Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(30)

His gut clenched at her revelation. “Have you seen your uncle? Is he in the area?”

She shook her head. “The sheriff and his deputies are on the lookout for him.” Her gaze swung toward the house. “He might have paid me a visit last week. I had an intruder who ate some pizza from my fridge, and it’s unlikely to be anyone but Uncle Paul.”

He eyed the dark yard again, then glanced at his nieces. “Are my girls in danger?”

“Absolutely not. He’s not the type to go around killing kids. Even my half sister’s death was an accident he covered up.” Her blue eyes were vulnerable when she glanced back up at him. “I suppose I should have told you about this before you hired me, but I’m not anything like him or my mother.”

He studied her expression, noting the pain in her eyes and the defensive slant to her mouth. She wasn’t asking for sympathy. His aunt had told him she’d been sick, but Aunt Dixie hadn’t mentioned the horrific skeletons in Kate’s closet. And maybe she should have before he hired Kate, but he couldn’t really fault her for wanting to keep it quiet. Who would want to announce something like that to a stranger?

She caught her full lower lip between her teeth. “Are you going to fire me?”

He shook himself free of his thoughts. “No, of course not. You’re doing a fine job with the girls. At least when you’re not lecturing me about sugar and hydrogenated oils.” He grinned and touched her on the shoulder. “Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

A shadow passed over her face, and she ducked her head. “I was really sick. But I’m okay now, really. Not a trace of aplastic anemia left. The doctor is very pleased.”

“My aunt told me about that. I’m glad.” The thought of her lying pale and near death in a hospital bed made his hand drop away.

He liked her spunk. In spite of everything life had thrown at her, she’d gotten back up again and pressed on. Lots of other women would have pulled the covers over their heads and refused to enter life’s arena again. But not Kate. She doubled up her fists and came up punching.

She stepped past him and hugged the girls. “Remember, if you need to talk to me, even in the middle of the night, you can call. You have my number. I’ll come right down, okay?”

Phoebe nodded, and Emma folded her arms across her chest and looked away. Drake had thought his older niece was warming up to Kate, but she had her guard up again.

Kate turned and went up the porch steps. “I can come over to fix breakfast at eight if you like.”

“I think I can manage cereal for all of us.”

She paused with the key in the lock and looked at him over her shoulder. “Cereal! Certainly not. The girls need a healthy breakfast. I’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow, and I’ll get some Greek yogurt and fruit. Tomorrow I’ll bring ingredients to make almond-flour pancakes.”

“Whoa, let’s not go too far in that direction. We’re all healthy and can handle a little cereal.”

She jammed the key home and twisted it, then shoved open the door. “I learned the hard way that you can never take good health for granted.”

Of course. She’d been near death, so it was no wonder she cared about that kind of thing. And it wouldn’t hurt him and the girls to eat well for a few weeks. “Pancakes sound good. Do I have to eat them dry?”

She laughed, a musical sound that seemed to float in the air. “I’ll bring homemade maple syrup and real butter. You and the girls will love them.”

“I’ll have to trust you on that.” He waited until the door shut behind her and he saw lights come on in the living room. Her shadow flitted across the window shades, and he watched a few more moments until Emma tugged at his hand.

“Uncle Drake, can we go now?”

He tore his gaze away. “Sure, honey. I’ll fix some popcorn, and we’ll watch the rest of the movie. Just don’t tell Kate, okay? I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Emma giggled. “You’re the boss. You can’t get in trouble.”

If he told himself that enough, he just might buy it. But he had the feeling that looking into Kate’s big blue eyes was dangerous.





FIFTEEN


Their first week together had been a little rocky. Kate found the girls vacillating between obeying and trying to pit her against their uncle, but it was early and she’d win this war eventually. She’d been thrilled Drake had brought the girls to her church this morning, and she sat with them, sharing a hymnal with Phoebe and feeling a tiny bit of what it must be like to be part of a real family with children—right down to the girls’ restlessness until she’d fished out pencils and a decoder puzzle from her purse that Drake had created for them. They sat happily deciphering until the service was over and several of Kate’s Sunday school children had come up to hug her. Phoebe had been downright jealous.

Kate changed her clothes after church, then positioned Phoebe at the table with bowls of chopped vegetables and lettuce. She set four salad plates in front of her. “You can fix the salads for everyone. I want everything in mine. You can see what your uncle and Emma want too. I’ll make some dressing, and by the time we’re both done, the vegetable soup should be ready to eat.” The kitchen already smelled amazing, and her stomach rumbled.

Phoebe’s nose wrinkled. “I only like Campbell’s. You put snap peas in yours.”