Driftwood Cottage (9 page)

“Get along with Shanna?”

“Sure.”

“What would you think about the two of you putting together some more of those events like the one we had here? I’ll talk, she’ll sell books, and we’ll try to raise not only money, but awareness of the cause. I’d like to do maybe a half-dozen of them during the summer in small towns all along the bay.”

“It’s a fantastic idea!” Connie said at once. “I’d love to work on it. Do you think I could come to the foundation’s headquarters sometime so you could bring me up
to speed on all the research that’s being done? And I’d love to go out on the boat when you’re working on one of your studies. I think I’ll be more effective if I actually know what I’m talking about.”

Thomas was pleased by both her enthusiasm and her businesslike approach. “Just call whenever you have the time and we’ll make it happen. You, Shanna and I should get together soon, too, to talk about all this. I’ve mentioned it to her, but I could see she was a little overwhelmed by the thought of doing this all on her own. And Kevin would kill me if I stole too much of his new wife’s attention.”

“Shanna and I can handle this, no problem,” Connie said eagerly. “And I’ll put my daughter to work on it, too, until she leaves for college. It’ll be good for her to think about something other than boys this summer.”

Thomas laughed. “I doubt you can stop a teenage girl from thinking about boys for even a minute.”

Connie sighed. “But I can dream, can’t I?”

“Of course you can,” he said. “Seems to me that not nearly enough dreaming goes on these days.” He gestured around. “After all, it was Mick’s dreaming that created this town. Shanna’s bookstore is her dream, and that new quilt shop is Heather’s. Even Megan has fulfilled a dream with that art gallery of hers.” He studied Connie. “Other than trying to keep your daughter out of mischief with boys, what’s your dream?”

Her expression sobered, and the light in her eyes died. “I gave up on those kinds of dreams a long time ago,” she said quietly.

There was no self-pity in her voice, just a hint of regret that nearly broke his heart.

“One of these days maybe you’ll tell me about those long-ago dreams of yours,” he said kindly. “You see, the thing about dreams is that it’s never really too late to make them come true.”

Connie shook her head. “Sometimes it is.” She forced a smile and waved off the gloomy moment. “Enough of that. Not only have I had a lovely day with family today, but I have something exciting and worthwhile to look forward to. I’ll be in touch with you soon about that visit.”

Thomas nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”

To his surprise, as she walked away, he realized it was the first time in ages he’d looked forward to something besides work. Of course, a case could be made that this was work, too, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt hopeful, as if he’d just met a kindred spirit under very unlikely circumstances.

Heather wasn’t entirely surprised when she opened her door and found Connor on her doorstep. She’d been half-expecting his arrival ever since she’d left the O’Briens’ Easter celebration.

“I wanted to stop by before I head back to Baltimore to make sure you’re okay,” he said.

She folded her arms around her middle. “I’m fine.”

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“No.”

Ready to step inside, Connor regarded her with shock as her refusal registered. “Why not? Do you have someone in there you don’t want me to meet?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

He frowned. “Well, what am I supposed to think? People don’t just turn away friends for no reason.”

“Friends don’t embarrass friends in front of other people, either.”

“So, you are ticked off about the kiss,” he concluded. “I figured as much.”

“Connor, why would you do such a thing in front of your family?” she asked, thoroughly exasperated with him. “It’s hard enough for me without you blurring the lines. I’m doing my best to make sure your son is surrounded by extended family, and you’re about to make it impossible for me to spend any time at all with you
or
your family.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about any of that,” he admitted candidly. “I was just trying to prove that your feelings for me haven’t changed.”

“I never said they had,” she said. “I just told you I was no longer going to act on them, that our relationship wasn’t healthy the way it was. Kissing me to prove some stupid point is hardly likely to get me to change my mind.”

“Again, very sorry,” he said contritely. “If you let me in, I’ll write it a hundred times on a piece of paper. That’s what Mrs. Brinkley made me do when I misbehaved in class.”

Heather bit back a smile. “Then I’m surprised you had time to do anything else.”

“It was a challenge,” he admitted, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

When she didn’t budge, he sobered. “Why don’t you want me in your apartment?” he asked. “The truth, please.”

Heather hesitated, then opted for candor. “It’ll make it too hard. This apartment is mine and little Mick’s. You’ve
never been here. I don’t see you everywhere I look. If I invite you in, all that will change.”

Connor immediately looked chagrined. “I should have thought of that. Heaven knows, I see you in every square inch of our townhouse. It drives me crazy sometimes. Everywhere I look there’s some picture with a special memory tied to it.”

Heather was surprised that he actually got it, even more surprised that he was willing to admit it. When she’d left, he’d feigned indifference. Oh, he’d asked her to stay, argued with her about her reasons for leaving, but in the end he’d shrugged off her actual departure. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but not that. It felt good to know that her absence wasn’t something he’d gotten over easily.

“Thank you for understanding,” she said. “This transition is hard enough. Learning to find my way with your family without letting them overpower me is tricky. They’re everywhere. I need some space that’s just mine.”

“A Connor-free zone,” he joked, though there was sorrow in his eyes when he said it.

“It won’t always be this way,” she said. “At least I hope it won’t.”

“We’ll find a way to make sure it isn’t,” he told her, then framed her face with his hands and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back next weekend, Heather.”

Startled, she could only stare before she finally found her voice. “Next weekend? But I thought…”

“What? That you’d be safe here for weeks on end? Sorry, but I’ve discovered a sudden need to be around family. And as my father has taken to pointing out at
every opportunity, I have a son who needs to spend time with his dad.”

“You could have little Mick for the whole weekend,” she said, unable to keep a desperate note from her voice. “I could send him to Baltimore with Abby on Friday morning.”

“His life has been disrupted enough. His home’s here now. Since Mom and Dad are heading for Paris this week on that delayed honeymoon of theirs, I’ll have the house to myself. Little Mick and I can be bachelors for a couple of days.”

He almost looked as if he expected her to argue, but Heather simply nodded. “Fine, but if I hear about you introducing our son to beer, poker and wild women at his age, you’ll be in a heap of trouble.”

A startled expression passed over Connor’s face, but then he laughed. “I think that’s one worry you can cross off your list,” he assured her. “When we’re not fishing or hanging out with the other kids, I have a stack of cases needing my attention. It’ll be a very low-key weekend.” He held her gaze. “Feel free to stop by at any time, day or night, to check it out.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can trust you,” she said, resolving not to get within a hundred yards of Connor next weekend, especially in private and after dark, when her willpower tended to be weakest and his charm most devastating.

He regarded her innocently. “You don’t think I’d try to seduce you, do you?”

“I
know
you’d try,” she said tartly. “The bigger question is what I’d do about it.”

“Now you’re just taunting me,” he joked.

“Sadly, I’m not.” She knew the admission had been a
mistake, when she spotted the immediate glint in his eyes. Stepping back inside her apartment, she said, “Goodbye, Connor,” then closed the door very firmly behind her.

It was several minutes before she heard his footsteps going down the stairs. Something told her he’d been debating knocking on her door once more and trying to press the advantage she’d foolishly given him by admitting the power he still had over her.

The more important question, though, was how she was going to manage to avoid him next weekend. Or, worse, whether she even wanted to.

M
egan had clothes strewn all over the bed as she tried to decide what to take with her to Paris. Mick sat in a chair, observing the scene with the kind of masculine amusement that could set a woman’s teeth on edge.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she muttered. “I can still decide to stay right here. The truth is, I think this is a bad time for us to be going away, even though the thought of Paris in April is just about the most romantic thing I can think of.”

“You don’t want to go because of Connor and Heather,” Mick guessed at once, proving that he was more attuned to the family nuances than she’d given him credit for being.

“Mick, I just don’t like the way things stand between those two,” she said, sitting down on the side of the bed clutching an armload of lingerie. “At this rate, I’m very much afraid they’ll never find common ground.”

“Since you’re the one who’s always telling me not to meddle, I’ll turn the tables and tell you the same thing. Connor will do whatever he wants to do. We can’t influence him. We should both know that by now.”

“It’s just so sad, and I feel as if it’s all our fault for setting the example that made him so cynical.”

“We may have laid the groundwork, but it’s his job that’s sealed the deal,” Mick complained. “I wish he’d come back here and set up a law practice. For one thing, it would put him and Heather in close proximity. With the strong bond they already have over their son, I think that’s all it would take to get them back together.”

“What kind of law could Connor practice in Chesapeake Shores? Real estate closings and wills? Defending people ticketed for traffic violations?” Megan scoffed.

“It would be an improvement over what he’s doing now,” Mick insisted.

“I don’t disagree, but you know our son, Mick. He’d be bored to tears in a few weeks.”

“Not if he’s back with his family,” Mick said.

Megan regarded him incredulously. “Surely you know better than that. You had your very large family right here, and that wasn’t enough to keep you from chasing from one end of the country to the other on development jobs. You needed the challenge those jobs provided. Connor’s the same. He needs to have a demanding, fulfilling career.”

“My work was entirely different,” Mick claimed. “That’s just the nature of the kind of architecture and urban design I did. I had to go where the work was.”

Megan backed down. “Fair enough. Let’s not have that discussion again at this late date. I’m just saying that Connor’s a lot like you. He needs a challenge. As much as I’d love to have him living here, I don’t know if he’d find that kind of challenge practicing law in Chesapeake Shores.”

But Mick already had his teeth into the idea. “I’m
pretty sure old man Porter’s going to retire one of these days. The town will be without an attorney. Oh, there are others in nearby towns, of course, but people like trusting their business to someone they know. Seems like the perfect opportunity for a young man just starting out.”

“Do you really believe that Connor will trade the partnership he’s worked so hard for in a prestigious Baltimore law firm for a private practice in Chesapeake Shores? He’s ambitious, Mick.”

“Only one way to find out,” Mick said, not backing down.

Megan frowned at him. “Don’t you dare go to Joshua Porter and try to manipulate him into offering some deal to Connor.”

“Of course not,” Mick said indignantly. “Porter and I are barely on speaking terms, anyway.” He winked at her. “I’ll send Ma. He’s handled her legal affairs for years.”

“Please don’t drag Nell into this,” she pleaded.

“I won’t ‘drag’ her into anything. I’ll plant the idea. She’ll do what she wants to do.” He gave her a knowing look. “You should understand all about that kind of thing. You planted the notions that had Kevin and the others luring Connor down here to discover Heather was living in Chesapeake Shores, did you not? You’re not above a little meddling, Megan O’Brien, so don’t pretend you are.”

“Guilty,” she admitted. “I just worry that one of these days it will all blow up in our faces.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ll be out of town,” he said, grinning. “Now, why don’t you forget all that packing that seems to have you completely befuddled and come over here?”

She saw the glint in his eyes and immediately felt her blood stir. Someone, though, had to be practical. “But we’re leaving tomorrow,” she protested.

“And whatever there’s no time to pack, we can buy in Paris. We’ll find you a whole new wardrobe from the skin out,” he said, reaching for her and pulling her into his lap. “Then, again, we could spend the whole vacation naked. It is, after all, our honeymoon.”

She settled against his chest. “If you think I’m going to miss one single second of Paris by staying shut up in a hotel room, you’re crazy as a loon, Mick O’Brien.”

He laughed. “If that’s the case, all the more reason to start the honeymoon now.”

She smiled at his eagerness. “You have a point.”

When Mick kissed her, she forgot all about Connor, packing and even Paris. And that was probably exactly what he’d intended.

The mediation with Clint and Barbara Wilder was not going according to plan. Armed with reports from his private investigation that showed Mrs. Wilder had, in fact, come from a troubled past, Connor had pressed her attorney for a meeting and a quick, amicable settlement. The director’s wife had flown in from Los Angeles on the red-eye and arrived in his office looking exhausted.

A petite wisp of a woman with eyes too big for her small face, Barbara Wilder looked fragile and younger than her years. That weariness and impression of fragility vanished in a heartbeat, though, when Clint walked into the conference room. She stood up straighter and stared him down, fiery sparks of anger in her eyes. Her attorney gently touched her arm and she sat back down.

“Babs,” Wilder said coolly. “You look beat.”

“How gallant of you to mention it,” she retorted. “You beckoned. I came. Let’s get this over with.”

For one brief instant, Connor thought he saw an unsettled expression in his client’s eyes, as if he’d never expected his wife to have any fight left. Before Wilder could respond and start an argument, Connor stepped in.

“I believe all of us want to wrap this up as fairly as possible,” he began.

“Maybe you do,” Barbara Wilder snapped. “I doubt Clint does—not if that offer he put on the table is any indication.”

“It’s a generous offer,” Connor insisted.

She whirled on him. “In what universe? We have documents showing the millions of dollars in assets he’s hidden away. Has he mentioned those to you? Did he admit to you the long list of affairs he’s had during our marriage?”

Clint sat back, listening, his expression smug. When she’d wound down, he turned to Connor. “I assume you can counter that.”

“I can,” Connor confirmed. “But I’d rather this not get ugly.” He took a longer look into Barbara Wilder’s eyes and saw not avarice, but sorrow, not revenge, but fear. Out of the blue, for the first time since he’d been handling divorces, he saw the other side more clearly, in human, rather than monetary terms.

When she met his gaze, there were tears in her eyes. “Obviously you have the pictures,” she said. “I was sixteen years old and living on the streets when I resorted to letting myself be photographed in the nude. At the time, I thought it was better than the alternative.”

Connor winced at her matter-of-fact recitation. “The alternative?”

“Prostitution. Pictures of myself were one thing, but I don’t think I could have sold my body to one man after another the way so many young girls in my position wound up doing. I was a naive kid from Wisconsin. You’ve heard this story before, I’m sure. I came out to Los Angeles with such high hopes. I didn’t know that it would be impossible to get an audition with no agent and no experience. Everyone back home said I was beautiful, that I ought to be in the movies. I’d gotten the lead in my school plays practically since first grade. When things got bad at home, I ran toward a dream. It turned out to be a nightmare.”

She regarded Connor with defiance. “I’m not proud of those pictures, but I’m not ashamed, either. I did what was necessary to survive.”

That, of course, was the part Connor couldn’t have known. Once again, he had to face the human side of a very real tragedy. Sympathy wasn’t in his client’s best interests, but he could practically hear Heather yelling in his ear that he had to take this woman’s story into account, not use it against her.

Mrs. Wilder gave him a plaintive look. “I hate what I did. I certainly don’t want it to go public so that my kids will find out about it.” She turned to her husband. “But if that’s the way it has to be for me to get what’s fair, then you go for it, Clint. I’m not the one who’ll come out of this looking sleazy—it’ll be you. See how many of your leading ladies will crawl into your bed once they’ve seen how you treated the mother of your children.”

Connor drew in a deep breath. “She’s right,” he told his client.

“I don’t give a damn,” Clint exploded.

“You have two children,” Connor reminded him. “
They
will care if their father drags their mother through the mud just to save a few bucks he can well afford.”

Barbara Wilder regarded Connor with surprise, while his client stared at him with barely banked fury. They all waited.

“Okay, fine,” Clint said, shoving back his chair. “Double it, but that’s my final offer.” He stormed from the room.

Barbara Wilder stared after him.

Her attorney stood up and shook Connor’s hand. “You did the right thing. Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Mrs. Wilder said softly, tears in her eyes. “The saddest part of this is that even now, after everything he’s done, I’d still rather have him than all the money in the world.”

“You’re better off without him,” Connor told her candidly.

She gave him a rueful smile. “You’re not the first to tell me that. I suppose one of these days, I’ll believe it.”

After everyone had gone, Connor walked back into his office and sat down. He found himself wanting to pick up the phone and call Heather, to tell her about what had happened here today, the epiphany he’d had. Okay, maybe
epiphany
was too strong a word for what had happened. He’d simply opened his eyes and seen two sides to a very sad story. He couldn’t help wondering if that was an entirely good thing. It might make him more human, but it could make him a less effective attorney, at least when it came to divorce law.

He supposed the old saying was true—time would tell.

As Friday drew closer, Heather became more and more anxious. Though she was pretty sure she could avoid most contact with Connor, they were bound to be thrown together more than she’d prefer. She had a hunch he’d see to it.

When Bree popped in on her way to her theater company rehearsal, she regarded Heather with curiosity. “Why are you so jumpy? Is it because Connor’s coming down tomorrow for the weekend?”

“I just didn’t expect him to start spending so much time here,” Heather admitted, unable to keep a plaintive note out of her voice. “He hardly ever came to Chesapeake Shores before.”

“Because you and his son weren’t here,” Bree said. “You’re the big draw.”

“It’s little Mick who’s the draw,” she contradicted, though she knew otherwise, too. She just didn’t want to acknowledge the truth—it was too disconcerting. “I don’t know why Connor wouldn’t let me send little Mick up to Baltimore tomorrow with Abby.”

Bree gave her a disbelieving look. “Really? You have no idea why he preferred coming here to that option? Do you really need me to spell it out for you?”

“Okay, maybe it is about me,” she conceded reluctantly, “but why now? And to what end? Nothing’s changed. I still want a future. Connor doesn’t.”

“Oh, Connor wants a future with you,” Bree said. “He just wants it the easy way.”

She pulled out a chair at the table where Heather gave her quilting lessons and lowered herself slowly into it.
“Let me give you a little insight into my brother,” Bree said. “Things have always been easy for him. He cruised through school without having to study too hard. He was a star ballplayer without much effort. He even managed to get himself noticed by a big law firm without much of a struggle. He wins some huge percentage of his cases in court.”

“I think he’s worked harder for all that than you’re giving him credit for,” Heather said. “I was there when he was studying until all hours in law school. I saw the time he put in to win those cases in court.”

“My point is that he doesn’t have a lot of experience at losing or having to fight for things. The minute he realized he wouldn’t go straight into the majors playing baseball, he walked away. He takes high-profile, tough cases, but only if he’s convinced he can win. You’ve been a surprise to him, Heather. He actually lost something that mattered. At first, I suspect he was flat-out stunned. Now that he’s getting his feet back under him, he’s decided that losing is not an option.”

“It’s a fight he can’t win,” Heather told her determinedly. “Not without compromise.”

“He’ll figure that out,” Bree assured her. “Eventually. Until then, you might as well accept that he’s going to be in your face. If you can’t deal with that, you’ll need to be somewhere farther away than Chesapeake Shores.”

Heather sighed. She knew Bree was right. She’d just have to toughen up and not let Connor’s presence get to her. Because losing the future she truly wanted for herself—Connor and her son—was simply not an option. Neither was running away.

All day Friday, Heather jumped every time the door of her shop opened; but by closing time there was still no sign of Connor. Nor had he called.

Fortunately, little Mick was too young to really grasp that Daddy was supposed to be coming to pick him up, but she could envision a time in the future when Connor would be setting their son up for disappointment with this kind of behavior.

Annoyed, at least in part because she’d gotten herself all wound up over nothing, she decided to take her son to Sally’s for dinner. He could smash an entire plate of French fries if he wanted to, and she could have the burger she’d been craving all day. She figured they deserved to splurge by eating out.