string and rubber bracelets circled her wrist. "Those are my brothers, Duncan, Oliver and Russ."
Before Jane could pry more out of her, they'd reached Beach House No. 9. The entire party assembled in the living room, the two boys dropping to the floor to wrestle, Rebecca slumping onto the couch in another dramatic move, her mother pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head and hitching the baby higher on her hip. Jane hung back, reluctant to enmesh herself until she knew more.
"Now, Tess," Griffin said. "What's this all about?"
Just like that, the woman burst into tears. The little one she was holding immediately followed suit.
Over the racket, Rebecca let out a gusty sigh. "Pregnant, I tell you. I'm definitely getting pregnant."
Her mother responded by passing over the tearful little guy. Not a bad idea, Jane decided. Birth control by baby brother.
Griffin didn't appear affected by the woman's distress or the child's. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Tess, what the hell are you doing here?"
"I've left him, Griff," she said. "I've finally left my husband!"
At the outburst, he groaned, offering not an ounce of sympathy. His hands ran over his head. "Geez, Tessie. This matters to me how?"
Tess's sobs redoubled. Jane could only hurt for the woman. Clearly she'd come to Crescent Cove without the expectation of rejection. Jane edged farther away, thinking she'd head to her own cottage.
Her movement caught Griffin's eye, however, and in two strides he had her by the hand and was towing her toward the crier. "I can't deal with this, Tess. And here's why. I've got a new lover now." He put his hands on Jane's shoulders and pulled her back against his chest.
His body heat transferred to Jane and pooled low at the base of her spine. She glanced over her shoulder, and his hands tightened on her. He focused on her mouth, and she felt it like a touch, her lips warming too. The company, the room itself, seemed to drop away, leaving Griffin's intense gaze and Jane's unsteady heartbeat.
Then, jerking his gaze off her, he cleared his throat and pushed her forward a half step. It left inches of cooling air between them. "Meet Jane."
The other woman sniffed, the back of her hand against her nose. She raised lovely, tear-drenched eyes to take in Jane, and then her gaze moved on to Griffin's face. "You've met someone?"
The heartbreak in her voice told the story, Jane thought. And as someone who'd been supplanted by another woman in a man's life, she didn't want to play this scene again, even from the other side. "Look..."
Griffin's hands found her shoulders again to squeeze a warning. "Honey-pie - "
"Chili-dog," she said, turning to glare at him.
"Honey-pie!" The woman - Tess - cried out. "Chili-dog! You really found someone!"
"Isn't that what you're always telling me to do?"
"When I was married," she started, sniffling back more tears, "it seemed like a good idea. But now that we're heading for divorce..."
Jane couldn't continue this way, deceiving this poor woman who'd apparently left her husband for Griffin, who in turn was exhibiting more than his usual detachment. "I'm sorry, but - "
"Jane." An even clearer warning.
Breaking free of his hold, she turned to shoot him a look. "Listen - " But her next words got lost in a loud crash. The little boys had knocked over a small table by the window. The base of a lamp was on the ground, shattered against the hard wood. The shade lay crumpled beside it.
The baby started wailing again.
As if she'd reached the end of her rope, Tess clapped one hand over her eyes. The little boys began shoving each other anew, putting more furniture at risk. Rebecca mouthed something - likely another pregnancy threat - and jumped from the sofa to hand her smallest brother over to Griffin. As the teen stalked out of the room, he held the child at arm's length, then turned to Jane in mute appeal.
"Oh, for goodness' sake." Helpless with his own children! Surely that had to be the case, that they belonged to him, because each one had his dark hair, and at least some of them his distinctive blue eyes, not to mention his ability to be appealing and get on her nerves at the very same time. She took the baby from him and jiggled the child as she grabbed the back of one little boy's shirt. It was a winning technique, because the other automatically followed as she led