The Bachelor's Unexpected Family. Lisa Carter

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СКАЧАТЬ second time her son had voluntarily hugged her. Progress?

      Canyon rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but—”

      “Do you have any food in the kitchen?” Kristina crossed her arms.

      He shook his head.

      She tapped her foot. “Extra sheets, a pillow and a blanket for the mattress?”

      He bit his lip.

      Men.

      “Unless you’d rather not, Jade.” Kristina dropped her arms. “We’re strangers, after all.”

      Jade Collier seemed to be one of those slow-to-warm creatures. Perhaps Kristina shouldn’t have said anything. Like with a gun-shy horse, maybe it was better not to rush things.

      “We’re still in the process of getting settled ourselves.” She made an expansive gesture. “It’s not much. But it’s a bed and your own bathroom. If you want it.”

      Jade’s startling eyes dropped to half-mast. “More than what I’m used to.” She patted Canyon’s arm. “Though I do appreciate the Barbie attempt.” Her mouth curved. “Coming from a confirmed bachelor like yourself.”

      So that’s how it was with Canyon Collier. Never married. She’d seen his type before with pilots. A woman in every port—airport, in his case.

      But she liked how the girl cared about her dad’s feelings. A good heart existed beneath the layers of face paint.

      With chagrin, Canyon accepted her invite. And Kristina drove home alone to get a head start on lunch. Gray stayed behind to give Jade a tour of the aircraft.

      As in plural. According to Gray, Canyon owned an AT 802—aka the yellow plane—a Cessna 172 and a helicopter.

      Great, just great. As she drove the half mile via the road toward her bungalow, she suspected Gray had more on his mind than aircraft. Which was cute, in a first-crush sort of way.

      But the very mature Jade was far too sophisticated in the ways of the world to give her late-bloomer son the time of day. Or at least that’s what she hoped.

      Exiting her car, Kristina sent a quick prayer heavenward that Jade would let Gray down easy. She actually prayed. For the first time in a while.

      She hurried to prepare the guest room and to set out fresh towels. Grabbing a blank piece of paper from the printer tray, she scrounged Gray’s desk for markers.

      “Welcome to Kiptohanock, Jade,” she wrote with a flourish of curling vines and flowers onto the border. She taped the sign to the bedroom door.

      In the kitchen, she slathered pimiento cheese on slices of white bread. Slicing the crusts from the sandwiches, she cut the bread into triangles. And smirked.

      At how predictable she’d become. Although, on second thought, maybe not such a good thing. Was she as boring as Gray believed?

      Plating the sandwiches, she heard the sound of a car in the driveway. Then Gray’s voice.

      “The Cessna 172 is a workhorse...” The screen door squeaked as her son bounded into the kitchen. “The carburetor needs tweaking, but I think I can...” Jade followed.

      Canyon’s broad shoulders filled the doorway. Jade’s gaze flitted from the vintage mint-tiled border above the countertop to the small bunch of purple crocuses on the farm table.

      Gray pulled out a chair at the table. “Please take a seat, Jade.”

      Kristina’s heart warmed as her son went all Southern gentleman. Jade gave Gray a suspicious look. As if she expected he’d yank the chair out from under her.

      But scowling, she sat down. Mouth curved upward, Gray plopped into a chair opposite Jade. “Thanks, Mom. Looks great. As soon as Canyon and I have time, we’re going to take apart the...” He returned to his aircraft monologue.

      She’d never known her son to be so talkative. Her eyes met Canyon’s.

      He smiled. Which revealed two deep dimples bracketing his mouth. Her heart did a strange flip flop.

      Part of Kristina resented her son’s hero worship of Canyon Collier. An adoration with which he’d only gifted his father.

      After lunch, Gray volunteered to wash the dishes, the sheer novelty of his offer nearly sending Kristina into cardiac arrest. And leaving Gray to his sudden burst of helpfulness, she took Jade to her room.

      Canyon hauled the duffel bag upstairs. At the sign on the door, Jade’s stance softened before she caught herself.

      Kristina leaned against the door frame. “Will this work for you, Jade?”

      Jade let her shoulders rise and fall in a studied show of indifference. “Yeah. Whatever.”

      Canyon sighed. “Jade...”

      Kristina bit back a smile. “It’s fine.”

      “Teenagers. God’s little way of keeping us humble.”

      She laughed. “True.”

      He deposited the duffel bag on the braided rug by the bed. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he took a long, slow look at the room.

      Kristina turned to go. “I’ll leave you to unpack, Jade.”

      Canyon joined her on the landing. “Thank you, Kristina. This goes way beyond neighborly. I’ll tackle our living situation at the airfield immediately. We won’t impose on your hospitality for more than tonight.”

      “No rush. It’ll be nice having another female around.” She tilted her head. “I was always outnumbered with Gray and his father.”

      Canyon’s face shadowed. “I’m sorry about what happened this morning. I shouldn’t have said what I did about your relationship with Gray being in jeopardy.” His gaze shot toward the guest room. “Like you said earlier, what does a guy like me know about parenting?”

      She sensed his discouragement. “Parenting teenagers is tough. I’m in no position to judge.” She had an inexplicable urge to comfort him. “You obviously care deeply about your daughter.”

      “Wait. You think Jade is my—” Confusion flickered across his features. “I thought Gray explained.”

      Her cheeks burned. Why was it always open mouth, insert a prop plane when it came to Canyon Collier?

      She fluttered her hand. “You don’t have to explain anything.” And hastened downstairs.

      He caught her in the living room. “Jade isn’t my daughter. She’s my niece.”

      Kristina did an about-face. “Oh.”

      Canyon’s brow creased. “Jade is my brother’s child. Beech is in prison.”

      The brother with the criminal СКАЧАТЬ