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completely and didn’t care who knew it. Even Luke and Morgan, the two oldest, who were the most serious of all of them, lit up around their wives.
    Her thoughts veered to Blade again as Faith took her seat. Could a woman make his face light up? Could she ?
    “Sorry I’m late,” Faith said.
    “You’re here now.” Brandon grinned. “We were just telling Sierra that her days might be numbered.”
    Sierra scowled at him. He laughed.
    “Hello, Sierra.”
    Sierra whipped her head around to see Ned Banks, the mailman. Not sweet Ned, too. She’d always liked the shy, lanky man. “Hello, Ned.”
    He swallowed, causing his Adam’s apple to bob. “You weren’t at your office. They said you’d be here.”
    “Yes,” Sierra answered, trying to figure out how to turn him down gently. They’d gone to high school together. Some of the other students had teased him until she and Pierce had befriended the quiet transfer student from Albuquerque. While he’d never been popular, the teasing had stopped.
    Ned swallowed again. He did a lot of that around women. “I thought this might be important.”
    Sierra noticed the express envelope clutched in his trembling hand. She relaxed, her smile full of relief. Ned was here on business, not to hit on her. She scooted out of the booth and hopped to her feet. “Thank you, Ned. That was sweet of you.”
    His head bobbed. “You … you’re welcome.”
    Sierra held her hand out and waited patiently for Ned to give her the envelope. Not for the first time, she toyed with the idea of trying to help Ned overcome his shyness around women. She lifted her hand a little higher so as not to embarrass him.
    He looked at her hand as if he hadn’t seen one before, then started and shoved the envelope at her.
    “Thank you again, Ned. Would you like something to drink? Brandon could put it in a to-go cup.”
    “Sure. No problem, Ned.” Brandon stood as well.
    “No. No thanks. I have a Thermos in the truck.” He turned away, then turned back. “Sierra?”
    “Yes.”
    “Would … would you like to go to a movie sometimes?” he rushed out. His eyes widened. He seemed to shrink, then steel himself. In his haste he had almost shouted the words. Half the people in the restaurant probably heard him. And many of them were locals.
    Sierra didn’t have to think of an answer. “I’m free tomorrow night. Say around eight?”
    Ned’s jaw became unhinged; then he snapped it shut as a wide happy smile spread over his thin face and his slender shoulders straightened. “I’ll be there. Thank you.”
    Smiling, Sierra took her seat. There was definite hope for him. Ned had forgotten to stutter.
    “You make me proud,” Luke said.
    From the looks around the table, the other family members felt the same way. “I like Ned. If he could stop being shy, he might find himself a girlfriend.”
    “Looks like Mama isn’t the only Grayson woman who wants to be a matchmaker,” Morgan said.
    Sierra’s happiness vanished. “The difference is that I won’t be forcing Ned.” She ripped open the envelope, expecting to see the title transfer that was being sent overnight to her. Instead she pulled out an envelope. Shocked, she stared at the return address. Navarone Resorts and Spas in Tucson, Arizona, Blade’s corporate headquarters. Her hands shook.
    “What is it?” Luke asked.
    Blade. He’d written. The thought had barely formed before she knew writing wasn’t Blade’s style.
    “Sierra?” Luke asked again in a voice that said he wanted an answer.
    “Just a minute.” She tore into the envelope with undue haste. A quick glance at the signature confirmed the letter wasn’t from Blade, but as she read it, excitement grew.
    She lifted her head. “I’ve been invited by the executive director of human resources of Navarone Resorts and Spas to fly to Dallas to view Navarone Place and interview to be the exclusive broker.”
    “No!” Brandon snapped out.
    He was quickly joined by Pierce. “No way.”