He was sitting on the porch with a stack of case files, the baby monitor beside him, when Trace came up the steps from the beach and crossed the lawn.
“You busy?” his brother-in-law asked as he sat down.
“I should be, but I’m not. What are you up to?”
Trace glanced around as if he feared spies might be hiding in the bushes. “I came to warn you that Abby’s up to something.”
Connor’s gaze narrowed. “Such as?”
“She brought some guy from her office home for the weekend.”
“That’s a little in-your-face, even for Abby,” Connor commented. “Have you punched the guy out yet?”
Trace chuckled. “I don’t think he’s here to get me all riled up and jealous.”
Understanding immediately dawned. “My sister is actually making good on her threat to fix Heather up with someone else,” Connor concluded.
“That would be my guess,” Trace said. “Just so you know, I told her days ago that it was a bad idea. Obviously she didn’t listen. You know how your sister is once she gets an idea in her head. She can plot and scheme with the best of the family.”
Connor wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to the most obvious question, but he asked it anyway. “Did Heather take the bait?”
“Abby’s over at her shop now.” He met Connor’s gaze. “You ever known your sister not to get what she wants?”
“Well, what the devil am I supposed to do about it if Heather wants to go out with some slick stockbroker?” Connor asked in exasperation. “I can’t very well order her not to, can I?”
“Not under current circumstances,” Trace agreed. “Quite a quandary for you, isn’t it?”
“Instead of gloating, you could at least pretend to be on my side,” Connor grumbled.
“I am, which is why I’m here warning you about what’s going on. Beyond that, what can I tell you? I have to live with my wife.” He stood up. “See you, pal. Good luck.”
Connor stewed about Trace’s news for an hour. The second he heard his son stirring, he ran upstairs, changed him and loaded him into the car.
“You and I have to go save Mommy from the evil big sister,” he muttered as he drove into town.
Hopefully it wasn’t too late.
* * *
“Gee, what a surprise!” Laila said mockingly when the bell rang over the door at Cottage Quilts just as the quilting class was wrapping up. “Here’s Connor.”
Heather’s head snapped up. Indeed, there he was. There was no sign of their son.
“Where’s little Mick?” she asked, deciding to focus on first things first, especially the least controversial things.
“I left him with Bree for five minutes so you and I could talk.”
Before Heather could respond, Connie said, “Judging from the sour expression on his face, he must have heard about Abby’s big plans.”
“You two are not helping,” Connor said. “Isn’t class over with? Go home. I didn’t ditch my son so I could contend with two opinionated observers.”
“He seems a little agitated,” Laila commented, not even trying to control her smirk.
“He probably rushed right over to protect his turf,” Connie added knowingly.
Though the two of them seemed to be having a very good time at Connor’s expense, Heather decided it was time to call a halt. “Stop tormenting him, you two.”
“Connor can defend himself,” Laila said. “We’re just trying to be supportive of you.”
Heather laughed. “No, you are deliberately taunting him.”
“Hello!” Connor muttered irritably. “I’m still here, though I’m beginning to wonder why.”
“Would you like me to guide you through the reasons?” Connie asked. “You want to know if Heather accepted a blind date with Abby’s friend.”
He scowled at her, then turned to Heather. “Actually, yes, I would like an answer to that.”
“No,” Heather said.
“No what? No, you’re not going to answer me, or no, you didn’t accept the date?”
“I told Abby I wasn’t interested,” Heather said, “though it really wouldn’t be any of your business if I had said yes.”
He frowned. “You don’t see anything wrong with accepting a blind date set up by my sister?”
“Philosophically, no.”
“Then why didn’t you say yes?”
“Because Abby obviously has an agenda. It’s going to put the two of you at odds. I saw no point in encouraging that. She’s your sister.”
“Something she’s apparently forgotten,” he grumbled.
“She thinks she’s helping,” Laila said.
“I don’t need her help,” Connor said.
Connie and Laila exchanged a meaningful look laced with amusement.
Hoping to put an end to the entire discussion, Heather turned to Connor. “Did you stop by for something specific or are they right? Are you here just to protect your turf, which, frankly, isn’t yours to protect?”
“I thought maybe you’d like to have dinner at the house with me and little Mick,” he said, turning his back on Laila and Connie, who hadn’t budged.
“No, thanks,” she said.
“But—”
“Not a good idea, Connor.”
He looked thoroughly thrown by her flat refusal. “Okay, then,” he said, backing toward the door. “We’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll bring little Mick back around four before I drive back to Baltimore.”
She nodded. “That would be great.”
On his way out the door, he paused to scowl at Laila and Connie. “You were a big help. Thanks,” he said sarcastically.
“Not in your booster club at the moment,” Laila told him.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
After he’d gone, Laila and Connie turned to Heather. “Maybe you should have gone to dinner with him,” Connie suggested. “He is trying.”
“Trying to do what?” Heather asked. “Connor and I were great at dating. We were good living together. But sadly, there is no evidence to suggest we’ll ever get to the next level. If he’s trying at all, it’s to get back what he lost, not to move forward.”
“But he is a good guy, and he obviously loves you,” Connie said. “Do you know how many of us would kill to find that?”
“And you’d be content even if the relationship was heading
