No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,29
don’t consider time spent with you wasted. It’s almost two-thirty. Don’t you have to turn in your picks for the winning entries by three?”
“There’s plenty of time. All we have left are the sculptures.”
This was his aunt’s particular area of expertise. Her home studio had busts of everyone in the family.
As they made their way to the tent housing the larger pieces, Reece saw a familiar face in the crowd. He excused himself from his aunt and walked over to greet his former neighbor. Jaclyn had come to live with her brother in Sawgrass a few years ago. Like Reece, Graham had been a pilot in the navy. He was also one of the first to participate in Angel Flights.
“Hey, Jaclyn.”
She turned toward him, a pleased smile tugging at her lips. “Reece! What a nice surprise! I haven’t seen you since my wedding. How’ve you been?”
“I’m hanging in there. Where’s your other half? I was under the impression newlyweds dislike being parted.”
“We do, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good, or in this case, to keep the peace. Brooks is at the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch helping with the spring festival. I was there myself until about an hour ago. I don’t know if you remember, but my mother’s third marriage was to an artist. Royce entered one of his paintings in this contest. My mother is always complaining that Graham and I don’t show him enough support. I don’t think Royce cares either way, but I’m here representing the Dunwoody contingent of the family.”
“I’m sure your mother will appreciate it. What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“I’m helping a friend open a vintage clothing store. We’ve been looking around for possible locations. That’s another reason I didn’t mind too much coming here today. There’s a vacant retail spot just down the road in Avondale. After I finish here, I’m going to swing by and take a look at it.”
“Let me know when you officially open. My aunt loves anything vintage.”
“I’ll do that. By the way, I talked Graham into having another Memorial Day party this year. Mark it down on your calendar.” She looked past him. “There’s my mother and Royce. Better late than never. I’ll be sure to remind them that I got here first. It was great seeing you.”
“Same here. Tell Brooks I said hello.”
“Will do. Bye, Reece.”
When he rejoined his aunt, it was obvious she’d been keeping an eye on him as well as fulfilling her judging duties.
“Don’t you have better things to do than flirt with a married woman?”
Reece chuckled. “If you think that was flirting, you need new glasses. You’ve heard me talk about Jaclyn. She got married in February. Her husband Brooks is a deputy sheriff in Nassau County.”
“Another opportunity lost. How’d you let her get away?”
“I have a rule about not dating friends’ sisters.”
She eyed him over the rim of her reading glasses. “Rules, s’mules. If you’d been interested in Jaclyn, no silly rule would have stopped you.”
He couldn’t argue with her logic for the simple reason that he’d never had to put his rule to the test. It was a good thing he didn’t have one about not dating a stepbrother’s ex-girlfriend. Not that the issue would ever arise. He was in daily expectation of hearing Robin and Wade were engaged.
* * * * *
It had been a week since Robin brought Owen to Jacksonville. She’d thought she was busy before. Now there didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. The system she and Kait came up with for juggling the responsibilities of their business was a work in progress. There were instances - such as today - when it wasn’t possible for one of them to stay at home with Owen.
Kait had just left to set up a dessert table for a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Robin and Owen were holding down the fort at the shop while they waited on a customer to pick up an order of monster brownies. To keep the active six-year-old occupied, she’d brought along a backpack of toys and snacks. The surface of the desk in their office had been transformed into the Lego version of the international space station.
As Robin listened to Owen’s one-sided exchange with mission control, her thoughts returned to the conversation they’d had two nights ago.
Owen skipped out of the bathroom. He seldom slowed down long enough to walk. ‘I finished brushing my teeth, Aunt Robin.’