Had he known that the dinner at Simon and Kate’s that Sunday would turn his life, his very world view, upside down, Bruce would likely not have accepted the invitation. On the other hand, a delicious home-cooked meal was difficult to resist. Simon’s culinary creations were always creative and superbly prepared, and a welcome break from Bruce’s usual fare. Besides, he’d promised.

But since Simon had married Kate, they came at the cost, for Bruce, of a vague unease. Simon’s second wife had brought to his life, and his home, a qualitative difference from his first less-than-perfect marriage. Something that made Bruce tense and unsettled, less than content.

Wherever they’d lived, Bruce had always treated Simon’s place like a second home. In fact, it was the closest thing to a real home that Bruce had had since, well, since his Mom had left in the third grade, he supposed. Since high school, he’d had some of his best meals there, and typically he and Simon and his little brother Will watched games together. Simon also took his turn hosting their occasional poker nights. It had been a safe haven from the perpetual state of chaos and persecution that he suffered at his house, among his three boisterous older brothers and under the bullying dictatorship of his own father.

Consequently, Bruce had always been more familiar with masculine environments—that’s what he’d grown up with. Now that Kate was in the picture, and since Markus had been born, Simon’s house had taken on a feminine vibe, an atmosphere of domestic harmony and comfort that Bruce found disorienting, if oddly compelling. It smelled too fresh. And it seemed the last place on earth you’d set up a poker table. He always looked forward to coming, and then just as eagerly longed to escape back to his floating bachelor pad. He both longed for and feared the {sense of safety, stability and belonging} that it represented. But the price was too high. You just couldn’t trust relationships to last, and it hurt too much when you counted on someone to always be there for you.

The moment he arrived, Simon took him aside on the pretext of showing him something in his den, and gave him a shakedown.

“Look. The thing is…” Simon cleared his throat, keeping his eyes level with Bruce’s. “I wanted to prepare you. Alexa’s here, too.”

“What’s Alex…You’re not…That harpy?”

“I know you and Alexa don’t have a great history, but… Kate and I think you two got off on the wrong foot years ago. You have to get to know her better.”

“Ri-i-ight.” Bruce nodded skeptically. He never knew whether he want to screw her senseless or punch her lights out, she drove him so nuts.

“I know she’s not the sort of woman you’re attracted to, but… that’s not the point. Alexa is a terrific. She’s a smart, caring, funny woman and Kate’s dearest friend. You’ll make a great team.”

Strange, somehow that had escaped Bruce’s notice. The terrific, caring, funny part. Okay, he’d admit she was smart. Too smart. But caring? funny? Nope. She was so cold, humorless and serious. She was the sort of extreme career woman who’d turned her back on humanity, fun and leisure. Almost a caricature. He could see that some might find her attractive, in a skinny, dark, exotic sort of way, though not his type. Not attractive enough to brave the prickly gauntlet of her personality. They never seemed to be able to get along without bickering. “You expect me to…”

“Cooperate.”

Bruce wanted to run. He knew they couldn’t do this trip without his help. His, and obviously hers. “And…?”

“And, frankly, I’m concerned that you two are going to blow the whole plan because you can’t get along for five minutes. This teaching job is really important to Kate. I’d like her to relax and enjoy this trip without worry. I want her pregnancy to go smoothly.” Simon gripped Bruce’s shoulder to emphasize his point.

“It’ll be fine. We’ll cooperate. Of course we will.” Bruce wasn’t sure how, but he’d find a way.

“You need to get along, that’s all. Listen and be respectful. Don’t be a macho jerk.”

“I’m not the one who picks fights, you know.” Bruce’s tone was defensive. Okay, maybe he was somewhat responsible for giving her a certain less-than-accurate impression of who he was. And trying to get a rise out of her. It was so easy to provoke her. Too much fun.

“I really mean it.”

“Hmph. Do you remember the time we first met, four Christmases ago? She nearly tore me to shreds.” Bruce’s voice rose an octave remembering. He felt the hair on his arms rise, tingling, and remembered the ache in his groin from their momentary encounter in the darkened hallway.

“You kissed her!”

Bruce grimaced. “There was mistletoe.”

Simon rolled his eyes. “She’s not the kind of bimbo you’re used to dealing with, that’s all.”

“You can say that again.”

Simon shook his head, scowling. “I want your word.”

“I promise…” Bruce made a pleading gesture with his hands out. “I’ll…er, I’ll do my best to get along, I’ll even learn to like her.” Even if he had to stop poking fun at her. It might even be boring. “And I guarantee the kids will be perfectly okay. You and Kate don’t have to worry about a thing.” He reciprocated the shoulder grab. “Okay?”

An idea formed in Bruce’s mind. This situation could be managed.

Simon’s lips thinned-- a hopeful but unconvinced smile. “Your word is good enough for me, but the trick is, can you convince Kate? Tonight’s a test. So be civilized.” Simon punched him in the arm.

"Right." Well, it took two to tango, but he would do his best to lead this dance, and choose his steps carefully. What choice did he have, after all? "Got it." He laughed, thumping Simon back on the shoulder. “You owe me big time, Sharpy.”

Simon grunted as he turned to the door. “Actually, I think this makes us about even.”

When they entered the hall, Kate was there with both Maddie and Markus in their pajamas, looking scrubbed and combed, with their cheeks glowing pink.

Bruce leaned in, kissing Kate’s cheek. “Evening beautiful.”

Kate’s smile was indulgent. “Hi, Bruce. Say goodnight to Uncle Bruce, Markus.”

From her arms, Markus stared at him for a minute, but with a little jiggle from Kate, he finally said, “Night, Boos.”

They sure were cute kids. Three-year-old Markus was the spitting image of Kate, with her fine, smooth golden hair. Except he had Simon’s blue eyes.

“G’night, little buddy,” Bruce said, grinning. “Gimme five.” He presented his palm to Markus, who giggled and slapped at it wildly.

“Ouch!” A sharp pain shot through his shinbone. “What the…?” He looked down at Maddie. She’d kicked him viciously with her bony little foot. Simon’s seven-year-old daughter Maddie looked more like her mother Rachel, with her thick brown curls and catty green eyes.

“What’s up, Scallywag?” He scrubbed the top of her head. “Am I ignoring you?”

She stood with her arms folded, glaring up at him.

“Mads! Apologize right now,” Simon said, frowning.

Maddie responded immediately, if half-heartedly, chuffing the carpet with her bare foot. “Thor-ry.”

He wasn’t convinced. He could see an evil smirk pulling at her lips. Maddie apparently took after her bitchy mother in more ways than one. He pulled a funny face at her, trying to elicit a smile. It’d actually be fun to spend more time with the kids.

“Maddie isn’t thrilled with the arrangements,” Simon explained as they moved away. “It’s not you, though. It’s the fact we’re going away. I’ve never left her before, so she’s actually furious at me. But she’s taking it out on you.”

Oh, great. Bruce squinted back at Maddie and said in a syrupy voice, “Good night, Madison.”

“’Night,” she snarled, and stomped upstairs to bed.

“How does she feel about Alexa?”

Simon led the way to the dining room, where the adults would have dinner alone. “Seems okay with that part of it. I think she has a bit of separation anxiety with me. And you’re my friend, so it’s… I don’t know.” Simon shrugged. “Take a seat, the food’ll be ready shortly. Glass of wine? Or a beer?”

“I’ll take a beer, thanks,” Bruce said and turned. And there she was. Already sitting at the table, skulking behind a huge glass bowl of red wine, like a mean little leprechaun ready to pounce.

She sputtered, choking on a mouthful of wine, and coughed into her napkin.

“Hey, partner.” He grinned at her. “Looks like we’re working together.”

“Koczynski.” Her husky voice was flat. She glared at him over the dark rims of her angular eyeglasses. So far, two out of three women in the house hated him. It was looking like a formidable evening.

He offered her a brilliant smile. “None other. How’re you doing, Al?” He sauntered around the table, flopped into the chair next to her. He wondered if it was possible to melt through the ice with sufficient charm. Simon had no idea what he was asking him to do. He threw an arm across the back of her chair and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

“Keep your distance, Koz.” She turned her head away, and his face landed in her silky dark hair. It smelled of the tropics. Spicy and sweet. Almost like that cologne he used to wear– what was it called? He didn’t exactly find her attractive, but she was like a burr in his hide, small, prickly and stubborn, hard to ignore. She was petite and dark with a boyish figure. Not his type at all. Kind of cute though. Even though she was the only woman he’d ever met who was persistently immune to his charms. Until she opened her mouth.

That mouth twisted in distaste and she pulled back, looking like she might hit him with something. Instead, she plucked his arm off and handed it back like it was a rotting log full of maggots. “Do you mind?”

He smiled and shook his head, feeling the first rebellious stirrings from his body. There was something about her throaty voice.

“Here you go,” said Simon, popping in with his beer and returning to the kitchen.

He accepted the beer Simon offered and took a long draft, leaning back. “Aah.” A small belch escaped. “Pardon.”

Alexa’s face twisted in disgust. “So. I’m surprised you agreed to this little arrangement, Koz. You don’t strike me as the domestic sort.”

A bark of laughter escaped before he could prevent it. You’re one to talk.

“What are you laughing at?”

He opted not to reply, instead smiling and taking another sip of beer. She reminded him of Cruella De Ville—hard and mean-spirited. All she was missing was a shock of white in her dark hair and a long cigarette holder. Oh, and a coat made of puppies.

“Nothing at all,” he replied, sniggering, then sobered. “You’re looking well, Al.” She did, too. Her dark hair shone, strands of it somehow sticking out artfully. It managed to look both precise and post-coital at the same time. Everything about her was a carefully thought out design statement. It suited her. He flicked the end of her scarf. “Love this, Al. Great colour on you. Matches your eyes.” He leaned in closer.

Those eyes were narrowed at him now, her suspicions aroused.

And she was tanned. She always seemed to be a bit brown to him, with a vaguely exotic quality about her eyes. They were a strange greyish-green, like a stormy sea, and tilted up at the corners. It might be appealing, if she would smile once in a while.

“That’s Alexa to you, Koczynski.” She eyed his torso. “You appear to have lost some excess weight.”

He sat up taller. “Yes, I have, thank you. I’ve had more time to work out lately.” He raised his arm and flexed his bicep, arching his brows at her. “You like?”

She let out a gust of air, utterly humourless, rolling her eyes. “Nice shirt,” she deadpanned. “Not wasting all your time at clubs and parties? I heard–”

He gave her a hard look, his teeth set. “Actually, it’s not having to work eighteen hour days that’s made the biggest difference.” He smiled broadly. “And you could call me Bruce.”

She ignored him. “Oh, right. I’d forgotten you were one of the idle rich these days.”

His eye twitched with tension, and he forced himself to relax. He tilted the beer bottle back, taking a long drink. “What kind of name is Alexa, anyway? Italian or Persian or something?” He’d always wondered if she was mixed race.

Again she ignored his question. No wonder she got under his skin. “What’s with the long hair and Hawaiian shirt? Auditioning for a Hawaii Five-oh remake?”

Bruce shrugged, combing a hand through his shoulder length hair. It wasn’t that long. “I see you can’t keep your eyes off of me tonight, Al.” He felt a warm stirring in his trousers. Even though she was trying to goad him, the sound of her sexy voice always had this regrettable effect.

“Hah! In your dreams, Hefner.”

He grinned. Feisty little thing. He’d forgotten how she oiled his gears. Her voice was velvety soft and deep, like a spell that spoke directly to his blood, causing it to surge out of control. A Siren’s song. He took a page from Odysseus and filed those thoughts away. Far away.

“So. How’s it going at work, Ms. Architect?” he asked, with another generous smile.

“You’re such an ass, Koczynski.”

It was sheer torture, being physically attracted to someone you wanted to throttle. She was like a baby panther. Cuddly cute until the claws and teeth came out. Oh, that helped. His inconvenient boner eased off a little. That was another good reason to avoid contact with her.

Alexa continued to peer at him with obvious disdain.

“Seriously, tell me about your name—” but she didn’t have a chance to reply.

“Alright, here we are,” announced Kate cheerily, entering suddenly from the kitchen with a dish in her hands. She set it down. “Sorry to take so long. The pork wasn’t quite done.”

Both Bruce and Alexa sat up taller, pasting friendly smiles on their faces. It wouldn’t do to advertise their ongoing war of wills to their friends.

Simon followed with a platter in each hand. “We’re eating family style tonight to save time. I want to get right down to business.”

Delicious smells wafted around them, as Kate and Simon took their seats, and they passed dishes around. Bruce was hungry, and piled his plate high with pork tenderloin, roast potatoes and buttered vegetables. “Looks great. Which chef should I compliment tonight?”

“Joint effort,” answered Simon, digging in.

After a few minutes, Kate picked up a sheaf of papers and spoke. “As you know, we’re leaving in nine days. I’ve managed to find a half-day spot for Markus in day care, so that means you, Bruce, will have to pick him up at twelve-thirty, give him a snack, some exercise, and a nap. Then you pick up Maddie at school at 2:30. She’ll need a snack and some down time too. I know it sounds rigid, but trust me, that will make it easier on everyone. I have it all written down here.” She shuffled papers.

Bruce nodded, most of what she said was an indecipherable tangle of words he’d get Simon to repeat later. “I can handle that.”

“Don’t worry,” said Alex. “I have really good project management software. I’ll input the kids schedules.”

Bruce swiveled his eyes over her way. Was she serious?

“The next part, we’re not so sure about. Alexa, you’ll get them ready for bed… you can stay at our house, it makes sense,” Kate said. “Besides, someone has to take care of the kitties, too.”

Alexa nodded. “Anything special there? I know Lucy needs her shots.” Alexa reached for Kate’s list and adjusted her glasses to scan it.

“Right. Once a day, evenings are fine,” Simon said. “And Oscar’s no trouble. He’s so old, he sleeps all the time.”

That mangy cat better not keel over on my shift.

Kate let out a big breath. “So, Alexa, your mornings will be a bit wild. You’ll have to get them up, fed, dressed, and drop Maddie at school for 8:45. Then Markus right afterwards.”

Bruce watched Alexa process this information, her eyes cast down at the list. “So I won’t be able to start my work day until almost nine-thirty,” Alexa said, her brow drawing down, her exquisite wide lips pursed thoughtfully.

Bruce studied the long dark lashes resting against her smooth tan cheeks.

“With the new Arts Centre project starting, I’ll have a team expecting answers from me first thing.” She turned to him. “It would be better for me if you could come by here at about seven-thirty, and then drop the kids off.”

He froze as her words sunk in. “Do what?”

“Come early and take the kids to school?” She dipped her chin and peered at him over the frames of her glasses, creating the illusion that he was being scolded by a sexy little librarian.

He cleared his throat. “It’s quite a ways for me to get over here from West Van.” His smile felt tight. He could imagine the hours it would take him coming over the bridge four times a day. He’d go nuts. “Morning rush hour traffic on the bridge can be brutal. I couldn’t guarantee getting here on time.”

Alexa slumped in her chair. “Oh.”

The clash of cutlery against Kate’s plate jarred his nerve endings as she dropped a knife. He glanced at her, taking in her pinched expression, and remembered his vow to Simon. She smiled at him.

Fabulous. Three for three. He raised his hands, palm out and responded sotto voce. “But don’t worry, Kate. Maybe we can take turns or something. Al and I will iron out the details. It’ll be fine.” He met Alexa’s steely eye. “We have software. Right, Al?”

“Okay, alright.” Alexa nibbled her nail thoughtfully. “I’ll have to work longer in the evenings, I guess.”

He squinted. Both ends of this stick were getting shorter by the minute.

“So, that’s the part we weren’t sure about,” continued Kate. “What time do you think you can get away from the office, Alex?”

Alexa shook her head. “Well, every day is different. And if I’m getting in late… It depends if there are meetings, problems, deadlines, charettes. You know.”

“You play charades at work? How fun!” he teased, earning a dirty look from Simon. He grinned back.

“A charette is an intense, focused collaborative design session. Sometimes we work right through the night.”

Wonderful!

Kate nodded. “Well, the issue is dinner. I’m sure you’ll be home early enough to do the bedtime routine most days, but if they don’t eat at a reasonable time, you’ll be really sorry. They become unmanageable. It snowballs. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned–”

“I know all about that,” Alexa smirked. “A houseful of over-hungry kids is insanity.”

“What time do they eat?” Bruce asked, frowning. How would she know?

Kate and Simon exchanged contemplative glances. Simon said, “I’d say, six would be the latest.”

They all looked at Alexa, who chewed and swallowed before she spoke. She squashed her mouth together and narrowed her eyes. “Some days, maybe, I could be off work by five thirty and get here. That makes for a very short work day.”

“Well, I can feed them dinner.” Bruce said. He’d have meals delivered from that gourmet place. “Any food allergies?”

Simon said, “Didn’t you tell me you were just learning how to cook?”

Bruce sent Simon a loaded look and forced a smile. “I’ll manage. Necessity’s the mother of invention, you know.”

“Well don’t worry too much, Bruce. Alexa is an incredible superwoman with house and family things.”

His head jerked up. “How’s that?” That certainly wasn’t how he saw her. She was all about her career. He couldn’t even visualize her in a kitchen. A bedroom, yes, but…

“Don’t you know she practically raised her six younger brothers and sisters while graduating from high school? This woman can do anything!” Kate gushed.

Six? He narrowed his eyes at Alexa, blinking. He tried to picture the shrew caring for six younger siblings and failing. That was a story he’d like to hear. The image didn’t fit. “You might have to give me some lessons, then, Al.” He shrugged, imagining some up-close one-on-one time in the kitchen, and his body heated. He took a deep breath and let it out through his open mouth. He shut his eyes. Probably best to put those thoughts away.

“I hope I don’t have to teach you everything,” she said.

“Whoah. You underestimate me, sweetheart.” Bruce looked for support at Simon. “I have skills, too—”

“He certainly does, Alex. That’s why we asked Bruce to help you. He’s fantastic with the kids, you should see them together. They absolutely love spending time with him. Nobody does fun and games like Bruce.”

“Fun and games,” Alexa repeated, expressionless. Her eyes slid over to Bruce, her contempt barely concealed. “That’s handy.”

He gave her a half smile, cocking one brow. “That’s me. Fun and games.” He’d like to have some fun with her. If only she were capable of letting loose for once. Or maybe not.

Alexa eyed him with flat, grey-green eyes that managed to communicate her lack of faith in him without a word.

He had promised to be nice, cooperate. He took a deep breath. “Right. We have to make a plan. You’ll be packing little fishy crackers and lunches and stuff for the day, right?

She nodded, her eyes narrowing. “I’ll make a spreadsheet of healthy snacks and meals, and we can shop accordingly so we always have what we need in the house.”

“So, all you have to do is plan to pack a little extra and they’re good until dinner. That way we can spend more time having fun.”

Alexa cleared her throat, and he shot her a broad smile intended to charm.

Kate cleared her throat. “So. Getting back to dinner. It might be best if you planned to bring them back here at a set time, say four-thirty, five o’clock at the latest, and be prepared to feed them dinner, do baths and stuff, and hang out until Alexa gets home from work to put them to bed.”

He studied her. She read like a book, completely transparent. It was sweet, but you couldn’t pretend you didn’t know what she wanted. Keeping his face serious and sober, his cheeks still tingling from grinning at Alexa he said, “Absolutely, Kate. Don’t worry about a thing. You can count on me.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Simon roll his eyes toward the ceiling.

“Us,” he amended, turning to Simon with a smile. “Alexa and I are a team. She’s gonna help me with cooking lessons, and I’m gonna help her plan fun and games.”

Her long slow exhale was audible.

He turned toward Alexa. “Right, Al? And you have project management software. How can we possibly fail?”

“Right, well there’s playdates. And, um, there might be one birthday party,” mumbled Kate contritely.

“Anything else we should be aware of?” Bruce asked, his voice watery.

“It’s on the list,” Alexa snapped.

She couldn’t be serious. “Great. I’ll spend my mornings renovating my house and head over here for the afternoons. Easy-peasy.”

Kate cleared her throat. “Of course we’ll stock up on groceries before we leave. But you’ll have to find time for shopping and chores.”

The air in the room grew thin. Did he just get stuck with shopping and cooking? He’d have to hire an army of help.

“It will take a little time management,” Alex said. “We’ll make up a spreadsheet, and divide up the responsibilities. I’ll have to plan ahead as much as possible and keep you posted on my workdays so you’ll know what to expect from day to day.”

“Spreadsheets.”

She was nuts. She was trying to take control of his whole bloody life. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, trying to loosen a knot of tension. Next she’d be giving him minute-by-minute instructions. “At least I’ll have the weekends–“

“Weekends!” said Simon. “I knew we forgot something.”

Bruce grinned at Alexa, and she stared back. He squinted and shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I work most weekends.” She pressed her lips together, nodding. “You’ll have to stay with the kids during the day and some evenings, too.”

The stick! “Right. Well. I have to meet tradesmen at my house sometimes.”

“We’ll have to compare schedules.”

“I guess we will,” he replied, grinning past gritted teeth.

Kate stood up and picked up dishes. “Well, it sounds like you two can work it out. I’m going to make tea.”

“I’m really glad to see you two are willing to work together. With your combined talents, you’re going to make a great team.” Simon cast an intense and meaningful gaze at Bruce and, smiling, picked up dishes and followed Kate to the kitchen. They might have fooled Kate, but Simon clearly saw the cracks in their facade.

A moment of tense silence followed.

Bruce raised his eyebrows at Alexa. “Well?” he finally said, throwing down the gauntlet. Enough pretense—they needed to have this out.

“I get the impression you’re not happy about doing this,” she said.

“Not at all. I adore Maddie and Markus. We’re gonna have a blast,” he drawled, leaning towards her ear. His nostrils filled with her sweet, spicy scent, and he leaned back, regretting their proximity, and exhaled slowly.

Her darkened expression said he’d scored a point. “Don’t think you can get out of the mundane shit like shopping and housework because you’re Mister Fun and Games. I have a very demanding job and a huge project starting up, so you’re going to have to pull your weight around here.”

“Don’t you trust me, Al?”

“No.” She blinked. “We’re both making personal sacrifices for our friends. You’ll have to do your share, Koczynski. Get over it.”

“Why are you worried about me? Sounds like you’re the one that’s got time management issues. I mean what does a thirty-something professional workaholic know about child care anyhow? I’m trying to be helpful, here.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I know more than I ever wanted to about childcare and homemaking, thank you very much.” Then a slow, inscrutable smile spread across her face, and her voice dropped down a notch, sultry with a hard edge, like the cruel caress of a sharp blade. “I know you. You’ll try to weasel out of chores.”

Damn it, that voice! If he ignored her words, it almost sounded like an invitation. For someone else. Not for him. “You’re not going to dump extra work on me so you can slip a few drinks with co-workers into your week.”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but if I’m working after hours, I’m actually working.”

It was so easy to push her buttons. “You mean you have no social life? Quel surprise!”

She made a sound, a cross between a scream and a roar, but she kept her mouth clamped tight, so it seemed to bleed out of her ears. God, she was a tiger. Her smoky eyes burned with a fiery light that made him wonder what she would be like in between the sheets. “My personal life has nothing to do with this negotiation. I have responsibilities at work. Period.”

Jeezus, she was tense. It’s probably because she worked so much she never got any sex at all. Someone should redirect that ferocious energy into bed, and then give her a darn good reason to relax. Not him though. His erection twitched again. Not helpful. It made him so mad he could spit. Claws and teeth. Claws and teeth. He sucked a breath slowly in through his clenched teeth and forced a smile.

“Right.” Despite his promise to Simon, Bruce laughed, because he knew it would annoy her. “Well I know it’ll be a hardship for a professional working woman such as yourself, honey, but I guess you’ll have to pull up your garters and cope with your share of this childcare deal, honey.”

“Please don’t call me honey.” Alexa sliced her hand across her other palm. “All I want is to split this up evenly and disrupt my life as little as possible. If we project manage our schedule and list of duties, we should be fine. I’ll put Kate’s list in my software and then you can add your constraints. If I can manage the design and construction of an entire civic building, I think I can handle a couple of weeks co-parenting with you.”

Bruce sighed. They were never going to be able to coexist in peace. That much was clear. “Fine. That suits me perfectly.”

She crossed her arms. “We’ll share the work fair and square, including weekends. You do your half and I’ll do mine. But let me make myself perfectly clear. I don’t care what you think of me, Koczynski. But please, if you have an ounce of decency in that lazy, self-indulgent little heart of yours, – try not to make this situation any worse. Do your part and stay out of my way.”

He nodded. She so totally didn’t understand him. He’d do anything for Simon and his kids. “It might be best if we try to stay away from each other as much as possible.”

They glared at each other.

“So. We have a deal?” Alexa thrust out her hand like a knife.

He gripped her small, strong hand firmly in his own and squeezed, perhaps a little tighter than he should have. “Deal.”

By the time Simon and Kate returned with the tea, they were both smiling brightly.