Redemption Bay (Haven Point Book 2) (Contemporary Romance) (16 page)

“I hope you can still say that after an hour with Lindy-Grace’s rambunctious boys,” she said with a smile, before she herded the boys into the house to help her pack dinner while he headed out to the dock to ready the boat.

* * *

S
HE
NEVER
WOULD
have expected Ben Kilpatrick to be a child whisperer, but he seemed to have an uncanny knack with the two high-spirited boys. For the past hour, Luke and Caleb seemed to be having a fabulous time out on the water.

Ben had become their new best friend. He was fun, kind and extraordinarily patient, leaving McKenzie little to do but sit back and relax.

It was a perfect day to be out on the water. Sometimes Lake Haven could be rough with wind blowing down through the Redemptions, but today was calm and lovely.

These were the idyllic days she dreamed about during January and February, when the snows piled high and the wind was bitter. She leaned her head back, enjoying the sunshine that warmed her face, even behind her sunglasses and floppy hat.

A seductive sort of peace lapped against her like the water against the gleaming wooden hull of the Delphine. She closed her eyes, wanting to savor every sensation, from the sweet taste of the cherry licorice vines Ben had supplied to the funny but not unappealing mix of smells on the boat, gasoline and wood polish and sweaty little boys.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you so relaxed, Mayor Shaw.”

She opened one eye. “What’s not to be relaxed about, when you’ve been suckered into doing all the work?”

“Is that what happened here?”

“Let’s see. You’re the one driving the boat, showing the boys how to fish, helping them cast out, even baiting the hooks. I just have to sit here on this sexy boat of yours and soak up the rays. Seems like a win all around for me. Boo-yah. That’s how it’s done, people.”

He laughed, the most lighthearted sound she had heard from him. The sound seemed to send a funny little quiver of emotion straight to her heart.

She peeked at him under her sunglasses. Out here, he seemed far more relaxed and young and even...happy.

McKenzie couldn’t help remembering how he had looked the first evening he came back to Haven Point—tightly wound, humorless, hard. Right now, he looked like an entirely different man—a sexy, relaxed,
gorgeous
man.

“I think I’m getting the raw end of the deal here,” he said with a mock growl.

She grinned. “What? I brought sandwiches, didn’t I?”

He shook his head with a chuckle and she felt that strange tug in her chest again.

She was in serious danger of falling hard for him, she suddenly realized.

Ben Kilpatrick.

How was that even
possible
? She had nurtured so much anger and frustration toward him over the years as businesses closed one by one in the downtown area. Okay, it hadn’t been
completely
his fault, but he definitely should have been more proactive about taking care of his holdings here.

She could understand his priorities had been elsewhere. She could also understand, now that she had a little better understanding about his home life, how he wouldn’t have the fondest of feelings for his hometown.

She wasn’t ready to completely forgive him. Too much harm had been done to good people who just wanted to make a living in the town they loved.

On the other hand, what was she accomplishing by holding on to lingering resentment?

She thought of the advice she gave him the night before, about learning to let go of the past to focus on today. She might have been referring to his relationship with his mother but she could see now it applied just as well to her own situation.

She needed to let go and find room for, if not forgiveness, at least acceptance that neither of them could change what had happened over the past five years.

Was she ready for that?

Since she didn’t know the answer, she decided not to fret about it and thus ruin what was left of this perfect evening.

“Haven Point looks lovely from here, doesn’t it?” she asked.

Ben followed her gaze to where the buildings of the town clustered on shore and up the hillside. The mountains behind the town were encircled with wispy clouds, the way they often were in summer. A brief, cleansing afternoon thundershower in the mountains was more the norm than the exception.

“It does indeed.”

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually have the chance to live in such a beautiful place.”

He snorted, obviously seeing right through her rather obvious ploy. “Nice try, Mayor Shaw.”

“What? I was just thinking I honestly don’t know why anyone would want to live anywhere else.”

“The theater?” he suggested. “The ocean, maybe? A few more choices in restaurants?”

“We have theater here,” she protested. “Every year the high school stages a big musical and a couple other plays. They do a great job—and not only that, but we also have a community theater troupe. You probably didn’t know that, did you? They put on really excellent shows several times a year. Next month they’re doing
Fiddler on the Roof
, with Tony Rocca playing the part of Tevye. What he might lack in actual singing ability, he makes up for in volume. And girth. He does own the gelato store, after all. It’s too bad you’re going to miss it.”

“That almost sounds worth a return trip.”

“You won’t be disappointed, trust me. Plus, everybody who comes to the show gets a coupon for a single-scoop gelato of your choice. How can you lose?”

He laughed again and the sound seemed to swirl around her, sweeter and more delicious than Tony and Carmela’s best stracciatella.

“You’re a very good advocate for your community, Mayor. I’m not sure the people of Haven Point deserve so much devotion.”

“They do,” she answered firmly.

He didn’t answer for a moment, his mouth suddenly tight. She couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but he seemed troubled about something. He opened his mouth to say something but before he could, Luke shrieked.

“I just felt my pole move. I think I got something!”

“Probably a snag,” his brother predicted.

“Let’s take a look.” Ben stepped forward to help him. After a minor but dramatic battle—at least judging by the yelling of the boys—they set the hook and eventually pulled up a decent-sized lake trout.

“Did you see it, Kenzie? I caught a fish! A big one,” he exclaimed, holding it up high.

“That’s a nice one. Let’s get a picture so we can show your mom and dad.”

She snapped several with her cell phone, making sure to catch a few with Ben in them, too, whether he wanted her to or not. His high-powered associates at Caine Tech probably wouldn’t believe the picture of him out here, relaxed, wearing an Oakland A’s baseball cap and a blue T-shirt that clung to more muscles than he had a right to possess.

“It’s a great fish, isn’t it?” Luke said with pride.

“Should we take it home and have it for dinner?” she asked.

His eyes widened, aghast. “No way. I hate fish. I thought we were having sandwiches.”

“Do you want to let it go, then?” Ben asked. “If you do, we need to hurry and get him back in the water.”

McKenzie felt compelled to offer a suggestion. “If you don’t want it, Luke, I would love to give it to my neighbor, Mr. Twitchell. He has a deep and abiding passion for lake trout, sautéed in a little butter with lemon pepper seasoning. He can’t get out fishing like he used to.”

“He goes to our church. He’s cranky,” Caleb declared.

“He’s more sad than cranky,” she explained, to the boys and to Ben. “His wife died last Christmas and he’s not adjusting very well to being alone. Maybe it would cheer him up if somebody takes him his favorite kind of dinner.”

Luke appeared to think this over. “I guess it’s okay,” he finally said with a solemnity that rivaled a brain surgeon over the operating table.

She smiled. “Thanks, kiddo. You can come with me to take it over as soon as we dock.”

He didn’t particularly look thrilled at that prospect but she figured she could make sure he was at least polite to Mr. Twitchell.

“Are we going to eat first?” Caleb asked. “I’m
starving
.”

“Me, too,” Luke exclaimed. “I’m so hungry I could eat a worm.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” McKenzie said. “Let’s see what we can find so you don’t have to resort to such desperate measures.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

W
HO
WOULD
HAVE
ever guessed he could find such enjoyment out of an evening’s fishing with a couple of little boys and the mayor of Haven Point? When he stopped to think about it, the idea was more than a little surreal, but Ben couldn’t remember an evening he had enjoyed more.

It was one of those sweet, pure moments in life he didn’t want to end.

He had always figured he would never have kids—what kind of messed-up father would he be, given the example Joe had provided—but being with the boys made him think maybe that decision had been a hasty one.

He was actually much better with the kids than he ever would have expected and he enjoyed seeing their delight in everything, from his explanation about how the boat motor worked, to watching fish jump all around them at evening feeding time, to a story he had only just remembered about one magical night when he and some high school buddies had come out on the lake and caught a fish with almost every cast into the water.

The simple meal of club sandwiches, potato chips and a cold pasta salad seemed like gourmet fare when they were floating gently on Lake Haven as the sun began to sink behind the mountains.

After their picnic, they fished a little longer, until the sun had almost disappeared behind the cloud-shrouded peaks.

“I wish we could sleep on your boat,” Luke said, his tone wistful.

“We’d be too cold, silly,” his older brother said. “Plus, there’s not enough room for all of us.”

“Why don’t we go back to the house and build a blanket fort in my living room?” McKenzie suggested. “You can sleep in your sleeping bags there and it will be like camping.”

“Oh, that sounds fun,” Luke said. “After we take my big fish to Mr. Twitchell, right?”

“Of course. We can’t forget that.” She smiled softly at the boy and tugged his ball cap down a little more firmly on his head. Something twisted inside Ben’s chest. She was remarkable with them, unfailingly patient and kind. Every time he turned around, he seemed to find more things appealing about McKenzie Shaw.

He frowned a little as he drove the boat back toward the dock. Everything had seemed far easier when he thought this restless ache inside him was simply a physical attraction to a lovely woman with big dark eyes and a lush, kissable mouth.

He was beginning to suspect it wouldn’t take much for that attraction to deepen into something else, something far more dangerous to his peace of mind.

“Why the frown?” she asked, when they were nearly to the dock. “Is everything okay?”

“Fine,” he lied, forcing away his sudden unease. He was imagining things. He liked her and he lusted after her. That was as deep as he was willing to go. “I was just wondering how the dogs did without us. I hope it wasn’t a huge mistake, leaving them inside my place together. Who knows what kind of mischief they might get up to? I hope I don’t lose my deposit because they ripped down the curtains or pulled the stuffing out of the sofa pillows.”

“Rika is very well-behaved,” McKenzie said pertly. “She’ll keep that troublemaker of yours out of trouble.”

“Not mine,” he said automatically. “Only on a temporary basis, until I can find him a new home.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, give it up, Ben. You know you love Hondo now. It’s time you face the truth. Somehow you’re just going to have to figure out how to make a German shepherd fit into your busy life.”

He didn’t want to think about that, either, especially because he was very much afraid she was right.

“At least Rika and Hondo are both fixed,” he said, “so we don’t have to worry about any cute little Shepherdoodles showing up in a few months.”

“Isn’t that a relief,” she said as he slowed down to approach the dock. He pulled alongside, thinking again how perfect this house had been for his needs while he was in Haven Point.

Before he could even ask, McKenzie scrambled over the side of the boat and onto the dock so she could help him tie up the Delphine, like an old pro.

Soon, she was helping the two boys over the side. He handed over the jackets they had brought along and hadn’t used and the few leftovers from their picnic and then slipped the lake trout Luke had caught into a plastic bag.

“Here you go. To the victor, the spoils.”

“What does that mean?” Luke asked with a confused look.

“It means you win at fishing tonight,” McKenzie said with a laugh. “What do you guys have to say to Mr. Kilpatrick for taking us out on his boat today?”

“Thank you,” they chimed in unison.

“It was super fun,” Caleb added.

“My pleasure,” he replied, with all sincerity. “I completely agree.”

He wanted to add they could do it again sometime. As soon as the thought appeared in his brain, he realized that would never happen. He was leaving in less than a week and probably wouldn’t see the boys again.

“Seriously,” McKenzie said with a soft smile. “The fishing idea was brilliant.”

Yeah, he liked Caleb and Luke but right now he had a fervent wish that he and McKenzie were alone so he could give in to the fierce urge to kiss her soundly.

“You’re welcome.”

She smiled again, gave him a wave, and then she and the boys took off for the neighbor’s house, with Luke holding his fish offering at arm’s length.

McKenzie had immediately thought of giving Luke’s catch to a cranky old grieving neighbor. He wasn’t sure why that touched him so much. What a great example to the boys, about how to care for other people.

He headed inside to let the dogs out, where he found them both sleeping curled together on the rug in the family room. As far as he could tell, all looked in order, with no pillow stuffing or spilled garbage in sight.

They both followed him outside eagerly and sniffed around the yard while he finished wiping out the boat. He wasn’t obsessive or anything, but he figured a Killy as beautiful as this one deserved to be well cared for so she could last for decades longer.

The dogs were the first to alert him to company. Hondo barked once, going into protective stance for only a second before he relaxed and went to greet the newcomer.

He thought it might be McKenzie, returning in an odd direction from the neighbor’s house, but since the woman who walked around the corner of the house didn’t have two little shadows following her, he quickly discarded that idea.

As she neared, he saw it definitely wasn’t McKenzie. It was his mother.

As usual, she looked trim and neat, wearing a short-sleeved lilac sweater set and tan slacks...and a nervous smile.

He climbed out of the boat and headed toward her, remembering the conversation he’d had with McKenzie the night before. She was right, though he didn’t like to admit it. He needed to find some measure of peace with his mother, no matter how difficult. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that but he could at least be polite to her.

“Hello, Mom,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

She looked surprised and a little flustered by the gesture, though he wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t exactly unusual for him to greet her that way.

“Hello, my dear. I rang the doorbell but I guess you were out here. I’m glad I took the chance to check, as I did the other night. Lovely evening, isn’t it? Have you been out on the lake?”

“Yes. I took McKenzie out, along with a couple of boys she’s watching for a friend. We had a picnic dinner and fished a little.”

“Any luck?”

He could tell by the edgy emotions in her eyes that she had some ulterior motive there that had nothing to do with talking about fishing. “I didn’t have any, but one of the boys caught a nice-sized lake trout. They’re taking it to a neighbor.”

“Oh, how nice. What a generous, kind woman she seems to be.”

“Yes.” He could feel her searching look, but to his relief, she didn’t press him about his relationship with McKenzie. He wasn’t sure how he would answer her if she did.

“That boat is so beautiful. I can’t get over it. The Delphine model was always one of my favorites. It was one of your grandfather’s, too. My father, I mean. He was so proud to have worked on them at the boatworks.”

She didn’t talk about her father often, who died when he was five or six. He had a few vague memories of the guy, mostly as a stern man who didn’t seem to laugh much.

Her family had been poor, bordering on destitute—especially with seven children. His grandfather had been a part-time pastor paid a pittance by his small congregation and had supplemented the family’s income by taking a job at the boatworks, as his father had done before him.

He should offer to take her out on the boat while he was still in town. The thought came to him out of the blue, shocking the hell out of him. Before he could act on it, McKenzie’s lights came on. A few moments later, she walked out onto the terrace, most likely looking for her dog.

He could see when she spotted his mother. Her mouth made a little O and she gave him a meaningful look as she waved.

“Hello,” she called. “Sorry to bother you. I’m just looking for my dog. Looks like she’s here. Rika, come on, girl.”

The cinnamon poodle nudged Hondo one last time before she turned and bounded up the steps to her person.

“Sorry. I’ll get out of your way. Good night.”

She wasn’t exactly subtle, his McKenzie. She wanted him to find peace with his mother and she obviously didn’t think he could achieve that with her there. He watched her go back inside, trying hard not to notice those tan shorts and her long, lusciously tawny legs.

“So,” Lydia said slowly, drawing his attention back abruptly. “Mayor Shaw. Every time I see you, it seems you’re with her or you’ve just
been
with her. Is something going on there?”

He felt that little tug in his chest again, the one he didn’t want to think about yet. “She’s a friend.”

“I like her very much,” Lydia offered, “and not only because she was a good friend to Lily. She seems like a lovely person.”

Yes. She was. “I like her, too,” he answered. Because he wasn’t quite ready to accept how
much
he liked her—or, for that matter, to talk about her with his
mother
, of all people—he quickly changed the subject.

“Somehow I don’t believe you came here to talk about boats or about my temporary neighbor. Perhaps you could tell me your real reason.”

Lydia gave a nervous laugh. “Maybe I just wanted to stop and chat with my son.”

“Oh?”

She seemed to grow increasingly flustered. “This is stupid. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

Guilt pinched at him for not making this easier. She obviously had an agenda, something she wanted to discuss, and he was making the conversation unnecessarily confrontational. He remembered what McKenzie had said and resolved to try harder.

“If you want to chat, we can chat. I’d like to wash up first. I smell like trout.”

She blinked a little, obviously caught off guard. “I... No. Of course not. I’ll just stay out here on the swing. These summer evenings by the lake are too rare and beautiful to waste and you have such a spectacular view here.”

“Can I bring you something?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Hondo will keep you company.”

He headed inside and scrubbed his face and hands, even changing into a clean shirt that didn’t smell like lake water. On impulse, he grabbed a longneck beer for him and poured a glass of wine for her.

When he walked outside, twilight had descended in all its summer magic. He found his mother on the swing, gazing up at the dark silhouette of the Redemption Mountains across the bay.

He handed her the glass. “I know you said you didn’t need anything but I remembered white wine is your favorite. A friend of mine has a winery in Sonoma and she keeps me well-supplied.”

“Thank you.” She took the glass and took a rather large gulp of it.

Why was she so nervous? He could tell she was uneasy about being here. Her face seemed unnaturally pale and her gaze seemed to bounce from the lake to the mountains to him and then back, as if she couldn’t quite figure out where to settle.

“Is something wrong?” he finally asked.

“This is hard. So much harder than I thought it would be.”

He didn’t press her, only sat beside her in silence. She would eventually get around to it, he figured.

“I suppose first I should ask if you would mind if I started...seeing someone.”

This startled a laugh out of him. “Seriously? You’ve been divorced for fifteen years. Joe’s been gone for five. I guess it’s time, if you’re sure you’re ready. Is this a general question or are we talking about someone in particular?”

“Someone in particular,” she said.

He couldn’t see her features clearly in the pale light but he somehow had the impression she was blushing. “Anyone I know?”

She was quiet for a long time. “Russell,” she finally said. “Dr. Warrick.”

Ben supposed he wasn’t really surprised, especially when he recalled the doctor’s probing questions the day Ben returned to Haven Point.

Doc Warrick had been a constant presence in their lives when Ben lived at home. As Lily’s primary care physician, he had been there every step of his sister’s difficult journey.

“He’s a good man,” Ben said. “I’ve always respected him very much.”

Lydia made a small sound and then to his great horror and astonishment, she burst into tears.

Tears. His mother. Two things he didn’t know how to deal with separately. Throw them together, and it was like a hot, steaming pile of stress suddenly tossed into his lap.

“I don’t understand. I only said he’s a good man. Why would that possibly make you cry?”

Lydia sniffled. “Did you...ever make a decision you thought was exactly the right choice in the moment, the
only
choice, but later you realized what a mess you had made of things?”

He could think of plenty of decisions that had gone south but nothing that would have made him burst into tears.

Her question was apparently rhetorical.

“I did that,” she said, without waiting for him to respond. “To you. To myself. Even to your...to Joe.”

He raised his eyebrows, aware he hadn’t heard her use his father’s name in a long, long time.