y own medical practice so he could return to wherever it is that he’s been working lately.”
“But you took Nell and me to the cabin instead.”
“I did,” Tris said. “Besides, Reede needs to face his problems.”
“Which are . . . ?” Jecca asked.
“Laura Chawnley.”
“You’re kidding,” Jecca said. “After all these years he’s still hung up on her? Even though she married the Baptist preacher and now has kids?”
“That’s right,” Tris said. “It’s just that Reede hasn’t seen her since the day she told him she wasn’t going to marry him, and he’s a yellow-bellied coward.”
“Which you probably told him.”
“And loved doing it,” Tris said, grinning.
Jecca was going to ask more questions, but her phone buzzed. “uzz20;AnLooks like we’re back in range.” She pulled her cell out of her bag. “And I have twenty-one e-mails.” She started going through them. “Oh good! A woman in Nigeria has decided to give me her late husband’s fortune of eighteen million dollars. And all because she’s heard that I’m such a very good person.”
“I told her that about you,” Tris said solemnly.
“Then I should give her your e-mail address.”
“I don’t deserve such kindness,” he said and they laughed.
Jecca clicked on Lucy’s cell number, and she answered right away. It took only a couple of minutes to explain what was needed. “We only have a week. Think we can do anything in that time?”
“I think we can put on a show that will make Savannah McDowell faint with envy. And by the way, all of this is her doing, not her daughter’s.”
“I see,” Jecca said with a glance at Tristan.
“I’ll meet you at Hancock Fabrics in Williamsburg,” Lucy said. “I can alter patterns but I’m not a designer. Besides, we’ll need to buy fabric. How many outfits did you design?”
“Six,” Jecca said, “but Roan thinks we should make something for the other girls to wear too.”
“I like that. But we can’t pull this off in secret. We’ll have to let Savannah know about it—and Rebecca. This won’t be easy to do.”
“You’re right, of course,” Jecca said thoughtfully. “Tris is the MC so he can—”
“Sweet-talk Savannah into anything on earth. He’ll get her to agree to anything we want. Oh yes! I love this. How long before you can get to the shop?”
“Tris is with us, so we’ll need to drop him off, then—”
“I’ll go with you,” he said.
“Sure?” Jecca asked. “A fabric store isn’t exactly a male place.”
“I think I can go and still retain my masculinity,” Tris said.
Jecca told Lucy and they hung up.
For a moment, Jecca and Tris rode in silence. “How’s your arm?” she asked.
“Aching but better. Jecca, about what I said earlier . . .”
“When you thought I was going back to New York?”
“Yes. I told you I was all grown up and could take the pain, but now I think I may not be as adult as I thought I was.”