The Soldier's Legacy. GINA WILKINS

WAS ACCUSTOMED to returning to a dark, quiet house at the end of a long workday, usually well after his housekeeper had retired to her cottage for the evening. Sometimes he slept in the small suite connected to his office at the resort, but most nights he came home so he’d at least feel like he’d left work for a few hours, even though he often spent a couple hours more catching up on paperwork in his home office.

      It wasn’t as if he had to rush home, he replied whenever he was chided for his long workdays. Mary Pat liked to watch TV in her cottage in the evenings, and he didn’t even have a pet waiting for him. So who really cared whether he came home at seven or midnight?

      Tonight four extra people were staying in his house, not that he expected to see any of them at this hour. It was after ten. He’d noted when he’d turned into the driveway that the upstairs lights were out. The kids were probably asleep, and Jade was likely tired after a busy day of getting settled in.

      Jade. He pictured his houseguest as he walked up the stairs from the lower-level garage into the kitchen and hung his keys on a hook. Blond hair, amber eyes, high cheekbones and a stubborn chin. He knew Jade was only thirty-two—young to have a twelve-year-old son, even younger to be widowed for five years. But then, he’d been widowed for almost ten years, himself. He’d been just twenty-eight when Lindsey was killed in a car accident.

      As hard as the loss had been for him, he couldn’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for a mother of three young children.

      Her kids were cute. He liked children—from a safe distance. His Wind Shadow Resort here in South Carolina was a family-friendly destination with mini golf, arcades, a water park and a kids’ day program, and he always interacted well with the younger guests. He expected to get along just fine with Jade’s trio, though he probably wouldn’t see much of them during the next two weeks.

      Despite his mother’s frequent and unsubtle hints, he wasn’t in any hurry for his own offspring. They required entirely too much emotional investment. Too much time, too much energy, too much anxiety—particularly for someone who’d already experienced loss and didn’t want to live in constant worry about other vulnerable innocents. Did that make him a coward? Okay, maybe. But a contented one, nonetheless, he assured himself.

      He was walking through the den toward his suite when a movement outside the big glass sliders caught his attention. Only the minimum of security lights were turned on, rather than the full range of lighting available for nighttime entertaining. With a frown, he stepped closer to make sure no one was out there in the gloom who shouldn’t be.

      Seeing a dark form seated near the edge of the pool, he reached quickly for the slider handle. Had one of the kids sneaked out this late? He didn’t even want to think about a child falling into his pool in the middle of the night. The pool was fenced off from outsiders but accessible from the patio, a situation he hadn’t needed to reconsider until tonight.

      That was exactly the kind of dread he’d just told himself he didn’t want in his life.

      He was relieved when he walked down the steps from the deck and saw Jade seated cross-legged on the tile. She’d turned her head when he opened the door. He felt all his senses leap to attention in response to the impact of her dark eyes and soft mouth glistening in the low light. He pushed those responses down, reminding himself that she was a guest in his home.

      He motioned toward the glittering pool. “Thinking about taking a dip?”

      “Well, not in a shirt and jeans,” she answered with a laugh. “I was just enjoying the nice night. I like to sit under the stars to unwind after a long day. This is a beautiful back lawn, Trevor. And this pool is fantastic.”

      “Thanks.” He was rather proud of the pool, which he’d designed to resemble a natural element surrounded by realistic-looking rocks. A tall waterfall anchored the far end, with a curving slide built around it into the water. A low diving board jutted out from another side. When had he last taken time to enjoy any of those features?

      An outdoor barbecue kitchen, along with tables, benches and inviting lounge chairs, made the backyard ideal for entertaining, and yet he made use of it all too rarely. It had been at least three months since he’d hosted a barbecue, and that had been a business function for visiting investors.

      He glanced toward the various comfortable seating areas, then gave a shrug and sat beside Jade on the cool, night-damp tile. “Did you have a nice dinner?”

      “Very nice, thank you. Mary Pat kept us laughing all through the meal. I practically had to twist her arm to let us help her clear away afterward.”

      “Mary Pat loves nothing more than fussing over people. There are times I feel sort of guilty for not giving her more to do around here,” he said with a sheepish chuckle. “I try to come home at least once a week for dinner just so she can cook for me—and yes, I’m aware of how that sounds.”

      “After seeing her beaming at the dinner table while the kids were scarfing down their food, I totally believe you.”

      They smiled at each other, and then Jade looked away, her gaze turning upward toward the night sky. Leaning back on his hands, Trevor followed her example. The stars were beautiful, like flawless diamonds scattered carelessly over black velvet. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d simply sat and looked up at them. A breeze rustled the fronds of the palmettos planted around the patio and played in the leaves of the old live oak trees bordering his property. The rock waterfall, glittering in the illumination of built-in canister lights, provided a soothing, almost musical accompaniment.

      He’d owned this house for four years, yet he could count on one hand the number of times he’d simply sat by the pool and completely relaxed. It felt good. He glanced at the attractive woman sitting quietly beside him and realized it was even nicer to have someone to share the peaceful interlude with. Jade looked perfectly comfortable with the companionable silence.

      It had been a long while since he’d enjoyed one-on-one time with an appealing woman. He’d tried to convince himself he was too busy with new work projects, but the truth was he’d simply gotten tired of dealing with conventions and expectations.

      He heard Jade draw a deep breath, as if taking in a long taste of the night before she asked, “How was your business dinner?”

      Grateful to be distracted by a topic that was much more comfortable for him, he shrugged and replied, “It was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

      “Mary Pat told us during dinner that you’ll be traveling to your resort in Texas tomorrow.”

      He nodded. “I’m planning to spend the weekend there. I’ll be back Sunday evening. In the meantime, I hope you and the kids make yourselves completely at home here. The pool and the rec room are at your disposal as much as you like. And if there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to let Mary Pat know.”

      “Thank you. Caleb and Erin are already looking forward to getting in this pool. They love to swim.”

      “Any time. Mary Pat knows where all the switches are for the pool features. It has lights for night swimming, too.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind.”

      Trevor found himself fantasizing for a moment about seeing Jade in the pool under the twinkling stars. He’d bet she looked damned good wet.

      What was wrong with him tonight? Telling himself to stop being such a guy, he looked back up at the sky.

      After a moment, Jade pushed herself to her feet, stretching as she rose with a grace that reminded him of a sleek cat. “I should check on the kids. And then I’ll turn in. Good night, Trevor.”

      Shifting his weight on the tile, he cleared his throat. “Yeah, um, good night, Jade. I think I’ll stay out here a few more minutes.”

      He watched her walk away. Had she taken ballet lessons? Something about her posture and the way she moved brought the question to his mind. Well, that and a few other things a good host probably shouldn’t think about in regards to his guest.

      *