Jenny looked up from Cody and gave her sister a supporting look. “Jared’s in the hangar. Why don’t you go ask him about the game?”
After Cody left, Anna turned to her sister. “Thank you.” Two little words, but for Anna, they were hard to say.
“For what?”
“For not making me out to be the bad guy.”
“No one thinks you’re the bad guy, Anna.”
Anna set Cody’s suitcase on the ground and shielded a hand across her eyes as she stared at the hangar. “My son does. He thinks my job is more important than he is.”
“He’s thirteen. Of course he does.”
“I’m really proud of you, Jenny. You went after what you wanted and got it.”
“So did you.” Jenny stared at her sister for several moments. “I owe you an apology. I never realized what it took for a woman to not only survive but thrive in this world. It’s all I can do lately to keep up with the new business demands. And I don’t have a husband and a son. How you manage everything is beyond me.”
I don’t. I’m not.
Jenny wrapped her arms around her sister. For too long, Anna’s arms remained still. How long had it been since they had given each other a hug? Anna couldn’t remember the last time. As she slowly returned the embrace, she wondered what it would feel like to actually accept the support her sister offered. But she didn’t know how. For too long, she’d relied solely on herself, not even reaching out to her husband.
In an uncharacteristic burst of hot, golden sunshine, the Fourth of July arrived. While Jenny assisted the group of tourists who were headed out for a scenic tour around the San Juans, Jared helped Zeke ready the plane. Jared smiled, remembering how worried Jenny had been about Zeke having to work on the holiday. When she’d confided her concerns to Zeke, he’d only laughed and told her he couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day. Then he pointed to the brand-new Dodge Ram pickup his new raise and bonus had bought.
With the plane in the air, Jenny went into full dictator mode. She kept the commands flying until the Suburban all but overflowed with everything she insisted needed to be taken to her parents’ annual party. When Jared had first been told about the family gathering, he’d tried to get out of it. Family affairs made him uncomfortable to say the least. But Jenny had dug her heels in and insisted that he accompany her. Why she wanted him there was beyond him. Ever since that night by the fire, their relationship had been exactly as she’d wanted: strictly business. But every day he felt the undercurrents of his growing desire. From the moment he’d met her, he’d been knocked on his ass by her beauty. Now he was being flattened by her tenacity and intelligence. Daily, Blue Sky was becoming a more profitable entity. Almost nightly, they discussed new ideas to bring to the table. Those nights were killing Jared. As he sat across from her at the table or next to her on the couch, it was all he could do to keep his eyes off her left hand. Her bare left hand. And when he wasn’t thinking about the engagement ring she no longer wore and what the hell that could mean, all he could think about was stripping her naked, carrying her upstairs, and using every sexual skill he possessed to drive her beyond thinking. Beyond remembering that the only thing she wanted from him was a business relationship.
The drive to Jenny’s parents’ house took hardly any time at all. Cars packed the driveway and overflowed onto the narrow road, but a spot near the garage had been reserved for Jenny. The house was an impressive brick rambler that sat on the west side of Hidden Lake. As they walked around to the backyard with their arms full of food, lawn chairs, and fireworks, he was astounded to see how many people were at the party. An emerald green lawn stretched at least three hundred feet along the high-banked waterfront. Red and white checked plastic tablecloths covered the picnic tables spread out in clusters around the lawn. A game of croquet was in full swing as was a game of badminton. Paul lifted his racket and waved at them, missing a birdie. Jenny smiled and waved back. With his hands full, Jared