The minute Olivia appeared in her dress, Max knew he should keep his distance. Unfortunately, he had to squeeze in next to her on the ride to the restaurant. His parents helped. It was difficult to stay hard as his mother's voice prattled on about a city full of men.

When they piled out of the cars, Max headed straight to the bar. Olivia took charge, but he turned away. He liked bossy Livvy. Seb's arrival distracted him and he greeted the Dees and Graham. The guy wore a decent navy suit and looked better with his arm around Mandy than Olivia.

He greeted Oliver and Josh with their wives. JJ made him smile the way he held onto his wife. She would not fall standing in heels. At the thought, Max's eyes strayed to Olivia's heels. Did women purposely plan to torture men? Olivia probably did.

He wandered back to Seb for a better view and frowned when she smiled at a guy he didn't recognize. He may wear hospital issued scrubs, but he could recognize a custom made suit. There was no way he could compete. Damn, he forgot his career came first so he would never compete, anyway. The rest of his life, he would feel the pain of Olivia with another more deserving man. Maybe even the wealthy one who should be in a Dewars' advertisement.

After Uncle Kurt arrived, he and Seb filled their plates and sat down. "So you and Lindy are still going strong?"

"Dude, she's amazing. Because of her career she's not too clingy, and she's smart and hot. I hit the jackpot."

Max's gut churned with an odd feeling. It was similar to, but different from how he felt when Olivia was with money bags.

Lindy sat next to Seb. "There are some important people here."

Max laughed. "Like Lola."

"No. I mean James Sinclair."

Max looked around. "Who is he?"

"The guy who was dampening Livvy's panties. He was on the cover of Forbes when he turned thirty."

Mandy sat down with a huff. "That was excruciating. Graham is running out the door or getting me tequila shots. I need to numb myself."

"That bad?" Lindy laughed.

Mandy rolled her eyes. "Lola chews up men like Graham for breakfast. I like him and don't care what she thinks."

Max smiled as Graham appeared with two shots and did one of them with Mandy. He was more than a sweet dessert.

Graham asked, "Who is Olivia dancing with?"

Max had been watching his brother make Olivia laugh on the dance floor. Dryly, he said, "Her one true love."

Lindy choked on her drink. "Not even close. He's Max's brother."

Graham perked up. "The agent?"

Max looked from Lindy to smiling Mandy. What did they know? Olivia looked his way, and he winked at her. She couldn't make him jealous with Zach anymore.

He stood and found Lilli. "Come dance with me. Your husband is making a scene."

She laughed. "Okay, superhero. Show me what you're made of."

He took her in his arms. "About five liters of blood and..."

"Stop! Only you would answer literally."

Their laughter drew attention. Zach steered Livvy to them. "Who are you making fun of?"

Lilli said, "Max is just being funny."

"My brother is never funny."

Olivia defended him. "Yes, he is. He jokes with patients. Tell him one."

The two couples moved to the edge of the dance floor and stopped. "Sometimes I tell jokes that go over the kids' heads to relax the parents. What did one tonsil say to the other tonsil?" He paused while they shook their heads. "Get dressed up. The doctor is taking us out!"

Zach rolled his eyes. "You are so corny."

The woman laughed. Max asked, "Who's your new boyfriend?" His gut tightened as he waited for her answer.

Olivia shook her head. "Shaun's cousin."

Emma walked by and started to slip, but Max reached out to steady her. "Be careful."

"Jimmy is Shaun's cousin." She leaned into Max's ear. "Don't worry. He's very taken. Come meet him."

Max looked at Olivia, but she was talking to Lilli. He wasn't sure he needed to meet the man who graced the cover of a business magazine, but he was talking to Alicia.

As they crossed the room, Emma said, "You two are so cute making eyes at each other."

His jaw dropped open, as they approached Alicia. "Max, dear, you look well. Your mother tells me you are planning to move back. Have you gotten a job?"

"In the running for a few so fingers crossed."

"What business are you in?"

Max smiled. "Pediatric surgery."

"I'm impressed. Did you apply to Children's?" Max nodded. Jimmy looked at Alicia. "Who do we know?"

Alicia listed off names which meant nothing to him. "Wait. What was the last name?" She repeated two names. "I met Dr. Abbott."

"I'll have to let him know you're my nephew."

Max laughed. "Nephew?"

"Close enough. I've known you your whole life."

"Where else did you apply?" Jimmy asked.

"Every hospital in Boston."

"Are you in Manhattan now?"

"No, New Haven. I'm afraid being a Yale grad puts me at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, Harvard didn't want me."

Jimmy asked the common question, so he answered how many years he had been training. "... I'll finish my two year pediatric fellowship in June."

Zach had walked over to stand beside him. "He's a jolly good fellow."

Max rolled his eyes. "My brother, the comedian literary agent."

The wealthy man turned to Zach and mentioned one of his authors. Max wandered over to the bar just as the bartender handed Olivia her signature drink.

She smiled. "Sip. It might bring back memories of your first kiss."

He smirked. "You were my first."

"I can be your last. Just say the word."

"Liv." He whispered, but he didn't know what he wanted to say. His old arguments annoyed his own ears, but he knew his career would ruin them.

She put her finger to her pink, shiny lips. "Let's dance. It's allowed, right?"

He couldn't deny her a dance. Rather than taking her hand, he nodded and put out his arm to usher her onto the dance floor.

Her palm was damp when he took it in his, and her back felt petite under his hand splayed over her lower spine. His lungs forced him to let out his breath to make room for fresh oxygen, freshly scented with Livvy's signature fragrance. Olivia made him heady. His breathing was constricted with short shallow breaths. He smiled.

She looked up at him with her azure blue eyes and pouted. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry. The memory of Lilli fainting popped into my head." It had found a top spot in family lore, right behind filthy camp Olivia.

Her eyes sparkled at his mention of the event. "I promise I won't faint when you finally admit it."

He shook his head and laughed. It was his best held secret. His laughter stopped abruptly. Emma's comment worried him. Who else knew?

"So when is our date? The wedding?"

"Mid April."

"Will you know about your job by then?"

"Hopefully. If not, I'm in trouble. Over trained and unemployed."

"You'll get a job. Don't worry."

Her confidence was comforting even though she had no basis. "Your handsome friend mentioned putting a word in, Alicia too. I'll take all the help I can get. She called me her nephew."

"Close enough. I'm glad. I wish it were New York."

Once again, she wanted him to change his plans. Putting his thoughts aside, he felt her body against him. "How do you do the spin move?"

She walked him through it and he took a deep breath before her body spun back and crashed into him.

When their dance ended, Kurt was waiting for Olivia. Max followed the laughter to a gathering. Lilli was entertaining the Dees. Max studied his brother who held his wife around the waist. The look in his amber eyes was full of amusement and love. Zach would forgive any crazy thing Lilli would ever say or do. Max felt the same about Olivia. The big question was would she forgive him. Even if he gave in to her, she would eventually resent the time his career took. Every surgeon he met had at least one divorce.

The risk was too great. He looked around the room. His father was laughing with Kurt. Alicia had his mother's ear. Anita was talking to Stephen Roche. Friendship and business entwined the families. He could unravel it all.

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