All of My Love (3 page)

“Yes,” Faith said with her usual bubbly enthusiasm. Her father looked at her, and despite the situation she was putting him in, his heart felt lighter. She was a good daughter. He couldn’t have asked for better.

She’d been the first daughter born in seven generations. She’d heralded the end of the McBride curse, lucky in business and unlucky in love, for her and her generation. For him and her mother, it had been too late.

“Neither one of us can think of any place better than where I grew up. Brandon came out here lots of times to see Cameron. He slept on the floor too many nights to count. He taught me how to dance here.”

Paul wished he could see his ex’s face, see how she was taking all this. There had been good times. He’d never suspected she would leave him. He’d known she’d been quiet during those last few months they were together, but he’d suspected she was just preoccupied with the hotel. He’d thought things would smooth out.

He’d been horribly wrong.

At least she’d waited until Faith graduated from college before she left. Somehow they’d managed to keep their pending divorce a secret from their children. With Faith busy with her senior year, Cameron a NASCAR driver and living in Charlotte, and Duncan at his ranch in Montana, it hadn’t been difficult.

The sound of a car’s motor had them turning. Brandon pulled up in Faith’s new red Porsche SUV. It had been his last Christmas present to her. Brandon stopped behind Paul’s truck. Before the motor died, Faith was hurrying to her husband.

Their happy laughter floated on the early afternoon breeze as he caught her to him, kissing her briefly on the lips, then staring down at her, his hand feathering over her face.

Paul turned away. He hadn’t planned to look at his ex, in fact, he’d made it a habit to look at her as little as possible. He never wanted her to know that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t completely erase her from his heart.

Their eyes caught, his lonely heart thumped. Her pretty brown eyes glistened with tears. He’d once loved looking into them. She bit her lower lip and had a death grip on the small, useless clutch she preferred to carry. It was as stuffed as a sausage. He used to tease her about—he snapped his mind away. Those days were long gone.

“Pau—”

“I don’t have time for this,” he said, cutting his ex off. He didn’t want to hear her call his name, to remember how he’d enjoyed the way she said his name, remember how he’d prayed she’d come back to him, whisper his name in that special way she had, and tell him she wasn’t marring some rich movie producer in New York.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. McBride. Sorry, I’m late.” Brandon hugged his mother-in-law, shook hands with Paul. “I guess Faith explained what this means to us. I sure hope you can help us out.”

Faith gave her father one of those special smiles and Paul squirmed. He loved his baby girl, would do anything for her, but not this. “She did, but I might be too tied up. I’m sure I can help you find a contractor to do the remodeling.”

Distress widened Faith’s eyes. “Daddy, I want you and Mama to do it. I admit I thought of Mr. Radford and Mr. Montgomery, but now I’m glad they’re busy. It would mean so much more to us and the children we hope to have one day if you and Mama did it.”

“Faith,” her mother said, hugging her. “Your father can do the carpentry work and painting, and then I can come in later with the finishing touches.”

“If you work together, we could be in sooner.” Faith said. “I’d love to invite all the families over. All the other wives have had everyone over except me. The last get-together was Catherine’s Christmas party. My sister-in-law really knows how to give a party. It was better than the one the year before.”

“It sure was,” Brandon agreed. “It was nice getting everyone together. If all goes well, this year the party could be here.”

“But I don’t want to wait that long. If we can get the house remodeled in time I want to have everyone over for Mother’s Day.” Faith hooked her arms through her parents’. “All the utilities are on. Let’s go inside and take a look.”

“I’ve got the key.” Brandon went up the curved walkway. “I didn’t have to think twice when Sierra told me the house was back on the market. I remember coming over here, eating, staying over, hanging out.”

“You were a good boy, Brandon,” Paul said. He’d always liked Brandon, and had

been overjoyed to learn he and Faith were getting married.

“Thank you. I know I must have gotten underfoot, but you never seemed to mind.” Opening the door, Brandon stepped back.

Faith’s mother smiled for the first time. “Unlike Cameron and Duncan, you were willing to help in the kitchen and clean up afterwards.”

“Being here always felt like home.” He reached for Faith’s hand. “Guess I should have realized then that the people living here would always mean a lot to me.”

“The important thing is you found out.” She kissed him. “Let’s go see if the marks I made on the wall for my growth chart are still there.” Laughing, they left her parents in the entryway.

Paul shoved his hands back into his pockets. The house was as empty as he’d felt at times over the years. “You know what they’re trying to do, don’t you?”

She glanced away. “Yes.”

“It won’t do them any good,” he snapped, and saw her flinch. He clenched his hands to keep from reaching for her, saying he was sorry, that he hadn’t meant it to sound so harsh.

“We could take shifts,” Stella said, walking farther into the house. “Faith once spoke of wanting a mural of the French countryside where she and Brandon spent their honeymoon. I haven’t painted in years, but I’d like to try.”

“Mother’s Day is three weeks away. If we take shifts, we might finish in time.” He swept his hand over his face. “She hasn’t asked for anything in a long time. I don’t want to disappoint her.”

His ex-wife looked up at him and he realized he had been testing her to see if she remembered. From her tormented facial expression, he realized she did. Faith had asked, begged them not to get the divorce. She’d left anyway.

He shrugged carelessly and started toward the kitchen. “I’m going to see what other ideas Faith has.”

“Then-then we’re going to work together?” she asked, her voice strained.

He answered without turning. “I don’t see that we have a choice. It will give both of us an incentive to finish quickly so we don’t have to see each other for a long, long time.”

Stella briefly shut her eyes. What had she expected? Him to hold her, tell her he’d forgiven her? Never. She’d wounded him too badly.

And if she worked on remodeling their old home, each minute, each hour she’d have to see the scorn in his eyes where there once had been love and tenderness. Only she’d been too caught up in trying to make him jealous to realize what she was jeopardizing. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to endure his contempt on a daily basis.

“Mama, come into the kitchen,” Faith called.

Trying to smile, Stella joined them in the large kitchen. She’d wanted it big enough for them to be together as a family, for her to be able to help the children with their homework while she cooked or washed. Paul had willingly obliged.

It was like stepping back in time. Her hand grazed over the faded Formica countertop. They hadn’t been able to afford marble and, when they could, she’d put the money into a college fund for the children instead.

“We want to replace that with Corian, Mother. I’m thinking glass-front cabinets. The oak is solid and in good shape so we’ll just have to replace the fronts and purchase new knobs,” Faith said. “I love Brandon’s glass cabinets.”

“They were her idea.” Arms folded, Brandon leaned back against the counter by the sink. “She can’t be touched when it comes to decorating.”

“I got it from Mama and Daddy,” she told her husband. “Daddy liked the idea, too.”

Stella wouldn’t look at Paul. “I do, too.”

Faith grabbed Brandon’s hand. “So, have you and Daddy come to a decision?”

Stella hoped her smile didn’t look as brittle as it felt. “When would you like for us to start?”

Faith squealed and hugged her mother, then it was her father’s turn. “Thank you! You’ve made me so happy!”

Brandon shook hands with his father-in-law and hugged his mother-in-law. “You couldn’t have done anything more special for us. This Mother’s Day will be even more meaningful to celebrate you and Mama. Thank you.” He pulled a credit card for a local home improvement store out of his shirt pocket and gave it to Paul. “We wanted you to have this so you can get anything you need.” He looked abashed. “I’m lost outside the kitchen.”

Faith pulled an American Express card from the pocket of her jacket, and gave it to her mother. “Same with this one. Let’s go celebrate. Mama, we can take my car back. I want to make a quick stop by this new store that has bath and kitchen fixtures.”

“We should probably count on an hour,” Brandon whispered to Paul, then handed the Porsche’s key to Faith.

“I heard that.” Taking the key, she kissed him and took her mother’s arm. “See you in thirty minutes at the most at the Mesa.”

“We’ll give you forty-five.” Brandon laughed and followed them out of the house. He waved as they pulled away.

“Thank you for loving my daughter and making her so happy,” Paul said.

“Loving Faith is the easiest and smartest thing I’ve ever done.” Locking the door, Brandon handed the key to his father-in-law. “I’m just thankful she loves me back.”

Paul pocketed the key and headed for his truck. That was the important thing—being loved back. He hadn’t been.

CHAPTER THREE

Paul was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He wanted to be gone by the time Faith and her mother returned, but if he left, he’d disappoint Faith. He’d done enough of that already. He’d checked into his room and just hoped it wasn’t anywhere near his ex.

The grin on Brandon’s face alerted him that Faith and her mother had returned. His two boys’ faces lit up the same way when their wives came into the room. Maybe that’s what their mother had wanted, but that hadn’t been his way. The thought had no more formed than anger pushed it away. It wasn’t his fault she’d gone off with another man.

Brandon came to his feet and glanced at his watch. “Thirty-three minutes. A record.”

Faith grinned up at him. “I had an incentive to hurry.”

Brandon pulled out a chair. “Please have a seat, Mrs. McBride.”

His ex cut a glance at Paul, then took the chair next to him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Brandon reached for the other vacant chair for Faith.

“Thanks.” Faith had barely settled before she placed a folder stuffed with brochures on the table. “Daddy, wait until you see these fixtures. The house is going to be amazing, but we want to keep some things, like the claw-foot tub.”

Paul was glad he was looking down at the booklet with kitchen cabinets. The tub had been a surprise for his new bride. She’d always talked of wanting one. When Mr. Montgomery called about a customer getting rid of theirs for a Jacuzzi, Paul had rushed over. The first night the tub had been installed, they’d made love in it.

“Some of the light fixtures and crown molding you installed as well.” Brandon braced his arms on the table. “We want to modernize the house without losing the history, like the growth notches of Faith and her brothers on the bedroom doors.”

“The hardwood floors definitely stay,” Faith added with a grin.

“Duncan had asthma when he was little,” Stella said quietly. “The same day the doctor recommended getting rid of the carpet in his room, your father sent us to the hotel and he and Mr. Radford pulled up the carpet and replaced it with hardwood flooring. After that, Duncan never had a major flare-up. Two years later, he’d outgrown the asthma.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Brandon said. “Even before I started coming around, Cameron and Duncan always said what a great father they had. After that first meeting, I knew they were right.” He smiled at Mrs. McBride. “They also had high praise for you. You always made me feel welcome. Both of you did.”

Stella’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “We were always happy to have you, Brandon. You’re the perfect and only man for Faith.”

Brandon’s arm went around his wife’s shoulders. “That means a lot. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“You won’t have to find out,” Faith said, then stiffened as if realizing what she’d said. Her gaze snapped to her father, then her mother.

“What about the kitchen sink?” Paul asked. This mess wasn’t Faith’s fault. “You thinking double or triple with a vegetable wash?”

Gratitude shone in his daughter’s eyes. “Double, and a small island with a wire rack overhead for all of Brandon’s cookware.”

Paul nodded. His ex had talked of an island, but they’d never gotten around to it. She liked to cook when she had time. She’d been a great cook. “I can start the kitchen tear-out first. Still thinking about Corian?”

Faith pulled out another pamphlet. “Definitely. We’ve already measured. I spoke with the dealer and it can be cut and ready to install in ten days.”

“It looked gorgeous and so did the knobs she picked out.” Stella smiled across the table at her daughter. “The house will be functional with touches of warmth, charm, and elegance.”

Paul snorted. “Elegance! Faith doesn’t need elegance. She’s not like you, always wanting more. Never satisfied.”

Quietness settled over the group like a blanket. Paul realized his mistake. If he didn’t care what she thought, he wouldn’t have said a word. However, from the crushed look on her face, she just thought he was being cruel. That thought irritated him even more. He came to his feet. “Sorry, Faith, Brandon. If you’ll excuse me, I want to take a look at the house again.”

Faith came to her feet and placed her hand on his arm. Brandon stood as well. “It can wait until tomorrow. You probably didn’t stop to eat. I’ll have something sent to your room. We’ll talk later.”

No recrimination, just understanding and love. He hugged her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Daddy. After you eat, take a nap, and that’s an order,” she said, her smile unsteady.

She was hoping for reconciliation. It wasn’t happening. “I’m depending on you, Brandon, to take care of her.”