of him and then Kathryn practically threw herself at him.
"I'm sorry, Uncle M," she whispered after she'd hugged him hard. She studied him intently. "Are you okay? Was it awful in the car on the way back? Is Zoe leaving tonight?"
Josh touched his sister's shoulder. "Ease up, sis. Let him catch his breath."
Michael smiled as reassuringly as he could. "I'm okay. Everything's fine."
His nephew's eyes widened. "You and Zoe made up?"
He shook his head. "Not that kind of fine. It's complicated."
That last word set his niece off. "Complicated?" she hissed. "Ha! It's the opposite. Zoe clearly isn't smart enough to know what a catch you are, it's as simple as that." Her eyes sparkled with outrage. She looked over her shoulder at Zoe and then turned back to him. "I will never, ever forget how she ruined your perfect evening and blew her chance-"
"Whoa, what did you just say?" he interrupted her.
"I said she blew-"
"No," he interrupted her again, "before that."
Kathryn frowned. "I said I would never forget-"
Never forget. The words replayed in his mind as if they were on repeat. "Listen, you two stay here for a moment while I talk to Zoe and Marlene."
He crossed the room and reached out to touch Zoe's arm. "I need to ask you a question and I want you to swear that you'll tell me the truth."
She nodded earnestly. "I promise."
"Are you telling me the absolute truth about this memory alteration business?"
"Don't answer that, Zoe." Marlene glared at him. "If you think you're going to make my daughter apologize for being who she is, you've got another thing coming." She poked him in the chest. "Zoe is a wonderful, special, loving young woman with a special gift-"
"I know."
Marlene stared at him, clearly surprised to hear him agree with her glowing assessment of her only offspring. "You know?"
Michael nodded. "I do. In fact, I don't think you're doing her enough justice."
His swift agreement took the wind right out of Marlene's sails. Eyebrows raised, she turned to Zoe. "There may be hope for this one yet."
"Mother," Zoe protested. "Please."
Michael grinned. "I hope she's right, Zoe." He fervently hoped he was about to do the right thing. "If you can promise me that the memory alteration is completely safe, I want you to show me."
"Show you how?"
"Alter Josh and Kathryn's memories of tonight."
Zoe's eyes widened. She glanced over at the teens and then back at him, her expression skeptical. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
"Can you do it?"
"Of course she can," Marlene assured him. "You will, won't you, darling?"
"No."
This Michael wasn't expecting to hear. "No what?"
"No way." Zoe folded her arms defiantly.
"That's right, you tell him, sweetheart."
Michael turned to Marlene. "Whose side are you on?"
"Oh, right, sorry." She gave an apologetic shrug. "Is there more wine in the kitchen?"
Michael nodded.
"Great." Marlene smiled brightly. "I'll go be in charge of that," she said over her shoulder as she sailed into the kitchen.
Once they were alone, he turned to Zoe. "Will you do this for me?" He sensed that she was wavering. "Please."
"Why?"
"I don't want the kids to remember tonight."
Zoe started to say something but then stopped. "Fine. If you think it's necessary, I'll do it."
Michael resisted the urge to kiss her. Instead he kept his features carefully schooled. "Go ahead, Zoe."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zoe did her best to ignore Kathryn's scowl and Josh's sullen expression as she sat across from them. They were loving, loyal kids who adored their uncle. She respected their feelings because she shared them. But still she felt downright odd about what she was about to do.
"What do you want to talk to us about?" Josh asked.
Zoe glanced at Michael. He nodded his encouragement. She turned back to the kids. "I know you may not want to talk to me right now. I respect that. I know this evening didn't turn out the way you thought it would."
Kathryn’s eyes narrowed. "I don't get you, Zoe. You say you love Uncle M
"I'm sorry, Uncle M," she whispered after she'd hugged him hard. She studied him intently. "Are you okay? Was it awful in the car on the way back? Is Zoe leaving tonight?"
Josh touched his sister's shoulder. "Ease up, sis. Let him catch his breath."
Michael smiled as reassuringly as he could. "I'm okay. Everything's fine."
His nephew's eyes widened. "You and Zoe made up?"
He shook his head. "Not that kind of fine. It's complicated."
That last word set his niece off. "Complicated?" she hissed. "Ha! It's the opposite. Zoe clearly isn't smart enough to know what a catch you are, it's as simple as that." Her eyes sparkled with outrage. She looked over her shoulder at Zoe and then turned back to him. "I will never, ever forget how she ruined your perfect evening and blew her chance-"
"Whoa, what did you just say?" he interrupted her.
"I said she blew-"
"No," he interrupted her again, "before that."
Kathryn frowned. "I said I would never forget-"
Never forget. The words replayed in his mind as if they were on repeat. "Listen, you two stay here for a moment while I talk to Zoe and Marlene."
He crossed the room and reached out to touch Zoe's arm. "I need to ask you a question and I want you to swear that you'll tell me the truth."
She nodded earnestly. "I promise."
"Are you telling me the absolute truth about this memory alteration business?"
"Don't answer that, Zoe." Marlene glared at him. "If you think you're going to make my daughter apologize for being who she is, you've got another thing coming." She poked him in the chest. "Zoe is a wonderful, special, loving young woman with a special gift-"
"I know."
Marlene stared at him, clearly surprised to hear him agree with her glowing assessment of her only offspring. "You know?"
Michael nodded. "I do. In fact, I don't think you're doing her enough justice."
His swift agreement took the wind right out of Marlene's sails. Eyebrows raised, she turned to Zoe. "There may be hope for this one yet."
"Mother," Zoe protested. "Please."
Michael grinned. "I hope she's right, Zoe." He fervently hoped he was about to do the right thing. "If you can promise me that the memory alteration is completely safe, I want you to show me."
"Show you how?"
"Alter Josh and Kathryn's memories of tonight."
Zoe's eyes widened. She glanced over at the teens and then back at him, her expression skeptical. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
"Can you do it?"
"Of course she can," Marlene assured him. "You will, won't you, darling?"
"No."
This Michael wasn't expecting to hear. "No what?"
"No way." Zoe folded her arms defiantly.
"That's right, you tell him, sweetheart."
Michael turned to Marlene. "Whose side are you on?"
"Oh, right, sorry." She gave an apologetic shrug. "Is there more wine in the kitchen?"
Michael nodded.
"Great." Marlene smiled brightly. "I'll go be in charge of that," she said over her shoulder as she sailed into the kitchen.
Once they were alone, he turned to Zoe. "Will you do this for me?" He sensed that she was wavering. "Please."
"Why?"
"I don't want the kids to remember tonight."
Zoe started to say something but then stopped. "Fine. If you think it's necessary, I'll do it."
Michael resisted the urge to kiss her. Instead he kept his features carefully schooled. "Go ahead, Zoe."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zoe did her best to ignore Kathryn's scowl and Josh's sullen expression as she sat across from them. They were loving, loyal kids who adored their uncle. She respected their feelings because she shared them. But still she felt downright odd about what she was about to do.
"What do you want to talk to us about?" Josh asked.
Zoe glanced at Michael. He nodded his encouragement. She turned back to the kids. "I know you may not want to talk to me right now. I respect that. I know this evening didn't turn out the way you thought it would."
Kathryn’s eyes narrowed. "I don't get you, Zoe. You say you love Uncle M
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