Donovans 03 - Pearl Cove

he said to Hannah. “If it comes to visitation rights, I won’t do any damage.”
    The icy flick of his voice made her flinch.
    Honor’s eyes widened. Visitation? She looked at Hannah speculatively.
    Summer didn’t notice any of the emotional undertones. She cooed and bounced and made a grab at Archer’s nose. He could have ducked easily, but he didn’t. He just turned and made gobbling noises against her fat little arm until she giggled and let go. Then she grabbed a handful of his chest hair and pulled. Wincing, he gently opened her fingers and growled against her neck, careful of her tender skin and his growing beard.
    “Who taught you to fight dirty?” he asked the baby.
    Drooling blissfully, Summer chewed on whatever part of her uncle she could reach. Archer grinned as though she was offering him the rarest of pearls rather than teething drool. Without even a token struggle, he surrendered his little finger, a willing sacrifice to the god of sore gums. As a reward, Summer leaned against him, sighed dreamily, and peed her diaper right through.
    “Oops,” Honor said, reaching for her daughter. “That warm stuff you feel running down your leg isn’t sweat. Sorry about that.”
    “It’s not the first time.” Archer kissed Summer’s nose. “Come on, beautiful. You and your uncle are taking a shower. How about you, Jake?” he asked, turning back toward the mat.
    “Go ahead,” Jake said. “I want to talk with Honor.”
    Carrying his niece, Archer headed off for the showers.
    “You spoil her,” Honor said to his broad, sweaty back.
    “Yeah, ain’t it grand?”
    Carrying sweaty pads, Jake came up to Honor, kissed her thoroughly, and said, “Introduce me to the woman who can make Archer mad enough to kill.”

Eighteen
    S tanding in the entryway of the condo with cloud-filtered sun all around, Hannah tried to ignore the disapproval Jake hadn’t bothered to conceal. All the way up in the elevator, his pale, cold gray eyes had measured her with a chill that reminded her of Archer at his worst. Dark hair, dark mustache, a height and strength to equal Archer’s; and a ruthlessness, too.
    But not toward Honor. For her, Jake’s eyes went from ice to steamy mist. The passion and gentleness he felt for his wife were as clear as his dislike of Hannah.
    Rubbing her arms as though to ward off cold, Hannah hurried into the living room, wanting to escape Jake’s oppressive dislike.
    “Not yet,” Jake said, putting a hand on Hannah’s arm.
    She froze. Though his touch was light, it wasn’t casual.
    “Jake,” Honor said, frowning at her husband. It was unlike him to treat a stranger so coldly. “What’s going on?”
    “That’s what the merry widow is going to tell us.”
    Anger streaked through Hannah, burning away caution. She turned on him. “You’re half right. I’m a widow.”
    “Are you in mourning?” Jake asked politely.
    “Not since seven years ago.”
    “Care to explain that?”
    “No.”
    “Okay. What did you do to Archer?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Yeah? Then maybe you can tell me why he needed to whale the crap out of something this morning.”
    Honor winced. “Uh, Jake . . . ”
    “Yeah, I know. None of my business. Too bad I’m a nosy bastard.” He looked at his wife. “She hurt him, honey. I want to know why.”
    “You’re wrong,” Hannah said, fighting to keep a grip on her temper. The contempt in Archer’s glance earlier—and in Jake’s now—raked over her. “I didn’t hurt Archer. He’s too ruthless to be hurt by anyone smaller or weaker than he is.”
    Jake said something blasphemous.
    Honor was too stunned to say anything at all.
    “You’re blind, lady,” he said coldly. “Deaf, dumb, and fucking blind.”
    “I’m sure you’re a good friend to Archer now,” Hannah shot back, “but you know nothing about Archer ten years ago. About what he did.”
    “You might be surprised. Archer and I were in the same business.”
    “I might not be surprised,” Hannah said, furious. In her own way, she needed a fight as much as Archer had. “I married his half brother!”
    “What?” Honor demanded. “What did you say?”
    Abruptly Hannah realized where her temper had led her. Jake’s dislike was uncomfortable, but she had lived with much worse. Yet none of it had gone as deep as Archer’s withdrawal and the fear growing inside her that she might have been terribly, terribly wrong about a man.
    Again.
    If you wanted a child without complications, you