“I’m under a good bit of stress,” Faith confessed.

      It occurred to her that she could talk about her stress to Cabot and at the same time take the first step toward her goal of seduction.

      He nodded, a font of wisdom in a navy blazer. “You’ve lost so many jobs, you expect to lose this one. But don’t worry. I’m going to give you great references.”

      She was touched. “Even after all the mistakes I’ve made? That’s sweet.”

      “Downright noble, I’d say.” A smile twitched at his lips, then disappeared. “You’re good at this job. You need a little self-confidence, that’s all.”

      “And brake shoes.” Self-confidence was all very well, but it didn’t pay the rent.

      His brow furrowed. “What?”

      “And tires.” But the job, the brake shoes and the tires were putting less stress on her at the present time than Cabot himself. She needed to get him into a loverly mood. Arouse him. Steer the conversation in a different direction…if she could just figure out where the oars were.

      Dear Reader,

      Do you have a sister? I’m so envious if you do! Growing up an only child, I was always fascinated by the relationships among sisters. I observed that they seemed to divide up the personality traits, and the oldest got first choice. If she chose to be “the smart one,” the next sister was “the pretty one.” If a third sister came along, she might be “the artistic one,” or “the athletic one.” Or, of course, “the wild one.” I knew of one sad case in which the older sister was “my sweet baby” and the younger, “the other one.”

      Since I couldn’t have sisters of my own, I simply had to invent some. The Sumner sisters, Faith, Hope and Charity, divvied up the personality traits all right, but not according to any of the current literature on birth order! Hope’s the middle child, but she’s always been the leader. (For the story of her tumble into love, read A Long Hot Christmas, Harlequin Temptation, December 2001.) Now, with Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s hearts and flowers for Faith and Charity and two romantic stories from me to you.