My eyes went from Emma's stunning, big-eyed and sharp-jawed face to her absurd shark-mitten-hand, which was outstretched as if we were at a business meeting.

I shook, feeling ridiculous as I fumbled for her palm swaddled inside the fabric, and she fought back a giggle.

"I'm sorry to bust in on you like this, Sam. May I call you Sam? Or do you prefer Samantha? Colin calls you Samantha."

I extricated myself from her hand and narrowed my eyes. Colin had talked about me?

"Sam is fine. Or Samantha. Whatever you prefer."

"You have a big house," the girl interrupted. "It's bigger than Uncle Collie's."

Emma rested her hand the girl's back. "Uncle Collie is Colin. He lives in a huge place near Orlando. It's probably the biggest place she's ever seen."

"I see. Well. Where are my manners? Would you both like to come inside? Maybe we can have tea while your daughter enjoys her candy? I have a feeling you came here to do more than trick or treat — or introduce yourself."

"It's that obvious?" Emma grinned wickedly. I could see why Colin liked her; she was girlish and gorgeous and a little sarcastic.

I nodded, and murmured something to the housekeeper about putting on a pot of chamomile tea and a selection of cookies. I took off my witch's hat and shook my hair, which was almost as long as Emma's. Setting the hat on a table in the grand hall, I motioned for Emma and Charlotte to come in.

"It's so pleasant out, let's sit in the back."

I led them through the estate, past a ballroom and a library. I would have laughed at how silly they looked, walking past my framed, Renaissance artwork in the grand hallway, but I was too nervous. We strolled past the dining room that sits fifty and a media room with theater seating and a film screen, while Charlotte's eyes grew wider. The three of us shuffled into the courtyard, walking by the orchids and mini citrus trees. They padded along in their pajama-like shark outfits and my heels clicked on the Spanish tile.

Emma stopped, and inhaled. "This smell. My god. I wish I could bottle it."

I grinned. Emma was quirky, indeed. She didn't seem to hide her wonder at the estate, even while dressed like a cartoon character.

In fact, she reminded me of me when I first walked into the property more than fifteen years before. Goofy and honest, as opposed to serious and cynical.

We came to the area I called the porch, but it was really a vast veranda under the cloistered stucco walls, overlooking the sweeping rose garden.

"Is this okay with you?" I felt oddly hesitant, like I wanted to please her. Normally, I took visitors to my minimalist office or the casual sitting room. My fingers were cold as I gestured to the table with its rattan chairs and plush green cushions.

"It's perfect. And so beautiful." Charlotte started to toddle onto the lawn, and Emma grabbed her arm. "Let's sit over on this lounger and eat some candy, okay kiddo? But no mashing the candy into the cushions. Be good. Let's unzip your costume so you can have some candy."

I smiled as I watched Emma undo the top half of the girl's shark suit. She was clearly a fun mom, but a semi-strict one, too. How interesting. Still, I was suspect about why she was here, and a pit burned in my stomach, because I knew we'd soon discuss Colin. We sank into the chairs while Charlotte busied herself by peering into her candy basket.

My dog trotted up. Both Emma and Charlotte squeed with excitement over his adorableness.

"That's Pucci. He's from a long line of therapy spaniels. Because of that, he's friendly and loves children," I said, as my furbaby sniffed Charlotte's foot.

Emma laughed. "They'll get along just fine. Charlotte, don't even think about giving the dog your chocolate."

I waved a hand. "Pucci doesn't like people food. He's a little weird."

"I'll keep one eye on her. I promise."

We looked at each other and I shot her an awkward smile. I just couldn't get the image of Colin kissing her out of my brain.

"So," I said, pushing out a breath. God, this was uncomfortable.

"So." Emma shifted in her seat. "As you can probably guess, I'm here because of my brother-in-law."

I twisted my mouth. "Did he send you here?"

She shook her head. "He has no idea I'm here. Caleb and I are visiting his parents at their cottage. We brought Charlotte trick-or-treating downtown at the shops, and then Caleb had a business call to Japan. I slipped out with Charlotte and came here. Found out where you lived from that Vogue article, and I read that you liked to give Halloween candy to kids every year."

Bold woman. I nodded once.

"I don't want to interject myself into your business," Emma paused, and then laughed softly, "but I will. Colin is extremely smitten with you, and has been beside himself that he hasn't been able to reach you. I can't even begin to describe how smitten. When he flew in from London and was at the hospital, he—"

"Wait. Hospital? What? Is he okay?"

Emma's brow furrowed. "Yeah. Hospital."

Now it was my turn to look perplexed. "When was he in the hospital? Why?"

Her mouth dropped. "Oh my God. You don't know, do you?"

I shook my head and lifted my hands expectantly.

"You didn't know that he and Caleb flew back early from London in June because their sister went into emergency labor?" She reached for the zipper on her shark suit.

"What? No." My mouth was suddenly parched. "Is she okay?"

Emma took a deep breath and that's when the housekeeper came out with the tray of chamomile tea, a crystal bowl of shortbread cookies, water and two linen napkins. Emma immediately fiddled with her teabag, dunking it repeatedly, as if she was nervous.

"Back in June, when Caleb and Colin were in London on business, their sister was eight months pregnant."

I nodded. "Colin had talked about her and mentioned her pregnancy. Laura, right? She's married to your best friend?"

"Yes. He obviously told you a lot." Emma exhaled. "So Laura and Sarah had been trying to get pregnant with IVF for years. Sarah was supposed to carry the baby but ended up not being able to due to fibroids. So Laura did. Everything was going well, Laura seemed healthy, but she suddenly went into labor. Everyone freaked out, including Caleb and Colin. Especially Colin. He's so close to her and was beside himself when he found out she and the baby were in danger. Caleb and Colin chartered a plane and flew all the way from London. She went into the hospital and they were lucky enough to get a plane right away. It all happened so fast. He tried calling you but you were at your fashion show."

I sat back, feeling as if someone had kicked me in the chest. Pucci seemed to sense my unease because he trotted over and sat at my feet, under the table. "The night Colin was supposed to meet me."

Emma nodded slowly and unzipped the shark outfit, then shrugged it off to her waist, revealing a plain black t-shirt. "Yes. He arrived at the hospital, and the next day, or, well, maybe it was the day after that, when Laura and the baby were out of danger, he pulled me aside and told me he'd met this amazing woman. The woman he sat next to on the plane. You. And that he'd tried to call her repeatedly to tell her about the emergency but he couldn't get through because her voicemail was full. And that he wasn't sure if you were receiving texts because he mentioned you hated technology."

I stirred my tea, trying to hide my shock. Had I ignored Colin and hurt him all because of miscommunication? My voice came out slow and halting. "I didn't return his calls because I assumed the worst when he stood me up. I'll be honest. I had a pretty rough divorce. Trust doesn't come easy to me. But I can't believe this all happened because of a misunderstanding. Jesus, we're adults. I feel like a fool."

Emma nodded. "Misunderstandings happen. Especially in matters of the heart, when one or more people have issues with trust."

I looked at her and winced. She was disarmingly honest.

"Sorry, I know I can be blunt and over the top sometimes. I don't know if Colin told you, but I also write romance." I nodded while Emma took a sip of tea. What a pleasantly odd woman. Her eyes went to Charlotte, who was unwrapping a chocolate bar. She cautioned the girl to not make a mess, and then turned to me. "I apologize in advance if she gets chocolate on that beautiful pillow. Please send me a bill if she ruins anything."

"It's no bother." I waved my hand, then pressed it to my chest. "I guess I was also put off about what Colin had told me about, regarding you. And about his reputation, what others had said about him. One of my models had heard some things about him. Being something of a playboy."

Emma's eyebrows lifted and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I won't deny it. He has a bit of a past."

I was silent as I studied her. I imagined the two of them in bed, and wondered if he'd been as tender with her as he had been with me, if he'd whispered that she felt perfect in his arms, if he said her clit felt perfect against his tongue and kissed her neck tenderly as they woke in the morning. The knot in my stomach grew larger, and tighter.

Emma shook her head. "Don't. I know what you're thinking. Woman to woman, I can tell. Colin and I were an unmitigated disaster." A laugh burst from her mouth and she rolled her eyes.

"He couldn't even—" she stopped speaking and put her fingers to her lips.

"He couldn't what?"

"Well, we were really drunk. So you know what that does to men. And, um. I kind of said his brother's name while we were together..." Her voice trailed off, then she quickly added, "But don't tell him I told you any of this."

I frowned, feeling at once mortified that we were discussing this and more than a little triumphant that Colin and I hadn't had that physical problem. Far from it, in fact.

"Well." I wasn't sure what to say. I looked around my garden helplessly.

Emma wiped her hands on the linen napkin. "We didn't have the spark you think we did. We were blind drunk and wracked with grief over Caleb. We turned to each other in our lowest possible moment. You can't comprehend what a stressful time it was."

I bit my lip and focused into my teacup. God, this was awkward.

"Colin's changed, a lot, Sam. I've seen it. It's as if he's gone from being a boy into being a man. He's so very different. I haven't even seen him with a woman since Caleb returned. I know he went on one date in Miami, right after Caleb got back, and Colin described it as miserable. And he's now heartbroken to have found someone he connected with, only to lose her."

I stared at Emma, unblinking. She looked so earnest and pleading. I uncrossed my legs and pressed my witch-boot-covered feet into the tile. Pucci looked at me with huge eyes.

"Emma, I'm sure Colin's a wonderful man. But I've lost a lot in my life, when it comes to men. Almost lost everything because of my ex-husband. I don't want to go down that road again with someone who can't be counted on."

Emma sipped her tea. "I understand the hesitation. It's not easy to open up when you've struggled like we have."

"What do you mean?" My voice was icier than I intended.

"I've read about you. I know that you were disowned by your parents and started your business without the help of your family. That you went through a nasty divorce. When you only have yourself to rely on, that sometimes complicates emotions and reactions and the ability to trust. Sometimes it's easier to cling to material things, because they're tangible and won't let you down." Emma swept her hand around, indicating the estate.

I nodded, refusing to show any feelings on my face. Emma bulldozed her way through the conversation.

"When I met Caleb, I also held back because of old hurts. I'm not saying that's exactly what you're doing, but maybe there are some similarities, if I may be so bold. Some people, including my own best friend, thought I was being stubborn and annoying by not opening up to him. And I was being stubborn, all because of my pride."

"And what does this have to do with Colin and me?" I scowled at my teacup.

Emma took a deep breath. "I'm here to ask you to consider giving Colin a chance. He's an unusual person. A bit pretentious. A bit bossy. But he loves fiercely, with a huge heart. He's a complex man. I've never seen him talk about a woman the way he talks about you. His eyes lit up with a warmth that normally isn't there. I don't know you at all, but I can tell you, unequivocally, that this is a chance you don't want to pass up."

"Why are you doing this? Is it all for him?" I looked at her and tilted my head, frowning. "You don't know me, don't know if I'd be good for Colin."

Emma's mouth lifted in a small smile. "I believe in romance."

Well. That was jarring. Romance was something I'd squelched from my life for years, and now this stranger in a shark suit was acting like Cupid, forcing me to confront that yes, I had indeed desired something more than a one-weekend fling with Colin.

And still did.

I shuddered in a breath and nodded. Part of me wanted to tell this stranger my whole, sad story of my parents and my marriage and why I didn't feel as though I could trust Colin or any man. A bigger part wanted to demand to know where he was, find him and never let him go. He'd planted himself inside my heart.

"So, the real reason I came here was to invite you to Colin's birthday party next week. I'm having a few people over at our condo in Orlando, and I'd like you to attend. It's a small dinner party."

I crossed my legs, the black patent leather of my witch boots gleaming in the moonlight. "Do you think he'll want me there?"

"You're the only thing he wants. He's been asking me for advice on you. Why you won't return his calls, acknowledge his flowers, respond to his emails. I told him you probably have a ton of assistants screening your messages."

I nodded, barely listening as Emma described her detailed advice to Colin. I knew my exact course of action, and my mind swirled with plans.

I was going to give Colin King the best birthday gift of his life.    

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