that.’
Surprised, she looked down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. Jake’s hand, warm and large, covered them for a second, squeezing her cold fingers, then returning to the wheel before she had a chance to react.
‘Don’t think about your fiancé, sweetheart. At least not now.’
They arrived at his family home after another twenty minutes filled mostly with his stories about LA. She found herself actually laughing at some of the descriptions of the people he worked with.
Call it the magic of Jake, she decided, amazed by his ability to make her feel better. By the time they walked up to the door, smiling didn’t seem like such a chore. She looked around, impressed with the large Tudor mansion. Did Jake actually have a key, or would a butler be letting them in? She didn’t need to wait long for an answer.
T he door flew open, a girl of about sixteen appearing on the doorstep.
‘ Jake, finally.’ She smiled at him brightly, her eyes going to Elly with a puzzled expression that lasted less than a second. Acting must have been in the family’s blood, because she got over her surprise with lightning speed. She gave Elly a friendly smile, her silver braces reflecting the sunlight. Her short carrot-red hair and generous dusting of freckles went well with the olive-green T-shirt and camouflage pants she was wearing. She was barefoot, and her toenails were painted an ominous black.
‘Hi, I am Stephanie .’ She offered Elly a slim hand with fingers tipped with dark nails. ‘Jake’s cousin.’
She led them in, her cheerful chatter making answering unnecessary. As they followed her upstairs, the long winding corridor reminded Elly of a gallery with pictures and photographs covering most of the simple white walls.
‘I can take it from here, cuz.’ Jake grinned as Stephanie hesitated at the door to Elly’s bedroom. ‘You’re an excellent guide, though. Ten points for enthusiasm.’
He pushed down the handle and opened the door. It was a definite upgrade from her bedroom at her parents’ place. Jake brought in her suitcase and turned around to smile at Stephanie once again.
‘All right , Steph. Why don’t you want to go back to the guests? The truth, and nothing but the truth, please.’
‘Aunt Laura is here.’
Jake grimaced. Whoever Laura was, he wasn’t looking forward to seeing her.
‘She loves giving lectures.’ Stephanie sighed, her green eyes somber. ‘Especially when it concerns other people’s lives. She’s been on AJ’s case since the moment she walked through the door, Jake. I thought your mom would strangle her, I swear.’
‘I am sure he told her exactly what he thinks .’ Jake nodded wryly. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time they clashed.’
‘Yeah, pretty much.’ Stephanie pirouetted around them, surprisingly graceful in the bulky military-style pants. ‘So it’s a rather chilly atmosphere in there.’
They all walked over to the window and looked toward the garden. Elly could just make out a group of people sitting on the large patio; wisps of conversation floated their way.
‘ At the moment, you’re her favorite nephew, Jake. She even told your mom she’s been taping the episodes of your show. Can you believe that? Somebody still taping stuff, like it’s the nineties?’ Stephanie harrumphed with disbelief, her eyes huge.
‘I’ll take any publicity I can get .’ He laughed, and the sound was warm and rich. ‘For now, we should go and save AJ, though. A formal intro to the house can wait for later.’
They walked out, and suddenly , Elly felt very self-conscious. Some twenty pairs of eyes looked her way, assessing her presence at Jake’s side. She vaguely remembered his mother and was relieved to see her looking genuinely pleased. The older man at her side was a bit more critical, and his bushy eyebrows were pulled into a straight line. His glance went from Jake to her, searching and cautious. The rest of the group must have been family. Elly guessed an
Surprised, she looked down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. Jake’s hand, warm and large, covered them for a second, squeezing her cold fingers, then returning to the wheel before she had a chance to react.
‘Don’t think about your fiancé, sweetheart. At least not now.’
They arrived at his family home after another twenty minutes filled mostly with his stories about LA. She found herself actually laughing at some of the descriptions of the people he worked with.
Call it the magic of Jake, she decided, amazed by his ability to make her feel better. By the time they walked up to the door, smiling didn’t seem like such a chore. She looked around, impressed with the large Tudor mansion. Did Jake actually have a key, or would a butler be letting them in? She didn’t need to wait long for an answer.
T he door flew open, a girl of about sixteen appearing on the doorstep.
‘ Jake, finally.’ She smiled at him brightly, her eyes going to Elly with a puzzled expression that lasted less than a second. Acting must have been in the family’s blood, because she got over her surprise with lightning speed. She gave Elly a friendly smile, her silver braces reflecting the sunlight. Her short carrot-red hair and generous dusting of freckles went well with the olive-green T-shirt and camouflage pants she was wearing. She was barefoot, and her toenails were painted an ominous black.
‘Hi, I am Stephanie .’ She offered Elly a slim hand with fingers tipped with dark nails. ‘Jake’s cousin.’
She led them in, her cheerful chatter making answering unnecessary. As they followed her upstairs, the long winding corridor reminded Elly of a gallery with pictures and photographs covering most of the simple white walls.
‘I can take it from here, cuz.’ Jake grinned as Stephanie hesitated at the door to Elly’s bedroom. ‘You’re an excellent guide, though. Ten points for enthusiasm.’
He pushed down the handle and opened the door. It was a definite upgrade from her bedroom at her parents’ place. Jake brought in her suitcase and turned around to smile at Stephanie once again.
‘All right , Steph. Why don’t you want to go back to the guests? The truth, and nothing but the truth, please.’
‘Aunt Laura is here.’
Jake grimaced. Whoever Laura was, he wasn’t looking forward to seeing her.
‘She loves giving lectures.’ Stephanie sighed, her green eyes somber. ‘Especially when it concerns other people’s lives. She’s been on AJ’s case since the moment she walked through the door, Jake. I thought your mom would strangle her, I swear.’
‘I am sure he told her exactly what he thinks .’ Jake nodded wryly. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time they clashed.’
‘Yeah, pretty much.’ Stephanie pirouetted around them, surprisingly graceful in the bulky military-style pants. ‘So it’s a rather chilly atmosphere in there.’
They all walked over to the window and looked toward the garden. Elly could just make out a group of people sitting on the large patio; wisps of conversation floated their way.
‘ At the moment, you’re her favorite nephew, Jake. She even told your mom she’s been taping the episodes of your show. Can you believe that? Somebody still taping stuff, like it’s the nineties?’ Stephanie harrumphed with disbelief, her eyes huge.
‘I’ll take any publicity I can get .’ He laughed, and the sound was warm and rich. ‘For now, we should go and save AJ, though. A formal intro to the house can wait for later.’
They walked out, and suddenly , Elly felt very self-conscious. Some twenty pairs of eyes looked her way, assessing her presence at Jake’s side. She vaguely remembered his mother and was relieved to see her looking genuinely pleased. The older man at her side was a bit more critical, and his bushy eyebrows were pulled into a straight line. His glance went from Jake to her, searching and cautious. The rest of the group must have been family. Elly guessed an
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