Home at Rose Cottage by Sherryl Woods Page A

deck. She spotted him and halted in her tracks.
    “Maybe we should sit inside. It’s cool out here,” heheard her tell her siblings, trying to jostle them back through the door.
    Unfortunately, one of her sisters caught a glimpse of him and realized exactly what Melanie was up to.
    “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said to Melanie. “Perhaps we can join your friend and his daughter.”
    She was past Melanie and across the deck before Melanie could react. Hand outstretched, she greeted Mike. “Hi, I’m Ashley D’Angelo, Melanie’s older sister. And this is Jo. Maggie’s back there, trying to convince Melanie that it’s too late to run.”
    Mike grinned. “And why would she feel the need to run?” he asked, though it was perfectly obvious from the curious glint in her big sister’s sharp, intelligent eyes.
    “You tell me,” Ashley suggested. “Maybe it has something to do with that kiss we caught when you knew we were watching.”
    “Were you?” Mike asked innocently. “I had no idea.”
    Ashley laughed. “You’d make a lousy witness, Mr. Mikelewski. You get this little tic at the corner of your eye when you lie.”
    He deliberately rubbed his eye. “Must have gotten something in it. There’s a lot of pollen around. Maybe you should sit inside.”
    “Not a chance,” she said, already maneuvering another table over to theirs. She frowned at him. “You could help with this.”
    He shook his head. “I’m waiting for my cue from Melanie. She seems reluctant for this to happen.”
    “She doesn’t trust me not to go poking around into your personal business,” Ashley said unrepentantly. “She’ll get over it.”
    He laughed, liking her honesty. “Frankly, I’m not sureI trust you, either. She says you’re hell on wheels in a courtroom cross-examination.”
    Ashley gave her sister a long, considering look. “Did she really? I wonder why she’d do that. I guess I’ll just have to work that much harder to catch you off guard, now that I know you’ve been forewarned.”
    Melanie arrived in time to overhear the last and groaned. “Could we please sit somewhere else?” she begged, giving a look of silent apology to Mike.
    “Not on my account,” he said. “Besides, Jessie is bursting to tell you her news. She wanted to come by a little while ago, but I talked her into coming here to celebrate instead.”
    All four women turned their eyes on Jessie then. She squirmed under all that sudden scrutiny, and for a moment, Mike thought her shyness would get the better of her. But then Melanie pulled out the chair beside her, and Jessie immediately scrambled into her lap.
    “Guess what?” she said excitedly, her gaze on Melanie’s face.
    “What?”
    “I got an A on my reading test. Isn’t that the best news ever?”
    “That is fantastic news,” Melanie agreed. “In fact, it might be the very best news I’ve heard in a long time. No wonder you’re celebrating.”
    “Daddy’s getting crabs so we can hit ’em with a mallet.”
    Maggie chuckled. “Sounds energetic.”
    Mike met her gaze. “You have no idea. The safest seat is at that end of the table, as far from Jessie as you can get.”
    Jessie’s gaze was intent on Melanie’s face. “Are these your sisters?”
    Melanie nodded and introduced them.
    “I was telling Daddy that I wish I had sisters,” Jessie announced. “And a mom.”
    Mike choked on the sip of beer he’d just taken. “Yes, well, we all have our impossible dreams,” he said, as three women studied him with absolutely fascinated expressions. Melanie merely looked as if she’d like to crawl under the table.
    “What’s so impossible about that?” Ashley inquired, regarding him intently.
    Melanie scowled at her sister. “Leave the man alone, Ashley. He’s not on trial.”
    “Just curious,” Ashley said. “Aren’t you? ”
    “No, I am not,” Melanie said firmly.
    “Ha!” The chorus came from Jo and Maggie.
    “If you all don’t behave, I’m leaving you here to