t belong.”

All that who’s-who and what’s-what made his head hurt. He hadn’t had the time or the inclination for it when Joy was alive, and he had even less interest now, because he had his hands full with the things that were really important, such as his daughters and his job, which reminded him...

He typed the name of the auction, In Celebration of Bachelors, into the search engine. A webpage advertising the event came up. Charlie Benton, Quinn Vogler and Jake Lennox already had photos posted alongside descriptions of their proffered “dream dates.”

Liam chuckled. What a bunch of dogs. It was a classic example of Pavlov’s theory: the minute anyone said women, these guys started drooling.

Charlie’s date was nicknamed The 007.

“You will dress to the nines in a gown you purchase on a predate shopping trip paid by Benton, Charles Benton. I will pick you up in an Aston Martin DB5 just like James Bond used to drive, and whisk you away to a supersecret location where we’ll enjoy martinis—shaken, not stirred—as we watch the sunset.”

He went on to describe dinner and dancing laced with a little bit of imagined danger, something about seduction and a whole lot of corny.

What the hell was Benton talking about?

Danger and seduction. Were they allowed to sell seduction as part of a prize package? Maybe that’s where the danger came in—Benton pretending to be James Bond. The woman might crack a rib laughing.

Liam took another bite of meat loaf and read the other descriptions.

Vogler’s entry was entitled A Red-Carpet Evening and featured a limousine, champagne, dinner and a movie.

It sounded like a nice evening, except for the fact that Vogler had to come along on the date.

A date with Lennox came with a promise in its headline: We’ll Always Have Paris.

I’ll be damned. Liam paused, fork midair. Jake was flying the winner to France for a night at the Ritz and dinner at Le Jules Verne, the restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower.

Show-off.

Liam snickered and shook his head. He wished there was a place to comment so that he could give unsuspecting ladies the heads-up on these guys. His snark was all in good fun. In fairness, he had to admit that his colleagues were good guys. Even if they did spend too much time at the hospital and on the golf course, and too little time on what really mattered in life.

And what was that? What really mattered? One size did not necessarily fit all when it came to answering those questions.

For Liam, it was family. His girls. Protecting them from more of life’s hurts.

Okay, so six of his seven colleagues were unencumbered. Vogler was the only other one who had a child. That’s probably why he was staying in town for the date and trying so hard to disguise a night out to the movies as some gala affair.

Liam tried to ignore the little voice that nagged him. At least these guys know how to have fun. At least they are willing to donate their time in the name of something good.

But Liam couldn’t help but wonder why they just didn’t donate the money they were going to spend on the flights to Paris and the shopping sprees and limousines.

As Liam was making a mental note to ask Kate that very question, his daughters raced into the dining room.

Liam stabbed at the tablet’s off button, but only managed to switch pages rather than power down.

“Daddy!” squealed Calee. She threw her arms around his neck. Amanda hung back a little. As he hugged exuberant Calee, he could see Amanda over her sister’s shoulder. The girl looked as if she’d grown again. She had a good four inches on tiny Calee, who had inherited her mother’s petite stature. Amanda had gotten his height and bigger frame. The girl wasn’t overweight by any means; she was just stockier and larger-boned than her sister.

They were starting to really look like the fraternal twins they were.

After Calee stepped back, Amanda hugged him.

He loved the way that each of his daughters was her own person, especially since they were twins. Vastly different, yet fiercely protective of each other.

Both girls wore their pajamas and had wet hair from their showers. They smelled of the fruity shampoo and bath products they’d conned him into buying them when they’d dragged him to the mall a couple weekends ago. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of his little girls, just about the only fragrance in the world that soothed his weary soul. Mingling with Rosie’s cooking, it was the smell of home.

The girls had been at school until two-thirty, and then, after Amanda’s club meeting, they’d gone to the dance studio and were in classes until Rosalinda had picked them up at seven-fifteen. Despite the long day, they seemed to have more energy than he did after a good night’s rest. A case in point that youth was wasted on the young. Well, maybe not wasted, but there was definitely an unfair distribution.

“Oh-em-gee,” Calee said. Lately, she’d taken to speaking in what Liam called “alphabet soup”—acronyms rather than words. It seemed to be the trend among today’s youth. “Are you going to be in that bachelor auction? Everyone’s talking about it.”

“What?” Ugh. Had she seen the website on the tablet before he’d exited the page?

“What auction?” he asked, borrowing a sly play from her book, one that he liked to call the “don’t offer any more than is absolutely necessary” tactic.

Calee reached out and, with a couple confident taps, she pulled up the page he’d tried to hide as she and her sister had burst into the room.

“Duh. This auction. You were just looking at it. Oh-em-gee. Why are you pretending you weren’t?”

She put her hands on her slim hips and affected a disapproving look. That was the thing about teenage girls: nothing got by them. That’s why he was so careful not to do anything that might embarrass them or undermine the strict house rules under which he was raising them. Honesty was at the top of the list, and since he led by example, this was the perfect time to be truthful, a good teaching moment.

“I was looking at the website because I went to a meeting today, and they were talking about it. Some of my colleagues are going to be in it to help raise money for the pediatric surgical wing.”

Did partial truth count? His colleagues were going to help. He’d just omitted the part about him declining to take part, too.

“I left to do rounds before the meeting was over. So I was checking the webpage to see what it was all about.”

Amanda moved closer to stand beside her sister. She watched as Calee held up her hands. “Wait. Wait. Wait. You said your colleagues are doing it? Why aren’t you?”

Liam was about to reassure her that he wasn’t doing it because he didn’t want to embarrass her and Amanda, but he was relieved when she didn’t wait for him to answer.

“Oh-em-gee. You totally have to do it. You. Have. To. Do. It. Tonight at dance class Lacy Vogler was bragging about how her dad got invited to do it because she said he’s the hottest dad in Celebration.”

Lacy Vogler? She had to be Quinn’s daughter.

“But I told her that he wasn’t the hottest dad, that you were. Because you’re his boss, right? Right?”

She was talking a mile a minute, and Liam was doing his best to follow what she was saying. Did this mean she wanted him to do the auction? He had a sinking feeling she might.

“Well, no. I’m not exactly his boss. He works at the hospital just like I do. I’m in charge of pediatrics, and he’s in charge of orthopedics—”

“But you’ve been there longer, right? Right? Lacy Vogler just moved here, and we’ve always been here, and she’s coming in and trying to take over. Please tell me you’re going to do the auction, because if you don’t, she will think she won and that her dad is better than you and—”

This time Liam held up his hands. “Whoa, Calee, take a breath.”

He gave his head a quick shake, trying to stop it from spinning thanks to her breathless tirade. Also because he didn’t like this trend of one-upmanship he was witnessing in her. And this wasn’t the first time, either.

“Calee, in this family, we don’t worry about keeping up with the Joneses. So it doesn’t matter what Lacy says. The auction isn’t to decide who has the hottest dad.” He cringed before the sentence was completely out of his mouth. “Or however you put it.”

Hottest dad? Since when did teenage girls even think about dads in those terms?

The way his daughter was reacting was exactly why he didn’t want to participate in the auction in the first place. Well, okay, not exactly the reason. Sort of the flip side of the coin. Life and happiness weren’t about looks, or who got the most bids or raised the most money.

“This auction is about helping. It’s about doing something for the greater good of the community.”

“Right, but Lacy’s last name is Vogler? Not Jones?” Calee said. She’d also developed a habit of putting verbal question marks at the end of statements when she was trying to make a point.

When Liam squinted at her, she explained, “Haha, Dad. You said we’re not interested in keeping up with the Joneses. It’s Lacy Vogler, not Lacy Jones.”

She spat the girl’s name, as if the mere mention of it left a bad aftertaste, and that bothered him, too. Maybe even more than the thought of putting himself up for auction.

“I know what her name is,” Liam said. “You know what that expression means. Stop being a smarty-pants.”

“So, then, that means you’ll do it?” Calee said.

Had she not heard a single word he’d said? He glanced at Amanda, who was still conspicuously quiet. Probably because she couldn’t get a word in edgewise when her sister was on a roll. Or possibly because she understood the implications of what her sister was trying to do.

Liam shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ll be in the auction. I will definitely contribute money, because the funding is what’s important. The community and the hospital gravely need a pediatric surgical wing. It’s a great cause, and I do want to help, but I’ll have to think about whether or not I want to be in the auction.

“You see, the way it works is the women bid on the men. That money goes to the hospital. But then the guys have to take out the women who placed the winning bids on a fancy date and spend a lot of money. I think I’d rather give that money to the hospital. Instead of spending it on a date. Don’t you think that’s better?”

He paused to let the reality of that sink in. He wondered if Calee had been so caught up in outdoing Quinn Vogler’s daughter that she hadn’t even realized that being in the auction meant that a woman who was not her mother would expect to go out on a date with him.

He paused, waiting for the implications to sink in.

But Calee and Amanda were standing there staring at him, not giving him the horrified reaction he’d expected.

“Because you do realize that, by being in the auction, I would have to go out on a date?”

“It’s not like you’d be cheating on mom or anything.” The voice came from behind Calee. Liam’s gaze shifted to Amanda. She may have been the quieter of the two, but sometimes she seemed ages wiser. In fact, Joy used to call Amanda her “old soul.”

“Well, no, I suppose not,” Liam answered, feeling as if the last of his reasons for not participating in the auction were flying out the window fast.

“I guess I’ve been worried about how you two would feel if I took another woman out on a date. I didn’t want to commit to the auction because I was afraid it would upset you.”

Calee and Amanda looked at each other. Despite the fact that they were as different as night and day, they were as close as close could be. They stuck together. Calee, the more assertive of the two, always looked out for her sister and usually spoke for her, as well. Every so often the girls might get into a tiff, but no one besides the two of them got away with saying a cross word about the other without suffering the consequences.

Sometimes, like now, it was as if they had a secret, silent language in which only they communicated. It was almost telepathic. Liam saw them at work now.

“Dad,” said Amanda, who had apparently been elected spokesperson for the matter at hand. “Just because some woman bids on you in an auction and you take her out, doesn’t mean you have to like her. You know, you don’t have to like her, like her.”

Those matter-of-fact words, which weren’t snotty or hateful, just truthful, were the well-placed punch in the gut he thought he’d avoided earlier when they had first started talking about the damn auction and the possibility of him spending time with someone who was not Joy. Only these words landed a little harder because now he felt foolish.

“Well, of course not,” he said.

“But you wouldn’t have to kiss her or marry her or anything like that,” said Calee.

“So you’re telling me that you two want me to participate?” Liam asked.

“Yes!” Calee cheered. Then she grew uncharacteristically serious. “Just as long as you don’t let Mrs. Herring win you.”

Chapter Three

Liam was early for the lunch meeting with Kate. She had called first thing that morning and said she’d come up with a plan to get him off the hook with Dunlevy. She wanted to discuss it with him.

A plan, huh?

Yes. One she’d rather not talk about over the phone. Or so she’d said and asked if they could meet for lunch. His first inclination, as he stood at the nurses’ station, had been to decline and tell her that he’d decided to go through with the auction, but then he decided it couldn’t hurt to hear what Kate had to say.

Now, as he waited alone at the table for two in Luigi’s Italian Kitchen in downtown Celebration, he glanced at his watch. Eleven fifty-five. It was good to have a few minutes to take a deep breath. The morning had been hell. No different from any other day, except that he’d been forced to find a stopping place in the middle of his rounds. Usually he didn’t take a lunch break; he’d grab something in between patients or meetings. It was strange to find himself outside the hospital walls at this time of day.

If Kate could offer a viable option other than the auction, he wanted to hear about it before he tipped his hand.

As he took a sip of the water the server had set in front of him, he glimpsed Kate entering the restaurant and stepping up to the hostess stand. Liam stood and waved. She said something to the hostess and then flashed a smile at him as she began walking toward their table.

He was warmed by the kindness she exuded, in spite of the fact that he’d acted like such a jackass in the meeting yesterday. Then again, she was a smart woman and probably realized it was her job to court anyone and everyone who could further her cause. The old saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar came to mind. However, Kate seemed to radiate something more genuine than a person who was simply out to market her business purposes.

“Dr. Thayer,” she said, extending her hand. “Thanks so much for agreeing to meet me on such short notice.”

He nodded. “Please call me Liam.” He pulled out her chair and helped her settle herself before reclaiming his own seat across the table from her.

“Actually I was glad you called,” he said.

Her blue eyes widened, an unspoken question.

“I feel I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to be so difficult in the staff meeting yesterday. It was a tough morning, and your bachelor auction caught me by surprise.”

She waved away his words. “No apology needed. After I stepped back from the situation, I realized one size doesn’t necessarily fit all when it comes to projects like this.”

The server appeared and introduced himself. His eyes softened when he looked at Kate, and his gaze lingered a little longer on her face than was strictly professional. He wasn’t inappropriate but obviously a healthy, heterosexual man appreciating a beautiful woman. It dawned on Liam that Kate Macintyre probably had that effect on most men who crossed her path. His colleagues were cases in point.

Liam cleared his throat.

“Would you like some wine?” Liam opened the cordovan-colored leather-bound list of offerings that the server handed him and glanced at it. “I can’t indulge because I have to get back to the hospital after lunch, but please go ahead.”

“I love wine,” she said. “But if I have a glass right now, I’ll have to go home and take a nap. I’m such a lightweight. So no, thank you. I’ll just have iced tea.”

Liam snapped the list shut and their gazes connected. It was her eyes that exuded the warmth, he realized. Even though they turned down slightly at the outer edges, they were kind eyes that always seemed to be smiling.

The way they sparkled made him think that she would probably be a fun person—an optimist...or even an instigator, but in a good way.

Not to mention her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue. An azure iris rimmed by a navy border. A color combination that made you look longer, trying to figure out just what made them so striking.

And it was then he realized that, like their waiter, he also had been staring a hair too long.

“Two iced teas, then,” he said and handed over the wine list before the server left to get their drinks.

“So, as I was saying a minute ago,” he continued. “I’m sorry for being so difficult. Sometimes it’s a challenge getting the kids ready and out the door in time for school. Do you have any children?”

She held the menu open in front of her, but her gaze held his. For a split second he thought the light in her eyes dimmed a bit. “No, no children of my own. But my brother and his wife have a son. I love my nephew, Cody, as fiercely as if he were my own. He’s the reason my family decided to get involved with expanding the services the hospital offers to children, but that’s another story.

“What’s important is that I understand why you might feel uncomfortable about the bachelor auction. I didn’t realize any of the staff had children.” She tilted her head to the side and quirked a brow. “Not that anything about this auction will be scandalous. It will be completely G-rated, I assure you.”

“No scandal, huh?” he asked.

She shook her head. “None. Maybe a little mischief...”

As the words hung between them, she bit her lower lip, and her blue eyes danced with what Liam imagined might be all the mischief she claimed the auction lacked. For a fraction of a second, he contemplated what sort of mischief might be running through her mind.

Until she said, “I do have my own reputation to consider. Maybe we should go light on the mischief, too. Especially because I don’t want to scare you off. Please know I was only joking.”

She reached out and touched his hand. Her skin was soft and warm.

“Of course,” he said, backpedaling from all thoughts of mischief and her soft, warm skin as fast as he could, especially when she pulled her hand away.

“Why don’t we figure out what we want to eat,” he said. “Then I’m eager to hear about this new plan.”

Kate studied the menu so that she could regroup and gather her thoughts.

She was nervous, hence the babbling on about nonsense. Why was she suddenly so uneasy? Liam Thayer was reserved and maybe a bit gruff, but that was nothing to get anxious over, she reminded herself as she perused the menu.

Normally she was a pro at meetings like this. Just what was it about Dr. Liam Thayer that threw her off her game? Maybe she was a little worried about suggesting her alternative plan. It was a paradox, really. She stood behind this bachelor auction event.

As she’d said to Liam, it wasn’t anything scandalous. She wasn’t asking Celebration Memorial’s doctors to perform like Chippendales. When she’d discovered that the seven of them were single, she’d simply grabbed on to the obvious fund-raising opportunity. Because what single woman in Dallas wouldn’t want a date with a handsome doctor?

However, what she’d failed to factor in was that single didn’t necessarily mean each and every one of them would be available...or elated by the idea. The possibility of any of them having kids or girlfriends hadn’t even entered her mind. It was a dumb oversight, and she was lucky that only Liam had balked.

She knew how protective her brother, Rob, had been of Cody before he’d met and married Pepper. Kids changed everything. Because Kate hadn’t taken that into consideration, she was determined to make this right with Liam. She was going to make sure he had the opportunity to be on good terms with his boss and to look out for the best interests of his daughters.

They made small talk about different menu items. They’d both eaten at the restaurant before—no surprise because it was enjoyed by most of the people in Celebration—and pointed out their favorite dishes to each other. Finally, after she ordered the plank-grilled salmon with seasonal vegetables and he ordered the wild mushroom ravioli with a wedge salad, she said, “So tell me. What exactly is it about the bachelor auction that you object to?”

He didn’t answer her right away, and his expression was so neutral that she couldn’t get a read on what he might be thinking.

“I hope that doesn’t sound insensitive, but I have to ask, because I have a feeling what it might be,” she said, filling the silence. “Yet I don’t want to assume.”

She forced herself to stop talking. It was an uncomfortable question made worse by his continued silence, but she needed to know. Especially if they were going to get past the awkwardness and move on to something that worked. She held her breath, forcing herself to be quiet until he answered.

Finally he did. “It was exactly what I told you yesterday. I have kids. I think it sets a bad example.”

“Do you have boys or girls?”

He frowned. “Does it really matter?”

“No, but I’m interested.”

A raised brow and a vague light that passed over his face had her stomach doing an odd clenching number, and she was suddenly scrambling to clarify.

What? Did he think she was interested in him?

“What I mean is...I’m curious.”

He was drumming his fingers on the table. He looked down at his hands for a moment, then back up at her. She worried that the wall he’d erected around himself yesterday in the meeting might go back up. But then he blew out a breath and said, “I have two girls, Amanda and Calee. They’re thirteen-year-old twins.”

“Aah, twin girls,” she said. “That’s so sweet. I wouldn’t mind having twins someday. But they don’t run in our family, plus it’s unlikely I’ll even get married anytime soon.”

What was wrong with her today? Had she left her filter at home?

Liam didn’t say anything. But his gaze bore into hers, and the heat from it warmed her cheeks. Obviously Liam Thayer wasn’t interested in her genetic predisposition or her hopes and aspirations for the future beyond raising funds for the children’s surgical wing. His actions up to now suggested he might not even be interested in hearing about that.

Still, he had agreed to meet her for lunch.

He had a restless, intense edge about him—drumming his fingers once again on the table, scowling, shifting in his seat, glancing at his phone. She wondered if the man knew how to loosen up. Yet she hadn’t really been around him for any length of time to get a realistic read on him. He was working today. As a doctor, that meant he was on the clock even on his lunch hour. He was probably anxious to get back.

When he wasn’t looking through her with that piercing gaze, he seemed vaguely annoyed with her, as if it should be clear that she was taking up his precious time.

She knew she shouldn’t take it personally. He’d been through a lot of trauma losing his wife. Now he was raising two teenage girls on his own. She wondered if he was this stern with them at home. Teenagers needed room to grow, to try on different attitudes and personas. But she wasn’t here to offer parenting advice. Besides, that definitely wasn’t her field of expertise. She was just here to do her job, and that required focus.

Regrouping her thoughts, she decided to stick to her spiel about the pediatric wing. Although, to get to the heart of why she’d asked him to meet her today, she would need to delve into his personal life a little. She braced herself and decided to dive in.

“Do you think the auction will send a bad message to your girls, or is it the date afterward that bothers you?”

She had such mixed emotions. What a lonely life it would be for someone like Liam to take himself off the market. However, she suspected it was the date more so than the auction that bothered him. And the alternative plan she was ready to propose to him hinged on him not wanting to go through with the post-auction date.

“As I’ve said before, the event will be tastefully done, and your children won’t be there to see their father being auctioned off. It’s being taped for an episode of Catering to Dallas, but that show won’t air for several weeks.”

His gaze darkened a bit. She felt like her persistence might be pushing him away. She hadn’t meant to be pushy or to make him feel as if she were doing a high-pressure sales pitch on him. Again she forced herself to stay quiet through another awkward silence.

“Actually, my daughters don’t watch much television. But truth be told, they’re sort of excited about the auction. They know the daughter of one of my colleagues. Since her father is doing it, they want me to join in. Still, I suppose it’s the post-auction date that bothers me. My wife hasn’t even been gone two years. The girls have taken the loss of their mother hard. I don’t want to add to their grief by going out with someone new. I don’t think they fully comprehend this auction means I will take someone out on a date.”

“That’s perfectly understandable. I’m so sorry for your loss, Liam. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must be.”

He lowered his gaze again, toying with the edge of his napkin, finally taking it off the table and putting it in his lap.

There were different kinds of loss and different kinds of pain that went hand in hand with them. Kate had known the pain of losing both her parents and watching her nephew, Cody, recover from the accident that had claimed his grandfather’s life. Before her father’s death, she’d watched him sink into a dark, drunken depression over the loss of her mother.

She’d also known the pain of losing an unborn child. But the miscarriage wasn’t something she allowed herself to think about at great lengths—because that inevitably led her to the memory of the engagement she’d walked away from, and...well, it really was like Pandora’s box, and she didn’t want to open it.

Still she couldn’t fathom what it must be like to lose a spouse...a soul mate. The mother of the children over whom Liam was so protective. She felt bad for him, but since she was already batting a thousand today, she decided to spit out the proposition before she lost her nerve.

“Were you serious when you said you would be willing to write a check to the foundation in lieu of participating?”

His demeanor brightened. “Yes, that’s what I’d prefer to do.”

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” she said. “As you know, Dr. Dunlevy is adamant that every senior staff member participate in the auction—especially you, since you’re in charge of pediatrics. How would you feel if I bid on you with the funds from that check you are so eager to write? For all intents and purposes, you will be auctioned off. You’ll look great in the eyes of your boss, but you won’t have to go through with the post-auction date. Essentially you will buy your freedom. But that part will be our little secret. What do you say, Dr. Thayer?”

Chapter Four

It was a brilliant idea.

It was pure genius, and for a moment, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“I think it’s a fabulous plan,” he said. “You’re really willing to do that for me?”

She beamed her one-thousand-watt smile. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”

However, as they ate their lunch, the initial relief wore off, and Liam found himself doing internal battle with a barrage of logistical questions. One of the most pervasive was whether he should offer to take her to dinner or provide some sort of post-auction compensation over and above his secret donation...as a thank-you. After all, he was enjoying their lunch and her company. A casual dinner wouldn’t be so bad since she knew exactly where he was coming from—that he wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship.

Thinking about the possibility that gorgeous Kate Macintyre might be interested in him as more than just a friend made him feel foolish and presumptuous. That was enough proof that the dating game was way out of his league. He’d be better off simply donating a little extra to the cause.

“I realize my colleagues will be paying for a date,” he said. “I understand that the money they spend on the night out will not go directly to the hospital—the guys will spend it on the women who win them in the auction. Since I won’t be paying for a date, I’m happy to donate the money I would have spent. It will go to the cause rather than be wasted on an evening on the town.”

That hadn’t come out quite right. His trepidation about dating sounded so ridiculous when he voiced it, but that embarrassment was at odds with the betrayal of Joy that pierced his heart when he thought of going through the motions of a date. Even if said date was contrived and a woman was bidding on a prize package—not really the time spent with him so much—the winning bidder still deserved to have a good time. Enthusiasm and interest were not something he could promise to deliver.

“What I’m trying to say is that I’m happy to donate more if you think that’s appropriate. Especially since I’m obviously being a colossal pain in the... Well, I’ve created more work for you, and I’m sorry about that.”

She laughed. “You’re not a colossal pain in the... Just get over that, okay?”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. She did that a lot. There was something kind of innocently sexy about it. She had nice lips; the kind that he imagined could be described as bee-stung.

“As I said,” she continued. “I wouldn’t have offered this alternative if I didn’t think it was a win-win situation for all involved. We’re good, right?”

She was so gracious. She obviously had a natural talent that put people at ease. Not to mention a pretty face to go along with the nice personality.

His gaze dropped back to the bottom lip that had just a moment ago been caught between her teeth.

“So, this new plan—you bidding on me—isn’t going to cause problems with a boyfriend? I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position....”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m absolutely single. No jealous guys will be hulking around threatening to beat you up. Rest assured.”

She winked at him, and there was something in the gesture that made the blood course through his veins in a way that hadn’t happened in ages.

“Really? Have you ever been married?” He surprised himself by uttering the words out loud. “And that’s really personal. You don’t have to answer that question if you’d rather not.”

She had a serene smile on her face, as if his inquiry hadn’t fazed her.

“I don’t mind answering,” she said. “As long as you’ll answer a question for me.”

Liam was vaguely aware of the muted background chatter of other customers, silverware clattering on plates, coffee cups clanking on saucers. Background music to their conversation.

“Fair enough,” he said.

“I’ve never been married. I came close once, but...nope. Lately I’ve been too busy with work to date much. I figure I’m sort of married to my career right now. Kind of like a doctor, huh?”

“Is that the question you wanted me to answer? Because, if so, it’s a lot easier than I expected.”

She laughed. “Are you kidding? That’s a rhetorical question, and you know it. What I want to know is why, if your daughters are okay with you doing the auction, do you still want to go through with the charade of me bidding on you? Which I’m perfectly willing to do. But, again, I’m curious.

“Because it’s just a night out. You really don’t even have to call it a date. It’s not like you’re obligated to see her again. How painful could one night out with a woman be?”

Liam shook his head. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a pompous ass, but I’ll do my best. There might be women or, should I say, one woman in particular, who would be tempted to bid on me just to put me in an uncomfortable situation.”

Kate didn’t say anything, but the corner of her mouth quirked up as if she thought the possibility utterly ridiculous. “Would you care to elaborate?”

“Shortly after Joy died—Joy was my wife...” His voice cracked, and he wondered if he would really be better off not venturing into this territory.

Kate’s expression softened. “I think everyone in Celebration knew and loved your wife, Liam. She was an amazing woman.”

He cleared his throat. “She was an amazing woman. I think that’s part of the problem. Some women think a man like me, who is left to raise two teenage girls alone, needs or wants help.”

“And you’re speaking from experience?”

Liam felt himself sliding down a slippery slope. “Nah, never mind.” He didn’t need to unload his baggage on Kate. He should be telling her how grateful he was for her willingness to make his part in this fund-raiser as easy and comfortable as possible. But he’d already said too much. It was best to quit while he was ahead.

“No, wait, this sounds good. So you’re in demand? Throngs of females throwing themselves at you?” Her eyes were sparkling, and her tone was teasing.

He was sure she was just trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn’t something he wanted to joke about.

“And you need me to fight off the hordes of women that will turn out to bid on you?”

He crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”

She pressed a finger to her chin and narrowed her eyes as if she were thinking. “Maybe I shouldn’t bid on you. Maybe I should be quiet and watch as the bidding war ensues.”

“There won’t be a bidding war,” Liam said. “And you already offered to bid on me. No reneging on the deal.”

“You realize that me bidding on you won’t preempt a bidding war. That’s all on you, and if it happens, there isn’t a thing I can do to stop it. We’ll all just sit back and watch Dr. Thayer bring sexy back.”

He laughed, unsure whether the burning sensation he felt was the blood rushing to or draining from his face. He reached up and ran his hand over his chin as if he could rub away the evidence of his embarrassment.

“Maybe this is a bad idea,” he said.

She reached out and touched his arm again. “I’m just teasing, Liam. I know you’ve been through a lot, but I was hoping this might be a chance for you to have some fun. We have a deal, and I fully intend to uphold my end of the bargain.”

She opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, but closed it and sat back in her chair.

“What?” he asked, wondering why he was encouraging her.

She put both of her palms flat on the table. “Okay, I’m just going to say it. You’re a young man. You have a lot of life ahead of you. I didn’t know Joy very well. We only met once in passing, but the little I did know of her was that she was a sweet, kind woman. I can’t imagine that she would want you to put yourself on a shelf for the rest of your life.”

The truth hung between them as acrid as the smell of something burning. Kate was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Joy probably would’ve wanted him to move on, to meet someone wonderful, who would love the girls like Joy did and for him to fall in love again.

There were two things wrong with that. First, he and Joy had never had the chance to discuss whether or not she wanted him to remarry should anything happen to her—or vice versa for that matter. He hadn’t expected his thirty-five-year-old wife to run out to the store for vanilla ice cream and never come back. Second, nobody would ever love their girls the way Joy did. And unfortunately he’d had firsthand experience with that, compliments of Kimela Herring.

He cleared his throat. “I’m working on that. Sort of. I’m going to grief counseling, but I can’t say it’s helping. In fact I don’t know how long I’ll continue. But after Joy died, I had a bad experience. One of her friends started coming around. At first she seemed to have good intentions, but then she started moving a little too fast, pushing a little too hard. She did a lot of damage because she didn’t always tell the truth, and she lied because she didn’t have the girls’ best interests at heart.

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