“If you know that, then why are you still so determined to be with her?” Edward’s voice grew a little sharper.


    Ryan shot me a quick nce, saw how tense I was, and reached under the table to grip my cold fingers.


    “Uncle Edward, everyone has to take a leap at least once in their life, right? Otherwise, we’ll just end up with regrets,” Ryan said, sounding bold and sure of himself.


    Edward let out a faintugh–it was so soft, I couldn’t tell if he was mocking us or just exhausted.


    A chill ran down my spine. My instincts screamed that both of these men were way out of my league.


    But feelings were already a tangled mess. With the Jennings family’s help, we’d managed to pull Nathan’spany back from the brink. Jared and I were both ready to throw in a ton of money, and now that the crisis had passed, the market was bullish on Nathan’spany. Everything seemed to be turning around.


    If only we could set aside emotions and just talk business, life would be so much simpler.


    But it was exactly because Ryan liked me that we ended up in this mess tonight.


    It was like the cornerstone at the very bottom–if things ever fell apart between Ryan and me, and that foundation was pulled out, the whole castle we’d built together would be on the verge of copse.


    “What’s got you zoning out?” Ryan handed me a cup of coffee with a grin.


    Only then did I realize I’d been spacing out, so I quickly took a sip of the coffee.


    Edward stood up. “I’m going to step out for a smoke.”


    Once Edward left, Ryanughed. “Uncle Edward really needs to find himself a girlfriend. Otherwise, making him third-


    wheel our romance is kind of mean.”


    I replied offhand, “If you know any good women, why not set him up?”


    “Remember Isabelle Lynn? The one I yelled at and made cryst time? She’s into Uncle Edward,” Ryan said, bringing up


    someone out of the blue,


    “Ah, right,” I said, suddenly remembering. I quickly pulled a small, fancy box out of my pocket. “Here, this is for you.”


    Ryan nced at it, then quickly shoved the box back into my bag. “Don’t take it out here–it’s not a good idea for people to


    see.”


    I smiled, biting my lip. “What are you so worried about?”


    Ryan’s handsome face flushed a little, and he whispered, “Did you get the right size? You didn’t just guess, did you?”


    “How would I know your size? I just yed it safe and picked arge one,” I said.


    “You really don’t know<i>?</i>” Ryan’s gars turned red, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Didn’t I already show you?”


    09:10 Fri, <b>29 </b>Aug


    I couldn’t help butugh–teasing a newbie like him was just too much fun.


    “Sure, I saw it, but my hands aren’t a measuring tape. How could I possibly know the size?” I teased him, grinning.


    Ryan’s breath hitched a little, and he looked at me with that spoiled, amused smile. “Alright, big <i>or </i>small, I’ll wear it anyway.”


    “Really? Not even going to be picky about it?” I grinned at him.


    Ryan just stared at me, speechless.


    Just as I was about to bring the conversation back to Edward and Ms. Lynn, the door swung open out of nowhere.


    In walked a fresh, elegant presence–it was Isabelle Lynn, the one we’d just been talking about.


    “Ryan, what are you doing here?” Isabelle Lynn asked, her voice full of surprise.


    Ryan just shrugged, unfazed. “Shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing?”


    11


    “I ran into Uncle Edward in the hallway. He said you were in here,” Isabelle Lynn replied, and her gazended right on me.


    Ryan seemed to remember how Isabelle Lynn had mocked me at his birthday party, and said, “Go have your dinner and stop disturbing the peace here.”


    But Isabelle Lynn just walked right in, poured herself a cup of coffee, and turned to me. “Ms. Murphy, I was rudest time and hit a sore spot. Let me offer this coffee as an apology.”


    <b>AD </b>