“He’s a great kid, Megan,” Travis said. “I’ve seen how hard he works to do a good job. And Clara’s really taken to him.”

“I know,” Megan said, “but Daniel’s hardly a kid. He’s twenty-four. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that—especially when he tries to be a man. He wants to drive and get a car so he can be independent. And he wants to marry his sweet little girlfriend.”

“That’s no more than any man deserves,” Conner said.

“I know. But for Daniel, it’s like reaching for the moon. Life can be so unfair.” Megan dabbed at an unexpected surge of tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get so emotional.”

* * *

Sitting across the table, Conner watched her. He’d seen women cry—especially the ones he’d broken up with. They used their tears to punish, to express loss or frustration, or to get what they wanted. The sight of a weeping female was nothing new to him. But this was the first time he’d seen a woman cry out of pure love and concern for someone else.

Megan’s tears had a strangely moving effect on him. It was all he could do to keep from getting up, walking around the table, and gathering her into his arms.

The image of his dream woman—bold, glamorous, and over-the-top sexy—paled in his mind. She was a fantasy, a stage act. But the woman sitting across the table from him—tender, compassionate Megan—was real. She was flesh and blood, heart and pure soul.

Between the two, there was no comparison.

But after the thoughtless things he’d said to her, how was he going to convince Megan of that?

Conner’s musings were interrupted by the opening of the front door. “Hey!” Rush stuck his head inside. “We’ve got a crowd out here. You guys need to get moving.”

“Coming.” Conner pushed away from the table and followed Travis and Megan back outside.

* * *

By the end of the afternoon, Daniel was tired enough to leave with Rush and Clara. Megan watched the Hummer pull out of the driveway and head down the lane. The day had gone well. Her brother had enjoyed himself and earned extra Christmas spending money. Conner and his partners had treated him like a valued member of the team, and little Clara had given him her trust and friendship. He would be talking about this experience for days to come.

Megan was tired, too. She could have left and taken Daniel home herself. By now, she could be relaxing with her feet up, sipping herbal tea and reading a good book. But here she was, ignoring her weary feet, smiling as she chatted with customers and filled cup after cup of hot cocoa. She would be seeing those little floating marshmallows in her dreams tonight.