She’d been so busy telling herself that he wasn’t ever going to notice her as more than a friend for an assortment of reasons, including the fact that he was still in love with his late wife, that she’d forgotten an equally important fact. He wasn’t staying. He never had been. So even if there wasn’t an Adriana holding his heart, geography was going to do them in.

She would be a fool to allow herself to fall for him, and while she’d made mistakes before, she liked to think she’d never been foolish. Wouldn’t it be a shame for her to start now?

Twenty-Two

Reggie sorted the pictures her sister had emailed into chronological order. She wanted the slideshow to be about fifteen minutes long, which meant they would need close to two hundred pictures. She currently had about a hundred forty. Dena had a couple of albums for them to go through together.

Once she’d rearranged everything, she started the slideshow on her computer and sat back to watch. She’d barely gotten through the courtship part of their relationship when she heard Dena calling her name.

Belle rose from her bed and walked to the base of the stairs. As Dena walked down, Belle’s long tail began to wag, going faster and faster as her favorite aunt got closer.

“Look at you, beautiful girl,” Dena said, shifting two huge photo albums to her other arm and reaching for Belle. “Are you enjoying being spoiled by your grandparents? Are you a happy girl?”

Belle stepped close for plenty of pats, leaning on Dena and nearly causing her to stumble. Dena grinned.

“I always forget how powerful she is.”

“Physically as well as spiritually,” Reggie teased, getting up to collect the photo albums from her sister. “Now that she’s gone toe-to-toe with Burt, she’s kind of full of herself.”

Dena dropped her coat and gloves on the sofa, along with her handbag, then took a seat at the big craft table where Reggie had been working.

“How are you feeling?” Reggie asked. “Your color is good. You were looking wan for a while.”

“I’m doing great. The morning sickness is now pretty much only in the morning.” She held up both arms. “I’m still wearing my motion sickness bracelets, and they’re helping a lot.”

“I’m glad. Those few weeks were really hard on you.”

“They were. I’m glad they’re over.”

Reggie reached for one of the photo albums. “If we could find thirty great pictures, I’d be really happy.”

Dena motioned to the computer. “Put on the slideshow so we can check these pictures against the ones you already have. Both should be in chronological order, right?”

“My part is, and you know Mom. She wouldn’t allow anything else.”