Page 35 of Temptation at His Door

“I’m not sure why I was invited tonight. I’m just helping Ronan out with the boys, trying to find him a nanny. I’m not part of your social circle.”

“Social circle? It’s a party with some friends, Ju. You are my sister and you’re also Isabel’s heir. And a Murphy client. And I’ve been friends with the Murphy brothers since we were kids. And Beah, Finn’s ex-wife, is my best friend.”

Joa cocked her head to the side. “How is she? I haven’t seen her for, man, ten years?”

“She’s good. She still works for Murphy’s, but out of their London offices. She’s their head of client liaison.”

Joa wrinkled her nose. “Which means what?”

“She’s the link between Murphy International and the client, advising them on what art to buy, what art to sell, what they should pay or sell the art for. She’s really good at it, too. Her clients include Russian oligarchs, Arab princes, Asian billionaires.”

“And she still works with Finn?” Joa asked, intrigued.

Keely rocked her hand from side to side. “Not really. She reports to Ronan. If she needs some information from Finn on provenance or history, they communicate by email.”

Joa wanted to ask what went wrong with their marriage, but it had nothing to do with her.

“That really is a great dress.” And because Keely changed the subject, she presumed she didn’t want to gossip about Beah or Finn, either.

Joa looked down at the pretty, sunshine-yellow floral lace dress. It was shorter than the dresses she normally wore, the fabric sweeping from spaghetti straps into a V-neckline and from there into a fitted bodice. The flirty miniskirt ended midthigh, with a scalloped hem.

“The person who chose it really has excellent taste,” Keely said, her tone completely serious.

“The person who chose it could’ve made sure it was an inch or four longer,” Joa grumbled.

Ronan had issued the invitation earlier this morning, asking her to accompany him and the boys to Carrick’s house for a cocktail party to celebrate Tanna’s return to Boston. Keely, because she had the afternoon off, had been dispatched to find Joa a suitable dress. The yellow dress was the only one of the three that fit her properly.

“Thanks for helping me out,” Joa said, squeezing Keely’s arm. “By the way, I’m sending through a requisition for funding from the foundation to you. Can you approve it as a matter of urgency?”

“For what?” Keely asked.

Joa explained that she’d spent the morning talking through the renovations needed on a halfway house in East Boston with the house’s director, who needed financial help from Isabel’s foundation. With Keely being tied up in Florida, Joa had stepped up and taken over some of the decision-making for the foundation. They really needed to find a new CEO soon. And she needed to find Ronan a nanny. When she met those two goals, she’d turn her attention to finding her own purpose in life.

“Sure. Thanks for taking over some of the foundation work, Ju. Between trying to sort out the estate and my speech therapy practice, the foundation has taken a back seat.”

Joa didn’t mind; someone had to evaluate the requests for funding, to make sure they weren’t being scammed. And surprisingly, she’d found herself enjoying the work. She looked down at the floor and saw Aron’s yawn; the small boy was fighting sleep. Crouching on her stilettos, she scooped him up and placed him on her hip. Then she dropped to her haunches again, balancing on her spiky heels to look at Sam. “Are you tired, honey?”

Sam shook his head but his tired eyes gave him away.

Sam yawned and Joa stood up, Aron’s face in her neck. Holding out her hand to Sam, she walked across the room to where Ronan was standing, talking to his brother Finn and Levi, Tanna’s fiancé. Tanna and Levi had announced their engagement earlier, and the guests were also told that Sadie, Murphy International’s art detective, was pregnant with Carrick’s baby.

It had been quite a night.

The men stopped talking as she approached. Joa handed them each a smile before looking at Ronan. “The kids are exhausted. If it’s okay with you, I’ll take them home, uh, back to your place. Maybe you can get a lift or call a ride?”

Ronan placed his hand on Aron’s back. “Let me take him.”

Joa shook her head. “He’s fast asleep, let him be. If you can help me get them strapped into their car seats, I’ll get them settled in their own beds at home.”

She had to stop using that word. Ronan’s house was not her home.

“Let’s take them upstairs.” Ronan saw the skepticism on her face and smiled. “After Thandi died, we moved back here for a few months and they often stay with Carrick. We’ll put them down in my old room and Sam will be asleep in ten minutes.”

“Really, Ronan, I can take them home—”

Again? Had she not just had this conversation with herself?

Ronan placed his hand on her hand and turned her away from Finn and Levi. “We’ll get them settled and later, we’ll take themhome, together.”

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