The Tycoon's Secret Child. Maureen Child

understood that she was living in a new reality. “You can always get me on my cell. I’m at the Swan Hollow Palace hotel—”

      “Swan Hollow?” she asked.

      “Yeah.” He smiled to himself again. “Weird name, but nice town from what I’ve seen.”

      “Good to know. I still can’t believe you made the reservations yourself rather than let me handle it as always.”

      “I was in a hurry,” Wes said and wondered why he was almost apologizing to his assistant for usurping her job.

      She paused, then went on. “Fine, fine. When the final drawings on the PR campaign are turned in, I’ll overnight them to you at the hotel. If you need anything else, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

      “Robin,” he said with feeling, “you are the one bright spot in a fairly miserable couple of days.”

      “Thanks, boss,” she said, and he heard the smile in her voice. “I’ll remind you of that when I want a raise.”

      “I know you will,” he said and was still smiling when he hung up.

      Alone again, he drank his beer, and still facing hours to kill before speaking to Isabelle again, Wes had an idea. Grabbing the remote that worked both the flat-screen television and the computer, he turned the latter on. In a few minutes, he was watching an online video to learn ASL.

      American Sign Language.

       Three

      Wes could have walked to Isabelle’s house, since it was just outside town, but at night, the temperature dropped even farther and he figured he’d be an icicle by the time he arrived. The five-minute drive brought him to the long, winding road that stretched at least a half mile before ending in front of the stately Victorian. His headlights swept the front of the place and he took a moment to look it over.