twenty.
But while Maud's smile deepened, Jenny's dropped from her face with the speed of an overripe apple. Wariness replaced it. Ignoring Evan, she turned her attention to Cal, shooting curious glances at him from a safe place behind Maud's hip. Evan crouched down to say hello.
"So you're Jenny," she said. "Your aunt Caressa's told me all about you, but I didn't know how pretty you are. I'm Evan, and this"—she gestured at her tall, handsome son—"is Cal."
Jenny clutched Maud's hand and took Evan's measure with the cautious consideration of a foreman hiring a new recruit. This was not a child who easily gave her affection. Good for you, Jenny . A touch of reticence saves you from a lot of pain . Something I didn't find out until I made one too many mistakes. She touched the girl's light golden hair, a forerunner of her father's much darker shade, she guessed. When Jenny pulled away from her touch, she let it happen. Children liked to do things in their own time.
The introductions complete, Linc asked, "Maud, are there a couple of rooms we can use for a few days? That damn cabin's a shambles."
"So is this house, in case you haven't noticed," Maud said good-naturedly, "but we'll figure something out. Evan can use the room adjoining yours. The carpeting is complete in that one, and"—she tapped a finger against her chin—"if it's all right with you, Cal, you can sleep in the attic playroom. It should do for now. Another bedroom should be ready in a couple of days." She gave him a warm smile. "Will that be okay, or will all those dolls and tea sets up there be too much for you?" she teased.
Cal, who hadn't smiled since leaving the cabin, grinned before answering, "It'll be okay, thanks."
"Good, Why don't you come with me then, and I'll show you where it is. We might have to go on a bit of a treasure hunt for bed linens."
Cal looked at his mother, and then at Linc. When the men's eyes met, Cal's smile vanished and he straightened. "You okay here, Mom?" he asked. Evan sensed his real question was, are you okay with him?
"I'm fine. Go ahead, Cal. I'll see you later."
The trio set off, leaving Linc and Evan alone at the bottom of the stairs. Linc frowned after Cal, then was immediately distracted by a workman asking him a question about the electrical work. Evan took the alone time to look around for the first time.
It was a truly grand house. The wide staircase curved gracefully down to the spacious foyer, where its newel posts rested on aged floors with the patina of polished bronze. Evan couldn't resist crossing the hall to look into what she was sure would be the library. A house like this just had to have a library. She was right. A long, pleased sigh escaped her as she scanned the room.
Two walls were bookshelves, from the floor to the ten-foot-high ceiling; a third wall was a mere framework for a magnificently arched, beveled-glass window. The last wall had French doors leading to a patio looking out over Evan's cabin and the ocean beyond. Although the room was a mess, full of tools, drop cloths, and paint tins, it was easy to visualize the finished product. In her thirty years, Evan had only imagined a room like this. She had never seen one. She leaned against the doorjamb as her eyes roamed the still-empty bookcases.
"Like it?" Linc asked from behind her, his voice coolly questioning.
"Love it would be more accurate." Smiling, she made no attempt to hide her feelings. "It's perfect."
He gave her a strange look. "It's far from finished."
"Is that where you'll work?" Evan gestured toward the area in front of the tall window. "The light will be wonderful."
He nodded. "When I'm here. I travel a lot, though I'm hoping that will change now that we're settled. Would you like to see the rest of the house before I show you your room?"
She looked up in surprise. While she was determined to be courteous, she'd given up expecting the same consideration from him. "I'd like that," she said.
"We'll start with the
But while Maud's smile deepened, Jenny's dropped from her face with the speed of an overripe apple. Wariness replaced it. Ignoring Evan, she turned her attention to Cal, shooting curious glances at him from a safe place behind Maud's hip. Evan crouched down to say hello.
"So you're Jenny," she said. "Your aunt Caressa's told me all about you, but I didn't know how pretty you are. I'm Evan, and this"—she gestured at her tall, handsome son—"is Cal."
Jenny clutched Maud's hand and took Evan's measure with the cautious consideration of a foreman hiring a new recruit. This was not a child who easily gave her affection. Good for you, Jenny . A touch of reticence saves you from a lot of pain . Something I didn't find out until I made one too many mistakes. She touched the girl's light golden hair, a forerunner of her father's much darker shade, she guessed. When Jenny pulled away from her touch, she let it happen. Children liked to do things in their own time.
The introductions complete, Linc asked, "Maud, are there a couple of rooms we can use for a few days? That damn cabin's a shambles."
"So is this house, in case you haven't noticed," Maud said good-naturedly, "but we'll figure something out. Evan can use the room adjoining yours. The carpeting is complete in that one, and"—she tapped a finger against her chin—"if it's all right with you, Cal, you can sleep in the attic playroom. It should do for now. Another bedroom should be ready in a couple of days." She gave him a warm smile. "Will that be okay, or will all those dolls and tea sets up there be too much for you?" she teased.
Cal, who hadn't smiled since leaving the cabin, grinned before answering, "It'll be okay, thanks."
"Good, Why don't you come with me then, and I'll show you where it is. We might have to go on a bit of a treasure hunt for bed linens."
Cal looked at his mother, and then at Linc. When the men's eyes met, Cal's smile vanished and he straightened. "You okay here, Mom?" he asked. Evan sensed his real question was, are you okay with him?
"I'm fine. Go ahead, Cal. I'll see you later."
The trio set off, leaving Linc and Evan alone at the bottom of the stairs. Linc frowned after Cal, then was immediately distracted by a workman asking him a question about the electrical work. Evan took the alone time to look around for the first time.
It was a truly grand house. The wide staircase curved gracefully down to the spacious foyer, where its newel posts rested on aged floors with the patina of polished bronze. Evan couldn't resist crossing the hall to look into what she was sure would be the library. A house like this just had to have a library. She was right. A long, pleased sigh escaped her as she scanned the room.
Two walls were bookshelves, from the floor to the ten-foot-high ceiling; a third wall was a mere framework for a magnificently arched, beveled-glass window. The last wall had French doors leading to a patio looking out over Evan's cabin and the ocean beyond. Although the room was a mess, full of tools, drop cloths, and paint tins, it was easy to visualize the finished product. In her thirty years, Evan had only imagined a room like this. She had never seen one. She leaned against the doorjamb as her eyes roamed the still-empty bookcases.
"Like it?" Linc asked from behind her, his voice coolly questioning.
"Love it would be more accurate." Smiling, she made no attempt to hide her feelings. "It's perfect."
He gave her a strange look. "It's far from finished."
"Is that where you'll work?" Evan gestured toward the area in front of the tall window. "The light will be wonderful."
He nodded. "When I'm here. I travel a lot, though I'm hoping that will change now that we're settled. Would you like to see the rest of the house before I show you your room?"
She looked up in surprise. While she was determined to be courteous, she'd given up expecting the same consideration from him. "I'd like that," she said.
"We'll start with the
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