“I’ll tell her. And I’ll remember that, the bit about lemons,” he said, splitting the last of the wine between their two glasses. “But of course, I couldn’t forget because you were wearing lemon yellow at the party when I first saw you. And you were a sight to see.”

The first hint of flirtation in their evening caught her off guard. She averted her eyes from his, which wasn’t her style.

“Have I embarrassed you?” he asked softly. “Mentioning the party?”

“No. Not at all. It was a remarkable day. I mean, when you arrived on that beautiful boat with . . . those sandwiches,” she said with a smile. “I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until you arrived.”

That line got a rise out of the Irishman.

She saw an opening. “Not to change the subject too abruptly, from food to our Romeo and Juliet, but I want to get to the task at hand.”

“The fact that we’re scheming to force a young couple to marry when they can’t seem to make up their own minds,” Timmo said.

“Is it scheming? Or is it creating the environment where they discover the truth about how they really feel?” Alexa countered.

“Somebody has made a living in the making-dreams-come-true business.” He stood up and collected the plates. Again, the small domestic acts looked authentic to him. “I hope that Chase and Penny appreciate our planning. I will say, Chase has not been himself since the split. And that’s not malarkey this time.”

“My sources tell me that Penny is tense and miserable. She’s avoiding my calls still and texting the bare minimum number of words to respond to my questions, but she’s committed to being at the museum tomorrow.”

“So has Chase. He claims his whole weekend is free.”

“Penny too. Which is why I think forcing them together one time is the right thing to do. They are miserable. We have nothing to lose.” She followed him into the kitchen.

He put the plates in the sink, wiping his hands on a towel afterward. “By the way, I leave the washing up for the housekeeper in the morning, in case you think I’m too good to be true.”

She matched his energy. “You read my mind. I was thinking that you must be the perfect man. But I’m relieved you have a single flaw.”