“You also did some work for William a couple of months ago,” Brian continued brightly. “He said his basement got flooded?”
“That’s right,” David said with a nod, keeping his voice even. “The regular plumber for the development was sick.”
“Oh look, there’s a hall dedicated to portraits of prominent families,” Lila said suddenly, her voice a little too loud, a little too enthusiastic. “Come on, Brian, let’s go look through there. I love old portraits.”
The look she shot Eve didn’t go unnoticed by David.
Eve’s cheeks flushed ever so slightly at the blatant setup.
The teens ducked into the next room, leaving David and Eve alone in the hallway.
The silence stretched for a moment, charged with something David didn’t want to examine too closely.
“I see Lila’s mother is not with you once again,” David noted, then immediately wondered why he’d pointed that out.
Eve smiled. “Yes, Mia has taken up photography as a hobby. She met a guest at the Inn, a photographer who’s teaching her.”
David’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
“Yes,” Eve said with a nod. “He seems like a nice guy. We all went out for ice skating and dinner last night.” Her eyes warmed with genuine pleasure. “He seems to have brought Mia out of her shell and put some color back into her cheeks and interest back into her life.” Her brow furrowed. “I’m sorry. I’m sure I told you this already.”
“I think you might have mentioned it,” David said politely. If she did, it had slipped his mind, but then again, when Eve was close to him… He swallowed. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Mia finding an interest and enjoying her holiday?” He stored the information about Mia away.
“It is,” Eve said, but he caught the moment of hesitation in her expression. Then she brightened. “We’re looking forward to tonight.”
Tonight?
David’s mind went blank for a moment before he remembered.The barbecue.Milly had invited them to the woods.
“Oh, yes,” David said with a nod. “Me too, although you shouldn’t get too excited. It’s just two log cabins in the woods.”
“To a teen, it’s an adventure,” Eve pointed out with a laugh. “And I haven’t been to a barbecue in years, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Yes, so was he, David admitted to himself. More than he should be.
Though he was also dreading it.
They never invited anyone to the woods. It was their sanctuary, their safe place, the one location where they could let their guard down. Having Eve, Lila, and possibly Mia there was a risk.
But Milly had insisted, and Dan had agreed, and David hadn’t been able to come up with a good reason to say no that didn’t involve revealing things he couldn’t reveal.
“I must send you the directions,” he told her.
“It’s okay,” Eve said, pulling out her phone. “Milly already sent them to me. But since I have you here, maybe I could clarify the route? There doesn’t seem to be a road that she told me to take.”
“Right,” David nodded. “That’s because it’s not on a map.”
He stepped up beside her and instantly regretted it.
Her scent wafted up to him, light and floral, with an undertone uniquely hers, creating havoc with his pulse and senses.
David swallowed and got a hold of himself, forcing his attention to the phone in her hand.
She held it up, angling the screen so he could see, and their hands brushed.
A jolt shot up David’s arm, electric and undeniable.
He heard the soft intake of breath from Eve.
