"Oh yes," Gemma said as she tickled little David and made him laugh. "That woman Tess . . ."

"She takes some getting used to, but I can tell you that if Mike likes you, she will."

"He gave me a key to his gym."

"Wow! What did you do to get one of those?"

"I've done a little boxing."

"That would do it," Joce said, smiling. "Want to hear what I found out about Julian?"

"Definitely."

"He was the grandson of Shamus and Prudence Frazier, who were-"

"One of the founding seven."

"You've been doing your research. Yes, they were part of the original group who first settled this town. Their eldest son, Ewan, went back to England, reclaimed the t.i.tle of the earl of Rypton, and bought the Lancaster house back."

"Wasn't there a name change somewhere?"

"That's why I had so much trouble finding Julian. For some reason, the name Frazier was dropped and they reverted back to Lancaster. But then, my ancestors were named McTern in Scotland, but in America they were known as Harcourt. I have no idea why."

"People change their names for all sorts of reasons. What else?"

"Ewan Frazier married a woman named Julia McBride, and they had a baby, Julian. But she died in childbirth and the next year he married Rose Jones. By the dates, she was already pregnant when they married. She gave birth to Clive."

"So who was Winnie?"

"I have no idea, but I'll keep searching." When little Edilean finished her bottle, Joce put her on her shoulder to burp. "So what's going on with you and Colin? Luke said you weren't speaking to him."

Gemma didn't want to lie, but neither did she want to tell the truth. "Too much gossip was starting and I don't want to be labeled a home wrecker."

"Whose home would you be wrecking?"

"The one Colin plans for him and Jean."

"Luke's old house," Joce said. "He hated selling that place, but Colin wore him down. When Colin wants something, he goes after it and doesn't give up."

"That's what my college adviser said about Mrs. Frazier."

"Colin is worse," Joce said. "Would you mind looking after the babies for a minute while I make a trip to the bathroom?"

"Sure. Why don't you go downstairs and get something to drink and visit with your friends? I'll look after the babies. I can make raspberries on little bellies for an hour at a time."

Joce laughed as she got off the bed. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"My sister has two daughters, and when I'm around, she and her husband take a second honeymoon. I think they're now on their sixth one."

"You are my new best friend."

"You're the third candidate proposed to me today."

"Oh?" Joce asked. "Who were the others?"

"Sara for history, Mike for sports, and now you for babysitting."

"You're leaving out Tess," Joce said without cracking a smile, but then her face softened. "When you get to know Tess, you'll like her. She's had a tough life, and she tends to be hostile to newcomers."

"I guess I'll always be a 'newcomer' because my job here is temporary."

"Are you kidding? Luke said that both Colin and Tris were about ready to go into one of Mike's horrible kickboxing bouts over you."

"Far, far from it," Gemma said, but she couldn't help being flattered. "Tris and I are becoming friends. He likes me because I don't have any raging l.u.s.t for him."

"Raging l.u.s.t? Interesting choice of words. Do you save that for Colin?"

"I give it all to my job-which I want to keep. Fooling around with my employer's son isn't something I plan to do."

"I'm glad you know your own mind. When I first came to Edilean I was a mess. The most important person in my life had recently died and left me an old house I didn't even know she owned."

Gemma looked down at the two babies on the bed. "You look like you found your way."

"Yes, but I had help." She paused at the doorway. "Gemma, if you have any problems, personal or work related, you can come to Sara or me. And you may not believe it, but Tess is also a good listener."

"Thanks," Gemma said. When she was alone with the babies, she set herself to making them laugh and was quite successful.

"Mind if I join this party?" Colin asked from the doorway.

Gemma took a breath before she looked up at him, and when she did, all she could remember was the two of them together and naked. But it was obvious that he remembered nothing. So much for Joce's words about two men being interested in her! She'd gone to bed with one of them and he'd completely forgotten the experience. She looked back at the babies.

Colin sat down on the side of the bed. Instantly, little Edilean put her arms up to him and he picked her up. Gemma remembered that Ellie had said he was a Pied Piper to the kids.

"How long are you going to keep ignoring me?" he asked.

"You and I were seen together so often that people started gossiping about us. I don't like that and I think it should be stopped."

"People in Edilean gossip about everything. Your breakfast with Tris, and the way you two leaned toward each other and whispered the whole time, has eclipsed whatever they thought about us."

"Tris is okay; you are not."

"Why . . . ? Oh. Because of Jean?"

"That's right," she said as she played patty-cake with David. "You're practically a married man."

"I'm not, really."

This conversation wasn't going the way she wanted it to. The homey setting, even the babies, was making her relax, and she couldn't allow that. She frowned at him. "Is this where you tell me that Jean doesn't understand you, and that you and I should go out to dinner to talk about it?"

Colin blinked at her a few times. "Is that what you think of me?"

"I don't think of you one way or another," she said. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd stop showing up at my house before dawn, then running around naked. If you want something on the side, find someone else."

Colin's face showed his shock at her words. "I . . ." He got off the bed, still holding the baby, and stood up. "Forgive me, Miss Ranford. I was presumptuous. I-"

"Is everything all right in here?" Luke asked from the doorway.

Colin put Luke's daughter in his arms. "Everything is fine. Great. Couldn't be better. Is there any beer downstairs?"

"Gallons of it," Luke said, looking from Colin to Gemma and back again.

"That'll be a start." He moved past Luke and went down the stairs.

"What was that about?"

Gemma was so angry her jaw was aching, but she didn't want to show that. "I'm not feeling well. Could someone drive me home-I mean to the Frazier estate?"

"Gemma," Luke said quietly, "I don't know what's going on between you and Colin, but I don't think you should leave. Stay and have a margarita or two, and chill out. Besides, there's nothing a man likes better than thinking a woman is home alone and crying over him."

She looked at him in disgust. "Is that true?"

"Not in my personal experience, but I heard it in a country-and-western song, so it has to be true."

Gemma couldn't help herself as she gave a little laugh.

"That's better," Luke said. "You want to help me carry the kids downstairs? Everyone wants to see them, and they're fiends for being the center of attention."

"Actually, I think I'd like that. Mike-"

"Wants to beat you up," Luke said.

"He can try. I'm pretty fast and he's getting old. What is he, about forty?"

Luke grinned. "Please, please let me hear you say that to Mike. I'll dedicate my next book to you if I get to hear that. And if you hit him . . ." He trailed off, as if he couldn't think of anything good enough to equal that sight.

"All I have to do is imagine Colin Frazier's face on Mike's and he may not live."

Luke's eyes widened. "Everybody loves Colin," he said quietly.

"Now you've met someone who doesn't," she said firmly.

Luke stood there looking at her for a moment, then seemed to recover. "Get Davie and let's go." He paused at the doorway. "You know, I was a little concerned that Tess might frighten you, but I'm not worried anymore."

Gemma scooped up the baby.

"Okay?" Luke asked.

"I'm armed and ready."

Smiling, he followed her down the stairs.

12.

THEY WERE SEATED around Sara and Mike's dining table, and Gemma marveled at the beauty of it all. The table, with its yellow and green color scheme, looked like something out of a chic decorating magazine where the credits listed Brunschwig & Fils, Scully & Scully, and ABC Carpet.

"This is beautiful," Gemma said as she took a seat on the long side of the table. She thought she was seating herself beside Mike, but Colin took the chair next to her.

"This way, you won't have to look at me," he said so only she could hear.

"Thank you," Sara said to Gemma's compliment. Sara was at one end of the table and Mike at the other. Ramsey, Tess, Luke, and Joce took the other chairs, and they started pa.s.sing bowls of food around. They were all friends and knew each other well, so Gemma ate and listened. They complimented Mike on the food and Sara on the decor of the house.

Gemma was acutely aware of Colin next to her, and when she had to pa.s.s a bowl to him, she avoided his eyes.

"How can I apologize and redeem my name?" he asked while Ramsey was telling a story about a fight at his law firm.

"I told him that if he sued and Don sued him back, then he sued again, that the only person who was going to win would be me," Ramsey said.

"And that scary thought made them settle out of court," Tess said, and they all laughed.

"There's no need to apologize," Gemma said to Colin under the cover of the laughter. "I just think it's better if we don't see each other."

"We're not seeing one another. We're-" He stopped when everyone grew silent. "Sorry, what was that?"

"We all want to know about the Heartwishes Stone. Have you found out any more about it?" Sara asked Gemma.

"No, nothing new." She told them of Tamsen's letter. "She said she'd written down the story and put it somewhere 'safe' but I don't know where that could be."

"With her lawyer?" Ramsey said, and everyone groaned. "No, I'm not kidding. There's always been a law firm in Edilean, so maybe she left something with them. There's a warehouse full of old doc.u.ments. I don't think anyone knows what's in there."

"How do I-?" Gemma began, but Tess cut her off.

"You don't. I'll put one of the girls in the office on it and see what we can find." She looked at Colin. "Have you had any wishes that have come true?"

"I could make one now," he said in such a pathetic way that everyone had to stifle laughter.

"Okay, Gemma," Ramsey said, "you have to tell us what Colin did to make you so angry at him."

Gemma felt the blood rush to her face. "I, uh . . . I . . ."

"Let up on her," Luke said. "She's new here and she's not used to being asked to tell everything about her life."

"It's something I will never get used to," Mike said with such feeling that the others laughed.