He was still holding her hand. Alison looked at him, somewhat surprised that he was sensitive enough to pick up on her unease. She’d patted herself on the back for having masked it well. Obviously she’d patted too soon.
On the ground, she turned toward Shayne who was unloading her suitcases from the tiny cargo space. “Is the clinic far from here, Dr. Kerrigan?”
It was a short drive and in the summer, without hazard. “Not far, and if you’re going to be working for me, you’d better get used to calling me Shayne. It takes too long to say ‘Dr. Kerrigan.’ By the time you get it out, the emergency’s either over or the patient’s bled to death.” There were only two suitcases and he picked them both up, glancing from one to the other before looking at Alison. “This doesn’t look like much.” Did that mean that she was only willing to give Hades a cursory try?
She’d never needed much. Her CD collection and audio set would be coming under separate cover. There wasn’t anything else except for an album of photographs. Possessions had a way of entangling a person, cutting into their freedom, and freedom, she’d come to believe, was the greatest possession of all.
“I’m having the rest of it sent once I know where I’m staying.”
Shayne surrendered one suitcase to Luc, but kept the other himself. He turned toward his house and began walking.
“The local hotel is still undergoing reconstruction.” He didn’t add that the building was experiencing a moratorium because there were no funds to complete the work. That sounded much too negative. “Until we can come up with a better arrangement, Sydney and I thought you might want to stay with us.” He thought of mornings at his house. There were battlefields that were quieter. “That is, if you don’t mind noise.”
She smiled, remembering home and her siblings. None of them could have ever been accused of backing down from a good fight. “Noise’ll be fine.”
It would help fill in the empty spaces left vacant by her family’s absence, she thought. This was going to be a huge adventure for her, hopefully one from which both she and the place she was working in would profit. But right now, homesickness was still playing a rough tug-of-war with her emotions, and she welcomed any distractions that came her way.
“Then you’re in for a treat,” Shayne promised, “because, especially with the baby, we’ve got noise to spare.”
“Baby?” Alison’s eyes, Luc noticed, lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. “I love babies.”
Pleased, Shayne looked over her head at Luc. “I think we have ourselves a winner.”
Luc gave a slight nod of his head, his lips only curving slightly. “Looks like.”
The slight inflection she caught in Luc’s voice both warmed and frightened her. Knowing it was futile, Alison tried to hang on to the one and block the other.
The door of the house they were approaching suddenly swung open. Two children, a boy and a girl, came spilling out, followed close behind by three adults. Alerted by the noise of the approaching Cessna, they were coming to greet Hades’ newest citizen.
The two women directly behind the children waved. Shayne waved back.
“Looks like the welcoming committee’s here.”
There was affection in Shayne’s voice as he warned her. He was obviously referring to his wife. She thought it nice to have someone in love with you to the extent that it overflowed into his voice when he spoke.
She hurried to keep up with the two men on either side of her. “I want to thank you for coming to meet me—us,” she corrected.
“Thank him?” The tall, ruggedly handsome man who was as dark as Luc was fair, hooted as he came to join them. “Shayne would have driven all the way down to Seattle to bring you back if he had to. You’re all he’s talked about since Luc called the other day.” He winked. “You’d think that he was going out on his first date instead of waiting for his nurse to arrive.” In an exaggerated, courtly fashion, he presented his hand to her. “Welcome to Hades, darlin’. I’m Ike LeBlanc, Luc’s cousin. This gorgeous woman standing beside me is Marta. My wife.” It still tickled him to say that. He figured to an extent, it always would.
Marta, a petite blonde, laughed as she leaned past her husband and shook Alison’s hand. “Don’t let Ike throw you. He can be a little overwhelming at first.”
Ike took his wife’s unguarded moment as an opportunity to brush a quick kiss against Marta’s cheek. “Why, thank you, darlin’.” Something only slightly removed from a good-natured leer crossed his face as he looked at her. “So, I overwhelmed you that first time at the airport, did I?”
“Hush.” For good measure, Marta placed her fingertips to his lips to silence him, not trusting Ike to listen to the simple command. He grinned and kissed them, causing her to be momentarily at a loss what to do with him. Except to love him, which she did with all her heart.
“And this lovely creature is my wife, Sydney.” Still holding one suitcase, he slipped his other hand around Sydney’s shoulders. Just a little more than eighteen months ago, Shayne Kerrigan would have sworn to anyone that he didn’t have a demonstrative bone in his body. It had taken Sydney to make him see otherwise. Now it was as natural as breathing to affectionately kiss his wife in public. “You look tired. Snowcone still fussing?”
“Snowcone?” Alison echoed, confused. “Is that your dog or your cat?” Or did the name belong to a more exotic pet, like a baby seal or a moose?
The little girl covered her mouth to seal back an attack of giggles.
“Neither,” the dark-haired boy told her solemnly. “That’s our sister.” Twelve, he was trying very hard to be twenty, and was, to anyone with eyes to see, the very spitting image of his father.
“And she’s fussing ’cause her teeth are coming in,” the little girl chimed in, not to be outdone. “She cries a lot. Not like Ce-Ce.”
“Celine’s our little girl,” Marta explained.
Alison’s head was beginning to spin, trying to keep everyone straight.
“Snowcone—Virginia,” Sydney amended, coming to the defense of her littlest one, “doesn’t cry a lot, just intensely. But that runs in the family.” Humor graced her mouth as she glanced at the two children before her. And then she looked at Alison. “Hi, I’m Sydney and you must be Shayne’s godsend. Welcome to Hades.”
Not standing on ceremony, Sydney embraced the younger woman. There was something in the girl’s eyes that brought out the mother in Sydney. But then, lately, she’d noticed that everything seemed to be bringing out the mother in her. As the doctor’s wife and the mother of both his children and their newest addition, Virginia, Sydney felt as if everything as far as the eye could see had been left in her care. She took to the role voluntarily and with gusto.
Stepping back, she smiled at Alison. “God, but we are glad to see you.”
“You are gonna stay, right?” The instant her mother released the newcomer, Sara slipped her small hand into Alison’s, taking command. She began pulling her into the house, as if entering the building would render her a permanent citizen. “We need ladies out here. Mama said so. And Daddy’s almost been praying for a nurse. I’m gonna be a nurse when I grow up, but Daddy said he couldn’t wait that long. Do you like it here?”
Ike looked at his watch, then at Shayne. “I clocked her at two hundred words a minute. How about you?”
“Close,” Shayne agreed.
“Stop teasing her,” Sydney told them. “And as for you, Sara, let the lady catch her breath. She’s tired.” Sydney’s eyes shifted to Alison. “Right?”
“No.” The answer was quick, automatic. It was her stubborn streak, Alison realized, taking over. Never admit frailty or vulnerability of any kind. It was a credo she hung on to as fiercely as a starving dog hung on to the only bone he had. “I’m fine, really. And I plan to stay here for at least a while, if things work out.”
“What things?” Sara wanted to know.
“Sounds like a budding reporter, doesn’t she?” Shayne asked, leading the way into the house.
“A healthy dose of curiosity’s a good thing,” Alison said.
Sara knew she and the new lady were going to be great friends.
Gently but firmly Luc disengaged Alison’s hand from Sara’s grasp. He gave the surprised girl a quick smile. “She needs to put her things away.” With Alison’s hand in his, he turned toward Sydney. “Which one’s Alison’s room, Sydney?”
“End of the hall.” She pointed to the right of the staircase. “It’s just off the kitchen,” she apologized. “We were going to give you the upstairs guest room, but that’s right next door to the baby and we were afraid she’d keep you up all night.”
“Off the kitchen will be fine,” Alison assured her. “That means the smell of coffee, first thing in the morning.” Her eyes shone. Just like back home. “Perfect.”
Luc saw Ike and Shayne exchange approving glances. A ray of pride pushed forward. He knew that Alison was supposed to be nothing more than an acquaintance, but he was glad they liked her. Glad she seemed to be fitting in so quickly. Out here, a person needed to see the bright side of everything in order to survive. There were plenty occasions for nature to try to show you the darker side.
Moving around Mac, who was watching Alison very intently, Luc led the way to the back of the house and Alison’s room.
She paused in the doorway, looking in, before slowly venturing into the room. It was half the size of the one she had left behind. There was a dresser, newly refinished, against one wall and a double bed with the most inviting comforter she’d ever seen covering it. A throw rug handwoven by the housekeeper, Asia, covered the space between the bed and dresser.
Sydney came in behind them. There was hardly space for the three of them, much less Sara who was attempting to squeeze in. She bit her lip. Maybe the upstairs guest room would be better.
“It’s a little crammed,” Sydney allowed.
Alison turned around to face her, nearly bumping into Luc. “Cozy.”
“I like this girl—sorry, woman,” Shayne amended, depositing her other suitcase beside the one that was already on the bed. “You’re going to fit right in here just fine.”
She hoped so. At least for the duration she was going to be here, she thought.
“Okay, everyone out,” Sydney announced. Turning, she began to herd Sara and Mac out. Mac looked particularly disgruntled since he was just trying to come in. “You, too, Shayne, before we all suck up the available air and Alison asphyxiates.”
Muttering words of encouragement, or complaint in Mac and Sara’s case, they left the room. Except for Luc.
“Need any help?” He indicated the two suitcases.
The word help always got her back up, before she could stop herself. She crossed to what she took to be the closet.
“I’ve been hanging up clothes since I was old enough to reach a hanger,” she replied, turning the handle and opening the door. “Provided they have…hangers.” There were several spread out over the rod. She was in business. “What more could I ask for?”
It was clear to him as she snapped open the locks on her suitcases, that he was only getting in her way. Luc took his cue with grace, beginning to back out the door. “Okay, then I’ll leave you to get acquainted with everyone.”
He nearly backed up into Ike, who was poking his head into the room. “She can do that at the party tonight.”
Alison stopped hanging up the jeans she’d taken out of the first suitcase. Her eyes went from Ike to Luc. “Party?”
“Sure, in your honor.” The people in Hades used any occasion as an excuse to get together and socialize. A newcomer to their midst was plenty reason to celebrate. Ike saw the hesitation in her eyes. So, under the bravado, she was shy, he thought. “You’ve gotta come, darlin’. Everyone’ll want to meet you.”
She’d made her peace with the prospect of having an assembly line of men moving through Shayne’s office under one pretext or another, solely for the purpose of looking her over. Luc had already forewarned her of that. Besides, there was her position to shield her. But meeting them all in a party atmosphere was another matter entirely. One she wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with.
At the same time, she didn’t want to seem standoffish, either. She was going to have to live among these people for at least a while. Longer if this proved to be her niche.
Telling herself she was creating problems where there were none, she tried to remain calm. There was safety in numbers, right? “And where is this party supposed to take place?”
“Where we hold every party in this town—at the Salty,” Ike answered. There was pride in his voice as he said the name. “Part saloon, part clubhouse, it’s the local meeting place. Luc and I are joint owners.”
“I can come by to take you,” Luc offered, forgetting that it was not only logical, but easier for Sydney and Shayne to bring her with them when they came, and that she wouldn’t be needing a ride.
To his surprise, Alison nodded. “I’d like that.” Just then, she thought she heard a small, lusty wail. She looked at Luc. “Is that—”
“From the sound of it, it’s Snowcone,” Ike confirmed. “Celine has a deeper cry.”
“It’s been known to shatter glass,” Luc put in.
“Only because you dropped it,” Ike reminded him. “He’s not much on crying babies.”
“Spoken like an expert,” Luc countered. “Up until a few months ago, he was more likely to clear the bar with a diaper than to properly put it on a baby’s bottom.”
Ike crossed his arms before him. “I am really going to enjoy seeing you as a father someday.”
The words brought back the memory of wounds not totally healed and promises that were broken. “Then you’ve got a long wait ahead of you, I’m afraid.”
She felt as if she’d stumbled into a personal conversation, one she shouldn’t have been hearing. She knew Luc’s words were motivated by what he’d gone through after Janice had jilted him. What kind of plans had he made with her, she wondered.
None of her business, she reminded herself. She’d gone through her own hell with Derek, except that she’d been the one who hadn’t kept promises. Not that she hadn’t wanted to, but that she couldn’t. She just couldn’t.
Don’t go there, her mind whispered.
Rousing herself, she looked at Luc. “Do you think Sydney would mind if I took a peek at the baby?”
“Mind?” Ike laughed. “Why, darlin’, nothing she likes better than showing that little beauty off.” He looked at his cousin. “Why don’t you do the honors, cousin, and take the lady to see Snowcone?”
“Why does everyone call her Snowcone? Is she very pale?”
Luc laughed. “No, the first time Sydney took her outside, it started to snow very lightly and a snowflake landed on her cheek. Sara said she looked like a snowcone and the nickname stuck.”
Sara was standing immediately outside the door, lying in wait for her new friend. She rolled her eyes dramatically at her sister’s crying. “She’s at it again.”
“That’s the only way babies have of getting our attention,” Alison told the little girl.
“That, and grabbing hair,” Marta agreed. Celine was at that stage now, where every random strand that came into her range was a temptation.
“Would you like to come up and see the babies?” Sydney offered. “Celine is upstairs with Virginia.”
“I’d love to see them,” she enthused.
“Then come on.” Sydney hooked her arm through Alison’s. “It only gets worse.”
“Nice job, Luc,” Ike murmured as he watched the women, closely followed by Sara, go up the stairs and disappear down the hall.
Shayne recognized the tone in Ike’s voice for what it was. Admiration, pure and simple. He had no worries about his best friend. Ike was head over heels in love with his wife. But there were a great many unattached men in and around Hades. Men who would melt at the sight of a woman far less attractive than the one Luc had brought home with him.
He looked at I
ke pointedly. “Pass the word around that anyone does anything to scare her off, they’ll have to answer to me personally.”
“And me,” Luc added quietly. The other two men turned to look at him. “Well, I’m the one who brought her here. I didn’t tell her about this place to feed her to the wolves.”
“Nice save,” Ike commented.
Luc wasn’t sure if he liked what Ike was implying. “It’s the truth.”
Ike merely smiled easily. Indolently. “Whatever you say.”
He didn’t want his cousin getting the wrong idea. “Hey, I’m not looking for anyone. Is that clear?”
Ike knew all about that kind of defense. It was made out of tissue paper. Wet tissue paper. “Haven’t you heard? That’s the best time. It usually finds you when you’re not looking.”
Luc wasn’t following. “What does?”
“Fate.”
It wasn’t the word Ike wanted to use, but Luc looked a little touchy around the edges. And his cousin had been through a lot these last few days, not to mention before then, when the letter from Jacob had arrived. Since he didn’t want to start an argument, Ike thought it prudent to fudge the truth a little. He figured that in his heart Luc knew what he was talking about. And the heart was the organ that mattered in this case.
Luc merely frowned, dismissing his cousin’s words as the ramblings of a man in the throes of a happy marriage. He was glad for Ike, maybe even a little envious, because he felt that the odds were against him ever being in that kind of a relationship. Especially if he didn’t intend to venture forth emotionally.
But he’d made his peace with that a long time ago.
Chapter Ten
“And I thought the club where Jimmy took us was packed.” Alison looked around and shook her head in wonder. It was wall-to-wall people no matter where she looked within the popular saloon. “Just how many people can you fit into the Salty?”
Luc laughed. The throng was so thick, it was difficult to see the wall decorations they had accumulated over the years. The accompanying din made talking without shouting a challenge.
Found: His Perfect Wife Page 12