“Hello, Luke.”

Jayne cleared her throat and moved into the sunlight.

Every single muscle in Luke’s body seemed to stiffen. For a moment he simply stood there, staring up at her. Jayne forced herself to hold her ground, despite the flinty look in his eyes that made her shiver.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he finally said.

“Eleanor invited me to stay with her.”

“You can’t do that.”

Jayne squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Back off, Luke. I’m not as easily intimidated as I was when I knew you in New York.”

“You ran, Jayne. Like you’ve been running all your life.” Luke made a sound of disgust. “And I never knew you, lady. Never.” With that he stalked away.

Dear Reader,

When I plan out a novel, I always think about the themes. Back to Luke deals with two primary themes: making mistakes then living with them, and what happens in a relationship when trust is betrayed?

Jayne Logan and Luke Corelli are flawed characters, which I like about them. Some bad things have happened to them and both have made one big mistake in their lives. They have to live with what they’ve done and promise to do better. Of course, they slip up.

Then there’s the issue of trust. We all want to trust the people we love. And sometimes others don’t live up to the faith we’ve put in them. Do I think we can regain another person’s trust after betraying it? Yes. Do I think it’s easy? No. Luke and Jayne find this out. Not only have they let each other down, but one of them does what he’s promised he’ll never do. To me, this situation is the epitome of trust. I’ve used it before, and when the betrayal occurs and the other person realizes what’s happened, I often cry myself. Trust is fragile and can be broken at any time. What we do afterward alters the relationship and maybe our lives.

As for Luke and Jayne, their bumpy road to happiness is similar to all of ours, and I hope you can relate to each of them. Rest assured, there is a happy ending.

Want to learn more about me and my work? Visit me at www.kathrynshay.com. There are book trailers and a blog I update frequently. You can also see the blog at www.livejournal.com/kathrynshay. And you can connect with me on MySpace, at www.myspace.com/kathrynshay. Or write to me at kshayweb@rochester.rr.com.

Happy reading,

Kathryn Shay

BACK TO LUKE
Kathryn Shay

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Shay is the author of twenty-four Harlequin Superromance books and nine novels and two novellas from the Berkley Publishing Group. She has won several awards. Among them are five Romantic Times BOOKreviews awards, three Holt Medallions, three Desert Quill awards and a Booksellers’ Best Award. A former high school teacher, she lives in upstate New York, where she sets many of her stories.

To my good friend Eleanor Pierce, eighty-nine years young this month, who served as the model for the Eleanor in the book.

Thank you so much for all you’ve taught me and the time you’ve spent with me.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER ONE

JAYNE LOGAN WAS a desperate woman. As she stood at the edge of the rest area overlooking Riverdale, nestled in a valley in Upstate New York, she admitted the stark truth to herself—she had no place else to go. Where people cared about her, anyway. Her life was in shambles, her parents were completely unsupportive, as usual, and over the years she’d alienated most of the acquaintances she’d managed to make.

Except for Jess Harper, her best friend from college, the man who’d been her lifeline in good times and bad. Their estrangement hadn’t been her fault. She could still see him in front of his mother’s house, tears in his eyes, six years ago.

I’ll let you go, Jaynie. But only if you promise me one thing. If you ever need me, really need me, you’ll call or come to Riverdale.

Well, she thought, shaking her head, she really needed him now—enough to risk what could very well be a powder keg of reaction from his wife, even after all these years. Naomi Harper’s jealousy was the reason Jayne and Jess had cut off all ties and agreed not to see each other. At first they’d exchanged e-mails, then their contact had dwindled to cards at holiday time. In some ways, Jayne felt like she’d lost a limb when Jess and his mother, Eleanor, were no longer part of her life.

Pushing away memories of Naomi—they made her feel selfish for coming to town—Jayne got into the front seat of her rented Lexus and headed into Riverdale. Its population was about twenty thousand, but the place had the feel of a much smaller town. It hadn’t changed much, either, she thought as she drove along Route 17 and into the heart of the city bisected by the Chemung River, with its quaint streets, old-school architecture and the glass factory’s tall white tower. The edifice stood above the business area and blew its horn morning, noon and night, like a watchful parent guarding his children and calling them to work. Most of the townspeople had jobs in the factory or at headquarters, which she passed on the right. The beautiful black glass building rose up twenty stories, all sleek lines and interesting rounded corners.

Her heart began to thump in her chest as she turned off Sunset Boulevard and drove up Lexington Avenue, one of the many hills over which the population sprawled. She remembered when Jess had bought the big gray-shingled house on Second Street, near a park where his girls could play and surrounded by neighbors who had, of course, become his close friends. Everybody loved Jess and rightly so, given his generous nature and a sense of humor that could put anyone at ease.

Turning left, she pulled up to the curb and frowned. The house looked…shut down. She knew he still lived here. She’d gotten a Christmas card from him only four months ago. Damn it, she should have called. But she hadn’t forewarned her friend of her visit because she hadn’t been sure she’d actually come to Riverdale until she arrived.

Sliding out of her car, warmed by the April sun, Jayne took the concrete path to the sidewalk, climbed the first set of steps and the second. The front porch faced the entire valley and held a couple of lounge chairs; she noticed a small bike and a big-wheeled scooter tucked into the corner. They belonged to his girls. Suddenly, Jayne needed to see solid, family-man Jess more than ever.

She rang the doorbell. No one answered. The blinds were all closed and the house felt deserted. Because she was an architect, buildings were her best friends and she had a sixth sense about them.

“If you’re lookin’ for the Harpers, they aren’t home.”

Jayne turned to find a man on the sidewalk below. “Excuse me?”

“Jess and his family. They’re gone.” He smiled. “They went to Disney World. Naomi won the trip from the Glass Works. Needless to say, the kids were chompin’ at the bit to get there. Jess took them on their spring break from school.”

With a heavy heart, Jayne descended the two sets of steps, aware of the sounds of children playing in the yard next door and a lawn mower buzzing down the street.

The man had dark hair and eyes, and a kind smile. He held out a beefy hand. “Bill Parks. I went to high school with Jess. Now we’re neighbors.”

“Jayne Logan.” They shook. “Jess and I were in college together.”

His brow furrowed. “Did he know you were comin’?”

She shook her head. “I should have called.” Now what was she going to do?

“You know his mom, Eleanor?”

“Yes, very well, as a matter of fact.”

“She’s still livin’ up on Fifth Street. Might be nice for you to go see her. She’s probably lonely for Jess. They took the girls out of school early for a two-week trip.”

As she often did, Jayne wondered what it would be like to live in a small town and have everybody know your business.

“I’d love to see Eleanor.” She reached for her phone. “Oh, wait, I don’t have her number in my contacts list.”

“I think she uses her cell now.”

“Eleanor has a cell phone?” Jayne couldn’t picture the older woman with modern technology.

“Yeah, no grass grows under her feet. You know the address?”

Never would Jayne forget the house Eleanor lived in. A stately three-story structure, it sported slate-blue siding, black shutters and huge porches that wrapped around the back and sides. And there were those beautiful gardens. Eleanor had taught Jayne everything she knew about growing things, and Jayne had missed the flowers and digging in the dirt when she’d moved to California, where she only had time for work and sleep. “Yes, I know where Eleanor lives.”

The trip over to Chestnut Street and up to Fifth took only ten minutes. As she caught sight of the house, a rush of emotion flooded her. The place was as beautiful as ever, but something else caused her heart to swell and tears to spring to her eyes—memories of the time she’d spent here in Eleanor’s loving care, having in Jess the brother she’d always wanted. Since they’d both been only children, Jess had felt the same way about her.

She parked at the curb, exited the car and hurried up a walkway flanked by pink and purple crocuses and sunny daffodils. For a minute, she just stood in front of the double front oak doors and laid her hand on the smooth, cool wood. Then she pressed the bell.

No answer.

Damn it.

Again, she rang.

Still, no answer. But contrary to Jess’s house, this place was open and alive. Windows were raised on all three floors, allowing in the air, which in her mind had always meant the house was breathing in and out.

Maybe Eleanor was in the back, working in the gardens. She followed the brick path around to the rear and more of the flowers came into view, startling Jayne for a moment. So many colors. So many different varieties. Her favorites had always been the summer wildflowers, but Eleanor preferred the roses. Because it was April, other plants bloomed now. Jayne couldn’t remember all their names but did recognize the snapdragons and the purple and white irises. The blossoms filled the air with sweet perfume like nothing man could manufacture in a lab.

Eleanor wasn’t working on the beds, and though the shed door was ajar, Jayne didn’t see anyone inside. She glanced up at the back porch. The door to the kitchen was open to the screen. With more anticipation than she’d had for anything in a long time, she climbed the steps and called out, “Eleanor, are you in there?”

No one responded. Jayne put her hand on the knob and had pulled the screen open a few inches when she heard behind her, “Hey there, darlin’, what are you doing?”

The deep rumble of a male voice startled her and she jumped back as if she were breaking and entering. Her heart beating at a clip, she pivoted to find a man at the bottom of the steps. A big, half-naked man.

She was standing in the shadows, and he was in the bright sunlight, so it took a minute for her eyes to adjust. Oh, God, it was Luke Corelli! Someone she’d known a lifetime ago.

“Sorry, did I scare you?” His eyes narrowed. She couldn’t see their color, but she knew they were brown, deep and rich to match the mane of dark hair on his head and whorls of it on his bare chest. It was a chest that at one time she’d explored intimately. Her gaze dropped lower to the nicely corded muscles of his legs and work boots on his feet.

A chuckle. “Like what you see?” he asked.

Dear Lord, he didn’t recognize her. But why would he? She was a different woman, both physically and in personality, from the one he’d known twelve years ago when they’d both been twenty-six.

She cleared her throat and moved into the sunlight. “Hello, Luke.”

Every single muscle in his body stiffened. For a moment, he just stood there, staring up at her from the ground; then, slowly, he climbed the steps until they were on the same level. Jayne wanted to inch back but forced herself to hold her ground, despite the flinty look in his eyes that made her shiver. Trying to conceal her reaction, she threw back her shoulders and faced him down.

Finally, he said, “What the hell are you doing here?”

LUKE STARED at the woman standing before him. Dressed in a tailored beige suit, she was taller than he remembered and her demeanor made her seem more confident and formidable than the eager junior architect she’d been over a decade ago when they’d hooked up in New York City. And, damn it to ever-loving hell, she was even more of a knockout now. Dark-as-midnight hair, cut short and feathery around a flawless face. He’d told her she had Liz Taylor eyes. Once, he’d fallen for their combination of innate sophistication and vulnerability. But no more. Never again.

“I asked you what you’re doing here?”

Jayne Logan had wreaked havoc in Jess’s family, something Luke had only found out about after she’d left him. Discovering that little tidbit made him understand why she’d insisted on keeping her relationship with Luke a secret from Jess.

“I’m here to see Eleanor.”

“What, after you abandoned her? It was hard for Miss Ellie when you stopped coming to Riverdale.”

Warmth and humor filled those violet eyes. “I forgot you called her that.”

A small dog came running around the side of the house and flew up the steps. It was a beautiful little Yorkshire terrier with black and golden hair on a long leash. Bending over, Luke scooped the animal into his hands. “Shh…it’s all right, Krystle.”

“I see you’re still living on the set of nighttime soaps.”

Luke had a slew of sisters and, growing up, all of them had loved Dallas and Dynasty. As a hormone-crazed teenager, he got to watch Sammy Jo—aka Heather Locklear—every week, so he didn’t complain.

“Forget about that.” About everything he’d told her when he’d fallen like the proverbial ton of bricks for her. “Explain to me why you’re back in Riverdale after all these years.”

She bristled and said, “That’s my business,” and nodded to the house. “Is Eleanor home?”

“No, she left for church right after I got here.”

“That’s right, it’s Sunday.”

“Don’t go to church anymore?”

“No. You?”

Not since the course of events in his life had destroyed his faith in a Supreme Being. To some degree, the woman before him had been a part of those events. “No.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Last I knew you were in New York, making mega bucks. You said you’d never come back to live in a small town.”

“I changed my mind.” To avoid telling her why, to avoid explaining the worst thing that had ever happened to him, he gestured to the other side of the porch, walked over a few feet and turned the corner. She followed. “I’m building that for Miss Ellie. It’s done, except for the painting.”

“It’s beautiful. I love gazebos. There’s this really nice one in Paris in the—”

“Versailles Gardens. I know.”

She cocked her head at him, a frown marring her brow. “You used to live overseas and traveled in Europe. I forgot about that.”

Of course she had. This woman was very good at forgetting.

“How come Jess didn’t build it?”

“For one thing, I like doing stuff for Miss Ellie and this is a gift from my whole family for her seventy-fifth birthday. Besides, it’s already too much for Jess, trying to keep up with the flowers Miss Ellie can’t get to, work, pitch in as Annie’s soccer coach and do all the other things a husband and dad has to do.”

“When will he be back?”

“End of the week.”

Her eyes filled with something. Sadness, maybe, or was it fear? Whatever it was made them glisten like wet amethysts. And he remembered how the expression sucker punched him every time she got upset.

“Oh, dear.”

“He couldn’t have known you were coming.” Luke’s tone was gruff, and he had to shake off the kernel of reaction forming in his belly.

“He didn’t.” She nodded to the house. “Nor does Eleanor.”

There was noise inside, and then Miss Ellie came to the screen, dressed in her Sunday best—a pretty pink suit, which set off her snow-white hair and still-sparkling blue eyes. “Luke, dear, I saw a Lexus parked out front. Did one of your female friends drive over to help you finish painting the gazebo?”

“Come onto the porch, Miss Ellie,” he said gently.

Pushing open the screen, the older woman stepped outside and addressed the dog. “Hello there, Krystle. Having a nice time with Luke?” She glanced to the side and saw Jayne. “Oh. You must be a friend…” Her hand went to her chest. “Oh, dear Lord, Jaynie. Jaynie!”

Jaynie’s face transformed from stone-cut marble to soft sandstone. “Hello, Eleanor, I…”

Suddenly, Jayne closed the gap between her and Miss Ellie and threw herself into the older woman’s arms. From his vantage point, Luke saw Jayne close her eyes and hold on for dear life. The intimacy of their reunion made him feel like a voyeur.

Miss Ellie ran her hand over Jayne’s hair. He remembered when it was longer and he could wrap it around his fist. “I’m so glad you’re here,” the older woman said. “I was praying for you just now in church, as I do every Sunday. God must have heard me today.”

Still Jayne held on, as if she wasn’t used to human contact.

Miss Ellie shot a worried glance at Luke. “Jaynie, are you all right?”

Jayne shook her head.

“Then you’ve come to the right place. Whatever it is, Jessie and I will help.”

Luke could barely hear Jayne when she spoke. “I’m in trouble, Eleanor. Big trouble.”

Oh, great, Luke thought. Not only had she abandoned Miss Ellie years ago, stirred up all kinds of things between Jess and Naomi, and ditched Luke without a second thought, now she was in big trouble and had come here to dump whatever it was on them.

Luke couldn’t watch the scene before him so he left the porch and went back to the gazebo. Jayne’s appearance in town had thrown him. But he knew one thing for certain. He’d learned his lesson twelve years ago and was sure as hell going to make sure Jayne Logan didn’t take advantage of two of the people he loved most in the world.

CHAPTER TWO

BECAUSE JAYNE needed some time to collect herself, Eleanor had gone inside to make lemonade. Jayne walked around the house to a wrought-iron table and chairs. She slipped off the jacket she’d layered over a brown silk shirt and that was now making her warm. Draping it over the back of one of the chairs, she sat. From there, she studied the gazebo.

The whole structure was in keeping with the materials and the lines and angles of the main house. Black shingles matched those on the big roof, as did the slate-blue siding around the bottom half. She wondered what color he was going to paint the posts. They wouldn’t be left natural, because he was up on a ladder priming them right now.

The noonday sun glistened off his sweaty skin, emphasizing his darkly tanned back and the breadth of his shoulders. God, she couldn’t believe he was here, in Riverdale. She’d never even considered that he’d be back in town, or she most certainly wouldn’t have come. When she knew him in New York, he and his friend Timmy had been making their first million, already at age twenty-six, and Luke had told her he’d never leave the big city. She wondered if Timmy was in Riverdale, too. She’d have to ask Eleanor about him.

The older woman exited from the side French doors and set down glasses of lemonade. Jayne was glad for the distraction from Luke. “Now, tell me everything, dear.”

Jayne began simply. “Do you remember when I sent you the pictures and newspaper clippings of one of my buildings? The Coulter Gallery of Antiquities?”

“Yes, it’s lovely. So innovative and well designed.”

“Maybe not so well designed. The walkway that circled the interior of the building just…collapsed a few weeks ago.” Every time she talked about this, Jayne’s stomach clenched and her head began to hurt. “Luckily, there weren’t any patrons in the gallery—it closes at nine and this happened about two in the morning. But many of the artifacts were destroyed.”

Jayne shook her head, recalling the horrific phone call she’d received from the police. What had begun that day was a nightmare of epic proportions.

Ms. Logan? This is Chief Edwards of the LAPD. The upper walkway in the Coulter Gallery caved in. It did a lot of damage. Nobody was hurt, but we have a mess on our hands. The mayor said to contact your firm. We need the building plans and a consultation with you.

Bolting out of bed, she’d dressed hurriedly and sped over to the gallery. She’d never forget the sight of one of her babies maimed and crumpled into itself, or the smell of splintered wood and the light dusting of broken concrete filling the interior. Priceless artifacts, some of which were in now-smashed cases, some freestanding in the main area, were in shards. Later she would learn the astronomical cost of their ruin.

Eleanor’s touch on Jayne’s hand pulled her from the memory. “Oh, Jaynie, I’m so sorry. I know how important your career is to you. What caused the collapse?”

“We don’t have the results of the investigation yet. And I keep going over the plans and racking my brain for what I might have done wrong. I can’t find anything.” She sighed. “So far, neither can the independent firm I hired to determine what happened.”

“Then there’s a good chance you didn’t make a mistake.”

“I’m truly hoping that, Eleanor. Meanwhile, I just have to wait.”

“You’ll do that here.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ll wait for the board’s findings in Riverdale with people who love you.”

Stunned at the unconditional acceptance, Jayne couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat.

Eleanor’s gaze was knowing. There were few secrets between the Harpers and Jayne. She’d come to Riverdale on most of her college vacations instead of going to her parents’ house because they were busy or traveling. “You went home first, didn’t you?”

Jayne nodded.

“And your father wasn’t supportive.”

That was an understatement. It was the confrontation with Andrew Logan that had driven her from the Hamptons. He’d actually scolded her for having gotten herself in this situation and turned his back on her. She’d been foolish to go to him, to think that this time he’d be genuinely concerned for her welfare rather than her success.

“Jayne? What did Andrew do when you told him?”

“He wasn’t happy with me at all. He thought I should go back to California and fight this.”

“Could you do that?”

“No. They have my drawings, the specs from the contractors and the builders, and information from everyone else involved in the gallery’s construction. They don’t want any more of my input.” She shook her head. “So I won’t be going back to New York, either. The office closes for the month of May while everyone takes vacation. I usually go to my condo in Florida and sketch out some preliminary drawings for new projects before we get to them formally. I’ll head down there to do that, but I wanted to see you and Jess first.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You’ll stay here with me.” She gestured to Luke, who’d taken a break.

Following Eleanor’s gaze, Jayne watched him pull a bandanna out of his shorts pocket and wipe his brow, then take a swig of bottled water. Her attention riveted on his throat and she remembered with vivid clarity putting her mouth there.

“You can help me with my gardens, so Luke and Jess won’t have to do that, too.”

“It could take weeks to get a final verdict. I can’t impose on you that long, Eleanor.”

“At least wait until Jess gets back to make a decision.”

She’d known this was going to be tricky before she came to town. Jess hadn’t told his mother about Naomi’s dislike of Jayne or the breach his wife’s feelings had caused in Jayne’s relationship with Jess. As far as Eleanor knew, Jayne had been too busy to visit Riverdale. Now, if she refused to stay, it wouldn’t make sense to the older woman. Or to Luke. Jess had also kept Naomi’s suspicions from him—at least he had in the past.

Oh, who was Jayne kidding? She wanted to stay. She’d made the conscious decision to come to Riverdale despite the consequences. “I guess I could do that.”

“Then it’s settled. You’ll stay until at least next Saturday.”

After petting the dog, which had jumped up on her lap, then setting the animal on the ground, Eleanor stood. “Now go get Luke. It’s time for lunch.”

“He’ll eat with us?” The thought make her heart rate speed up.

Eleanor chuckled. “After he cleans up in the laundry room.”

When Eleanor went into the house, Jayne rose and reluctantly made her way down the steps and through the flower beds toward the gazebo. Surrounded by their colorful blossoms and scent, with the sun on her face, Jayne experienced a sense of peace. She stopped and took a minute to steep herself in the rare emotion of contentment.

“I feel that way, too, when I’m here.”

She hadn’t realized she was a few feet away from Luke. “What are you talking about?”

“The gardens. They calm me. Your expression says they do the same to you.”

Not wanting to encourage any connection with him, she turned her attention toward the gazebo. Unable to help herself, she ran her hand over the curved railing. “This is lovely. I especially like that the structure is cohesive with the house.”

“I’m glad to have your approval.” His tone was sarcastic.

Stiffening, she spoke curtly. “Eleanor said to tell you it’s time for lunch.”

He bit out, “I’m not fit for company.”

“That’s what I thought.” She ignored his raised brow. “But she said you can clean up in the laundry room. You’re sprung for the day, I guess.” I hope.

“Maybe.” He climbed down the ladder.

When Jayne turned to leave, he grabbed her by the arm and yanked her around. At the clasp of his strong fingers on her again, she startled. And damn it, she liked the feel of them. “How long are you hanging around?” he asked.

“Eleanor invited me to stay with her until Jess gets back.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“Don’t you care about how you’ve hurt everybody here?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Stop playing innocent, like you did in New York. I never would have gotten you that contract with Madison Conglomerates if I’d known you’d slept with Jess.” His expression turned hard. “And I never would have had a fling with you.” His eyes narrowed. “It took me a while to figure out that was why you didn’t want anyone back here to know we were involved.”

“That had nothing to do with keeping our relationship quiet.” Her voice rose with anger ignited by his accusation. “I like my privacy, is all. And I never slept with Jess.”

“That’s not what Naomi thinks. Hell, I still can’t believe neither you nor Jess told me about her feelings.”

“Because they weren’t warranted.”

“Or because Jess knew I wouldn’t put in a good word with Granger Madison to get a junior associate from Prentice Architects a job on building those luxury condos.”

“It was a job I did very well.”

Crossing his arms over his bare chest, he glared at her. “Still, you ran away when there was a scandal at Prentice.”

“I finished my part on the condos for Madison Conglomerates. I didn’t like the direction Prentice Architects was taking, so I left when I got a better offer in California.”

“Is that what you’re telling yourself?”

“It’s the truth.”

“You ran, Jayne. Like you’ve been running all your life.” He shook his head. “And you didn’t even have the decency to talk to me about leaving. You didn’t even say goodbye to me!”

Well, that was true. She’d never told him she’d taken a job in California because he would have—could have—kept her in New York. Luke was a fighter, had always been one, and she knew intuitively he would have fought to keep her with him. When things had calmed down, that fact made her incredibly sad. Yet she’d never contacted him again.

“In any case, Prentice Architects was exonerated. I read it in their follow-up correspondence.”

“So you could have stayed.”

“I told you that wasn’t why I left.”

His expression softened a bit. “Look, Jayne, I know that what happened in college to you and Jess affected you. But you shouldn’t have run away at the threat of scandal.”

Damn it, why had Jayne confided in him about the Cornell incident? “The two had nothing to do with each other.”

From the porch they heard Eleanor call out, “Jayne, Luke, are you coming?”

Looking annoyed, Luke held up his hand. “If you stay in town, don’t hurt Jess and his family again, or you’ll answer to me.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

He stared down at her. His dark eyes had deepened to almost black and were intense. Angry. “If that’s what’s needed, then consider yourself threatened.”

Since she’d made her mark in architecture, Jayne had often needed to deal with men on building sites. Early on, she’d learned how to be confident—or, when she wasn’t, at least to look as if she was. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Back off, Luke. I’m not as easily intimidated as I was when I knew you in New York.”

He made a sound of disgust. “I never knew you, lady. Never.” With that, he stalked away.

She watched as he spoke quietly to Eleanor, unleashed the dog, picked her up and headed around the house. They made an incongruous picture—the big guy with the tiny puppy in his arms. Suddenly, Jayne wondered what had happened to him in the intervening years, if he’d ever married, had kids. And why on earth, after all this time, did the possibility of little boys with Luke’s eyes or tiny girls with his smile make Jayne feel so bereft?

LUKE SWERVED his red truck into the driveway of his sister’s house on Houghton Plot, got out and slammed the door. He tried not to think about Jayne Logan, but she’d gotten under his skin again, just like before, and it was a position he’d never put himself in with women since.

Little Karl came running out the door and toward him. “Uncle Luke!” he said as he flung himself at Luke. The boy was the spitting image of him, which always made him smile.

Right behind Karl was his brother, Kasey, tottering along on stocky little legs. His blond wispy hair was more like his dad’s. Luke hefted the youngest up to his chest, then clasped Karl’s shoulder.

Karl wrinkled his nose. “Eee-u, you stink.”

“Been sweating my…butt off all morning.” And since he’d made an excuse not to stay for lunch, he hadn’t cleaned up either.

His older sister had followed her kids out and smiled warmly at him. Of all the girls, he resembled Belle the most. They both had dark hair and eyes, which explained Karl’s resemblance to him.

“Hey, babe.”

“You look mad. Certainly not at Miss Ellie.”

He set his nephew down and let the dog out of the car. “Nah, she’s got a guest who torqued me off.”

Krystle nipped at the boys’ feet and began to run around the front yard, making them giggle as they chased her. They loved playing with Maria’s dog.

“Can you stay? Nick and Kenny are golfing. They’re trying to spend some father/son time together.” Belle had had one kid in her early twenties, then two more later on when she got bored with her job as a nurse and decided she wanted a bigger family.

“Yeah, my afternoon’s clear.”

Grinning, she kissed his cheek. “Go clean up, then I’ll fix you lunch and we can chat after the boys go down for a nap.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

It was a good one. After a hot shower and a change into clothes he always left here and at his other sisters’ houses, he made small talk with Belle during lunch and Luke paid attention to the kids. As always, they charmed him, even when Kasey smeared peanut butter over his face and then, when Luke laughed, covered his arms, too. Belle made him give the kid a bath, and then he put both boys down.

In a better mood now, he joined his sister out on the deck overlooking the wooded backyard. Never one to mince words, she said, “Okay, what happened, Luciano?” The only boy in the family, Luke was named after his dad.

He had to tread carefully here. For twelve years he’d kept his previous relationship with Jayne Logan secret from everyone, not because Jayne wanted it that way, but because initially he’d been embarrassed about how it had ended—a woman had actually dumped him! And then, when he’d gotten home and found out about Jayne and Jess, Luke had been humiliated at how she’d taken him in. “Do you remember Jayne Logan, Jess’s friend?”

“The woman from college.” Belle’s eyes widened. “Oh, the one Naomi suspected Jess was involved with?”

Right after Luke came back to town, over a few late-night beers, Belle had told him about Naomi’s suspicions concerning Jess and Jayne’s relationship.

“Yeah, she’s the one. She’s in town and went looking for Jess. Since he’s at Disney World, she hunted up Miss Ellie.”

Belle cocked her head. “Miss Ellie loved Jayne. She came to Riverdale on vacations and even a summer or two and stayed with them.” She frowned. “Much to Naomi’s distress.”

“Yeah, but Jayne abandoned Miss Ellie when she got rich and famous.” She was very good at abandoning people.

“Why’s she here now?”

“She’s in trouble.”

“What kind?”

“I didn’t stick around to find out.” In truth, he didn’t want to know. He remembered his protective instincts where Jayne was concerned and he certainly didn’t want to fall victim to them again.

Picking up her soft drink, Belle frowned. “Didn’t you work with Jayne in New York?”

“Uh-huh. Briefly.”

“Naomi said she made a name for herself in the architectural world in California and got caught up in the glamour and success there.” Then Belle added gently, “You did too, Luke, when you became partners with Madison Conglomerates in New York.”

“Yeah, but I learned my lesson. From what I’ve heard, she still feeds on fame.”

Belle stood. “I’ll be right back.” She hustled off the porch and in no time returned with her laptop.

“What’s that for?”

Luke had developed an aversion to the Internet. He kept all his business records on a computer, did e-mail and often ordered materials online, but he didn’t surf in cyberspace anymore. He’d done all that when he’d first become successful. The Net was a connection to his previous life that he wanted to forget.

“This is a way to find out what trouble Jayne Logan’s in.”

Hmm, he guessed he could make this one exception. “Good thinking, Isabella, mi amore.”

“Smarts run in the family, little brother. Now, isn’t her first name spelled funny?”

ONE OF THE BEST things about Eleanor was that she took pleasure in small things, like this outing. For years, Jayne had spun fantasies that if she ever had children, Eleanor would be a surrogate grandmother.

Jayne and Ben Scarborough, her college boyfriend of two years, had talked about having kids. Then he’d betrayed her, and that dream, with him at least, was dashed. Even when she’d met Luke, five years later, she was never able to completely trust him. When their relationship had begun to get serious, she’d fled.

“I’m paying, dear. I dragged you here.” Eleanor was standing with Jayne in line at the Fox Theater, the only cinema in town, waiting to see the matinee of the new release of The Little Mermaid.

“You didn’t drag me here. I’m happy to come. The last time I saw a Disney movie was when—” Jayne had to think “—I came with you and Jess to one in college.”

“Ah, yes. He indulges my whims, too.”

As they moved along, a warm breeze ruffled the tails of the pink shirt Jayne wore with jeans. “Jess sounded great on the phone when you let me talk to him.”

“He was delighted that you’re here.”

Jayne smiled. “He threatened never to speak to me again if I left before he got back.” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t tell him what happened. I was afraid it would ruin his vacation.”

“It would have. He loves you like a sister.”

After Eleanor paid for their tickets, they went inside and crossed to the refreshment stand. “Smell that popcorn,” Eleanor said. “I think I’ll have some, with extra butter.”

“You should be watching your cholesterol.”

Unfortunately, Jayne recognized the deep masculine rumble from behind her. She turned to acknowledge Luke, but instead stood openmouthed when she took in the sight of him dressed in jeans and a green chamois shirt, holding a little boy of maybe two against the soft material that covered his chest. Clinging to his other hand was a child of about five, who looked exactly like him.

So he was married. With kids. For a moment, Jayne felt the world tip on its axis.

Eleanor said, “Hello, Luke. Oh, Kasey, you sweet boy. And Karl. Let me buy you a treat.”

“Yes, Miss Ellie.” The bigger one spoke first and the baby gave some version of it.

Luke raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I promised their mother I wouldn’t let them have too much junk.”

“How is Belle?” The name sounded familiar. Had he married an old girlfriend?

“Spending some time with Kenny while he’s on his school break, so I’m babysitting.”

Jayne frowned. “I wonder why it is that when men take care of their own kids, they call it babysitting?”

His expression turned blank, then he laughed.

Before he could respond, Karl said, “Uncle Luke, what’s funny?”

Jayne flushed. “I thought…”

“Yeah, I can tell. They’re my sister’s kids. Karl, Kasey, meet Miss Logan.” With a scowl, he added, “Is it still Miss?”

“Yes.”

Karl greeted her, but Kasey buried his face in Luke’s neck. And something inside of Jayne shifted. The gesture showed such spontaneous trust, was such a baby thing. Combined with what she’d been thinking earlier, about having her own kids, it had her…yearning.

“Would you like to sit with us, Luke?” Eleanor’s expression was hopeful. “It would be such fun to see the boys’ reactions to the movie.”

Oh, no, Jayne thought, just as Luke said, “Great. We’d love to.”

Inside the theater, the boys sat on opposite sides of Eleanor, and Jayne took the seat next to the littlest. But then Luke said, “Excuse me,” and crawled over her to snatch Kasey out of the chair. He plunked down right next to her, with the baby on his lap. “There now, isn’t this cozy?”

It was cramped and, this close, she could smell his aftershave—incredibly, the same one that he used to wear. The associations that brought back made her entire body respond. So she said, “I can move down so Kasey can have his own seat.”

Luke gave her an are-you-stupid look. “He’s too little to sit by himself.”

And Kasey was apparently used to resting on his uncle’s lap, because he cuddled in, stuck his finger in his mouth and began to watch the previews.

Jayne tried not to be distracted by the rhythmic stroking of Luke’s big hand down the baby’s wispy hair. She tried not to watch as he kissed the baby’s head. But she began to experience an overwhelming sense of loss watching the gestures, being so close to Luke again. If she hadn’t chickened out on her relationship with Luke, these could have been their kids. They could be married now and spending a lazy day as a family. When the movie began, she tried doubly hard to focus on Ariel and her adventure, until Karl leaned over Eleanor and whispered, “Uncle Luke, I gotta pee.”

Luke said, “Great.” He glanced at Eleanor, who held a full bucket of popcorn on her lap, then lifted the baby and plopped him into Jayne’s arms.

“What…what are you doing?”

“Taking Karl to the john.” He stood, scooped up the boy, climbed over the back of his seat to an empty row and went out to the aisle.

Kasey looked up at her with wide blue eyes. She had no idea what to do with him. A smile spread across his adorable face, then he batted her cheeks with his chubby hands.

And she cooed, “Aren’t you beautiful.”

As if he’d gotten the answer he wanted, he nestled into her chest. He smelled like baby shampoo and powder, and Jayne reveled in the scent and the feel of his little body.

By the time Luke got back, Kasey was fast asleep, curled trustingly into her.

“I’ll be damned. I wouldn’t have guessed you had it in you.”

Her either. “Just goes to show you how much you know.”

“We’ll see about that.” He bit into a piece of licorice. “We’ll just see about that.”

CHAPTER THREE

LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, Jayne reached for the gardening shears to deadhead the snapdragons and pricked her thumb on the tip of a blade. “Ouch!”

By the gazebo, where he’d finished painting the first post blue, Luke snorted. Had she known he was going to show up so late in the day to put in an hour on the structure, she wouldn’t have come out here. Now, he sat on one of the benches he’d built—she liked the way the legs of it angled—sipping a beer and making no effort to hide his study of her. “Watch out, Sleeping Beauty, or you’ll go into a deep snooze.”

Which Jayne wouldn’t mind doing. Perhaps when she woke up, the nightmare of the investigation would be over. She’d checked with her lawyer this morning and there was no news.

What exactly does that mean, Michael? It’s been three weeks.

These things take time. The architectural board is addressing it. You have to be patient.

What about the independent firm I hired to do its own analysis?

Nothing yet.

I can’t believe this.

I’m sorry. I’ll call you when I hear something.

“Hey, I’m talkin’ to you.”

She made a very unladylike noise. “Just so you don’t get any ideas about playing Prince Charming.” Again.

“No worries about that, babe. Once burned…”

Hmm. She’d always wondered how he’d handled her leaving, always wondered if it had left a hole inside him as it had, unexpectedly, in her. Probably not. He’d never tried to contact her. Most likely, she’d just bruised his ego.

There was no point in going there, though, so she nodded to the gazebo. “You know, you should paint the posts white.”

He shook his head. “God, I hate it when people play Monday-morning quarterback.”

His forceful tone reminded her of his reactions on the construction site in New York. She couldn’t resist the temptation to jab him. “So you still think it’s your way or the highway?”

“Yep.”

“White would be a striking contrast.”

“In case you didn’t notice, I’m going for the fitting-in look with slate-blue.”

“Too much fitting in is boring.”

“Concentrate on those flowers, will you?”

Turning back to her plants, she picked up a trowel and began to loosen the dirt around the base of one. The rich loam of the earth was cold as it sifted through her fingers. She hadn’t put on gloves because she liked the texture of it.

Luke sighed. “I wish Jess had made his plane connection in Atlanta this morning.”

“He could still get back today.”

“I know. Eleanor’s keeping watch just in case.”

Her head down, Jayne wiped her hands on the jeans she’d cut off to work out here. She’d borrowed some old work shoes she’d found in Eleanor’s downstairs closet. “I love how close Eleanor and Jess are.”

Before he could comment, someone called out, “There she is!”

At the sound of the voice, Jayne glanced up and saw Jess standing at the base of the porch steps. He looked so good, so safe and unbreakable, that she threw the shovel to the ground, stood and ran toward him. Jess met her halfway, picked her up and whirled her around. When he stopped, one arm banded her around her waist and his other hand went to her head to bring it to his chest. Jayne was so grateful for the embrace she wanted to cry. But she hadn’t shed one tear since college and had vowed, with this very man during the ordeal at Cornell they’d shared, that she’d never cry again.

Luke watched the reunion. Jess held Jayne as if he’d found gold, and she clung to him like they’d been lovers separated for years. And goddamn it, sparks of jealousy shot through him and he hated feeling that way about his best friend.

Then he caught sight of Naomi. The kids must be in the house, but Jess’s wife had accompanied him back here and was standing behind him. Her face was pale, despite her tan, and her brow was furrowed.

As Luke witnessed the reunion between the two college friends and Naomi’s devastated expression, he cursed Jayne Logan’s return to Riverdale. Especially after he’d found out on his sister’s computer that the woman had botched her last job and might be permanently available to wreak more havoc in Jess’s life.

WHEN JAYNE OPENED her eyes and saw Naomi staring at her and Jess as if they were embracing naked, she immediately drew back. Damn it, why had she been so spontaneous in greeting Jess? And what had he been thinking? She looked at him and saw that he wasn’t thinking. Tears clouded his warm hazel eyes. Naomi obviously caught on to her husband’s sentimentality, because she paled. Jayne tried to pull away from Jess completely, but he slid his arm around her and held her close to his side.

Jayne was the one to acknowledge the other woman. “Hi, Naomi.”

“Jayne.”

Spinning around, Jess got a glimpse of his wife. “I thought you were in the house.”

“Obviously. I’m going to take the girls home.” Naomi added brusquely, “They’ll be getting cranky.”

Jess frowned. “But I want Jaynie to see them.” When Naomi simply stared at him, he added, “We agreed on that.”

“Jaynie can do that tomorrow.” She glanced behind them. “Hey, Luke.”

Luke crossed to the group but went straight to Naomi, hugged her and whispered something into her ear. Then he turned to Jess. “Hey, buddy.”

“Man, hi. I missed you.”

“You’ve only been gone two weeks.”

Jess let go of Jayne to give Luke a quick hug. “But I’ve gotten used to you being around.”

Luke smiled. “I missed you, too.”

Grabbing Jayne’s hand, Jess tugged her forward. “I take it you got reacquainted with our girl.”

“Yeah.” After glaring at her, Luke pivoted. Naomi had already started to walk away. “Wait up, Nay, I want to see the girls.”

She glanced at her husband, then at Luke. “Maybe you can give us a lift home. Goodbye, Jayne. Jess, I’ll see you…whenever.”

When the two of them disappeared into the house, Jayne faced Jess. “Why don’t you go with Naomi and we can catch up tomorrow? She’s not happy about you staying with me.”

“Hush, it’s the same old, same old.” His features took on a hard edge. “And damn her for it. We had an agreement six years ago.”

Again, he took Jayne’s hand and they walked to Luke’s gazebo. Inside, the scents of paint and fresh wood enveloped her; they made her think about working on a construction site. Once they were sitting on a curved bench, she told him about the collapse of the walkway in the Coulter Gallery.

“I’m so sorry, Jaynie.”

She swallowed hard. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it.”

“Why didn’t you call me when it happened? This is the kind of emergency we agreed to contact each other about.”

“I didn’t want to burden you.”

“Tell me about the collapse.”

Because he’d been an architectural student, he understood the logistics. “You know the walkway circles the second floor of the gallery.”

“I saw pictures on the Internet. It’s beautiful.”

“It was. Other galleries have done the same thing, so it wasn’t that risky. But something went wrong, and a portion of it just…fell.”

“How much?”

“Maybe twenty-five feet. Thankfully it was at night, so no one was hurt. I don’t know what I would have done if…” She shivered and Jess squeezed her hand.

“Don’t think about that.”

“You’re right. There’s enough to worry about.” She told him the staggering cost of the damage. She had insurance, thank the Lord, but her reputation could be in tatters if she was somehow found at fault—or even if she wasn’t. Bad press could ruin an architectural firm. She might not even keep the jobs already contracted.

When she finished with the details, Jess sighed deeply. “It is what it is. If you made a mistake, which I’m not saying you did, there are ways to deal with it.” He added soberly, “You can do anything you have to, honey, you know that. Just like the Snyder incident.”

Al Snyder had been their third-year design teacher at Cornell. He’d based a major portion of the grade for the semester on a group project. Though Jayne hated being evaluated on others’ efforts, she’d felt comfortable that time because the members of her group were Jess and their two housemates—Ben, her boyfriend of two years, and Sally, a close girlfriend.

At least Jayne had thought they were her friends, until their part of the project came under scrutiny. When it was discovered they’d cut corners by falsifying data, Ben and Sally blamed it on Jess and Jayne. Jayne ended her relationship with Ben, but her confidence had been shaken. If he could betray her so badly, had he ever really cared about her? Had she ever been enough for him?

That event had touched off Naomi’s animosity. Jess had called Naomi, his fiancée at the time, to tell her what had happened. Without informing him of her plans, Naomi had driven up to Ithaca to comfort him. Instead, she found him, literally, in bed with Jayne. Jess was bare chested and in boxers; Jayne wore a skimpy tank top and short pajama bottoms, so the scenario was incriminating. But it was totally innocent—they’d both been devastated after the betrayal of their housemates and Jayne had gone to Jess’s room for comfort. Naomi never believed it, though. And in subsequent years, she’d found more and more reason to be jealous of any time her husband spent with Jayne.

Hurt all over again by her recollection of the devastating event, Jayne shook off the memory. “I know I can get through it. But I never thought I’d have such a monumental thing to deal with again. And I hated that the first one caused you to leave school.”

“It wasn’t the only reason I left, Jaynie.”

“I know it wasn’t. You weren’t really happy at Cornell and couldn’t wait to get back to Riverdale. If it hadn’t been for my dad bringing in a team of New York lawyers, I would have left, too.”

By the end of the year, both she and Jess had been exonerated—and the college had dropped the whole matter, punishing no one—but kind, sweet Jess’s heart wasn’t in architecture like hers was. He’d come home to Riverdale, finished a four-year degree at a local college in social work and went into community service. He’d been ecstatic when, ten years ago, he’d been appointed head of Harmony Housing, which built low-income housing projects subsidized by the government and involving several volunteer groups.

“Anyway, there’s nothing you can do but wait, so you’ll do it here.”

“That’s what your mother said.”

“She’s a smart woman.”

“Luke Corelli doesn’t feel the way you do.”

Jess shook his head. “He’s way overprotective.”

“Because he knows how Naomi feels about me and you?”

“You know about that?”

“Luke made a point of bringing it up.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s protective, but other things have happened to him.”

Jayne didn’t ask what. She’d decided last night that the less she knew about Luke’s life, the better.

“I’m sorry Naomi still misunderstands our relationship.”

“Me, too. I know intellectually it’s because her father and brother cheated on their spouses, and I try to understand that, but I resent her for grouping me in with all of them. Hell, we’ve been married for seventeen years.”

“You can avoid feeding her fears, Jess, like we decided to do six years ago.”

Again his features hardened and his hazel eyes sharpened. “That’s not going to happen. I stopped seeing you then to appease her. It worked. No fights, nothing. I told her, though, if you ever needed me, I was going to be there for you. Now, she’s reneging on her part when I kept my promise. I haven’t put my foot down about anything else, but I won’t let you go through this alone.”

“I…”

“Damn it, Jayne. It infuriates me that we never gave her reason to be jealous and I still had to end my relationship with you.”

“I know.”

“Please say you’ll stay.”

She wanted to, badly. And she was weakening. “Well, it might be a good idea to put off working on those new projects until I’m sure the firm will keep them. What could I do here?”

Jess chuckled. “I know just the thing.”

LUKE SAT on Jess’s front porch and watched dusk fall on Riverdale. He was so glad to be back in town, he sometimes wondered why he’d ever left in the early nineties.

Fame and fortune, Timmy had said. We’ll make millions in the building boom in Dubai. Just think, no more depending on family. No more scrimping or dilapidated cars.

Luke hadn’t minded depending on his family, but the fact that there was never enough money to go around always bothered him. And he’d lost his chance at an athletic scholarship when he blew his knee out playing football, so he’d thrown caution to the winds and gone overseas with Timmy. It had been the worst decision of his life, because they had indeed made money, and it destroyed his friend.

“Want something?” Naomi stood behind the screen leading to the kitchen.

Luke held up his beer. “Already got it.” When she came out, he studied the slim blonde with sad blue eyes. “You look as tired as the girls. I should leave.”

“No, don’t.” She dropped down beside him on a padded porch chair. “I won’t sleep until Jess gets back.”

“Will you fight?”

“Who knows? Now that Jayne Logan is back in our lives, anything could happen.”

“This is so unlike Jess. I can’t figure it out.”

Naomi shook her head. “Join the club.” Her voice trembled. “I can’t believe he’s doing this to me again. It was horrible when he went to California to see her, or when she visited here and they spent time together. But I thought his contact with her was over.”

“He swears there’s nothing between them, Nay. That they never had an affair.”

“I’m so sick of that argument. Even if it never got physical—which I find hard to believe, especially after seeing her again, seeing how pretty she is—the emotional connection between them is enough of a betrayal.” She shook her head. “They’re so close, Luke.”

“I could tell.”

“You don’t like her much, do you?”

He had a blinding flash of tangled sheets, sweaty bodies, and Jayne clinging to him as he drove into her. “Uh, no.”

“Why?”

“For one, I know the part she’s played in the trouble between you and Jess. Second, I met women like her in my old life.” He thought of tall, slender and very sophisticated Elizabeth Madison, whom he thought he was going to marry. “They aren’t known for their loyalty. She also reminds me of me when I was working in that world.”

“You weren’t so bad.”

“Thanks, sweetie. But I was.”

“Is this about Timmy again?”

“I don’t want to talk about Timmy. In any case, Jess should respect your wishes, Nay.”

Slowly, she ran her finger around the top of the glass. “To be fair, he’s done that for six years.”

“What do you mean?”

Looking up at him, she asked, “He didn’t tell you why he hasn’t seen her in all that time?”

“No. I thought he just realized the cost was too high.”

“He didn’t go into specifics?”

Luke shook his head. He’d never wanted to talk about Jayne with Jess, because of what he’d found out when he got back to Riverdale, and because of what had occurred between the two of them in New York.

“Six years ago, she offered him a job as manager of her firm—one with a big salary. When he considered taking it, I freaked out. Things got so bad between us that I threatened to leave him, so he turned the offer down and finally promised me he wouldn’t see her anymore.”

“I didn’t know that. I thought they just drifted apart. Or she got too rich and famous to bother with him anymore.”

“Yeah, well, it was tough all around. My father was in rehab, and his women friends made no bones about visiting him there. My brother was mired in his own marital problems and I was a wreck. So Jess agreed not to see Jayne and I agreed to get some counseling. Except…” She bit her lip. “He did talk to her periodically, but even that dwindled. The only caveat was he told her—and me—that if she ever needed him, he’d be there for her. I, um, agreed to that.”

Damn it to hell. Luke was pissed he hadn’t known all this. They’d kept everything from him.

“Things were so good without the shadow of Jayne Logan in our lives. Why did she have to come back now?”

“She’s in trouble.”

“I figured it had to be something like that. What happened?”

“The walkway of a gallery she designed collapsed. There’s an investigation going on that she can’t be part of, so she came here. For emotional support.”

“Damn. I thought maybe she’d have to get back to her glamorous life.” Naomi shook her head, sending the bob of her hair swirling. “Is she guilty?”

“Most likely. People cut corners all the time.”

“You and Jess don’t at Harmony Housing.”

“No, we don’t.” But Luke had done his share of compromising in his other life and learned his lesson.

Naomi rubbed her temples. “Let’s change the subject. This is giving me a headache. How’s work?”

“Good. I like contracting for Harmony Housing.”

Though he used to take on other projects, Luke now worked exclusively for his best friend’s organization because they’d just gotten approval for twenty units.

Naomi shook her head and sipped her glass of wine. “You work too cheaply for Harmony.”

“Nah.” He smiled. “The foundation’s done for the first house. We start framing on Monday.”

“Jess loves working with you, Luke.”

“I feel the same way. As an added bonus, I can find some jobs for Corrine’s husband.”

“Belle said they’re having a hard time making ends meet.”

“I wouldn’t know. When I asked Corky, she told me to mind my own business.” He shook his head. “Something’s going on with her and Cal, I think, but none of the girls know what. Corky can be pretty private. Probably comes with being the oldest.”

“Poor Luke, still getting bossed around by his four big sisters.”

He chuckled.

The crickets chirped in the yard and they listened to them for a while in companionable silence. Then Naomi asked, “How’s Erica?”

“Not seeing her anymore. I’m dating Elise Jenkins.” He was quiet. “Erica wanted a commitment.”

“Luke, you’re thirty-eight years old. You should be thinking about settling down.”

“I tried. Didn’t work out.”

“Because you picked somebody from your other world to get engaged to.”

“I’m doing okay for now, Nay.”

“You want kids.”

“Yeah, I do. But I content myself with yours and my sisters’ to spoil.”

“The Pied Piper of Riverdale.”

“Want me to go over to Eleanor’s and lure Jess home?”

“The very fact that you’d have to do that makes me sick. No, he’ll come when he’s ready.”

Reaching over, Luke took her hand. “It’ll be okay.”

“Sure.”

Too bad neither one of them believed his reassurance.

CHAPTER FOUR

LUKE STOOD OVER the foundation of the new Harmony Housing and felt a sense of anticipation, as he always did at the beginning of a construction project. He savored the smell of newly poured concrete for the basement. When the outer shell took shape—the joists and girders, the frame and the plywood, and finally the roof—he experienced a father’s pride for what he’d lovingly created. He’d never told anybody about his sense of connection with the buildings he helped put up, not even Timmy or, now, Jess.

“Looking good, isn’t it?” His brother-in-law Cal Sorvino had come up to him. Cal appeared tired this morning, and Luke noticed again how much weight the man had gained.

“Yeah.” Luke tipped back his hard hat, feeling the sweat on his scalp. April had turned into no-coat weather. “Was it okay helping out with the foundation?”

Cal ducked his head, embarrassed. “Yeah, sure. We need the money, with Louie going to college next year.”

Luke bit back his opinion. Cal was an electrician and good at what he did, but with the economy not doing well, there weren’t a ton of jobs in his field, especially in the winter. Still, he should be making ends meet, but he wasn’t good at managing his money. Luke’s sister Corky did her best—she worked full-time as a paralegal—but for as long as Luke could remember, they’d had financial problems. And unbeknownst to Corky, Luke gave Cal money periodically. “You’re industrious, Cal, taking on construction.”

“Not all of us have stashes in the bank.”

Stiffening, Luke glanced away. He’d made more money than he’d ever need in those years overseas, then again when he returned to the U.S. and joined Madison Conglomerates. The cash had flowed freely, but so had the booze and cocaine. He’d been able to handle the latter, but Timmy hadn’t.

Cal said, “I see you hired on Mick O’Malley.”

“Yeah.” Luke’s gaze strayed to Timmy’s older brother. Unlike Cal, Mick was thin and his shoulders were perennially hunched. “He’s strapped, too.”

“He hates your guts.”

“He’s got a reason.”

“No, he doesn’t. Timmy’s drug use wasn’t your fault.”

Of course it was. Luke had been busy himself, trying to get ahead, and then Jayne Logan had entered his life and he’d got wrapped up in her, spent as much time with her as she’d allowed. If he hadn’t been so enthralled with her, maybe Timmy…

Luke was distracted from the thought when Jess’s Jeep pulled up to the site. He wondered how things had gone over the weekend with Naomi. Jess climbed out of the driver’s side, wearing an outfit similar to Luke’s—jeans, work boots and a navy-blue T-shirt that read Live in Harmony.

Then the passenger door opened and Jayne slid out of that side. What the hell was Jess doing bringing her to the site? She wore jeans, too, and a Harmony T-shirt that fit her…nicely. A blinding burst of lust came out of nowhere and slammed into Luke as he remembered exploring every single inch of her.

“Hey, guys.” Jess looked as if he hadn’t gotten much sleep, but he managed a smile.

“Jess.” Luke tipped his hard hat to Jayne. “Hi. What brings you here?”

Jayne glanced at Jess. “I came to see Jess’s project. I’ve never been to a Harmony Housing site.” When Luke didn’t respond, she asked, “You head the construction, right?”

Luke nodded to his truck, where Corelli Contracting was scrawled across the door. “Yeah.”

Jess grinned. “He runs the show, is what he does. Gives me time for paperwork and supervision.”

“You’ve hunted up a bricklayer and hammered a few nails yourself,” Luke said.

“Not like you.” Jess leaned closer to Jayne. “Luke usually works alongside whoever he hires.”

“A real man’s man.”

“Yep,” Jess said, his tone full of pride. Apparently he’d missed the sarcasm of her quip.

“Come on, Jaynie.” Jess tugged on her arm. “Let me show you the plans for this set of houses. We’re building twenty-five, and ten of them are in this tract.”

Sadness flitted across Jayne’s face. Briefly, Luke wondered what it would be like to be kept from doing the job you loved. He felt a stab of guilt for not having more sympathy for her, especially when he recalled how vulnerable she had been when he’d first met her in New York.

They walked away and Luke stared after them, mesmerized by the gentle sway of Jayne’s hips until he heard a low whistle behind him. Pivoting, he found one of the framers, a young man in his twenties, tracking his gaze. “Andy, I’d watch that if I were you. Sexual harassment is illegal these days.”

Andy snorted. “I saw you undressin’ her with your eyes, boss.”

Shit. He turned and headed over to a nearby truck, where workers were unloading steel girders. Time for some physical labor if his attraction to Jayne Logan was that easy to spot.

SEATED IN Jess’s trailer at a table by the window, Jayne pored over the plans for the low-income units Harmony Housing was building. She always did this on her own projects—checked the specs, the slopes and the dimensions like a mother carefully going over her child’s weight, height and girth. What on earth would Jayne do if she lost her babies and couldn’t design buildings anymore? If the architectural board found gross negligence? Or just plain stupidity?

Jess put his hands on her shoulders. “You’ll get to do it again, Jaynie.”

“You always could read my mind.”

He dropped down next to her. “It’s written all over your face.” An encouraging smile. “I can help you wait this out.”

“I’m still not sure…”

“Don’t you want to be part of Harmony Housing? The volunteers always need help.”

Jayne ran her fingers over the blue-lined drawings. “Truthfully, I want to. But it’s not the best thing for you.”

“Can we please get off that?”

“No. Think of how Naomi would react if I was working with you every day.”

He drew in an exasperated breath. “Do you have any idea what it’s like when the person you love most in the world thinks you’re a cheater? That she groups me with the men in her family? It hurts like hell.”

Jayne remembered loving Ben so much. When he betrayed her, she thought she’d die. She’d truly believed he was the man for her, and that he meant it when he said he loved her and they’d be together forever. His betrayal had ultimately kept her from throwing herself into a relationship with Luke. At least she hadn’t invested too much in him.

“I only know how bad it felt when Ben turned on me.” Jayne covered his hand with hers. “It’s different when you’re married.”

“Stay, Jaynie. At least until you find out what’s going on with your career.” She hesitated, and he added, “Can I please have my way for a change?”

When she didn’t answer, Jess stood and drew her into a hug. For a minute she let his easy affection comfort her. She wanted to stay here with him. And she needed something to do if she was to delay new projects until the architectural board decided. “All right. I’ll work on your houses until the board makes its decision.”

The door to the trailer opened. Jayne looked over to find Luke in the entrance. His eyes narrowed, and she realized the way she and Jess were standing could be misconstrued.

“Isn’t this cozy? You said nothing was going on between you two.”

Pulling back, Jess took her hand and brought her closer to Luke. “Nothing is. Like you mean, anyway. Actually, we were sealing the deal.”

“What deal?”

“Jayne’s agreed to work at Harmony Housing until she goes back to California.”

She thought Luke was going to pop a blood vessel. “Why? So she can screw up more buildings?”

JAYNE SHOOK HER HEAD and gave Luke a look that made him feel like he’d just kicked a puppy. “I’m going to wander around the site, Jess.” Her voice was hoarse. Hurt. Without saying a word to Luke, she went out the still-open door. Jess rounded on Luke.

“That was cruel.”

“Maybe, but I don’t care about her feelings.”

His friend’s face reddened. “How can you say that?”

Because she didn’t care about mine when she left me high and dry. “Because you need to hear the truth, even if you don’t want to. That woman isn’t good for you, and having her in town, let alone at the site, is a very bad idea.”

Jess’s features were stern and very un-Jess-like. “I don’t want to talk to you about Jayne.” Jess cocked his head. “You didn’t want to talk about her, either, when you came back to town. I always wondered why, since you worked with her for almost a year.”

Luke just stared at Jess. “That was the worst time in my life.”

“Because of Timmy.”

Luke didn’t respond.

“All right. You’re entitled to your feelings. But you’re not entitled to hurt Jayne. What were you thinking, saying something like that to her? Do you have any idea how fragile she is now?”

Fragile would be the last word he’d apply to the current Jayne Logan, though that look she’d given him had pierced even his hardened heart. “Because of the building collapse?”

“For one thing. But Luke, she doesn’t have family like we do to support her. And she’s had some pretty big blows in life to deal with alone.” He scowled. “How did you know about the Coulter Gallery collapse, anyway?”

“Isabella looked her up on the Internet.”

“So you’d have ammunition against Jayne.” Wearily, Jess sank behind his desk.

After a moment, Luke dropped into the chair in front of it. “Listen, I’m just worried about Naomi.”

Jess shook his head. “This is all wearing so thin. You know what I’ve been thinking about? When you have to keep doing penance for a sin you didn’t commit, you start wondering if you might as well just do it.”

Luke felt his blood pressure rise. The thought of Jayne and Jess together, like that, like Luke had been with her, enraged him. Damn it, he never got jealous. “Oh, great, she’s back in town only a few days and she’s got you thinking about screwing her.”

Jess didn’t say anything. Often his best weapon was silence.

“Tell me the truth now.” Luke was thinking about how pretty Jayne was, how passionate she’d been in his arms, how great she’d always made him feel in bed. “In the cold light of day. What if you could have more? Have Jayne in your life permanently?”

“You know, maybe if people would let me have her in my life, without insisting it was going to turn into something sexual, then you’d see nothing has happened—or ever will happen.” He stood. “I’m tired of rehashing this. I’m going out to find her. I hope she hasn’t left the site.”

Guilt, deep and heavy, had Luke standing, too. And something else. Residual feelings for Jayne he was forced to acknowledge. Damn! He could understand the white-hot attraction that kept coming back, but how could he still care about her after all this time, after how she’d left him? “No, let me go find her. I’ll apologize.”

Jess watched him with eyes full of real pain. Luke cursed himself for hurting his friend. Maybe some soul baring was in order. “If it helps any, she reminds me of who I used to be, Jessie. Who I was when I knew her in New York.”

“You say that as if she’s committed a crime by choosing the life she has.”

“I hate her world.”

“I think she does, too. You have more in common than you think.”

Luke frowned.

“Be careful with her, Luke. I mean it.”

Outside, the air had gotten even warmer, or maybe it was being on the hot seat that made Luke sweat. He scanned the area and didn’t see Jayne anywhere. Oh, man, he hoped she hadn’t left. Sometimes Luke could kick himself for his tendency to bully, to orchestrate things, to fix them in a way he thought they should be fixed. In times of stress, he couldn’t seem to control that fault. He crossed to the foundation and was relieved to find her in the basement, inspecting the work that had been done.

Seeing her down there catapulted him into the past. One Saturday morning, when the crews had been off and the site where Madison Conglomerates was building the condos was empty, he and Jayne had been walking around the perimeter, and he’d gone down into the foundation. She’d followed him down the ladder and jumped on his back, her legs banding around him. It was about three months into their relationship and she’d gotten more playful by then, her caution because of asshole Ben Scarborough diminishing. Luke had given her a piggyback ride for a few feet. Then he stopped, pivoted suddenly and anchored her against the cinder blocks. She’d encouraged him, and he’d kissed her senseless. He had her shirt open before he realized where they were. They giggled all the way back to her father’s corporate apartment, where she was staying, and they made playful love the rest of the morning.

After seeing her and Jess together this morning, after hearing Jess talk about committing a sin, Luke realized he wanted to murder anybody who got to touch her. Including his best friend. What exactly did that say about him?

No matter, he thought, picking up a hard hat. He had to go do his least favorite thing—eat some crow.

LUKE’S WORDS PLAGUED Jayne.

Why? So she can screw up more buildings?

Against her will, she remembered how he used to be her champion: You were right to stand up to the building inspector…Good for you, insisting the plumber change what he’d done wrong…Man, you are so smart about these plans. Nobody else saw what you did.

Now he thought she was a screwup.

On top of that, Luke’s pithy comment in the trailer had given her a preview of what she’d face if she was guilty…or maybe even if she wasn’t. Reputation was everything in the architectural world. When she started to panic at the thought of losing the most important thing in her life, the only thing in her life, she took deep breaths and tried to concentrate on the building around her. But Luke’s accusation hammered inside her head and she felt ill.

From the corner of her eye, she saw someone climbing down the ladder. Expecting Jess, Jayne was surprised to see Luke. He descended gracefully for such a big man. She’d always loved that about him—his agility, his gentleness for someone his size. When she began to remember what that meant in bed, she adjusted her hard hat over her eyes to cover her expression as he strode toward her. She had to stand up to him, but he’d taken the wind out of her sails earlier—which hadn’t been hard, because her self-confidence now was only a whisper of a breeze. Still, she steeled herself as he reached her.

“I’m sorry I said that. It was mean and uncalled-for.”

She hadn’t expected an apology, knew he hated to make them, and waited to hear what he’d say next.

“I was out of line, but what are you thinking to even consider working with Harmony Housing? I can’t imagine what Naomi will do when she finds out.”

Jayne shook her head. “I can see how sorry you are.”

“I’m not very good at apologizing.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t do it very often.”

“I remember.”

“I’m overprotective of Jess.”

She looked away. “My coming to Riverdale was a mistake.”

“Isn’t there somebody in California you could go to?”

Keeping her gaze averted, she shook her head.

“Why, Jayne?” His tone had softened, making her go mushy inside. “Why didn’t you ever find anybody out there to share your life with?”

“I won’t talk about that with you.”

“Why not?”

Because, once she’d left Luke and dated other guys, she’d realized if she couldn’t make it with him, she probably couldn’t make it with anyone else. And after two failed relationships, she’d thrown herself into her work and only dated casually.

He lifted a hand, dropped it in a helpless gesture. “Never mind. I don’t want to know about you and other men, anyway. Do what you want about staying. Especially if you have nowhere else to go.”

“Before Jess convinced me to stay, I was planning to go to my condo in Florida and work on new projects. Perhaps that was a good idea after all.”

“And be alone while the architectural board is making a decision?”

“I’m used to being alone.”

“I can’t fathom that.”

“Because you’ve always had your family and friends to depend on. You have no idea how lucky you are.”

“I’m sorry about that, Jayne.” He pulled off his hard hat to reveal spiky, wet hair. “I always hated how your family treated you.”

She lifted her chin. “Yes, well. None of that matters.” To change the subject, she pointed to the foundation. “I see you used concrete instead of cinder blocks. It’s not that popular in California.”

He tracked her gaze. “It sets faster, so we can get on with the house quicker.” He was silent a moment. “Look, stay in town if you want, but try to stay out of my way on the site, and I’ll do the same with you.”

She eyed him carefully, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It did. “And try not to cause trouble between Naomi and Jess.” He shook his head. “I hope you both know what you’re doing.” He started toward the ladder without giving her a chance to respond.

As she watched him walk away, she wondered how she was going to be able to avoid Luke on the site. Given the current state of her affairs, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to take him on, too.

THAT AFTERNOON, Luke rounded the corner of the trailer and stopped short. Jayne stood near the flatbed truck that delivered the lumber, hefting one end of several two-by-fours bound together, while someone else picked up the wood in the truck. The load weighed way more than she could handle. Her face was flushed; sweat beaded on it. He strode over to her to shore up the beams.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked hotly as he took the brunt of the weight by standing in front of her and grabbing the long two-by-fours.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He waited until the lumber was set on the ground and the man was off the truck, then turned to the foreman of his general contracting crew, who also oversaw the volunteer work. “Ranaletti, why’d you let her haul this stuff? It weighs a ton.”

“She insisted.” Ranaletti was a good guy and seemed amused. “I thought she’d topple over at first lift. But she didn’t.”

In Luke’s peripheral view, he saw Jayne fume. She bent down, hoisted up the wood and nodded to the guy at the other end. “Let me help you get this over to the foundation, John.” She glared at Luke. “Then I can come back and fight with you.”

“I said I’d carry it.” Not only did her overexertion piss him off, he also wasn’t used to people questioning him on the site.

“Like hell. I was doing just fine until you rushed here on your white horse.”

He stared her down; she moved in closer and nudged him out of the way with her shoulder. “I mean it, Luke.”

Damn it. Let her pull a muscle. Maybe an injury would keep her out of the way. He stepped back.

Though her biceps strained, she carried the lumber—backward no less—over to the foundation. Yanking off her hard hat, she stalked back to him. Those violet eyes looked like purple flame and her damp hair gleamed in the sun. Her face was beet-red. Appealingly, Luke thought incongruously, as she was ready to ream him out. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

“Excuse me? I’ll run this site however I choose. I am the contractor.”

“Damn you, you said you’d stay out of my way. Or did you just mean I should stay out of yours?”

Actually, he had.

“Oh, God, you did.” She stood straight and threw back her shoulders. “Don’t interfere with what I’m doing.” Her expression was haughty and, despite her somewhat bedraggled appearance, she seemed like royalty. “In case you didn’t notice, I carried that just fine.”

He’d noticed. “You’re stronger than you used to be. So what?”

“FYI, I can bench-press my own weight and I run two miles every day. I’m in great shape.”

Because he couldn’t disagree with the proof of her buff body, and because curiosity got the better of him, he asked, “How come?”

“So,” she said, again like queen chiding her subject, “I don’t have to deal with chauvinists like you pushing the little lady out of the way.” She turned and walked back to the truck.

“Ooo-ee,” Ranaletti said, “she sure told you, boss.”

“The bitch.” This from Hank Herman, a framer who had no tact and never dealt well with women in construction.

“Man, how long is she going to be here?” Juan Gomez asked. He was a peacemaker and one of Luke’s favorite workers.

Luke faced his crew. They shouldn’t be letting loose with nasty comments, but since he’d just made an ass out of himself as an example, he didn’t correct them.

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