The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux Page B

personally or have you just heard what Landers says about his ex-brother-in-law?” Her eyes were challenging his.
    “Just what I’ve been told,” Jack said. He put his drink up to his mouth and said nothing more.
    Casey took a breath. “That’s enough about me. You seemed really taken with Gizzy.”
    Jack looked down at his drink. “She’s nice, very sweet. She makes me feel like I should put on armor and protect her.”
    “Um…Jack…” Casey leaned across the island toward him. “Maybe you know that Gizzy is my half sister. We share some things, but we’re also very different.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “Gizzy is as beautiful as a spring day, I’ll give you that. Men follow her wherever she goes.”
    Jack didn’t seem to notice that she hadn’t answered his question. “I heard that her dad is tough on men who try to date her. But I understand. She needs to be protected.”
    “Actually, Reverend Nolan tries to protect the men.”
    “Oh, no.” Jack groaned. “Tell me she’s not insane. In the last two years every girlfriend I’ve had has been crazy. One danced for three days with no sleep, then spent six days in bed saying she hated life, then she got up and did it all over again. And if you tell the press that, I’ll sue you.”
    “No, Gizzy isn’t crazy. She’s quite sane. I don’t know how to explain. You know how movie princesses used to stand around and wait for a man to rescue them? But now they grab a sword and fight their own way out?”
    “Yes, but that’s good. In my last movie the girl saved me twice.”
    “I loved that part. Was that really you climbing up that wall and later hanging from the helicopter? Did
you
dive into the ocean from that cliff?”
    “All me. I was told the insurance guy fainted at the dive, but I did it anyway.”
    “Then you’ll be fine with Gizzy. Now, I don’t mean to run you out, but I need to shower and change. I have a date tonight.”
    Jack stood up. For a moment, he looked like he might say something else, but he didn’t. “That’s great. He’s a lucky man.”
    “Thanks,” Casey said.
    Jack started for the door, but then he turned and kissed Casey’s cheek.
    “That’ll get you squab for dinner tomorrow night.”
    “What’s that steak two people share?”
    “Chateaubriand,” she said.
    “Keep that in mind. I’ll tell you when I need it.”
    “Gladly.” Smiling, Casey watched him walk away, then closed and locked the door. “If Gizzy doesn’t decide to catch some grasshoppers and fry them,” she muttered as she glanced toward the stairs. She’d only spent a few minutes in her bedroom earlier, but she’d been so creeped out by what she saw there that she’d run back down. She’d quickly prepared dinner for four and taken two meals to Jack. She hated including enough food for Tate as well, but he was her landlord and he was staying there. Besides, she couldn’t bear to let anyone go hungry.
    At the foot of the stairs, she took a breath before going up. Maybe she should burn some sage sticks to get his presence out of her house.
    In her bedroom, she again looked around. Earlier, she’d hastily put things back to the way they had been. The little red jewelry box her mother had given her went to the left; her two awards for Best Chef went on the right. The photo of her with her mom in Appalachia, surrounded by a dozen grinning children, went in the center. Her big hairbrush was on a linen cloth beside her comb.
    She’d checked the insides of the drawers, but nothing seemed to have been moved. As she’d picked her pajamas up off the floor and thrown them into the clothes basket, she wondered if she’d ever wear them again.
    While locking the bedroom door and checking that the windows were secure, she again wondered what he’d been doing in her bedroom. Was the answer one of those creepy male things where a man just liked to touch female possessions?
    She showered quickly and got ready for Devlin’s arrival, putting on a