Surprising tingles zipped through Meg’s body, tingles that weren’t exactly the welcome-home variety for a guy she loved like a brother. Ry Brennan was a fun-loving womanizer who’d broken hearts for as long as Meg could remember. Flirting came as naturally to him as breathing. Pure rebel, he was a terrible choice to get all tingly about.

Unfortunately, sheer reflex made her gasp.

Beth looked at her sharply, then at Ry and back again. A slow grin spread across her face. “Well, there you go,” she said so softly that only Meg could hear. “Talk about an answer to prayer. My brother and my best friend. Now that’s got to be a match made in heaven.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Meg whispered. When she fell in love, it would be with a guy she could count on, not a risk-taker who lived for the moment and left when he liked.

Beth laughed softly and whispered back, “It’s almost enough to make me a believer. And you thought Mr. Right wasn’t going to show up this year.”

It felt exactly as Meg had imagined love at first sight would feel. Thrilling beyond words, it was lightning-bolt dramatic and heart-pounding real and heady. She could hardly believe it was happening to her. For an instant her soul sang.

It was a very short song.

All these years, she had been so sure that she would look into the eyes of Mr. Right, feel the welcoming sting of Cupid’s arrow and know her search was over. Never had it crossed her mind that the object of her attraction could be Mr. Totally Wrong.

Ry Brennan was lovable, good-looking, smart and fun to be with, but she wouldn’t wish Ry on her worst enemy. Beth and she had pitied the girls who’d fallen for him. Once they’d even formed a support group for the ones he’d left behind—girls who didn’t understand his idea of a long-term relationship was getting to know the girl’s last name.

She watched him take Beth in his arms for a sweet, brotherly hug and knew her turn would come next. He was just Ry, she told herself, no one to get all tingly about.

He turned to her, swept her up in his arms and murmured, “Hey, Li’l Sis,” close to her ear.

Li’l Sis. It had been so long since she’d heard him say that. Like ice cream under hot fudge, she melted and hugged his neck, just like a little sister would do.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, his mouth so close she could feel his breath. Goose bumps rose on her arms.

He lifted her up and spun her around. It was only a bear hug, just a brotherly bear hug like the one he’d given Beth, though Beth surely didn’t have to deal with tingles like this.

“Welcome back,” she said, barely able to say anything at all, busy as she was with the butterfly troop in her stomach, flitting as if this were their one chance to dance.

“It’s good to be back.”

He sounded so happy that she hugged him tighter, thrilled deep inside that he was home.

Releasing her, appreciation dawned on his face. “Look who’s become a babe! Li’l Sis, you’re all grown up.”

Well, of course. All three of them had grown up. For such a stupid statement, how could she take it as a compliment and let her heart race as if it were?

“Stay away another ten years,” Beth said dryly, “and you’ll notice that she’s middle-aged.”

Ignoring his sister, Ry kissed Meg’s forehead and said, “You never call. You never write. It’s been too long.”

Shoving out of his arms, she wagged a scolding finger at him. “You sneak out of here in the middle of the night, go to college on the other side of the country, come home just once when I happened to be away and have the nerve to say that I never get in touch?”

He flashed that killer smile. “You missed me, right?”

She’d missed that smile. “Well…I am glad to see you.” Her heart was pounding so hard, Ry and Beth, both medically trained, might notice.

She glanced at Beth and wished she hadn’t. Beth flicked her eyes from Ry to Meg like a fan watching a tennis match. Catching Meg’s eyes, Beth had the nerve to fold her hands prayerfully and look heavenward.

Okay, a joke was a joke, but if Beth kept this up, there would be no Happy New Year for her.

“Beth, did you know that Ry was coming home?” Meg asked, prodding Beth to snap out of it.

“No, and why didn’t I?” Beth demanded of her brother. “I could have met your plane.”

“I didn’t even know,” he said, his voice deeper now than Meg remembered. His buttery baritone was totally appealing. “I only decided this afternoon.”

“And you just hopped on a plane?” Meg asked. Wasn’t that just like him? Ry always did exactly what he wanted, when he wanted.

“I had forty-eight hours off. I thought I’d see if there was a party hat for me.”