The Christmas Bouquet (8 page)

“Better,” she said, smiling. “But what will you do while I’m talking to my grandfather?”

“I might wander around town for a bit,” he suggested. “Maybe Connor will be available for coffee.”

“Boy, you two really must have bonded,” she said. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Would you prefer it if the members of your family hated my guts?”

“No, of course not. I just find it worrisome. Conspiracies among O’Briens are the norm.”

“I’m not an O’Brien.”

“But you might not be above conspiring with them, if you thought it would help your cause,” she said.

“You’re the only O’Brien I want to conspire with,” he said with what he hoped was convincing sincerity.

“Good answer,” she told him. “Not that I believe it for a minute.”

Noah laughed, understanding her skepticism. “What time shall we leave?”

“I’d like to be there by midmorning. I have a craving for one of Sally’s raspberry croissants and they’re almost always gone before lunchtime.”

Noah nodded. “Then that will be the first stop.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “I wouldn’t mind some penny candy from Ethel’s, either. Trace used to buy that for Carrie and me. And Grandpa Mick always had some in his pocket, too.”

Noah gave an exaggerated sigh of resignation. “I suppose there’s no hope that our child won’t be spoiled rotten by the two of them, too.”

She regarded him with indignation. “I am not spoiled rotten.”

“It’s okay,” he soothed.

“I am
not
spoiled,” she repeated.

“Tell me one single person who’s ever denied you anything you wanted,” he taunted.

The request seemed to stump her, just as he’d anticipated. “Don’t fret. I love you, anyway.”

“And I love you, despite this annoying tendency you have to gloat whenever you’re right.”

Noah stood up. “See you at your place tonight?”

She shook her head. “I’m on duty.”

“Then I’ll see you here in the morning. Make sure you get some sleep.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The second he was out of sight, he flipped open his cell phone and called Connor. “Your father said there’s a house that might be perfect for Cait and me and for my medical practice. Do you know the one?”

“I do,” Connor said.

“Can you arrange for me to see it late Saturday morning? Cait and I are driving down. She’s going to be tied up with Mick for a while, so I thought I’d use the time to take a look.”

“Can do,” Connor said eagerly. “What time?”

“Eleven-thirty?”

“Perfect. I’ll make the arrangements. Does Caitlyn know anything about this?”

Noah sighed. “No. And it might be better if your father didn’t know that I was checking the place out.”

“Oh, boy,” Connor murmured. “Don’t you think Caitlyn ought to be in the loop?”

“She will be,” Noah promised. “As soon as there’s anything to mention.”

“A fait accompli?” Connor said. “Man, that’s just asking for trouble. I’ve been there, done that, and paid the price.”

Noah had a hunch he might be right. Even so, he wanted to have a plan in mind before he filled Cait in. She needed to know he was serious, that this was something he really wanted and not just a means to an end.

He sighed, suspecting he was delusional. No matter how he dressed up the idea and tried to sell it as his own, he doubted she’d buy it for a minute. Up until now neither one of them had ever included living in Chesapeake Shores as part of a dream for the future. But more and more, Noah believed it was the right answer for both of them.

* * *

Cait stood on the porch at her grandparents’ house on Saturday morning and watched Noah drive away. Something was up with him, no question about it. She pondered that as she popped the last bite of raspberry croissant into her mouth, then pushed her suspicions aside. She had her own mission for today. She’d worry about what Noah was doing later.

Opening the unlocked front door, she walked inside shouting for her grandparents. To her shock, the only response came from the kitchen from her great-grandmother.

“Caitlyn!” Nell said, stepping into the foyer and regarding her with surprise as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Where’d you come from?”

“Noah dropped me off. I came to see Grandpa Mick and Grandma Megan.”

“Well, you’re too late to catch either one of them. Your grandmother’s already gone to her art gallery and your grandfather left at dawn for the Habitat for Humanity site.”

“You’re kidding me,” she said, deflated.

“You didn’t think to call ahead and let them know you were coming?” Nell asked. “Those two are never still for a minute. The only reason you caught me here is that I brought up the pies I’d baked for tomorrow’s dinner.”

“What kind of pies?” Caitlyn asked at once. “Strawberry-rhubarb, by any chance?”

Nell laughed. “Do you mark strawberry season on your calendar?”

“It’s etched in my brain,” Caitlyn told her. “Did you happen to make an extra one?”

“Won’t you be here for dinner?”

“Afraid not. Noah and I have to go back this afternoon. We’re both on duty tomorrow.”

“Where is Noah?”

“He told me he was going to wander around in town.”

Her great-grandmother regarded her skeptically. “He didn’t strike me as much of a shopper. Most men I know aren’t.”

“Now that you mention it, that explanation doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, either. He said something about tracking down Connor, too. What do you suppose they’re up to?”

“Knowing your uncle, it could be anything,” Nell said candidly. “If I were you, I’d want to find out. Want me to drop you off in town? I drove over here since I had the pies to deliver.”

“Take me to Uncle Connor’s office,” she suggested. “I’ll start there. I know it’s Saturday, but last I heard he kept office hours in the morning to be accommodating to people who work. If he’s not around, maybe his secretary will know where he is.”

Nell locked up, then dropped her off in town a few minutes later. Even before Caitlyn could walk inside, she spotted her uncle and Noah down the block walking into a house with a for-sale sign on the front lawn. Just as all the houses on this block were, it was one of the original Chesapeake Shores homes designed and built by her grandfather. Seeing Noah heading inside set off alarm bells.

Caitlyn changed directions, marched down the block and walked straight into the house through the open front door just as Noah and her uncle walked back into the living room.

“Caitlyn!” her uncle said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Where’d you come from? I thought you were with Dad.”

“It seems I missed Grandpa Mick. Nell was at the house, though, so she dropped me off at your office,” she explained. “Noah mentioned he might stop by to see you.” She glanced in Noah’s direction, then back at her uncle. “He didn’t mention anything about this, though. Whose idea was it to go house-hunting?”

“I’m not house-hunting,” Noah claimed. “Not exactly, anyway.”

“You’re in a house that’s for sale,” she pointed out. “What would you call it?”

Connor looked from her to Noah and back again, then headed for the door. “I think I’ll leave you two to debate this,” he said, then murmured to Noah, “Good luck, pal.”

Caitlyn put her hands on her hips and tried to stare Noah down. “I’m waiting,” she said softly.

“For?”

“An explanation.”

“And I’ll give you one,” he promised. “But first tell me what you think of the house?”

“It’s a great house. Every house my grandfather designed for this town is terrific. They all have charm. They’re all built to last. I’m sure this one is no exception.”

“Do you want to take a look around?” he asked hopefully.

“Not until you tell me what you’re doing here,” she said, though she very much feared she already knew the answer.

“I thought it might be the perfect place to raise a family,” he said, meeting her gaze with an unflinching expression.

“You thought that or Grandpa Mick did? Or was it left to Connor to plant the idea in your head?”

“Your grandfather mentioned this specific house, but only after I told him I was thinking of opening my practice in Chesapeake Shores after I finished my residency.”

She stared at him incredulously, stunned by his casual announcement of something that to her was earth-shattering. “You want to start a medical practice in Chesapeake Shores and you never thought to run that by me?”

“I wanted to think it through first, check into the possibilities.”

“I don’t believe this,” she said, feeling as if the walls of the house were closing in on her. She finally saw what he was up to, him and her entire family, and she didn’t like it. “I have to get out of here.”

She turned and ran from the house. Noah was slowed down when he stopped to lock up, but he still caught her before she reached the corner.

“Caitlyn, it’s just an idea. Nothing’s been decided.”

“Really? Do you honestly expect me to believe that you, Connor and my grandfather all accidentally landed on the same page and that no decisions have been made?”

“I can’t tell you what the two of them are thinking, but my mind isn’t made up,” he insisted. “I’m exploring an option that holds a lot of appeal.”

“Not to me, it doesn’t,” she declared. “I love this town. I love my family.” She looked him in the eye. “I do not love this idea. And if you’ll be honest with yourself, you can’t tell me you love it any more than I do.” She was all but trembling. “I can’t believe this. I knew my family would do everything in their power to try to manipulate me, but I didn’t think they’d do it like this or that you would let them get away with it.”

Before he could even try to argue with her about that, she spun around and took off down the street. This time Noah was wise enough to let her go.

8

C
aitlyn didn’t stop walking until she reached her grandmother’s art gallery on Shore Road in a strip of shops facing the Chesapeake Bay. Since she’d passed her aunt Bree’s flower shop, her uncle Kevin’s wife’s bookstore and Connor’s wife’s quilt shop on the way, she wasn’t surprised when the trio of women entered right on her heels.

“What on earth?” Grandma Megan asked when she saw them. She enveloped Caitlyn in a hug, then stood back to take a longer survey. Clearly, she didn’t like what she saw. “What’s wrong?”

“We don’t know,” Bree said. “I just saw Caitlyn practically running down the block in this direction and set out after her.”

“And I joined in,” Shanna said.

“Me, too,” Heather said. “She looked upset.”

Caitlyn felt her eyes fill with tears. She wasn’t sure if that had to do with Noah’s blatant attempt to manipulate her by deciding he wanted to practice here in Chesapeake Shores or the show of unconditional solidarity from her aunts.

Her grandmother must have felt the shiver that ran though her, because she rubbed her arms, then ordered her to sit. “Whatever’s happened, we can put our heads together and figure it out. I’ll make tea.”

Caitlyn managed a watery smile. Thanks to Nell, they all thought a cup of tea could make everything better. “Tea would be good if you have herbal.”

“Of course I do,” her grandmother said.

“I’ll get it,” Heather offered, already moving toward the back of the gallery.

“Talk to us,” Bree said. “Do we need to call anyone? Your mom might be working at home today. As upset as you are, she should be here.”

Caitlyn shook her head. She’d already set off enough alarms. “It’s okay. I’ve taken her away from work too much lately with all my drama. I just need a few minutes to process what’s going on.”

“We won’t call your mother, if that’s what you prefer, but who else would you turn to, if not your family?” Grandma Megan said briskly. “Now tell us why you’re so distraught and what we can do. I had no idea you were planning to come to town today.”

“It was a last-minute thing,” Caitlyn told her, thinking of the mission that had brought her to Chesapeake Shores. “And then, just now, I caught Noah...” Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.

Bree immediately regarded her with shock. “Caught him what?” she asked indignantly. “Cheating on you? I didn’t realize he even knew anyone who lives in town. I swear I’ll tar and feather the man myself.”

An hysterical sob bubbled up at the image of her aunt going after Noah. Caitlyn didn’t doubt for a minute that she’d do it, that any of them would. The image of him being pummeled by O’Brien women held a certain appeal, one she wasn’t particularly proud of. She didn’t need anyone fighting her battles for her and, as she knew perfectly well, physical violence never solved anything. She’d seen the damaging results a few too many times in the emergency room. Little Mason immediately came to mind, along with the test results that indicated he had been shaken by someone. The authorities were now involved.

“No, no,” she protested quickly to reassure everyone on that point. “Noah wasn’t cheating. He was looking at a house.”

She frowned at Heather, who was coming back with a tray filled with a steaming pot of tea—a soothing chamomile, if she wasn’t mistaken—and a perfectly matched set of delicate porcelain cups. The set was in an antique chintz pattern that was so typical of her grandmother’s taste it brought a smile to her lips, despite her sour mood.

She faced Heather. “Noah was with Connor. What do you know about whatever’s going on between those two?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Heather said, looking genuinely mystified. “Connor hasn’t said a word to me. Oh, he admitted that he and Kevin had gone to Baltimore to have a word with Noah, that they’d all gone out for a drink, but I thought that was the end of his involvement.”

“Kevin hasn’t said a word since then, either,” Shanna reported. “He just told me he was satisfied that Noah was a good guy and that his intentions were honorable. You know how these men are. They pound their chests for a bit, demand answers, then go back to their own lives as quickly as they can.”

“Except for Mick,” Megan said with certainty. “He’s behind this. I’d bet money on that.”

“Well, of course he is,” Bree agreed. “I can see him now, backing Noah into a corner, finding the ideal house for the two of you, then persuading Connor and Kevin to do his dirty work.”

Caitlyn sighed. “Noah swears none of them pressured him. He claims he
wants
to live in Chesapeake Shores when his residency ends this summer, that he
wants
to set up a medical practice here. He told me it was his idea, that he first thought of it before he even met them at Sunday dinner a few weeks ago.”

The women scoffed at that.

“That’s why Mick’s so clever,” Megan reminded them. “He convinces people they thought of things themselves, when all along he’s the one who planted the seeds, poured on the water and fertilizer, then sat back to await the expected results.”

“Agreed,” Bree said at once. “He’s my father and I love him, but he’s sneaky.”

Caitlyn thought about what Noah had said, then shook her head. “Not this time,” she finally conceded reluctantly. “I don’t think Noah’s that easily manipulated. I think his idea just fit very neatly with what Grandpa Mick was trying to accomplish, getting the two of us married and settled right here. Noah probably mentioned it when they were closeted together before dinner, then Grandpa Mick seized it and ran with it.”

“You have to admit, it’s not a totally terrible idea,” Heather said hesitantly. “Chesapeake Shores really could use a doctor.”

“And you’d be close to family, so we could all help with the baby when it comes,” Shanna suggested, glancing quickly from one woman to another as if to assure herself she wasn’t adding to the pressure. “You wouldn’t have to rely on day care while you’re finishing up your internship and residency. That would be a good thing, right?”

Caitlyn frowned at the very rational comments. “You’re sounding awfully eager to jump on the bandwagon. Were you all in on this? Did Grandpa Mick supply you with a pro-con list in case the subject came up?”

“Absolutely not,” Bree said. “This is the first I’ve heard about any of this. Jake wasn’t part of the mission to see Noah. I doubt the two of them have exchanged more than a handful of words, and that was on the day you brought Noah to the house to meet us all. And I try to steer far away from Dad when he’s plotting.”

Caitlyn gave her a wry look. “That didn’t stop you from making a dutiful call to me with a few suggestions about how to run my life. Are you saying Grandpa Mick wasn’t behind that?”

Bree flushed. “Okay, he might have mentioned something.”

“Oh, just admit it,” Heather scolded. “He stood right over you till you made the call, the same as he did with the rest of us.” She gave Caitlyn an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

“No problem,” she said. “I get it. He’s a hard man to say no to.”

She glanced up to see her grandmother regarding her speculatively. “If you didn’t know anything about Noah’s plan to look at a house, what did bring you to Chesapeake Shores today?”

Now it was Caitlyn’s turn to flush. “I needed to speak to Grandpa Mick about something. It’s nothing to do with me, Noah or the baby,” she added quickly.

“Really?” her grandmother said, suspicion written all over her face. “If it’s all so innocent, why do you suddenly seem so jumpy and why does that make me nervous?”

Caitlyn sighed. “Because you might not like what I wanted to talk to him about,” she confessed.

“Oh, boy,” Bree said. “That’s it. Since the immediate crisis has been averted, I’m going back to my shop. I have a flower order coming in any minute. If I’m lucky, it might be delivered by my husband.”

“And I occasionally have actual paying customers,” Shanna said. “I ran out so fast, I didn’t even lock the door. They could have walked off with half the books by now.”

“I’m not actually open for another hour, but I have things to do,” Heather claimed. She leaned down to give Caitlyn a hug. “Good luck.”

“What makes you think I’m going to need luck?” Caitlyn asked, but one look into her grandmother’s icy gaze told her the answer to that. “Can I come with you guys?”

“You stay right where you are,” her grandmother ordered in a do-it-or-die tone she’d rarely used with her grandchildren. In Caitlyn’s experience, that tone had been reserved for keeping Grandpa Mick in line.

Caitlyn poured herself another cup of herbal tea, then waited. Grandma Megan didn’t seem any more eager to force the issue than she was. It was Caitlyn who finally couldn’t stand the silence another minute.

“I guess I should explain,” she said reluctantly.

“That’s what I’m waiting for,” Grandma Megan replied.

“There’s a woman I work with at the hospital, a doctor,” Caitlyn began. She explained about Naomi Davis’s foundation and her work in third-world countries.

“I can see why you’d find that fascinating,” Grandma Megan said. “But how exactly does that involve your grandfather?”

“It doesn’t. Not yet, anyway.” She drew in a deep breath and blurted out the idea about having her grandfather design medical facilities.

For an instant her grandmother seemed to relax, but then all too quickly, she sat up a little straighter. “This is about more than designing the facilities, isn’t it? She wants him to supervise building them.”

Caitlyn nodded. “It’s an incredible idea,” she ventured tentatively, keeping a close eye on her grandmother’s expression. The annoyance seemed to have drained away. Now she simply looked resigned.

“And she knew your grandfather would never say no to something that means so much to you,” Grandma Megan said softly, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “Very clever of her.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Caitlyn protested. “She was just running the idea by me to see what I thought about it, but she was willing to talk to him herself. I understood right away how much you’d probably hate the idea, so I insisted on filling in Grandpa Mick. I knew he’d want to talk it over with you.”

“Since when?” her grandmother asked.

Caitlyn regarded her with alarm. “It’s not like that anymore,” she said hurriedly. “He doesn’t just go off and do what he wants the way he used to.”

“I suppose not,” her grandmother conceded grudgingly. “But this is going to appeal to his ego. He won’t be able to resist.”

“I’m sorry,” Caitlyn said, regretting the potential fallout from what had seemed like such an incredible use of her grandfather’s talents. “Noah was right. He told me I shouldn’t get caught in the middle.”

“And yet you are,” her grandmother said wearily.

“If you’re really opposed to this, I won’t say a word to Grandpa Mick,” Caitlyn offered.

“How can I possibly object when it’s such a worthwhile cause?” Grandma Megan asked, her frustration plain. “I can’t be that heartless.”

Caitlyn felt terrible for putting her grandmother in this position, but she could see that no matter what her personal objections might be, her grandmother wouldn’t stand in the way of whatever Mick decided to do.

“There might be a compromise,” she suggested hesitantly.

Her grandmother’s expression brightened perceptibly. “Really?”

“I’ve given this a lot of thought since Dr. Davis and I talked,” she said. “Grandpa Mick wouldn’t have to oversee all the construction. If he made it a project of his company, rather than a personal cause, different people could be assigned to each construction project. He’d hardly have to travel at all himself. He’d just have to authorize the commitment of company resources.”

“An interesting idea,” her grandmother admitted.

“I know Matthew would want to do it,” Caitlyn said, referring to one of her great-uncle Jeffrey’s sons who was working with her grandfather. “And maybe some of the other men, too. Jaime is Grandpa Mick’s second-in-command. He’s in charge of the day-to-day oversight on a lot of the projects. He loves to travel.”

Her grandmother smiled. “You really want your grandfather to say yes to this, don’t you?”

“Of course,” she admitted at once. “But only if it won’t upset you. I know how hard the two of you have worked to make your marriage stronger this time. Long separations weren’t part of the deal.”

“No, but perhaps I could go along with him now, at least occasionally,” her grandmother said, her expression thoughtful. “It wouldn’t be like it was all those years ago with me being left behind to raise five children practically on my own. Would there be things I could do in these villages?”

“Absolutely,” Caitlyn told her, instantly seizing the opening. “They’re in desperate need of help of all kinds. You could assist the doctors or teach the kids to read, help them to learn English. Even just cuddling a baby or teaching the moms about nutrition would be a huge help. It’s so rewarding, Grandma Megan. It’s an experience you’d never forget.”

Her grandmother reached for her hand. “You’ve certainly not forgotten it, have you? You’re eager to go back.”

“I
need
to go back,” Caitlyn told her, then sighed. “But I’m beginning to think I won’t be able to.”

“Perhaps not right away as you’d planned,” her grandmother agreed. “But just look what you’ve been able to accomplish for the cause by coming here today. I’d say you’re making a worthwhile contribution even now.”

Caitlyn thought about it and realized she was right. If her grandfather agreed to do this, she’d played a role in helping a lot of doctors and a lot of families in a lot of villages. It might not be the same as a hands-on contribution, but in some ways it was even more important. That was a lesson Dr. Davis had learned and tried to impart just the other day.

“Thank you for reminding me that there’s more than one way to make a difference,” she said.

She still wasn’t quite ready to give up on her dream entirely or to plunge into a marriage that she hadn’t anticipated, but she felt more at peace than she had since she’d first discovered she was pregnant. Now, with her state of mind improved, she just needed to find Noah and tell him she was at least a little less angry that he’d been making his own plans for the future behind her back.