Читать книгу The Texan's Surprise Baby - Gina Wilkins - Страница 8

Hannah Bell figured she had a few days at the most to decide whether to run or stand her ground. She’d never considered herself a coward, but she was leaning toward running. She’d be leaving behind her loving, close-knit family, a marketing job she’d trained for all her life and her cozy manufactured home in the family owned Texas lake resort where she’d grown up. She would miss this tidy little two-bedroom trailer, the first place she’d ever lived that was hers alone.

Sitting in her neutral-toned living room, she sighed heavily, one hand on her swollen tummy as she silently conceded she wouldn’t be going anywhere. As inviting as it sounded to disappear before the inevitable confrontation with Andrew Walker, she would stay and face the consequences of her own unprecedented behavior on one reckless winter night. It wouldn’t do any good to run anyway. Andrew was a P.I. He’d find her if he wanted to.

Would he want to?

Four rapid knocks sounded on her front door—her sister Maggie’s characteristic signal. “It’s unlocked,” she called out, too tired to rise.

Maggie entered carrying a plastic cup with a straw. It was almost five, so she was probably finished with her work for the day. Maggie had chosen the job of housekeeping supervisor, hiring and overseeing the cleaning staff for the sixteen-unit motel and eight cabins available for rent in the resort. Having majored in business and Spanish in college, Maggie performed her job efficiently and cheerfully. She kept her employees on task and held them to high standards of cleanliness and customer service, yet they still liked her and would gladly do anything she asked. Hannah had always been impressed with her sister’s easy people skills. Even though she worked closely with the public herself in her role as marketing and scheduling supervisor for the resort, along with manning the front desk for check-ins, she was more naturally reserved and had to put a little more effort into her interactions.

“I brought you a strawberry smoothie,” Maggie said. “I figured you could use an energy boost.”

Hannah accepted the cup gratefully. “Thanks, sis.”

“You’re welcome. So, big news about Shelby and Aaron Walker, huh?”

Swallowing a gulp of the cold, fruity beverage, Hannah nodded, giving herself a moment to choose her words before answering. “I was shocked to hear Shelby’s gotten involved with Aaron Walker. But, then, I didn’t even know Andrew’s brother was here.”

Having been out of the state for a couple of weeks visiting their mother’s relatives in Shreveport, Hannah had missed the recent excitement here at Bell Resort and Marina, a business her family had owned for three generations. Her impetuous and imaginative cousin Shelby had suspected that a man renting one of the vacation cabins was involved in something illegal and had found herself in danger when she’d been proven right. Hannah shuddered to think of the knife that had been held to Shelby’s throat only the day before. Maggie had told her all about the nightmarish scene and about Aaron’s daring rescue of their cousin. Shelby sported an ugly bruise on one cheek from the ordeal.

Hannah would bet it would be a while before the family recovered from that shock, especially right on the heels of Shelby’s older brother Steven’s accident. He’d broken his leg and suffered a concussion when he’d overturned a mowing tractor while working around the campgrounds. Two near-tragedies in less than a week had been hard on their grandparents, not to mention Steven and Shelby’s parents. The family needed a few days of peace and comfortable routines.

Hannah was going to do her best to keep from upsetting them for a while. She had shocked them enough when she’d announced her pregnancy a couple months ago when it had started to become obvious. Now six months along, she still refused to name the father. She had let them believe her condition was the result of an impulsive and completely uncharacteristic one-night stand, which was true, with someone they didn’t know, which was not exactly accurate. She had made it quite clear that she wanted this child, that while her pregnancy might have been an accident, she would never label it a mistake. And bless their hearts, her family had rallied around her. She had no doubt they would welcome the newest member of their family with love and joy.

Sitting in a chair with the bottled water she’d brought for herself, Maggie brushed back her sun-streaked brown hair and studied Hannah with long-lashed hazel eyes. Hannah’s hair was a darker brown than her sister’s and her eyes were emerald-green. They would never be mistaken for twins, but she knew there were family resemblances between them, from their mother’s coloring to their father’s cheekbones.

“So, how are you feeling?” Maggie asked. “You looked pretty shaky when you arrived this morning.”

“That was probably too long a drive to make without more breaks,” Hannah admitted. “I thought leaving Grammy’s house at dawn to avoid the heat of the day was a good idea, but maybe I should have slept in a little longer.”

“You’re going to have to take better care of yourself,” Maggie fussed. “Eat better, get more rest. You can’t just—” She stopped with a laugh. “Oh, gosh, I sound like Mom, don’t I?”

Hannah smiled. “You do, but thanks for the concern anyway. I’ll be more careful.”

“You have a doctor’s appointment this week?”

“Yes, Friday. I’m having an ultrasound, so maybe this time I’ll finally see if it’s a boy or a girl.” She was eager to know the sex, but the little peanut hadn’t cooperated by getting into the right position during her earlier scan. Her ob-gyn had assured her they would probably know by the end of the upcoming visit.

Maggie grinned. “I can’t wait to find out if I’m having a niece or a nephew. I’m going to be the coolest aunt ever.”

Hannah laughed. “I have no doubt.”

Sobering, Maggie set her water bottle aside. “You should probably tell your doctor you almost fainted this morning. Your face went so white it scared me.”

Hannah concentrated on stirring her smoothie with the plastic straw. “Like I said, I was just tired.”

She had no intention of admitting that the unexpected sight of Aaron Walker standing with the rest of her family in the resort diner had drained all the blood from her head. For a heart-stopping moment, she’d mistaken him for his identical twin. She’d thought Andrew was there to see her, and a dozen panicked questions had flashed through her mind—most notably, had he somehow found out about the pregnancy?

Aaron had reached out to steady her when she’d swayed, and she’d realized almost instantly that he wasn’t Andrew. Even had he not worn his dark coffee-colored hair longer than his brother, she’d have known the truth with one look at his face. There was something in his eyes that was fundamentally different from Andrew’s, something she couldn’t quite define but recognized nonetheless. She couldn’t say she remembered much more about that meeting with Aaron, other than to make note that Aaron and Shelby had just announced they were a couple and that Aaron would be staying to work in the resort. Which meant it was inevitable that Andrew would eventually visit again to see his brother.

She rested a hand on her stomach, feeling the baby do a lazy turn inside.

“Have you decided on names yet?” Maggie asked.

“Not yet. I’ll wait until I know the sex.”

Maggie slipped in one more question in the same chatty tone. “Told the dad yet?”

Hannah gave her a look. While the rest of the family had accepted her refusal to discuss the matter, her younger sister didn’t give up so easily. “No.”

“Going to?”

“Yes.” She had always planned to do so eventually, though she’d yet to decide how or when. She’d thought she had two or three more months to figure it out. Now it seemed her time was up.

As if in confirmation of that acknowledgment, her cell phone chirped to announce a text message. She checked it warily, and was not as surprised as she probably should have been to see the sender’s name.

“I have to run to town for a little while,” she said, setting her half-empty smoothie cup aside.

Maggie blinked in surprise. “I thought you were going to rest this afternoon.”

“I’ve rested all day. There are some things I need to do now because I plan to be back at my desk first thing in the morning.”

Looking concerned, Maggie rose as Hannah did. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, thanks. I won’t be long.” At least she hoped not.

“Hannah—”

She rested a hand on Maggie’s arm. “I’m okay,” she said, trying to sound reassuring. “There’s just something I need to see to, okay?”

“You’ll let me know if you need me?”

“You know I will.”

Even though Maggie didn’t look happy about it, she let her go. Hannah drew a deep breath for courage as she headed for the door.

The public boat launch was set on a cove a fifteen-minute drive away from the Bell Resort and Marina. Shaded by tall leafy trees, it consisted of little more than the launch ramp, a parking lot and a few picnic tables. The place was nearly deserted on this Monday afternoon in mid-June, though a couple of parked trucks with empty boat trailers attached indicated fishermen would return later. A dark gray sports car looked out of place among the pickup-and-trailer combos.

Parking her own sensible little sedan, Hannah glanced through the windshield at the dark-haired, dark-eyed man who was watching her gravely from one of the picnic tables. He sat backward on the bench, facing the parking lot, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Wearing a blue polo shirt and jeans, Andrew Walker looked casual and relaxed, as though he had nothing more on his mind than an appreciation of the warm, cloudless afternoon. Hannah knew that impression was deceptive.

It wasn’t their first time to meet alone here. They’d come here to talk when he’d worked for her family early last August, trying to help them clean up the mess her ex-husband—now known in the family as “the evil ex”—had deliberately created. It wasn’t easy finding privacy among her ever-present family at the resort, so she’d brought Andrew here one afternoon to discuss the case frankly, telling him things about her failed marriage she hadn’t confided even to her relatives. She’d ended up sobbing into his shoulder, a memory that still made her cringe with embarrassment, but he’d been so kind and understanding that she’d probably fallen a little in love with him that very afternoon. She’d done her best to hide her feelings for him—feelings she neither trusted nor expected to lead anywhere—until that momentous, wholly unexpected night in December.

She couldn’t keep procrastinating getting out of her car. She refused to look like a coward in front of Andrew, despite the nerves quivering inside of her. Chin held high, she opened her door and climbed out. She hadn’t gained much weight so far during her pregnancy. Her sister teased her that it looked as though she had a basketball tucked beneath her shirt because the rest of her body was pretty much unchanged. Giving one self-conscious tug to the peasant-styled yellow top she wore with drawstring white cotton pants, she walked toward Andrew.

He rose as she approached. To give him credit, his gaze focused on her face, not her tummy. He wore his dark coffee-colored hair short, neatly trimmed, brushed off his clean-shaven face. His eyes were almost black. His jaw was firm, his nose straight, lips beautifully shaped, though stern now. He was still the best-looking man she’d ever known—though of course, Aaron looked exactly like him with the exception of a longer hairstyle. Yet looking at Aaron that morning, she’d instantly decided Andrew was still the more handsome—a ridiculous fancy, even though she held that same belief now.

Bypassing a greeting, Andrew went straight to the question she had expected. “Why didn’t you call me?”

She cleared her throat, wishing she’d prepared herself somewhat better for this conversation. “What makes you think you’re—”

“Hannah—” he gave her a look “—don’t even think about it.”

She sighed in surrender. “Fine.”

She’d simply been stalling for time anyway. Even if she wanted to—which she didn’t—there was no way she’d convince Andrew he wasn’t the father of this baby. He could count on his fingers as well as any guy. And even though they’d spent only a few short weeks in each other’s company during the ten months since they’d met, he’d gotten to know her well enough that he would have no doubt that night with him had been an anomaly for her.

“Were you going to tell me?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“When?”

“Soon. I just—” She paused, then shrugged. “I didn’t know what to say.”

Both his voice and his expression softened in response to her helpless tone. “I can understand that.”

She clasped her hands in front of her and looked down at them, unable to meet Andrew’s eyes just then.

His hands were gentle when they fell on her shoulders, but still her pulse raced in response to his touch. “Are you okay? You haven’t had any problems?”

She shook her head. “I’m in perfect health. And so is the baby.”

His gaze lowered then, focusing on her middle. He cleared his throat. “Is it—do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“I’ll find out Friday.”

His eyes rose and she saw the emotions he’d concealed to this point. She had learned during their one night together that the rather stoic control Andrew usually displayed masked an intense, passionate nature. Memories of that passion made her catch her breath, her heart thudding hard against her chest. A muscle flexed in Andrew’s jaw and the slightest tremor moved his fingers against her shoulders, making her suspect the same images were flashing through his mind. She felt her cheeks warm in a way that had nothing to do with the hot afternoon temperature.

Andrew dropped his hands a little too abruptly, shoving them into his pockets. By unspoken agreement, they both shifted to put another couple of inches between them.

“Have you told your family? About me?” he clarified.

She shook her head. “They have no idea. I never even told them I saw you in Dallas in December.”

“I see.”

So much of that fateful evening had hinged on impulse. She’d been in Dallas for an annual holiday gathering with some college friends, and had dropped by Andrew’s office with the excuse of giving him an update about her ex-husband’s sentencing—which he’d already known, having kept up with the case. He’d politely asked her to dinner and they’d had drinks at her hotel afterward. One thing had led to another, and then …

Automatically, she rested a hand on her stomach.

“I guess Aaron told you I was pregnant.” She’d known that was inevitable from the moment she’d seen Aaron with Shelby.

Andrew nodded. “It slipped into our conversation earlier today. Needless to say, it threw me for a loop. I—well, I guess the precautions we took that night weren’t enough. I know there’s always a chance, but still …”

The awkwardness was unlike him, merely another sign of how shaken he’d been. “You didn’t say anything to Aaron about—”

He quickly shook his head. “I just threw some things in a bag and headed this way.”

Normally it was a four-hour drive from Dallas to the resort. Hannah suspected Andrew had made it in less today.

She twisted her fingers more tightly together. “You’re coming to the resort?”

“Yes.”

“Would you—could we not say anything to the family just yet? About your being the father, I mean. We’ll tell them,” she added quickly, when he started to frown, “just not until we’ve had more time to talk privately about … things.”

To her relief, he nodded to concede that she had a valid point. “We will need to talk.”

“Yes.” And she dreaded it. Everything was so complicated. “But it’s going to take a while. And I can’t do it now, the family will be wondering where I am. The way I rushed off without an explanation, they’ll be worried if I don’t go back soon.”

He didn’t look particularly pleased with the delay, but he didn’t try to argue. “So how are we playing this?”

“We’ll show up at the resort at different times so they won’t know we’ve already seen each other. You can go ahead, I need to stop by the store anyway.”

“And I suppose you’ll be completely surprised to find me at the resort when you get back.”

She shrugged, intending to play it exactly that way.

Andrew sighed and ran a hand over his hair. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. I’ll keep your secret. For now. But somehow or another we’ll have to find opportunities to talk, and soon.”

She nodded grimly, knowing his patience would last only so long. “We’ll talk.”

She turned toward her car, only to be stopped by his hand on her arm. “Hannah.”

Looking up at him, she whispered, “What?”

“It’s going to be okay.”

She moistened her lips. “I know.”

He smoothed a strand of hair away from her cheek. “I’ll see you at the resort.”

Nodding, she hurried toward her car, resisting an impulse to lay a hand on her cheek where his fingers had touched.

She drove straight to the grocery store. She had forgotten to bring a list and she was still so rattled from her brief meeting with Andrew that she could hardly think about what she needed. She drifted down the aisles of the store fifteen minutes after parting from him, staring blankly at the shelves and trying to focus on the task at hand rather than the challenges that lay ahead. With yogurt, fresh fruit and a bag of cookies in her cart, she turned a corner only to have her day take yet another downturn as she came face-to-face with her former in-laws, Justine and Chuck Cavender. It was the first time she had seen them since their son had been arrested for embezzlement and attempted extortion against Hannah’s family.

“Hannah!” Justine’s first startled reaction was pleasure. She and Hannah had gotten along well enough before the acrimonious divorce. But then her gaze lowered and her smile was replaced with a stricken expression. “Oh. You’re—”

Chuck had never been particularly fond of Hannah to start with—primarily, Hannah suspected, because he’d believed every lie Wade had told about what a terrible wife she’d been. Chuck had enabled, apologized for and deflected blame for his son for all of Wade’s life, which Hannah believed was part of the reason Wade sat in jail now. Wade could be charming, convincing and manipulative—her marriage to him was proof enough of that—but the streak of meanness that lay beneath his amiable mask came straight from his father.

Chuck snarled at Hannah, “Get out of our way.”

She scooted her cart as far to one side as she could. She almost apologized for being in his path, but she bit her tongue. She’d apologized too many times to both Wade and his father for things that had not been her fault. She was not sliding back into that pattern now. Chuck shoved his cart forward, almost slamming into hers despite the room she had left him.

Falling into step behind her husband, Justine gave Hannah a mournful look. “I’d always hoped you and Wade would give us grandchildren,” she murmured.

“Instead, she sent our boy to prison,” Chuck snapped over his shoulder, discounting Wade’s part in his fate. “And then went slutting around and got herself knocked up when she’s not even married. Personally, I’m glad she isn’t a mother to any grandchildren of ours.”

Miserably aware of a few gawkers within hearing range, Hannah held her chin high with an effort, moved toward the front of the store with her few purchases, paid as quickly as possible and left with as much dignity as she could scrape together. Her day had gone from bad to worse, but maybe she had needed that awful encounter. It would serve as a painful reminder that her track record with men was not good.

In the past, she’d seen what she wanted to see, trusted when she shouldn’t have, believed when she should have delved more deeply. She wasn’t that naive, sheltered, starry-eyed girl now. Nor was she the lonely, vulnerable woman who’d been swept into a reckless night of passion by a sexy smile and a gleaming pair of dark eyes. She knew now who she was, where she belonged and what she wanted—and she would do well to keep those things in mind during the coming days.

At half past six, the day was still sunny and warm, the sprawling blue lake still busy with boaters, skiers and swimmers. This time of year, the resort would bustle every day of the week with families taking vacations from jobs and school, and the Bell family would be kept hopping, though Andrew hadn’t heard them complain during the two weeks he’d spent here last summer. With the exception of Shelby’s brother, Steven, they all seemed to love the jobs they’d chosen. Steven had grown restless and would be leaving soon to try his hand at his boyhood dream of firefighting, but Andrew figured there was a chance he’d be back someday to take his place in the family business.

After passing through the manned entry gate, he took a right on the circular main road through the resort. A two-story lakeside building held the reception office, convenience store and diner, with the private business offices upstairs, and the marina at the back. He parked in front and climbed out of his car. To his right lay the public swimming pool, the sixteen-room lakeside motel and three of the eight cabins. Turning left, he saw the pavilion and playground often occupied by family reunions, corporate gatherings or other events. Beyond the pavilion lay the day-use area, five more stand-alone cabins, RV pads with hookups and tent camping grounds.

A steady stream of resort guests flowed both ways through the big double glass doors, some in swimwear and cover-ups, most in shorts and tank tops or T-shirts, some carrying bags of purchases as they exited. The marina, store and grill would be open until seven, and Andrew figured the diner would be full now with customers hungry after a day of water sports. The air carried whiffs of boat motor exhaust from the lake and burning charcoal from the campgrounds, scents that had become very familiar to him during his almost-two-week stay last summer.

He still remembered the first time he’d entered this building after having been hired by the family last year. That was the day he’d met Hannah, who was twenty-seventy then, the eldest of the Bell cousins by a few months. Chagrined that her ex-husband had caused her family so much trouble and anxiety, she’d held her chin high, her emerald eyes glittering with anger and determination. Andrew had taken one look at her and almost swallowed his tongue, his first thought being that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

He’d managed to keep his distance from her for the most part during the next two weeks only by constantly reminding himself that he was on a job, and that it would be unprofessional of him to get involved with a client. He’d told himself she was too vulnerable, having been so recently divorced and dealing with the painful repercussions of her unfortunate choice of a spouse. They had been surrounded almost constantly by her caring and inquisitive family. Not to mention that he and Hannah had seemed an unlikely couple, with both of them committed to family businesses four hours apart, and with her announcing to all and sundry that she had no intention of getting married or even seriously involved with anyone again for a long time, if ever. Not even thirty himself then, he’d thought that sounded like a wise plan.

And then she’d shown up at his office in December, and he’d foolishly decided he’d been given an early Christmas gift. Maybe the holiday should have been April Fool’s Day instead, considering the situation he found himself in now.

“Hey, Aaron. What are you doing standing out here in a daze? Come on inside and—wait.” Maggie Bell skidded to a stop on the pavement nearby, studying him with a frown. “Okay, either you’ve cut your hair in the past hour or you aren’t Aaron. Andrew?”

He smiled at her. “Hello, Maggie. Nice to see you again.”

“Wow.” She shook her head, tucking a strand of silky brown hair behind her left ear. “Now that I’ve spent a few days with your brother, it’s even more startling that you look so exactly alike. I’m sure you get tired of hearing that.”

He shrugged good-naturedly. “Part of the identical-twins thing. We don’t mind.”

“We didn’t even know you had an identical twin until Aaron showed up here,” she pointed out. “I’m not sure Pop believes even now that there are two of you.”

He chuckled. Having met her unconventional grandfather, he wasn’t surprised. The man everyone, even those who weren’t related, called Pop was renowned for both his practical jokes and his twisted logic, making it hard to tell when he was kidding and when he was serious. “Maybe he’ll believe it when he sees us standing side by side.”

Maggie looped a hand beneath his arm and laughed as she led him toward the door. “I wouldn’t even bet on that. Come on in, I’m sure we’ll find some of the family in the grill at this hour.”

Big double glass doors led into the main building. Stepping out of the hot summer day into the air-conditioned lobby, Andrew noted that nothing had changed since he’d last been here. Colorful mounted fish and antique lures displayed on wooden plaques decorated the walls, and lush greenery brought a touch of the outdoors inside. The reception desk faced the entrance, with the private upstairs offices accessible by a stairway and elevator behind the desk.

The Chimes Grill, decorated in retro ‘50s red vinyl and chrome, opened to the right of the entryway of the building. As he’d expected, he saw that the diner was busy, most of the tables and bar stools filled with customers. Opposite the grill, a small convenience store was lined with shelves of groceries, souvenirs and camping and fishing supplies. At the back of the building lay the marina, where C. J. Bell—father to Steven, Shelby and Lori—sold bait, fuel, motor oil and other marine supplies; rented out fishing boats, ski boats, pontoon boats and personal watercraft; and kept an eye on the boat slips and fishing pier. Part-time employees helped the family with the various aspects of the resort, but the Bells were most definitely in charge, the responsibilities divided by personal interests.

Shelby’s younger sister Lori manned the reception desk at the moment. Andrew remembered her as being somewhat offbeat, with a penchant for trendy haircuts and colors and floaty smoke-colored clothing. Her hair was shaped in an asymmetrical wedge now, dyed black with bright blue streaks, and her clothes were charcoal-and dove-gray, proving her tastes hadn’t changed since he’d last seen her. She looked surprised when Maggie led him in, her dark-lined eyes darting from him to the diner and then back again, making him suspect his brother was inside.

“Look who’s here,” Maggie said. “It’s Andrew.”

Andrew would have stopped then to check for an availability in the motel, but Maggie almost dragged him into the diner before he and Lori had time to do much more than exchange nods of greeting.

“There’s your brother,” Maggie said, pointing to a table at the far side of the room. “I thought he might be in here. He usually comes in after work for a cold iced tea or lemonade before dinner.”

Aaron sat at a big table with Shelby, her brother, their uncle and Maggie’s father, Bryan Bell, and the oldest members of the Bell clan, “Pop” and “Mimi.” Shelby’s mother, Sarah, worked the grill. Her dad, C.J., was probably still back at the marina, which was his personal domain. Andrew suspected some of the others had offered to help Sarah, but as he recalled, she was as proprietary about her work space as the others were with their chosen roles. She kept the menu simple and limited so she could handle the demand herself under most circumstances.

Aaron spotted Andrew and Maggie before the others did. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he gave a little salute of recognition, making the others turn to look. Andrew was inundated with a babble of excited greetings, drawn to the table for a barrage of questions and welcomes.

“Would you look at the two of you standing side by side,” Mimi marveled with a shake of her silver head when Aaron rose to greet him. “I could tell you apart, of course, even if your hair was the same because I have a knack for that sort of thing, but I’m sure most people would have a difficult time.”

Blonde, curly-haired, blue-eyed and girl-next-door-cute, Shelby wrinkled her nose in response to her grandmother’s unlikely boast, sharing a smile with Aaron before holding out her right hand to Andrew. The hand-shaped bruise on her cheek was a solemn reminder of the ordeal she had survived. Andrew felt a wave of fury at the thought of someone hitting her; he could only imagine how his brother must feel every time he saw that mark.

“It’s good to see you,” she said, her characteristically cheerful spirit not notably dampened. “Did Aaron tell you I gave him a big hug the first time I saw him, thinking he was you?”

“No, he didn’t,” he replied with a laugh, tugging at her hand. “But I’ll take my hug now.”

She embraced him warmly, then stepped back with slightly narrowed eyes, though she was still smiling. “Okay, fess up. Did you come to make sure I’m not holding your brother hostage or anything? I know he told you this morning that he and I are together now, and suddenly here you are. Have you come to steal him away from me?”

“Why would I do that? I consider my brother to be a very lucky man.”

She dimpled. “That’s sweet. Thank you.”

He squeezed her hand, then released her and nodded toward his brother. “I decided you had the right idea about taking a few days to relax here.”

Aaron’s brows shot even higher. “You were able to just take off from work on such short notice? I thought your calendar was so full for the rest of the year that you didn’t have time to breathe, much less disappear on impulse like this.”

“I just had to rearrange a couple of things.” Like heaven and earth. His poor administrative assistant had been forced to move both to free the rest of the week at Andrew’s request. His dad and uncles weren’t exactly happy about his decision either, because they had to pick up the slack. They probably thought he’d come to make sure Aaron wasn’t being foolishly impulsive, so it was likely their father secretly approved of the mission. Andrew couldn’t imagine what everyone would say when they found out the real reason for the unscheduled trip.

“Can I get you a cold drink, Andrew?” Sarah called from behind the counter. She hadn’t changed a bit since the last time he’d seen her, looking little older than her adult offspring. Her blond hair was just sprinkled with gray, her minimally made-up face was hardly lined, and while she carried a few extra pounds, she still looked fit and healthy.

“A lemonade sounds great,” he answered with a smile, fondly remembering the fresh-squeezed lemonade he’d enjoyed last summer.

“I’ll get it.” Shelby hurried toward the counter.

Sandy-haired, blue-eyed, twenty-seven-year-old Steven Bell held out his right hand. “I’d stand to greet you, but I’m still sort of clumsy with these damn crutches,” he complained.

Andrew shook his hand. “I was sorry to hear about your accident. How are you holding up, Steven?”

“Not bad, thanks. The leg should be completely healed in a few weeks with no lasting problems. The rest of me is still sore but better. All in all, could be worse.”

“Aaron told me you’re planning to train as a firefighter.”

“Yeah, I’m hoping to start training as soon as I’m out of this cast. Fire and EMT classes start in mid-October, so I want to be in top shape by then.”

“Well, Dad?” Hannah’s father asked Pop with a grin. “Now do you believe there really are two of them?”

Pop chuckled. “Always did. I was just pulling Aaron’s leg by pretending otherwise.”

“How long can you be with us, Andrew?” Mimi asked eagerly, still avidly studying him and his brother as if searching for any minute difference.

“I’m not sure yet,” he prevaricated. “Through the end of the weekend probably, unless something comes up.”

“Where would you like to stay? Cabin 7 is available now,” she said blithely. “And I guess Cabin 8 is open, too, if your brother is going to be shacking up with my granddaughter.”

Andrew heard a few gasps and muffled laughs.

“Mother!” Bryan chided in a strangled voice.

“What?” Mimi looked from one of her family members to another with a matter-of-fact shrug. “We’re a modern family. We’re down with it.”

This time it was Andrew who choked on a laugh.

“Oh, man, Mimi’s been watching old sitcom reruns again,” Steven said with an affectionate groan.

“One of the motel rooms will be fine with me, if it’s available,” Andrew assured them. “I don’t need to tie up a cabin because I probably won’t use the kitchen anyway. I don’t cook much.”

Mimi nodded. “We have a couple empty rooms. I think the one you stayed in last summer is available.”

“That would be great. I enjoyed the view of the lake from the balcony.”

She stood. “Here, take my seat. I have to go. The family’s gathering at our house after closing for white chicken chili that’s been cooking in Crock-Pots all day, and I have a few things to finish up. We’d love for you to join us.”

“It would be my pleasure. Thank you.”

She patted his cheek as though he were ten rather than thirty. “I’ll have Lori bring you a key to your room. It’s almost time for her to close the desk. She’s on her summer break from college and she’s been filling in for Hannah during the past couple weeks while Hannah visited some relatives.”

Towing Pop along with her with the firm reminder that she required his assistance with dinner preparations, Mimi swept out of the diner. Andrew took her emptied seat, with his lemonade on the table in front of him. He glanced at his watch. Still another twenty minutes to go before the seven-o’clock closing time. After that, late arrivals wanting a room or campsite would have to ring a bell at the gate for service. One of the family members was always on call to answer that kind of summons, night duty rotating among the various households.

They spent those remaining twenty minutes talking—though more accurately, Andrew primarily listened, having little chance to get a word in with Shelby, Maggie, Steven and Bryan talking over each other to catch him up on what he’d missed. They told him more about the excitement yesterday with stolen-goods fencer Russell King, aka Terrence Landon, who had used Cabin 7 as his own private base of criminal operations for almost a month before Shelby and Aaron shut him down. The conversation segued into all the maintenance tasks scheduled for the remainder of the summer and beyond—chores that had been on Steven’s agenda before his mowing accident and subsequent decision to pursue his childhood dream. Now Aaron was excited about taking over Steven’s job with Bryan, who would be his direct supervisor.

Andrew watched his brother’s face while the men talked about those upcoming projects. The work would be hard, mostly manual labor in the summer heat, but Aaron looked as though he couldn’t wait to get started. He hadn’t shown nearly as much enthusiasm for his last couple of jobs, both in sales with comfortable working conditions and a more-than-adequate income. Who’d have thought he’d get this stimulated working in resort maintenance? How much of his eagerness had to do with his new and exciting relationship with Shelby? Would it last or would it fall apart with time, leaving everyone involved disappointed and heartbroken?

Andrew had no precognitive talent, but he wanted to believe his brother would make his new direction in both romance and career work for a lifetime. Their family had a history of short courtships and long marriages, so maybe Aaron had inherited that gene.

As for himself—

“Oh, look, Hannah’s back,” Shelby said, waving toward the doorway behind Andrew. “She’ll be so happy you’re here, Andrew.”

Hoping his smile didn’t look as sickly as it felt, Andrew nodded, taking a moment to steel himself for the performance ahead. He sensed his brother studying him a bit too closely—or was that just projection on his part? Avoiding Aaron’s eyes, he glanced in Maggie’s direction, only to find her looking at him with a slight frown.

Clearing his throat, he stood and turned to watch Hannah approach, a credible expression of pleased surprise on her face when she saw him there. Pasting on a bright grin, he stepped forward. “Hello, Hannah. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”