Suddenly Last Summer (O'Neil Brothers 3)

“He’s a nice boy,” Alice murmured. “His grandmother is in my knitting group.”

“He’s thirty-something, Alice.” Brenna smiled. “Not exactly a boy.”

“A man.” Elizabeth topped up the pancakes. “A very handsome man. I’ve always liked him, even though his father once arrested Tyler for skiing off Mitch Sommerville’s garage roof. What were you talking about, dear?”

“We’re thinking about doing a course on winter safety.” Brenna picked up her fork. If the mention of Tyler had unsettled her, she wasn’t showing it. “We’re both members of the Mountain Rescue Team so it makes sense.”

“Tyler’s a member of the Mountain Rescue Team.” Alice reached across and stroked Maple’s soft, springy fur. “You could do it with him.”

Élise winced. “Alice—”

“I just think the two of them would work well together, that’s all. Isn’t Maple looking well, Elizabeth? I remember when Jackson found her in the forest—she was skin and bone. It’s done her so much good living with the family. She loves it here.”

Élise felt a lump in her throat. She loved it here, too. Who wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t love living here, with the O’Neils?

Aware that Kayla was watching her, she helped herself to a pancake.

Merde, she was losing it. Now she was empathizing with Maple and what she should be doing was thinking of Brenna’s feelings.

“I think it would be good for Brenna to work with Josh.” For one thing it might be the wake-up call Tyler needed. “I like him.”

The door opened and Jackson walked in. Maple sprang from Kayla’s lap, hurtled across the room like a bullet and jumped up like a spring, deliriously happy to see him.

He scooped her up. “Any of those pancakes left?”

“Of course.” Elizabeth slid pancakes onto a plate and placed it on the table. “Sit down. Are Tyler and Sean coming, too?”

“Tyler is on his way.” Jackson sat down and slid his hand over Kayla’s knee. “Sean has gone back to Boston. He texted me.”

“He dropped in to say goodbye.” Alice picked up her knitting. “He said he’d be back next week to take Walter to his hospital appointment.”

Élise kept her eyes on her plate.

She should be relieved he’d gone. It was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it?

The intensity of what had happened the night before had shocked her.

It had shocked him, too.

She wondered if he’d spoken to his grandfather before he’d left, or whether he’d just left the topic of the row simmering between them.

“More to eat, Élise?” Elizabeth hovered, the pan in her hand. Élise shook her head.

“Non, merci. I am not hungry.”

“I ate so much last night I may never eat again.” Jackson gave her a smile as he reached for the maple syrup. “The food was incredible. Everyone was talking about it. You’re a genius and we’re lucky to have you. I probably don’t tell you that enough.”

“I am the one who is lucky.” Living here. With them.

She looked up and met his gaze.

He was the best friend she’d ever had.

Without him...

She swallowed. She didn’t even want to think about where she would have been without him.

Jackson stuck his fork into a pancake. “So is this a good moment to ask you another favor? Kayla and I have had a new business idea. We’re going to offer corporate team-building events. We need help with the food.”