LITMIR.BIZ

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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

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