Then he dug through his toolbox for his cell phone and called Lena.
He had to share his excitement with her. What did it matter if he was a day ahead of schedule?
The phone was ringing in her apartment when he glanced over and saw Lilibeth crossing his lawn. He pressed END, got to his feet, and put the phone back in his toolbox.
'I swear, this heat's just wilting.”
She beamed at him, fluttering her lashes as she waved a hand in front of her face. He noted the bracelets she wore were Odette's.
'And it's barely noon. Look at you,' she said in a slow purr.
She sauntered straight to him, trailed a fingertip down his bare chest. 'You're all wet.”
'Impromptu shower.' Instinctively, he took a step back so her finger no longer touched his skin. 'What can I do for you, Miss Simone?'
'You can start by calling me Lilibeth. After all, you're a good friend of my mama's-and my little girl's, aren't you?”
She wandered away a bit, let her eyes widen as she scanned the house. 'I just can't hardly believe what you've done with this big, old place. You must be awfully clever, Declan.' She said flirtatiously, 'I can call you Declan, can't I?”
'Sure. You don't have to be so clever,' he said. 'You just have to have plenty of time.”
And money, she thought. Plenty of money. 'Oh now, don't you be modest. It's just a miracle what you're doing here. I hope it wouldn't be putting you out too much to show me some of the inside. And I surely could use something cold. Just walking over here from home's left me parched.”
He didn't want her in his house. More than distaste, there was a kind of primitive dread. But whatever else she was, she was Lena's mother, and his own had drummed manners into his bones.
'Of course. I've got some tea.”
'Can't think of anything that would be more welcome.”
She followed him to the door, was pleased when he opened it for her and stepped back for her to enter ahead of him. She let her body brush his, just the faintest suggestion, then walked into the foyer and let out a gasp.
She didn't have to feign the shock, or her wonder as she gazed around the grand entrance. She'd been inside before. Remy and Declan weren't the first to get liquored up and break into Manet Hall.
She'd never liked it much. The place had given her the creeps with its shadows and dust, its cobwebs and faded glamour.
But now it was full of light and polish. Glossy floors, glossy walls. She didn't think much of the old furniture, not for looks anyway. But she had no doubt the price tags had been heavy.
Old money bought or kept old things. It was a concept that baffled her when there was so much new and glittery in the world.
'My lord, sugar, this is a showplace. Just a showplace,' she repeated and wandered into the parlor.
She might've preferred the city, where the action was, but she could see that a woman could live like a queen in such a place. And bring the action in, at her whim.
'Goodness, did I say you were clever? Why, you're just a genius. Everything's so beautiful and fresh.' She turned back to him. 'You must be awful proud.”
'It's coming along. Kitchen's back this way. We can get you that cold drink.”
'That would be lovely, but don't you hurry me along now.' She slid a proprietary hand onto his arm, clung there as she walked down the hall. 'I'm just fascinated by what you've done with this place. Mama said you'd only started on it a few months ago.”
'You can get a lot done if you stick to the plan.”
And since he seemed to be stuck with her, for the time being, he banked down on the desire to get her out again. Instead, as she turned into the library, made purring noises, he took the opportunity to study her.
He couldn't see Lena in her. There were, he supposed, some physical similarities. But where Lena had that compact, bombshell body, Lilibeth's had been whittled down with time and abuse to nearly gaunt.
Showing it off in tiny red shorts and a tight tank top only made her appear cheap and pathetic-a worn-out Kewpie doll painted up for one last night at the carnival. He felt a stir of sympathy for a woman who sought approval and attention by trying to showcase a sexuality she'd already lost.
She'd used a heavy hand with makeup, and the heat hadn't been kind. Her face seemed sallow and false under all the borrowed color. Her hair had frizzed, and graying roots were streaking through it.
By the time he got her into the kitchen, he found her too pitiful to resent.
'Have a seat,' he told her. 'I'll get you that drink.”
And she mistook the kindness in his voice for attraction.
'A kitchen like this …' She slid into a chair. It was cool here, and she tipped back her head to let the air reach her throat-and to watch him. 'Don't you go and tell me you cook, too. Why, if that's so, sugar, I'm just going to have to cut Lena out and marry you my own self.”
'Sorry.' The mention of Lena tightened him up again. But his back was to her, and she didn't see his face. 'I don't cook.”
'Well, a girl can make allowances.' She lapped her tongue over her lips. He had a good, strong build to go along with those deep pockets. And she was starting to itch for a man.
'You wouldn't have anything a little stronger than that tea, would you, honey?”
'Would you rather a beer?”
She'd rather a good glass of whiskey, but she nodded. 'That'd be just fine. You gonna join me?”
'I'll stick with tea. I've got work to do yet today.”
'Too hot to work.' She stretched back, looking at him under her lashes. 'Days like this, you just wanna soak in a cool tub, then lie on down in a dim room with a fan blowing over your skin.”
She accepted the glass of beer he'd poured her, and sipped. 'What do you do to beat the heat, honey?”
'Pour cold water over my head. How's Miss Odette?”
Lilibeth's lips pursed. 'Oh, she's fine. House is hot as hell in the morning with her baking. Gotta save her pennies. I've been helping out, best I can, but thing's are tight. Declan …”
She ran her finger down the condensation on the glass, drank some more. 'I wanted to apologize for that scene over at the house the other day. Lena and I, well, we just rub each other wrong half the time. I guess I can't deny I didn't do right by her when she was a little thing. But I'm trying to make it up to her.”
She widened her eyes until they stung and watered cooperatively. 'I've changed. I've come to a point in my life when I realize what's important. And that's family. You know what I mean. You've got family.”
'Yes, I've got family.”
'And now you're down here, you must miss them, and they miss you. Whatever troubles you might have between you, you'd put them aside and support each other. No matter what, ain't that right?”
'Yes.”
She dabbed delicately at her tears. 'I need Lena to see that's all I want. She doesn't trust me yet, and I can't blame her. I was hoping maybe you could help convince her to give me a chance.'
She slid her hand across the table, skimmed it over the back of his. 'I'd sure appreciate it if you did. I feel so alone. Woman in my situation, she needs a friend. A strong man in her corner. If I knew I had you on my side, it would help so much.”
'If there have to be sides, I'm on Lena's. Either way, I can't step between family-and if I was stupid enough to try it, she wouldn't listen to me anyway.”
'Maybe the two of you aren't as close as I assumed.”
'It's always risky to make assumptions,' he returned equably.
She took another swallow of beer. 'You're sleeping with her, aren't you?”
'I'm not going to discuss that with you.”
'Why not?' Lilibeth ran the chilly glass between her breasts, then, laughing, rose. 'You shy, honey? Don't you be shy with Lilibeth. We could be friends, you and me.' She skirted the table, leaned in behind him. 'Very good friends,' she added as her arms twined down and her teeth nipped at his ear.
'Miss Simone, you're putting me in the awkward position of asking you to get your hands off me.”
'You are shy.' With a chuckle that blew warm breath and beer over his cheek, she trailed her hands down toward his lap.
