White Chocolate Moments by Lori Wick Page A

never forget her time in Rome. Starting on the second day, Sam allowed Sarafina to take Arcineh from the hotel. Sarafina demanded she speak in Italian at all times. Arcineh was often tempted to scream at the woman and run away, but in truth she'd come away with a fine education on the language as well as the city:
    Sarafina had even taken her to her home, a lovely villa not far from the hotel, where she could relax in comfort, all the time working her brain for her exacting teacher. She learned that Sarafina was not a teacher by trade, but a retired model. She was to be married in the spring, and Arcineh had even met her handsome fiancé.
    Arcineh realized right then that she'd actually enjoyed herself. It also occurred to her quite suddenly that she hadn't thanked her grandfather for taking her along. She turned to do just that but held her tongue. Sam Bryant was sound asleep in his seat and looked as though he would stay that way all the journey home.
    "We'll plan on Christmas," Sam said to Jeremy on the phone the week of Thanksgiving.
    "Yes:' Jeremy agreed. "I can't seem to lick this cold, and with the kids not getting along, I'm just not up to it, Sam."
    "I understand, and that will give me a whole month to make it clear to Arcineh that she's to get along with Quinn:"
    "I appreciate that, Sam, but Quinn isn't getting along with anyone right now."
    "What's that about?"
    "Some of it is her age, but it's also not having you without Arcie. I wouldn't want Arcie to be anywhere else, but Quinn is threatened by it."
    "Tell her when she's here, we'll go to breakfast--just the two of us, like old times:'
    "I'll tell her, and you have a good holiday up there."
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    "Thanks, Jeremy. You too:'
    The men got off, and Sam sat thinking about Quinn for a long time. In truth, he didn't see any less of her than he ever had, but Jeremy was correct: Arcineh had not been around in the past, not nearly so much anyway, and Sam still believed with all his heart that Quinn was a sensitive person.
    "Just like her mother," Sam said quietly in the office, wanting to do a better job with the next generation.
    "This is what I'm talking about:' Sam spoke patiently into Arcineh's upturned face, remembering his breakfast with Quinn that morning and determined to gain Arcineh's cooperation on this. "Getting along at this moment means taking Quinn with you:'
    "She doesn't even know my friends," Arcineh replied, managing to stay calm. "I don't think she'll even want to go:'
    "But we're going to ask her, and if she wants to, it's a done deal:'
    Somehow Arcineh knew she would not win this one. Sam had made up his mind that she was the problem, and Arcineh was still holding to her vow to never compete with Quinn. However, where her friends were concerned, she knew that boundary lines were needed.
    She waited patiently while Sam asked Quinn if she wanted to go to the mall with Arcineh and her friends, and to Arcineh's surprise, her cousin said yes. Arcineh stayed calm in the face of all of this, but while she and Quinn walked out to Hillary's waiting car, Arcineh made herself heard.
    "I put up with enough with Grandpa when you're here, Quinn, but I draw the line at my friends:'
    "I don't know what you mean," Quinn made the mistake of saying.
    Arcineh stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked her cousin in the eyes. Quinn had a hard time meeting Arcineh's gaze.
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    "We both know exactly what I mean. No games and no lies tonight. If you even attempt it, I'll humiliate you so badly in front of my friends you'll never want to show your face in Chicago again:'
    For once all arrogance and defensiveness drained away from Quinn. She nodded in sincerity and climbed in the back when one of the guys jumped out to let her in.
    Arcineh made the introductions, and Quinn, rising to the occasion, blended right in. In fact, they had a marvelous time. They shopped in the pre-Christmas throngs and then went to a restaurant for huge slices of cheesecake.
    For the whole evening,