elimination of both his and Aunt Leigh’s guess left him wondering if the guardianship of Owen had played a role. If so, then Wade was more of a fool than Reece already thought him.
* * * * *
“That’s what you call Instagram gold,” Kait said into Robin’s ear. She was referring to Reece playing air hockey with Owen in Beach Bowl’s game room.
“Trying to get more followers?” Robin whispered back.
“Why not? I’m not often in the company of a billionaire. Times have certainly changed. A few months ago, you wouldn’t willingly have spent time with Reece.”
“You know why I thought what I did about him. You were there when Trina told us about him and Giselle.”
“I remember telling you then that it sounded like a scene from Gossip Girl. Giselle obviously has a vivid imagination.”
“You were right; I was wrong. I admitted as much to Reece.”
“Along with letting you off the hook, he didn’t hitch his horse to Wade’s wagon. That shows good judgment. Not forgetting his promise to Owen is an extension of that. But neither of those things explains why he’s here tonight.”
“I told you why. Owen invited him.”
Kait rolled her eyes. “As nice as Reece undoubtedly is, he had to have more incentive than that. This is a galaxy removed from where he usually spends his free time.”
“Maybe he thought it would be fun to see how the other half lives.”
“Or maybe there’s someone here he’s interested in getting to know better.”
Robin laughed. “Have you been talking to Wade? He suggested the same thing in less flattering terms.”
Kait’s eyes narrowed. “Why am I just hearing this?”
“It was ridiculous and not worth repeating.”
“Let me be the judge of that. Out with it.”
Robin wished she hadn’t said anything. She’d just provided Kait with more ammunition. “Wade got his nose out of joint because Reece spent ten minutes talking to me at the fundraiser and helped us find the house. I don’t think either of those things would have bothered him if he hadn’t already been upset about Owen. Wade saw Reece’s interference as undermining his own position which was to convince me to send Owen to live with Barb.”
“That doesn’t mean Wade was wrong about Reece being interested in you.”
“It doesn’t mean he was right, either. I don’t see Reece needing to steal his stepbrother’s girlfriend. There are plenty of fish in the sea for him to choose from.”
“That’s not how attraction works, Robin. You’re also forgetting something. He wouldn’t have to steal anything now. You’re back in the dating pool.”
“Why are we still talking about this? Once Reece gives Owen the tour of Diamond Jet, I doubt we’ll ever see him again.”
“That’s not the vibe I’m getting.”
“Your vibes are wide of the mark at least half the time.”
“I like my odds. Mark my words. You’ll be singing a different tune in a few weeks.”
“One of us will. I doubt it’ll be me.”
Kait shrugged. “If I’m wrong, I’ll gladly eat my words.” Her glance shifted to Reece. “But I don’t think I’m wrong. Not this time.”
Robin gave up trying to change Kait’s mind. She meant well, but it was obvious she was blinded by her own happy situation with Miles. This made it easy for her to read more into Reece’s sudden reappearance and his good-natured agreement to join them tonight than he intended. Robin was under no such illusions. She didn’t have a ton of experience with men, but what she had was sufficient to know when a guy was interested in her.
Chapter Seventeen
Reece was halfway to the airport on Sunday when Aunt Leigh called. The two of them had met for lunch yesterday. She’d brought him up to date on her latest art project (a series of bird sculptures), and he’d told her about his meeting with Robin on Friday. Her satisfaction with the results hadn’t been enough to keep her from taking him to task for waiting so long.
“I’ve been debating all morning on whether I should call you,” she said. “I’ve got a confession to make.”
“If you skipped your doctor’s appointment last Thursday, I’m going to put you over my knee.”
“Don’t you think I’ve learned my lesson about that? This is something else. I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
That was her standard operating procedure. “Please do.”
“I drove to Truly Scrumptious after we left the restaurant yesterday. It was presumptuous of me, I know. Curiosity is no excuse for poking my nose into your affairs. You have every right to be upset.”
“I’m