Attending church the next morning hadn’t been in Eliza’s plans. It had been a difficult week. Sleeping late should be her reward for making it through all the ugliness and stress. But when Lindsay texted late last night with the news she and Dan would be Good Hope’s competition couple, Eliza had changed her mind.

Not to mention she had promised Kyle, albeit with great reluctance, to do what she could for his sister.

Eliza hurried down the stairs, looking forward to a cup of coffee before making the short six-block trek to the church. She found the kitchen already crowded.

Dressed in dark pants and a gray shirt, Kyle looked business-casual perfect. She hid a wince at the sight of Lolo. His sister wore a dress more suitable for a wedding.

Even as Eliza told herself what the girl wore was none of her business, she hated the thought of Lolo getting off to a bad start in her new community. Kids that age could be so cruel.

Been there, experienced that, she thought, recalling how her mother had insisted she wear only classic fashions at a time when cuffed-up jeans and layering tank tops were in style.

Even after all these years, Eliza could still hear the laughter, still feel the sharp stab of pain at the teasing comments.

“Good morning. It appears Katherine is sleeping in this morning.” Kyle lifted a coffee mug. “Can I get you a cup?”

Eliza gave her head a reluctant shake, her gaze fixed on Lolo. They didn’t have much time if they were going to make a wardrobe switch. “Lolo.”

The girl looked up from her cereal, a questioning look in her eyes.

“Was there a pair of dark leggings in one of those suitcases your brother lugged into the house?”

A puzzled look crossed Lolo’s face, but she nodded.

Keeping her tone casual, Eliza smiled. “I have the cutest sweater I think would look perfect with leggings.”

“We don’t have time for Lolo to—”

“We have plenty of time.” Eliza waved aside Kyle’s protest. “A sweater coupled with leggings is what all the young girls in Good Hope are wearing.”

She didn’t say more. Didn’t need to say more. Light dawned in the young girl’s eyes.

“If it’s yours, I don’t think it will fit me.” Lolo’s blue eyes never left hers.

True enough. But this particular sweater had been a gift from an out-of-state great-aunt. Not only was it too large, it wasn’t at all her style. It would be perfect for Lolo. “Trust me. It’ll fit.”

After giving the Keurig one regretful glance—there wouldn’t be time for coffee now—Eliza turned on her heel. When she reached the doorway, she waited for Lolo to catch up.

Eliza slung an arm around the girl’s shoulders, gave a squeeze. “You’re going to love this sweater.”

Eliza felt Kyle’s scrutinizing gaze on them as they climbed the stairs.

* * *

“What do you think?” Lolo asked Kyle as Eliza retrieved her jacket from the coat tree in the foyer.

His gaze settled on the fuzzy pink sweater. It looked good, like something a girl his sister’s age would wear. Kyle wasn’t certain the boots Lolo wore were hers, and he didn’t ask. “Very nice. The band with the colored stones looks good.”

His sister’s hand rose to her hair. “Mom got that for me before I left.”

“Speaking of leaving.” Eliza stuck her head inside the kitchen and glanced pointedly at the clock. “If we’re going to make the opening hymn, we need to go now.”

Kyle had assumed they’d drive, but when Eliza and Lolo took off down the sidewalk, he followed. He couldn’t believe the change the sweater had made. His sister chattered happily with Eliza. The sullen girl he’d picked up at the airport yesterday was nowhere to be seen.

His gaze slid to the woman at his sister’s side. Eliza’s dark hair glistened in the early morning light. Instead of walking, she appeared to glide down the sidewalk. The three-inch heels on her boots and those long legs created a sexy picture. Kyle couldn’t believe such a beautiful, accomplished woman didn’t have a steady guy.

He’d heard about her relationship with Jeremy and how it had come to a crashing end when Fin Bloom had returned to town. Kyle doubted Eliza would be alone for long. He’d seen the way other men looked at her.

The bells were already ringing by the time they reached the steps of the church. Since they were running late, Kyle assumed they’d have to search for three seats together at the back. When he hesitated, Eliza merely swept down the aisle.

The second pew from the front was empty. Eliza motioned them in ahead of her.

“This pew may be reserved.” Kyle kept his voice low, barely above a whisper.

“It is reserved.” A faint smile touched Eliza’s lips. “It’s the Shaw pew.”

As if that settled the matter, Eliza sat, eventually pulling out a hymnal and rising with the rest of the congregation.

Kyle couldn’t identify the theme of the sermon Dan preached. He was too conscious of the sultry, enticing scent of Eliza’s perfume, of the way her thigh pressed against his leg, of the feline quality of those gray eyes whenever they shifted in his direction.

Last night, when Eliza had left the house, he’d watched her go and wondered where she was headed. Most of all he’d wondered who she planned to meet.

On the short walk to the church, he’d overheard Eliza tell Lolo that the minister was engaged to her friend and that the two would be participating in an upcoming wedding competition. Apparently, it hadn’t taken Lindsay long to get back to Eliza with a decision.

While Kyle had always prided himself on his work ethic, Eliza had him beaten. The woman seemed to juggle a dozen balls at once. He slanted a sideways glance and caught her staring. When he offered a smile, she glanced away.

The service ended, and Kyle was left wondering what came next. Did the church have Sunday school for kids Lolo’s age? If it did, would his sister be open to trying it?

The thoughts had barely crossed his mind when Katie Ruth Crewes, the youth programs director at the Y, hurried over. The perky blonde offered a friendly smile.

“Hi, Kyle. Eliza. It’s good to see you this morning.” Katie Ruth’s gaze shifted to Lolo, and she offered the girl an engaging smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Katie Ruth. I’m in charge of youth groups here at First Christian.”

Kyle felt a surge of relief. He wouldn’t have to go searching for the right person after all. “This is—”

“I’m Lorraine Kendrick.” His sister cut him off. “My friends call me Lolo.”

“Pretty name. Nice to meet you, Lolo.” Katie Ruth inclined her head. “I wonder if you’d be interested in coming to youth group and helping me out this morning.”

Katie Ruth must have seen the girl’s hesitation, because she continued without giving Lolo a chance to answer. “We’re going to play some fun games, but you don’t have to participate. If you want, you can simply watch.”

Lolo glanced at Kyle.

“Up to you.” He kept his tone noncommittal.

She shifted her gaze to Eliza.

“Katie Ruth is helping me with Ready, Set, Wed,” Eliza informed the girl. “She’s got good ideas. I’m guessing whatever games she has planned for this morning won’t be too lame.”

Katie Ruth choked back a laugh.

“I could walk with you—” Kyle began.

A horrified look crossed his sister’s face. “No way.”

Lolo glanced at Katie Ruth, gave a jerky nod. “Okay. Sure. I’ll give it a try.”

“Perfect.” Katie Ruth shifted her gaze to Kyle. “We’ll finish up a little after eleven. You can swing by to pick her up then.”

“I’ll meet you at the front of the church,” Lolo told him and Eliza. “Don’t come inside for me.”

As his sister strode off with Katie Ruth, Kyle heard the youth director mention the sweater.

“Walking into a room with a group of kids she’s never met will be scary.” Kyle pulled his brows together. “I wish she’d let me go with her.”

“Get real, Kyle. A girl that age would never want big brother walking her to youth group.”

The voice, low and husky, belonged to another blonde, this one with a tumble of artfully disheveled curls. Kyle recognized her as Marigold Rallis, one of the Bloom sisters. Her husband, Cade, stood at her side.

Kyle offered an easy smile and shrug. “I don’t know much about kids that age.”

“Neither does Marigold.” Eliza’s cool tone could have frosted glass. “Last I knew, you didn’t have any of your own.”

Marigold’s eyes flashed, but there was something else there, something Kyle couldn’t decipher.

“Forget I said anything,” Eliza surprised him by saying. “You’re around kids a lot more than I am.”

To Kyle’s ears, it sounded almost like an apology.

Marigold must have thought so, too, because the heat in her blue eyes cooled.

“Do you have time this afternoon to give Lolo and me a trim?” Eliza lifted a brow.

It appeared to be an olive branch. An odd one, but one nonetheless.

“I thought you only let Charlotte at Golden Door cut your hair,” Marigold said pointedly.

Though Kyle wasn’t up on hair salons, he’d heard Golden Door and Marigold’s were considered the top salons on the peninsula.

Eliza lifted a shoulder, let it fall. “I’m ready for a change.”

Marigold hesitated. “I normally don’t see clients on Sunday.”

Eliza’s gaze locked with hers. “Lolo’s first day of school is tomorrow.”

“C’mon, Goldie.” Cade offered his wife a smile. “Help the kid out.”

Marigold bumped him with her hip and smiled before turning to Eliza. “Three o’clock?”

Eliza nodded. “We’ll be there.”

Kyle glanced at the couple he knew were firmly enmeshed in Good Hope society. “Any ideas on what we should do while my sister is in youth group?”

“Have breakfast at Muddy Boots.” Cade slung an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Everyone goes there on Sunday morning.”

Kyle glanced at Eliza, not sure if she’d want to be seen with him at such a public place. It was one thing to tell select individuals they were an item. Quite another for her to walk into a crowded café at his side.

Not knowing how she wanted to play this, he waited for her response.

For now, the ball was in her court.

* * *

As she and Kyle strolled the three blocks to Muddy Boots, Eliza’s temper cooled. When Marigold had made that snide comment to Kyle, she’d seen red.

Still, pointing out Marigold’s lack of progeny had been a low blow. Especially since Eliza knew Marigold and Cade had been trying to get pregnant since their wedding in June.

Marigold was young. She had to be a good five years younger than Eliza. And she was building a successful business. She had clients flying in from all over the country to have her cut their hair. It didn’t make sense for her to muddy things up right now with a child.

Then again, Marigold was strong-willed. The youngest Bloom sister had always been one of those who thought she could have it all. Obviously, that attitude hadn’t changed.

“I understand now why people never leave here.” Kyle’s gaze lifted to the vivid blue sky.

Eliza looked at him in surprise. “Are you considering staying?”

He hesitated for half a second, then shook his head. “My life is in Kentucky.”

“You bought a house.”

“Call it momentary madness.”

Eliza’s heart began to race. “Does that mean you’ll sell it when you leave?”

She couldn’t quite keep the quiver of excitement out of her voice.

“Probably.” He glanced around, as if making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “I’ll give you first shot at it, if I do.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.”

Kyle’s gaze shifted to Cade and Marigold, who were a good half a block in front of them, his arm around her waist.

While they watched, Marigold laughed at something Cade said. The sound was so joyful that Eliza had to fight a pang of envy. “Cade called her Goldie.”

Kyle grinned, amused by her puzzlement. “Obviously a shortened version of Goldilocks.”

Eliza pulled her brows together. “Seriously?”

“Didn’t you ever have a nickname?”

Olive Oyl. The nickname had been bestowed upon her during those horrible middle-school years. It had stuck because it fit. She’d been super skinny and long-faced with a mouthful of braces. “I’ve never been a fan of such things.”

He flashed a smile before his gaze turned thoughtful. “I hope Lolo is having an okay time.”

“The fact that Katie Ruth is in charge of the group guarantees your sister will be fine.”

“And the sweater.”

Eliza cocked her head.

“She was dressed all wrong this morning. Thanks to your intervention, she looks like the other girls.” For a second, his hand rested on her arm. “I appreciate your kindness.”

Eliza ignored the gesture. “I see girls that age on the street all the time. You had no way to know. What’s in style in one community isn’t the same in another.”

“My mother tries.”

“I wasn’t implying anything.” Eliza shifted her gaze to the café window. She’d been here before on Sunday mornings. Though the place was packed, she wasn’t concerned. “There’s a large table toward the back where everyone gathers.”

Eliza reached out to open the door, but Kyle beat her to it. “Allow me.”

It was nice having a man around to open a door or help her carry in groceries. But she reminded herself this was only temporary. She and Kyle were simply co-existing under the same roof until, well, until she could get her house back.

Eliza saw Beck standing by the back table. As she drew close, she saw he was preoccupied with a bundle of pink in his arms.

Sarah Rose. The baby he and Ami had named after Ami’s mother.

Eliza had seen the child off and on, but the six-month-old looked different this morning. Sarah Rose held herself upright in her father’s arms, gurgling and waving chubby fists in the air.

The child had inherited her father’s dark hair, which curved about her face in silky waves. Her eyes were pure Ami. Though they’d appeared blue to Eliza the last time Ami had brought her to a Cherries meeting, they’d turned green, like her mother’s.

Eliza hadn’t spent much time around children. Though she didn’t dislike them, she’d never felt comfortable around them.

Because the baby appeared settled in Beck’s arms, Eliza stepped close. “Beck, I wanted to—”

Before she could finish, Sarah Rose gave a squeal and lunged forward, an openmouthed smile on her face. She grabbed Eliza’s hair and squealed again, her mouth scattering drool everywhere.

“Whoa, sweet one.” Beck crooned the words and smiled apologetically at Eliza. “Appears my girl has taken a shine to you.”

Eliza forced a smile. Her attempt to disengage little fingers from her hair resulted in a howl of protest.

Ami appeared, her gaze shifting from Beck to Eliza. “What’s the matter?”

“Our daughter,” Beck told his wife, “tried to throw herself into Eliza’s arms. And grabbed her hair.”

Ami’s keen-eyed gaze quickly assessed the situation. “Would you mind holding her for a second?”

Eliza’s heart skipped a beat. “Me?”

“Who else?” Kyle, who’d remained silent beside her, grinned. “You’re the one whose hair she’s got in a death grip.”

Eliza scowled. By now, everyone around the table was staring. “Oh, all right.”

“Make sure you get a good hold.” Beck’s eyes filled with worry. “She’s strong, and if something interests her, she goes for it.”

“Yes,” Eliza winced as Sarah Rose tightened her hold, “I know.”

The baby smelled like shampoo and powder. Once she was in Eliza’s arms, Sarah Rose abruptly released Eliza’s hair. Appearing content, she gazed at Eliza with those sea-green eyes framed with dark lashes and offered a gummy smile.

“Beck was right.” Ami’s eyes turned soft. “Sarah Rose is taken with you.”

In one way, it felt odd to have a baby in her arms. In another way, it felt right.

Across the table, Marigold watched her with an expression of longing so intense it made Eliza feel like a shmuck for taunting her earlier. Then the look disappeared, replaced by that cocky self-assurance that was as much a part of Marigold as her curly blond hair.

Eliza jiggled the baby as the child glanced around the café. Holding her wasn’t an entirely unpleasant experience. In fact, she was just getting used to it when Ami reached over and lifted the baby from her arms.

“Sorry about the hair-pulling.” Ami offered an apologetic smile. “And the drool.”

“She’s a baby.” Eliza kept her tone casual. “If she was an adult, we’d have to talk.”

Ami’s quick smile told Eliza better than any words that their friendship, once broken, was on the mend.

Knowing they needed to get back to pick up Lolo, Eliza settled for coffee. Kyle did the same. When he glanced at his phone, they left, a good ten minutes ahead of the others.

“You could have stayed,” he told her as they walked quickly down the sidewalk in the direction of the church. “I just don’t want Lolo to wait on me.”

“You love her.”

“I do.” He slanted a glance in her direction. “You have a brother. I assume you care for him and he for you.”

She thought of her smart and funny younger brother. Growing up, she and Ethan had been allies who’d stood up for each other. Even during her dorkiest days, Ethan had been by her side.

The fact that her father preferred her brother hadn’t been able to destroy the bond she and Ethan shared. “I was jealous of the attention my father gave him when we were younger. I now realize such attention can be a burden. At least my dad let me live my own life. Until recently, anyway.”

“Why do you think he chose to interfere now?” Kyle asked as the church came into view.

Her lips twisted in a humorless smile. “He thinks I’m not achieving my potential, both professionally and personally, in Good Hope.”

“I bet he sees you running some big company back East.”

Eliza shook her head. “You forget, I’m a woman.”

When Kyle started to protest, she lifted a hand. “That’s how he is. I never minded, or not much. I had what I wanted. But now…”

“Now?” he prompted.

“He sold what mattered most to me.” Her eyes turned cold as steel. “He’ll discover that was a mistake.”