GINA WILKINS – The Soldier's Legacy (страница 10)

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.