She wanted so badly to cross the room, throw her arms around his neck, and beg him to kiss her until she passed out. But she'd been there before. Feeling as if a wonderful future was dangling right in front of her, only to have it ripped away from her at the last minute.

Brandon sighed softly. "Look, I know you don't trust me, and I don't blame you. But if you don't believe everything I've just told you, then at least believe this. There's only one reason on earth I'd put on this horrible, itchy, uncomfortable suit and walk around looking like a total idiot."

"Why is that?"

"Because I love you."

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She was afraid if she spoke, all the wonderful emotions bottled up inside her right then would come tumbling out, setting off Richter scales across the globe. Did she really want to be responsible for that? She took an extra deep yoga breath to try to stay calm, but yoga breaths only went so far.

"My life changed the day I met you," Brandon said. "With you, I found out I could be a better man than I ever imagined. You showed me that family means everything when I barely knew what one was. You made me believe in love. And if you'll let me," he said, his voice deep with emotion, "I'll move heaven and earth to make your world a better place, too."

In that moment, Alison was absolutely sure she felt fuzzy little heartstrings reach out from Brandon's heart to wrap around hers.

"Just one more question," she finally managed to say.

"What's that?"

"What the hell are you doing clear over there?"

He came around the table and she met him in the middle. He swept her into his arms and spun her around, then set her down and kissed her, a long, slow, scorching kiss that promised a whole lot more to come. Later. After about five hundred people traipsed through his house. Alison seriously considered locking the door and telling everybody to go home so they could be alone for the rest of the day.

"Are you going to regret giving up all that profit on the Houston deal?" Alison asked. "Maybe you should have stuck around with Tom and made a few hundred thousand dollars before coming back."

"If I had, would you have ever believed that I intended to stay here for good? Or would you figure I'd stick around only until the next deal came along?"

"I don't know." She paused. "Maybe."

"I didn't want to lose you. If I hadn't given up that deal, I might have. It just wasn't worth it to me."

His words sent warm shivers along every nerve in her body, making them hum with pure joy.

"Wait a minute," Brandon said. "Why aren't you wearing the blue dress? The tour starts in an hour."

She shrugged. "After everything that happened, I just didn't think it would be right."

"Is the dress ready?"

"Yeah."

"Well, go put it on. How else are we supposed to be lord and lady of the manor?"

Right about then, Alison didn't even need the stairs. She could have floated up to the second floor.

"Tell the truth," she said. "You just don't want to be the only one dressed funny."

"Exactly."

"I know you don't like the suit, but it's hot."

"Damn right it's hot. I'm suffocating."

"Wrong kind of hot," she said with a smile, trailing her fingertip down his lapel. "You know how old stuff turns me on."

"Good. At least I know when I start losing my hair and need a prescription for Viagra, you'll only love me more." He gave her a soft smile, then brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and kissed her. "Time's wasting, sweetheart. Better get dressed."

But she just couldn't make her feet do their job. She stood there a moment longer, and her chin started to quiver. Then tears filled her eyes. She took a step forward and wound her arms around his neck again, and he circled his arms around her.

"This is going to be the best day of my life," she whispered in his ear.

He stroked his hand up and down her back. "It's already the best day of mine."

Karen's reaction to Brandon definitely set the tone for the rest of the day. All the female tour patrons seemed far more interested in viewing Brandon than in viewing his house. Maybe that really was a viable fund-raising opportunity. And if he didn't want to wear the suit again next year, he could just go naked. Charitable giving to the East Plano Preservation League would go through the roof.

Or maybe Alison would just keep Brandon-naked-to herself.

"Well, we did it," Heather said as they closed the door behind the last visitor. "I can definitely say that the East Plano Preservation League is far better off financially today than it was yesterday." She smiled at Alison and Brandon. "And you guys deserve gold stars for getting into the spirit of things and dressing the part. I'm thinking we need to make period costumes part of the home tour every year."

"No!" they said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

"What's wrong?" Heather asked.

"I already knew I didn't want to wear an itchy, uncomfortable suit all day," Brandon said. "But guess who got a taste of her own medicine?"

"God, it was awful," Alison said. "I couldn't breathe. I could barely walk in the damned thing. How did women wear dresses like this every day of their lives?"

"But you both look fabulous," Heather said.

"And next year I'm going to look fabulous in a pair of fat pants with an elastic waistband," Alison said.

"And I'm going to look fabulous in a pair of sweatpants and a Dallas Cowboys T-shirt," Brandon said.

Alison smiled at him. "People will demand their money back."

"But won't we be comfortable?" He leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"Hey, what did he just do?"

Alison spun around to see her father and Bea coming down the hall. Bea was smiling. Charlie looked confused.

Bea poked him. "So I need to explain the birds and bees to you?"

"I know all about the birds and bees. What do you think? A stork dropped Alison through the chimney?" He turned to Brandon. "I thought you couldn't date my daughter because you're her matchmaker. So what's the deal with that?"

"She's no longer a client," Brandon said, still staring at Alison.

"Huh?"

"His job was to match her up," Bea said. "And it looks as if he did a damned fine job of it."

Charlie turned to Alison. "Well, I guess he beats that gay interior designer you used to date."

Alison sighed. "Dad. I told you. He wasn't gay. The Harley guy...he was gay."

"I still don't believe that."

"Well, Brandon isn't gay," Bea said, "so it's a moot point. Come on, Charlie. Let's head to McCaffrey's. I could use a drink."

But on their way to the front door, her father proved that he wasn't nearly as clueless as he acted. He looked back at Alison and gave her a furtive wink and an approving smile, and she read the gesture loud and clear. Good choice, kid. Hang on to him.

As Bea and Charlie left the house, Alison went to the window and watched them walk side by side toward the street where her father's truck was parked. Halfway there, he eased closer to Bea. After a few more steps, his hand rose to the small of her back. A small, wispy memory drifted through Alison's mind, slowly coming into focus: her mother strolling down a sidewalk with her father, and that same warm, protective hand was guiding her.

Brandon came up beside Alison and slipped his arm around her. "Your father seems happy."

"He is."

"I think Bea is, too."

"I think you're right."

"And so am I." He kissed her hair and pulled her closer. "What do you think, Alison? Do we have a family in the making?"

In light of everything that had happened that day, just the word "family" was enough to make tears come to her eyes.

"Stop it," she said. "You're going to make me cry, and I look like hell with runny mascara."

"Would it help if I told you I love you, runny mascara and all?"

Alison smiled. This day just got better and better.

Heather came up behind them. "Hey, are you guys coming to the bar? Tony's already there. The first drink's on us."

"I never turn down free drinks," Alison said. "But one's my limit."

"Hey, Heather," Brandon said. "I'll give you twenty bucks to tell me the state fair story."

Alison looked at Heather, raising a warning eyebrow.

"Sorry," Heather said. "What happens at the state fair stays at the state fair." She gave Alison a hug and whispered, "I'm just so glad things worked out."

"Yeah," Alison whispered back. "Me, too."

Heather left the house, only to poke her head back in the door. "Hey, you guys have a package on the porch. UPS delivery."

Brandon stepped out onto the porch and brought a big, flat box inside.

"Wonder what it is?" Brandon said.

Alison glanced at the return address and smiled. "Let's find out."

They took the box to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Brandon opened it. And when he saw what was inside, a smile of contentment spread across his face.

It was a yard sign. Heartstrings. Tying Two Hearts Together Forever.

Alison thought about how she'd felt when all this began, back during that time when she'd been so eager to help him. She couldn't have imagined what would happen between then and now to give this sign ten times more meaning than it could ever have had before.

"I ordered it weeks ago," she said. "It was supposed to be here long before now. Do you like it?"

"I love it," he said, holding it up. "It looks as if my grandmother's business is mine now, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. Shall we put it up?"

They took the sign out to the front yard. Brandon pulled up the Matchmaking by Rochelle sign and set it aside. He pushed the stakes of the new sign into the ground, and they backed away to look at it.

"It's perfect," he said.

They admired it a little while longer, and then he walked back over and picked up the old sign. He held it a moment, his expression growing solemn. A look of remorse filled his eyes.

"As I got older, I knew I needed to go back to see my grandmother. To make amends. To show her I wasn't the kid she remembered. And I think I would have eventually. But then one day passed, and another, and another. And then..." He swallowed hard. "And then she was gone."

Alison put her hand around his waist and lay her head against his shoulder, standing with him in the late afternoon sunlight as he continued to stare at the sign.

"You said my grandmother would be proud of me for taking over her business," Brandon said. "Do you still think so?"

"Yes. I do."

He was silent for several more seconds, a hint of sorrow crossing his face. "I never told her I loved her."

"Did you?" Alison said.

"I barely knew what love was back then."

"Do you now?"

He turned and looked down at her. "Yeah," he said, his lips edging into a gentle smile. "I think I do."

"I have an idea," Alison said.

"What?"

"Let's put the old sign in the backyard. For just the two of us to see."

They walked around to the backyard, where Brandon planted the sign near the patio in the shade of the old magnolia tree. Then they sat down on the glider together. As Alison curled up in Brandon's arms and he rocked them gently back and forth, she decided relationships weren't about modest expectations, and that soul mate thing wasn't a crock after all. Brandon had told her once to forget ordinary, that she should be looking for somebody extraordinary.

And she'd finally found him.

A good girl can be bad for one night...

but can a bad boy be good for a lifetime?