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“That must have been scary, having no idea what was going on.”
“It’s okay,” she assured him, feeling bad about scolding him after everything he’d done. “Don’t worry about it. As soon as Zack called, it all made…well, not sense, exactly, but…”
He chuckled. “It was a crazy night. I look forward to meeting you and telling you all about it someday.”
And he was gone, before she’d even had a chance to ask him if things were serious between him and Annika. Her sister had always been such an anti-romantic. Her cynicism had even started to rub off on Jenna after the divorce.
Wouldn’t that be ironic, if the two of them traded places and Annika became the sappy-in-love sister? Jenna would be the pragmatic, jaded, self-sufficient one.
As she hurried into the kitchen to get some of that fresh bread and soup, she dismissed that thought. How could she be jaded and pragmatic when one kiss from Billy melted her to her core? Face it, she was a sap who believed in love, and always would be.
If anything, now that Annika had met a kind, thoughtful billionaire whom she clearly liked and who may have just saved her life, maybe Annika would see things Jenna’s way for once.
Twenty-One
Billy heard the sound of the snowmobile just as he was finishing up the stack of firewood he’d piled next to Richard Scarlett’s woodstove. Jenna. His pulse sped up. He’d missed her while he’d been helping her father.
He’d found enough hurricane lights to keep the place lit in case the power didn’t come back anytime soon. He also made Richard a grilled cheese sandwich, his go-to meal for the kids, and heated up some cans of soup.
Richard spent virtually all of that time with his current painting, which he kept muttering to as if they were having a conversation.
This was what Jenna had grown up with. Billy had known it, but he’d never experienced it for himself. It was such a strange feeling to be so completely ignored, especially while you were bending over backwards for a person. Was that why Jenna had been so eager to make her life all about Billy’s life? No wonder she hadn’t believed that she herself was important.
He called to Richard. “Jenna’s back.” The man gave a grunt but didn’t turn around.
When he opened the door, he found Jenna looking bright-eyed and much more relaxed.
“The boys are fine,” she said quickly. “Great, actually. And I just had the best slice of fresh-baked bread that I’ve ever encountered in my life. Soraya’s awesome, she’s the nanny. The cook has got some serious skills. How’s Papa?”
“Wrapped up with his masterpiece. I got him all set up with light and food and heat. I asked him if he wanted to come with, but he refused.”
Jenna nodded as if that didn’t surprise her. “When the muse speaks, nothing else matters.”
“Which is bullshit. You mattered.”
Her eyebrows lifted, her lips quirking in amusement. “Okay. Where did that come from?”
“Oh, maybe from having to say his name six times to get his attention. And then having him brush me off even if I’m literally keeping him from freezing to death. Anyway, what’s next? I can stay here with him…”
It was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to be with Jenna and the boys, until it was time for just him and Jenna. Then he wanted to show her how important she was in every possible way, starting with her toes and moving on up to her inner thighs, and the sweet curve of her hipbone, and the belly with those beautiful silver stretch marks, and her nipples, especially her nipples…
“Billy.” Jenna snapped her fingers to bring his attention back to her—the real-life her standing in front of him instead of the fantasy naked version of her. “I came to pick you up. I think we should all stay at Sans Souci tonight. They invited us, and it’s very comfortable there. We can go home when the power comes back on. I still haven’t gotten a callback from Annika. She’s supposed to call the landline there, so I want to get back as quickly as possible.”
“Is she okay?”
“Brent says that she is, for now, but they’re still running tests. I guess she had some kind of seizure. The boys were describing it. Very graphically,” she added, looking a little pale at the memory. “I wonder if Zack will want to be an author someday. Gory comic books, maybe. He has quite the gift.”
They went to find Richard, who lit up at the sight of Jenna. “Did you come to see the canvas I finished?”
“No, Papa, and I don’t have time now. Annika might call any minute, and…Are you sure you don’t want to come stay at a fancy house tonight?”
He turned away, back to the canvas he was sketching on. “Nah. Come back when you’re ready.”
This time, Jenna drove the snowmobile while he looped his arms around her middle, enjoying the scent of fresh bread that wafted from her.
“Thanks for taking care of the Hermit.”
He knew that was what she and Annika called their father, affectionately, but she’d never used that nickname with him. Maybe he’d finally earned his way into the Scarlett family club.
