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“Three kids under eight,” she agreed quietly. “One not even walking yet.”
“I have a feeling swim lessons were low on your priority list.”
Which didn’t make her feel any less guilty that Caleb and Erin were having so much fun in the water while Bella played in the grass. That latent guilt also probably explained, at least in part, her reaction to Trevor’s attempted intervention.
“Mom, are you coming or not?” Erin demanded from the grotto entrance.
With a nod to Trevor, Jade kicked off from the pool wall and stroked toward the waterfall. By the time she came back out a short while later, Trevor was swimming laps from one side of the pool to the other, letting his arms pull him through the water rather than putting extra stress on his injured leg. And despite herself, she couldn’t help watching for a moment as the water rippled off his bare back and the waning sunlight glinted off his long arms. The man was well toned, there was no denying that. Not in the bulging-muscled, über-warrior physique Stephen had tried to maintain, but with the sleek body of a swimmer or a runner. Nice.
Shaking her head with a shower of glittering droplets, she climbed the steps out of the pool and called for her children.
“Time to get ready for dinner,” she said, motioning for Bella to join them. “That’s enough swimming for today.”
She expected a chorus of protests from her older two, but they gave only token sighs before following her out of the pool—a sign that the busy day had left even them tired.
She looked back from the doorway into the house to find that Trevor had paused in his swimming and was paddling lazily in the center of the deepest part of the pool. He was watching her again. He smiled when their eyes met, and she smiled back.
Chapter Three (#ub61669b5-04d8-5ebb-8e69-811668064e27)
THEY WOKE TO rain Tuesday morning, a condition predicted to last most of the day. Jade had breakfast with the children and Mary Pat, who told them she’d taken coffee and a muffin to Trevor in his home office. He was preparing for a business visit from his administrative assistant later that day, she added.
“He wanted to call a driver to take him to his resort office today, but Tamar, his assistant, insisted on bringing the work to him. I’m sure she knew she’d never be able to keep him seated with his leg up if he were there. He’d be out hobbling around on his crutches, making sure everything was running smoothly—as if he didn’t have a crackerjack staff taking care of that. The place runs just fine when he’s off visiting his other properties.”
Jade had no doubt Trevor was anxious to get back to work. While they’d been gathered around the dinner table last night, she’d seen signs of his struggle to hide his frustration with being homebound, especially when the kids had chattered about their outing.
“What’s on your agenda today, Jade?” Adding another spoonful of brown sugar to the bowl in front of her, Mary Pat brought Jade’s thoughts back from last night’s dinner. The housekeeper had served a somewhat healthier breakfast this morning of steel-cut oatmeal, blueberries and whole-grain toast with her homemade peach jam. Everything was delicious.
Jade set down her coffee cup. She had a busy schedule with the academic year starting tomorrow. The mid-week kick-off was reportedly traditional for their new schools, a way to ease students back into routine with a shortened first week. “This morning I plan to help the kids get their school supplies sorted so they’ll be ready to go tomorrow. After lunch, I have to go over to our house to meet with the contractor and make some decisions. I just hope they have the roof adequately covered against this rain.”
“Are the children going with you? Because they’re welcome to stay here with me, if they’d rather.”
“Can we, Mom?” Erin asked hastily. “It’s so boring when you’re talking to the contractors, and we can’t even go outside because it’s raining.”
“We can play upstairs in the rec room here,” Caleb proposed. “It’s our last day for video games and movies and stuff before school starts tomorrow.”
“Mary Pat said I can help her make cookies today, like we talked about at dinner yesterday,” Bella piped in. “We could do that while you’re gone, right, Ms. Mary Pat?”
“Absolutely.” The housekeeper’s face practically lit up at the prospect. “Any kind of cookies you like, sweetie pie. I have cutters and frosting and sprinkles so you can decorate them and make them pretty.”
“Okay, Mommy?” Bella asked eagerly, though Jade had approved the cookie making lesson when they’d first discussed the idea.
Jade’s nod included them all. “You can stay here,” she told her children, “but you’d better be on your best behavior while I’m gone.”
A chorus of crossed-heart promises followed, assuring her that her trio would be perfect angels. Deciding she could count on that—to an extent—she thanked Mary Pat for agreeing to watch over them and finished her breakfast. She wasn’t particularly looking forward to going out into the heavy rain to wrangle with her laconic contractor, but she was ready for the repairs to her home to be completed. They needed to settle into their life, and not as guests in this luxurious house.
She was gone longer than she expected that afternoon. She’d arrived at her house dripping from the dash from the car. She’d had to park on the street because the driveway was blocked by pickup trucks, and had entered to find the workers frantically trying to contain leaks pouring into the kitchen. Apparently the roof tarp hadn’t been well secured, which was inexcusable in an area well practiced in dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters like hurricanes.
Seeing the fresh damage made Jade’s rare temper snap, and she had a few words for the contractor in charge of this team. Finally satisfied that the situation was under control—and that the contractor was now aware that his client was not a meek woman willing to simply accept whatever mansplaining jargon he threw at her—she spent the next two hours discussing options with him. Afterward, she had to stop by a home improvement store to make final choices on paint and trim colors. She could never resist browsing in that store, and the time slipped away from her while she admired appliances and fixtures, flooring and accessories. Having made her purchases, she slogged through the driving rain again and drove back to Trevor’s house.
She was going to look like a drowned rat when she entered, but maybe she’d have time to freshen up before he saw her. Not that it mattered, of course, she assured herself quickly. She simply had a normal amount of feminine vanity.
Sadly for the sake of her ego, she walked into the kitchen only to come almost face-to-face with Trevor on his crutches and a tall, striking caramel-skinned woman with shrewd dark eyes and impeccably styled black hair. The woman wore crisp, lightweight gray slacks and a fuchsia silk blouse, and Jade couldn’t help being aware of her own tousled damp hair, wrinkled clothing and rain-washed face.
Holding her head high, she pasted on a bright smile. “It’s really pouring down out there.”
“Much to the disappointment of our guests at the resort,” Trevor responded wryly, glancing at the window over the sink. “Fortunately, the rain’s supposed to end in a couple of hours.”
He motioned toward the tall woman then. “Jade, this is Tamar Jones, my administrative assistant. Tamar, this is Jade Evans. You’ve already met her kids.”
“I did, yes.” Tamar shook Jade’s hand warmly. “They’re delightful. So bright and polite.”
“Thank you.” Jade glanced at Trevor. “Where are they?”
“Upstairs, playing board games with Mary Pat—who’s been having the time of her life today, by the way. She and Bella made cookies, and Mary Pat’s been teaching Caleb and Erin some trick shots at billiards.”
Jade could smell the aroma of fresh-baked cookies permeating the kitchen. Several covered plates on the counter probably held the results of the cooking lesson.
“How’s the progress on your house coming along?”
She rolled her eyes in response to Trevor’s question. “Does the term three-ring circus give you a clue?”
“Ouch.”
Tamar shifted the large, thickly stuffed tote bag in her hands. “I should be getting back to the office. I have a long list of things to do—even longer now that the boss has had time to come up with some new ideas,” she added with an indulgent smile toward Trevor.
Like his housekeeper, Trevor’s assistant seemed totally devoted to her employer, which said quite a bit about how well he treated them. Jade and Tamar exchanged polite goodbyes and then Tamar pulled a small umbrella from her bag and went out to brave the elements to her car. Jade suspected the woman would look beautifully put-together even if caught in a hurricane.
“Tamar seems nice,” she said to Trevor when they were alone.
“She’s my rock at the office,” he replied simply. “I’d hate to think of trying to handle my workload without her.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard the best business leaders always surround themselves with the best employees.”
“I will concede that my employees are absolutely the best,” he said with modest expression.
She laughed. “Nice dodge.”
He grinned, balancing on one crutch as he reached out to brush a still-damp strand of hair from her cheek. “Thanks.”
Whoa. She felt the impact of that unexpected touch jolt her all the way to her toes. Perhaps he sensed her reaction, or maybe read it on her face. His smile faded, and his blue eyes glinted in a way that made her wonder what he was thinking.
He cleared his throat and took a step back. “So, about the issues at your house? Is there anything I can do to help? I know most of the contractors around here. Maybe I should have a word with yours?”
That suggestion straightened her spine again. “I’m handling it, thank you,” she said firmly. She’d never needed a man to step in and help her deal with her personal business, and she didn’t need it now from this man who’d already done more for her and her children than she was comfortable accepting.
Trevor seemed to realize he’d accidentally stepped on her pride. “I’m sure you are. Just letting you know I’m available if you need anything.”
And...she’d overreacted again, Jade thought with a smothered sigh. What was it about Trevor that made her do that? “Thank you,” she said again, more sincerely this time.
“Mommy, Mommy!” Bella dashed into the kitchen, bringing a welcome end to the unexpected tension in the room. “We made cookies! And I put the icing and sprinkles on some of them all by myself!”
Jade turned to her daughter with a tone that sounded too bright even to her. “Did you? That sounds like fun.”
“It was. And they’re good, too. Do you want one?”
“I’m sure they’re delicious, but I’ll wait until later. I’d like to shower and put on fresh clothes after being out in the rain all morning.”
Bella turned toward the doorway. “Ms. Mary Pat said she’d build a block house with me when she finishes the game she’s playing with Caleb and Erin. I just wanted to see if you’re home yet.”
Jade had an impulse to remind her daughter that this wasn’t actually “home,” but she let it go. She didn’t look back as she left the kitchen with Bella holding her hand, but she had the feeling that Trevor was watching. And that made her swallow hard.
* * *
TREVOR WASN’T SURE if Jade would come outside that night, considering her earlier dousing, but he made his way to the patio, anyway. His cabin fever was strong tonight, and he needed to be out of the house, if only a few feet away.
The rain had stopped a few hours earlier, leaving the night air comfortable, if not quite cool. Most of the furniture had dried enough for sitting, though a bit of damp soaked through his pants when he settled into a chair. Darker than the night sky, a few clouds lingered overhead, pinpoint stars and a watery moon floating peacefully among them.
Settling back into the lounge chair, he wondered why he hadn’t done this more often, simply sat outside and let the peace surround him. If he closed his eyes, he could smell the flowers in the professionally maintained beds around the house, the not unpleasant scent of chemicals from the pool and the faintly fuel-tinged aroma of the Intracoastal Waterway behind his property. Even at this late hour, he could hear the occasional passing car from the street and cruising craft on the waterway, but for the most part, the area was quiet. A breeze rustled through the palmetto fronds and fanned his cheeks, lulling him into a state that was somewhere between sleep and fantasies.
He wasn’t sure if it was a noise or the tingle at the back of his neck that made him open his eyes to see Jade standing nearby, looking as though she wasn’t sure whether to announce her presence or turn and slip back into the house. “Hey,” he said to let her know he was awake—and open to company.
“Hey,” she replied quietly. “How wet is that chair?”
Noting that she wore shorts and a T-shirt now, he motioned toward the chair beside him. “Dry enough.”
Her hesitation was so brief that he wondered if he only imagined it. He thought back to that moment in the kitchen when he’d blurted out an offer to speak with her contractor, a suggestion she obviously hadn’t taken well. They’d been perfectly civil ever since, but maybe she’d taken more offense than he’d realized; had she interpreted his offer as a lack of confidence in her abilities to deal with the repairs herself? He hadn’t intended it that way. He was simply in the habit of active, hands-on problem solving, both in his business and personal affairs—and often on behalf of friends and family, many of whom had come to expect it from him.
He wasn’t comfortable with the hint of arrogance implied in his assumption that he was always the best-qualified arbitrator. Perhaps he should have paid attention to recent suggestions that he place more faith in his trusted associates—and in his friends, apparently.
Still, Jade looked quite comfortable as she settled into the chair and turned her face up to the sky with her eyes closed in much the same manner as when he’d found her out here that first time. She truly did seem to draw tranquility from the night. He needed to follow her example more often.
The two older kids had been wound up during dinner, babbling with a combination of nerves and excitement about the first day at their new school tomorrow. The adults had barely been able to get a word in edgewise, so they’d simply abandoned all attempt at carrying on any conversation that didn’t include Caleb and Erin. Bella had contributed occasionally, mostly when asked direct questions, but she’d been visibly subdued. Trevor suspected she was the most anxious of the trio about the next day. As seemed to be typical for them.
“Kids all asleep?” he asked.
Jade turned her head to nod at him. “Bella and Erin are. Caleb has a later bedtime, so he usually reads for an hour before turning in. He was reading in bed when I checked, but he said he was getting sleepy.”
“Is Bella doing okay?”
Jade answered after a faint sigh. “She’s a bundle of nerves. I gave her a warm bath with lavender oils to calm her, then read two of her favorite bedtime stories before she finally fell asleep. She’s always anxious before going into a new situation, even though she met her teacher at the open house yesterday. Her teacher seemed very nice. Bella thinks she’s going to like her.”
“I hope she’s right. And I understand how Bella feels. I was always a wreck the night before a new school year started. For me, it got worse every year rather than better. I hope Bella doesn’t go through that.”
Jade looked surprised by the confession. “Why did it get harder for you? Didn’t you like school?”
Just what had his tone unintentionally revealed in his off-the-cuff comment? He tried to lighten it when he replied, “School was fine. Just a lot of pressure. That happens when you come from a family of overachievers with only one child to focus on.”
She was quiet for several long moments before saying, “Something tells me you were valedictorian of your class.”
“Covaledictorian,” he corrected her. “One of the other students had exactly the same grade point average I did.”
“And how did your parents respond to that?”
He chuckled, keeping his reply candid but casual. “They congratulated me. Bought me a car for graduation. And mentioned a few times that if I’d worked just a smidge harder, I could have come out ahead of that girl.”
After digesting that for a moment, she asked, “Did you feel the same pressure in college?”
Realizing he’d brought this shift in focus on himself, Trevor answered succinctly. “I got the degrees—that was all that really mattered.”
“MBA, right?”
“Right.”
“Followed by military service.”
“Four years.”
He’d enlisted at twenty-five, an idealistic newlywed eager to serve and determined to do at least one thing his father had never considered and didn’t entirely approve of. It was something he’d discussed with Lindsey before they’d married, and while his young bride had been impatient to begin their lives as prominent members of the Southern social scene, she’d supported his wishes—if reluctantly—and had done her best to be a committed army wife.
Lindsey had been his most fervent cheerleader, he mused, calling a time-dimmed picture of his pretty bride to mind. She’d believed without a doubt that he would be successful in business, and she’d eagerly described her dream future. A big house in which she would be renowned as the popular hostess for a whirl of social and charitable events. Long weekends in New York or Paris or London. Household staff and competent nannies for a child or two, if she and Trevor reached a point when both wanted to make that further commitment. It had been a rosy, perhaps overly idealized, image that Trevor had indulged even as he pursued his own whim of having the word veteran added to his public résumé.
He’d left the military as a twenty-eight-year-old widower. Not only had Lindsey been denied the future of her fantasies, the husband she’d championed so gamely hadn’t even been in the country when she’d died.
He needed to change the subject. “So, tell me more about what’s going on at your house,” he said, choosing his words more carefully this time. “It sounds as though you’ve been dealing with quite a lot there.”
He was grateful that Jade went along with the redirection apparently without any hard feelings about his earlier clumsiness. She gave him a quick rundown of what she’d found at her house, making him wince in sympathy. His lips tilted upward when she added a summary of the chewing out she’d given the contractor. The indignation lingering in her voice let him know she hadn’t been gentle about it.
So his guest had a core of fire behind that cool and composed exterior. He rather liked that.
“Something tells me the guy’s on notice now that he’d better make sure the rest of the job goes smoothly,” he commented.
Jade shrugged. “I stayed calm, but firm. As a single woman, it’s a skill I’ve had to learn when dealing with certain contractors, mechanics, sales people and claims adjusters. My dad once said I don’t actually bite if anyone even figuratively pats me on the head and calls me little lady, but I make them believe I’m going to.”
Trevor chuckled. “I didn’t know your dad well, but he always seemed like a nice guy.”
“He was.”
“You were close.” It wasn’t a question; he’d seen her grief at her father’s funeral.
“We were. He taught me to be strong and independent, to change a tire and my oil, to drive a nail and tighten a pipe fitting—and somehow I was still Daddy’s girl.”
Her description made him smile. Which was followed by a ripple of regret that her children wouldn’t be able to tell similar stories someday about their own father. That wasn’t fair—but then, he’d just been thinking about his own evidence that life wasn’t always fair.
Trevor had never met Jade’s late husband, Stephen, who, while growing up in the same area as Trevor, had been a few years his junior. Still, Trevor had heard quite a bit about him, both from his parents and through local legend. A career marine, Stephen had been deployed numerous times and had proved himself a fearless hero over and over again. The news reports had detailed how he’d died while saving three of his fellow marines.
Trevor would never compare his own brief stint in the military, mostly sitting behind a desk, to Stephen’s service. Considering that he’d served only one hitch and had emerged relatively unscathed—though guilt ridden for being away when Lindsey died—he hardly even thought of himself as a veteran.
Stephen Evans would be a hard act to follow for any man who pictured himself fitting into Jade’s tight little family. A guy could find himself intimidated at the thought of trying to step into those heroic shoes; not that he had any such aspirations, himself.
