Liz saw Allison throw her brothers a reproachful look.
Matthew looked perplexed. “What?”
“You just picked showcase number wrong,” Allison quipped.
“At least we agree on that,” Quentin said in a sardonic tone.
“Matt,” Allison continued, “wouldn't it be great if Liz could use someone she knew instead? Say a family friend?”
Liz saw Matthew hold his sister's gaze for an instant, then lounge back against the door frame and fold his arms as if he were contemplating Allison's question. “Well, I'd say that would be a good idea.”
“Right,” Quentin said tightly. “I have an even better one. How about using a husband?”
“Liz doesn't have one, Quent,” Noah pointed out with his typical lazy humor.
“Well, then she can damn well get one pronto.”
“Tsk. Tsk.” Matthew shook his head. “Don't you know women have choices these days, Neanderthal man?”
Liz could see that didn't go over well with Quentin. He gave Matthew a hard stare. “If you've got something to say, Matt,” he said coolly, “I suggest you just spit it out.”
Matthew regarded all the occupants of the room before saying, “Well, I'd say it's obvious. Lizzie needs a male friend she can trust, and I'm hands-down the best guy she knows.” He winked encouragingly at Liz. “Honey, as long as I don't have to fill the whole turkey baster, I'm your man.”
Quentin recovered with amazing speed. It was something he was known for. He'd been a star hockey player at prep school, and then at Harvard, due in no small measure to his quick reflexes. They also made him a formidable adversary in the boardroom. Always look prepared. Never be seen with your guard down.
He turned on his brother. “Are you nuts?”
“Not at all. Are you?” Matt returned mildly.
Noah swallowed a chuckle.
“You can't father Elizabeth's baby.”
“Last time I checked all the parts were in working order.”
Quentin's fists tightened. He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted to rearrange Matt's face. “You know what I mean, dammit.”
“I don't know why you're annoyed, Quent,” Allison piped up from the sofa. “After all, you're not interested.”
Elizabeth saved him from a scathing reply. “I appreciate that you're all trying to—” she hesitated as her gaze met his “—help.” She turned to Matt. “Thanks for the offer. But I've always thought of you as a brother. Let's not complicate the great friendship we have, okay?”
Matt smiled, admiration lighting his eyes. “Okay, but if you ever reconsider—”
“Thanks,” Elizabeth said softly, then cleared her throat.
Quentin frowned. Why didn't she ever give him those soft looks? They'd known each other—what?—more than ten years.
Maybe it was him. He'd been annoyed as all hell the first time he'd caught himself having a physical reaction to her. She'd been just barely eighteen at the time and still a kid in his book.
Of course, that was ages ago. Before Vanessa had taught him no woman could be trusted.
His lips twisted at the thought of his ex-fiancée. At least she'd taught him a valuable lesson. To single women, he was just a big ol' pot of gold with a wedding band sitting on top of it.
Unfortunately, his brother hadn't wised up yet. Poor guy probably thought it was his charm that had all those women in hot pursuit.
“Matt, Elizabeth won't be changing her mind.” He ignored Allison's frown. “She'll find a solution.”
“I'm sure I will,” said Elizabeth a bit stiffly. “Excuse me, will you?” she asked of no one in particular as she left the room.
“How could you!”
His gaze shifted from the doorway to his irate sister. “How could I what?”
“You could have shown a little sympathy.”
He pushed aside the twinge of guilt. “I did.” Then added, “But I'd say asking for a sperm donation is more than just a little sympathy.” He then turned to Matt, who was still looking at him obliquely. “We need to discuss Project Topaz as soon as this shindig is over.”
Matt gave a sardonic salute. “Yes, sir.”
“Wisea—”
“Thanks,” Matt interrupted, a laughing glimmer in his eye, then jerked his thumb at their brother, “but you have me confused with Noah.”
Noah raised his hands and took a step back. “Keep me out of this one.”
Quentin arched a brow—in his opinion, Matt could give Noah a run for the money in the smart aleck department. Wisely, though, he decided not to offer up his opinion. Instead, he strode from the room before Allison could start the argument she was obviously itching to have with him.
By tacit agreement, he and Elizabeth avoided each other for the rest of the afternoon. She bore up well under the stress, he noted. She oohed and aahed over Mrs. Cassidy's knitting. She pushed their neighbor's five-year-old daughter Millicent on the tree swing, and relieved Noah in a game of catch with Millicent's twin brother Tommy. She blushed as praise was heaped on her apple pies.
She ignored him.
He didn't know why the idea of Elizabeth using a sperm bank should bother him so much, he thought while he watched her chat with Noah. Maybe it was because the damn things made him—and all men, for that matter—seem so unnecessary.
But it wasn't as if he had a personal stake in the matter—other than the fact that she'd been a friend of the family for years, and everyone seemed to adore her.
The sane thing for him to do was to avoid getting involved. The best way to do that, of course, was to avoid her. Unfortunately, he'd already committed to working with her on the planned site for the day care.
Two
Quentin always thought his office was immense, but it was starting to feel about as large as a broom closet. Elizabeth had arrived to discuss the details of the day-care construction.
His gaze swept over her again. A conservative blue suit clung to generous curves. Black pumps showed off a shapely set of legs, which, at the moment, were crossed at the ankle and tucked to the side of her as she sat, pad in hand and jotting notes.
He suspected wryly that she'd be disappointed to discover the overall effect was of a poorly disguised siren.
He was glad she'd shown up and appeared ready to put Saturday behind them. In fact, they seemed to be back to their old polite but distant relationship.
And that's just the way he wanted it, he told himself.
“May I tour the site for the day care now?” she asked politely.