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who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it.
    He couldn’t figure out into which category Liz fell.  Initially, he would have guessed that any woman willing to get up on stage with a bunch of male dancers was the bold type, but her docile behavior in his presence didn’t support that theory.
    “Are you warm enough?” he asked a couple of minutes later.
    “Yes, thank you.”
    She didn’t even look his way.  Not once.
    “If you start feeling queasy, just say the word.”
    That got a little smile out of her, but it was such a sad smile that he regretted saying anything.  And she still didn’t look at him.  “I think I’m good.”
    Maybe it was just as well.  The winds had knocked the accumulated snow off of the trees lining the mountain highway, making the road surface slick enough to warrant his full attention.
    But damn, she looked so sad. 
    “So it’s your birthday, huh?”
    She nodded.
    Hmmm .  Maybe that was part of the problem.  Women had issues with birthdays, didn’t they?  Especially milestones.  His practiced eye skimmed over her.  She couldn’t be that old; definitely younger than his forty.  Thirty, maybe?
    “Twenty-nine?” he ventured, erring on the edge of caution.
    She did look at him then, and for one brief moment, gifted him with a genuine smile.  She had a very pretty smile.  Unfortunately, it faded all too quickly.  “No, but thanks for that.  I appreciate the effort.”
    She went back to staring out the window, and he frowned.  She acted as though he only said that to humor her.  Well, hell.  So much for his attempt to cheer her up a little.  He clamped his lips shut and vowed not to say another word for the rest of the trip.
    “This is me,” she said forty minutes later.  Miles pulled into the driveway and looked up at the relatively new-looking condo, appreciating the clean, simple lines.  It was nice, though he preferred architecture with a bit more ‘personality’.  At one time, in another lifetime, he’d had dreams of designing his own buildings.  He was going to design them, Adam was going to build them. 
    But it simply was not meant to be.
    She gave him a polite smile.  “Thanks for the ride.  I’m sorry you had to go so far out of your way.”
    “It’s not that far,” he countered.  “And you’re welcome.”  Miles got out and walked around to the passenger side.  She seemed surprised when he opened the door for her.  Even more so when he began to walk with her.
    “You don’t need to walk me to my door.”
    “I don’t mind.”  The street and sidewalk were well-lit and it looked like a nice-enough neighborhood, but one couldn’t be too careful.  In his opinion, a woman walking alone late at night was never a good idea.
    This seemed to amuse her.  “You’re the old-fashioned type.  Like Adam.”
    He shrugged.  Did he think he was old-fashioned?  No, not really.  But if she thought so, that was fine by him.  He stood protectively behind her, scanning the bushes and the surrounding area while she extracted her keys.  Damn, it was cold.  He shoved one hand into his pocket, but kept the other out and at the ready to open the door for her.
    “Would you... would you like to come in?” she said unexpectedly.
    It was a tempting offer, and not just for the usual reasons.  As the best friend of his future sister-in-law (maybe), she might be a wealth of knowledge, knowledge which he might be able to use to his advantage in getting his brother to reconsider his hasty decision to tie the knot.  One thing he’d learned in the sales and marketing game – always know the players, their strengths and their weaknesses. 
    But she’d obviously had a rough night of it and was probably just extending the invitation as a polite thank-you for the ride.  He couldn’t use her like that, not under those circumstances.
    “No, thanks,” he said.
    She blinked and nodded, but not before he caught the flash of disappointment in her