Page 8 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

He frowned as he reached for a few cubes of cut papaya. “Do you think Austin Lawrence is interested only in your properties as well?”

She shook her head, then devoured another chocolate. She’d better slow down. She was prone to gain weight. “No. But one never knows for sure. I was wrong before.”

Maybe he wasn’t interested in her at all, and all that was her friend meddling.

Her uncle leaned against the back of his chair. His wrinkles were more pronounced now, and his hair and beard were gray. But the biggest sign of aging was the trace of resignation in his eyes. “Maybe I made a mistake by instilling you with so much love and responsibility for the family business. You exceeded my highest expectations. But the cost is that you neglected your personal life.”

Huh. He rarely admitted his mistakes. Once he did something, he didn’t look back. On the other hand, she’d made mistakes she regretted deeply, and the first and biggest one was when she’d been a child. It had cost her favorite person in the world his only daughterandhis wife. Auntie couldn’t take the pain and left. Familiar dull pain slinked into Kennedy’s heart.

Yet he’d not only failed to blame her but had also taken her in when she’d needed it the most. Without him, she wouldn’t have survived. She finished her salmon without sensing any taste, then did the same with arugula. She didn’t much like salmon, but her uncle could tolerate it, mostly, and shouldn’t have his favorite steak even before the physical. And he didn’t know it yet, but she was taking him for a walk at the beach later today. Movement was good for him.

She’d even sign them both up for salsa classes, but that would be pushing it. Why did the image of Austin appear when she thought of dancing? Just the memory of dancing in his arms at Marina’s wedding sent a wave of some emotion she didn’t dare name through her. She longed to experience it again.

But her concentration should be on Uncle right now, not Austin. She moved her steamed rice around the plate. “I loved everything you taught me. And I appreciate it more than you know. Besides, I don’t have a personal life to speak of.”

“Exactly. And you should.” He touched his mouth with a monogrammed cream-hued linen napkin and then placed it on the table. “You work without vacations or days off. Sometimes you sleep in the hotel office. I’m afraid I took advantage of your dedication. I want you to take a vacation. A long one.”

Her eyes went huge, and the golden fork she lifted clattered back to its coordinating gold-rimmed porcelain plate. “What... what am I supposed to do with myself? I don’t want a vacation. Our hotels and rental properties are my life. You... you can’t mean it.”

Could she spend more time with Austin, though? Her heart perked up, but not for long. They’d had two disastrous meetings already. Wasn’t that enough?

“Oh, I do mean it, darling. You need rest. Go shopping. Travel. Travel to shop. Get pampered at the spa—on the house. Swim in the ocean. Meet friends for lunch. Go horseback riding.” He chuckled. “Get a dog. I saw the way you looked at that puppy. Whatever you want. Do all the things you never had time to do because of all the responsibilitiesIput on you.”

“I don’t care for shopping. I’ve traveled plenty for work. A puppy is a huge commitment. No. Iwantto work.”

His eyes crinkled at the edges as he drained his sparkling cider. “Or maybe you could spend some time with that young man of yours.”

“He’s not mine!” She couldn’t believe it. But she should. She knew her uncle. Once he made up his mind, he didn’t change it.

“Maybe he could be.” His lips curved up. “I also saw the way he looked at you. With so much longing.” With the kind of longing he spoke of, he eyed the shelf where she’d always kept his favorite cigars. She’d removed them when the doctors told him to stop smoking.

Wait a moment. Waaaait a moment. “You saw him looking at me with longing?” Her heart fluttered. A part of her—a large part if she cared to admit it—was attracted to the kind veterinarian who always had a smile for everyone around him. Including tarantulas.

He was sunshine, and she was... she was a bit of a cloud.

Her uncle nodded. “In the mirror. Mirrors can be very useful.”

Except when a glamorous mother had expected her daughter to be the mirror image of herself and the frumpy daughter was far from it. Ouch. What kind of thoughts were those? Kennedy swallowed down the clog of resentment. But unlike her parents, her uncle not only accepted her but also remained proud of her and encouraged her.

How could she be upset with him for wanting her to have some rest and do whatever she wanted?

Except meeting with Austin. Her heart shifted. Based on how he affected her, he could break her heart, and she’d had enough heartache to last a lifetime.

Uncle’s eyes narrowed as he forked a bite of his salmon, no doubt wishing it were steak. But the doctors had told him to exclude red meat. “Are you worried about him being from a different social class? I didn’t think I raised you to be a snob.”

She waved off that suspicion while he popped the bite in his mouth. “No, that’s not a concern. I admire Austin for being a veterinarian.”

“Admirehim. Good.” He stabbed a salad leaf, his eyes narrowing with a look that wasnotadmiration as he scowled at it.

She’d better hurry up and agree on something to distract him from thinking she and Austin should date. Or more. “Okay on the vacation, but only if you take some time off yourself. Because what I want is to spend more time with you.” While she had that opportunity. Her throat clogged up. She occupied herself with the steamed rice.

When she looked up, his eyes were misty, but the expression disappeared fast. She wouldn’t push her request. He made his own decisions. Then she remembered. “What was thesecondthing you wanted to talk about?”

“I was watching videos of European vacations.” He paused as if trying to find words. His odd hesitation sent an alarm through Kennedy. “One of them was at a festival in a little country I hadn’t even heard of. But this face in the crowd... a young woman... She looked... familiar.” He paused again, his eyes shining with tears he tried to hold in. “Something about her looked... looked like Zoey. The way... the way she’d maybe look had she lived.”

Kennedy held her breath. This couldn’t be... No, not after all these years. For so long, she’d hoped Zoey could return one day. Sometimes she’d see Zoey’s face among the newly arrived hotel guests. Then she’d cry from disappointment in the bathroom because it was only someone who looked like Zoey. Every dream had carried Zoey’s face, the torture on repeat from when Kennedy had lost her, until she’d started avoiding sleep altogether. Or she’d been so exhausted she’d fall into a slumber without any dreams.

Then Kennedy had chased after a scared tourist at the beach who’d seemed to resemble Zoey. Kennedy had watched movies and shows and thought the actress had looked so much like Zoey she’d sent a PI to get fingerprints somehow. Once she’d seen a somewhat familiar face in a passing car and had spent weeks searching for the car.

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