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Skye gives me an amused smile when we reach the porch steps. “I hope you slept well.”
“Quite the opposite,” I say as Penny releases my hand and races inside the house. “I tossed and turned all night.”
“Any particular reason why?”
I can tell from her expression that she knows something I don’t. “All right, spit it out. What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing,” she says, sounding far too innocent to be believable. “Come eat. The others are waiting for us.”
Others?
Penny reappears in the open doorway and captures my hand so she can drag me toward the dining room. “Come on, Aunt Kennedy. We have to hurry before Daddy and Uncle Connor eatallthe food.”
Connor’s here already?My stomach twists into a knot.
I allow Penny to pull me along with her. Skye follows.
When we walk into the dining room, Will says, “It’s about time, Kennedy. We were about to start without you.”
Connor looks up from the table with a pleased-as-punch smile on his handsome face. He looks amazing in a pair of khaki trousers and a white Polo shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the strong, tanned column of his throat.
“Good morning, Kennedy,” he says, his accent smoothly seductive. “May I say you look absolutely lovely this morning? The country air appears to agree with you.”
I glance down at my white cotton shorts, blue sleeveless top, and beige sandals. It’s nothing special. Still, Connor’s eyeing me like he wants to eat me up.
Feeling self-conscious, I tuck my hair behind my ear and allow Penny to maneuver me into the chair beside hers. She hands me a raven-haired Barbie doll wearing a hot pink, one-piece bathing suit and matching hot-pink heels.
“You can play with her,” Penny says. “She looks like you.”
Indeed she does. The doll has long black hair and Asian features.
“Of course, Kennedy is far prettier than a Barbie doll,” Connor says as he reaches for his coffee.
When we make eye contact, I see none of the anger and resentment I saw in him last night. This morning, he seems perfectly at ease.
Will wags a finger at his daughter. “It’s time to eat, sweetheart, not play with dolls. You can do that later.”
“Breakfast is ready,” Maggie says as she wheels in the serving cart loaded with our breakfast plates. “Ladies first.” She winks at Penny as she sets her plate down. Then she passes out the rest of the plates.
“We’re eating an English breakfast this morning,” Penny says as she picks up her slice of toast and takes a bite. “Mommy thought Aunt Kennedy would like that.”
Sure enough, I’m looking at a Full English breakfast plate in front of me, complete with sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, grilled slices of tomato, baked beans, hash browns, and toast. This certainly brings back memories.
Maggie pours coffee into my cup. “Cream and sugar are on the table, dear. Do you need anything else?”
“No, thank you,” I say. “This is more than enough.” As I study my breakfast plate, I’m suddenly nostalgic for London. Skye and I used to visit a local restaurant every Sunday morning to have a Full English breakfast. We would eat until we were stuffed.
When I happen to catch Connor’s gaze, he winks at me. “It brings back memories, doesn’t it?”
It’s like he’s reading my mind, something he used to do often.
Reaching for my coffee, I nod, but I don’t say anything because suddenly my throat is tight. For the rest of the meal, I avoid looking at Connor. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I know it’s something. He’s far too happy and relaxed this morning, in stark contrast to his dark mood last night.
Penny smiles at me. “Uncle Connor is taking me out on the motorboat after breakfast. Do you want to come with us?”
“Um, thanks, but no. I think I’ll hang out here with your mom.”
“Actually,” Skye says as she sips her decaf, “I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I think I’ll lie down and take a nap with Nicky after breakfast. You should go with them, Kennedy. It’ll be fun.”
