didn't intend to leave Mount Desert Island without the Calhoun emeralds.
"Did you have a good time?" Suzanna asked when Amanda came in the front door.
"Suze." Amused but not surprised, Amanda shook her head. "You waited up again."
"No, I didn't." To prove it, Suzanna gestured with the mug in her hand. "I just came down to make myself some tea."
Amanda laughed as she walked over to rest her hands on her sister's shoulders. "Why is it that we Irish-as-Paddy's-pig Calhouns can't tell a decent lie?"
Suzanna gave up. "I don't know. We should practice more." "Honey, you look tired."
"Mmm." Exhausted was the word, but she didn't care for it. Suzanna sipped the tea as they started up the stairs together. "Springtime. Everybody wants their flowers done yesterday. I'm not complaining. It looks like the business is finally going to turn a real profit."
"I still think you should hire on some more help. Between the business and the kids you run yourself ragged."
"Now who's playing mama? Anyway, Island Gardens needs one more good season before I can afford anything but one part-time helper. Plus I like to be busy." Even though fatigue was dragging at her, she paused outside of Amanda's door. "Mandy, can I talk to you for a minute before you go to bed?"
"Sure. Come on in." Amanda left the door slightly ajar as she slipped out of her shoes. "Is something wrong?"
"No. At least nothing I can put my finger on. Can I ask you what you think of Sloan?"
"Think of him?" Stalling, Amanda set her shoes neatly in the closet.
"Impressions, I guess. He seems like a very nice man. Both kids are already crazy about him, and that's an almost foolproof barometer for me."
"He's good with them." Amanda took off her earrings to replace them in her jewelry box.
"I know." Troubled, she wandered the room. "Aunt Coco's set to adopt him. He's slipped right into an easy relationship with Lilah. C.C.'s already fond of him, and not just because he's a friend of Trent's."
Pouting a little, Amanda unclasped her necklace. "His type always gets along beautifully with women."
Distracted, Suzanna merely shook her head. "No, it's not a man-woman kind of thing at all. Just a kind of innate relaxation."
Amanda had no comment for that as she recalled the fevered tension in him a few hours earlier.
"He seems like an easygoing, friendly man." "But?"
"It's probably my imagination, but whenever he looks at me, I get this wave of hostility." With a half laugh, she shrugged. "Now I sound like Lilah."
Amanda's eyes met her sister's in the mirror. "No, I sensed something myself. I can't explain it. I even called him on it."
"Did he say anything? I don't expect everyone to like me, but when I feel a dislike this strong, at least I want to know why."
"He denied it. I don't know what to say, Suzanna, except that I don't think he's the kind of man who would react that way to someone he doesn't even know." She made a helpless gesture with her hands. "He can certainly be annoying, but I don't think he's a man to be deliberately unfair. Maybe we're both being oversensitive."
"Maybe." Suzanna pushed the uncomfortable feelings away. "We're all a little crazed with CC's wedding, and the renovations. Well, I won't lose any sleep over him." She kissed Amanda's cheek. "Good night."
"Night." As she eased down onto the bed, Amanda let out a long sigh. It was unfortunate, she thought. It was infuriating. But she already knew she'd be losing sleep over him.
Chapter Six
She was right on schedule. If there was one thing you could count on about Amanda Calhoun, Sloan thought, it was that she'd be on time. She was moving fast - typically - so he lengthened his stride and crossed the hotel patio to waylay her by the gate leading to the pool. His hand covered hers on the latch.
She jerked away, which was no less than he'd expected. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked.
"I want to talk to you."
"This is my time." She shoved open the gate, strode through then whirled around. "My personal time. I don't have to talk to you." To prove it, she slammed the gate smartly in his face.
Sloan took a long, slow breath, then opened the gate. "Okay, you can just listen." He caught up with her as she heaved her towel onto a deck chair.
"I'm not going to talk, and I'm not going to listen. There's absolutely nothing you have to