already in love with someone.”
Oh, no! Now she’d blurted out Maryann’s most private secret. And she didn’t know it for certain. Not really. It was just that a funny soft look came over the woman’s face whenever she saw Clayton Matthews.That plus the fact that they’d been really close ten years ago made Caitlin suspect an ember still burned. All she wanted to do was fan it a little.
“Well, that’s just wonderful, dear! How kind of you to help things along.” Eliza held out one hand and helped Caitlin off the bed. She pulled a chair forward and pressed her into that while still speaking.
“But first things first. We can’t possibly help out with someone’s love life until we get you settled in your new home. You just sit there and relax, dear. Olivia, I want you to start on the kitchen. Robyn, you finish packing the books in the living room. Then we’ll have lunch.”
Caitlin sat where she was told, stunned and filled with disbelief.
What had she gotten herself into? She’d meant to get her friends together in the nicest possibly way. A hint, a few words to the right man. Maybe a chance encounter that wasn’t so chance. Just a few little things to encourage her widowed friends to reconsider a couple of men she happened to know were interested.
But this! This would turn into an all-out assault campaign, not unlike guerilla warfare. In spite of her protestations, she knew it was snowballing out of control even now. That was the way Eliza did things. Stan claimed that her brain concocted schemes even though her body was sleeping like a log.
It was true! At this very moment Caitlin could feel Eliza’s mind whirling as she turned from the doorway, her eyes intensely scrutinizing Caitlin’s burgeoning body.
“Hmm,” the older woman murmured, her pen tappingagainst the pad. “Widows. Right. Three of you. I’ll have to think about that.”
Fear and trepidation filled Caitlin’s mind. She would probably ruin the only friendships she had left. Then she’d be well and truly alone in a house that was far too big for one woman and one tiny baby. While everyone bustled out with a box, she sat there brooding.
“Caitlin?” Jordan flicked on the overhead light. “What are you doing just sitting here? Is something wrong?”
“Everything,” she whispered, clenching her fist at her side. “Absolutely everything.”
“What do you mean?” His face blanched. “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” He waited, shifting impatiently from one foot to the other as he waited for her to answer. “Caitlin?”
She glanced up dazedly, an idea forming in the back of her mind. “It’s your fault, Jordan,” she whispered. “You’re the one who insisted I have them over here. You’re the one who said I needed their help.”
“And?” He frowned. “What’s wrong with that? Honestly, sometimes you make no sense, Lyn. The moving is going really well.”
“That’s nice,” she murmured, nodding absently. “It’s a good idea to get it down to a science.”
“It is?”
“Yes, it is. Because unless you help me get out of this mess, I’ll be moving back here in a matter of days.”
He slid his hand along her forehead, checking the temperature. “Caitlin, are you feeling all right? Can I help?”
“Oh, yes,” she asserted, lurching unsteadily to her feet, her fingers tightening around his helping hand. “You offered and I’m taking you up on that. You’re going to help, Jordan. You’re going to end up helping me a lot.”
“Help you do what?”
He didn’t pull away, but Caitlin could feel him flex his fingers in her tight grasp. She didn’t loosen her grip in the slightest.
“I’ve opened a Pandora’s box, Jordan. And now you’ve got to help me get the lid back on before your family ruins everything. What you’re going to do is keep your mother away from Wintergreen. If that means you have to come over every day, so be it.” Caitlin tumbled it around in her mind as the plan evolved.
Oh, no! Now she’d blurted out Maryann’s most private secret. And she didn’t know it for certain. Not really. It was just that a funny soft look came over the woman’s face whenever she saw Clayton Matthews.That plus the fact that they’d been really close ten years ago made Caitlin suspect an ember still burned. All she wanted to do was fan it a little.
“Well, that’s just wonderful, dear! How kind of you to help things along.” Eliza held out one hand and helped Caitlin off the bed. She pulled a chair forward and pressed her into that while still speaking.
“But first things first. We can’t possibly help out with someone’s love life until we get you settled in your new home. You just sit there and relax, dear. Olivia, I want you to start on the kitchen. Robyn, you finish packing the books in the living room. Then we’ll have lunch.”
Caitlin sat where she was told, stunned and filled with disbelief.
What had she gotten herself into? She’d meant to get her friends together in the nicest possibly way. A hint, a few words to the right man. Maybe a chance encounter that wasn’t so chance. Just a few little things to encourage her widowed friends to reconsider a couple of men she happened to know were interested.
But this! This would turn into an all-out assault campaign, not unlike guerilla warfare. In spite of her protestations, she knew it was snowballing out of control even now. That was the way Eliza did things. Stan claimed that her brain concocted schemes even though her body was sleeping like a log.
It was true! At this very moment Caitlin could feel Eliza’s mind whirling as she turned from the doorway, her eyes intensely scrutinizing Caitlin’s burgeoning body.
“Hmm,” the older woman murmured, her pen tappingagainst the pad. “Widows. Right. Three of you. I’ll have to think about that.”
Fear and trepidation filled Caitlin’s mind. She would probably ruin the only friendships she had left. Then she’d be well and truly alone in a house that was far too big for one woman and one tiny baby. While everyone bustled out with a box, she sat there brooding.
“Caitlin?” Jordan flicked on the overhead light. “What are you doing just sitting here? Is something wrong?”
“Everything,” she whispered, clenching her fist at her side. “Absolutely everything.”
“What do you mean?” His face blanched. “What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” He waited, shifting impatiently from one foot to the other as he waited for her to answer. “Caitlin?”
She glanced up dazedly, an idea forming in the back of her mind. “It’s your fault, Jordan,” she whispered. “You’re the one who insisted I have them over here. You’re the one who said I needed their help.”
“And?” He frowned. “What’s wrong with that? Honestly, sometimes you make no sense, Lyn. The moving is going really well.”
“That’s nice,” she murmured, nodding absently. “It’s a good idea to get it down to a science.”
“It is?”
“Yes, it is. Because unless you help me get out of this mess, I’ll be moving back here in a matter of days.”
He slid his hand along her forehead, checking the temperature. “Caitlin, are you feeling all right? Can I help?”
“Oh, yes,” she asserted, lurching unsteadily to her feet, her fingers tightening around his helping hand. “You offered and I’m taking you up on that. You’re going to help, Jordan. You’re going to end up helping me a lot.”
“Help you do what?”
He didn’t pull away, but Caitlin could feel him flex his fingers in her tight grasp. She didn’t loosen her grip in the slightest.
“I’ve opened a Pandora’s box, Jordan. And now you’ve got to help me get the lid back on before your family ruins everything. What you’re going to do is keep your mother away from Wintergreen. If that means you have to come over every day, so be it.” Caitlin tumbled it around in her mind as the plan evolved.
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