Moonlight in the Morning by Jude Deveraux Page A

Kim said that there were few helicopters that her brother hadn’t been on. “They say, ‘go,’ and he says ‘yes,’” she’d said.
    “Reede is coming back to Edilean in two weeks.”
    Jecca couldn’t contain her big smile. In spite of several boyfriends and one serious romance, Reede had always been in the back of her mind. But then, Kim had never let Jecca go more than a couple of weeks without mentioning him. “How did you manage that?” she asked.
    “Mom was able to put a ton of guilt on him because he hasn’t been home in over two years. I just found out yesterday that she’d finally beaten him down. He’s going to come home to help Tris.”
    “Tristan again,” Jecca said. “So why does your doctor cousin need help?”
    Kim waved her hand. “Long story. I told you about td o you abhe problems we’ve had in the last year.”
    “The world heard about the CAY paintings found in little Edilean, Virginia. You think your friend would let me show some of those at Andrea’s gallery?”
    “I’m sure Sara would. She only sold a few of them. And she’d love to show them to you.”
    “Fabulous!” Jecca said. “I’d truly love to see them. What do they have to do with Reede?”
    “Tristan, our cousin—”
    “Who lives next door, grows orchids, is a doctor, and comes up in our conversation every other sentence . . .”
    “That’s the one. You’ll understand when you meet him. He has . . . What can I say? A strong presence. People like him.”
    “That’s good in a doctor. Are you going to tell me about Reede or not?”
    “Let’s take this stuff to the kitchen,” Kim said as she began filling the tray, and Jecca helped her. Household chores were something they’d done together many times and they knew who did what.
    When the tray was full, Jecca carried it back to the kitchen.
    “There was . . .” Kim began as she put dishes in the washer and Jecca put the olives away. “An incident here a couple of months ago. Some man, an international thief actually, was caught trying to rob something from Tris’s house.”
    “What was it? Diamonds? Gold? Is he that rich?”
    “Not at all. A lot of Tris’s practice is pro bono. Anyway, during the scuffle, Tris was hurt, hit over the head with something and pushed down a hill. His left arm was broken—or cracked, I don’t know which—and he’s now in a cast and a sling. He can’t really function well enough to keep his practice going, so his dad came up from Sarasota to help out. When Reede gets here, he’ll take over. He’s staying until Tris can get back to work.”
    “How kind of him.” There wasn’t anything Jecca had heard about Reede Aldredge that she didn’t like.
    “Well, they are friends as well as cousins, and Tris would help Reede. Besides, it’s time my brother got over Laura Chawnley and came back to where he belongs.”
    “You think Reede might stay in Edilean permanently?”
    “I hope so!” Kim said emphatically. “We’re always worried that he’ll get killed in his next rescue attempt. Remember the time . . .”
    “He went down a cable hanging out of a helicopter to get to that kid? Oh yeah.”
    Kim smiled, and for a moment tears came to her eyes. “I can’t tell you how good it is to have you here. In the last couple of years it seems like all my friends have married. And once you’re married, your interests change. Now when I ask if anyone wants to go out for a drink they look at me like I’m crazy. They want to talk about which diapers are less likely to leak.”
    Smiling, Jecca hugged her friend, then stepped bay,en stepack. “I’m here now and all I want to talk about is art. I assume that necklace you’re wearing is something you made.”
    Kim grinned. “Olive branches. You like it?”
    “Love it!”
    “I think we should get your bags out of the car and put them in your room. Jecca?”
    “Yes?” She paused and waited because she could see that Kim had something serious to say.
    “A couple of weeks