“Told you he was good,” she said.

“You were right,” Sam said. “The man’s a natural for television.”

At the front of the room, Brandon bestowed a beatific smile on his audience. “Before I sign those books you all bought at the door, I want to introduce you to my own family by choice. My lovely wife, Diana; my son Dawson; my oldest daughter, Abby; and my two younger daughters, Jessica and Laura. I’d like them to come up here now, so that I can tell them in front of this audience how proud I am of each of them and how grateful I am to have the support of such a warm and loving family.”

“This is the worst part,” Abby confided to Sam. She got to her feet. “But it doesn’t last long. See you in a few minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Sam said.

It was just a casual remark, but for some reason Abby suddenly felt a little more cheerful. She pasted on her best professional smile. Under cover of another round of applause, she went down the aisle. By the time she reached the front of the room, the others had already joined her father on the stage. She climbed the three steps and took up a position next to Jessica and Laura. Dawson studiously ignored her.

Jessica leaned closer to Abby. “Mom said you probably wouldn’t show. But I knew you would.”

“Not like I had anything better to do tonight,” Abby whispered back.

Laura and Jessica giggled. Abby smiled. She hadn’t spent much time with the twins. She had been packed off to the Summerlight Academy shortly after they were born. The difference in their ages and the long separation had put a lot of distance into the relationship. Nevertheless, Abby was fond of the pair. For their part, Laura and Jessica treated her like an aunt rather than a sister, but the arrangement worked for all three of them. Abby suspected that the twins secretly admired her because she held the role of the proverbial black sheep of the family.

At the lectern, Brandon clasped Diana’s hand and raised it upward so that their wedding rings glinted in the light. He smiled again, an icon of Perfect Father and Ideal Husband. Abby and the others smiled dutifully and did their best to look like a happy family.

“This is what the modern family by choice looks like, my friends,” Brandon said. “It functions the way family is supposed to function. Sure, there are the occasional conflicts and arguments. Building a family by choice can be hard work. But anything in life that is worthwhile requires hard work. The Radwells have done it, and so can you.”

Another round of applause swept through the room. Abby and the others kept their smiles fixed in place.

Under cover of the applause, Laura edged closer to Abby.

“Mom and Grandma and Dawson are really pissed at you,” Laura warned.

“I know,” Abby said out of the side of her mouth. “But Dad made it clear that this was one of those command-performance gigs.”

Jessica wrinkled her nose. “Not sure what’s going on, but we think Dawson screwed up big-time. I heard Grandma telling Mom that he’s trying to close a really important deal. She said that you could help him, but you won’t on account of you’re jealous because you didn’t inherit any of her money. Is that true?”

“No,” Abby said. “Not true.”

“Hah.” Jessica looked satisfied. “I knew there was more to it.” She immediately switched subjects. “Who’s the hot new boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?” Abby repeated blankly.

“The guy you came here with tonight,” Jessica hissed in a low voice. “The one at the back of the room in the leather jacket. Looks a lot more interesting than Kane Thurston.”

Abby followed her gaze and saw Sam. He stood with his arms folded, one shoulder propped against the wall, watching her.

“Oh, him.” Abby pulled herself together. “His name is Sam Coppersmith, and he is definitely a lot more interesting than Kane.”

“Uh–oh,” Jessica said.

Abby looked at her. “Uh–oh what?”

“We heard Dawson talking to Mom about someone named Coppersmith. He said the Coppersmiths have tons of money. They even have a private island in the San Juans.”

Abby was saved from having to respond, because the moderator had moved to the lectern and was announcing that the author would now sign his book and that refreshments were available.

Abby stepped off the stage, followed by Laura, Jessica, Dawson, Diana and Brandon. They ended up in a small cluster.

Brandon looked pleased. He glanced at Diana. “I think that went very well, don’t you?”

Diana smiled, but there was a strained expression in her eyes. “They loved you, dear.”

The event coordinator, a small, spare, middle-aged woman with glasses and neon-red hair, materialized at Brandon’s elbow. She was as focused as an air traffic controller. “I’ll escort you to the table, Dr. Radwell.”

“In a moment, Lucy,” Brandon said. “Family comes first. I want to have a chat with my eldest daughter before I sign books.” He winked. “It’s a father thing.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Abby saw Dawson grimace. Jessica and Laura rolled their eyes.

Lucy did not look happy about that, but she rallied. “In that case, I’ll direct people to the refreshment table until you’re ready.”

“Good idea.” Brandon gave Abby his patented paternal smile. “How about introducing me to the new man in your life, honey?”

A wave of anxiety swept through Abby. On the rare occasions when Brandon chose to play the concerned father, things rarely turned out well.

“Sam is a client,” she said quickly. “There’s nothing personal bet­ween us.”

Brandon chuckled just loud enough so that people standing nearby could hear him. “You can’t fool your dad. A father always knows when another man is interested in his little girl. I could tell from the way he walked into the room with you that there is definitely a very personal aspect to your relationship.” He looked around, frowning a little. “Where did he go?”

Sam materialized out of the crowd directly behind Brandon.

“I’m right here, sir,” Sam said. “Sam Coppersmith.”

Brandon turned easily, radiating his charismatic smile, and extended his hand. “Brandon Radwell. A pleasure to meet you. I have a few minutes before I start signing. Why don’t we find a quiet place for a quick chat?”

“Sure,” Sam said. He looked at Abby. “Don’t wander off.”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Abby said through her teeth. “Dad needs to sign books.”

“This won’t take long,” Brandon said.

The two men walked through the crowd to a quiet corner of the room. Abby watched, deeply uneasy. When she turned back, she realized that Dawson had vanished.

“Done,” Laura said, relief evident in her voice. “Jessica and I get to leave now, right, Mom? You said we only had to stay for the perfect family scene.”

“Yes, you can go,” Diana said. She looked at Abby. “I want to talk to you.”

“I’m afraid I’m a little busy this evening,” Abby said. “I’ve got plans.”

“After all I’ve done for you,” Diana said, her voice low and hard, “and after all I put up with over the years, the least you can do is give me a few minutes of your precious time.”

Abby sighed. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here tonight.”

BRANDON SWITCHED OFF THE ENGAGING SMILE AND SLIPPED into concerned-father mode with effortless ease. The serious expression was just right, Sam thought. It consisted of a slightly furrowed brow, faintly narrowed eyes and a dash of paternal concern.

“My daughter tells me that you’re one of her clients,” Brandon said.

“Our relationship is complicated,” Sam said.

One of Brandon’s brows edged upward. “Aren’t they all?”

“Good point.”

Sam watched Abby and Diana disappear into a hallway. From where he stood, he could see that the corridor was lined with twin rows of offices. One of the doors was ajar. Abby and Diana went into the room. The lights came on. The door closed. Not good, Sam thought. But Abby had been dealing with her stepmother for a long time now. She could handle whatever was going down inside the office.