Cedar Cove Collection

“We’d love to have dinner at your place,” Teri told her. “Let’s arrange something soon.”

“Have you told Bobby about the baby yet?” Christie asked, her voice falling to a whisper.

“No, no,” she said in the same chatty tone. “Of course I’ll bring something. I wouldn’t dream of letting you make the whole meal on your own.”

“Bobby’s listening?” her sister guessed.

Probably not, but Teri wasn’t taking any chances.

She was about to say goodbye when her sister said, “Uh, Teri …” There was a pause. “Listen, don’t read anything into this, but I’d like to ask you a question.”

“Sure.”

Christie seemed to hesitate again. “It’s about James.”

Teri straightened and, catching her husband’s eye, gave him the thumbs-up signal. When Bobby frowned and shook his head, she mouthed the words, “I’ll tell you later.”

“What do you want to know?” Teri asked, returning to her sister.

“Well … just some information. He’s so … odd. What can you tell me about him?”

Teri had never really asked. James was James, and she’d heard very little about his background. He seemed too private for nosy personal questions. “He’s Bobby’s friend as much as he is his driver.”

“What does he do all day? When he isn’t driving you or Bobby around, I mean.”

“Well, sometimes he waits for me at the shop—doing his bodyguard thing. Why do you ask?”

“I’m curious, that’s all. It’s not like I’m interested or anything, you understand?”

“Of course not,” Teri said, glad Christie couldn’t see her smile.

“In fact, the last time he took me home, I told him I didn’t want him to drive me again.”

“Oh.” Bobby hadn’t said a word to her about that, and Teri suspected James hadn’t mentioned it to him.

“He didn’t do or say anything to upset you, did he?” Teri asked.

“Nothing bad, if that’s what you’re talking about, but he … he brought me a long-stemmed red rose. Twice.”

Teri didn’t think that was so terrible. “How sweet,” she murmured.

“Why would he do something like that?” Christie demanded.

Teri had been right all along. James was attracted to her sister and, if she was reading Christie correctly, her sister was attracted to him. But Christie was afraid in exactly the same way Teri had been when Bobby had first started paying attention to her.

“Do you want me to ask him about the roses?” Teri asked.

“No! Please don’t.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t like him.”

Teri arched her eyebrows. “Really?”

“He’s so … refined. It makes me uncomfortable. He calls me miss. That’s such an outdated term! And he … he insists on escorting me to my door. Except the last time,” she rushed to add, “when I didn’t give him the chance.”

“I know his mother was English and his father an American.” That much she’d heard from Bobby once.

That didn’t seem to be the information Christie was looking for.

“Do you want me to say anything to Bobby?” Teri asked. “Tell him you’d prefer not to have James drive you?”

Her sister hesitated briefly, then murmured, “Maybe not. I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

They ended the conversation soon after. When she hung up, Teri did a little dance around the kitchen, grinning madly. Bobby watched her, smiling, too.

“What’s that all about?” he asked.

“It’s working, Bobby Pin! Christie has definitely noticed James.”

“Good.”

“He brought her a rose.”

Bobby frowned in disapproval. “Just one?”

“Trust me—one was all he needed. Only … she’s afraid.”

“Afraid?” he repeated.

Teri walked over to where he sat, climbed into his lap and slipped her arms around his neck. “I was afraid, too. Don’t you remember?”

“All I remember is how frightened I was that you might not love me.”

His words melted her heart. “Oh, Bobby, I’ve always loved you.”

“I’m glad,” he said simply.

They exchanged a few very gratifying kisses, and then Teri left to make dinner.

She’d just begun frying hamburger for one of her comfort-food casseroles when she started to retch. The aroma of cooking meat triggered a nausea so severe, she immediately rushed to the downstairs powder room. Thank goodness for a house with four bathrooms! She didn’t think she could’ve made it up the stairs.

Bobby must have heard, because he was in the hallway outside waiting for her when she’d finished throwing up. “Are you sick?” he asked urgently.

“I’m okay,” she insisted.

“Flu? Food poisoning? Should I phone the doctor?”