“Well?”

“All I mean is that the temptation might be there and we should both beware of it.”

“Oh, honestly, Zach,” she said sarcastically, “you overestimate yourself.”

“Listen, I wasn’t the one mumbling about babies.”

“I was having a dream! That has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re talking about now.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” He reached for the same magazine he’d recently rejected and turned the pages hard enough to rip them in two. “I don’t think this discussion is getting us anywhere.”

Janine sighed. “You were right, though. We did need to clear the air.”

Zach made a gruff indistinguishable reply.

“I’ll try to keep out of your magnetic force field, but if I occasionally succumb to your overwhelming charm and forget myself, I can only beg your forgiveness.”

“Enough, Janine.”

He looked so annoyed with her that she couldn’t help smiling. Zach Thomas was a man of such colossal ego it would serve him right if she pretended to faint every time he glanced in her direction. The image filled her mind with laughter.

Zach leaned his head back and closed his eyes, effectively concluding their conversation. Janine stared out the window at the first signs of sunrise, thinking about all kinds of things—except her chaotic feelings for the man beside her.

Some time later, the pilot announced that the plane was approaching Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Home sounded good to Janine, although she fully intended to have a heart-to-heart talk with her grandfather about his matchmaking efforts.

Once they’d landed, she cleared customs quickly. She struggled with her two large pieces of luggage, pulling one by the handle and looping the long strap of her carry-on bag over her shoulder. Zach was still dealing with the customs agent when she maneuvered her way outside into the bright morning sunlight, joining the line of people waiting for cabs.

“Here,” Zach said, from behind her, “I’ll carry one of those for you.” He’d managed to travel with only his briefcase and a garment bag, which was neatly folded and easily handled.

“Thank you,” she said breathlessly.

“I thought we’d agreed to limit our expressions of gratitude toward each other,” he grumbled, frowning as he lifted the suitcase.

“I apologize. It slipped my mind.”

Zach continued to grumble. “What’d you pack in here, anyway? Bricks?”

“If you’re going to complain, I’ll carry it myself.”

He muttered something she couldn’t hear and shook his head. “Once we get a cab—”

“We?”

“We’re going to confront your grandfather.”

“Together? Now?” She was exhausted, mentally and physically. They both were.

“The sooner the better, don’t you think?”

The problem was, Janine hadn’t given much thought to what she was going to say. Yes, she intended to challenge Gramps but she’d planned to wait for the most opportune time. And she’d hoped to speak to him privately. “He might not even be home,” she argued, “and if he is, I’m not sure now would really be best.”

“I want this settled once and for all.”