Evie hung her head for a moment, then leftPequeña Casa, taking the path that would lead her back to the homestead, Felicity’s words echoing in her head.
Her life would never be the same if Jake weren’t in it. And yet, she didn’t know if she could forgive him for the lie he told—or didn’t tell—or for the possibly of putting her family in peril. For the first time in a long time, she’d found love, and she didn’t want to give it up, but how could she trust him again? Would she suspect every word that came out of his mouth from now on?
What if King came looking for Jake? Would he? The only person who could answer that was Jake. Her pace quickened.
She didn’t see Jake in the corral, nor walking across the compound pushing the wheelbarrow. He wasn’t in the barn,either. She continued to the house, passing between the rose bushes, and stopped. The table on the patio was set up with the silver coffee service reserved for company or special occasions.
Had she forgotten she had invited guests today? What was today anyway? Tuesday? Friday? She’d lost all track of time as one day seemed to flow to the next.
Savannah came out of the house, carrying a plate of Hilde’s cookies. She stopped briefly and gave Evie such a glare, Evie took a step back. Savannah laid the plate on the table and turned, her dark eyes full of reproach. She placed her hands on her hips in perfect imitation of Teddy. Savannah was definitely her father’s daughter, right down to that intense stare. “Where have you been?”
Nothing like getting scolded by a six-year-old child. “I went for a walk.” She glanced at the table. “Did I forget something? Did we have a date?”
The girl shook her head, making her long braids move over her shoulders.
“Then what is all this?”
Savannah huffed, like Evie was the dumbest woman alive, her hands still on her hips, that intense stare never losing focus. “It’s for you and Mr. Jake. You have to talk.”
“Me and Jake? Ohcarina, it?—”
The girl didn’t let her finish, though she wasn’t rude. “Isn’t that what you make me and Miguel do? You make us talk to each other. You make us ‘resolve our differences.’” She huffed again in exasperation. “Isn’t that what you always say?”
“It is.” Evie was a little taken aback, not only by the fact that Savannah, her sweet and inquisitive grandniece was acting like an adult, but that she’d actually been listening and learning all these years. Still, the circumstances were much different than when she and her brother were arguing, and she stated so. “This is different,carina.”
“No, it’s not.” Savannah shook her head. Ah, the stubbornness of the Miller ancestry came shining through. “It’s not different at all,TiaEvie. I like Mr. Jake. You do, too. I saw you kissing him.”
Heat rushed to her face. “You did?”
The girl nodded. “A couple times.”
The corners of her mouth began to lift, almost beyond her control, as her gaze swept over her grandniece. “When did you get so smart?”
The girl smiled at her finally, unable, it seemed, to keep up the glare her father was so famous for. A hint of white showed in the space where her missing tooth had been. “I’m always smart. Mama says so.TiaJenny says so. You say so, too.” Her smile widened. “I’m going to be a lawyer like Uncle Charley when I grow up. Or a doctor, like Uncle Ben.” She pulled out a chair and ordered. “Sit. Your guest will be here any minute.”
Evie did as she was told, amazed that this precious little girl had outsmarted her. She didn’t doubt for one moment the girl would be anything she wanted to be—whether a doctor, a lawyer, or anything else.
As she grabbed a napkin and laid it over her lap, Evie looked around. No one was about, but she didn’t doubt Hilde, and possibly, Antonio, were at the kitchen window, watching and waiting. Perhaps, her nephews’ wives as well. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if her nephews watched too, although they should be out at the summer pasture. She looked down at the table, and studied the blood-red roses in the vase, her stomach already knotting.
“Hello, Evie.”
Hisvoice, deep and rich—the one that haunted her dreams—drew her attention. Evie started, then turned her head, and just looked at him. He had changed from his work clothes into the suit she’d first seen him in, and he looked so handsome she hadtrouble concentrating. Right beside him was Miguel, wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear. The boy’s hand was clasped in his much larger one and that, more than anything else, melted her heart.
Jake Hanniganwasa good man in all the ways that mattered. He’d proven that over and over again.
“Now talk to each other.” Savannah ordered in such an imperious way, Evie tore her gaze from Jake and just stared at her. The girl smiled, obviously pleased with herself, then grabbed her brother by the hand. “Come on, Miguel.” They went as far as the swing, settling themselves on the soft cushions. Apparently they were going to chaperone this littletete-a-tete,probably determined to stay until she and Jake made up.
Jake, his attention briefly on Savannah, smiled, then turned his devastating, utterly too charming grin on her. “She’s quite the force to be reckoned with.”
“Yes, she is. Stubborn, too.”
“So is Miguel.” He gestured to the chair opposite her. “May I?”
“Of course. I don’t think either one of the children would forgive us if we didn’t follow through on their plans.”
He slid into the seat, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. His eyes were warm and filled with regret…and something else, something she recognized when she looked in her own mirror. “I’m sorry, Evie. I should have told you everything right from the beginning.”
“Yes.” The anger was still there, even with his apology. “You should have told me about King. About your past. More than that, you shouldn’t have lied to me. Maybe I over-reacted, but you have to understand, the last man who lied to me died. I can’t forget that.”
