THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

morning.”  Her sultry voice carried just enough sincerity to validate Angel’s suspicions.
    This woman was more to Zane than just a friend.
    Did he intend to entertain another female while Angel slept on the couch? Not going to happen.
    He gathered the dark-haired beauty close in an affectionate embrace.
    Angel suffered a moment of longing. She wanted those strong arms wrapped around her body.
    Hold it. What was wrong with her? This guy had a life and at least one girlfriend. What he did should not matter to her.
    Besides, she’d be long gone once the coins surfaced. Hopefully tomorrow.
    So watching those two shouldn’t grate on her nerves.
    “Who’s that?”
    Angel snapped to attention at the woman’s question.
    Zane strolled back to the patio with an arm around his guest’s waist and said, “Trish, meet Angel, a friend of mine. Angel, this is my sister, Trish.”
    His sister? Ohhh . Immediate mood improvement. “Nice to meet you.”  Angel stuck her hand out.
    Trish gave her an up and down once over then leaned forward, a little unsteady, to take her hand. “Angel, huh? Interesting name. Nice to meet you, too.” 
    The tart smell of alcohol brushed over Angel. She forced herself not to wrinkle her nose in reaction and held her smile in place.
    Trish turned to Zane. “I didn’t realize you had company, but I’m glad you’ve given up celibacy. At least that rules out your being a priest.”  She chuckled at some personal joke.
    “Trish.”  His single word came out full of warning.
    “Okay, okay. No games today.”  She turned back to Angel, “Be nice to him. He’s all I have.”  Trish pecked her brother’s cheek. “Gotta go. Heidi’s waiting. See you later, Sugar.”  With that she pranced out the door, reminiscent of a child on her way to play.
    Angel started to call her back to correct Trish’s misconception of the situation, but that familiar smell of alcohol had hijacked her thoughts. An odor that brought back sad memories of Angel watching as her mother died of the disease. She couldn’t help thinking that Trish might be past the point of comprehending anything Angel tried to explain.
    She moved backward until she could prop against the railing and watch as Zane closed the front door and returned to the patio. His impressive shoulders seemed to droop as though he carried an invisible yoke made of cast iron. He obviously cared about his sister.
    Angel shrugged it off, turning her attention to the afternoon wind fanning nearby palm trees. Stiff-leaved branches rattled with each brief gust, giving background music to the serenity.
    Zane stepped outside and took up a relaxed position, leaning against the outer wall across from her. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans in what was becoming a standard look for him. “Sorry. Wasn’t expecting her.”
    Guess they were going to talk about his sister after all. “I enjoyed meeting her. She looks like you around the eyes and mouth. How close are you in age?” 
    “Trish is twenty-three. I’m nine years older.”
    “Why the big gap?”
    “She was a mistake.”
    Hell of a way to describe his sister. What could she say to that? “I see.”
    “Whoa.”  Zane threw a hand up as a stop sign. “You don’t understand. I love my baby sister like my next breath. I don’t think she’s a mistake, but my parents never planned on a second child.”
    Had Trish felt unwanted and turned to alcohol to numb the pain? Angel had lived around alcoholism. Drinking during the middle of the afternoon and middle of the week weren’t good signs. “Does she work?” 
    “Trish has a small gift shop not far from here.”
    “How long has she had the shop?”
    “About three months. I want to get her moved to Las Olas Boulevard, an older area of Ft. Lauderdale that’s been revitalized.”
    “Why move if she’s only been open three months?”
    “Because she...” He paused as if he’d almost said too much and mentally edited as he spoke. “The gift shop’s okay, but her heart’s in working with antiquities. She could make a go of it on Las Olas, but that takes a lot of capital. We’ll get there.”
    We? Was Zane in partnership with his sister? Sounded like he had a financial investment as well as a personal one. Why was Trish drinking during the day and stopping by here when she had a business to run?
    As though talking to himself, he murmured, “I won’t lose her.”
    Angel jerked her eyes to his face. She understood