“Your niece?” Holly exchanged a look with her sister, who had been following the interchange with interest. “Why would she be here?”
He shrugged, wide shoulders rippling inside his black jacket. “I have no idea. I only know she texted me and said she was picking up somebody named Lydia and would meet me here.”
All the pieces suddenly clicked into place. “Oh! You’re talking about Audrey! You must be Audrey’s uncle. Ryan, isn’t it? I had no idea you were coming today. Audrey didn’t mention it. In fact, Kim said you wouldn’t be able to make it to town until next week.”
“I was able to rearrange some things back in San Diego. I texted Audrey this morning to tell her I was on my way.”
Why hadn’t Kim ever mentioned that her brother looked like he should be on the cover of some sexy military guy calendar?
“You’re Kim’s little brother?”
He turned his attention to Hannah when she spoke and Holly could see him do a double-take.
As for Hannah, she looked at him with an appreciative lookthat left Holly feeling oddly territorial, like when they were kids and Hannah wanted to play with one of Holly’s brand-new toys.
“Yes. Hi. Ryan Caldwell. You’re twins.”
“Have been all our lives. I’m Hannah Goodwin.”
Her sister beamed at him and held out her hand. After a beat, he shook it, looking bemused.
Not for the first time, Holly wished she wasn’t always the quiet sister, the serious, bookish one. Sometimes she wanted to be the fun, flirty twin who was comfortable talking to anyone.
“How kind of you to drop everything in San Diego and come out to help Kim with Audrey during the holidays,” Hannah went on.
He shrugged. “We’re family. Isn’t that the kind of thing family does for each other?”
“Definitely, though I would have thought Audrey could stay with your dad over in Haven Point.”
Something hard flashed across his expression but it was there and gone so quickly Holly thought she must have been mistaken.
“The colonel is busy taking care of Diane after the accident as well as running Caldwell Aviation. He doesn’t have time to run Audrey back and forth to school here in Shelter Springs.”
“How is Diane?” Holly asked, feeling great sympathy for the other woman. She couldn’t imagine being laid up over the holidays, with broken bones sustained in an accident a week earlier.
“She came home from the hospital a few days ago, apparently. I talked to her this morning while I was driving and she assured me she’s fine. I haven’t seen her yet. I was thinking I could take Audrey there this evening, after we pick up her things from your place. She has been staying with you, right?”
Audrey, Kim’s thirteen-year-old daughter, had been sleeping in Holly’s spare room since Sunday.
“She has. It’s been no problem.”
“Thank you for that. I know my sister is grateful.”
“There is nothing to thank me for. Audrey is a delight. I enjoy her company and she’s wonderful with my daughter. I was grateful her mother trusted me enough to let her stay with me while Kim gets the help she needs.”
His mouth tightened again and he gave a short nod. She had only spoken briefly with her friend and employee since Kim checked herself into an addiction treatment facility in Boise the morning after the accident, the one that had injured Kim’s stepmother, Diane.
“I didn’t mind at all,” she said again. “In fact, she could have stayed with me the whole time Kim expects to be in Boise. I told your sister that. You really didn’t have to come out here.”
“I wish I could have made it earlier, but it took me a few days to arrange leave.”
Kim talked often about her younger brother while she and Holly were working together at the shop. Holly almost felt like she knew him. She likely knew far more about him than he did about her.
She was aware that Ryan Caldwell was a naval pilot who flew helicopters—a pilot who had been relegated to a desk job the past two months while healing from a knee injury sustained in the line of duty.
It was one thing to know information about a man in the abstract. It was entirely different when the same man was standing in her floral shop, looking rough and masculine and gorgeous.
“I’m sure Audrey will be happy to see you,” she said.
