by EMILIE ROSE
“Seriously? I took him out in like three tries.”
Trevor chuckled. “So far my skills at both pool and video games have been questioned. What about you, Little Bit?” he asked casually of Bella, who was peeking out at him from behind her mother. “Do you have a special talent you could embarrass me with?”
Jade half-expected her shy youngest to mumble an answer and hide again, which was Bella’s usual response when spoken to by strangers. Instead, after a moment’s thought, the child replied, “I can do cartwheels. Three in a row.”
Trevor threw up his hands. “Well, there you go. I can’t do one cartwheel without falling right on my...er...face.”
Bella giggled, then crowded behind Jade again as if she’d surprised even herself.
“In case you forgot, her name is Bella,” Erin said in a long-suffering tone. “She’s kind of a scaredy-cat.”
“Am not,” Bella muttered, her voice muffled by Jade’s shirt.
“I wouldn’t call anyone who can do three cartwheels in a row a scaredy-cat,” Trevor said solemnly, giving Jade a wink that made her catch her breath. She blinked a couple of times, as surprised by her own automatic response to this charismatic man as by Bella’s. They’d always been surrounded by crowds in their earlier meetings. Maybe that had somewhat diluted the effect of his substantial charm.
“Anyway,” Trevor said. “I have a dull business dinner tonight and I need to change first. I just wanted to welcome you and tell you that if there’s anything you need while you’re our guests here, please let us know.”
Erin opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly when Jade frowned at her. Heaven only knew what her outspoken middle child had been on the verge of requesting.
Mary Pat moved toward the door. “I’m going down to start dinner for the rest of us. I’ll let you know when it’s ready, Jade.”
“Oh, you don’t have to cook for us,” Jade felt compelled to protest. “I can...”
“Are you kidding? I’m always delighted to have an excuse to cook for a group. And I’m planning to eat with y’all, so I’m looking forward to that, too.” Mary Pat punched Trevor’s arm lightly as she passed him. “This one’s hardly ever home at mealtime.”
“You know I’d rather have your cooking than anyone else’s,” Trevor shot back, patting her cheek. “Just have to work most evenings.”
“And by work, he means schmoozing with guests at the resort or having dinner with travel writers or vendors,” Mary Pat explained in an aside as she left the room. “Most of which he could cut back on significantly without affecting his business in the least. The man is a workaholic, but nothing his mama or I say can make him change his ways.”
Smiling, Trevor spoke to Jade. “Mary Pat is one of a kind. I tell her all the time I’m not sure if it’s a benefit to the world or a shame there are no more like her.”
Amused by the relationship between Mary Pat and Trevor, Jade returned his smile. “Looks to me as if you’re lucky to have her.”
Casting an exaggeratedly wary look toward the doorway, Trevor placed a finger to his lips as he stage-whispered, “Don’t tell her I said this, but you’re right.”
Dropping his hand, he took a step backward toward the hall. “Again, if there’s anything you need, just let us know. There are bottled waters and assorted soft drinks in the bar fridge along with some yogurts and other snacks, and of course the fruit in the bowl. Help yourself...uh...with your mom’s permission, of course, kids. And, Jade, there’s a coffeemaker and an assortment of coffees and teas.”
“Wait up a second, Trevor.” Releasing Bella’s hand, Jade moved to follow him. “You kids stay in here and play with the blocks or something for a few minutes while I speak with Mr. Farrell.”
The girls were already headed toward the blocks table when Jade stepped out of the room and into the hallway with Trevor.
He paused at the top of the stairs. “Is there something I can do for you, Jade?”
“I wanted to thank you again for your hospitality,” she said quietly. “I have a feeling your mother pressured you into this, but it was still very kind of you. And I want to assure you that I was as surprised by the offer as you probably were. It never would have occurred to me to ask you to open your home to us this way.”
He started to speak, and she sensed he was going to respond with the practiced, professional-host courtesy he’d displayed before. But then he dropped the act, giving her a glimpse of the man behind the admittedly attractive polish. “Knowing my mother, I have no doubt whose idea this was. And, yeah, Mom did let me know after she’d set it up that you and your family would be staying with me for a couple of weeks. But don’t take that to mean I regret having you here. I’d have made the same offer had I heard about your situation on my own. If the resort weren’t full to capacity this week, I’d have arranged a suite for you there to give the kids more options for entertainment.”
“More options?” Jade glanced toward the rec room where her children were happily entertained at that moment. “I think they have more than enough here to occupy them, thank you.”
“My mom told me you’re moving to Shorty’s Landing to start a new job,” Trevor said.
She nodded. “I’ll be working for my cousin. She’s opening a family practice clinic with a partner, and I’ll be her nurse. The clinic opens a week from Monday.”
Obviously, none of this was news to Trevor, who’d probably heard all the details from his mother. “I look forward to meeting your cousin, Dr....?”
“Amy Ford. You might have met her at my dad’s funeral last year. She’s an excellent doctor. Very compassionate and thorough. Dr. Lincoln Brindle is her partner, and he’s wonderful, too.”
“I’m sure they’ll be an asset to the community,” Trevor said, slipping smoothly back into his rather formal manner.
“They will be.”
He would know all about being a community asset, of course. Even as a newcomer to the town where Trevor had made his home for the past eight or nine years, Jade had already heard his praises from the few locals she’d encountered. He was considered one of the most prestigious community leaders. The daughter of a successful attorney and a human resources manager, Jade came from a comfortable background, herself, but the Farrells were wealthy. Very wealthy. And everyone in their hometown—nearly everyone in this state, for that matter—knew that Trevor had done quite well for himself with the rapidly expanding Wind Shadow Resort chain he’d started a few years earlier.
“Anyway, thank you again for your generosity. We’ll try not to be any trouble for you while we’re here.”
“And again, it’s no trouble. You saw how happy Mary Pat is to have you and the kids here. She’s going to have so much fun with them.”
Jade didn’t know what else to say. She nodded and forced a smile. “I’ll let you get ready for your evening now. Enjoy your dinner.”
“I have a feeling Mary Pat will enjoy hers more,” he said with a flash of those pearly whites. “Good night, Jade.”
“Good night, Trevor.”
Seeing the slight limp when he put his weight on his right leg as he descended the stairs, she recalled that he’d been in a serious motorcycle accident just over a year ago. Her mother had called to tell her about it the night it happened, when Trevor’s family had worried he might not even survive his injuries. She’d been told he’d undergone at least two surgeries since to repair injuries to that leg.
She shuddered at the thought. Motorcycles terrified her. Her late husband had loved them, and had barely escaped serious injury more than once with his escapades on them. She hated to think there would come a day when her son would express interest in one of the machines.
She only hoped Trevor had gotten rid of his, if it was still drivable, for his own mother’s sake. Had this particular daredevil learned caution from his misadventure—or was he still hooked on
defying danger? None of her business, of course, but she knew his parents hoped for the former.
* * *
TREVOR WAS ACCUSTOMED to returning to a dark, quiet house at the end of a long workday, usually well after his housekeeper had retired to her cottage for the evening. Sometimes he slept in the small suite connected to his office at the resort, but most nights he came home so he’d at least feel like he’d left work for a few hours, even though he often spent a couple hours more catching up on paperwork in his home office.
It wasn’t as if he had to rush home, he replied whenever he was chided for his long workdays. Mary Pat liked to watch TV in her cottage in the evenings, and he didn’t even have a pet waiting for him. So who really cared whether he came home at seven or midnight?
Tonight four extra people were staying in his house, not that he expected to see any of them at this hour. It was after ten. He’d noted when he’d turned into the driveway that the upstairs lights were out. The kids were probably asleep, and Jade was likely tired after a busy day of getting settled in.
Jade. He pictured his houseguest as he walked up the stairs from the lower-level garage into the kitchen and hung his keys on a hook. Blond hair, amber eyes, high cheekbones and a stubborn chin. He knew Jade was only thirty-two—young to have a twelve-year-old son, even younger to be widowed for five years. But then, he’d been widowed for almost ten years, himself. He’d been just twenty-eight when Lindsey was killed in a car accident.
As hard as the loss had been for him, he couldn’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for a mother of three young children.
Her kids were cute. He liked children—from a safe distance. His Wind Shadow Resort here in South Carolina was a family-friendly destination with mini golf, arcades, a water park and a kids’ day program, and he always interacted well with the younger guests. He expected to get along just fine with Jade’s trio, though he probably wouldn’t see much of them during the next two weeks.
Despite his mother’s frequent and unsubtle hints, he wasn’t in any hurry for his own offspring. They required entirely too much emotional investment. Too much time, too much energy, too much anxiety—particularly for someone who’d already experienced loss and didn’t want to live in constant worry about other vulnerable innocents. Did that make him a coward? Okay, maybe. But a contented one, nonetheless, he assured himself.
He was walking through the den toward his suite when a movement outside the big glass sliders caught his attention. Only the minimum of security lights were turned on, rather than the full range of lighting available for nighttime entertaining. With a frown, he stepped closer to make sure no one was out there in the gloom who shouldn’t be.
Seeing a dark form seated near the edge of the pool, he reached quickly for the slider handle. Had one of the kids sneaked out this late? He didn’t even want to think about a child falling into his pool in the middle of the night. The pool was fenced off from outsiders but accessible from the patio, a situation he hadn’t needed to reconsider until tonight.
That was exactly the kind of dread he’d just told himself he didn’t want in his life.
He was relieved when he walked down the steps from the deck and saw Jade seated cross-legged on the tile. She’d turned her head when he opened the door. He felt all his senses leap to attention in response to the impact of her dark eyes and soft mouth glistening in the low light. He pushed those responses down, reminding himself that she was a guest in his home.
He motioned toward the glittering pool. “Thinking about taking a dip?”
“Well, not in a shirt and jeans,” she answered with a laugh. “I was just enjoying the nice night. I like to sit under the stars to unwind after a long day. This is a beautiful back lawn, Trevor. And this pool is fantastic.”
“Thanks.” He was rather proud of the pool, which he’d designed to resemble a natural element surrounded by realistic-looking rocks. A tall waterfall anchored the far end, with a curving slide built around it into the water. A low diving board jutted out from another side. When had he last taken time to enjoy any of those features?
An outdoor barbecue kitchen, along with tables, benches and inviting lounge chairs, made the backyard ideal for entertaining, and yet he made use of it all too rarely. It had been at least three months since he’d hosted a barbecue, and that had been a business function for visiting investors.
He glanced toward the various comfortable seating areas, then gave a shrug and sat beside Jade on the cool, night-damp tile. “Did you have a nice dinner?”
“Very nice, thank you. Mary Pat kept us laughing all through the meal. I practically had to twist her arm to let us help her clear away afterward.”
“Mary Pat loves nothing more than fussing over people. There are times I feel sort of guilty for not giving her more to do around here,” he said with a sheepish chuckle. “I try to come home at least once a week for dinner just so she can cook for me—and yes, I’m aware of how that sounds.”
“After seeing her beaming at the dinner table while the kids were scarfing down their food, I totally believe you.”
They smiled at each other, and then Jade looked away, her gaze turning upward toward the night sky. Leaning back on his hands, Trevor followed her example. The stars were beautiful, like flawless diamonds scattered carelessly over black velvet. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d simply sat and looked up at them. A breeze rustled the fronds of the palmettos planted around the patio and played in the leaves of the old live oak trees bordering his property. The rock waterfall, glittering in the illumination of built-in canister lights, provided a soothing, almost musical accompaniment.
He’d owned this house for four years, yet he could count on one hand the number of times he’d simply sat by the pool and completely relaxed. It felt good. He glanced at the attractive woman sitting quietly beside him and realized it was even nicer to have someone to share the peaceful interlude with. Jade looked perfectly comfortable with the companionable silence.
It had been a long while since he’d enjoyed one-on-one time with an appealing woman. He’d tried to convince himself he was too busy with new work projects, but the truth was he’d simply gotten tired of dealing with conventions and expectations.
He heard Jade draw a deep breath, as if taking in a long taste of the night before she asked, “How was your business dinner?”
Grateful to be distracted by a topic that was much more comfortable for him, he shrugged and replied, “It was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Mary Pat told us during dinner that you’ll be traveling to your resort in Texas tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I’m planning to spend the weekend there. I’ll be back Sunday evening. In the meantime, I hope you and the kids make yourselves completely at home here. The pool and the rec room are at your disposal as much as you like. And if there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to let Mary Pat know.”
“Thank you. Caleb and Erin are already looking forward to getting in this pool. They love to swim.”
“Any time. Mary Pat knows where all the switches are for the pool features. It has lights for night swimming, too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Trevor found himself fantasizing for a moment about seeing Jade in the pool under the twinkling stars. He’d bet she looked damned good wet.
What was wrong with him tonight? Telling himself to stop being such a guy, he looked back up at the sky.
After a moment, Jade pushed herself to her feet, stretching as she rose with a grace that reminded him of a sleek cat. “I should check on the kids. And then I’ll turn in. Good night, Trevor.”
Shifting his weight on the tile, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, um, good night, Jade. I think I’ll stay out here a few more minutes.”
He watched her walk away. Had she taken ballet lessons? Something about her posture and the way she moved brought
the question to his mind. Well, that and a few other things a good host probably shouldn’t think about in regards to his guest.
* * *
MARY PAT HAD a hearty breakfast ready by the time Jade and the kids came downstairs Friday morning. As much as she enjoyed the pampering, Jade still felt uncomfortable about being waited on this way. She’d hired babysitters and once-a-week maid service when the children were little and she was in nursing school, but she’d never had a live-in housekeeper and cook. It felt too decadent.
Trevor joined them for breakfast before leaving to spend the weekend at his second resort on the Texas Gulf Coast. Erin and Caleb chattered at him throughout the half hour he sat with them. Jade was impressed with his patience in answering their questions and responding to their random comments, even though it was obvious to her that he was keeping a close eye on the time, preparing for his departure. He went out of his way to include shy Bella in the freewheeling conversation, eliciting a few smiles and even a couple of soft laughs from the child in response. Jade was content for the most part just to listen while she enjoyed her waffles, contributing only when she was directly addressed. Mary Pat bustled around the table like a proud Southern grandma blissfully feeding her brood, settling only occasionally into her own chair.
Trevor made his excuses before the others were finished with their meals, explaining that he had to get to the airport. He encouraged Jade and the children again to use the pool and other amenities, adding he was sure Mary Pat would take good care of them. Jade noted that he squeezed his housekeeper’s shoulder lightly on his way out and Mary Pat patted his hand in response, an affectionate exchange that demonstrated their mutual fondness.
She and the kids had several errands scheduled for that very warm day. When they returned to the house, Jade, Caleb and Erin made good use of the swimming pool. Bella, who was afraid of water, sat on the side and entertained herself with toys while the others laughed and swam and played on the tall, curving waterslide.
