She opened her mouth and closed it again, unwilling to make the error of speaking her thoughts aloud. She could have enlightened him on a number of things, including her indifferent feelings toward him, but she didn’t. Mostly because her feelings were anything but indifferent. Like Helen and Maddie and Danica and Lord knew who else, she’d taken one look at him in that tuxedo and counted herself a goner.

Unfortunately—or fortunately, as was more likely the case—she had a job to do. And she’d do it, too, no matter how much his blue eyes twinkled.

“Helen will figure the truth out eventually,” she said.

“I know.” He hunched his shoulders in an apology, but she wasn’t buying it. Not when the gesture was accompanied by a sneaky glance at her from under his lashes. “But would it be the worst thing in the world to play it out a little? You’ll be here until New Year’s anyway, so it’s not like you’d have to go out of your way to spend time with me. Plus, I can pretend you dumped me over the holidays, which means I can hide behind a broken heart for at least six months. I could eke it out a year if you really demolish it. Would you be willing to cheat on me, do you think?”

She just stared at him.

“It’s too bad I don’t have any brothers, because then you could have an affair with one of them. Or sisters, come to think of it. I suppose I could always kill you off, but…”

“Ford, you wouldn’t!” Lila was unable to tell if it was laughter or anger that caused the waver in her voice, but she was balancing precariously between the two. “What about Emily?”

He blinked. “What about her?”

“Um…you don’t think it might affect her?”

“Not really, no. She’s a smart kid. She’ll understand—especially if it means we can have a few free days in the meantime. Helen’s a nice woman, and she does her best to try to understand Emily, but she always ends up making her feel small.” He feigned a thoughtful look. “The poor child might object to murdering you, though, so that endgame is out.”

“I’m not having an affair.”

“You’re an old-fashioned woman, I see. Loyal to the core. That must be what I love about you.”

There were so many things wrong with this conversation, not the least of which was the fact that they were holding it inside a child’s pink, fluff-filled bedroom—his child’s pink, fluff-filled bedroom. “I hardly think we’ve known each other long enough for you to start throwing around the l-word,” she said primly.