the light reflecting off the hay and wood, but the guests gathered outside beneath the pastel-colored paper lanterns strung together with Christmas lights. The air smelled of citronella and honeysuckle.
After Declan said hello to Edith, he could leave. Obligation fulfilled. It was a quick twenty-five-minute drive to the charming bed-and-breakfast where he was staying, where a comfortable bed awaited him. He wasn’t looking forward to having a stilted conversation with River and from the way the couple was hanging on to each other, tonight they were a package deal. Though he and River had discovered that they were half brothers, neither seemed to be able to overcome the awkwardness and tension. Competition over Edith or anger over what their parents had done? He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Neither he nor Edith had much biological family. Churned through the foster care system in Louisiana, they’d had each other and not much else. She’d recently connected with her uncle Mac and now Edith also had River, a fact that bothered Declan more than a little. He’d lose her to Shadow Creek and the Coltons. The thought burned through him. Wouldn’t be the first time a Colton had stolen from him; wouldn’t be the last.
Declan wouldn’t find another friend as loyal as Edith and may never find another assistant as capable and as intelligent as she was, but as long as she was happy, he accepted her decision.
Declan was an outsider here and he wasn’t working hard to become part of the scene. Sitting on a metal folding chair as far away from the party as possible, he was removed and his beer was rapidly growing warm. He had accepted the proffered drink from the bartender out of habit and social decorum, but he wasn’t in the mood to drink.
His mood was dark and drinking would make it darker.
If nothing else, Declan admired Hill Country Farm for the prime piece of real estate that it was. He knew a lot about land and nothing about horses. This place would turn a profit soon, if it wasn’t already. The thirty acres of pristine land, the riding ring, the stalls and the barn created the right setup for a Thoroughbred to rest and recover, and were also picturesque enough to draw donations and interest. The small touches indicated Jade took pride in her home and business: the weeded gardens, the carved wood signs with the farm’s name and the manicured lawns were a giveaway that she cared.
Or it was part of the facade. When it came to the Coltons, trust couldn’t be given too quickly or easily. Their mother, Livia, was the definition of evil and he didn’t know how much of that had rubbed off on them. Livia had engaged in an affair with Declan’s father and that affair had destroyed Declan’s, his mother’s and his father’s lives.
Livia’s escape from a maximum security prison hadn’t shocked Declan; she had connections to get what she wanted and to stay on the run indefinitely. Edith’s recent brush with her proved Livia still had courage in spades. Approaching people she had a score to settle with while the authorities hunted her was the ultimate in boldness.
Restless energy struck him and Declan rose to his feet. He walked the outer perimeter of the party. A dark car was parked across the street, the driver sitting in the shadows, his face hidden. Declan had noticed the car when driving into the party. The FBI was watching for Livia Colton. If she made the mistake of approaching her children, the FBI would be ready for her. She had slipped through their fingers too many times in the last five months. Working old contacts and lying had kept her hidden.
Declan watched the crowd and realized he was looking for Livia. He wanted her to show up today. With the dark sedan parked outside the party, he doubted she would be stupid enough to appear, but he had an ax to grind with her. Though ice water ran in her veins and she cared only for herself, he wanted her to look at Edith and see that she was safe and happy with River. Livia’s attempts to hurt her had failed. Edith, like so many times in the past, had risen above her trials and was only stronger and better for them.
Declan took a deep, cleansing breath. This evening was about Edith and he wouldn’t fixate on Livia. She had destroyed huge parts of his life and she didn’t get tonight, as well. Every moment he spent thinking about Livia, was a moment of joy he was robbed of.
His eyes fell on a woman exiting the small, red-roofed cottage located on the property. The house was surrounded by tidy gardens protected by a brown wooden fence. The riding area and stables were located on the other side. She turned toward the barn, and the party, her blue dress moving around her shapely calves, her dark hair pinned back, but pieces framing her face. She was hauling a cooler.
Declan rushed to her. “Let me give you a hand.”
Her brown eyes met his. She was young, midtwenties, and her beauty and the expressiveness of her eyes knocked the breath out of him. “Thanks. I’ve been hauling ice all evening. It’s hot tonight.”
He took the cooler from her. “I’m Declan, by the way. I’m a friend of Edith’s.”
She brushed her hair away from her face, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. “I’m Jade. I’m River’s sister. He has mentioned you.”
Jade was Livia’s youngest daughter. Though River was the product of an affair between Declan’s father, Matthew, and Livia, Declan didn’t think of him like a brother. Blood had little to do with those bonds. He considered Edith family and they weren’t related. “It’s complicated,” Declan said. Discussing it tonight wasn’t a good idea.
Declan should deliver the cooler where it needed to go and then leave the party. Interacting with any of the Coltons should repulse him. Yet, here he was, walking beside Jade Colton.
“You won’t get any judgment from me. I hope you and River can work something out and be friends, but I know that might be asking too much. Just know that my brother is a good man. He’s been through a lot with our mother. We all have. But he’ll do right by Edith.”
Her loyalty surprised him. He didn’t want to discuss Livia Colton though. His anger was buried beneath his careful control and under the circumstances, and given the stressful events of late, it was ready to come roaring out. “Where do you want this?” He nodded toward the cooler.
She pointed to a table with five galvanized party tubs filled with beer and wine coolers. “On the ground there.”
He set the cooler in the location she’d indicated.
A friend called to Jade and she waved in her direction. “Excuse me, please. And thank you, Declan. Thank you for coming. I know it means a lot to Edith.”
He nodded to her. “You’re welcome.”
She rushed off to speak to her friend and Declan took the opportunity to fade back into the shadows.
* * *
Being the hostess of the party kept Jade busy and it was a role she enjoyed. Having many tasks meant she didn’t get caught in small talk and avoided the complicated politics of her family. Her mother’s sordid history had left scars on each of her half siblings, and Jade didn’t verbally navigate problems well. Though Jade felt they had made strides recently, they were all still struggling. Until their mother was caught and returned to prison, Jade guessed it would remain the case.
Declan Sinclair, the man who had purchased her mother’s crumbling estate—Edith’s boss and River’s half brother—was a total surprise. She had looked him up online. Young real estate mogul in his midthirties, multimillionaire. No one seemed to know why he had wanted La Bonne Vie. Seeing Declan’s photo online had not prepared Jade. In person, he was almost larger than life. Dark brown hair, expensively cut, and those green, intelligent eyes. He was broad shouldered and dressed well for the occasion. Whereas she had needed her sister Claudia’s help selecting an outfit for the evening, Jade guessed Declan’s sense of style translated into every event.
Worldly. That was the word she wanted to describe him. The total opposite of her.
Jade had never traveled outside Texas. She had plans to one day, but between the chaos of growing up a Colton and then starting her business, she had no time or money to explore the world. Opening Hill Country Farm had put her deep in the red and it would be five years before she was turning a profit. Either that,