Page 2 (2/2)

Heaving a sigh, he rubbed a weary hand over his face and urged his neighbor—his foret in out of the rain There was nothing anyone could do tonight He assured her he had a place to stay He would crash at his mother’s house until he found someplace better

A few minutes later, he cli back at the ruined duplex

“Oh osh!”

Jacqui Handy was accustomed to fourteen-year-old Alice Llewellyn’s dramatic appearances, so she wasn’t overly concerned late Fridaywhen Alice burst into the kitchen with the excla, Alice?”

“My uncle Mitch’s house burned down last night! To the ground!”

Startled by the legitiitation, Jacqui set down the copper watering pot she’d been filling at the sink and turned quickly “Is he all right?”

“He’s okay He wasn’t home He was at the hospital”

Jacqui drew a relieved breath She didn’t know Mitch well, but she’d always liked hilad he hadn’t been hurt—but then, she’d have felt the same way about anyone, she assured herself

“He lost everything, though,” Alice added, her soht-brown curls

“I’m very sorry to hear that How did you find out about it?”

“I called Mimi to tell her about Waldo’s new trick and she told ht”

Mitch’s sister, Dr Meagan Baker, had married Jacqui’s eo Seth had full custody of his teenage daughter His ex-wife Colleen, Alice’s h-powered attorney at an international law fir Seth had a distantly amicable relationship with his ex, who stayed in alhter Jacqui worked as full-time housekeeper and occasional cook and personal assistant for Seth and Meagan In addition, she kept an eye on Alice and served as her daytime chauffeur when necessary Alice considered herself too old to need a nanny, so they were all careful not to refer to Jacqui by that title

“Mi a hand absently through her tousled curls

“I’m sure she was”