Conflict of Interest (The McClouds of Mississippi 2)

He swung her into the air, making her squeal with delight. “How’s the little princess?”

Her sneakered feet pumping the air, Isabelle giggled. “Princess Isabelle. I like that.”

“So do I.” He lowered her to the floor. “Whatcha’ been up to since yesterday?”

“Adrienne and I went outside and played hopscotch. She’s good. But I’m better.”

Dylan laughed and winked at Adrienne. “Well, you are Princess Isabelle.”

Adrienne led him into the kitchen and motioned him into a chair while she put the coffee on. While it brewed, Isabelle entertained them with a song and dance she had learned at school. Leaving Dylan laughing, she dashed into the other room to draw him a picture to take with him when he left.

“That kid’s cute, isn’t she?”

Smiling in response to his indulgent tone, Adrienne opened the cabinet where Gideon kept the sugar and powdered creamer. “I’m crazy about her.”

“Gideon seems rather fond of her, too.”

Hearing the undertone of surprise in his voice, she looked at him over her shoulder. “He is. He’s not one to express his feelings very easily, but he has grown quite close to his little sister during this past week.”

“I’m glad the family has been able to accept the kid,” Dylan said in a low voice. “It couldn’t have been easy for Lenore and Gideon, considering Isabelle’s parents were Lenore’s husband and Gideon’s girlfriend, but it’s a good thing they don’t blame the little girl for her parents—are you okay?”

Adrienne stared dumbly down at the shards of broken mug scattered around her feet. She would have to replace that before she left. It seemed to have leaped out of her hand. “I’m fine. Just clumsy.”

“I didn’t give anything away, did I? I mean, the way everyone gossips in this town, I figured you knew…”

“Gideon’s told me a bit about his family history.” With the exception of a few pertinent details, of course.

Dylan made a sound of self-disgust and shook his head. “I have a habit of opening my mouth and inserting my foot. I didn’t mean to come into Gideon’s kitchen and start gossiping about his family. I was just trying to say that I’m glad that sweet little orphan girl ended up with a family who cares about her, despite the past.”

“So am I.” Having cleaned up her breakage, she set his coffee cup in front of him and settled on the other side of the table with her own. “Tell me more about your book, Dylan. You said you envision it as the first in a series?”

He followed her lead with an eagerness that proved he was grateful for the change of subject.

Within minutes they had moved from his writing to other books they both enjoyed and from that to films and music. Adrienne liked Dylan very much, and she had a healthy feminine appreciation for his cowboy charm, but there was no real chemistry between them at all. It was like having coffee with her favorite male cousin. And even though Dylan flirted with her a bit—a knee-jerk, guy thing, most likely—she sensed that he felt much the same way about her.

Dylan’s smile faded quickly when the front doorbell rang. “Great. That’s probably Gideon. I’m telling you, Adrienne, he isn’t going to like this.”

“Gideon wouldn’t ring his own doorbell. He parks in the garage and comes in through the kitchen. I’ll go see who it is.”

Peering through the door window, she didn’t recognize the attractive and ridiculously happy couple on the doorstep, but she thought she could make a guess at their identity. She opened the door, but before she could speak, she was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from behind her.

“Nate!” Isabelle shot forward, bouncing with excitement. “You’re home!”

“Hi, poppet.” The golden-haired, blue-eyed man snatched her up in his arms, raining half a dozen kisses on her cheeks, which made her squirm and giggle. “How’s my girl?”

Isabelle responded with a rush of tangled words.

The brown-haired woman who had followed Nathan inside gave Adrienne a rueful smile. “Please forgive our rudeness in barging in this way. I’m Nathan’s wife, Caitlin, as you’ve probably figured out. You must be Gideon’s agent.”

“Adrienne Corley.” She shook the other woman’s hand warmly, pleased to have this chance to meet Isabelle’s guardians. “But I thought you weren’t returning for another week.”

“To be honest we were both anxious to come home. With Lenore’s sister injured and poor Gideon trying to finish his book, we decided we were needed here. And, as spectacular as our honeymoon was, we missed Isabelle.”

Glancing at Nathan and Isabelle, Adrienne realized that Gideon hadn’t exaggerated about the strength of the bond between this new family. It appeared that Isabelle would be raised with all the love and attention a child could ask for.

“Gideon isn’t here right now. He had to go to an office supplies store.”

Settling Isabelle on his hip, Nathan smiled at Adrienne. “Then we won’t expect him anytime soon. Gideon feels about office supplies stores the way most men do about hardware stores. He can spend hours in them looking at organizers and notebooks and pens and computer accessories.”