As she neared, Natalie had the oddest sensation come over her—as though she knew the lady. Willard stepped in front of Natalie and blocked the middle-aged woman from view, his arms crossed over his chest. “What are you doing here?” Condemnation filled his voice. Natalie eased to his side to get a better look. “Still the watchdog, I see.” The woman’s brown eyes sparked with fire against a dark tan and ruddy cheeks. “It’s good to see you, Willard. It’s been a long time.” “Not nearly enough.” She laughed, then fixed her gaze on Natalie. “This must be my little Nat. My, but you’ve grown. And a beauty queen too, I hear.” She reached out for a hug, smelling of coconut tanning oil. Natalie wasn’t sure how to respond, thinking the stranger must be one of her father’s relatives, a long-lost aunt or cousin, perhaps. “You don’t recognize me, do you?” The woman’s face seemed vaguely familiar, but Natalie shook her head. “Well, I suppose the last time you saw me you were pretty young.”
