MrBigStuff-epub by RG Alexander Page A

tell you he turned down a movie to model jeans?”
    Her father nodded. “Of course he did, he’s a smart man. Acting is a calling. The best actors I ever worked with said it wasn’t a choice, it was who they were. Jefferson already knows who he is. A businessman, a landowner and a brother. From the show we all know he can take a fall and climb back up on his horse. He’s not one to let flattery fool him or get blinded by the spotlight and lose his way.”
    Not like she did , Caroline could have finished for him. He hadn’t talked about his younger sister since they’d started recording his personal history for the book, but they would have to eventually. Her aunt’s suicide had had an enormous impact on his life and his career. It happened when Caroline was eighteen, years ago, but it was still a raw wound for both of them.
    She reached out and covered his hand. “I think you’re right.”
    When she turned her head Jefferson was watching her closely. Those ice-green eyes cut through her, making her feel like he could see more than he should be able to. She felt his knee press against her thigh under the table, and he popped a slice of the thin prosciutto into his mouth and chewed. How could he make chewing sexy? Chewing was not sexy, damn it.
    “Your Caroline has agreed to come with me to the photo shoot. I’m glad you told me about her modeling experience.”
    “You did?” Her jaw dropped and she looked to her father for confirmation. “Daddy, you didn’t.”
    “He guessed.” David shrugged helplessly. “Look at you, sweetheart. Who wouldn’t guess that?”
    She’d modeled for a teen line in the eighties. They were some of the most frightening neon skirt and teased hair glamour shots that existed on the planet and she’d begged him on more than one occasion to bury them in his garden. “You didn’t take out the pictures to show him, did you? Tell me you didn’t.”
    “He tried.” Sylvie chimed in. “I managed to redirect them to the garden.”
    “Bless you.”
    Jefferson huffed a soft laugh, his arm was resting on the table with his palm up inches from her arm and Caroline had to resist the desire to slip her hand in his. “I’m sure I’ll get another chance before we leave for the wedding.”
    “Yes, the wedding.” David’s smile grew wide. “Jefferson, you have to come back before you leave. I have something special I was working on for your sister since I’m not up to the flight. She’s a wonderful girl, that Trudy. A voice like an angel and Caroline’s best friend. I hope this John Brown is good enough for her.”
    Jefferson’s dimples deepened. “Big John is definitely a good man, sir. I’m not being humble when I say he made Troublemaker sauce the success it is today, and saved our land and my bacon more than a time or two when I was too young to know better. The truth is he loves her. Always has. He was just waiting for her to come home and find out.”
    Caroline’s heart melted at his words. Even Sylvie smiled while her father nodded briskly to hide his emotion. “That’s how it was with Caroline’s mother. I met her in grade school and chased her all the way through college. She kept me waiting for a long time, but my persistence paid off. She finally agreed to marry me the week I got my first job on set.” He pointed at Caroline. “I tell this one all the time that if it’s worth having it’s worth waiting for, but she was born early and she’s been impatient ever since.”
    Jefferson smiled for her father, but she could feel him staring at her again. “Impatience is something we have in common. Speaking of, we should get going. Thank you for letting me steal her for the day. I’m hoping she’ll help me get through this without making a fool of myself.”
    Caroline could have begged off. She could have stayed and continued her visit with her dad instead of nodding agreeably and rising to her feet. She kissed her father’s forehead again and wiped the trace of her