Sage looked at him. But it was true what Jacob had said-he'd told her at the beginning of this journey that he wouldn't betray her, and he would keep that promise.

"I'm sorry," Sage said smoothly, "I was mistaken. I was under the impression that you already had betrayed my niece."

"Excuse me?"

"Have you told her who you really are? I sincerely doubt it. If she knew what you were hiding, then she wouldn't have attended the wedding with you in the first place."

Jacob stood frozen in place. How had this happened? He hadn't even realized that's what he'd been doing.

"Further," Sage continued, "I'm not asking you to betray Isabel. My hope is that she's innocent and has done nothing against the company. You would simply be verifying that fact for me, as someone must. A formality. If you don't do it, then someone else will. Worst case-if no one agrees, there will be a cloud of suspicion over her. I've already questioned everyone, but..."

He gave a small shrug.

Jacob knew he had a decision to make.

"I'll expect you unless I hear otherwise." Sage stared at Jacob. "If you need to communicate with me, you'll send word via your friend Lee, I presume?"

But before Jacob could answer, the door opened.

One of the bodyguards entered. And behind him...

Isabel walked in.

THIS WAS THE first time Isabel had ever followed a security agent into a men's room, but she'd learned Jacob was inside with her uncle, and Isabel had damage control to consider.

She needed to be part of the conversation, and if the conversation was occurring in a men's room, then, well, into the men's room she must go.

The first things she saw were the urinals on the wall, reminding her she didn't belong here. But her father had always taught her that being a woman in a male-dominated business world was not for the faint of heart. She needed to remember she was just as important as they were. And if it involved following them onto a golf course, or into a smoky barroom, or even this, a men's loo at a public venue, then so be it.

She smiled as best she could and lifted her chin. "I delivered your message, Uncle, but Malcolm is busy dancing with his bride."

Yes, it was a petty dig at Malcolm, and at some level it both shamed her and made her feel guilty over the satisfaction it gave, but theirs was a complicated family with an often painful history, and this was one of those painful times.

Clearly, Malcolm was the favored one. She was not. And as Hugh had said, her dad would surely urge her to fight, if he were here.

"I see," her uncle said.

"And I see you met Jacob." She went and stood beside him. "I was going to introduce you two, but you've beaten me to it." She smiled up at Jacob. "How are you doing?"

"I'm glad to see you happy, my dear," her uncle murmured.

She paused. Actually, she was happy. "Thank you, Uncle."

"I was just telling Jacob that I would like to invite both you and him to my home for Christmas dinner."

Had she heard him correctly? She glanced to Jacob, but he didn't look as pleased. He'd turned kind of green.

Perhaps this was an awful lot to deal with on his part.

"I'm impressed with both of you, my dear," her uncle said smoothly. "I'd like to see you in a more private, relaxed conversation. Please let me know what you decide. You may call Murphy with your response."

"Yes!" Isabel said. The answer was, as her study-group partner Charles would say, a "no-brainer." Isabel had been trying to get an invitation from him for years. Usually only Malcolm was favored with such offerings. "Will Malcolm be there?" she couldn't help asking.

"No, just you."

"Of course," Isabel said. "Of course I'll be there."

Jacob's lips pressed together.

"I would like to see you both," her uncle said gently to him.

"Jacob, as well?" she clarified.

"Yes, Jacob, as well." He smiled at her. "I look forward to it."

Outside by the fireplace, alone with Jacob, Isabel turned to him. "What happened in there? I've been trying to get that invitation for years-how did you manage it in just a few minutes?"

JACOB FELT SICK to his stomach. Isabel had no clue what her uncle was really thinking about her. Jacob understood why Isabel wanted to spend time with her uncle, but Jacob also knew that he had complicated her life in ways he couldn't even begin to explain.

There was no way he was spying on her for her uncle. No way in h.e.l.l. Ever.

"I don't know what just happened," he said, "and I don't like it."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I didn't expect that. He completely surprised me."

"You mean you didn't expect him to invite me?"

"I didn't expect him to invite me, either." She stopped her pacing and glanced at him. "The difference is, you impressed him. You're the reason for this invitation."

"I didn't impress anybody."

"What did you say to him, Jacob?"

"Nothing."

"He didn't see us kissing," she mused. "That was probably a good thing."

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, that was definitely a good thing."

"He likes you on your merit."

"Improbable as it is," he muttered.

She shook her head, looking dazed. "I've sacrificed a lot to prove myself to him over the years. I'm just happy that things are finally starting to fall into place. Maybe I should just leave the discussion with him where it stands."

What could Jacob say that wouldn't rain on her parade? Be discreet-that had been his directive all along. He couldn't even tell her who he really was. Couldn't tell her that, in a sense, he had always been using her, even if that hadn't been his intention.

Even if the tables had flipped on him and he now cared about her, more than he wanted to.

It was clear to Jacob what he needed to do. The person he'd always thought he was-that honest person-needed to come out again. He needed to go back to being just a silent bodyguard where Isabel was concerned. Tomorrow morning he would take her back to Manhattan and return her to her residence hall.

He wouldn't ruin her night, however. He walked with her into the ballroom and politely endured the introductions with her mom, her brothers and her cousins. He stood with Isabel when her uncle entered the dance floor and the guests-at least on the Sage side of the family-broke into cheers.

Then they all watched her uncle dance with the bride. Along with everyone else, Jacob and Isabel lifted their gla.s.ses and toasted the happy couple.

It struck Jacob that the laptop that had allowed Rhiannon to watch the ceremony had been moved to the reception ballroom. After the toast, he saw Malcolm speaking quietly to his sister.

All three of them-he, Malcolm and Rhiannon-had been children twenty years earlier. They'd all been affected by the events of that fateful day in Edinburgh. Rhiannon was obviously damaged. Malcolm seemed to be caught balancing between his old world and his new world.

Even Isabel, on the periphery of the tragedy, seemed to be affected by her inability to compete with her uncle's sympathy for Malcolm and Rhiannon.

But Jacob wasn't hurt like these two. He'd never known his father, and his mother had remarried even before that day. Jacob had grown up a world away. Until now, learning what had happened hadn't been critical to his life. Not until a psychologist at work had decided that it made a difference.

What was he going to do?

When Isabel came back from dancing one of the reels that he didn't know the steps to, her face was glowing and her eyes were bright. She looked up at Jacob, laughing, and his heart seemed to crater.

"Are you up for a dance?" she asked. "I could teach you." But she read his face before he could speak. "Oh. Sorry. You look like you've had a long day."

"Yeah, I got a call from work." Man, the lies were flowing easily now. "I need to go upstairs and return it. Can I walk you back to your room?"

"Not just yet, I need to stay a while longer. How about we meet for breakfast tomorrow at eight?"

"That sounds fine."

"Jacob...thank you. I don't often accept help from people, or even admit that I need it most times, but I'm glad I did with you. You made this weekend good for me, and I won't forget that."

Jacob paused. He wanted to tell her that she deserved happiness. But it was too hard for him. And he still had to drive her back to New York City tomorrow.

ISABEL'S HEART ACHED to see Jacob walk away, so handsome and strong in his kilt. He'd saved her this weekend, and she would be forever grateful to him.

She stood at the edge of the boisterous scene before her. Her family, big and loud and happy. They were all paired off now, even Malcolm. The cousins she'd once played with as children were starting families of their own.

She'd never been likely to fit into that type of family life. And now that Alex had broken up with her, she knew that more than ever. So why the ache of loneliness?

Frowning, she headed for the lobby. Her uncle was gathering to leave-she'd been keeping her eye on him, waiting for her chance.

He'd spoken in depth to Malcolm, then to Malcolm and Kristin, and finally to Rhiannon, alone before the monitor. Isabel had caught a glimpse of his face, and he'd looked sad as he'd turned away from her.

With her shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders, Isabel approached him. "Uncle, may I talk with you?"

"About business, no. That will wait until you're home for Christmas. But walk with me to the door and tell me quickly what happened to your friend Alex."

She sighed and walked beside him. Why not tell him? It really didn't matter anymore. "We broke up. He didn't like that I've dedicated myself to my goal of leading our company."

Her uncle pursed his lips. "That's unfortunate."

"No, it's not. I'd asked him to wait for me, but he showed me what I mean to him," she said softly.

"Is that when Jacob asked to accompany you to the wedding?"

"No, I asked him, actually."

"Be careful there," her uncle warned as he stopped at the threshold.

"How do you mean?" she asked.

Murphy handed her uncle his overcoat. They all paused as her uncle b.u.t.toned himself up and wrapped a scarf around his neck. The night air had turned cold. It even smelled like winter outside.

"As with anyone," her uncle advised, "be sure that you know him. Be smart before you expose yourself."

"I'm not exposing myself," she said.

"In a sense, you already have. You've brought him here."

He spread his arm toward the reception at the end of the hall, the music fainter but still audible. "You've exposed your cousins to him, as well."

"Then why did you invite him and me to Christmas dinner?"

He smiled slightly at her. "You've asked for the highest position of responsibility in our company, have you not? I'd like to get to know the candidate I'm considering. And her friend." He stared at her. "I want you to be happy and safe, Isabel. I'll send the company plane for you both next month. We'll talk more then."

She watched him leave, stunned by his words.

Upstairs, she noticed right away that Jacob had left his door open a crack. Listening until she came up, probably.

She stared at his partially open door. Should she knock?

But in the end, she didn't. Her uncle's words still echoed in her head.

In the final a.n.a.lysis, she was a Sage. She needed to tread carefully.

AT BREAKFAST, JACOB had circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept. Isabel had spent the night tossing and turning, too, thinking about her uncle's comments. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do about Jacob and Christmas dinner.

Jacob, however, had seemed to figure out everything on his own. As the SUV rolled down the highway toward Manhattan, he made his big declaration. "I shouldn't have kissed you, Isabel."

He must have seen her face fall, but he kept going anyway. "We have a connection that draws us together-I won't deny that. But it's dumb for us to continue. We don't have lives that will ever mesh in the future."

"I know that," she said, feeling testy. "You don't have to worry about me, because that's not what I want from you."

His jaw moved. "Please don't want anything from me. Because I can't give it to you."