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reminds you of yourself? Before you ask, I know because I just did that dance with your brother. And look how that turned out.”
    Saralynn swatted at her sister-in-law’s knee. “He’s like the
old
me. I used to be … self-centered. I used to look at people and think about what they could give me. But that’s not me anymore. I meant my toast at the dinner. And Madden, by all accounts, is Peter Pan. He’s a few years from thirty, but he’s still a hopeless flirt with poor impulse control. And if Jacey’s right, if he really did gamble … ”
    “Then he fooled you, and you can’t trust him.”
    “If he fooled me,
nobody
can trust him. My lie detector’s even better than yours. I just don’t understand why it even
matters
to me.”
    “He could represent the perfect challenge. You used to enjoy the game of getting a guy to fall for you, right? Well, here’s one who’s not such an easy mark. He’s on your level, and that can be pretty irresistible. Believe me. Or you might be projecting. You want to believe the best about him because you want to believe the best about yourself. Or maybe you see some redeeming quality in him and think he could be a really good man.”
    Saralynn’s temples ached, and she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know which possibility is worse. I thought I was going to feel better after talking to you.”
    Allie gave her a sympathetic half-smile. “Sorry. I don’t come with that guarantee. I do come with an opinion. When you meet someone who gives you a feeling you can’t define, you owe it to yourself to figure it out. Don’t judge Madden before you really know him. Good and bad. Just … be careful given the circumstances. And keep me updated. How am I doing as a sister?”
    “You could give Shi and Sophie lessons. Me, too.” They clinked glasses, and Saralynn took a long drink. She’d need it to brave the next morning.

Chapter Six
    Monday, February 24th
    Madden walked into work with a smile. It lasted approximately three point five seconds before the door to his sister’s office opened and she hooked a finger at him. Her face looked as stormy as she ever let it, and the latte curdled in his stomach.
But I didn’t do anything
. That thought should have been comforting, but that mix of disappointment and anger in Jacey’s eyes triggered reflex guilt from all the times he
had
done something.
    He followed her inside and closed the door. “Jace … I don’t know what’s wrong, but I just want to thank you for believing me. That statement in the paper today—”
    “Wasn’t from me. It wasn’t the one I issued.” There was a trace of regret in her tone, but disapproval still reigned.
    “If you didn’t … then who?” But he knew as soon as the words left his mouth. Saralynn went to bat for him. It hadn’t been just talk. Warmth spread in his chest, and he felt a little lightheaded. Those things dimmed when Jacey’s expression didn’t change and her words sunk in.
She
still didn’t believe him. What hurt more was knowing that if her husband had gotten to the party early enough to be at those tables, Carter’s word would have been all it took to change her mind.
    “Maddie, you know I want to believe you were just standing there while the other guys gambled. But … ”
    “But that doesn’t sound like me, does it?” There was no anger in his voice, and he tried to hold back the hurt but didn’t do a good job judging by the glossy, just-held-in-check tears in his sister’s eyes.
    She looked away and cleared her throat. “I have to ask. Is there something going on with you and Saralynn? I saw you at the reception. And then she went ahead with the release denying Linden’s accusation.”
    “What? No. Maybe she just believed me.”
    When Jacey met his eyes again, she flashed a brief, amused smile and shook her head. “You are really good at pulling people in. I’m not saying you used her, but maybe she got caught in the Madden tractor beam.”
    “Are you