you anything?”
“Nope, I’m fine. Just glad to be home.”
Destiny exited the house, a steaming pot of corn on the cob in her hands. John and Ernie trailed after her like lovesick school boys. Yuck. Star frowned.
“Your mother sure is good for business,” Trudy said with wonder. “The men love her.”
Star frowned. “They do.”
“Has she been spending much time with your sister?”
“Some, but babies really aren’t Mom’s thing.”
Trudy chuckled. “No, I guess not.”
“Who wants wine?” Destiny held up a bottle.
“Me,” Ernie said, followed by an “I do” from John.
“Star?” her mother said, wiggling the bottle in time with her hips.
“No, thanks. I’ll take an ice tea though.” No wine enhanced feelings for her tonight. She wanted to deal with Cade with a clear head.
Destiny began filling the glasses. Ron returned with a glass of water for Trudy.
Brad came around the corner of the house, Finn and Emma following behind. As usual, Emma had Snowbell in her arms.
When Emma saw Star, she broke away from the boys.
“Star. Look what I got.” She ran to Star. Snowbell landed in Star’s lap with a meow. “Daddy bought me a pretty collar for her.”
A pink collar with a tiny silver bell circled Snowbell’s neck.
“It’s beautiful.” Star fingered the bell. “I love it.”
Emma nodded enthusiastically. “I love it, too.”
“It’s girly,” Finn grumbled. He reached for the salad and plucked a cherry tomato from the bowl.
“Finn,” Trudy exclaimed with horror. “We don’t know where those hands have been. Go inside and wash up. You, too, Emma.”
“Okay.” Emma ran for the house, followed by Finn who moved at a much slower pace.
Star was left holding Snowbell. The kitten curled up into a ball. Star ran her hand over the fur. “She’s so soft.”
“She’s a sweet cat,” Trudy agreed.
“I see you have a new friend,” Cade said as he joined them. He smiled at Star, and again, his handsomeness made her insides sizzle.
She stroked the kitten to cover her wild reaction to him. “I guess I do.”
“Here, Star.” Destiny passed her a glass of ice tea. She looked pointedly at Cade. “What can I get you, handsome?”
“How about a beer?” Cade said without blinking at the endearment. “There’s a cooler full near the door.”
Destiny smiled. “Back in a jiff.” She sashayed away, her painted on jeans leaving nothing to the imagination.
Both Ernie and John paused to watch Destiny in action. Star stifled a grown. She wondered if the men were married. If not, she felt doubly sorry for them.
“I was just telling Star that her mother’s a hit,” Trudy said. “She’d be a perfect fill–in for me while I’m out of commission. Men love her. I know she’s just here on vacation, but maybe she’d like to make a little extra money. What do you think, Cade?”
Before Cade could reply, Destiny returned with his beer. She passed it to him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Cade took a long drink.
“What can I do next?” Destiny asked, totally oblivious to the unanswered question that hung in the air.
“Relax,” Trudy said. “Go drink your wine. You were invited here for dinner, not to work.” She smiled at Cade.
Cade gave Destiny a long perusal. Was he considering asking Destiny to work for him? If so, he was nuts. Her mother would tie the male guests in knots. There wasn’t a man born yet who could resist the sex appeal that oozed from her.
Destiny patted Trudy’s shoulder. “You’re such a sweet girl. I think I’ll go and chat with Ernie and John. Want to join me, Star?”
“I’m going to stay with Trudy.” Star wasn’t going anywhere until she heard Cade’s response.
“Okay. Toodles.” Destiny gave them a wave before rejoining the men.
Cade took another sip of beer.
“Well, Cade?” Trudy asked. “She’d be perfect, don’t you agree?”
As if on cue, John and Ernie burst out laughing at something her mother had
“Nope, I’m fine. Just glad to be home.”
Destiny exited the house, a steaming pot of corn on the cob in her hands. John and Ernie trailed after her like lovesick school boys. Yuck. Star frowned.
“Your mother sure is good for business,” Trudy said with wonder. “The men love her.”
Star frowned. “They do.”
“Has she been spending much time with your sister?”
“Some, but babies really aren’t Mom’s thing.”
Trudy chuckled. “No, I guess not.”
“Who wants wine?” Destiny held up a bottle.
“Me,” Ernie said, followed by an “I do” from John.
“Star?” her mother said, wiggling the bottle in time with her hips.
“No, thanks. I’ll take an ice tea though.” No wine enhanced feelings for her tonight. She wanted to deal with Cade with a clear head.
Destiny began filling the glasses. Ron returned with a glass of water for Trudy.
Brad came around the corner of the house, Finn and Emma following behind. As usual, Emma had Snowbell in her arms.
When Emma saw Star, she broke away from the boys.
“Star. Look what I got.” She ran to Star. Snowbell landed in Star’s lap with a meow. “Daddy bought me a pretty collar for her.”
A pink collar with a tiny silver bell circled Snowbell’s neck.
“It’s beautiful.” Star fingered the bell. “I love it.”
Emma nodded enthusiastically. “I love it, too.”
“It’s girly,” Finn grumbled. He reached for the salad and plucked a cherry tomato from the bowl.
“Finn,” Trudy exclaimed with horror. “We don’t know where those hands have been. Go inside and wash up. You, too, Emma.”
“Okay.” Emma ran for the house, followed by Finn who moved at a much slower pace.
Star was left holding Snowbell. The kitten curled up into a ball. Star ran her hand over the fur. “She’s so soft.”
“She’s a sweet cat,” Trudy agreed.
“I see you have a new friend,” Cade said as he joined them. He smiled at Star, and again, his handsomeness made her insides sizzle.
She stroked the kitten to cover her wild reaction to him. “I guess I do.”
“Here, Star.” Destiny passed her a glass of ice tea. She looked pointedly at Cade. “What can I get you, handsome?”
“How about a beer?” Cade said without blinking at the endearment. “There’s a cooler full near the door.”
Destiny smiled. “Back in a jiff.” She sashayed away, her painted on jeans leaving nothing to the imagination.
Both Ernie and John paused to watch Destiny in action. Star stifled a grown. She wondered if the men were married. If not, she felt doubly sorry for them.
“I was just telling Star that her mother’s a hit,” Trudy said. “She’d be a perfect fill–in for me while I’m out of commission. Men love her. I know she’s just here on vacation, but maybe she’d like to make a little extra money. What do you think, Cade?”
Before Cade could reply, Destiny returned with his beer. She passed it to him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Cade took a long drink.
“What can I do next?” Destiny asked, totally oblivious to the unanswered question that hung in the air.
“Relax,” Trudy said. “Go drink your wine. You were invited here for dinner, not to work.” She smiled at Cade.
Cade gave Destiny a long perusal. Was he considering asking Destiny to work for him? If so, he was nuts. Her mother would tie the male guests in knots. There wasn’t a man born yet who could resist the sex appeal that oozed from her.
Destiny patted Trudy’s shoulder. “You’re such a sweet girl. I think I’ll go and chat with Ernie and John. Want to join me, Star?”
“I’m going to stay with Trudy.” Star wasn’t going anywhere until she heard Cade’s response.
“Okay. Toodles.” Destiny gave them a wave before rejoining the men.
Cade took another sip of beer.
“Well, Cade?” Trudy asked. “She’d be perfect, don’t you agree?”
As if on cue, John and Ernie burst out laughing at something her mother had
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