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Paradise adjusted Blake’s tie. “You clean up pretty well.”

The soft expression on her face melted his heart. “Wish you were going with us.”

“What? And give up sticky fingers all over my face after making caramel corn and playing Candy Land? My evening will be much

more fun than yours. You’ll have to listen to old people reliving their glory days of the eighties. If you see any of the

ladies with bodacious big hair, I want pictures.”

His mom’s heels clicked on the hardwood flooring in the hallway. “I heard that. I’ll have you know in my heyday at seventeen,

my hair could have made the best mop you’ve ever used on the floor.”

“That’s just sad, Mom. Your heyday was at age seventeen?”

“Your dad fell for it. How do you think I got pregnant so young?”

She’d never hidden the mistakes she made as a teenager, and her honesty had helped him avoid a lot of missteps. He wished he remembered his dad, but all he had were pictures and a few old-time movies of his impossibly young father chasing Blake as a one-year-old around the yard. He hadn’t run off when he discovered Mom was pregnant but had immediately married her and loved her until his tragic death at nineteen.

Blake winked at Paradise and stepped back to extend his arm to his mother. “Your carriage awaits, my lady. Or maybe it’s a

dirty van.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I hope you cleaned out the pizza boxes.”

“I’ll have you know, once Nora was done with it, that van has never been so clean. Well, except for fingerprint dust.” He’d

spent an hour cleaning the cleanup. His truck was even cleaner, but he didn’t want his mom to have to hoist herself in a snug

skirt and heels into his pickup.

They were still smiling fifteen minutes later when they entered the gymnasium at the high school. It had been decked out in

gold and white. A giant dance ball spun near the ceiling, and Blake spotted several photo-op areas set up with memorabilia

from high school as well as one with giant balloons attached to the wall. Whitney Houston crooned “I Will Always Love You”

from the speakers, and several couples swayed to the music along one side of the gym.

His mother elbowed him. “Wipe that incredulous smirk off your face. At your thirtieth class reunion you’ll embarrass your

kids too.”

He grinned. “I have to say you’re prettier than anyone here, Mom. That red dress will wow them.” Before she could respond,

he spotted Frank Ellis walking their way. “Get ready, here he comes,” he whispered.

His mother’s smile widened as though he’d said the funniest thing, and she threw back her head in a laugh that rang out through

the room. He’d never heard her laugh like that—was that her high school persona she’d just slipped into?

Frank, looking smart in khaki slacks and a navy blazer, headed for them like an ant zeroing in on cherry pie. “Jenna Mitchell, I was hoping you’d be here.” His thick blond hair fell onto his forehead, and he pushed it off to take in her appearance. “As beautiful as ever.”

She turned wide eyes his way. “Frank! How are you?”

Her delight appeared genuine, and she hugged Frank’s stocky frame. Blake noticed how reluctant the man seemed to drop his

arms after the hug. Where was his wife?

His mom tucked her hand into the crook of Frank’s elbow and steered him toward the refreshment table. “I’m sorry to hear about

your divorce, Frank. You doing okay?”

Frank shrugged. “A little poorer and wiser is all. She was having an affair with the tennis pro. That sounds like something

you’d hear on The Real Housewives , not at our country club. I gave her the house because I didn’t want my girls to suffer for her behavior. It’s life, I guess.

I wanted the old Steerforth place, you know, but the divorce hit at the wrong time and I lost it. I’m glad you got it though.

I’m sure it’s a great distraction now as you’re grieving.”

That explained a lot. Blake hovered near his mom in case she got into trouble, but she seemed a pro at handling this guy.

He’d never seen this side of her.

Frank grabbed drinks for them and handed one to Blake as well. “You’re a good son, Blake. The whole countryside knows you

came running to help your mom and brothers. Jenna deserves it too. She’s the finest woman I’ve ever met.” His eyes glistened

and went a little red. “It was my loss in high school, but she took one look at your dad when he moved to town, and it was

all over between us.”

Blake noticed his mom’s cheeks go pink and her expression soften. Did she still have a tender spot for Frank? Until tonight Blake hadn’t been around the developer much. He’d only heard stories, but Frank was different from what he expected from the scuttlebutt. He seemed to have a soft, kind center—at least where Mom was concerned.

“We’ve had some trouble, Frank. You’re the kind of businessman who hears everything. Do you know why someone might be trying

to force us to sell?”

He frowned. “I’ve tried to squelch rumors when I’ve heard them. I thought it was simple bad luck that the activists targeted

you. You think it was a deliberate attempt to shut you down?”

Mom sipped her sweet tea. “There’s been a target on our backs for months, starting with Hank’s death. We don’t think it was

an accident.”

Frank’s scowl deepened. “That’s terrible, Jenna. If there’s anything I can do to stop it, I will. And to put your mind at

ease, my failure to buy the property ended up being for my own good. My daughter is engaged to the son of a big farmer on

the other side of town. Ryan’s dad was wanting to quit the business and retire. Ryan is going to go into business with me,

and I’ll have more work developing that land than I know what to do with. God works in mysterious ways, doesn’t he?”

Blake’s mother nodded, and Blake watched them wander off, still chatting. While he could be mistaken, Blake didn’t think Frank

had anything to do with what was going on. His gaze stayed fixed on his mother, who seemed to be having a wonderful time with

Ellis. Blake wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

***

After the boys’ baths, Paradise was as wet as they were, and she slipped on athletic shorts and a tee after she cleaned up the floor in the bathroom. Even her hair was damp and stood out around her head in a frizzy halo. She smoothed a little argan oil on it and went to tell the kids a story.

While Blake was allowed to read a story, she always had to make one up. Levi in particular liked her to make up stories about

things they’d seen or done that day, and she always had to include Twilight Sparkle in the story. When he flushed and grinned

every time he talked about the little pony, she thought it was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen.

Tonight’s story was about how superhero Levi and his sidekick Isaac had to rescue Twilight Sparkle from an evil dragon who’d

penned her up in the jaguar habitat, and big brother Blake had to rescue all of them in the end.

They were asleep in her bed by the time she heard a noise at the door and turned to see Blake leaning against the jamb with

a tender expression on his face. She tiptoed out and shut off the light, then pulled the door closed behind her.

The amusement on his face glinted in his blue eyes. “That big brother Blake sounded like he could leap buildings in a single

bound.”

“Which is why he’ll find magic bars awaiting him in the kitchen. He needs to keep up his superhero strength.” In the hallway

she leaned against his chest, and his arms welcomed her. “And he’s devilishly handsome as well.”

He pressed a kiss against her hair. “And he’s pretty confused by the evening.”

She let him lead her to the empty living room. “Where’s your mom?”

“Frank is bringing her home. They went for ice cream.”

Paradise’s mouth gaped and she snapped it closed. “You let her go alone with Frank Ellis?”

“Let her? I didn’t have a choice. Those two took up together like they’d never been apart. Mom turned all giddy. I’d never seen anything like it.” He dropped onto the sofa and pulled her down beside him. “But to be honest, I liked the guy. I didn’t think I would, but he’s actually nice. He had eyes for no one but Mom. And get this—the reason he couldn’t buy this place was because of a nasty divorce.” He told her the details he’d learned.

“Could the rumors be wrong?”

“They were wrong about us. I never believe rumors.”

She settled into the cradle of his arm. “Have you been listening to the news? We’ve got a big storm coming in that’s likely

to spawn tornadoes. Massive amounts of rain too and flooding likely. Hitting late tomorrow or on Friday.”

“I hadn’t heard. I’ll make sure we’ve got plenty of bottled water and kerosene for the heater. And plenty of food for the

animals. If flooding starts, you and Mom can take the boys to TGU. They usually have a center set up in their gym with cots,

food, and water.”

Unease flickered down her back at the thought of him staying here alone. “What about you?”

“Someone will need to feed the animals. Evan usually stays to help me. We’ve never had the house flood, but it’s come close

a few times, and I had to use sandbags.”

They were used to storms and floods in the South, but preparation was key, especially for the park. He would feel responsible

for everyone—including the animals.

He nuzzled her hair. “I got a call from Roger Dillard. He found what he thought might be the crime scene of Danielle Mason’s murder in a corral on the west side of his property. He’s going to call the sheriff’s department, but he wanted to give me a heads-up. I asked if I could look at it in the morning before he makes that call. He said he’s fed up with the way Greene is handling the case and wanted to make sure I’m not railroaded into jail.”

“It’s kind of him, Blake, but you’re not a crime-scene expert. What can you do? Should we maybe take Nora? I suppose it’s

too soon to hear anything from her about the knife.”

“It’s not a bad idea. She’s separate from the sheriff’s department—they borrow her at times, but Jane is her boss. Savannah

and Hez are friends with Jane. I’ll ask Hez what he thinks.” He pulled out his phone and made the call.

Paradise listened with half an ear to his side of the conversation as Blake thanked his cousin and ended the call. “Hez wants

me to have Dillard report the site to Pelican Harbor PD. Then Jane can send Nora. Hez will give Nora and Jane a heads-up.

We can meet them out there in the morning. I’ll call Roger now.”

It was the best they could hope for. She sipped the cold remains of her herbal tea while he notified Roger.

He ended the call and set his phone aside. “That’s settled. Maybe it will be a break in the case.” He twirled one of her fat

curls around his finger. “I love your hair.”

“Are you trying to distract me from the case?”

He pressed his lips against her hair and spoke into the thick strands. “Maybe.”

“Maybe it’s working.”

He captured her lips when she turned her head and pulled her into a tighter embrace. When he kissed her like this, she could

almost forget the problems looming.

A car door sounded, and he pulled away. “So you made me magic bars?”

“The boys might have left you a few.”

He grinned down at her as his mother entered the house. Para dise tried to hide her surprise at Jenna’s windblown appearance. The updo she had when she left here was now a down-do that straggled onto her shoulders.

“Uh, Mom, have you looked in the mirror?”

“I must be a mess.” Jenna combed at her hair with her fingers. “Frank put the top down on his convertible.” She kicked off

her heels before settling into a chair opposite them. “I’d forgotten how much fun Frank always was. He hasn’t changed a bit.”

She must have noticed their astonishment because pink rushed to her cheeks. “It was just a fun night. It’s been a long time

since I’ve laughed like that.”

“I have to admit I’ve never heard you laugh like a hyena before,” Blake said in a deadpan voice.

Paradise put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “Blake, stop. Your mom would never sound like a hyena.”

“You didn’t hear her tonight. I thought she dropped thirty years off her age the second we got inside that school.”

Jenna’s gaze darted from him to Paradise before she laughed. Her belly laugh rang out in a way Paradise had never heard before,

and she giggled again. Then Blake’s bellowing laughter joined them. After so much tension it felt good to be able to let it

go.