Sage opened her locker long enough to grab her coat, then tugged it on and disappeared through the rear break room exit.

I stared after her. Her leaving was both curse and blessing.

Trouble in my pants? That’s what she called it when a man was helplessly aroused by the sight of her in simple white cotton?

I wasn’t proud of it. In fact, I’d tried to hide my predicament by remaining in the hall. But I’d followed her to give her back her phone—and yes, perhaps get another glimpse of her curves—so I’d had to man up.

Now she probably thought that I wasn’t well-endowed because I’d been on the way down from an erection. Thanks to reciting the times tables backward in my head, no less. Even that had scarcely been enough to combat her allure.

The scent of her brought back memories of summer. Sunshine and green grass and the breeze off the lake. A sorely needed reminder of warmer afternoons on this frozen, chilly gray day. Layered over all had been the aroma of strong black coffee. It had smelled a damn sight better on her than it tasted in the cup.

But my control had saved me from reacting as much as I could have. I wasn’t a teenage boy any longer. Bad enough I’d popped a semi in the first place. At least I could get it back in line. I’d taken pride in the fact that I could stand that close to her, surrounded by her perfume with her scarcely concealed breasts right there, and manage to remain merely at half-mast.

And now she probably thought half was as good as it got.

A growl worked its way free of my throat. Trouble. I’d give her trouble. How, I wasn’t exactly sure.

She didn’t like me. I wasn’t overly fond of her. Her decision-making skills were questionable at best. Accepting random radio station contests to travel alone to the city of sin and searching for men on the internet named Moose, for Pete’s sake.

Unless that was why she found me lacking. A man named Moose probably hadn’t been named for his mammal-sized brain. But I was not a small man myself. Far from it.

Even if I was now tempted to make a stop in the men’s room just to reassure myself of that fact.

Another thing I was tempted to do was follow Sage to grill her about her exact meaning. Perhaps I’d gotten it wrong. We sparred often, and rarely spared feelings. I didn’t have to worry she’d look up at me with a trembling chin and tears in her eyes. On the surface, she appeared fluffy and sweet and easily hurt. In reality? She had a backbone of steel and a smart mouth to match.

As for her tits, I wasn’t going there. They weren’t relevant. I wasn’t even usually a breast man, though obviously, I could appreciate a fine pair. If I had to single out a part, asses were more my thing, but I tended to view women as a whole as exquisite creatures. Besides, the brain was the sexiest organ of all—and Sage’s enticed me beyond measure. It was so twisty and detoured in so many ways I didn’t expect.

Like why a homespun woman like herself whose persona practically screamed “I knit my own cable-knit sweaters and binge-watch HGTV and collect mementos for my future two-point-five kids’ hope chests” was so hell-bent to get laid in Vegas.

It must be the virginity thing. I’d been a late bloomer myself, not having sex until freshman year of college. Near misses had occurred a few times prior to that, but I’d attended an all-boys private school and had been focused on keeping my GPA at a level beyond my father’s reproach. Seth had been the ladies’ man in the family. I’d been the well-behaved one who never made waves.

I frowned as I tugged on my tie. Some might still say I was the well-behaved one. Which burned my craw more than a little. But I’d never wanted to risk my future. Hadn’t our father drummed that into my head enough?

Wrap it up, or you’ll be sharing your fortune with a gold digger.

That message had been received loud and clear. Not as well by my twin, however. He’d ended up with Laurie from a backseat mishap, but she had turned into the best and brightest part of his life.

Now he was married to his high school best friend and they were having a baby and were blissfully happy. As for me, I was at loose ends.

Nothing new there lately.

Business was booming. Our tourist hamlet of Crescent Cove was nestled just close enough to the lake to bring in visitors to the area in droves. The Airbnbs and bed-and-breakfasts in town were making money even now, despite it being the coldest part of winter in New York. Sage’s parents’ place had been equally profitable, until they’d traded it all in for early retirement and days of seeing the world through the tiny windows of a house on wheels. They’d sold it to those who saw progress much differently, and believed Crescent Cove didn’t have to remain exactly the same to be true to its historic heritage.

Sage would not agree. I had no doubt of that.

She was on her own in town now. Her parents gone, her best friend and roommate Ally newly married and expecting. I supposed it made sense Sage wanted some adventure in her life, but the free trip she’d won from a radio station wasn’t the answer.

Hell, she’d probably get to travel coach for her trouble.

Then there was Moose. That name sounded vaguely familiar. I hadn’t attended high school with Seth and Ally and Sage, though she’d been a couple years behind them and hadn’t known them then. I’d been exiled at prep school, but still, a lot of the usual suspects who’d attended the local high school were townies and hadn’t gone far. I’d have to ask Seth if he remembered—

No, I would not. Moose Masterson and Sage’s romantic difficulties were not my issue. She was a friend of my sister-in-law’s, so of course I was concerned about her well-being, but concern had its limits.

It stopped far short of the bedroom. And clandestine Facebook searches.

A couple of waitresses entered the break room, chattering and laughing before suddenly falling silent. One of them was middle-aged and behaved as a grandmother might with most patrons who came into the diner. Not me, of course. She treated me as if I were as deadly as a rapidly mutating virus. The other woman was quite young.

I shifted, encompassing them both with a smile. “Hello, Jean,” I said, swiftly turning my attention to the petite redhead at her side. “You must be new?”

“Y-yes. My name is Stacy. Stacy Bennington.”

“Nice to meet you.” I held out a hand, simply to be polite. “I’m Oliver Ham—”

“She’s in college,” Jean snapped, grabbing the redhead’s arm and hustling her away from me.

Lovely. I couldn’t even attempt to exchange friendly greetings with the women in this place without them getting all prickly.

Almost at once, Sage’s voice invaded my brain.

Your reputation precedes you, manwhore.

“This room is for employees of The Rusty Spoon,” Jean said from behind me. “And only them.”

Okay then.

I saluted them. “Have a good day, ladies.”

Stacy blushed, and Jean shot me eye-daggers that Sage would’ve appreciated. She might’ve even been a student at Jean’s knee herself.

Guess I was going to take my coffee to go. Hopefully, Ally would be ready to leave. I’d had a purpose for visiting the diner this afternoon, and it wasn’t to get every female in the joint riled up.

Why, I wasn’t even sure.

I was a decent person. I volunteered at the soup kitchen. I babysat my niece with the minimum amount of bribery. I prided myself on getting my clients the absolute most money possible for their property. I was a fine brother, brother-in-law, son, and friend.

I even braked for squirrels.

Just because I enjoyed bedding beautiful women for a brief time before parting mutually satisfied, did that make me worthy of being treated like a pariah in my own hometown?

Yes, invisible Sage affirmed. Absolutely.

I adjusted my platinum cuff links—branded with the Hamilton crest—and walked down the hall with my dignity intact and the last of my erection firmly banished. At this rate, I might not ever get hard again.

Who was I kidding? I had a date with Ursula on Friday night, and she was ravishing. She also didn’t have a problem with our arrangement being casual.

She did not.

At the mouth of the hallway, Ally was waiting, already clad in her steel-blue coat, the belt wrapped tightly around her burgeoning midsection. I’d seen enough sonogram pictures to know there was a human baby in there, but without the pictorial evidence, I might’ve believed she was about to birth a baby T-Rex. She was normally on the slight side, but my nephew had changed all of that, and given her a lovely glow to boot.

“Finally,” Ally said, wringing her hands. “I was wondering what happened to you.”

“I told you I’d be right back after I delivered the phone.”

“Right back? That was fifteen minutes ago, and I’m starving.”

“So sorry to keep you waiting.” I put a hand at the small of her back and steered her to the door. “You do realize you’re in a place where they serve food.”

“Ugh, no way. I can’t eat anything here right now.” She touched her belly and grimaced. “You know what I could go for though?”

I was afraid I was going to find out.

“A greasy fast-food double cheeseburger.” Her eyes lit as she grinned up at me. “Maybe a strawberry shake to dip my fries into. Ooh, yes.”

Smothering a sigh, I eased the door open and nudged Ally out onto the icy sidewalk. We’d had a rare break in the weather, but by the steel gray of the sky and the scent of snow in the air, it wouldn’t last long. Lake effect snow was predicted for overnight and might even be starting as soon as the evening commute.

I’d probably still be stuck in the drive-thru checkout lane.

“You know, I’m pretty sure handling cravings is my brother’s job. He did the crime, he does the time.”

Ally snorted. “He’s handled plenty of my cravings. Including last week’s pickles and heavenly hash ice cream.”

“I don’t want to know.” I was a decent person, not a saint among men.

“Besides, it’s your fault Seth couldn’t drive me home today.”

“Oh, really. How do you figure that?”

“He had to get some more last-minute stuff for the baby today, and we couldn’t go Friday night like we planned because of your date.”

“So, because I have a life and can’t always watch the rugrat, I’m the problem?”

“You try shopping with a four-year-old and you’ll see the logic works.”

“Oh, I have. And you decided to have another one precisely why?”

“The joys far outweigh the trials. Oh, Oliver, seriously?” She stopped at the curb and put her hands on her hips. “In this weather?”

“It snows half the year here. If you want to enjoy a sports car, you have to take advantage of clear days. Besides, I didn’t know I’d be called into service for you until after lunch.” I bent at the waist and made a big production of opening the passenger door of my vintage coupe. “You’ll fit if you’re careful.”

“I’ll give you careful.” She shot me a look Jean would’ve applauded and wiggled and shimmied her way into the seat, waving off my help.

I shrugged and shut her door, then rounded the hood. Some people just didn’t appreciate a kind gesture.

No sooner had I pulled away from the curb did she drop her next bomb on me.

“Not Dairy Burger,” she complained as I turned left to head toward a local establishment. “I want McD’s.”

“Of course you do.”

“You try being pregnant. Cravings are a very specific thing and substitutes will not do.”

I shuddered. “I’d rather castrate myself with a jar of Vaseline and a pair of pliers.”

“There’s an image.” She giggled. “Ursula would be so disappointed.”

I turned onto a side street to reverse direction. Naturally, McDonald’s had to be the opposite way. “She wants me for more than my manly attributes.”

That earned me another snort. “Yeah, she’d be happy with the other thing in your pants too. Except that one’s square and made of leather.”

“You have a suspicious mind, just like my father.”

“And you don’t?”

I did, which was exactly why it had taken me longer than my twin to start circulating much socially. What could I say? I’d always been an overachiever.

But I was not a manwhore, despite what some might think. I was far more discriminating than many gave me credit for.

“Being wise isn’t the same as being suspicious. For that matter, a man can enjoy dinner and drinks with a woman without engaging in pleasures of the flesh. Frankly, it disturbs me that everything becomes about sex with you women.”

“Us women? Which women are you referring to, may I ask? And everything is not about sex with me right now. I can verify that it’s been exactly three weeks and—”

“Enough.” I held up a hand. “If you want your strawberry shake to dunk your French fries in—disgusting, by the way—you’ll cease that line of conversation.”

“Then what women do you mean?” I could hear her grin in her voice. “I saw Jean and Stacy go into the break room after you. Did Jean give you a hard time again?” Ally examined her manicure. “We know Stacy wouldn’t have. I bet you left her mute.”

I didn’t respond. Somehow, I had a feeling it didn’t matter what I said in my own defense. The scarlet M had been affixed to my chest in indelible ink.

“Or was it Sage who ruffled your feathers?” Ally continued, drumming her fingers on the door. “She was pretty PO’d because of the coffee spill and Greta. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

“When do I ever take her scurrilous personality personally?” I signaled to turn into the McDonalds, smothering a sigh at the half dozen cars ahead of us in line.

Didn’t anyone ever eat at home anymore?

“She’s going on that trip this weekend. To Vegas. I’m sure you heard about it. She’s been talking about it since—”

“Halloween,” I interjected sourly. “Yes, I’ve heard about it. The trip where she hopes to get possibly kidnapped and sold into the sex trade by unscrupulous individuals.”

Ally gasped. “You did not just say that. A woman is entitled to go have a good time.”

“I didn’t say she wasn’t. But it can be dangerous for a naive young woman to travel alone, especially when she’s made it quite clear she’s leaving her inhibitions at home. Not everyone is worthy of trust, and I’m just concerned she may not make the best choices if the men she meets aren’t upfront with her.” I shrugged and tapped the gas to move forward half an inch. “Not my problem.”

“I knew it.” Ally snapped her fingers. “I could tell you were concerned.”

“As I would be for anyone in such a situation.”

“Right. If Seth said he was going to Vegas to find a hookup, you’d surely get your boxers in a bunch.”

“In case you’ve forgotten, Seth is married, so I would get a good lawyer on speed dial for him.” I smirked. “But no, I wouldn’t get my ‘boxers in a bunch’ because he’s a man of the world and—”

“Cut the crap. It’s because he’s a man. Full stop.”

“He’s not Sage.” I hit the gas again and stomped harder than was necessary on the brake. “Double cheeseburger, you said?”

“Why does that make a difference?”

I tapped my fingers on the wheel and prayed for patience. “Large fries, was it? With a large shake?”

“Oliver, seriously. Do you think she’s going to get in trouble or something?” Ally bit her lip. “I’ve never been to Vegas. Is it that bad?”

I was tempted to regale her with statistics that would make her ponytail spin, but she was pregnant. On the verge of popping, no less. She did not need undue stress or speculation.

“It’s a large urban city, with everything that goes along with it. But most likely, everything will be fine.”

“She’s never even traveled out of New York.” Ally fiddled with her wedding ring. “Not even for college. She went to a SUNY school, so she could be nearby to come home to work at The Hummingbird’s Nest whenever her parents needed her. Breaks, summer vacation, stuff like that. She found out they were selling the place while she was home for a break and put her degree on hold, purportedly so she could help with the sale. But that was the end of that.”

That fit Sage all too well. Even though I didn’t know that much about her, it was obvious she was a people pleaser.

Just not an Oliver pleaser, since clearly, I was a threat to the happy domestication impulses of every woman in town. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day I walked into the diner to see a photo of myself with a slash through it and the words “just say no” plastered over my face.

“She never went back?” I gave the gas a light tap and we surged forward another couple of inches. We might be able to order sometime this century. “Not even for night or online courses?”

“No. The news her parents were selling really rocked her. She’d lost that impulse to make spaces pretty, I think, because she didn’t really feel like she had her own home anymore. Then we moved in together, and I bailed on her too.” Ally sighed. “We have a spare room at the house. More than one. I’ve debated asking her to move in.”

“So she can be your live-in babysitter? Well, that’s handy.”

Ally paled. “How can you say that?”

I wasn’t sure why I’d said it. My sister-in-law wasn’t a user. Besides, I was their favorite victim for babysitter, not Sage.

I could only imagine the fun I’d have watching two of their offspring, especially when one of them could indiscriminately spray me with pee.

Clearing my throat, I wrapped my hands around the wheel. Just two cars left. “It sounds as if she’s been awfully convenient for a lot of people, including ones who love her.”

Ally fell silent. My first impulse was to change the subject. Apologize. Something.

Ah, hell, this was why I stuck to pleasant meals that were heavy on flirtation and innuendo with women of the opposite sex. Obviously, I didn’t know how to converse with them otherwise.

“You’re right,” she said finally. “That wasn’t my intention, of course. But she’s so good with Laurie and such a natural at making a house a home…” She sighed. “We’d probably end up leaning on her without meaning to.”

It was my turn to remain silent—minus my growling stomach. Maybe a double cheeseburger didn’t sound so bad after all.

That was what I got for sitting in line looking at signs advertising the place for fifteen minutes. They’d actually made me long for grease.

A moment later, I finally rolled up to the ordering box and asked for two of what Ally had requested. She gaped at me as I rolled forward in line toward the next window.

“How did you know I wanted two fries? I’m not sure I can manage the two burgers though, but maybe…”

“One is for me.”

“Oh.” Her brows rose. “Wow.” She was quiet for half a second. “So, Friday night with Ursula? Got anything else planned for the weekend?”

I made a noncommittal sound. Usually questions like that led to marathon baking sprees in my kitchen, with Laurie and me competing to see who could be covered in more flour.

“No other plans?” she pressed as I tapped the gas and moved forward in the endless line.

“No,” I said finally, guilt gnawing at my spine. I really did love Laurie, and we hadn’t had much time to hang out lately. “What do you want from me this time? Let me guess, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s? She mentioned that the last time I saw her. Or maybe a viewing of the latest Pixar classic at the movies. As long as it isn’t a repeat of that vile Trolls.”

“Aww, Trolls was super cute. We’ve watched that three times so far as a family.”

“This is why you’re the procreator and I’m just the benevolent uncle.” I made a gimme gesture with my fingers. “Now out with it. What do you want from me?”

She bit her lip before a slew of words tumbled forth.

For the record, I did not like any of them.

“I wouldn’t normally ask this, because I try really hard not to meddle, and she’s old enough to do what she wants and live her own life, but I can’t help being a little anxious. With the baby coming so soon, my fledgling new mom senses are going all haywire, and we’d appreciate it if you could maybe just do this one thing for me…for us. Seth would be happy too if he knew he didn’t have to talk me off the ledge while she was there.”

She paused long enough to fill her lungs with oxygen.

“So, can you go with Sage to Vegas?” I wasn’t sure, but I think she batted her lashes at me. “Pretty, pretty please?”