legs pumping, arms outstretched, ready to grab on to the closest port in the storm.
Which happened to be the two adults standing by the campfire.
Dev didn’t hesitate. He scooped Tori up in his arms while Logan clung to Jenna, his face bleached of color.
The little girl was trembling so violently, Dev could feel the vibrations down to his toes. “Hey now,” he murmured. “What happened?”
“A bee!” Tori wailed.
“Did it sting you?” Dev was already searching for any telltale welts rising on her bare arms.
“It looked at me!” Tori buried her face against his shoulder.
Dev’s eyes met Jenna’s over the little girl’s head and something in her expression warned him not to smile.
“I don’t see the bee anymore.” He kept his voice calm. “It must have flown away.”
“Did Violet get stinged?” Tori whispered.
Since the dog was stretched out in the grass, dismantling another tennis ball, Dev could only guess she was fine.
“See for yourself.”
Tori peered over his shoulder and her grip around his neck relaxed, allowing Dev to breathe again. Until he tried to set her down.
“I don’t like bees.” Unshed tears spiked the golden lashes.
Dev glanced at Jenna, who looked almost as pale as Logan.
“I was just about to put the burgers on,” he said slowly. “But I need a helper to put the cheese on top. It’s a very special job.” Dev tipped his head and gave Tori a thoughtful look. “What do you think? Can you help me out?”
A single tear rolled down a plump cheek, followed by a sniffle. “Uh-huh.”
“Great.” Great. “And Logan? I need two more logs from the woodpile over there. Let Violet carry one.” Dev winked at him. “It makes her feel important.”
Logan summoned a tremulous smile and detached himself from Jenna’s side. He patted his leg to get the dog’s attention. “Come on, Violet.”
Dev carried Tori over to the picnic table and eased her onto the bench. Jenna sat down beside her, which gave Dev a moment to check on Logan’s progress.
Five minutes later, their tasks completed and the bee momentarily forgotten, the children ran off to play again.
“Thank you,” Jenna murmured.
“For what?”
She looked surprised that he had to ask. “For… understanding.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Dev admitted. “But it was obvious they were scared. You don’t make light of that.” He paused. “Spiders, on the other hand, now those are a different story.”
Just as he’d hoped, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Jenna’s lips. “And wolves?”
“Definitely wolves.”
Jenna spread her hands over the flames, absorbing the heat. She didn’t look at him.
“Logan and Tori stirred up a nest of hornets last week,” she finally said. “Both of them were stung multiple times.”
Dev’s stomach clenched. That explained the strong reaction. Ground hornets had a reputation for being territorial and aggressive. He’d had the misfortune to stumble on a nest once and it wasn’t something a person forgot in a hurry.
“That must have been pretty traumatic. Were you with them at the time?”
“No, it happened the day I arrived in Mirror Lake. Alex Porter, Abby O’Halloran’s brother, managed to get them to safety, but he’s allergic to bees. Logan and Tori saw him collapse.”
Dev expelled a slow breath, choosing his next words with care. “They’ve been through a lot, haven’t they?”
Jenna flinched. Wrapped her arms around her middle in an attempt to ward off the chill. Or his questions. “Alex is all right now, but I think Logan and Tori still blame themselves.”
“And you blame yourself for not being there.”
Jenna didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t have to.
Dev had seen that expression before.
Every time he looked in the mirror.
Chapter Seven
J enna felt the warmth of Dev’s gaze like a physical touch.
She couldn’t admit that in a way, she was to blame for the children’s traumatic collision with the hornets
Which happened to be the two adults standing by the campfire.
Dev didn’t hesitate. He scooped Tori up in his arms while Logan clung to Jenna, his face bleached of color.
The little girl was trembling so violently, Dev could feel the vibrations down to his toes. “Hey now,” he murmured. “What happened?”
“A bee!” Tori wailed.
“Did it sting you?” Dev was already searching for any telltale welts rising on her bare arms.
“It looked at me!” Tori buried her face against his shoulder.
Dev’s eyes met Jenna’s over the little girl’s head and something in her expression warned him not to smile.
“I don’t see the bee anymore.” He kept his voice calm. “It must have flown away.”
“Did Violet get stinged?” Tori whispered.
Since the dog was stretched out in the grass, dismantling another tennis ball, Dev could only guess she was fine.
“See for yourself.”
Tori peered over his shoulder and her grip around his neck relaxed, allowing Dev to breathe again. Until he tried to set her down.
“I don’t like bees.” Unshed tears spiked the golden lashes.
Dev glanced at Jenna, who looked almost as pale as Logan.
“I was just about to put the burgers on,” he said slowly. “But I need a helper to put the cheese on top. It’s a very special job.” Dev tipped his head and gave Tori a thoughtful look. “What do you think? Can you help me out?”
A single tear rolled down a plump cheek, followed by a sniffle. “Uh-huh.”
“Great.” Great. “And Logan? I need two more logs from the woodpile over there. Let Violet carry one.” Dev winked at him. “It makes her feel important.”
Logan summoned a tremulous smile and detached himself from Jenna’s side. He patted his leg to get the dog’s attention. “Come on, Violet.”
Dev carried Tori over to the picnic table and eased her onto the bench. Jenna sat down beside her, which gave Dev a moment to check on Logan’s progress.
Five minutes later, their tasks completed and the bee momentarily forgotten, the children ran off to play again.
“Thank you,” Jenna murmured.
“For what?”
She looked surprised that he had to ask. “For… understanding.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Dev admitted. “But it was obvious they were scared. You don’t make light of that.” He paused. “Spiders, on the other hand, now those are a different story.”
Just as he’d hoped, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Jenna’s lips. “And wolves?”
“Definitely wolves.”
Jenna spread her hands over the flames, absorbing the heat. She didn’t look at him.
“Logan and Tori stirred up a nest of hornets last week,” she finally said. “Both of them were stung multiple times.”
Dev’s stomach clenched. That explained the strong reaction. Ground hornets had a reputation for being territorial and aggressive. He’d had the misfortune to stumble on a nest once and it wasn’t something a person forgot in a hurry.
“That must have been pretty traumatic. Were you with them at the time?”
“No, it happened the day I arrived in Mirror Lake. Alex Porter, Abby O’Halloran’s brother, managed to get them to safety, but he’s allergic to bees. Logan and Tori saw him collapse.”
Dev expelled a slow breath, choosing his next words with care. “They’ve been through a lot, haven’t they?”
Jenna flinched. Wrapped her arms around her middle in an attempt to ward off the chill. Or his questions. “Alex is all right now, but I think Logan and Tori still blame themselves.”
“And you blame yourself for not being there.”
Jenna didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t have to.
Dev had seen that expression before.
Every time he looked in the mirror.
Chapter Seven
J enna felt the warmth of Dev’s gaze like a physical touch.
She couldn’t admit that in a way, she was to blame for the children’s traumatic collision with the hornets
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