Page 17 of Winter Vows

“Where’s Hardy?” she asked.

She glanced around as if expecting to find him still lurking in the shadows. Her behavior might have been more believable if her timing hadn’t been so obvious. She’d shooed him into the room nearly an hour before, promising coffee as she’d breezed off into the kitchen. Even if she’d had to grind the beans and brew enough for an army, it would have been ready before now. She’d deliberately waited to give Trish plenty of time alone with him.

“He had to go,” Trish explained, playing along with whatever game her hostess was up to. “He said to tell you he thought the horse was fine.”

Kelly looked vaguely guilty. “Great. Did he go out to check her?”

“Actually, no. I thought that was a little odd myself.” She peered intently at Kelly. “Any idea what he meant?”

“Just a mix-up,” Kelly said blithely. “Crossed signals. You know, one of those things.”

Trish’s gaze narrowed. She might not know Kelly all that well, but she recognized a schemer when she saw one. She’d lived with the type most of her life. She’d been warned about Harlan Adams. She’d even guessed that Lizzy came from the same matchmaking gene pool. Now it appeared she was going to have to stay on her toes around Kelly Adams, too.

“One of what things?” she inquired in a silky tone that belied her agitation. “Something tells me you’d better explain.”

Kelly patted her hand. “Never mind. It’s not important. Did you two have a good visit?”

“After he managed to do what I couldn’t, calm Laura down,” she conceded. “Apparently his skills with the ladies even extends to those only a couple of days old.”

“That’s Hardy, all right. The kids around here tend to gravitate toward him. He’s extraordinarily patient with them,” she enthused. “Underneath that devil-may-care attitude, he’s a good, solid man.”

Trish smiled at her. “You don’t have to sell him to me. He saved my life, more than likely, and brought Laura safely into the world. I’ll always be in his debt.” Her expression sobered. “But that’s all.”

“Oh, of course,” Kelly said hurriedly, but without real conviction. “You just met. What more could there be?”

“Exactly.”

“So,” she began with obviously undeterred fascination, “what else did you two talk about?”

Trish sighed as she recalled the primary topic of conversation. “He told me my father’s reported me missing.”

Kelly’s eyes widened. “Oh, dear. I hadn’t heard that.”

“Hardy said he heard it on the news. Don’t worry. I called my father and warned him to call off the bloodhounds. I’m pretty sure he will.”

“Did you tell him where you were?”

“And have him come charging over here tonight? Not a chance.”

“Trish...”

“Don’t even try. It has to be this way, at least for now. If that’s going to be a problem for you or Jordan, I can move on,” she said, reiterating her earlier offer to go, rather than involve them in a sticky situation. “I don’t want to put you in the middle of my battle.”

“Believe me, we’re used to being caught up in squabbles around here. We can take it,” Kelly reassured her. “But we also believe, in the end, that family counts more than anything.”

“I know. I doubt there’s anyone in Texas who doesn’t know just how tight-knit the Adamses are. My brothers and I are extremely close, too. I’d contact them if it wouldn’t just put them in the position of having to lie to our parents. I’m not going to get into everything, but I will say that the senior Delacourts are cut from very different cloth.”

Kelly regarded her somberly. “If that’s true, then it’s a pity.”

“Oh, it’s true enough.”

“Then for the time being, just think of us as family. We’ll be right here for you until you’re completely back on your feet again.”

“Thank you,” Trish said. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“It’s our privilege to have you here,” Kelly assured her with absolute sincerity, then grinned. “It doesn’t mean I’ll stop nagging you about opening the lines of communication with your own family, though.”

Trish laughed at the openly declared warning. “Fair enough.”

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