Moonlight Cove (17 page)

“More than you can imagine,” she said. “I have something for the occasions when a dozen roses won’t quite do the trick.”

“Maybe that would be overkill for these circum
stances,” he said. “How about classy and romantic, instead?”

“I can definitely do classy and romantic.”

“Something uniquely for Jess?” he asked.

“So, this thing between you two is getting pretty serious,” Bree said.

“I hope so. Any objections?”

“None from me. I adore my sister. Jake’s a little concerned, though.”

“So he’s mentioned,” Will said. “I’ve told him to butt out.”

“Apparently there’s a lot of that going around lately. He’s beginning to feel useless.”

Will was lost. “Who besides me has told him to stay out of their business?”

“Connie. It seems she’s dating Thomas. Jake nearly went into cardiac arrest when he found out.”

“I can imagine,” Will said. “Thomas has to be, what, ten years older at least?”

“Something like that,” Bree said.

“No wonder she stopped accepting the dates I was setting up for her,” Will murmured. He pictured Connie and Thomas O’Brien together, and surprisingly, they fit. He’d seen evidence of it firsthand at the fall festival. He wondered if his computer system would see it the same way. “They could work. Connie needs a man who knows exactly who he is, who’s accomplished and settled and can offer her everything she deserves.”

“That’s the way I see it, too,” Bree said. “I’m just worried about what will happen when Dad gets wind of this. He lumps Connie in with all the rest of us kids because she’s Jake’s sister, even though she’s quite a bit older. He’s liable to accuse Thomas of robbing the
cradle and then those two will be back to not speaking again.”

“They enjoy their battles,” Will said. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“I just don’t want Dad to make Connie or Thomas feel uncomfortable.”

“Right now I think he has his hands full trying to manage me and Jess,” Will said wryly.

“Oh, believe me, he can juggle all of us. He was over here earlier today grumbling that the baby’s portable playpen should be up here in front where it would get more light. And he thought she needed a warmer sweater and that she should probably start on solid food. She looked too skinny to him.”

Will chuckled. “It may be exasperating, but at least Mick’s an involved parent and grandparent these days. I remember a time when you all complained about how often he was gone and how little he knew about your lives.”

Bree sighed heavily. “Yeah, I think this falls into the ‘be careful what you wish for’ category.”

“Look, I’ve got to run. I want to get to the hospital before my patient manages to check herself out. You’ll take care of the flowers?”

“Done,” Bree said. “And I’ll write a sappy note for you, too.”

“Maybe you should leave the sappy notes to me,” Will suggested. “Stick with ‘Love, Will.’”

“Trust me. You’re going to need more than that to keep Jess from getting ticked off because you’re missing a date.”

“We didn’t have a date. We had tentative plans.” He recalled how Jess had turned a similar situation into a
rock-solid commitment just days ago. “Never mind. Go with sappy. Thanks, Bree.”

“Anytime.”

Will hoped there wouldn’t be all that many times when he needed to be bailed out of a jam, but given the sometimes unpredictable nature of his work, it was probably likely. He wondered if Jess would be able to accept that, and, if she couldn’t, what would happen to the future he wanted with her.

Tired of waiting around for a man who’d clearly forgotten that he’d promised to come by, Jess dragged herself up to the attic to take another stab at clearing out the last of the debris. Laila had promised to deal with the paperwork on the construction loan by the end of this week. After that, Mick could get started with the renovations.

Annoyed with Will, even though she knew she was probably being ridiculous, she tossed things into garbage bags with a vengeance, barely noticing whether they were worth keeping or not.

When she finally heard footsteps on the stairs, she scowled in the direction of the door, fully expecting it to be Will. Instead, it was her sister, carrying a small arrangement of lilies of the valley in an obviously expensive crystal vase.

“Why are you making such a racket up here?” Bree asked, then grinned. “Or need I ask? You’re upset because Will hasn’t stopped by.”

“What makes you think that?” Jess demanded irritably. “I don’t give two hoots about Will.”

“Really? Then what are you upset about?”

“Life. Men. I don’t know,” she said with a heavy sigh.
She glanced again at the flowers. She’d always loved lilies of the valley. Her mother had lined a flagstone walkway at the house with them. After she’d gone, Jess had waited each spring for them to bloom, hoping that maybe they’d bring her mother back again since she’d loved them so much. “Where’d the flowers come from? It’s hard to get lilies of the valley this time of year.”

“But they’re your favorites,” Bree said. “And I happen to own a flower shop. So when a customer calls and requests something special for my little sister, I knew just what she’d like.”

Jess held her breath, then asked, “Who called?”

“Will, of course. Apparently he had a patient with some kind of crisis and he had to get to the hospital. He didn’t want you to think he’d forgotten he’d told you he’d see you today.” Bree studied her intently. “But, of course, that’s exactly what you thought, isn’t it?”

Jess nodded, reaching for the delicate flowers and burying her nose in them. When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” Bree asked worriedly. “Do you suddenly hate lilies of the valley for some reason?”

“No, it’s just that they always remind me of Mom. I used to pick them in the spring and bring them inside in case she came home.”

“Oh, sweetie, I didn’t realize they made you so sad. I’m sorry.”

“No, they don’t always make me sad. They brought me joy, too, made me feel more in touch with her, I guess, because I knew how much she’d loved them. It was sweet of you to think of them and of Will to send them. Is there a card?”

Bree pulled a card from her pocket and handed it over.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I really wish, I were there with you.

She looked up from the card, laughing. “You wrote this, didn’t you? Will would never write such lousy poetry.”

“How do you know?” Bree demanded indignantly. “Maybe he would.”

Jess stood up and hugged her sister. “Thank you for trying to make me feel better. Why didn’t he just call me and tell me what was going on?”

“I think he thought a gesture like flowers would say more. The guy’s obviously crazy about you. More important, I think he gets how you think. You were up here thinking he’d abandoned you, weren’t you?”

Jess nodded sheepishly. “It’s nuts, I know. It’s not as if we had specific plans.”

“Don’t you suppose that reaction can be traced straight back to Mom leaving? If our own mother could go off and leave us, what’s to stop anyone else from going?”

Jess nodded. “Exactly. And for so long I blamed myself. I thought I was too much trouble and that’s why she’d gone.”

Bree regarded her with surprise. “I didn’t realize that. I should have, I guess.”

“Why? You’re not that much older than me. You weren’t much more than a kid yourself. Abby knew, and Gram.”

“Did Dad?”

Jess shook her head. “Not unless Gram told him.
He was in so much pain himself, he was pretty much oblivious to the way the rest of us felt.”

Bree pulled her back down to the floor and sat beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “You do know that not everyone leaves, right? I trust Jake with all my heart. He won’t take off. Ditto with Trace. Abby’s stuck with him for the rest of her life.” She faced Jess squarely. “I think Will falls into the same category. I think he’s one of those men who will mate for life.”

Jess smiled at her phrasing. “I think so, too,” she admitted, then met her sister’s gaze with a troubled expression. “What if I’m not one of those women? I know Jake, Mack, half the people who know us are worried about that. Even Connor and Kevin, who know me best, have their doubts I can stick it out.”

“They’re all worrying about nothing,” Bree assured her. “You’ll take your time, fret over this from every angle, but once you decide, whether it’s on Will or someone else, you’ll stick with him. Personally, I think it is Will. I saw something in your eyes when you talked about him the other day. It’s the same look Abby gets when she talks about Trace, or Kevin when he sees Shanna, or Connor spots Heather, or even when Mom and Dad see each other. Will’s the one, sweetie, but don’t take my word for it. Wait until you’re sure, but don’t walk away because you’re scared.”

Jess sighed. “It’s too late,” she admitted. “I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.”

A
fter Bree left, Jess put Will’s flowers on the night table beside her bed where she’d see them first thing in the morning. The lovely scent filled her room and stirred her senses. They also stirred some kind of sentimental reaction she’d never experienced before.

In the time she’d been working in the attic, the weather had turned from a crisp, sunny fall afternoon to a cold, dreary rain. Though she had no idea when Will was likely to get home after dealing with his patient, she felt an unexpected need to be there waiting for him when he returned. Acting on impulse, she grabbed her purse, a rain jacket, and went down to the kitchen.

“Gail, is there any soup on hand?” she asked, already poking around in the refrigerator.

“I froze some of the last batch of vegetable soup I made,” Gail said. “Want me to defrost that?”

Jess shook her head. What a day like today called for was Gram’s potato soup and maybe a loaf of crusty bread.

“There’s bread, though, right?”

Gail pointed to the counter. “Whole grain, still
warm from the oven. I made a couple of extra loaves. I thought you might like it tonight. It seems like that kind of day. Anything that’s left will be good for toast for breakfast.”

“You’re fabulous. Thank you,” she said sincerely. “Wrap a loaf up for me, would you?” Then she called her grandmother. “Hi, Gram.”

“Well, hello,” Gram said. “I’m guessing you have a hankering for some of my soup.”

Once again, Jess was taken aback by her grandmother’s intuition. “How on earth did you know that? Have you turned into a mind reader now?”

Gram laughed. “Hardly, though some said my mother had what they called the second sight. In my case, it’s just knowing each of my grandchildren. Whenever the weather takes a turn like it did today, you were always the first one in the kitchen sniffing around to see if I’d made potato soup.”

“And have you?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t let you down, would I? Stop by and we’ll eat together. I’d love the company.”

Jess flushed guiltily. “Would you mind terribly if I took it to go? I thought I’d take some over to Will’s, but I will stay and visit with you while you eat.”

“That’ll do,” Gram said without even a hint of resentment in her voice. Somehow she always managed to sound eager to see her grandchildren for whatever time they could spare. She never tried to inflict guilt over the timing or infrequency of their visits. “I’ll see you when you get here. Drive carefully.”

“I will. See you soon,” Jess said, then grabbed another loaf of bread and a few of Gail’s cookies for her grandmother before heading out.

“I’m not your personal chef, you know,” Gail called after her, feigning exasperation.

“Next best thing,” Jess retorted, laughing. “Thanks. You’re an angel. No wonder our guests rave about you!”

When she reached Gram’s cottage, she pulled her parka hood over her head and made a dash for the front door. It was standing ajar and Gram was already nearby with a towel.

“Here,” she said. “Dry yourself off and have a seat in front of the fire. I’m eating in here. It’s much cozier than the kitchen.”

“I brought a loaf of Gail’s bread and some of her cookies,” Jess said, handing over the fresh baked goods.

“Wonderful. That bread of hers is just the thing to go with a bowl of soup. Are you sure you won’t eat a bite before you go to Will’s?”

“No, I’ll wait,” Jess said, then settled onto the sofa and pulled a handmade afghan over her legs. “This feels wonderful. It’s turning into a nasty night out there.”

“I hear we could have snow by morning,” Gram said. “Be sure you’re careful on the roads. Even if there’s no snow, you could be dealing with some of that dangerous black ice.”

“I will be,” Jess promised, studying her grandmother closely. Since leaving Mick’s house, after he and Megan had rewed, and returning to her own cottage, her color seemed better. Her social life had certainly picked up in terms of the commitments she’d made at the church. Now that she was free of the demands of looking after a huge house and her grandchildren, she seemed to have been reenergized.

“How’ve you been? You’re not overdoing it, are you?” Jess asked.

“I’m fit as a fiddle, now that I don’t have the five of you running me ragged anymore,” Nell said. “I’ve left all those worries to your father and Megan.”

Jess grinned. “You can’t break an old habit that quickly, Gram. You’ll always worry about us.”

Her eyes sparkled with merriment. “Oh, I suppose I might give a thought to each of you now and then,” she admitted. “Here’s
my
news, though. I won fifty dollars at bingo the other night. Should have had the big jackpot—I was only one number away—but Heather’s mother snatched it right out from under me.”

“I’d forgotten Bridget had come back from Ohio for another visit,” Jess said.

“She was missing that grandson of hers. She got real attached to him while she was staying with Heather. I have a feeling once her husband finally retires, they’ll move over here.”

Jess was surprised. “From everything Heather told me, I thought they were going to divorce.”

“Funny thing about weddings,” Gram said. “They make people take another look at what and who matters in their lives. I think when Heather and Connor got married, it did that for the Donovans. Bridget seems much happier now. Seems like she and her husband made some long-needed adjustments.” She met Heather’s gaze. “Now tell me about you and Will. I gather you’ve decided to test the waters finally.”

“There’s nothing much to tell,” Jess said with a shrug, not entirely comfortable with discussing this with her grandmother, even though she’d asked for her advice only a couple of weeks earlier. Then the topic had been
more theoretical. Now she was about to throw herself into the man’s arms, if he’d have her.

“We’re spending more time together,” she told Gram. “But I think it’s going to take some time before we get our signals straight. I’m still a little too quick to jump to conclusions about things and misjudge him.”

“An old habit,” Gram said. “You learned to protect your feelings at a young age.”

“And I still have trouble believing in anyone, Will included.”

“And yet you’re running over there tonight with soup. That sounds to me like a woman who’s allowed herself to care,” Gram said perceptively.

“I do care,” Jess admitted. “I just don’t know how much. I mean, I think I’m starting to care a lot, but I don’t entirely trust myself, either. I’ve jumped into things with men before and then abandoned them the minute I lost interest. With most of them, it didn’t matter that much, but I don’t want to hurt Will like that.”

“He’s a grown man, who knows his own mind,” Gram reminded her. “More important, he’s a man who knows
you.
”

“I think I’m figuring out the advantages of that,” Jess said, then glanced at her watch.

“Run along,” Gram said, smiling at her impatience. “I’ve put the soup into a container for you. It’s in a tote bag on the kitchen table. You can return them whenever you have a chance. Give Will my love.”

“I wonder if I should call to see if he’s even home yet?” Jess wondered aloud. “I’d really wanted to surprise him, though.”

“A surprise would be a nice gesture. I’m sure he’d
appreciate it. Take a chance. That’s what living is all about, taking a risk now and again.”

Jess grinned as she hugged her grandmother. “You’re an old romantic, aren’t you?”

“I’ve had a few moments in my time,” Gram said with a wink. “Who knows? One of these days, I may have a few more. I keep threatening to take up with a gentleman caller. Drives your father nuts when I mention it.”

“Oh, boy,” Jess said. “Poor Dad.”

Gram chuckled. “Just seeing how he handles me going out on dates will be worth it, don’t you think?”

“It will, indeed. Maybe if you do it soon, it would get him to focus on something besides me and Will.”

“You’re a dreamer, child.”

Jess chuckled. “More than likely. Love you. See you Sunday, if not before.”

“I love you, too, darling girl. Enjoy your evening.”

“I hope to,” Jess said. In fact, her hopes were higher than they’d been in quite a while.

Will wasn’t sure which was worse, the struggle to convince his patient to stay in the hospital for further evaluation and treatment or the drive back to Chesapeake Shores in the pouring rain. All he knew was how relieved he felt when he finally pulled into a parking space behind his building, opened the front door and stepped into the heat of the building’s small foyer, then got his mail and started up the stairs to his condo.

As he turned toward the top landing, he spotted Jess sitting on the steps with a tote bag beside her. She was leaning against the wall and looked to be half-asleep. No surprise, since it was after eleven.

“Well now, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said wearily.

She blinked, and a slow smile spread across her face. “It’s about time you came home. I was about to give up hope. I thought maybe you were going to spend the night at the hospital.”

“It was a very long and crappy day,” he said. “Come on in. What’s in the bag?”

“Gram’s potato soup and a loaf of Gail’s freshly baked bread.”

He smiled. “You are a goddess!” he declared.

“I think maybe Gram and Gail are the ones who deserve the credit, but thanks. The soup will need to be heated. I’ve been out here quite a while. I wanted to surprise you.”

“You succeeded. Come on inside. If you’ve been waiting for me to eat, you must be starved.”

“Are you sure you’re not too tired for company?”

“I will never be too tired to spend time with you,” he insisted, ushering her into his apartment.

He tossed his briefcase and jacket onto a chair, then took Jess’s coat. “Would you mind terribly if I took a quick shower?”

“Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll heat up the soup and the bread.”

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Like I said, a goddess! See you in a couple of minutes.”

“Take your time.”

As he stood under the hard spray of his shower, he thought about finding Jess on his doorstep at the end of an exhausting day. He had no idea what had really brought her there, but just the unexpected sight of her had rejuvenated him. The shower finished the job.

When he walked into the kitchen wearing clean jeans and a sweater, the aroma of the soup and the bread had him stopping in his tracks to sniff the air appreciatively.

When he opened his eyes, Jess was smiling. “Careful, or I’m going to think you’re more interested in this food than you are in me.”

He slipped an arm around her waist as she stirred the soup. “Right this second, I have to say it’s a toss-up,” he admitted.

“Now that’s a fine thing to say when you’re trying to win my heart,” she accused, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. “So, you didn’t mind the surprise?”

“Of course not. It was the best part of my day so far.”

Her eyes widened. “So far?”

“Well, finding you on my doorstep late at night has raised some interesting possibilities, especially since there’s no way I’m letting you go back out on those slick roads tonight. The rain was turning to sleet just as I got back to town.”

She swallowed hard. “I see. How comfortable is that couch of yours?”

“I’d never let a guest sleep on the couch,” he protested, grinning at her.

“I was asking for you,” she said. “I’d hate for you to wake up with a kink in your neck.”

Will laughed. “I guess we still have some heavy-duty negotiating to do before the night is over. You’d better feed me first.”

He found a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, while Jess put big bowls of steaming soup on the kitchen table, along with slices of the crusty bread and plenty
of butter. He pulled out a chair for her, then sat down across from her. He lifted his glass.

“To you. Thanks for being just what I needed tonight.”

Jess smiled, her cheeks turning pink. “And to you,” she said. “The lilies of the valley you sent couldn’t have been more perfect.”

“I guess we know each other pretty well, don’t we?” he said. “Of course, I can’t really take credit for the type of flowers. That was all Bree.”

“But you knew what I’d be thinking and that you needed to send something to remind me you hadn’t forgotten about me,” she said. “It was a sweet gesture, Will. You have no idea how much I appreciated that.”

Will looked into her eyes. “Tell me what you were thinking before they came.”

She made a wry grimace. “Exactly what you thought I’d be thinking, that you’d abandoned me.”

“How am I supposed to prove to you that will never happen?” he asked.

Jess’s expression turned thoughtful. “It’s going to take time, I suppose,” she said. “And practice. All my life, people have gone away. My mother did and, for all intents and purposes, so did my Dad. Even Abby, Bree, Kevin and Connor, they all left me behind.”

Will heard the unmistakable hurt in her voice and said gently, “Have you ever considered the fact that, at least in the cases of your brothers and sisters, it’s not so much that they left you, but that you were the one who chose to stay?”

She frowned at the question. “Doesn’t it add up to the same thing? They were gone, and I was here.”

“By choice, Jess. If you’d wanted to leave Chesapeake
Shores, you could have. Instead, you chose a local college. You had your heart set on owning the inn long before you bought it. This town was always a part of you. I wonder if you weren’t determined to create the home here that you’d longed for as a child.” He gave her a knowing look. “I also think you stayed because of your father. You knew how much building this community meant to him. In a way, I think you thought staying would show him how much you loved him.”

She regarded him with a thoughtful expression. “I never thought of that, but you could be right.” Her expression turned quizzical. “By the way, how did you know I’d wanted to own the inn for so long?”

“That didn’t even require guesswork on my part. I spent a lot of time with you, remember? You, Connor and I would walk along the beach, and you’d look up there almost every single time with this yearning expression on your face and declare that someday it was going to be yours.”