Plain Jane's Prince Charming. Melissa McClone

      He sat next to her on the couch, his thigh nearly touching hers. “Do you want to talk about it?”

      “About what?” Stupid reply, but his nearness disturbed her as much as his question. One more reason to get out of here.

      The upside-down V reappeared above the bridge of Chase’s nose. “What’s bothering you?”

      How could she explain she’d gotten slapped with a harsh dose of reality while touring his estate? She’d wanted to do something she couldn’t possibly manage out of love for Michelle and Emma. Jane had been swept up in a fantasy only to realize it had all been a pipe dream, not the sort of thing she could pull off. And she’d long since stopped believing in pipe dreams.

      He waited and watched. For a man who had no patience with traffic, he showed an amazing amount with her. He deserved an answer, some kind of explanation.

      “Would it be horrible if I changed my mind?” she asked.

      “About having the benefit here?”

      “About having the benefit altogether.” The words tumbled from her mouth, and she felt horrible for having said them. Michelle and Emma were counting on her, but Jane was afraid.

      “You can do anything you want.” He stared at her, his eyes betraying nothing. “But are you sure? You seemed so excited a little while ago.”

      She didn’t, couldn’t answer. Not when a little while ago she’d been completely delusional about her abilities to organize the fundraiser.

      “You feel that overwhelmed?”

      His concern brought a lump to her throat. Jane nodded.

      “If the thought overwhelms you so much, the work probably would, too.”

      “I’ve never behaved like this before.” Regret washed over her. She expected him to be angry, not show compassion. She wanted to see his ruthless shark side. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so bad. “I’m sorry.”

      “Don’t be sorry.” His encouraging smile made her feel worse. “I’ve found myself overwhelmed many a time.”

      Chase Ryder? Overwhelmed? Maybe when he was a toddler standing on the edge of cliff alone. Jane held onto the blanket. “Are you always this understanding?”

      “No, but I do have two sisters. Understanding is part of being a brother.” He picked up his wineglass. “I will admit having someone to share the workload on this would have been nice.”

      “On what?”

      “I’m putting on Emma’s benefit with or without you.”

      Jane stared at him. “Why?”

      “The medical bills still need to be paid and Emma needs more treatments, correct?”

      “Yes, but—”

      “She and her mother need help,” he said. “It shouldn’t matter who throws the benefit for them.”

      Guilt clogged Jane’s throat. The fundraiser had been her idea. Her responsibility. Not his. “You don’t have to—”

      “I want to do this.” He sipped his wine. “I’m thinking a black-tie event will bring in more money.”

      She straightened. “A bit formal for a dessert, don’t you think?”

      “Not just a dessert.”

      His eyes held a hint of mystery, a secret she wanted to know. Jane waited, until she couldn’t wait any longer. “What?”

      “A five-hundred-dollar-a-plate dinner with wine tasting.”

      Her mouth gaped. She snapped it closed.

      This was no longer her responsibility. This was no longer her problem. Forget about it. That was what she should do.

      But she couldn’t.

      “What about Emma?” Jane asked. “She wouldn’t be comfortable at a formal event. Michelle, either. They want to participate, not sit at home and wait for a check to be delivered. And what about their friends who want to support the benefit, but can’t afford that much.”

      “Isn’t the goal to raise money?” Chase asked.

      “Yes.” That was always the bottom line for people. Jane tightened her fingers around the throw. “But there are other ways of raising money besides having people dress up like a flock of penguins and feeding them fancy foods like foie gras.”

      “You have something against foie gras?”

      “It’s the liver of force-fed geese. Fat liver is the literal translation if I remember my high school French.”

      He nodded once. Smiled.

      The way he sat there looking gorgeous and knowing all the answers infuriated her. Turning this event into one of the fancy shindigs he normally attended was not in Emma’s best interest. “I wouldn’t feed that to an animal let alone pay for the opportunity to eat it.”

      “A lot of people would.”

      She wanted to wipe the smile off his face. “What about Emma? The benefit is for her. How does she fit into all this?”

      “She can make an appearance at a convenient time or we can hang pictures of her on the walls.”

      His ideas incensed Jane. “Why not hang posters of Emma looking pale, tired and sick so people will pity her and donate more money?”