couldn't have been too concerned with that if he took up with someone as young as Ree.”
“His son died several years before he met Ree. Angel's mother had passed on when he was a boy. So Angel was all that was left by then. Besides, where Ree was concerned, Edgar never had a chance. She doted on him and gave him a new sense of purpose. She aggressively invested his money in high-risk funds and restored a good part of his fortune in a short period of time. In return, he fed her interest—pardon the pun—in the restaurant business.”
Sebastien lifted a surprised brow.
Jack shrugged. “The woman loves to cook, and let me tell you, she's an angel of God in the kitchen. But her mother refused to let her dwell on something so domestic, even as a business. She had far more lofty goals in mind for her only daughter. When Edgar died, Ree hit a point where she had to ask herself what she really wanted for herself and not for someone else.”
“And so the bookstore and café became a reality.” Sebastien finished the last of his coffee. “A happy ending.”
Jack smiled, but somewhat sadly. “She thinks so.”
“Tell me more about this Angel. She is very angry with him still. Surely he knows he cannot change his grandfather's will.”
“He knows, but it didn't stop him from trying. He tied Ree up in court for months, to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. He tried to prove she seduced Edgar into changing his will when he was no longer of sound mind or body.”
“The man must be blind, then.”
“I do like you, my friend.” Jack's smile faded. “Naturally Ree did nothing to disabuse the ass from his idiotic assumptions. He has no idea that if it weren't for Ree, he'd have ended up with nothing. Including his precious little four-star restaurant. She made sure she kept her inheritance without letting him find out that she was responsible for keeping his safe. The man could use a major reality check.” He waved his hand dramatically. “But logic flees when those two get anywhere near each other. It's like combustible fuel. I swear you can see the sparks fly.”
Sebastien sat forward. “Sparks?”
Jack misunderstood his sudden attention. He waved his hand. “Oh, please. You have nothing to worry about from that direction. Ree would rather have the man shot than let him within ten feet of her.And I don't think after the court's last ruling that Angel will give her that opportunity. The two have retreated to opposing corners, and I doubt you could pay either one to have anything to do with the other.” He fanned his face. “Thank God.”
Sebastien smiled with satisfaction. And allowed Jack to believe what he would. In fact, he was so deep into his plans, he missed the waitress's pout when he left the restaurant without so much as a glance in her direction.
Chapter 8
T his sheet isn't attached to the clew like that. We used a hook and thimble. And we used iron parrels on the halyard.”
Jamie let out a small shriek and almost fell off her stool. Stumbling to an upright position, she turned to find Sebastien bending over her workbench, studying the sketches for her newest project; a nineteenth-century pirate ship.
She tried to tell herself that her heart was beating wildly only because he'd startled her. But the fact that her mouth was watering over the way his linen shirt pulled snugly across his broad back told the real story. “Nice of you to drop in.” She hadn't seen him in a few weeks. Only now did she realize how much she'd missed him.
He grunted in response, his attention fixed on the plans, photos, and stacks of other resource material cluttering her work space. She folded her arms across her chest. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of another heart attack?”
He finally looked up, and she felt her heart squeeze just the teeniest bit at the boyish way his hair had fallen across his forehead and the somewhat lost look on his face. “What did you say?”
“What is it with boys
“His son died several years before he met Ree. Angel's mother had passed on when he was a boy. So Angel was all that was left by then. Besides, where Ree was concerned, Edgar never had a chance. She doted on him and gave him a new sense of purpose. She aggressively invested his money in high-risk funds and restored a good part of his fortune in a short period of time. In return, he fed her interest—pardon the pun—in the restaurant business.”
Sebastien lifted a surprised brow.
Jack shrugged. “The woman loves to cook, and let me tell you, she's an angel of God in the kitchen. But her mother refused to let her dwell on something so domestic, even as a business. She had far more lofty goals in mind for her only daughter. When Edgar died, Ree hit a point where she had to ask herself what she really wanted for herself and not for someone else.”
“And so the bookstore and café became a reality.” Sebastien finished the last of his coffee. “A happy ending.”
Jack smiled, but somewhat sadly. “She thinks so.”
“Tell me more about this Angel. She is very angry with him still. Surely he knows he cannot change his grandfather's will.”
“He knows, but it didn't stop him from trying. He tied Ree up in court for months, to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars. He tried to prove she seduced Edgar into changing his will when he was no longer of sound mind or body.”
“The man must be blind, then.”
“I do like you, my friend.” Jack's smile faded. “Naturally Ree did nothing to disabuse the ass from his idiotic assumptions. He has no idea that if it weren't for Ree, he'd have ended up with nothing. Including his precious little four-star restaurant. She made sure she kept her inheritance without letting him find out that she was responsible for keeping his safe. The man could use a major reality check.” He waved his hand dramatically. “But logic flees when those two get anywhere near each other. It's like combustible fuel. I swear you can see the sparks fly.”
Sebastien sat forward. “Sparks?”
Jack misunderstood his sudden attention. He waved his hand. “Oh, please. You have nothing to worry about from that direction. Ree would rather have the man shot than let him within ten feet of her.And I don't think after the court's last ruling that Angel will give her that opportunity. The two have retreated to opposing corners, and I doubt you could pay either one to have anything to do with the other.” He fanned his face. “Thank God.”
Sebastien smiled with satisfaction. And allowed Jack to believe what he would. In fact, he was so deep into his plans, he missed the waitress's pout when he left the restaurant without so much as a glance in her direction.
Chapter 8
T his sheet isn't attached to the clew like that. We used a hook and thimble. And we used iron parrels on the halyard.”
Jamie let out a small shriek and almost fell off her stool. Stumbling to an upright position, she turned to find Sebastien bending over her workbench, studying the sketches for her newest project; a nineteenth-century pirate ship.
She tried to tell herself that her heart was beating wildly only because he'd startled her. But the fact that her mouth was watering over the way his linen shirt pulled snugly across his broad back told the real story. “Nice of you to drop in.” She hadn't seen him in a few weeks. Only now did she realize how much she'd missed him.
He grunted in response, his attention fixed on the plans, photos, and stacks of other resource material cluttering her work space. She folded her arms across her chest. “And to what do I owe the pleasure of another heart attack?”
He finally looked up, and she felt her heart squeeze just the teeniest bit at the boyish way his hair had fallen across his forehead and the somewhat lost look on his face. “What did you say?”
“What is it with boys
Similar Books
