But the moment she entered the kitchen, she saw that the latter was true. He glanced up at her indifferently. Not a glimmer of personal feeling was to be found in those implacable golden brown eyes. He gave her a cool nod, then resumed sipping his coffee.
“Good morning, Kerry,” Jenny said cheerfully as she spooned Cheerios into Trent’s greedy mouth. “Cage, would you please pour Kerry some juice?”
“Just coffee please.”
“What would you like to eat?” Jenny moved Trent’s glass safely away from the edge of his high chair’s tray and deftly wiped milk from his mouth at the same time.
“Nothing, thank you,” Kerry mumbled into the cup of coffee Cage handed her. She kept her head down. What had she expected? Professions of love over the breakfast table? He had promised only to give her pleasure. He had kept that promise.
“You look smashing this morning,” Jenny said.
“I was just about to comment on that myself,” Cage said. “New dress?”
“Yes and thank you.” She was wearing a casual, two-piece linen dress in lemon yellow. Her accessories were azalea pink and robin’s egg blue. “After bush jackets, anything would look good.” Kerry tried to inject some lightheartedness into her voice, but without much success. “Has anyone heard from the children this morning? Are they ready?”
“I checked in on them just a few minutes ago,” Cage said. “They’re in a state of controlled chaos, but they’re getting packed.”
“Any leads on Lisa?”
“None so far, I’m afraid,” Jenny told her.
Linc scraped back his chair. He hadn’t said a word since Kerry came into the kitchen. He hadn’t eaten. “I promised Joe I’d carry him downstairs. I’d better go see if I can help him dress.” He skulked out.
“Go wash your hands, Trent.” Jenny lifted her son from his high chair, a move that earned her a stern admonishment from Cage. “Kerry, there’s plenty of coffee. Cage, will you please help me in the laundry room a minute?”
As soon as they entered the utility room beyond the kitchen, Jenny turned to him and asked, “Are you sure you heard Linc go into Kerry’s room?”
“Yes.”
“When did he come out?”
“What are you, the dorm mother?”
“Did he spend the night?” she whispered.
“I think so, but it’s none of our business.”
“What’s the matter with them?”
“Everybody has an off night now and then.”
She shot him a look of consternation. “You never have.”
Grinning complacently, he leaned down and kissed her neck. “That’s true.” Then her mouth got its first honest kiss of the day. “Come to think of it, neither have you.”
She squirmed away from him. “You make it impossible for me to remain decent. Ladies as pregnant as I am aren’t supposed to feel sexy.”
“Their tough luck.” Cage reached for her again.
“Cage, stop it. I know what you’re doing. You’re only trying to distract me from the subject of Linc and Kerry.”
“Right. I am.”
“We’ve got to do something.”
“No we don’t.”
“But what?” she added, ignoring his response.