"Oh, I'm just a friend," Holly said quickly. Attention focused on her. She cleared her throat. "Jordan isn't interested in... I'm not... We're friends. Really."

Knowing looks were exchanged. Holly realized that she and Jordan were still holding hands. She tried to pull free, but he wouldn't let her. She crossed her legs and attempted to act casual.

"How long have you known Jordan?" Sandy asked.

"Yeah," Kyle said, leaning against the wall. He was still stroking Mistletoe. "Interested minds want to know."

"A couple of weeks," Holly said, stretching the truth a little.

Elizabeth leaned close. "So what do you think of our James Dean?"

"Excuse me?"

Sandy chuckled. "Oh, Jordan's the mysterious brother. Didn't you know?"

Holly shook her head.

"Craig is the oldest," Elizabeth said. "So he's responsible and a little uptight, but Jill is curing him of that."

"And fast," Sandy added.

"I hate this part," Travis interjected. He leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms over his chest.

"Me, too," Kyle said.

The women ignored them.

"Travis is next. He's the ladies' man." Elizabeth glanced at her husband. "He does a fine job, too, but now it's just for an audience of one."

For a moment they stared at each other. The love between them was as tangible as the floors. It filled the room and made Holly feel as if she were spying on something intimate.

"Next comes Jordan," Sandy said, breaking the spell. "He's the loner."

"Am not," Jordan said mildly.

"Then why are you always on the outside looking in?"

"I'm not. It's a matter of perception."

"Oh, sure. We all believe that." Sandy brushed her bangs out of her eyes and smiled. "Finally we have Kyle. He's the baby and the charmer. My prince who came to rescue me."

"You sure resisted," her husband muttered.

"Not anymore."

Holly shook her head. There was too much to take in. Names, relationships, faces, histories. She would never get it right.

Elizabeth stood up. "I'm going to make coffee."

"I'll help," Sandy said.

The two women started from the room. The men watched them go. Elizabeth came back and physically tugged Travis and Kyle after her.

"Give them a minute alone," she said under her breath, but Holly caught the words. Then everyone was gone.

"You okay?" Jordan asked.

She shook her head. "How do you keep them straight?"

"It's easy for me. I grew up with my brothers, so I'm used to them. I was about ten or twelve when I met Austin. As for the wives, they came along one at a time. I'm sorry you're going to have to meet everyone at once."

She turned in her chair and faced him. "I don't understand. If you're all so close, why aren't you staying with one of them instead of here alone?"

He grimaced. "They argued over who was going to take me in, but I would rather be in my house. It's the holidays. I didn't want to be in the way."

"They love you very much," Holly said.

"I know. I love them."

"That must be nice. My mom loved me a lot, but there was only her. I used to wish for brothers and sisters." Especially at Christmas. It was the time she most disliked being an only child.

"You can borrow mine," he said. "Then you never have to worry about being alone again."

The idea tempted her. She studied his dark eyes. "Is that the best part of a large family?"

"Sure. Plus I know they're here for me. I can depend on them."

She studied their joined hands. His fingers were long and tanned. Sometimes he made her feel small and delicate, a miracle of sorts. She wondered what it would be like to depend on someone. She'd never been comfortable with the concept. She didn't depend on anyone. Life had taught her it wasn't safe.

"I envy you that," she said.

They shared a smile, then heard noise in the hallway.

"Ready for the next a.s.sault?" he asked.

She nodded.

He squeezed her fingers. "I'll be right here," he promised.

For that moment she believed him.

"Hey, gorgeous. Want to run off to the Bahamas?"

Holly glanced up and stared at the man in front of her. Her brain clicked slowly as she a.s.sembled the individual features in her mind. Tall, dark hair, good-looking. Haynes brother. One she'd met. Which one? The man grinned, and she had her answer.

"Hi, Kyle. What are you doing here?"