Page 73 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

“You’re getting that dreamy look again,” Linus said. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.” More than liked, to be honest.

“I can tell. How come you didn’t invite him to Thomas’s vow renewal then?”

The question caught her by surprise. “Because it’s a family thing.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t include your boyfriend. You brought him to the hospital.”

“That was different. He was with me when you called. The ceremony on Christmas Eve is going to be intimate.”

“And gathered ’round Rosalind’s hospital bed eating cookies and letting Maddie climb on him wasn’t?” He frowned. “You’re afraid we’re going to give him a hard time, aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“Absolutely, but in the best-natured way possible. That’s what big brothers do. Tell you what,” he said. “If you’re worried, the five of us can go out beforehand and bond with him properly.”

Oh, yeah, she could see Lewis jumping at the opportunity to have a “bonding” dinner with the Collier clan. She could picture the scene now. The three of them eating curry and peppering Lewis with questions. Her temporary relationship was going to be short enough; she didn’t need their curiosity ending the arrangement prematurely.

“That isn’t necessary,” she told him.

“Sure it is. You said yourself, we weren’t being fair to him. This will be our way of letting him know we approve of his dating our sister and we welcome him to the family.”

“Really, you don’t have to,” Susan said.

“Why are you fighting the idea. You just asked me to be nice. If the guy’s going to be around for a while…”

“He’s not.”

Her brother’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you two are on the outs already? Is that why he’s not here tonight?”

“No, no. I told you, Lewis will be here.”

“Then what gives? Why so certain you two will be done? You’ve got to have a little more faith than that, Susie.”

“Maybe I would if I didn’t have an exit date.”

“I beg your pardon.”

Susan sighed. If she’d known they were going to start suggesting family get-togethers, she would have told them the truth from the start. But since when did her brothers bond with anyone? Let alone someone connected with her? “We aren’t really dating.” Briefly she explained their arrangement.

“You’re kidding,” Linus said when she was finished. Susan was stunned by his stunned expression. Maybe she and Lewis had done a better job pretending than she thought. “Why would you do something like that?”

“I told you, Lewis needs…”

“I mean you. Champagne Lewis I get, but why would you get involved in something like this?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I wanted an image makeover too.”

“Unbelievable. Thomas is going to have a cow, you know.”

A big mad cow too, which was why she kept silent in the first place. But only if Thomas found out. Which didn’t have to happen. “Then don’t tell him,” she said. “The whole affair will be over before Thomas gets back from paternity leave. There’s no reason for him to get involved.”

“Except for the whole Collier’s thing. You know how he is about the company reputation.”

“All the more reason to not spoil his time with the new baby. There’s no need to trigger him unnecessarily.”

“True.” Her brother let out a long, frustrated breath, a sign he was seriously considering the suggestion. “We’ll have to talk about this later,” he said. “People are starting to arrive.”