Page 49 of Miss Trust

I preferred not to talk about Tory, especially when the scratches she’d put on my shoulders were still fresh. But I had to answer the question. “Yes. Her daughter is going through treatment for leukemia, and she needed medical coverage.”

She studied me. “Glad you were able to help.”

“How long are you visiting?”

“A few days. Then I need to head back to New York for work.”

Kelsey was a forensic accountant in the same firm where Joel worked. It seemed there was no part of her life in which he wasn’t involved.

“Did you want to use the Newport Beach house?” I asked.

“It is my favorite. Thank you. The beach is where I go to re-energize.”

“You’re welcome anytime.” If she needed an escape from her fiancé, I was happy to provide it for her.

She brightened before looking over my shoulder. “Oh, hello there.”

I turned to see Penelope standing in her pink pajamas, clutching her brown dog and pink blanket.

I cleared my throat. “Um, hi, Penelope.”

She stood there shyly staring at my sister.

“This is my sister, Kelsey. Kelsey, this is Penelope, Tory’s daughter.”

My sister raised her brow at the presence of the child in the house, a bit of information I hadn’t volunteered. Then she went over and knelt down in front of the little girl. “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Penelope.”

The little girl smiled. “You can call me Penny if you want.”

Adorable. If I was into such a thing. I cleared my throat again. “Where’s your mom?”

“She’s still sleeping.”

Tory hardly slept as far as I could tell, and I took great satisfaction in knowing I was the reason she might be extra tired this morning. No way I was going to wake her. “Are you hungry?”

Penelope grinned. “Do you know how to make pancakes?”

I looked toward my sister.

Her eyes went wide. “What, because I’m a girl you think I can make them? My mother never let me near a carb during my entire childhood.”

Penelope giggled. “There’s a box in the cupboard.”

“Between the three of us, I think we can manage,” I pronounced. How hard could it be?

It took nearly thirty minutes for us to make the batter and find the griddle, but my sister and I managed to avoid burning the second batch, the fate of the first, and stack a set of pancakes on a plate. Either Penny was being polite, or she truly liked them, judging by her smile. Then again, smother anything in syrup, and it tasted better.

I proceeded to clean up while Kelsey came up beside me. “You didn’t mention you had houseguests.”

“If you’d seen the apartment they were staying in, you’d know why.” My tone was overly defensive.

“I’m not criticizing. Just find it curious.”

“I’m not here very often.”

She shrugged. “Too bad. This domestic stuff suits you.”

Rare was the occasion my face heated, yet under the scrutiny of my sister and after this strange morning and an even stranger night, I stood there blushing. Dammit.

I was about to sweep aside my sister’s comment when we both turned at an unexpected flash coming into sight. There stood Tory, wide-eyed, hair wild, hand to her braless chest, and wearing nothing but a tattered T-shirt and sleep shorts.