Don't Break My Heart (Return to Redemption, Book 6)

by Laurie Kellogg

  “She said it, mi hermano.” And his niece undoubtedly played tonsil hockey with Ryan on a regular basis. He leaned to his left and mumbled softly to Nick, “You should be happy if that’s the only thing she’s doing.”

  “Tell me about it. I have nightmares.”

  “About what?” Trisha asked from behind him.

  Justin stood and pulled out the chair Haley had left vacant between them. “About what Dani might be doing when she’s alone with Ryan,” he whispered.

  “Ahhh.” Trisha nodded and murmured, “Let’s hope it’s not what we were up to last night.” She’d apparently stopped off at her room and changed into her white ski pants and a pale pink sweater.

  “Dani says Ryan and her parents are definitely goin’ snowmobiling with us this afternoon, Can Jamal come, too?” Haley asked.

  Justin heaved a sigh. “I suppose. As long as his chaperone gives him permission.”

  Nick pointed at him and snickered. “Now who’s worrying?”

  Trisha picked up her menu. “So what’s everyone having this morning?”

  “Yogurt,” Sam announced. “Between the ten courses at the wedding and that buffet last night, I’ve already consumed my calorie allotment for the entire next year.”

  “Eggs Benedict with a side of bacon and hash browns,” Nick said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Justin agreed.

  Sam shook her head at Trisha. “I hate men.”

  “Amen. But I need something more substantial than yogurt if I’m going to climb hills all morning while sledding.”

  “Since Justin’s planning to eat like a horse, let him be a stallion and pull you up the hills,” Sam suggested.

  Trisha laughed. “I like the way you think.”

  “Oh, man.” He groaned, rubbing his thighs. They’d already gotten a strenuous enough workout that morning. “My legs are already aching.”

  Trisha smiled sideways at him, her eyes wide with amusement. “Gee, I wonder why? I guess you must be a mere mortal.”

  She had no idea.

  “Skiing always leaves my legs sore, too.” Nick selected one of the warm cinnamon rolls the waiter had placed on the table.

  “Skiing?” Justin looked at Trisha, and they both burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” His brother frowned at him, wearing a clueless expression. An enlightened look flashed in his eyes “Ohhh, not skiing.” Nick smirked. “I thought you looked a little worn out this morning.”

  “Oh, gross.” Haley made gagging noises as she pretended to stick her finger down her throat.

  “What?” Dani asked, confused.

  “They’re talking about S-E-X.” Haley told her.

  “You mean Uncle Justin and Ms. Mason?”

  Haley rolled her eyes and shrugged.

  Justin leaned forward and scowled at her. “Why don’t you just announce it to the entire dining room?”

  “What? I didn’t say anything. Besides, you’re always telling me I shouldn’t do anything I’d be ashamed of people finding out about.”

  “You’re right. I guess that means I’d better not bend the rules and let you drive the snowmobile this afternoon. I wouldn’t want anyone to find out I allowed someone who’s not quite sixteen to operate—”

  “Oh, come on!” Haley huffed. “My birthday’s in less than two months.”

  Ben had offered him and Nick the use of the four snowmobiles at his estate so the kids could legally drive them on private property—with their supervision, of course.

  He grinned at his brother. “Should we tell ‘em, or should we let them sweat a while?”

  “I vote for lettin’ them sweat.”

  Trisha whispered in his ear. “You’re bad.”

  “I know. And you love it.”

  The waitress arrived to take their orders. A few seconds after she left, Frankie wandered over to their table. “Hey, Trisha, I have a little problem.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My mother slipped on the ice last night and broke her ankle.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. Is it a bad break?”

  “Just a hairline fracture. But she’s in a bit of pain. Andy offered to leave early and take her home. I’d like to go with them. Would you mind driving my car back tomorrow?”

  “Not at all.” Trisha waved her away. “Go take care of her.”

  “I just feel bad leaving you to drive the two hours back alone.”

  “I’ll ride home with you,” Justin volunteered, doing a mental happy dance. Apparently fate had decided to smile upon him and offer him more time to convince Trisha to have dinner with him next week. “I rode up here on the bus with my brother and a lot of the other Redemption residents. “Haley can go back on the bus with Dani.”

  “No, that’s okay. I don’t mind driving alone.”

  “I insist. Otherwise, Frankie won’t be able to leave with a clear conscience. You don’t want her lugging around a boatload of guilt for abandoning you, do you?”

  “All right. You can cut the theatrics and ride with me.” Trisha shook her head at Frankie. “I swear, you should give him a role in West Side Story this spring.”

  Frankie chuckled and handed her the car keys. “We have to give him points for putting his heart into it.”

  Okay, so maybe he’d overdramatized the situation a little. He never claimed to be one of the Barrymores. Even though his performance hadn’t earned any applause, it had gained him two more hours alone with Trisha and possibly lunch on the way home.

  Life was good.

  CHAPTER 7

  Trisha couldn’t remember the last time she’d been sledding. Haley opted for snow tubing instead. Just as Sam had suggested, Trisha hopped on one of the sleds while Justin hauled them back up the hill, which had resulted in a wrestling match in the snow.

  They met Nick and Sam for a quick lunch at the hotel and then the four kids and they all piled into the stretch limo BJ sent to transport them to his estate. When they arrived, Ben’s caretaker took them down to the equipment shed near the shoreline of the lake where four snowmobiles stood waiting for them, fueled up and ready to go.

  “We’ve had a good cold snap, so the lake should be totally safe to drive on,” the man told them, handing them each a pair of goggles. “But if you want to stay on the side of caution, I wouldn’t go out more than twenty or thirty yards from the shore.”

  “Okay.” Justin clapped his gloved hands together. “I think each of the adults should pair up with one of the kids until we’re sure they know what they’re doing. He put his arm around Haley’s shoulder. “I have dibs on teachin’ Pinky.”

  Jamal and Ryan were both already seventeen and had their driver’s licenses, so Trisha said, “Why don’t I go with Jamal? I don’t mind letting him drive.”

  Sam rode behind Ryan, and Nick taught Dani how to operate the machine. Within a half hour, Justin and Nick were both confident the girls could handle the snowmobiles and let them drive. For two hours they all zipped around the lake, racing each other, taking turns driving, and switching partners.

  The December wind bit into Trisha’s cheeks, making them so cold they burned. Finally at about three o’clock, she and Sam agreed they should all return to the hotel for some hot chocolate. As the eight of them trudged up the hill to the mansion to ask Thomas to drive them back to the resort, Haley suddenly dropped back from the group.

  Trisha stopped and waited for her. When she didn’t catch up, Trisha walked back to her. “What’s wrong?”

  Haley turned away and shook her head.

  Trisha stepped around her and discovered tears streaming down the child’s face. “Sweetie, what upset you? Didn’t you have fun riding with Jamal?”

  “Yeah.” Haley sniffled and swiped her mitten across her wind-kissed cheeks.

  “What’s bothering you?”

  She shrugged and sobbed, “My dad was supposed to teach me to drive after my birthday.”

  Trisha stroked her head. “Your Uncle Justin will teach you, just like h
e did today.” She glanced up the hill where he waited for them wearing a confused expression. She waved him away.

  “I know he will. That’s what made me think about it.” She wept harder. “I wanted my dad to do it. And my mom promised to give me the necklace one of her friends bought her when I turned sixteen.”

  Trisha’s stomach clenched. Oh, dear Lord. It had to be the matching locket she and Lindsey had bought each other for Christmas one year.

  “My mother wore it all the time. My dad didn’t know what happened to it. He thought maybe, after the accident, someone stole it from her body.”

  How awful. “I suppose it’s possible. There are plenty of dishonest creeps in the world.”

  Haley glanced up at her. “You and Uncle Justin knew each other in college. Since he and my dad were roommates, did you ever meet my mom?”

  How could she explain so the child could understand why she’d lost touch with Haley’s mother?

  Trisha sank onto a nearby boulder and held Haley’s hands. “I did know your mom. We were best friends since third grade. She introduced me to your uncle.”

  “Why didn’t you stay friends?”

  She shook her head and shrugged. “It’s something that will be hard for you to understand.”

  “I might only be a teenager, but I’m pretty smart.”

  Her training as a counselor had taught her an age-appropriate, redacted version of the truth usually worked best when dealing with kids.

  “You are. I think you know your mom became pregnant with you the summer before college, right?”

  “Yeah. That’s why she and my dad both quit school.”

  “Well, I was originally supposed to be your godmother. But then that fall, after I started dating your uncle, I became pregnant, too. He’d already made it clear he had no interest in getting married, so I didn’t want him to feel obligated. I ran away and cut off contact with my family and all of my friends.”

  “Did you have an abortion?”

  “No. I lost my baby. I wanted to call your mom when it happened, but I knew she was about to have you, and I hurt too much to face watching her cuddle you. For years, I wanted to get in touch with her, but I learned your dad and uncle had become business partners, and I didn’t want to see Justin.”

  “So you were supposed to be my godparents together?”

  “Yes, sweetie. I still have the necklace that matched the one your mom had. You remind me so much of her. I’d love to give it to you for your birthday if you’d like.”

  Haley’s mouth trembled in a tearful smile. “I would. I’d like that a lot.” She threw her arms around Trisha’s neck and sobbed into her shoulder. “I miss her so much.”

  “I know.” Trisha rubbed her back. “I do, too.”

  Haley stepped back, her mouth curved in a hopeful smile. “Maybe you and Uncle Justin could get married now.”

  “I don’t think so. We’re just good friends.”

  “Friends with benefits. That’s what they call it when friends sleep together, right?”

  “Yes. But it’s more complicated than that.”

  “He never got married. Maybe he loves you.”

  If only that were true. “I doubt that.” Trisha stood and held her hand out to Haley. “We’d better catch up. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

  As they climbed the hill, Haley continued to hold her hand. “Even if my uncle isn’t in love with you, I’d still like you to be my godmother. My mom asked her sister to do it, but my aunt hasn’t lived in the United States for most of my life, so I barely know her.”

  Trisha squeezed her hand. “I’d like that a lot.”

  Just as long as she could leave Justin out of her relationship with their goddaughter.

  ~*~

  Justin had no idea what Trisha and Haley discussed that afternoon when they’d fallen back after snowmobiling, but he could tell it was something serious because they both closed their lips tighter than a century-old door on a humid day.

  Upon their return to the hotel, the women of Redemption voted that, since it would be their last night at the resort and the evening’s dinner menu included numerous gourmet selections, they should make it a dress-up night. Trisha and Haley elected to skip the cocoa and took the resort’s shuttle into town with Sam and Dani for an emergency shopping trip.

  The rest of the afternoon, he hung out in the bar with his brother and Jake, shooting pool and watching ESPN on the large screen television.

  When Trisha and Haley finally returned at six, laughing at some secret joke, they immediately abandoned him and disappeared into Trisha’s room until dinner.

  Ninety minutes later, they glided into the dining room together, ready for a Paris runway. Trisha wore a sexy, sequined pants set in a black, clingy fabric and Haley a red ruffled dress with a short matching jacket and platform heels.

  Evidently, Trisha had given the child some make-up pointers. For the first time since Marc started allowing his daughter to wear mascara at age fourteen, she didn’t look like an underage streetwalker.

  “Wow. You both look gorgeous and very grown up.”

  Haley blushed as Trisha dipped into a shallow curtsy and murmured, “Thank you, sir.”

  “Shall we?” He took them each by the arm and escorted them to the table set for ten that included his brother’s party as well as Jake and his wife Maggie. Jamal had persuaded Ryan to invite him to join them as Haley’s dinner partner.

  As soon as they were seated with Trisha between him and Haley, the waiter took their order for cocktails while they all shared their day’s activities.

  When Trisha ordered a Virgin Mary, Justin teased her. “What’d you do, join AA? You haven’t drunk anything alcoholic since we’ve been here.”

  Her face tensed almost as if his jest might hold some truth in it. “No. I’m just eating so much I figure I should skip the hundred-plus calories in the alcohol since I really don’t care if I have it. Dessert I would definitely miss.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Sam said. “I think I’ll do the same.”

  Maggie shook her head. “Forget that. I just weaned Katie last week to prepare to leave her home from this trip. I’m having a glass of wine. I’ll diet on January second.”

  When the drinks were served a few minutes later, Jake stood and cleared his throat. “I’d like to propose a toast.” He held up his beer and smiled down at his wife. “To the beautiful women of Redemption. You all look outstanding tonight. Thank you for making it worth wearing a suit for you.”

  Justin clinked his glass against Nick’s in agreement, adding loudly, “And to BJ Elliott,”—he gestured toward their host seated at the next table with the Fitzpatricks and Lamberts—“for his generosity in making this such a great getaway.”

  “You’re all quite welcome.” Ben nodded to them.

  All through the candlelit dinner that followed, Trisha and Haley whispered and giggled with each other as if no one else existed. He should’ve felt insulted, however, he could only see it working in his favor in the long run. Instead, he discussed football with Jake and Nick while he enjoyed wild mushroom soup, a lump crab cake, a green salad, and juicy prime rib.

  The more he watched Haley and Trisha sharing bites of their chicken Marsala and beef stroganoff, the more he started to believe Haley might need a woman in her life more than she needed his undivided attention. She clearly missed her mother.

  Following a final course of assorted cheeses and fruit, the rest of the evening passed in a blur. Throughout the hypnotist’s act and a performance by the remarkable vocalist Ben had booked, all Justin could think about was how to convince Trisha to continue their relationship. Every time he’d broached the subject that day, she’d shut him down hard—especially around Haley.

  At eleven o’clock, a DJ took the stage to emcee a dance party. Most of the guests elected to stay and wait for the midnight dessert buffet BJ had promised earlier, at the end of their dinner.

  As soon as the music started, Haley dragged Trisha onto th
e dance floor and continued monopolizing her company. After three high-energy numbers, the DJ reduced the pace with Billy Joel’s She’s Got a Way. Justin sauntered over to the dance floor as Haley and Trisha left the crowd swaying to the slower music. He held his hand out to Haley. “May I have this dance?”

  “Me?” Haley did a double take. Trisha also looked a little stunned that he hadn’t asked her to dance.

  “Yes, you, Pinky.” He smiled. “Why wouldn’t I ask my favorite girl to dance? Especially when she looks so pretty.” He placed one palm on her waist as she clasped his other hand. Trisha smiled and nodded at him over Haley’s shoulder, mouthing the words, good choice.

  They began dancing, and even though Haley stood taller than usual in the platform heels she wore, she still had to look up at him. “I’ve always wondered why you call me Pinky. This afternoon, Ms M. told me it was a joke between you and my parents when you were all in college.”

  Clearly, Trisha must have confessed to Haley that she’d been friends with Lindsey. That explained their sudden bonding.

  “That’s true. Your dad and I used to watch Animaniacs in the afternoons. One of the cartoon segments was called Pinky and the Brain.”

  “I think I’ve seen reruns of it. They’re two genetically-enhanced mice trying to take over the world, right?”

  “Yup. Every time your mom or Trisha asked what we wanted to do, your dad and I would look at each other and say—”

  “Let’s try and take over the world!” she crowed, quoting the mice’s classic line in the cartoon.

  He chuckled. “Anyway, we argued about whether you’d be a boy or a girl. Your dad claimed you had to be a boy because he could already tell you were brilliant since every time he talked you kicked your mom.”

  “He actually thought a girl would be dumb?”

  “Nah, we just liked busting your mom and Trisha. We told them having a boy would be much better because he’d plan to take over the world instead of worrying about how many pink things he could buy. That’s when Trisha said, ‘Right, like The Brain is so smart. Maybe it’s escaped your notice, what with you and Marc being so manly and smart, but stupid old Pinky has top billing. So who’s the shrewd one?’”