slow smile crossed his lips, lightening the intense expression in his light blue eyes, Evan glanced at him quizzically.
"That's exactly how I pictured you before I came in here. Sitting on the love seat in the cabin with a twenty-pound book on your lap." He ran a finger across her jaw before he whispered, "Nice picture."
Evan's breath knotted in her throat. "Linc, don't, please."
"I know. I know." He took a drink of his scotch, and the ice clinked against the glass. "I'm supposed to be a good boy, and you're—"
"Daddy, Daddy." Jenny came bouncing into the room and lunged at him. He put his drink down and swept her up in his arms.
"How's my girl? Do I get a kiss?"
Jenny nearly smothered him before leaning back in his arms to give him a sober look. "I saved you some of my cookies, Daddy. They're at Evan's house."
"Thanks, sweetheart. But can they wait till tomorrow? Daddy's going to be busy tonight."
"I'll save you this many," Jenny announced, holding up four grubby fingers.
Evan laughed. "Looks like I'm not the only one who needs a bath."
"I'm going to a sleepover with Evan tonight, in her new house," Jenny stated, with four-year-old imperiousness.
Evan stroked her soft hair. "Only if your dad says it's okay."
"Can I, Daddy?"
"I'd say you're a lucky little girl—getting to sleep over at Evan's." He shot Evan a wicked grin.
Evan hid her blush by coughing against her hand, and adding a little too brightly, "Where's Cal, Jenny?"
Just then her son came through the kitchen door. "Right here. But I'm soon to be tailpipes. Mike's got a couple of videos, and if it's okay, I'm going to spend the night." He glanced around the still busy kitchen and groaned. "Tell me I'm finished here. Puh-leese."
Evan laughed. "You're finished—"
Cal brightened.
"—after you take out the empty boxes and stack the plastic crates that the dishes came in."
"Yes, suh!" Cal saluted smartly and headed for the boxes. Evan was pleased Cal was going out tonight, and she liked his friend Mike. He'd worked at the supermarket with Cal the last few months. Both boys shared a passion for computers and Harley Davidsons, and although Mike was two years older than Cal, he, too, was starting his first year at U Vic in the fall. She smiled. Mike also had a sister Cal's age, who was, according to Cal, okay .
"Go help Cal, honey. Daddy wants to talk to Evan." Linc put Jenny down, and she went after her hero.
Linc picked up his drink and turned toward Evan. "Why don't you stay for a while? Have something to eat before you leave."
Evan plucked at her rumpled T-shirt. "I don't think so, but thanks. As soon as everything is done here, Jenny and I will head for the cabin. I'll fix something there."
Linc started to speak but was interrupted by the door chimes. He looked at Evan.
"Go. Your guests are alive and well and beating on the front door."
He continued to look at her, his expression unreadable. When the chimes sounded again, he turned and left.
It was a half hour later before Evan worked her way out of the kitchen. She took one last look around, ran a hand over her cheek, and shook her head. She'd tidied up as best she could; the rest was up to the caterers and cleaning people. It was time to go.
* * *
Jenny and Evan were standing on the second-floor landing looking down at the crowded entryway below. They'd made a quick stop at Jenny's room to get her PJs and clothes for the morning, and Evan couldn't wait to get home. Home. She savored the word, thinking happily about her private, comfortable cabin. Right now it seemed like heaven compared to what was going on below. People were arriving in groups of two and four, the hall now an expressway to the patio and living room.
Many of the guests were already outside, drinks and smiles firmly in place. Evan shuddered. She'd never attended a gathering like this one and hoped she never would. It surprised her that Linc would arrange something like this. He'd struck her as a more private person.
"That's exactly how I pictured you before I came in here. Sitting on the love seat in the cabin with a twenty-pound book on your lap." He ran a finger across her jaw before he whispered, "Nice picture."
Evan's breath knotted in her throat. "Linc, don't, please."
"I know. I know." He took a drink of his scotch, and the ice clinked against the glass. "I'm supposed to be a good boy, and you're—"
"Daddy, Daddy." Jenny came bouncing into the room and lunged at him. He put his drink down and swept her up in his arms.
"How's my girl? Do I get a kiss?"
Jenny nearly smothered him before leaning back in his arms to give him a sober look. "I saved you some of my cookies, Daddy. They're at Evan's house."
"Thanks, sweetheart. But can they wait till tomorrow? Daddy's going to be busy tonight."
"I'll save you this many," Jenny announced, holding up four grubby fingers.
Evan laughed. "Looks like I'm not the only one who needs a bath."
"I'm going to a sleepover with Evan tonight, in her new house," Jenny stated, with four-year-old imperiousness.
Evan stroked her soft hair. "Only if your dad says it's okay."
"Can I, Daddy?"
"I'd say you're a lucky little girl—getting to sleep over at Evan's." He shot Evan a wicked grin.
Evan hid her blush by coughing against her hand, and adding a little too brightly, "Where's Cal, Jenny?"
Just then her son came through the kitchen door. "Right here. But I'm soon to be tailpipes. Mike's got a couple of videos, and if it's okay, I'm going to spend the night." He glanced around the still busy kitchen and groaned. "Tell me I'm finished here. Puh-leese."
Evan laughed. "You're finished—"
Cal brightened.
"—after you take out the empty boxes and stack the plastic crates that the dishes came in."
"Yes, suh!" Cal saluted smartly and headed for the boxes. Evan was pleased Cal was going out tonight, and she liked his friend Mike. He'd worked at the supermarket with Cal the last few months. Both boys shared a passion for computers and Harley Davidsons, and although Mike was two years older than Cal, he, too, was starting his first year at U Vic in the fall. She smiled. Mike also had a sister Cal's age, who was, according to Cal, okay .
"Go help Cal, honey. Daddy wants to talk to Evan." Linc put Jenny down, and she went after her hero.
Linc picked up his drink and turned toward Evan. "Why don't you stay for a while? Have something to eat before you leave."
Evan plucked at her rumpled T-shirt. "I don't think so, but thanks. As soon as everything is done here, Jenny and I will head for the cabin. I'll fix something there."
Linc started to speak but was interrupted by the door chimes. He looked at Evan.
"Go. Your guests are alive and well and beating on the front door."
He continued to look at her, his expression unreadable. When the chimes sounded again, he turned and left.
It was a half hour later before Evan worked her way out of the kitchen. She took one last look around, ran a hand over her cheek, and shook her head. She'd tidied up as best she could; the rest was up to the caterers and cleaning people. It was time to go.
* * *
Jenny and Evan were standing on the second-floor landing looking down at the crowded entryway below. They'd made a quick stop at Jenny's room to get her PJs and clothes for the morning, and Evan couldn't wait to get home. Home. She savored the word, thinking happily about her private, comfortable cabin. Right now it seemed like heaven compared to what was going on below. People were arriving in groups of two and four, the hall now an expressway to the patio and living room.
Many of the guests were already outside, drinks and smiles firmly in place. Evan shuddered. She'd never attended a gathering like this one and hoped she never would. It surprised her that Linc would arrange something like this. He'd struck her as a more private person.
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