Authors: Sherryl Woods
It was nearing closing time and the crowd had yet to thin out. He was mentally wishing them away when his parents came up to him.
“You must be so proud,” his mother said. “Just look at what you’ve accomplished, and in record time, too.”
“It’s only the grand opening party,” he cautioned. “It’ll take time before I know if this enthusiasm will hold once people have to pay for their food and drink.”
“It will,” his father said. “Things went like clockwork. I’ve been to other openings when the kitchen was overwhelmed or the waitstaff inexperienced and clumsy. That never happened here.”
“I can thank Moira and Gram for that,” Luke said candidly. “I don’t think Gram left the kitchen for more than a minute all evening. She seemed to thrive on supervising. And Moira was at work behind the scenes to make sure things ran smoothly.”
“Where is she now?” Jo asked. “I’d like to thank her and say good-night.”
“I’m not sure,” Luke said. “The kitchen maybe. Or perhaps she’s taking a well-deserved break in the office.”
“I’ll take a look,” Jo said.
That left Luke alone with his father. “Do you really think it has staying power? Tell me honestly.”
“I do,” Jeff said. “You’ve done not just yourself, but the entire family, proud.”
“I concur,” Mick said, joining them. “Your Irish ancestors are looking on tonight with delight. Any one of them would be comfortable in a place like this. It’s everything a place called O’Brien’s ought to be.”
“I’ll second that,” his uncle Thomas added. He circled an arm around his wife’s expanding waist. “I’d stay for another set of that fine music, but if I don’t get this mama-to-be home soon, she’ll be asleep on her feet.”
“I’m afraid I’m exhausted all the time,” Connie added. “But I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Luke. And I can tell our little one here that he or she was here for the grand opening of Chesapeake Shores’ hottest nightspot. That’s what you’ll be soon, you know.”
Luke was embarrassed by all the accolades. “You don’t have to keep cheerleading for me,” he told them all, feeling chagrined by their apparent need to keep reassuring him. “I’m feeling okay about the chances for this place after tonight.”
“It’s not cheerleading,” Mick said. “We just want you to know how proud we are.” He glanced toward his brother. “In case your father here can’t find the words.”
“I found plenty of words,” Jeff grumbled. “You just insist on having the last one.”
“He’s got you there, Mick,” Thomas said. “That is your habit.”
“Well, tonight I’ll leave it to Jeff to have the last one.” He winked at Luke. “It’s only fair.”
Luke recalled the plea he’d made to Mick weeks ago to let him be the one to fill Jeff in on his plans. “Yes, it’s only fair,” he confirmed. “Good night, everyone. Thanks so much for being here.”
Once again he was left alone with his father, but only for a moment, because his mother returned just then, her expression perplexed. “I couldn’t find Moira anywhere,” she said. “Nell said she thought maybe she’d already left.” She gave Luke a sharp look. “Why would she leave early on a night like tonight? She should be here so the two of you can sit quietly and share a toast to the pub’s success.”
“I don’t know,” Luke said evasively, but, of course, he knew precisely why she’d left. What he didn’t know was how he was going to fix things.
On the walk back to Nell’s, Moira told herself a thousand times that she should have stayed at the pub till the final customer had gone. Leaving had been cowardly, and she had never in her life been a coward.
Her convenient excuse was that she hadn’t wanted to ruin Luke’s exhilaration by forcing the fight that had been brewing since Kristen’s untimely appearance.
Grateful to have Nell’s house to herself, she took a shower, wrapped herself in a thick terry-cloth robe and made herself a cup of tea. With the tea in hand, she settled into one of the Adirondack chairs in the yard, hoping her grandfather and Nell wouldn’t even notice her out here when they eventually returned home. With the soft sound of the waves breaking on the shore and a gentle breeze in the air, she finally managed to relax and think about what had happened earlier tonight.
Luke clearly hadn’t been expecting Kristen. As Luke had reminded Moira, Kristen hadn’t been on the official guest list, which said a lot about her character. She’d intruded for the sole purpose of making Moira uncomfortable and stirring up trouble between her and Luke. Should she really blame Luke for that? Probably not.
But she did blame him for not calling it quits sooner, for coming back to Chesapeake Shores and spending even a moment in that woman’s company, much less in her bed. Had he thought that was okay because he hadn’t yet made a commitment to Moira, in fact, hadn’t even expected to see her again soon? Well, it wasn’t okay! And if he didn’t get that, then she intended to make it plain to him.
Satisfied that she would face the issue head-on, she allowed herself to relax at last and enjoy the night air and the pub’s amazing success. She even let herself bask in satisfaction over her tiny part in it. She heard Nell’s car in the driveway, the slam of a door, a murmuring of voices, but no one came around the side of the house. Lights came on in various rooms, then went out again, filling her with relief.
Curled up and comfortable, she might have fallen happily asleep if it hadn’t been for the sound of another car, another door and then the sound of pebbles against glass. She knew at once it was Luke trying less than subtly to get her attention. She could ignore him, hoping that the new moon wasn’t casting enough light to give away her presence, or just bite the bullet and deal with the issues between them now.
In the end, she opted for the latter. Padding across the lawn in her bare feet, she said, “Stop that before you wake up the whole house!”
He whirled in her direction, obviously startled. “You’re out here,” he said, stating the obvious.
Despite her mood, she smiled. “So I am. I was having a lovely quiet time of it until a few minutes ago. Could I persuade you to leave me to it?”
His jaw set stubbornly. “Do you really want me to go?”
She debated her reply, then sighed. “I suppose not,” she said, and returned to her chair and her now-cold cup of tea.
Luke followed her over and sat down next to her. “It was quite a night,” he said, clearly testing the waters.
She smiled. “A glorious success from all the comments I heard.”
“You and Gram played a huge part in that,” he said. “I’ll never be able to tell you how much that meant to me.”
“It meant a lot to me to share the occasion with you,” she said.
He drew in a deep breath, then said, “I’m sorry if Kristen spoiled it for you. You do know she wasn’t invited, right? I wasn’t just saying that for your benefit.”
“I’d seen the list,” she said. “I knew. Obviously, though, crashing a party is nothing new to her.”
“No, she definitely goes wherever she wishes, welcome or not.”
“I don’t understand how anyone can do such a thing,” Moira admitted. “It’s one thing for her to want to get a closer look at me or make me uncomfortable, but surely she has to know that everyone there hates what she tried to do to Susie.”
“Oh, believe me, she knows that, but she believes time will eventually make everyone forget. I have to admit that I might have been partially responsible for giving her that impression.”
Moira frowned. “How?”
“Right when things were at their trickiest a few months ago, I took her with me to Mick’s for Sunday dinner.”
Moira didn’t even try to hide her astonishment at his insensitivity or Kristen’s audacity in accepting the invitation. “Why on earth would you do such a thing?”
“I was in peacemaker mode,” Luke admitted, his expression rueful. “Kristen was here to stay. She was working for Mack. She was with me, not him. I thought we should all forgive and forget.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Except nobody had forgiven or forgotten. It was the most miserable Sunday I’d ever spent, especially with Gram looking at me as if I’d killed someone’s prized pet.”
He gave her a hopeful look. “To my credit, I didn’t try to inflict her on everyone in Ireland. She only came after the others had left, and even that was a mistake, because by then there was you.”
She finally dared to face him. “If I mattered so much, why did you go right back to her when you got back home?”
“I didn’t go back, exactly,” he said. “She came after me. That I allowed that, even for a few weeks, doesn’t speak well of me.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said, refusing to let him off the hook. “Talk about mixed messages, Luke.”
“I get it,” he said.
“Do you really? Because you’re still sending them out, only now it’s to me.”
“I did not invite Kristen tonight,” he repeated.
“I’m not talking about Kristen now. I’m talking about your taking me into your bed, letting me share in your business, but refusing to commit to anything more and, worse, admitting that there’s been someone else all too recently.”
“But I’ve said all along I’m not ready for more,” he complained. “There’s nothing mixed about that message. Haven’t I been clear?”
“Your words have been,” she conceded. “But your actions have kept me close, given me hope.”
“As they were meant to,” he said. “I care about you, Moira. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. It’s the future that seems too far away to predict.”
“The future is only tomorrow, Luke, or just an hour from now. We don’t even know how much of one there will be. We can never know. It’s only this moment that we can be certain of.”
“And in this moment,” he responded quietly, looking at her until she met his gaze, “I’m exactly where I want to be, Moira. I’m with the person I want to be with. Can’t that be enough for now?”
She understood that it was all he could offer. She even thought she understood what was holding him back—that bloody timetable of his. But was it enough? She sighed. She couldn’t force him into taking the leap of faith that she had taken by getting on a plane and coming to Chesapeake Shores.
And she’d already decided that she needed to stay and fight for what she wanted. Was she now ready to give up at the first big bump in the road?
“For now,” she said. “But not for long, Luke. Not for long. I’ve too much pride to cling to something that might never be.”
He nodded then. “Could I persuade you to come back to my place, so we can celebrate tonight’s success properly? I want to be with you.”
She saw the need in his eyes, felt the pull of an attraction that was always there and slowly stood up. “Let’s go,” she said quietly. “I’ll grab my things and meet you at the car.” She gave him a challenging look. “Do you suppose anyone will be scandalized if I arrive at your place in my robe, wearing nothing underneath?”
He looked as if he were about to swallow his tongue. “Nothing?” he echoed.
“Not a thing,” she confirmed with a grin.
He moaned. “I think you were put on this earth just to torment me.”
“I believe so,” she agreed readily, smiling. “And I plan to do a very fine job of it.”
17
D
espite a very short night with very little sleep, Luke was at the pub soon after dawn to meet the cleaning crew he’d hired to deal with the opening night debris. After this he and his employees would handle the cleanup, but Moira had persuaded him to bring in the extra help just this once. And, yet again, she’d been right. He was increasingly awed by her understanding of how to manage the place, to say nothing of the way she seemed to know him inside out.
Though he’d suggested that she stay in bed at his place, she’d insisted on coming with him, stopping off only to pick up coffee and breakfast for them at Sally’s. He expected her to be coming through the door any minute, which was why it was all the more distressing to see Kristen entering instead. If the dark smudges under her eyes were indicative, she hadn’t had a good night after leaving the pub where she’d been so unwelcome. Under other circumstances, he might have felt a smidgen of pity at the humiliation she’d experienced, a humiliation of her own making.
“Back for another round?” he asked, his tone unfriendly.
She winced at his question. “Truthfully, I came to apologize,” she said. “I knew I wasn’t on the guest list last night, but I came, anyway. I have no idea why.”
“I could explain it to you, if you like,” Luke offered. “I think I have a pretty good idea. You wanted to stake a public claim on me that you knew would hurt Moira, a woman you don’t even know.”
She looked even more chagrined by his obviously accurate assessment. “I’ve turned into such a bitch since I moved here,” she admitted. “First, I kept trying to rekindle things with Mack, and now I can’t seem to walk away from you. What the hell is wrong with me? I was never needy like this before. I keep humiliating myself over and over again. I should have taken Mack up on it when he offered to let me out of my contract and help me find another job.”
“You probably should have,” Luke agreed bluntly. “Chesapeake Shores is never going to be a good fit for you, Kristen. You need bright lights and a man who’ll truly appreciate you, preferably one who’s not already taken.”
“
You
weren’t taken when we started going out,” she reminded him. “In fact, you pursued me.”
“I did,” he conceded. “But things have changed.”
“You’re with the little Irish milkmaid now.”
He scowled at the disparaging comment. “Why do you have to do that? Do you have to cut Moira down to feel better about yourself?”
“I suspect that’s exactly it,” Moira said from the doorway, startling them both. “Good morning, Kristen. Were we expecting you?”
“I came to apologize,” Kristen said, though her expression was anything but contrite as she faced Moira.
“To Luke, not me, I imagine,” Moira said. “Have you finished?”
Kristen looked startled that Moira had not only stood her ground, but actually dismissed her. She held Moira’s gaze for a moment, but, to Luke’s surprise, Kristen was the first to blink.
“I should go,” she murmured to Luke, looking as if she still hoped he might beg her to stay.
“Probably a good a idea,” he confirmed.
Then in one last attempt to reclaim her dignity or her superiority, Kristen gave him a long, impudent survey, then said, “I’ll see you soon, Luke.”
He watched her walk away, shoulders straight, head held high, and wondered if she was really half as tough as she wanted everyone to believe. He’d seen another side of her at one time, or at least thought he had. Even now, he’d heard a hint of vulnerability behind her apology, a hint quickly undercut by her deliberate jab at Moira.
“Are you feeling sorry for her?” Moira demanded, her expression indignant.
“Just a little,” he admitted, smiling. “You did a fine and well-deserved job of putting her in her place.”
“It shouldn’t be up to me,” she said.
“In other words, I should have kicked her back out the door the second she turned up here,” he guessed.
“Seems that way to me,” she replied.
“She came to apologize. I let her. It would have been rude not to.”
Moira shook her head, as if she found him too pitiful for words. “Is that really what you think, that she was here to make amends?”
“It’s what she said,” he argued.
“She was here to test the waters, to see if she’d accomplished her goal last night of causing a rift between us. I’m sure she would have happily consoled you if you said I’d gone running home to Ireland.”
“But she hasn’t caused a rift, and now she knows that.”
“Because I walked in,” Moira countered. “Would she have known it if I hadn’t? Would you have told her, Luke?”
“I did tell her,” he said in frustration. “Or I tried to.”
Moira finally smiled at that. “Imagine that, a stubborn, hardheaded woman. Who else would an O’Brien man be attracted to?”
He laughed. “Pot calling the kettle black,” he pointed out.
She smiled and the visible tension in her shoulders eased, as she settled onto his lap. “That it is,” she said. “And if I’ve a need to stay right here in your arms whenever there’s anyone else about, I’ll do it just to show the world that you’re taken.”
“Then you’re not giving up on me?” he inquired, relieved by that.
“Not just yet,” she confirmed. “Weren’t you the one who assured me you were trainable? I’m counting on that.”
“Since when do you claim to have more relationship experience than I do?” he inquired.
“It’s not experience that counts in these circumstances,” she told him with a saucy grin. “It’s determination, and I have that in great supply.”
And thank God for it, he thought, just before he kissed her, until Kristen Lewis was the last thing on either of their minds.
Though it had been a late night with plenty of excitement, Dillon had been up early and gone for his morning walk on the beach before he heard Nell stirring. When he returned, the house was still quiet. Too quiet, perhaps.
He tapped on her bedroom door, his heart in his throat. “Nell? Are you awake? Is everything okay?”
He heard what sounded like a moan, and panic clawed its way up his throat. “Nell, dear, I hope you’re decent, because I’m coming in.”
When he opened the door, he spotted her at once on the floor beside the bed, lying in a crumpled heap. He rushed to her side.
Her eyes were open, thank God, and her breathing was shallow, but steady enough.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Just my pride,” she said. “I stood up too quickly and had a bit of a dizzy spell. I’d just fallen when you knocked. It took the wind out of me for just a minute, so I couldn’t answer.”
“Here, my darling, sit up slowly,” he said, easing an arm behind her shoulders. “Not too fast.” He watched the color return slowly to her too-pale cheeks. “Better?”
She nodded. “I feel like such an old fool.”
“We’ve all taken a spill from time to time,” he said. “It’s nothing to fret about, as long as you’re sure you’re not hurt. Your hips feel okay? Your legs? Do you think you can stand?”
“If you’ll help me till I’m steady on my feet, I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “It’s just this blood pressure medicine. I think it’s too strong, but the doctor says it’s working and I need to adjust to the side effects.”
Dillon frowned at that. “That doesn’t sound right to me. Maybe you should get a second opinion.”
“If I go racing off to another doctor, Mick and the others are bound to find out. They’ll make much more of it than they should. You know how they are.”
“I know they’d be concerned about you,” Dillon said. “And rightfully so.”
“Well, I don’t want the commotion. The next thing I know, Mick will move me out of here and into his house.”
Dillon held her gaze. “Not as long as I’m around,” he reassured her. “I promise you that.”
He helped her up, then encouraged her to get back into bed. “Rest for a little while. I’ll make tea and bring you breakfast in bed. You deserve to be pampered after the long night you had helping out at Luke’s opening.”
“But you’re my guest,” she protested.
“Not if I intend to stick around,” he argued. “Then we’re partners, and I’ll do my share to help out.” He regarded her with amusement. “You do know I’ve been on my own for a while now. I’m capable of scrambling an egg and making toast and tea. Let me impress you. You had a long day yesterday. A little extra time off your feet is probably in order.”
Though she looked as if she were about to argue, she finally nodded. “I believe I’ll give in graciously just this once.”
That she did told Dillon just how shaken she was by the fall. The outcome this time had been fine, but at their age who knew what might happen if she fell again? It was something they all feared, a broken leg or hip that would be the beginning of the end of mobility, if not life as they knew it.
When he returned with a tray laden with eggs, toast, jam and tea, she was propped up against the pillows, looking more like herself.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever felt so pampered,” she said. “This will be just what I need before we go over to the pub today.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. “You’re going to spend the day taking it easy.”
Her blue eyes flashed at his order. “You don’t make those kind of decisions for me, Dillon O’Malley. Luke needs me to supervise in the kitchen.”
“Luke needs to run his own business,” he replied with equal firmness in his voice.
“And he will,” she said. “But for now, he needs my help and I intend to give it to him.”
He heard the intractable note in her voice and smiled. She was definitely back to her feisty self. “How about a compromise? We both go over to check on things. You can spend an hour with the cook, tasting today’s specials, and then we come back here, so you can take a nap. Will that work? If you feel rested enough, we’ll go back over this evening for another check.”
She smiled at him over the rim of her teacup. “A compromise? I imagine I can live with that.”
“You know if we’re going to make a go of this, Nell, we’ll have to do a lot of compromising along the way. We’re both two old people who are set in our ways.”
“Speak for yourself,” she teased. “I’m the most flexible person you’ll ever meet.”
“I’ll believe that when you’ve shown me evidence of it,” he taunted right back.
She reached for his hand then and held on tight. “I’m so very glad you’re here and not just because you rescued me this morning.”
He smiled at her. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”
It was a late-in-life blessing he’d never anticipated. And, God willing, they’d both have a long time yet to enjoy it.
Though Moira spent the morning trying to put both incidents with Kristen out of her mind, she simply wasn’t able to forget easily, much less forgive. She couldn’t help wondering how Susie had tolerated it when Mack had been on the receiving end of Kristen’s predatory wiles.
Maybe this was the perfect chance to get to know Luke’s sister a little better. Since Luke was on the phone placing orders or bossing around the cleaning crew, she paused long enough to give him a quick kiss, told him she was taking a break, then headed around the corner to the real estate office.
When she walked in, Susie looked up from her computer with a surprised expression.
“Moira, how are you? Have you and Luke been celebrating all night? Last night’s party was absolutely amazing. I felt as if I were back in Dublin. Mack and I can’t wait to come back.”
“That’s exactly the effect your brother was going for,” Moira said, pleased that they’d accomplished it. “I was wondering if you had a little time so we could talk? Maybe over lunch at Sally’s or somewhere else, if you’d prefer. My treat.”
Though Susie looked startled by the invitation, she didn’t seem dismayed. Moira figured that was a good sign. She still wasn’t one-hundred percent certain of her welcome with any of the family members, even though none of them had tried to keep her at arm’s length.
“I can get away, sure,” Susie said. “Would you rather take a ride over to my house? I’d love for you to see it.”
Moira nodded eagerly. “That would be wonderful,” she said at once. “I’ve been dying to get a look at your place. I’ve heard so much about it and about your fabulous view. Should we pick up lunch before we go?”
“No need. If a salad’s okay, I have everything we’ll need.”
“A salad works for me,” Moira told her.
Susie locked up the office, then led the way to her car. “I’m really glad you came by,” she said as they drove out of downtown. “We haven’t spent much time together. Since you’re obviously special to my brother, I want to get to know you better.”
Moira smiled. “I know everyone in the family was a bit taken aback that Luke and I hit it off,” she admitted. “I hope I’m making a better impression this time around.”
“Much better,” Susie confirmed. “Mom is one of your biggest fans. So is Gram.”
“They’re wonderful women,” Moira said. “I wish I were as close to my own mum as you all are to yours.”
“If you want it, you’ll get there,” Susie assured her. “Mom and I were always close, but it’s not always that way between mothers and daughters. Sometimes you have to work at building a good relationship. Just look at the struggles Abby, Bree and Jess had making peace with Megan, and now they’re getting closer all the time.”