worse. “I’m leaving for New Orleans in the next day or two. I doubt there will be time for me to do much.”
Lily, sitting on the opposite side of the table, looked up. “You’re going to New Orleans? Then you must go with us. It will be like old times. We’ll have such fun reminiscing.”
“I thought you were going to Memphis.”
Lily shook her head.
Feeling like a butterfly caught in a windstorm, David shrugged. “How can I say no?”
He looked toward the far end of the table once more, and his gaze clashed with Jasmine’s. In them he read a challenge. A challenge he was loath to accept.
Chapter Six
A t least we’re not carrying many passengers this trip.” Jasmine smiled at her nephew Noah. “You won’t have as many chores as we used to have when your mama and papa had their first boat.”
“Papa says that’s bad news.” Noah’s bright blue gaze, so much like his father’s, watched her scrub a greasy spot from one of the dining tables.
“Your papa and your grandpapa are in agreement on that.”
The boy frowned. “Do they know about the chores?”
Jasmine laughed. She could understand why her sisters enjoyed having their children around them. “Maybe not.”
She moved to another table and bent over it, scrubbing with a strong arm. The smells from the galley made her mouth water. Picking up a fresh tablecloth from the stack she and Noah had brought into the dining room, Jasmine shook it out and spread it over the table with a deft move that came from years of practice.
“Why do you wipe the table if you’re going to put a cloth on it, too?” Noah pushed one of the chairs toward the table.
“So everything will be clean.”
He frowned as though trying to grasp the concept of cleaning what would not be seen. Jasmine laughed and ruffled his dark hair with her fingers. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
The familiar words brought a frown to her face. It was exactly what Lily used to say all the time when she was younger. When had she become the responsible one? The grown-up?
“There you are!” Aunt Tessie breezed into the room and pointed at Noah. “I’ve been looking all over for you, young man. It’s time for your mathematics lesson.”
Noah cast a desperate look at Jasmine.
In spite of the empathy she felt, all Jasmine could do was shrug. “It won’t be so bad.”
Noah’s shoulders fell. He looked so pitiful.
Aunt Tessie put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. “Come along.”
Jasmine watched them leave before returning to her work. Noah was growing up so fast. Funny how childhood seemed so endless to the child and so quick to adults.
“This doesn’t look like the right activity for a famous actress.”
The deep voice sent gooseflesh running up her arms. Jasmine took a deep breath before turning to face David Foster. “You’re quite the comedian.”
The look on his face made her regret her waspish tone of voice.
“I’m sorry, David. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
A strained smile appeared on his face. “I’m not sure why you’re so angry with me.”
What could she answer? The truth was too painful. She had missed him much more than he had missed her. “Who said I was angry?”
His gaze challenged her words.
Jasmine lifted her chin, dredging up a measure of self-preservation. She would not be manipulated.
“Your sisters are worried about you.”
He only thought she’d been angry with him before. His meddling words made her blood boil. She could feel the fire in her eyes. How dare David presume to speak to her as though they were still as close as they’d been growing up? “What my sisters may or may not think isn’t any of your business.”
“You’re right, of course.” He sounded resigned. As though he knew he was in the wrong. The stubborn thrust of his jaw, however, told her how determined he was to continue meddling. “I care about you, Jasmine. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
She knew she should calm
Lily, sitting on the opposite side of the table, looked up. “You’re going to New Orleans? Then you must go with us. It will be like old times. We’ll have such fun reminiscing.”
“I thought you were going to Memphis.”
Lily shook her head.
Feeling like a butterfly caught in a windstorm, David shrugged. “How can I say no?”
He looked toward the far end of the table once more, and his gaze clashed with Jasmine’s. In them he read a challenge. A challenge he was loath to accept.
Chapter Six
A t least we’re not carrying many passengers this trip.” Jasmine smiled at her nephew Noah. “You won’t have as many chores as we used to have when your mama and papa had their first boat.”
“Papa says that’s bad news.” Noah’s bright blue gaze, so much like his father’s, watched her scrub a greasy spot from one of the dining tables.
“Your papa and your grandpapa are in agreement on that.”
The boy frowned. “Do they know about the chores?”
Jasmine laughed. She could understand why her sisters enjoyed having their children around them. “Maybe not.”
She moved to another table and bent over it, scrubbing with a strong arm. The smells from the galley made her mouth water. Picking up a fresh tablecloth from the stack she and Noah had brought into the dining room, Jasmine shook it out and spread it over the table with a deft move that came from years of practice.
“Why do you wipe the table if you’re going to put a cloth on it, too?” Noah pushed one of the chairs toward the table.
“So everything will be clean.”
He frowned as though trying to grasp the concept of cleaning what would not be seen. Jasmine laughed and ruffled his dark hair with her fingers. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
The familiar words brought a frown to her face. It was exactly what Lily used to say all the time when she was younger. When had she become the responsible one? The grown-up?
“There you are!” Aunt Tessie breezed into the room and pointed at Noah. “I’ve been looking all over for you, young man. It’s time for your mathematics lesson.”
Noah cast a desperate look at Jasmine.
In spite of the empathy she felt, all Jasmine could do was shrug. “It won’t be so bad.”
Noah’s shoulders fell. He looked so pitiful.
Aunt Tessie put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. “Come along.”
Jasmine watched them leave before returning to her work. Noah was growing up so fast. Funny how childhood seemed so endless to the child and so quick to adults.
“This doesn’t look like the right activity for a famous actress.”
The deep voice sent gooseflesh running up her arms. Jasmine took a deep breath before turning to face David Foster. “You’re quite the comedian.”
The look on his face made her regret her waspish tone of voice.
“I’m sorry, David. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”
A strained smile appeared on his face. “I’m not sure why you’re so angry with me.”
What could she answer? The truth was too painful. She had missed him much more than he had missed her. “Who said I was angry?”
His gaze challenged her words.
Jasmine lifted her chin, dredging up a measure of self-preservation. She would not be manipulated.
“Your sisters are worried about you.”
He only thought she’d been angry with him before. His meddling words made her blood boil. She could feel the fire in her eyes. How dare David presume to speak to her as though they were still as close as they’d been growing up? “What my sisters may or may not think isn’t any of your business.”
“You’re right, of course.” He sounded resigned. As though he knew he was in the wrong. The stubborn thrust of his jaw, however, told her how determined he was to continue meddling. “I care about you, Jasmine. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
She knew she should calm
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