Frankie pursed her lips. “Good to know.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Glad that meets with your approval.”
“Hey, I’m not the naked one.”
Harper didn’t respond, just walked out to the pool with Frankie trailing her. Jack was swimming away. She waited until he made the turn and was facing her again. She waved to get him to stop. “Jack.Jack!”
He slowed in a whoosh of water, putting his feet down to stand. Thankfully, the water was rippling enough to keep her from seeing through it. “Hey, man. Beautiful day.”
“Yes, it is. Um, as you can see, I have company. My sister, Frankie.” Harper hooked her thumb in Frankie’s direction.
Frankie waved. “Hi.”
Jack gave her a big smile. “The infamous Frankie. I’ve heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you, man.”
“Also,” Harper continued, keeping her gaze lifted. “My niece, Frankie’s daughter, Willa, is here with us. So…” She gestured in his direction. “If you could not be naked, that would be better.”
Jack pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. “Cool, cool. I forgot to bring a suit. But I’ll get one ordered. No worries, man.” He plowed through the water toward them, revealing more and more as the pool became increasingly shallow.
“There might be some swim trunks in the stuff that was left behind. I can look.” Harper raised her gaze higher. This was a lot to deal with before coffee.
“Also cool,” Jack said as he strode toward the steps.
Next to her, Frankie snorted. Harper shot her a look and kept her voice down. “Now you think it’s funny? You were just complaining.”
Frankie grinned, answering in a whisper, “The man is a bonafide sex symbol. Not to mention a Hollywood legend. Excuse me for enjoying the moment.”
“Shouldn’t you be making coffee?”
“I will the second I get into the kitchen.”
Harper sighed and kept her eyes averted, relying on her peripheral vision to maintain tabs on Jack.
He reached the steps and came up onto the pool deck. He went straight to his towel on the nearby lounge chair and wrapped it around his hips. “All safe for women and children.”
Harper looked at him again. “Thanks.”
He nodded, then smiled at her. “Water’s great.”
“I believe you.”
“By the way, if we could keep my sojourn here under the radar, I’d be deeply in your debt.”
The way Harper saw it, he already was in her debt. “No press. We understand. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Cool, cool.” He winked at Frankie, who made a noise somewhere in between amusement and girlish delight. “See you ladies later. Stay frosty, my friends.”
He strode off.
Harper looked at her sister, who was watching Jack leave. “By the way, you can’t move into the guest house just yet.”
“I figured that. It’s okay,” Frankie mumbled, her attention clearly elsewhere.
Harper shook her head and went inside.
Chapter Two
Mitch had made coffee, gone for his run, showered, dressed, and finally poured himself a cup of that coffee. Before he’d done all that, he’d done something much more important. He’d given his granddaughter a bottle and changed her. Now he was on the back deck, coffee at hand, journal in his lap, ready to start his day.
