Accept Me

by Marion Ueckermann

  He handed the bouquet to Haddie and lowered his voice slightly. “Time to make this official, don’t you think? Will you be my Valentine, Haddie? Will you be my girl?”

  Overjoyed, Haddie bounced on her heels. “Yes. Yes. And yes.” A million times yes.

  Taking her hand, Riley leaned toward her and whispered. “Can I talk to you for a moment? In private?”

  “Of course. Let’s take these peonies to my apartment and get them into a vase. We’ll be alone there.”

  Inside her kitchenette, Haddie filled a vase with water and placed the bouquet inside. She set the arrangement down on the small, round table then looked up at Riley. The color had drained from his face.

  An intense pain shot through her chest, and she struggled to take a breath. This was it. He was breaking up with her.

  Either that or she was having another asthma attack.

  Don’t be stupid, Haddie. He just asked you to be his Valentine, his girlfriend, only moments ago. And she definitely had no cause to have an attack.

  But something clearly weighed on his mind.

  Riley took Haddie’s hands in his. She watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard. She lifted her gaze to meet his, the sadness welling in his eyes all too evident.

  Sadness and… Regret?

  “I’m falling for you, Haddie Hayes. Believe me, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be tonight than with you, but—” He inhaled deeply before exhaling a heavy sigh. “I have a prior engagement I can’t break. There’s no way to get out of it. I promise you though, I’ll make it up to you, every day going forward.”

  What? She wouldn’t see him tonight? Wouldn’t be with him? This…this was crazy. Their first Valentine… How could they not spend it together?

  But how could she tell Riley that? So instead of voicing her disappointment, she nodded. “Of course. I understand. Do what you have to. We’ll have more Valentines together.” She hoped.

  Chapter Seventeen

  HADDIE SHOT upright on her bed at the unexpected knock on her apartment door, the one leading into the bookshop. The thick novel she’d been reading slid from her hands and fell to the carpet with a soft thud. Until now, this story had done a reasonably good job of holding her attention. She was so tempted to mull over the appointment that had prevented her and Riley from being together tonight.

  Interrupted, she pondered again. But only for a brief moment.

  “Come in.” Could only be Ivy. Everyone else had gone home long ago.

  The door opened and Ivy entered. She fixed her gaze on Haddie.

  “Haddie Hayes, you are not going to sit at home alone in this tiny apartment and mope on Valentine’s Day. Neither am I. Come on, get dressed in your prettiest outfit. You have thirty minutes. I’ve a connection at Chapel Cove’s most prestigious restaurant and have managed to secure a dinner reservation for us at eight. You won’t want to miss this meal.”

  “But I—”

  “No buts, Haddie. Thirty minutes, then we’re out of here.” Without waiting for Haddie to say another word, she did an about-face and exited, closing the door behind her.

  Stunned, Haddie didn’t move. Then she shook her head and chuckled. How could she say no to Ivy? Or dinner at a fancy restaurant? She only wished she’d had the chance to ask Ivy which restaurant they were going to and exactly how fancy she should dress.

  She rose and stood in front of her closet. With less than thirty minutes to spare, Haddie didn’t have time to consider her options. She reached in and grabbed the first things she could find—a pair of thick, charcoal-colored stockings; black, ankle boots; and her matching knee-length, jersey-knit dress.

  The one she’d worn to her mother’s funeral.

  No matter the sad occasion it had been bought for, it was a beautiful dress. The high neckline and brass buttons leading diagonally to her shoulder on the one side, always made her look elegant. And the long sleeves would keep her warm. Plus, Riley’s necklace made the perfect accessory against the dark fabric.

  Strangely, the outfit seemed fitting because she felt melancholy that she wasn’t going out with him tonight instead. But Ivy was sure to lift her spirits.

  After she’d dressed, she brushed her hair then twirled it into a messy side-bun. No time to redo her makeup, she merely gave it a light touch-up.

  As she grabbed her coat and bag, a tapping sounded again at her door. She checked the time on her phone. Thirty minutes since she’d been summoned. Her heart sank a little knowing it wouldn’t be Riley on the other side of the door, surprising her.

  Haddie opened to find Ivy standing there, as expected. A long, flared, velvet skirt in a dark blue complemented her Liberty Tana lawn blouse.

  Haddie gulped. “Am I under-dressed?” Too funereal?

  Ivy laughed. “You look beautiful, Haddie. I’ve just been dying to find an excuse to wear this blouse and skirt again. I don’t know how Riley got his hands on this blouse and had it repaired, and he’s not saying.”

  That’s because Haddie had sworn him to secrecy.

  A glint flashed in Ivy’s eye. “Although I do have my theories. Now, come, let’s go. I think there’s a lobster with my name on it.”

  The Fisherman’s Hook was definitely one of Chapel Cove’s upmarket restaurants. Eating here tonight would set her and Ivy back quite a few dollars. Relief flooded Haddie that she’d insisted they go Dutch—for both her sake and Ivy’s.

  Beside a flickering candle, a single red rose in a vase adorned each white-linen-draped table. The restaurant was filled to capacity. Although some tables served four or six patrons, most of the reservations tonight were only for two. The pairs of hand-holding, love-struck diners dotted everywhere only saddened Haddie’s heart once again that it wasn’t Riley on the other side of the table with her. She wished she could close her eyes and reach out and touch him.

  After waiting a while, their waiter brought menus to their table. He apologized that they’d had to wait and handed one to Ivy and then one to Haddie. Then he took their drink order, promising to take their meal order once he returned.

  It was no small wonder that Ivy had managed to snag this table. Likely the restaurant management never filled it on a night such as this. Close to the kitchen’s entrance, it was fairly noisy. Plus, the constant opening and closing of the swing doors as waiters came and went with filled and empty plates was somewhat distracting.

  Not distracting enough though for Haddie not to notice the boisterous redhead sitting at a window table that overlooked the ocean, her low-cut red dress leaving little to the imagination of her date. Bet that guy thinks he’s the luckiest man on earth.

  The woman’s laughter drifted across the restaurant, all the way to Haddie and Ivy’s table. Clearly Red, as Haddie instantly nicknamed her, was having the best time, so obviously in love with the person she dined with. She even sat in the seat facing away from the view—not that there was much to be seen at night—clearly favoring the sight before her instead.

  Haddie took a second, closer look—well, as close as she could get from where she sat—until she realized that she was staring.

  She frowned. No way. How was that even possible? Her pulse raced and her heart thumped in her chest. Looking at Red was like gazing into a mirror.

  Almost.

  Had she just met her doppelgänger? Well, almost doppelgänger. Such a strange resemblance between them…apart from the flaming tresses. And the overpowering personality. That… That wasn’t Haddie at all. Far from it. On the contrary, Haddie’s shy ways were the total opposite of Red. If she’d possessed even a smidgen of the woman’s apparent confidence, Haddie was sure she’d have found her biological mother within days of arriving in Chapel Cove.

  Anna reached across the table and trailed a long, red, fingernail over the top of Riley’s hand.

  He resisted the urge to yank his hand away. That would be rude and unkind. When that gavel had fallen back in November, he’d bound himself to the promise of a date with Anna. One that ha
d not come cheaply for the Alversons. He owed it to Anna, and her family, to remain a gentleman in every way throughout the evening.

  He hoped that she could remain a lady.

  Riley’s gaze shifted for a brief moment to his watch. Eight thirty. Could he pound his own gavel at midnight, announcing the date over, the debt paid? If so, three and a half hours to go and counting. Slowly. Concerning for him was what else Anna had planned during the remaining time. In her mind, would their date end at midnight or continue until the early hours of the morning? He prayed she’d have mercy on him and give heed to his hints that he needed to clock in at work at six, necessitating a 5:30 a.m. rising.

  Not only had Anna arranged this entire, extravagant dinner at The Fisherman’s Hook, seated at probably the best table in the house, but she’d chosen their menu as well. Pre-dinner oysters—wonder why—followed by langoustine tails sprinkled with Beluga caviar. Even though the food was exceptional—the little that was on the plate—personally he’d rather be chomping down chicken fajitas at Tía Irma’s with Haddie than fine-dining on aphrodisiac-laden foods with Anna.

  Anna dipped the last ruby-red strawberry into the bowl of dipping chocolate they’d shared. “I’ve had the best time tonight, Riley.”

  “Me too,” he lied. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed himself, it was just that he’d much rather be with someone else tonight—the shy girl with long brown hair who had stolen his heart almost the day they’d met.

  His heart tightened as if something ominous held the organ in its clutches. He sucked in a breath. He’d been wrong not to confide in Haddie and tell her where he’d been obligated to go tonight. So not his choice. What had he been thinking?

  He hadn’t. He’d allowed his former failures and heartache to cloud his judgement and fill him with unfounded fear. But God hadn’t given him a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and love and wisdom. He hadn’t been wise in how he’d handled this matter with Haddie. He’d been a coward, afraid of the repercussions. Oh why hadn’t he had this epiphany ten hours earlier?

  As soon as this date was over, he would call Haddie and tell her the truth—about the bachelor auction and the charity calendar. He wanted no secrets between them. Only half a day of not being completely honest with her, and already he regretted his actions. If he didn’t come clean, it would only continue to eat at him like a cancer.

  Aaron Tagert, the forty-something restaurant manager, appeared at Anna’s side for the umpteenth time since they’d first sat down two hours ago. He’d never seen anyone command the attention of a restaurant’s waiters and management as he’d seen tonight with Anna. Riley was certain they all knew exactly who she, or rather her father, was. Likely the Alversons dined here every other weekend.

  “Miss Alverson, was everything to your satisfaction?” Aaron tugged at the edge of the black jacket that matched his tailored pants. Was this cool, calm, and collected man nervous around Anna?

  “Perfect. Thank you, Aaron. As always, the food was heavenly. Please convey my compliments to your chef.”

  Aaron dipped his head. “I will, Miss Alverson. Is there anything else I can get you? Coffee? Cognac? A delicious liqueur?”

  Anna glanced across to Riley.

  Riley shook his head. Even though he had space for a coffee, the quicker he got this dinner date over with, the sooner he could call Haddie.

  “No thanks, Aaron. We’ll be leaving now. Besides, there’s plenty of that on Daddy’s yacht—a far more romantic setting overlooking the lights of Chapel Cove from Daddy’s eighty-footer, The Kaytie, don’t you think?”

  Daddy’s what? She was taking him out to sea, at almost nine o’clock, and that after a rich dinner? He wanted to protest that this was a foolish idea, but tonight was Anna’s night. Her twelve thousand dollar night. She probably had the yacht fueled and ready. So he’d go along with her wishes, but only for this one evening, and only as long as she didn’t expect anything physical from him. As of this morning, he was a taken man.

  “I’m sure the view from there is magnificent,” Aaron replied, seemingly sidestepping a direct answer to her question.

  “Not that your restaurant isn’t romantic, Aaron. On the contrary, this has been the most romantic dinner ever.” Anna reached for Riley’s hand.

  Aaron’s gaze flicked to the table, and his jaw tightened for a moment. That’s when it dawned on Riley—this man wasn’t merely performing his duties tonight to the Alverson standards, he was in love with Anna. That’s why he’d hovered around them like a hummingbird tonight, catering to Anna’s every whim.

  Tipping his chin ever so slightly, Aaron straightened his shoulders and offered Anna a tight smile. “I’m glad you had a good time here this evening, Miss Alverson. Enjoy your cruise around the cove, but please, don’t venture into deep waters—not at this time of the year, or this late at night. Stay dry and warm; it’s really cold outside tonight.”

  “Oh, I have something, or rather, someone, to keep me extremely hot tonight.” Slowly and deliberately, she shifted her focus to Riley. Lowering her lids, she gave him a sultry smile.

  “I’ll prepare the bill for you to sign, Miss Alverson, then add it to your father’s account.” Aaron pivoted and strode away.

  Anna shivered. “That man gives me the creeps. Always so attentive when I come here with my parents. And tonight…it’s as if he was constantly staring into my soul.”

  Riley glanced over his shoulder toward Aaron, then back at Anna, biting his tongue not to tell her that staring into someone’s soul, and beyond, when that person was wearing a plunging neckline such as hers was inevitable.

  Instead, he answered, “Actually, I find him a gentleman. One who is smitten with you.”

  “Smitten?” Anna laughed and shook her head. “He’s not smitten with me; he’s just doing his job.”

  “He’s in love with you, Anna. You should give him a chance.”

  “But I— I’m in love with you, Riley. Not stuffy Aaron.” She crossed her arms and pouted like a spoiled child. Which she probably was.

  Riley matched her pout with thinned lips and a shrug. “I think you only think that you’re in love with me, when in reality, you aren’t. You should broaden your horizons. You could be missing out on someone wonderful by keeping your love interests so narrowed. Let someone pursue you fiercely, Anna, not the other way around.”

  “You’re lost in thought. Want to talk about it?”

  The sound of Ivy’s voice drew Haddie’s gaze away from the redhead at the window. “I’m sorry. I—” A thought trickled into her mind. What if there was such a strong resemblance between her and her almost doppelgänger because they were related? What if, up close, the woman was way older than she looked and was, in fact, her biological mother, hence the resemblance?

  No way... It couldn’t be that easy, could it? Besides, didn’t they say everyone had a double in life? Maybe she just happened to stumble upon hers tonight.

  Ivy knew a lot of people in Chapel Cove. She’d ask her who the woman was.

  Haddie leaned in closer, the scent of the rose in the center of the table permeating her nostrils. She lowered her voice. “Do you know who that woman is sitting over at the window? Red hair, red dress, loud laugh.” Impossible to miss.

  Ivy twisted her head around to peek over her shoulder then turned back to Haddie. “That’s Anna Alverson, one of Portland’s privileged who come to their fancy cliffside mansions—or rather their father and mother’s mansions—on the weekends to escape the city.”

  A rich girl... No wonder she was so vociferous. Haddie knew the type—they’d made her life a misery from elementary school and all the way through high school.

  “Her father and mother are Kay and Vince, one of the most prominent families that Chapel Cove has to offer. Well, on weekends that is.”

  Prominent family? Could Kay be short for Kayleigh? Was Kay Alverson her biological mother? It could explain the strong resemblance to Anna. They could be sisters, although probably half-sisters. It all see
med so clear and logical to Haddie—her mother had an affair, and Vince Alverson, the upstanding citizen that Haddie supposed him to be, insisted his wife give the baby up for adoption. The Alversons living in Portland could explain why Haddie was born there. And giving Chapel Cove as the place Kayleigh Scott lived, combined with her maiden name most likely, made sense if a prominent Portland family were trying to avoid a scandal.

  She must meet with the Alversons.

  Tomorrow night.

  That was if by weekends Ivy meant every weekend.

  Ivy tapped her fingers on the table then shot another fleeting look over her shoulder. “Strange that Anna’s here on a Thursday. I’m only glad she’s found someone to share Valentine’s Day with. Hopefully it’ll take her attention away from—”

  Without finishing her sentence, Ivy glanced this way and that, her silvery hair dancing in the candlelight as her head turned. “Now where is our waiter with that drinks order? And we still need to place our food order. We certainly don’t want to still be eating by midnight.”

  Never mind the drinks or food orders, why hadn’t Ivy finished her sentence? Who was this person Anna needed her attention drawn away from? Probably merely Chapel Cove gossip—maybe that’s why Ivy had stopped mid-sentence—and the man sitting opposite Anna was exactly the person she wanted to be with. He certainly looked as if he belonged with her, all snazzed up in his cobalt blue suit. Blue was the new black, she’d read, and Anna’s date looked to be as trendy as she.

  Wouldn’t Riley look handsome in that color? Wouldn’t he look good in a suit, period, no matter the color?

  Anna’s date turned to stare at the man in black who’d been at their table for a while as the man walked away. Pity Anna’s date was facing the wrong way; Haddie would’ve loved to have caught a glimpse of him.

  “Have you decided what you’re ordering?” Ivy asked. “You’ve barely skimmed your menu.”

  “I… I’ll have the salmon.” It was always a good choice, and no doubt would be on the menu at a seafood restaurant.