Rock and a hard place? More like being clamped between two of the earth’s tectonic plates. She’d intended to skip the after-funeral get-together, citing a headache, premenstrual craziness, anything. But if hosting Charlie’s family got Ross off her sister’s back then Viv didn’t really have a choice. “And you’ll ride shotgun,” she reiterated as she held out a hand to shake on it, “stop any lynch party?” His mouth twitched and his incongruous dimple made a brief appearance. Dang, but the man was hot, even mid-blackmail. She liked making him smile when he didn’t want to, liked cracking through that icy disapproval. Of course, Viv reflected, with her being Merry—the sister-in-law who’d purportedly broken his brother’s heart—she should probably refrain from flirting with him. Though it might be worth it just to see his face. As his hand seized hers in a firm handshake, she smiled at the thought. Ross released her hand abruptly. “Okay, let’s get on with it.”
