The Girl Most Likely To... (33 page)

When Kat glanced in Riley's direction, he was already looking at her, his face lit up with relaxation and happiness. She was astounded at how different he appeared lately. That day she saw him walk into the ER room to check on Virgil, Riley had looked dog-tired, on the surface and deep down in his soul. She now knew that's exactly what he'd been, because he hadn't been able to find her and Aidan, and had just put himself in hock for the rest of his life in order to save the clinic.

To night, everything was different for Riley. His woman and his child were right there with him, and Riley was about to come clean with Matt.

Matt, there's something I need to tell you.

Hmm? Matt and Nola apparently had reached a truce and then reached for each other.

Look, I just wanted to tell you I did something stupid recentlyI took out a second mortgage on the Bohland House and got into some trouble with the payments.

Matt dragged his gaze from Nola and blinked at his brother. You don't say.

Yeah. I took out a… Riley stopped. He glanced quickly toward Kat, then frowned at his brother. You already /know/?

Matt shook his head, leaving his nest with Nola and moving to the very edge of the couch. He leaned his elbows on his knees. I've been waiting for you to come to me about it.

Riley looked baffled. How did you find out?

Matt laughed. Bro, half the women down at the bank used to He straightened up. Be my friend.

Riley narrowed his eyes. You're not angry?

Ha! Matt slapped his palms on his knees. I'm pissed as hell, man, but I figured it was for the clinic, and that you'd find a way out of the mess somehow. I have total faith in you.

Riley narrowed his eyes and Kat watched his brain working. You know how much money we're talking, right?

Sure. One and a half million.

Jesus-Snowboarding-Christ, Nola whispered. The room went silent.

How many people will be here for dinner tomorrow, Miss Turner?

Kat thought Rachel had done a nice job of changing the subject. She was a strikingly polite young woman.

Fourteen in all. And just so everyone knows, I've agreed to let Joanna Loveless come over and take a few pictures for the local paper, kind of a back-in-town feature story she's doing.

That sounds nice, Rachel said, smiling.

We're very glad you could come up and join us, Riley said.

Rachel's face became animated. Oh, wow, me, too. It almost didn't happen. Then her eyes went big and she looked to Aidan as if to acknowledge that she'd made a mistake.

Aidan cleared his throat. Yeah. Her parents aren't all that excited about Rachel dating me. I'm not Indian, obviously, and it's kind of a sore spot with them.

Kat nodded. I see.

But they like him, Rachel added quickly, looking at both Riley and Kat.

They're, well… She glanced at Aidan for his blessing.

Obviously, we tell it like it is around here, Rach. Go for it.

She laughed uncomfortably and looked down at her mug of apple cider.

Well, it's just that my parents are very old-fashioned, from a small city in northern India, and they have their hearts set on me finding a nice boy from my culture.

What's wrong with American men? Matt asked.

It's just that they'd rather I date someone with a similar background.

They think Americans are, well… She swallowed hard. They think Americans are undisciplined and lack a moral foundation.

The room went quiet again, the only sound the crackling of the fire.

Rachel was visibly embarrassed. I am very sorry. Like I said, they're old-fashioned, and they embarrass me sometimes.

Matt cleared his throat and tapped his service revolver under his waistband. Well, you can reassure your folks that I'm always packin' my moral foundation right here.

He's just joking, Aidan reassured her, then planted a tender kiss on her forehead, right in front of everyone. Kat was touched by the sweetness of it.

I'll heat some more apple cider, Kat said. Be right back. Within moments she heard a man's footsteps in the dining room, and she figured it was Riley. She turned to greet him and encountered Aidan.

His eyes were filled with concern. Hey, Mom. You OK?

Oh! Sure. I'm great.

He stepped close to her, a smile playing at his lips. This is a really nice house, Mom. And Rachel's totally in love with it.

Kat knew that was his way of breaking the ice. I hope you two spend a lot of weekends out here.

Yeah. We could do that.

I know your father would like that, too.

After a second's pause, Aidan burst out laughing. Do you have any idea how weird that sounds coming from you? It's like a line from /Leave It to Beaver/ or something. He shook his head in amazement. I never would have pictured this in my wildest dreams.

I love you, Aidan.

Ah, Mom. He put his arms around her, and it had been such a long time since she'd felt her son against her that it was a shock to her system.

She tried not to cry. She wasn't successful.

Aidan rubbed her back as he talked to her. I'm sorry for all that trash talk that day at the G and A, Mom. I said some horrible things and I apologize. You just totally blew me away is all.

I know. Kat didn't loosen her grip on him. And I am profoundly sorry for keeping this world a secret from you.

I know you were only doing what you thought was right.

Kat patted her son on the back and stepped away, leaving her hands on his strong shoulders. But you were right about a lot of things, Aidan, especially that I was protecting myself, not you. It's embarrassing to admit that I couldn't handle the idea of coming back here, not until Phyllis died and left me her money.

A security blanket, Aidan offered. A sense of power.

Yeah. I guess. Kat looked at her son's faceso much a man but still a trace of boy. And now you need to know something else. Kat craned her neck out the pocket door and looked through the dining room to the living room. She wanted to make sure she had a few moments alone with him.

Aidan looked terrified.

It's about my father, she said, which seemed to reassure him. Since I've been back and had a chance to talk to your grandfather, I'm positive I made the right decision to leave here. He is a very unstable man, Aidanan alcoholic who beat my mother and treated me like I was nothing but an annoying neighbor kid. He was emotionally abusive to me, and I always believed that sooner or later I'd get the physical part, too.

Aidan's face fell. I had no idea.

I know you didn't, sweetie, but I'm telling you now. There will be no more secrets between us, all right?

A smile curled his lips. That would be great.

So what I'm saying is that keeping you as far away as possible from Virgil Cavanaugh was the smartest thing I ever did. Turns out I did something right.

You've done lots of things right, Mom. Aidan inclined his head toward the voices coming from the living room. Getting back together with Dad is right up there, too.

Kat felt her face blossom with happiness. You think?

Oh yeah. He's… Aidan stopped, clearly overwhelmed with emotion. I couldn't have dreamed up a better dad. Or a better mom. And now I look forward to having both of you in my life at the same time. I'm finally going to know what having a whole family feels like.

Kat burst into tears and grabbed her boy, never wanting to let go.

Everybody OK in here? Riley hung back in the dining room, not quite entering the kitchen, not sure that he was welcome.

Kat separated from Aidan and wiped her eyes. I just had a mother moment, she said, grabbing a piece of paper towel from the dispenser and blowing her nose. It's kind of surreal having Aidan here.

Riley nodded.

I'd like to try something, Aidan said. You guys up for it?

Riley and Kat looked at each other, and then at their son.

Sure, Kat said.

Come here, Dad, Aidan said, holding out his left arm. Riley stepped into his son's embrace. Come here, Mom, he said, holding out his right. Kat pressed up against him, then instinctively brought her arm around and grabbed on to Riley. The three of them stayed in a huddle like that for several long moments, their heads touching in the center, a feat that required both men to bend way down to meet Kat.

Eventually, Aidan pulled away. In-friggin'-credible, he said, shaking his head. I will never forget this night as long as I live.

Carrie hit the road early on Thanksgiving Day, figuring there would be serious northbound holiday traffic. She wanted to get this distasteful errand over with. She brought along a book to read in the coffee shop because she knew she'd get to Persuasion with hours to spare.

She shook her head, merging onto the highway. It was beyond her why Riley and his crowd decided to hold a fund-raiser on Thanksgiving Day, a day that was supposed to be sacred, spent in the company of family and cherished friends. It pissed her off to no end that she'd had to leave Kenneth behind in Charleston, especially since his parents had extended an invitation to join their family for dinner.

Carrie sighed. Kenneth was gorgeous and brilliant. Not like Riley, of course, but in his own way. He was a financial analyst. He'd grown up in Morgantown and gone to Ohio State. He played squash and racquetball, and he dressed tastefully. His kissing needed just the teensiest bit of work, but Carrie was up to the challenge. And he had nice eyes. Kind of plain, really, not the knock-me-on-my-ass kind of eyes like Riley had, but /nice/.

She was aware that she'd have to stay more than a hundred feet from Riley at all times, just as the protection order said. She would not speak to him or Kat. She would show up at this stupid event, bid for Matt, rub her leg against him or do something equally distasteful for everyone to see, and then she was out of there. That would have to satisfy Madeline's taste for revenge because that was all she was getting. As far as the money went, Carrie had set a five-hundred-dollar limit for herself. She absolutely, positively would not go a penny higher.

She'd decided that once the legislature was back from holiday recess, she'd undo the clinic-funding mess. The last few weeks had been filled with soul-searching, and she realized that withholding the clinic money had been a mean-spirited thing to do. Carrie had breathed life into the project by calling in every political favor owed to her. She wanted Riley to adore her. Be in awe of her. She wanted him to propose to her, and it had worked. How embarrassing it had been to go back to the same people a couple years later and beg them to make the money go away! She did not even want to think about how humiliated she'd be returning yet again, wanting the funding restored. The whole town would think she was nuts.

Carrie shivered. She dreaded going back to Persuasion, because the last time she was there was for her encounter with the foul Virgil Cavanaugh, closely followed by being slapped with the protective order. It was pretty obvious that her meeting with Virgil had been a harbinger of disaster, a blatant signal to Carrie that she was on the wrong path and needed to clean up her act. If it weren't for the fact that she was driving, Carrie would've closed her eyes right then and taken a moment to connect to the positive energy flow of the universe.

No matter how much she cranked the heat, she just couldn't seem to get warm.

Kat greeted the day happier than she'd ever been in her life. Today was going to be the kind of Thanksgiving she'd dreamed about since she was a little girldelicious food on the table and a bounty of forgiveness, honesty, and love in the hearts of those gathered together. She had much to be thankful for.

The first thing she did that morning was call Riley.

Happy Thanksgiving, a groggy voice answered.

I love you, Riley Bohland.

Mmmm, he replied, still half-asleep.

I wanted those to be the first words I said today.

That's really sweet, Scout. She heard him roll over in bed.

Are the young lovebirds still asleep? she asked.

It's not even seven yet, so I'd say it's likely.

Kat opened the drapes in her bedroom, and looked out over the quaint scene of Laurel Lane in the morning. She hoped that in each of those houses there would be peace today.

I'm sorry for waking you, but I'm just so excited! Kat padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. I'm going to begin all the turkey prep work and start some of the side dishes.

Riley chuckled. You really are enjoying this, aren't you?

It's my home and my family and my chance to do things differently, so, yes, I'm enjoying this.

I love you, Kat. Do you know how much I love you?

A lot?

You got that right. Now, would you mind if I go back to sleep?

She giggled. Of course not. Be here around noon, OK? Please don't forget the six extra chairs.

We'll bring 'em in the truck. Bye, sweetie.

Kat spent the next several hours in glorious solitude, puttering around her kitchen, drinking coffee and listening to her music as loud as she wanted. With Aidan and Nola both here in Persuasion today, she didn't feel the slightest internal pull east toward Baltimore. And once Phyllis' donation made her part of the clinic forever, she'd be here in Persuasion, too, in spirit.

Cliff had called about ten o'clock last night to let Kat know that he, Barbara, and the grandkids were checked into Cherry Hill. He told Kat how much he was looking forward to the visit. Jeff and his partner, Richard, arrived earlier yesterday evening, and Jeff couldn't stop raving about Cherry Hillhe thought it was absolutely charming.

Jeff sounded cheerful, but Kat had gotten to know him since the Caymans, so she was able to detect the hint of melancholy in his voice. He was in Persuasion because his own family in Vermont had reacted coolly to his coming out and told him they were uncomfortable having Richard for the holidays. When Kat invited Richard and Jeff, he had leaped at the offer.