displeasure, intrigued him much more than
the au pair herself. “What’s her name?”
A slight pause, Harley shielding her eyes and scowling at the
beach. “Brenna.”
“Brenna. Irish?” She nodded. “Does she speak with a brogue?”
She grimaced and nodded again. “Outstanding.”
Down on the beach, Mimi called out, “Brenna, don’t let Lily
eat sand!” The little girl sat on the damp sand at the water’s edge, cramming a
handful of it into her mouth. Jamie hooted with laughter.
Brenna dropped the clothes and ran to the child, shrieking, “Sorry,
missus!” Lily, finding the sand less tasty than she had anticipated, was
screwing up her mud-streaked face in preparation for crying. “Lily, Lily, Lily,”
Brenna cooed. Lily jutted her lower jaw and looked up at the au pair with teary
eyes. Brenna calmed her down, cleaned her off, and carried her through the
water toward her half-brother.
Jamie took the child, lifted her onto his shoulders, and held
her by her chubby feet as he cavorted in the waves for her amusement. Even at
this distance, Tucker could hear her delighted laughter. “Has the kid made his
move yet?”
“You mean has he told Brenna how he feels?” Harley shook her
head. “She’s only been with the family for a month, and Mimi says he wants to
give her time to get to know him better.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell you right now, it’s not going to happen.
He’s going to tough it out in splendid Hale’s Point fashion, giving her space,
waiting for the right moment, not wanting to crowd her, and meanwhile every
tomcat on Long Island will be howling on the fence by the back door.”
“Mimi says they’re already howling.”
He chuckled. “I can believe it.”
Harley bent to swat the sand from her legs and feet. “If she’s
so great, why don’t you take a shot at her yourself?” It was poorly feigned
nonchalance. Some women were good at pretense, but Harley wasn’t one of them.
“I’m out of practice,” he answered. “She’d hurt me.” Harley
shot him a quizzical look, then smirked when she saw his grin. Still, he was
only half joking. “I’ve spent most of the past year in and out of the hospital.
Mostly in. Kind of took me out of circulation, you know?”
“Weren’t there any attractive nurses?”
“As a matter of fact, there was one I kind of liked. But a
body cast tends to cramp your style. Our relationship never progressed beyond
the sponge-bath phase.” He nodded toward the redhead on the beach. “That one
scares me. A girl like that could put me right back in traction.” He smiled. “Of
course… it might be worth it.”
Harley brushed her hands together. “I say, take the risk. Go
for it. Only, you might want to shave first.” Tucker’s hand automatically went
to his face. His stubble felt like hundreds of little pins, even to his
roughened hands. “Or else,” she continued, her expression smug, “the first kiss
is as far as you’re going to get.” She picked her water bottle up off the grass
and turned toward the house, saying, “I’m going to do some upper-body work.
Catch you later.”
Unwilling to accept the dismissal, he followed her.
On the back outside wall of the house was a showerhead with a
towel slung over it, and below it, a concrete slab with a drain. It hadn’t been
there when he was a boy, but it would have been handy, considering all the sand
he used to track through the house after visits to the beach.
“Where do you work out?” he asked.
She turned the water on and adjusted the temperature. “Your
father had a gym put in upstairs, right off his bedroom. Used to be a sitting
room, he said. Now it’s got weights, treadmill, NordicTrack, flywheel rower.
Two whole walls are mirrored. He said he put it in after his first heart
attack.” She rinsed one foot off under the spray.
“He had… I didn’t know he had—”
“Oh.” She looked contrite. “I’m sorry, I should have
realized. I should have told you. He had two. They
the au pair herself. “What’s her name?”
A slight pause, Harley shielding her eyes and scowling at the
beach. “Brenna.”
“Brenna. Irish?” She nodded. “Does she speak with a brogue?”
She grimaced and nodded again. “Outstanding.”
Down on the beach, Mimi called out, “Brenna, don’t let Lily
eat sand!” The little girl sat on the damp sand at the water’s edge, cramming a
handful of it into her mouth. Jamie hooted with laughter.
Brenna dropped the clothes and ran to the child, shrieking, “Sorry,
missus!” Lily, finding the sand less tasty than she had anticipated, was
screwing up her mud-streaked face in preparation for crying. “Lily, Lily, Lily,”
Brenna cooed. Lily jutted her lower jaw and looked up at the au pair with teary
eyes. Brenna calmed her down, cleaned her off, and carried her through the
water toward her half-brother.
Jamie took the child, lifted her onto his shoulders, and held
her by her chubby feet as he cavorted in the waves for her amusement. Even at
this distance, Tucker could hear her delighted laughter. “Has the kid made his
move yet?”
“You mean has he told Brenna how he feels?” Harley shook her
head. “She’s only been with the family for a month, and Mimi says he wants to
give her time to get to know him better.”
“Uh-huh. I can tell you right now, it’s not going to happen.
He’s going to tough it out in splendid Hale’s Point fashion, giving her space,
waiting for the right moment, not wanting to crowd her, and meanwhile every
tomcat on Long Island will be howling on the fence by the back door.”
“Mimi says they’re already howling.”
He chuckled. “I can believe it.”
Harley bent to swat the sand from her legs and feet. “If she’s
so great, why don’t you take a shot at her yourself?” It was poorly feigned
nonchalance. Some women were good at pretense, but Harley wasn’t one of them.
“I’m out of practice,” he answered. “She’d hurt me.” Harley
shot him a quizzical look, then smirked when she saw his grin. Still, he was
only half joking. “I’ve spent most of the past year in and out of the hospital.
Mostly in. Kind of took me out of circulation, you know?”
“Weren’t there any attractive nurses?”
“As a matter of fact, there was one I kind of liked. But a
body cast tends to cramp your style. Our relationship never progressed beyond
the sponge-bath phase.” He nodded toward the redhead on the beach. “That one
scares me. A girl like that could put me right back in traction.” He smiled. “Of
course… it might be worth it.”
Harley brushed her hands together. “I say, take the risk. Go
for it. Only, you might want to shave first.” Tucker’s hand automatically went
to his face. His stubble felt like hundreds of little pins, even to his
roughened hands. “Or else,” she continued, her expression smug, “the first kiss
is as far as you’re going to get.” She picked her water bottle up off the grass
and turned toward the house, saying, “I’m going to do some upper-body work.
Catch you later.”
Unwilling to accept the dismissal, he followed her.
On the back outside wall of the house was a showerhead with a
towel slung over it, and below it, a concrete slab with a drain. It hadn’t been
there when he was a boy, but it would have been handy, considering all the sand
he used to track through the house after visits to the beach.
“Where do you work out?” he asked.
She turned the water on and adjusted the temperature. “Your
father had a gym put in upstairs, right off his bedroom. Used to be a sitting
room, he said. Now it’s got weights, treadmill, NordicTrack, flywheel rower.
Two whole walls are mirrored. He said he put it in after his first heart
attack.” She rinsed one foot off under the spray.
“He had… I didn’t know he had—”
“Oh.” She looked contrite. “I’m sorry, I should have
realized. I should have told you. He had two. They
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