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the other woman yet.
    He said, “You’re looking much too thoughtful.”
    â€œJust considering the various conversational booby traps.”
    â€œSuch as?”
    â€œIf I told you, you’d probably only wish I hadn’t—and if you didn’t wish I hadn’t, that would be a total red flag.”
    â€œI think I’m confused.”
    â€œI think I’ve been on too many first dates.”
    He laughed. “What? Things never work out for you romantically? I have a hard time believing that.”
    â€œWas that compliment?”
    â€œOnly the truth as I see it.”
    She felt absurdly flattered. And her cheeks were warm. And she could sit there forever, looking across the table into Connor McFarlane’s sexy, dark eyes, letting the sound of his deep, warm voice pour over her. She said, “It’s not that things don’t work out for me. It’s just, I rarely say no to a first date. So I go on quite a few.”
    â€œAnd second dates?”
    â€œI look at it this way. A first date is one thing. But why say yes to a second when the spark isn’t there?”
    His gaze remained locked with hers. “I completely agree.”
    The waiter came and whisked away their plates. Heoffered dessert. They both passed, but he had coffee and she took hot tea.
    Connor said, “So tell me about Jerilyn. What’s her background?”
    Something in the way he said that, What’s her background? had Tori snapping to wary attention. “Jerilyn’s a terrific person. Brilliant. Loving. Thoughtful. A straight-A student.”
    He sipped his coffee. “You sound defensive.”
    â€œAnd you sound like a snob trying to find out if Jerilyn’s background measures up.”
    â€œTori.” His voice was gentle, understanding, even. “She seems like a fine girl.”
    â€œShe is a fine girl.”
    â€œAnd yes, I was wondering about her background.”
    She poured Earl Grey from the small china teapot into an eggshell-thin cup. “Similar to mine, actually. Her mom died a year ago and her father’s having trouble coping.”
    â€œWhat does her father do?”
    She looked into his eyes again. And she did not smile. “Butch Doolin is the maintenance engineer at the high school.”
    â€œThe janitor, you mean.”
    â€œIt’s honest work, Connor.”
    â€œDid I say it wasn’t?”
    Instead of answering him, she sipped her tea. When she gently set the cup back in the saucer, she said, “CJ likes Jerilyn, a lot.”
    â€œI noticed.”
    â€œAnd she likes him.”
    â€œHe’s too young for a girlfriend.” His voice was gruff.
    She argued, “He’s old enough to be interested in a girl—in Jerilyn, specifically—which means he’s not too young.”
    â€œI just don’t want him getting into anything serious. Not at his age.”
    â€œAnd especially not with a janitor’s daughter.” She didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
    He sat very still, watching her face. Finally he said, “You’re angry.”
    â€œYes. I just saw a side of you I don’t like. The elitist side.”
    â€œA person’s background does matter.” His voice was coaxing and kind. She wished she could agree with him, because she really did like him, was seriously attracted to him.
    Talk about sparks…
    But she couldn’t pretend to agree when she didn’t. “Background matters up to a point, yes. I wish it didn’t, but I’m at least something of a realist. However, what matters most is who that person is. And Jerilyn Doolin is everything I just said she was and more. She’s a special girl. It says a lot about your son that he would show the good taste and judgment to have his first big crush on someone like her.”
    He sat back in his chair and put up both hands. “Okay. I give up. You’ve convinced me. Jerilyn Doolin