“Yes sir!” Roan said. “And I
sure do like being love’s go-between.”
“Gets you out of writing, so what are you complaining about?”
“Good point,” Roan said and hung up.
Tris went back into the store and took twelve pictures, with Lucy at the center of each one. He wanted to take more, but the women made him stop.
“Tonight,” Jecca whispered to him, “when we’re in bed, you’re going to tell me what you’re up to.”
Tristan just smiled at her, then snapped a picture of Lucy holding up some transparent pink fabric that had little rhinestones on it. He went outside to send the six best photos to Joe Layton.
I OWN AN OLD BRICKYARD, Tris wrote, fudging a bit on the truth. NEEDS REPAIR. LOTS OF PARKING. JUST OFF THE ROAD INTO WILLIAMSBURG. I’LL PAY FOR REMODEL.
Less than ten minutes later came the reply. SEND PARTICULARS AND MOREULAGets y PHOTOS OF LUCY. ONE OF BUILDING TOO. YOU ONE OF JEC’S UGLY BOYFRIENDS?
Tris went back into the store and asked Jecca to take a photo of him and Nell together.
“Tristan!” she said. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I don’t have time for this now. We need to—”
He kissed her neck in that way he knew she liked. “Please,” he whispered.
Jecca sighed.
“I’ll take one of the three of you,” Lucy said. “Stand over there.”
Tris picked up his niece, leaned toward Jecca, with Nell between them. Neither Jecca nor Nell was smiling. They wanted to get back to the fabrics. “Think of the faces of the McDowell girls when Nell walks onto that runway,” Tris said and they smiled warmly.
Tris took the camera from Lucy and hurried back outside. It was a good photo. But for the second time in his life, he was worried about his looks. Was he handsome enough to please Joe Layton? Too handsome? A guy who ran a hardware store might think Tris was too “pretty.” “Can’t help the way I look,” he said aloud, then started typing. WITH MY NIECE. THE FAMILY I HOPE TO HAVE.
He sent the photo.
This time it took about twelve minutes before Mr. Layton replied, and Tris was sure he held his breath the whole time. JEC LOOKS HAPPY. TELL HER NOTHING. I’LL BE THERE AFTER I CLEAR UP THIS END. I’LL DO REMODEL. SEND MORE OF LUCY.
Tris leaned back against his car and let out his breath. Maybe, he thought, just maybe . . .
“Tristan!” Jecca called from the door of the store. “We need your help.”
When he got to her, she said, “Tonight, you are going to tell me what is going on with you.”
“Unless I can distract you,” Tris said so she couldn’t hear him.
Eighteen
They worked on the clothes for the fashion show every minute possible for the next week—and everyone who knew about the top-secret project helped. Kim wanted to help, but she had a new commission for an anniversary necklace and couldn’t. Tristan said he’d cleared everything with Savannah and he’d made Rebecca believe that this was going to be her best birthday party ever.
“And it will be,” Jecca said. No matter what had been done in the past, it wasn’t in her to ruin any child’s party.
Mrs. Wingate turned her store over to the young woman who’d been dying for the chance to manage it. Roan said he’d forgo writing for a week—and Tris limited himself to oULAGe="0em">
Lucy and Jecca ordered everyone around, and the favorite question soon became, “What do you want me to do now?”
Roan and Tris hauled a table down from the attic and put it in the hallway to use for cutting.
“Too bad my dad isn’t here,” Jecca said.
Tris nearly choked on his coffee. “Why?”