“If I wasn't a man,I'd punch that jealous cat in the nose." His eyes lit up. "I'll get Susie to do it.”

“You've got to take a test? I love tests." His eyes actually lit up. "Do you need a study buddy? And yes, I capitalize the N in nerd.”

“I've always been his favorite.""Is that so?" Lazily Shelby folded her arms behind her head. She could picture him as a boy,seeing beyond what other boys saw and storing it. "Why?""If I weren't modest,I'd confess that I was always a well-mannered, even-tempered child who never gave my parents a moment's trouble.""Liar," she said easily. "How'd you get the broken nose?"The grin became rueful. "Rena punched me.""Your sister broke your nose?" Shelby burst out with delighted and unsympathetic laughter. "The blackjack dealer, right? Oh,I love it!"Alan caught Shelby's nose between two fingers and gave it a quick twist. "It was rather painful at the time.""I imagine." She kept right on laughing as he shifted to her side. "Did she make a habit of beating you up?""She didn't beat me up," he corrected with some dignity. "She was trying to beat Caine up because he'd teased her about making calf's eyes at one of his friends.""Typical brotherly intimidation.""In any event," Alan put in mildly, "I went to drag her off him,she took another swing,missed him, and hit me. A full-power roundhouse,as I remember. That's when," he continued as Shelby gave another peal of laughter, "I decided against being a diplomat. It's always the neutral party that gets punched in the face.""I'm sure..." Shelby dropped her head on his shoulder. "I'm sure she was sorry.""Initially.But as I recall, after I'd stopped bleeding and threatening to kill both her and Caine, her reaction as a great deal like yours.""Insensitive." Shelby ran apologetic kisses over his face. "Poor baby. Tell you what, I'll do penance and see about fixing you breakfast.”

“I'll give you a hand with the feeding.""I don't need it.""I'll give you one anyway."Keeley moved out of the box, rested a hand on the door. Best,she decided, to deal with this clean and simple. "Brian, you're working for my family, in a vital and essential role, so I think I should be straight with you.""By all means." The serious tone didn't match the glint in his eyes as she leaned back."You bother me," she told him. "On some level,you just bother me. It's probably because I just don't care for cocky, intense men who smirk at me, but that's neither here nor there.""No,that's here and it's there. What kind do you care for?""You see-that's just the sort of thing that annoys me.""I know.It's interesting, isn't it, that I find myself compelled to do just the thing that gets a rise out of you? You bother me as well. Perhaps it's that I don't care for regal, cool-eyed women who look down their lovely noses at me. But here wwe are, so we should try getting on as best we can.""I don't look down my nose at you, or anyone.""Depends on your point of view, doesn't it?”

“I didn't get fired.""You didn't punch your boss and get fired from the Tribune? That's what I heard.""I punched what could loosely be called a colleague for cribbing my notes on a story and since the editor–who happened to be the asshole's uncle–took his word over mine, I quit.""To write books. Is it fun?""I guess it is.""I bet you killed the asshole in the first one you wrote.""You'd be right. Beat him to death with a shovel. Very satisfying.”

“It's a fine thing for a man and a woman to have a common interest," Daniel began in a pontificating voice. "Makes a strong marriage.""I can't tell you how many times Daniel's assisted me in surgery," Anna put in mildly.He huffed. "I've washed a few bloody knees in my time with these three.""And there was the time Rena broke Alan's nose," Caine put in."It was supoosed to be yours," his sister reminded him."That didn't make it hurt any less." Alan shifted his eyes to his sister while his wife snorted unsympathetically."Why did Rena break Alan's nose instead of yours?" Diana wanted to know."I ducked," Caine told her.”

“You've never been a whiner, Margo.""I could give lessons.It's time for me to grow up, take responsibility,be sensible.""Talk to life insurance salesman," Josh said dryly. "Apply for a library card.Clip coupons."She looked down her nose. "Spoken like a man born with not only a silver spoon but the whole place setting stuck in his arrogant little mouth.""I happen to have several library cards," he muttered. "Somewhere.""Do you mind?”