He stared at the envelope for a long moment

He stared at the envelope for a long moment before

taking it from her. He didn't open it immediately, and Cat

shifted uneasily, wondering if this was her cue to leave.

Maybe he would prefer to open the letter in private? Before

she eould decide, he was sliding his finger under the flap,

pulling out the single sheet of peach-colored paper. From

where she stood, Cat could see that there were only a few

lines of writing, and she wondered what Devon had said. As

if reading her mind, Luke spoke.

"She says she's sorry to leave me in the lurch like this,

knows I'll understand that true love is more important than

money, hopes I won't have too much trouble canceling the

wedding arrangements, and adds a P.S. that she's keeping

the ring." He turned the sheet over to see if there was

anything more. There was nothing, and he crumpled both

letter and envelope and tossed them into the fireplace. The

sharp gesture made Cat flinch.

"I did suggest that maybe she should return the ring,"

she offered hesitantly.

"I don't give a damn about the ring," Luke snapped. He

ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it into thick dark

waves. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snarl at you. It's not your

fault your sister ran off with a dairy fanner."

"She's not really. My sister, I mean. She's not my sister."

Cat wasn't sure why it mattered. Usually she gave little

thought to her rather convoluted family relationships.

"She's not even my stepsister, not officially."

"I thought her father and your mother were married."

"No." She shook her head. "My mother and I moved in

with Larry when I was thirteen. After a few months, Naomi

got a chance to go on this spiritual retreat in Mexico, and

she just...didn't come back."

"She abandoned you?" Luke asked, sympathy and

surprise mixed in his expression.

"No." Cat's denial was automatic. "Not abandoned,

exactly. I mean, she knew I was with Larry, and she didn't

just disappear. After Mexico, she had a chance to study

with this healer in Peru, and then there was a gathering of

spiritual types in India, and she just sort of ... didn't come

back." She shrugged, careful not to look at him. She

understood Naomi, but she knew most people didn't. "So I

guess Devon is sort of my unofficial stepsister, but it's not

legal or anything."

"I'm sure you'll understand that, at the moment, I'm

inclined to think not being related to Devon is probably a

good thing," Luke said. "You sure you don't want something

to drink?" It didn't sound like he was in a hurry to get rid of

her.

She allowed herself a tentative smile. "Water would be

nice."

"With or without carbonation?"

"Without." She wrinkled her nose. "The stuff with

bubbles tastes like medicine."

"One water, no bubbles, coming up." He disappeared out

the door, presumably on his way to the kitchen.

Cat drew a deep breath and rubbed her palms along the

sides of her jeans. Well, she'd given him the bad news, and

she was still here. He seemed more irritated than angry,

and not at all heartbroken. Apparently Devon had told the

truth about her engagement. Which opened up all sort of

interesting questions and even more interesting

possibilities.

Luke came back in, carrying a glass of water and a tray

of hors d'oeuvres.

"Are you hungry? My housekeeper left these for tonight,

and it seems a shame to let them go to waste. The shrimp

things are terrific."

Definitely not heartbroken, Cat thought, taking the glass

from him. He set the tray on the marble-topped coffee table

and sank into one of the overstuffed chairs that flanked it,

gesturing her toward a seat with one hand and reaching for

the brandy with the other. She settled uneasily on the edge

of the sofa and took a nervous sip of her water.