And neither is your question.
“Would you like anything to drink?” I grabbed a small bottle of water, drank all of it, and tossed it into the trashcan a few feet from me. I hoped she would dismiss the conversation when I changed the subject, but she didn’t.
“Well?” She followed me to the table where families were fixing their lunches.
I glanced over to Tyler to make sure he was where I had left him and then grabbed two paper plates and picked out some bread slices.
“One of those is for Ty, right?” Abby said in passing and went to the next table before I could answer her.
I wasn’t going to eat two, that’s for sure. It was her polite way of asking me to feed him, which I would have done, anyway. When I reached over to grab a few slices of turkey, I bumped into Jessica’s shoulder. She glared at me.
“Maybe you shouldn’t stand so close.” I flicked my finger like I was waving bugs away.
She frowned and backed away. “Well, you haven’t answered my question.”
Geez. She was persistent.
I squeezed some mustard and piled on lettuce and avocado, then I added some tomatoes on my sandwich. Tyler didn’t like tomatoes.
“Yes,” I finally said to her when she kept staring at me. “I’m working for Mr. Medici. I’m watching Bridget for two weeks.”
“Oh, so it is true.” She said it more for herself than for me. “Is that all? What else do you do?”
Is that all? Doesn’t she know taking care of a child is a lot of work? Where is her kid, anyway?
“Jessica ...” I looked at her squarely in the eyes, mustering as much patience as I could. “I’m Bridget’s caretaker and nothing else.”
I hope she didn’t think I slept with him. Even if I had, it was none of her business.
Jessica shadowed me to the next table, whispering, “Does he bring home different women to his place? I heard he dates around, a different woman practically every week. What happened to his wife?”
Now I understood Lee’s caution about nosy people. He had gone out with that Cassie woman, though I couldn’t be absolutely sure it had been a date.
Who was I kidding? Of course it had been.
“What?” I frowned, snatched two chocolate chip cookies, and put them on Tyler’s plate.
When I didn’t answer she added, “What’s his place like?”
She had gone too far.
I whirled and narrowed my eyes at her. “Look, Jessica. I take my job seriously. I’m not going to tell you any personal information.”
I shoved one cookie in my mouth. This should buy me some time from answering her next question. But Jessica wasn’t looking at me. In fact, she focused on something behind me, and she wasn’t the only one. The ladies around me froze in place and gawked. Some tried to hide grins.
With the cookie still in my mouth, I spun to face the glaring sun. My sunglasses hindered the brightness, but I couldn’t see anything interesting. Then...
“Hello, Kate.”
I’d know his smooth baritone voice anywhere.
With sunglasses hooked on his head, Lee looked younger and playful in swim trunks and a white tank top. The temperature suddenly spiked hotter. I’d noticed the gym setup at his home, but out of his jeans and T-shirts, he showed more of his toned body.
At least half the women there were undressing him with their eyes and probably having thoughts they shouldn’t have—like I was. His presence made my pulse thunder. Perhaps it wasn’t as much him as the way everyone shifted their stares to me.
He finally acknowledged the others with a dip of his head. “Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Hello Leonardo,” numerous voices chorused back.
Lee ignored them and took a step closer to me. His lips slowly curled into a smirk.
“You might want to either eat it or take it out,” he said chuckling.
I dropped my cookie to my plate. If he only knew why I had it in my mouth in the first place.
He learned closer as if he needed to tell me something important. “Kate. I hope you don’t mind, but I left my things next to your beach blanket. Bridget insisted on sitting with Tyler.”
“Yes, of course. We were expecting you.”
His grin grew wider. “Can I help you with those plates?” He lowered his eyes to my hands.
Before I could answer, he took them from me. He jerked his head to the side for me to walk with him. I grabbed two water bottles and followed.
“When did you get here?” I matched his pace, but it was more like he slowed down for me.
“Few minutes ago. I heard what you said to Mrs. Conner ...”
I stiffened. I hoped he’d heard enough to know I wasn’t gossiping.
“I can explain. I—”
Lee weaved around families sitting on beach blankets.
“I appreciate what you said. I’m sure she won’t be the last to interrogate you,” he said. “I apologize ahead of time. Like I said before, people like to get into other people’s business in a small community. I like the quiet pace here, but I don’t socialize much unless I know the person is genuine.”
“I can understand that. Is Jessica married?”
“I don’t know much about her, but I do know she’s divorced. Not because I wanted to know. Jessica made a point to tell me. I just want to make that clear.”
I laughed inwardly.
When Lee stopped at a white beach gazebo, I glanced around for Abby’s blanket. “I don’t think we’re at the right place.” I had been too focused on our topic that I’d just followed blindly.
He chuckled. “Check the front.”
I shuffled through the sand to see Tyler and Bridget making a sandcastle. They both waved at me and got back to digging.
“Where did this come from?” I motioned to the tent.
“Me. Do you not like it?” He looked concerned as he handed Tyler his plate, then set mine inside the tent on a small round table that separated two lounge chairs.
“I love it, but how did you get it here and when?” I’d been so busy helping Abby and fending off Jessica’s questions that I hadn’t noticed.
“You can rent it through the hotel. Please have a seat and eat.”
“Where’s your lunch?” I sank into the lounge chair, took a bite of my sandwich as I watched him spread out his long legs, and leaned back.
“Bridget and I had a late breakfast, but thank you for asking.” After a short pause, he asked, “Where’s your brother-in-law?”
It took a few seconds for me to realize he was asking about Abby’s husband.
“He—um—Steve. He died recently from cancer.”
Lee had been watching Bridget, but his head snapped back to me. “I’m so sorry, Kate. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sighed, rubbing my thighs. “I didn’t tell you because you were talking about your sister. It was your story and your grief. I didn’t want to take that away from you, if that makes sense.”
He swung around in his chair to face me, his bare feet touching the sand. “That was very considerate of you. Thank you. How’s your sister doing?”
Not well, I wanted to tell him, but instead I said, “She’s fine. She has to be for Tyler. She has her bad and good days.”