It Had to Be You by Linda Windsor

Author:Linda Windsor [Windsor, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-78596-1
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

MELINDA LOOKED MORE like Allison’s older sister than her mother as she and Sunny walked off the floating plank from the tender. The small boat transported them from the Love Ahoy to the dock at Phillipsburg, the Dutch capital of St. Maarten. With small, pewter-framed sunglasses and her dark hair swept back by a little bandanna, the capri-clad mother of two had deckhands rushing to help her off, while Sunny made her way on her own.

“Thank you, hon.” Melinda addressed the deckhand like the late teen he was, her soft drawl setting the sun-bleached Dutch on his bare heels.

“You’re most welcome, miss. Enjoy our island,” he answered, grinning all over himself.

Sunny sighed, wistful and amused at the same time. Just one more fallen swain to step over in her sister’s wake.

“So where’s Dan? I was beginning to think you two were joined at the hip,” Melinda asked, after she’d abandoned her court to walk toward the doll-like town of island pastels spread on either side of them.

Sunny concentrated on the map the steward left in the room the night before while ushering her thoughts from her sister to the disgruntled cowboy she’d bid good night. “I’m not sure. He skipped the family tour of the island. That’s all I know.”

Dan hadn’t come down for breakfast, and she couldn’t blame him if he was avoiding her. She should have minded her own business. Except that she couldn’t, not when she saw him making himself and his family miserable. Time was too short not to make the most of it with those you love. She knew that firsthand because she grieved. She spoke up because she grieved, not because she was running away from her parents’ loss. What on earth had possessed him to say that?

Of course, she had acted as if he’d pulled her out of bed on the wrong side, jumping all over him because of his cynicism toward Charlie. But maybe today would be the end of it.

Lord, whatever he thinks he’s going to find out today, I pray it will put us all out of our misery.

“It’s just that you two have been so cozy.” Melinda was a pit bull when it came to sniffing out reticence to discuss a relationship. “I certainly never expected to see him in your cabin last night. Why, you could have knocked me over with a feather.”

“Or a pillow full of them.” Sunny ventured, switching to mischief as was her sisterly right—besides, that was far easier than fretting over the things she and Dan had said to each other.

Melinda stopped in front of a stall selling trinkets and T-shirts. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Sunny, tell me about him.”

“He is a bachelor, a rancher, and stubborn as the day is long when it comes to his new stepfather. End of story.” She hadn’t said enough and she knew it, but she honestly didn’t know what else to say. If there had been anything building between them, they’d cut it down with their words last night.

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