Page 60 of Once upon a Summer Night

“You know nothing. I like Reginald. He was very nice. He’s a good kisser.”

Gwen stared at her, perplexed, then her face melted into one of compassion. “Oh, boy. You’re going to walk away.”

Ellie drew back. “What? No. I said I liked him.”

“Not Reginald. Colin.”

Ellie laughed uneasily. “Colin isn’t even one of my matches!”

Gwen narrowed her eyes. “I’ve known you for more years than either of us care to admit. I can see it every time you look at him, though before I wasn’t sure if you were just appreciating his looks or wanting in his pants.”

“Gwen!”

“What? You want Colin. Why not go after him? He’s single. You’re single. I’ve seen the looks you shoot each other. The house might burn down from the heat.”

“Am I that obvious?” Ellie moaned.

“Is that bad? He is very kind. And he’s not hard on the eyes…at all.”

“You’re not wrong on that account. But he’s off-limits, Gwen.”

Gwen threw her a skeptical look. “Um, are you listeningto the spoken words or the unspoken ones? Because I’m telling you, the sparksflywhen you two are near each other.”

Ellie cast her eyes to the floor. “Please, Gwen. Not this time. No pep talk. He made it perfectly clear, without mincing any words, that he is not a forever kind of man. His words.”

“Ouch.”

“Yes, ouch. And despite how handsome he is, there can never be anything between us. So I will happily get to know Reg further.”

“Hedidlook like Superman.”

Ellie laughed. “He did.”

“Yet somehow, Colin is hotter.”

“We’re back on him again?”

“What? I mean, James is, too. It makes you wonder. How is it that one family—”

“Has so many good genes?” Emma asked, popping her head in the room. She grinned. “Sorry, door was open a little. But you know, I often ask myself the same question about these men. When I first saw all of them at once, I couldn’t speak from…well, let’s put it this way: it wasn’t from a lack of thoughts, for I had many, none of which were appropriate.”

Gwen grinned. “Are you leaving?” she asked, noting the jacket slung over Emma’s arm.

“I am,” Emma said. “Aidan’s itching to get home. I need some time to think of a good strategy for Ellie going forward—we want to have a backup plan just in case things don’t work out with a candidate. I also need to look into a security detail, at least until the paparazzi settles down. They’re still outside your flat, Ellie.”

Gwen nodded in confirmation.

“Security?” Ellie choked.

“Oh, you’re safe here,” Emma reassured her. “No one knows you’re in the country, and it’ll stay that way until you and Colin can determine when you should go back home, especially now that you have Reilly and James here as well.I’ll be in touch in the next few days; if you need anything, please call me.”

“Thanks.”

With a wave over her shoulder, Emma disappeared as quickly as she’d come.

The next morning,after a sleepless night, Colin sat at his cousin’s kitchen table and brooded. When Ellie finally returned from her date, she’d been quiet and pensive, and went straight to her room without talking to him. He could hear her and Gwen talking in low voices, and the occasional laugh or giggle would trickle through the walls.

“Good morning.” Gwen gave him a sleepy smile as she headed directly for the teakettle. “Did you sleep well?”

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