Jacob walked behind the counter and kissed Molly’s cheek. “There was an accident on the road to Big Sky. Two people were flown out by helicopter and three others were taken to the hospital by ambulance.”
Molly sighed. “I hope they’ll be okay. It’s lovely to see you again, Sean.”
“It’s great to be here. Jacob invited me to dinner, but I didn’t realize Becky was here. If you’d like to have some family time, I can come back another day.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s a simple meal that we’d love to share. Becky and I have made the salads and Jacob will cook the meat on the barbecue.”
“And we have cupcakes for dessert,” a little girl added as she ran into the room. “I’ve washed my hands, Aunt Molly.”
Sean frowned. As far as he knew, Molly didn’t have any brothers or sisters apart from Becky. That would mean the little girl was Becky’s daughter, but they didn’t look anything like each other.
“That’s wonderful, Mary. Before we decorate the cupcakes, come and say hello to Mr. Gray.”
The little girl stood beside Becky and frowned. “Hello. You’re tall.”
Sean dropped to one knee to bring him closer to eye-level with her. A lock of Mary’s honey-gold curls fell over her deep brown eyes. “Everyone in my family is tall, except my sister. What kind of cupcakes have you baked?”
“Aunt Molly made chocolate. They’re my favorite, especially with lemon frosting.”
Sean smiled at her slight Irish accent. “I like them, too. Do you bake other things with your mom and Aunt Molly?”
Mary’s troubled gaze shot to Becky.
“It’s okay,” she reassured her before turning to Sean. “I’m not Mary’s mom. I’m her guardian.”
“My mom and dad are in heaven,” Mary told him in a matter-of-fact voice. “Do you help people like Uncle Jacob does?”
“I try to.” Sean glanced at Becky. Even though Mary didn’t seem worried by what he’d said, he still felt embarrassed.
“It’s okay,” she said softly.
He stood as Mary reached for Becky’s hand. They might not be mother and daughter, but it was easy to see the connection they had with each other.
Jacob gave him a plate of raw steak. “While Mary’s organizing dessert, you can help me with the barbecue.”
“Sounds good.” With one last look at Becky, he followed Jacob onto the deck.
When they were away from the kitchen, Jacob said, “Becky isn’t married and she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
Sean frowned. Were his thoughts that obvious? “That wasn’t what I was thinking.”
“But you were curious.”
“Maybe, but I have other things on my mind.”
“So did I before I met Molly but, at some point, you need more in your life. What’s the harm in getting to know Becky?”
Sean’s eyes narrowed. “Did you invite me here because she was coming to dinner?”
Instead of answering his question, Jacob turned on the grill. “There’s no harm in meeting new people. I didn’t realize you’d already met.”
“I talked to her this morning,” Sean mumbled.
For some reason, Jacob looked incredibly pleased. “In that case, you’ll have plenty to say to each other.”
There was a lot Sean wanted to say, but it all revolved around Matthew’s wedding. After talking to Becky, he’d spoken to Pastor Steven and confirmed the date for the mid-July wedding. Now all he had to do was organize everything else his future sister-in-law wanted. And there was one person who would be even more help than his brother.
If Becky was interested, he had a job of astronomical proportions for her.
