LITMIR.BIZ

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thank you.” She settled on one end of the comfortably overstuffed couch. Sam scrambled onto the cushion beside her. Caleb sank into a worn-looking recliner that was obviously “his” chair, while Wade chose a wooden rocking chair for himself and his daughter. Clay sat cross-legged on the floor, his attention fully reclaimed by his electronic game.

      Never one to savor silence, Jamie spoke up. “How are Tara and Trent, Mr. McBride? It’s been ages since I’ve seen either of them.”

      Caleb seemed pleased that she’d asked about his other two offspring. “Tara and a partner have a small law practice in Atlanta. Tara’s married to an unorthodox private investigator—Blake Fox—and they’re expecting their first child soon.”

      Though Tara had been a few years ahead of her in school and they hadn’t known each other well, Jamie wasn’t surprised to hear that Tara was a successful attorney. She’d been an overachiever—just like her brother, Jamie thought as Trevor came back into the room carrying little Abbie. He sat on the opposite end of the couch, on the other side of Sam, balancing the toddler on his knee.

      “Trent,” Caleb continued, as if there had been no interruption, “graduated from the air force academy. He’s training to be a fighter pilot, stationed in California right now, but he’s hoping for a transfer to Aviano, Italy, soon.”

      “I doubt that his mother likes that.”

      Caleb chuckled. “You’ve got that right. She complains frequently that all her children moved away from Honoria as soon as they graduated high school. She’s delighted, of course, that Trevor has come home to us so she can see the grandkids as often as she likes.”

      Jamie turned to watch Trevor as he smoothed Abbie’s nap-rumpled hair. The ease of his movements spoke of experience, and made her see him more clearly as a single father, solely responsible for two very young and very vulnerable children. It was up to him, she mused, to make sure that they were fed, bathed and clothed, to take them to the doctor and the dentist, to tuck them into bed, dry their tears and soothe their fears. Having never been accountable for anyone but herself—not even a pet—Jamie could hardly imagine such awesome responsibility.

      She wondered again about the children’s mother, who had died so tragically young. Trevor’s wife. Was he still in mourning for her? Had he returned to Honoria for his mother’s help with his children, or to escape the painful memories of his wife and the home they had shared in Washington? Maybe a little of both?

      When she found herself wondering if he would ever fall in love again, she abruptly redirected her train of thought.

      She turned to Wade. “I heard, of course, that Emily’s brother Lucas reappeared a couple of years ago. The town gossips must have had a field day.”

      Wade nodded. “He came back for Christmas and stayed to attend our wedding on New Year’s Eve, eighteen months ago. And, yeah, the gossips nearly wore out their tongues when he showed up out of the blue after being gone fifteen years. More than half the town believed he’d murdered Roger Jennings before he left, and they weren’t too happy to hear he’d come back.”

      “From what I’ve heard, he’s back in the town’s good graces now that everyone knows it was Roger’s uncle who was the real murderer. I could hardly believe that. Sam Jennings was my dentist when I was a kid! Who could have imagined then that he’d already killed twice and would kill again?”

      “Lucas’s innocence certainly swayed public opinion in his favor,” Trevor commented dryly. “But not as much, perhaps, as the fact that he made himself a fortune in the California computer industry while he was away. The snobs were much more gracious to the rich businessman than they had been to the rebel he’d been before he left town.”

      “That I believe,” Jamie murmured, thinking of times in the past when she had been shunned because of her own less-than-ideal family background. Being the only daughter of two alcoholics whose marital battles had been well know in the community, Jamie knew what it was like to grow up outside the tight social cliques in this town. “I’m glad Lucas has done well for himself. I understand he and Rachel Jennings were married and live in California.”

      “They seem very happy,” Caleb agreed. “Lucas needed someone like Rachel to calm him down. He was always so hotheaded and volatile, and she’s so calm and restrained—they offset each other very well. They announced just last week that they’re expecting a baby. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of father Lucas makes.”

      “Your family is growing rapidly,” Jamie commented.

      Caleb nodded in visible satisfaction. As the only surviving member of his generation, he must be pleased that the McBride name would carry on, Jamie decided.

      “Uncle Lucas designed this game,” young Clay remarked, proving that he’d been monitoring the adults’ conversation while seemingly engrossed in his toy. “It’s called a Rebelcom and it’s way cool.”

      “You’ll have to show it to me after dinner,” Jamie suggested. “I have a weakness for cool electronics.”

      Clay nodded and pushed another game button, returning to his play.

      “I got one, too,” Sam piped up. “For my birthday. You can see mine, if you come to my house.”

      Jamie smiled down at her young admirer. “Maybe I’ll do that sometime.”

      She didn’t look at Trevor as she spoke, though she wondered how he felt about his son inviting her to their house.

      “So now I’ve asked about all the McBride cousins except Savannah,” she commented, turning back to Caleb. “I know from the grapevine that she married the writer Christopher Pace and they divide their time between L.A. and Georgia. I assume she’s doing well?”

      Caleb nodded at the mention of his late brother’s only daughter. “Savannah’s fine. Seems happy as a clam. Her husband is a decent guy, even if he does hang out some with those Hollywood types.”

      Smiling, Jamie asked, “And her twins?”

      “Teenagers now. Good kids, both of them, and they’re crazy about Kit. He legally adopted them. I sort of hated to see them give up the McBride name, but it seems to have made them feel more like a family, so I guess they made the right decision.”

      Jamie hadn’t forgotten the big scandal when Savannah McBride, head cheerleader, homecoming queen, beauty pageant winner and pampered princess, had become pregnant with twins when she was sixteen. Jamie had been only ten or eleven at the time, but everyone in Honoria had known about Savannah’s predicament and the controversy that had ensued when she’d named Vince Hankins as the father—an accusation the high-school jock had cravenly denied. Jamie was glad Savannah and her children had turned out all right.

      The McBrides had been providing fodder for the town gossips for years, she mused. It had been something that had made her feel a kinship with them, since she’d been the subject of some avid gossip herself during her admittedly reckless teen years.

      “You haven’t mentioned your family yet this evening,” Caleb said, politely directing the conversations away from his own clan. “How is your mother?”

      “She’s fine.” Jamie knew her tone had become stilted, but it always did when she talked of her mother. “She’s living in Birmingham now, close to her sister.”

      “And your father?”

      She felt her neck muscles tighten even more when she replied. “Last I heard, he was living in Montana. We don’t really stay in touch.”

      “I see.”

      There was a brief, awkward silence, which seemed to hold for several tense moments. Then Abbie laughed and babbled something, baby Claire fussed and Bobbie came into the room to announce that dinner was served. Relieved to have the attention diverted from herself, Jamie lifted her chin, pasted on a bright smile and rose to join the others as they moved toward the dining room.

      THE MAIN COURSE

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