were being praised for something she hadn’t really done. She shrugged. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Mariah does, too. I told her she needs to buy one of the island at your show.”
“I’ll give her one. I wanted to give you and Dominic that one.”
But Dominic had insisted on paying her—had, in fact, tried to give her more than she’d been asking, telling her she’d given him something worth far more than her painting.
Knowledge at last of why she’d jilted him, he’d meant. And when he’d come down in the spring he’d told her that meeting her and Lacey had opened communications between him and Sierra as well. Carin was delighted that they were so happy together. Watching him now, doting on his baby daughter, she couldn’t help but smile.
The doorbell rang just then, and when Sierra opened the door more Wolfes spilled into the apartment.
Carin immediately identified Rhys, a slightly harder-edged, more muscular version of Nathan and Dominic. Rhys was a member of an elite corps of firefighters who traveled the globe putting out oil and industrial fires. With him was a stunning, dark-haired woman almost as tall as he was. Something about her eyes and her smile looked familiar. Then Carin remembered that she was Sierra’s sister. She and Rhys were each carrying a child.
“Look, Mom. More cousins!” Lacey was beaming.
“Come meet the rest of the family,” Nathan said and, snagging Carin’s hand, drew her to her feet to introduce her to Rhys’s wife and his twins, Stephen and Elizabeth.
Rhys gave her a hug, and Mariah did, too.
“Hugs,” Elizabeth demanded. And Carin gave her one, too. And Stephen demanded a kiss, which he got.
“Lucky guy,” Nathan said. “It’s more than she’ll give me.”
“You gotta learn how to ask,” Rhys said with a grin.
Carin had hoped she would be able to remain quietly aloof. There was no reason for her to get involved. It was fine for Lacey to be included. But this was Nathan’s family, not hers.
Try telling the Wolfes that.
They didn’t believe in aloof. Not even Nathan, the quietest of the brothers, was quiet tonight.
Put the three brothers together and the noise level rose exponentially. There was immediate talk of the Yankees and the Mets. Discussion of soccer and diving. Dominic and Rhys wanted Nathan to go to a ball game. Rhys and Nathan wanted Dominic to take time off to go fishing.
“You wouldn’t think Nathan came to work,” Sierra said.
“All they do is talk about fishing,” Mariah agreed.
Sierra rolled her eyes. “Come on.” She grabbed Carin and hauled her into the kitchen. “You can supervise me making a salad.”
“Or a mess,” Mariah said. “And we can warn you about getting involved with a Wolfe.”
“I’m not involved with a Wolfe,” Carin protested.
“Yeah, right.” Mariah obviously didn’t believe that for a minute. She put the lasagna she’d brought into the oven to heat it.
“You just keep thinking that and you won’t know what hit you,” Sierra agreed as she tore up lettuce and tossed it in a bowl. “They get what they want, those Wolfe boys.”
“Nathan doesn’t,” Carin said firmly.
Both sisters looked at her, then at each other. “Maybe we’re just pushovers,” Mariah said to her sister. “Too easy. We should be tougher. Like Carin. After all Carin dumped your husband.”
“I didn’t—” Carin’s face flamed. “I mean—”
“Jilted him, then,” Sierra said, calling a spade a spade. “Sounds to me like he deserved it. And he didn’t deserve you.”
“Whereas,” Mariah said dryly, “he definitely deserves Sierra!”
Sierra gave a wicked grin and chuckled in a way that made Carin laugh, too.
“The question is,” Mariah said, “does Nathan deserve Carin?”
They both looked at her. “Does he?” Sierra asked.
“We’re not—I don’t—” Carin stopped, at a loss to explain.
“He has asked you to marry him, hasn’t he?” Sierra stopped tearing lettuce and fixed Carin with a steady gaze.
“Yes, but—”
“You need to make him pay first,” Mariah finished for her.
“I—”
“But then you need to marry him,” Sierra said. “Because he’s Lacey’s father.”
“I don’t—”
“And you love him,” Mariah said quietly.
Carin opened her mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. They all looked at each other, the truth settling in.
Then suddenly Rhys appeared in the doorway with a twin in each arm. “They’re starving. They’re starting to chew on the furniture. When’s dinner?”
“Coming right up,” Sierra answered for her sister. “Go wash up. There’s the bell again. Tell Dominic to answer the door,” she added as the bell rang. “That’ll be Douglas.” Then when Rhys left, she turned her gaze on Carin again.
“Don’t waste your