Driftwood Cottage

by Sherryl Woods

“She took little Mick and went home,” Abby said, then gave him an innocent look. “Didn’t she tell you she was leaving?”

  “No, or I wouldn’t be in here asking, would I?” he retorted irritably. “Wasn’t she feeling well?”

  “I imagine she’d just had enough of your mixed signals, big brother,” Jess told him. “I heard about that smoldering kiss you laid on her in front of God and everybody.”

  “We all did,” Abby said. “You embarrassed her.”

  He sat down at the kitchen table. “I was trying to make a point.”

  Abby tossed him a dishtowel. “Well, if you’re going to hang out in here and expect advice from us, you can at least dry the pots and pans.”

  “I didn’t ask for advice,” he grumbled, but he stood up and reached for one of the pans, then gave Abby an appealing look. “Do you have any?”

  “There’s always the obvious,” Susie chimed in. “An engagement ring would be an excellent start.” Her expression turned wistful. “I wonder if I’ll ever get engaged.”

  “Of course you will,” Abby said, then grinned. “It might happen sooner if you and Mack would stop playing games and just admit you’re crazy about each other.”

  Connor listened to the teasing exchange, then reminded them, “Hey, we were supposed to be talking about me and Heather.”

  “The same advice applies,” Abby said. “Stop playing games and get on with it. Otherwise, I intend to introduce Heather to the first sexy available man I run across.”

  Connie walked into the kitchen just then. “Did I hear you offering to find sexy available men for people? Put me on the waiting list.”

  “Me, too,” Jess said.

  Connor scowled at the whole lot of them, then focused on Abby who, as the oldest, usually did exactly what she said she was going to do. “I do not want to hear about you setting Heather up on any dates,” he warned.

  Abby gave him another of her innocent looks. “Why not? If you’re not interested…”

  “I never said I wasn’t interested. I love the woman, dammit!”

  When applause broke out, he shook his head. “You all are absolutely no help. It’s like you belong to some sort of sisterhood.”

  “Hey, big brother,” Jess said, “you wanted advice and you got it. Don’t blame the messenger if it’s not what you wanted to hear.”

  Connor saw little point in sticking around for more of the same. The woman he actually needed to be talking to was not in this room.

  But, when it came right down to it, he had no idea what to say to her, either.

  Thomas could only take so much of the commotion at the house. As much as he loved the frequent Sunday dinners and family holidays, it didn’t take long before he found himself gravitating toward the water. Since the tide was high, leaving only a narrow strip of sand along the shore, he settled for walking out onto the dock and sitting on a bench.

  On days like today, he regretted not keeping one of the houses Mick had built in Chesapeake Shores for himself. He’d had that option as one of the developers, but he and Mick had been at odds, and he hadn’t been able to envision a time when he’d want to be within spitting distance of his impossible older brother. His wife at the time had wanted to be in a bigger city as well, so settling in Annapolis had made more sense. At least he’d remained on the bay, although he now found himself in a tiny condo because most of his income went to support two ex-wives.

  At the sound of footsteps on the weathered gray boards, he looked up and saw Jake’s sister, Connie, hesitating halfway out onto the dock. He patted the seat next to him.

  “You needed to escape, too? Come on. There’s room on the bench.”

  “Are you sure? You looked as if you were lost in thought.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose I was.” Not wanting to admit where his thoughts had truly gone, he improvised. “Whenever I’m around the bay, my mind tends to wander over the list of things I should be doing to ensure it gets healthy again. Since I can’t accomplish a one of them today, a distraction would be welcome.”

  Connie sat down beside him. “It’s beautiful out here,” she said. “Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live in such an incredibly lovely place.”

  “I wish more people appreciated the Chesapeake and would do their part to make sure it stays that way,” he said with real regret.

  He noticed that the young woman’s eyes lit up at his comment.

  “Actually, I’d hoped to talk to you about that today,” she admitted. “I heard your talk when you and Shanna organized that fundraiser last year. I bought several of the books you recommended, and I’d love to figure out some way I could be involved. I don’t know that I have any of the skills you might find helpful, but I’m willing to do whatever you need. Stuff envelopes, make calls, anything like that.”

  Thomas regarded her with surprise. “You’re really interested in volunteering? Am I remembering correctly that you’re a single mom and that you work for Jake? Do you have the time?”

  “Actually my daughter will be going off to college in the fall, so I’m thinking ahead to what it’s going to be like once she’s gone. I need to develop some outside interests, and preserving the bay really matters to me.”

  Thomas never turned down an eager volunteer. The fact that this one was in Chesapeake Shores was even better. He’d been toying with an idea ever since he’d done that talk for Shanna. Perhaps this was the perfect time to implement it.

  “How are your organizational skills?” he asked.

  Connie laughed, which put a sparkle in her dark brown eyes. “You said it yourself, I’m a single mom with a job. I’m very good at juggling things.”

  “Get along with Shanna?”

  “Sure.”

  “What would you think about the two of you putting together some more of those events like the one we had here? I’ll talk, she’ll sell books, and we’ll try to raise not only money, but awareness of the cause. I’d like to do maybe a half-dozen of them during the summer in small towns all along the bay.”

  “It’s a fantastic idea!” Connie said at once. “I’d love to work on it. Do you think I could come to the foundation’s headquarters sometime so you could bring me up to speed on all the research that’s being done? And I’d love to go out on the boat when you’re working on one of your studies. I think I’ll be more effective if I actually know what I’m talking about.”

  Thomas was pleased by both her enthusiasm and her businesslike approach. “Just call whenever you have the time and we’ll make it happen. You, Shanna and I should get together soon, too, to talk about all this. I’ve mentioned it to her, but I could see she was a little overwhelmed by the thought of doing this all on her own. And Kevin would kill me if I stole too much of his new wife’s attention.”

  “Shanna and I can handle this, no problem,” Connie said eagerly. “And I’ll put my daughter to work on it, too, until she leaves for college. It’ll be good for her to think about something other than boys this summer.”

  Thomas laughed. “I doubt you can stop a teenage girl from thinking about boys for even a minute.”

  Connie sighed. “But I can dream, can’t I?”

  “Of course you can,” he said. “Seems to me that not nearly enough dreaming goes on these days.” He gestured around. “After all, it was Mick’s dreaming that created this town. Shanna’s bookstore is her dream, and that new quilt shop is Heather’s. Even Megan has fulfilled a dream with that art gallery of hers.” He studied Connie. “Other than trying to keep your daughter out of mischief with boys, what’s your dream?”

  Her expression sobered, and the light in her eyes died. “I gave up on those kinds of dreams a long time ago,” she said quietly.

  There was no self-pity in her voice, just a hint of regret that nearly broke his heart.

  “One of these days maybe you’ll tell me about those long-ago dreams of yours,” he said kindly. “You see, the thing about dreams is that it’s never really too late to make them come true.”

&n
bsp; Connie shook her head. “Sometimes it is.” She forced a smile and waved off the gloomy moment. “Enough of that. Not only have I had a lovely day with family today, but I have something exciting and worthwhile to look forward to. I’ll be in touch with you soon about that visit.”

  Thomas nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  To his surprise, as she walked away, he realized it was the first time in ages he’d looked forward to something besides work. Of course, a case could be made that this was work, too, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt hopeful, as if he’d just met a kindred spirit under very unlikely circumstances.

  Heather wasn’t entirely surprised when she opened her door and found Connor on her doorstep. She’d been half-expecting his arrival ever since she’d left the O’Briens’ Easter celebration.

  “I wanted to stop by before I head back to Baltimore to make sure you’re okay,” he said.

  She folded her arms around her middle. “I’m fine.”

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  “No.”

  Ready to step inside, Connor regarded her with shock as her refusal registered. “Why not? Do you have someone in there you don’t want me to meet?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  He frowned. “Well, what am I supposed to think? People don’t just turn away friends for no reason.”

  “Friends don’t embarrass friends in front of other people, either.”

  “So, you are ticked off about the kiss,” he concluded. “I figured as much.”

  “Connor, why would you do such a thing in front of your family?” she asked, thoroughly exasperated with him. “It’s hard enough for me without you blurring the lines. I’m doing my best to make sure your son is surrounded by extended family, and you’re about to make it impossible for me to spend any time at all with you or your family.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about any of that,” he admitted candidly. “I was just trying to prove that your feelings for me haven’t changed.”

  “I never said they had,” she said. “I just told you I was no longer going to act on them, that our relationship wasn’t healthy the way it was. Kissing me to prove some stupid point is hardly likely to get me to change my mind.”

  “Again, very sorry,” he said contritely. “If you let me in, I’ll write it a hundred times on a piece of paper. That’s what Mrs. Brinkley made me do when I misbehaved in class.”

  Heather bit back a smile. “Then I’m surprised you had time to do anything else.”

  “It was a challenge,” he admitted, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  When she didn’t budge, he sobered. “Why don’t you want me in your apartment?” he asked. “The truth, please.”

  Heather hesitated, then opted for candor. “It’ll make it too hard. This apartment is mine and little Mick’s. You’ve never been here. I don’t see you everywhere I look. If I invite you in, all that will change.”

  Connor immediately looked chagrined. “I should have thought of that. Heaven knows, I see you in every square inch of our townhouse. It drives me crazy sometimes. Everywhere I look there’s some picture with a special memory tied to it.”

  Heather was surprised that he actually got it, even more surprised that he was willing to admit it. When she’d left, he’d feigned indifference. Oh, he’d asked her to stay, argued with her about her reasons for leaving, but in the end he’d shrugged off her actual departure. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but not that. It felt good to know that her absence wasn’t something he’d gotten over easily.

  “Thank you for understanding,” she said. “This transition is hard enough. Learning to find my way with your family without letting them overpower me is tricky. They’re everywhere. I need some space that’s just mine.”

  “A Connor-free zone,” he joked, though there was sorrow in his eyes when he said it.

  “It won’t always be this way,” she said. “At least I hope it won’t.”

  “We’ll find a way to make sure it isn’t,” he told her, then framed her face with his hands and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back next weekend, Heather.”

  Startled, she could only stare before she finally found her voice. “Next weekend? But I thought…”

  “What? That you’d be safe here for weeks on end? Sorry, but I’ve discovered a sudden need to be around family. And as my father has taken to pointing out at every opportunity, I have a son who needs to spend time with his dad.”

  “You could have little Mick for the whole weekend,” she said, unable to keep a desperate note from her voice. “I could send him to Baltimore with Abby on Friday morning.”

  “His life has been disrupted enough. His home’s here now. Since Mom and Dad are heading for Paris this week on that delayed honeymoon of theirs, I’ll have the house to myself. Little Mick and I can be bachelors for a couple of days.”

  He almost looked as if he expected her to argue, but Heather simply nodded. “Fine, but if I hear about you introducing our son to beer, poker and wild women at his age, you’ll be in a heap of trouble.”

  A startled expression passed over Connor’s face, but then he laughed. “I think that’s one worry you can cross off your list,” he assured her. “When we’re not fishing or hanging out with the other kids, I have a stack of cases needing my attention. It’ll be a very low-key weekend.” He held her gaze. “Feel free to stop by at any time, day or night, to check it out.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I can trust you,” she said, resolving not to get within a hundred yards of Connor next weekend, especially in private and after dark, when her willpower tended to be weakest and his charm most devastating.

  He regarded her innocently. “You don’t think I’d try to seduce you, do you?”

  “I know you’d try,” she said tartly. “The bigger question is what I’d do about it.”

  “Now you’re just taunting me,” he joked.

  “Sadly, I’m not.” She knew the admission had been a mistake, when she spotted the immediate glint in his eyes. Stepping back inside her apartment, she said, “Goodbye, Connor,” then closed the door very firmly behind her.

  It was several minutes before she heard his footsteps going down the stairs. Something told her he’d been debating knocking on her door once more and trying to press the advantage she’d foolishly given him by admitting the power he still had over her.

  The more important question, though, was how she was going to manage to avoid him next weekend. Or, worse, whether she even wanted to.

  9

  Megan had clothes strewn all over the bed as she tried to decide what to take with her to Paris. Mick sat in a chair, observing the scene with the kind of masculine amusement that could set a woman’s teeth on edge.

  “Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she muttered. “I can still decide to stay right here. The truth is, I think this is a bad time for us to be going away, even though the thought of Paris in April is just about the most romantic thing I can think of.”

  “You don’t want to go because of Connor and Heather,” Mick guessed at once, proving that he was more attuned to the family nuances than she’d given him credit for being.

  “Mick, I just don’t like the way things stand between those two,” she said, sitting down on the side of the bed clutching an armload of lingerie. “At this rate, I’m very much afraid they’ll never find common ground.”

  “Since you’re the one who’s always telling me not to meddle, I’ll turn the tables and tell you the same thing. Connor will do whatever he wants to do. We can’t influence him. We should both know that by now.”

  “It’s just so sad, and I feel as if it’s all our fault for setting the example that made him so cynical.”

  “We may have laid the groundwork, but it’s his job that’s sealed the deal,” Mick complained. “I wish he’d come back here and set up a law practice. For one thing, it would put him and Heather in close proximity. With the strong bond they already have over their son, I th
ink that’s all it would take to get them back together.”

  “What kind of law could Connor practice in Chesapeake Shores? Real estate closings and wills? Defending people ticketed for traffic violations?” Megan scoffed.

  “It would be an improvement over what he’s doing now,” Mick insisted.

  “I don’t disagree, but you know our son, Mick. He’d be bored to tears in a few weeks.”

  “Not if he’s back with his family,” Mick said.

  Megan regarded him incredulously. “Surely you know better than that. You had your very large family right here, and that wasn’t enough to keep you from chasing from one end of the country to the other on development jobs. You needed the challenge those jobs provided. Connor’s the same. He needs to have a demanding, fulfilling career.”

  “My work was entirely different,” Mick claimed. “That’s just the nature of the kind of architecture and urban design I did. I had to go where the work was.”

  Megan backed down. “Fair enough. Let’s not have that discussion again at this late date. I’m just saying that Connor’s a lot like you. He needs a challenge. As much as I’d love to have him living here, I don’t know if he’d find that kind of challenge practicing law in Chesapeake Shores.”

  But Mick already had his teeth into the idea. “I’m pretty sure old man Porter’s going to retire one of these days. The town will be without an attorney. Oh, there are others in nearby towns, of course, but people like trusting their business to someone they know. Seems like the perfect opportunity for a young man just starting out.”

  “Do you really believe that Connor will trade the partnership he’s worked so hard for in a prestigious Baltimore law firm for a private practice in Chesapeake Shores? He’s ambitious, Mick.”

  “Only one way to find out,” Mick said, not backing down.

  Megan frowned at him. “Don’t you dare go to Joshua Porter and try to manipulate him into offering some deal to Connor.”

  “Of course not,” Mick said indignantly. “Porter and I are barely on speaking terms, anyway.” He winked at her. “I’ll send Ma. He’s handled her legal affairs for years.”