Page 147 of Confessions

She sighed, but smiled at the drawings as she flipped through the oversize pages. “Three bedrooms, and a loft, plus a den with sewing alcove. And what’s this—four—no, three bathrooms.”

“A concession to you.”

“The original cabin only had one.”

“Resale value.”

Her lips compressed. “I’m not reselling. Not ever.”

Ben laughed. “Why do you want it, Nadine? You’re married now. You live in a damned mansion—” He swung his arm around the kitchen of the Monroe Manor, trying to impress upon her the width and breadth of the house. “And you’re rebuilding right across the lake? I hate to be the one to tell you this, sister, but it doesn’t make a whole lotta sense.”

She bristled slightly, her pencil wiggling in agitation between her fingers. “That cabin was the only security my boys had, and now, with Sam still out of work...” She frowned at the thought of her ex-husband who was still recovering from the burns that covered his hands and upper arms, burns that were the result of the fire he’d inadvertently started, the fire that had destroyed Nadine’s house. “I want to make sure John and Bobby and whoever—” she said, patting her still-flat tummy, as if she were caressing the baby growing therein “—aren’t robbed of their education.”

“Hayden would never do that,” Ben said, standing up for the brother-in-law he’d sworn to hate.

“I don’t think so, either, but I hate to be dependent.”

“The man’s a multimillionaire, Nadine, and unless you signed some god-awful prenuptial agreement, I don’t see how you’re ever going to end up destitute!”

“I didn’t sign anything.”

“There you go.”

Nadine’s green eyes darkened with memories. “I just don’t want what happened to Kevin and you and me to happen to the boys.”

“It won’t,” Ben said and though there had been a time when he hadn’t trusted Hayden Monroe, he knew that the man adored Nadine and the boys. He hated to admit it, but Monroe seemed to be one helluva good husband and stepfather. The kids, and Nadine, couldn’t have asked for more. Though it galled Ben to concede that Hayden had proved himself to be a stellar kind of guy, he couldn’t deny what was so damned obvious. “Besides, I heard somewhere that your little jewelry and clothing business is really picking up.”

“I guess I’d better remind you that it’s not a ‘little business’ or a hobby or something to fill my hours. I’ve got more orders than I can handle and have thought about hiring someone to help.”

“Really?”

“Really.” With a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, Nadine studied the blueprints as Ben poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot simmering on the coffeemaker. She made a few notes with a red pencil, chewed on the inside of her lip and finally said, “You know, you really are brilliant. I can’t find much wrong with these.”

Ben nearly choked on his coffee. Praise from his kid sister was unusual. “Good.”

“Just put in another dormer in the loft and add a ceiling fan, shore out the back porch two feet and change the bath tub to a shower for the boys.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s it for now.”

“Thank God.”

She started to roll up the plans, but he said, “Keep ’em. I’ve got copies. I’ll make your changes, file one with the county, make sure the permits are all in order and then we’ll start excavation, so—”

“I know. If there are any more changes, I should let you know yesterday.”

“You got it.” Ben swallowed the rest of his coffee and set his empty cup in the sink. He then moved to leave.

Nadine shooed her black-and-white shepherd off the rug near the front door. “Move, Hershel,” she commanded and the dog cocked his ears without budging. She opened the door and finally Hershel got the message. He bounded outside to join the grizzled yellow Lab who was standing guard near the rhododendrons. “Did you get an invitation to the big party?” Nadine asked.

“If you’re talking about the Fitzpatrick extravaganza, the answer is yes, but I don’t know that I have the stomach to go.”

“Come on, Ben. Be a sport. He’s practically family now,” Nadine said with a gleam in her eyes. “Besides, you can take Carlie. I heard you were seeing her again.”

“This damned town.”

“Is it a secret?”