Ryan watched Keeley happily devour her pizza and couldn't help but smile. She was so cute. He hadn't considered her romantically before the night she got drunk and talked about her ex-boyfriend. She'd given the distinct impression she wasn't interested, so he'd never tried.

He didn't realize he might like her that way until after graduation, when he no longer saw her every few days. Her absence was noticeable.

Ryan played his cards carefully, avoiding scaring her off. He befriended her roommates, frequently inviting them and his other friends out together.

It worked. Keeley was as comfortable with him as ever and occasionally went out with him alone, like now.

He'd been wondering when to make a move until he learned she was still hung up on her ex. It was even worse when she said she never wanted to get married—she clearly wasn't looking for a relationship anytime soon.

Ryan wasn't sure what to do. Keeley had occupied his thoughts too much over the past couple of years to give up, but he was firmly in the friend zone. He needed to spend more time with her, but she was so busy!

Thanksgiving was approaching. She'd have a few days off from classes and research.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" he asked.

She glanced up from her food. "It's just my dad and me at home, so we've invited some people over who don't have plans. Valentina will be there, too."

An opportunity. He was supposed to have dinner with coworkers, but they wouldn't mind if he had a better offer.

"Is that an open invitation? I only have Thursday off, so I can't drive to my family's place in Rochester."

"Duh! Nobody should be alone on a holiday. We'd love to have you—just bring a pie."

"Awesome, thanks!"

"Valentina will be glad to see a familiar face. I think everyone else is my dad's age," she explained.

"Are your parents divorced?" he asked. She talked about her dad often but rarely mentioned her mother.

Her expression blanked. "My mom and brother passed away eleven years ago. Our Thanksgivings have been like this ever since."

How had he not known that? "I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

Keeley's usual smile returned. "It's alright, I get that a lot."

He'd thought she was an only child. Eleven years ago… she was just a kid. She was so happy, yet she'd endured the trauma of losing half her family.

Ryan's admiration for her deepened. She was a fighter. He changed the subject. "What kind of pie should I bring?"

"Anything but banana cream!"

They chatted about pies until the pizza was gone. Keeley was the most fun person to talk to, regardless of the subject.

Across town, Jennica bounced in her seat, waiting for Cameron to pick her up for dinner. He'd said he craved a cheeseburger after being out of the country, so they were going to a diner.

The doorbell rang, and she jumped up, quickly smoothing her hair and putting on her most relaxed smile. She couldn't seem too eager.

"Hey!" she greeted cheerfully. "Weren't you on vacation in the Mediterranean? Where's your tan?"

He chuckled. "I was mostly inside. Oh! Before we go, I have something for you."

"Ooh, really? You didn't have to!"

"I know, but I wanted to. It's no big deal. Here, open it," he said, holding out a small square gift box.

Jennica eagerly opened it and laughed delightedly. He'd brought her a coffee mug with a colorful picture of the Monte Carlo Casino.

She would have liked it anyway—it was whimsical, and one can never have too many mugs—but it showed he'd been thinking of her while abroad.

He'd texted her occasionally while gone, but there were long stretches of silence while he worked. She was curious about his work, as he hadn't explained it fully.

"Thank you! I love it."

She immediately put it in the cabinet with her other mugs, then grabbed her purse and locked the door.

In his silver Lexus, Jennica asked about his business trip. They'd mostly talked about random things while he was away.

Cameron shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal; my boss was there for meetings, and I tagged along to help with acquisitions."

She didn't know much about business, but… "I thought you were a financial analyst. Wouldn't that be someone else's job?"

"I head the analyst department, but that's not all I do. I'm basically at my boss's disposal."

"Sounds stressful."

"It can be, but I enjoy it. My supervisor recruited me straight out of business school, so I owe my career to him."

Jennica smiled. He seemed satisfied with his life. She liked people who appreciated what they had.

"Your boss sounds like a good guy."

He snorted. "I wouldn't describe him that way. He's ruthless, but he does look out for his people."

Her eyes narrowed. That sounded like the wealthy man she'd been paid to date. Wasn't he the vice president of Cameron's company?

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