by Ruth Langan
“So am I.” She reached for the sweating glass of iced tea and sipped. On the far side of the patio, Trudy was busy setting lunch on the glass-topped table. “I enjoy your books, Jason. They’re gripping. The minute I start reading, I forget you wrote them.”
“That’s the finest compliment you could pay me.”
“This latest book was terrifying.” She lowered her voice. “I suppose you realize you’ve ruffled a few feathers here in Devil’s Cove.”
He gave her a bland smile. “Is that so?”
She sighed. “I remember the murders. They happened years ago, but most citizens remember them well. The authorities agreed that they weren’t connected.”
“If my book was about Devil’s Cove, and if I had been chronicling actual crimes, I’d have to point out that the authorities don’t have a very good track record. Of the two convictions, one was later overturned by an appeals court, and a second man died proclaiming his innocence. A third murder went unsolved, as I recall.”
“In your book you suggest a serial killer. One who could still be alive here in our town.”
He chuckled. “If my fictional town were really Devil’s Cove.”
“Yes, of course.” He was still very good at secrets, she decided. Once he made up his mind, there was no budging Jason Cooper.
When Trudy beckoned, Jason got to his feet and put a hand under Bert’s elbow. They both looked up as Charley and Sidney stepped onto the patio.
“Jason.” Charley’s pleasure was evident in the smile that seemed to brighten all her features as she crossed the distance between them and gave him a warm embrace. “Oh, don’t you look grand.”
“Thanks.” He turned to accept a hug from Sidney, whose smile matched her mother’s. “I think you were sweet sixteen the last time I saw you. Now you look even more like your mother.”
Sidney dimpled. “That’s quite a compliment.”
He turned to Charley. “I see your name on just about every piece of property in this town.”
“Oh. There are a few choice properties I’ve missed.” She laughed. “But I’ll admit I’ve been busy.”
While they stood and caught up, Frank Brennan and his granddaughter Hannah walked up, heads bent in animated conversation. When they spotted Jason they both hurried over to welcome him.
Frank shook his hand. “You’re looking good, son.”
“Thank you, sir. So are you.” Jason turned to Hannah. “And you’re all grown up.”
“But still a tomboy.” She indicated her torn jeans and ragged fingernails. “This morning I was working with my crew laying sod because two of my employees didn’t show up.”
“Hannah owns a landscaping company.” Her grandfather’s pride was evident in his tone.
“I’ve seen the signs on just about every pretty garden in town.”
While they talked, they gathered around the table where Courtney joined them.
“Hello, Jason.” She offered her hand and he couldn’t help admiring the smooth, polished look of her.
“Em said you studied in New York and Milan. It shows.”
“Thank you, I think. Is that meant as a compliment?”
“You bet. You’re all grown up, and even prettier than I remember.”
Trudy unloaded platters from a wheeled serving cart. Just as they were taking their places, Emily stepped out the door. She’d removed her lab coat and was wearing a simple skirt and blouse. When she saw Jason with her family she paused for half a beat.
Bert glanced at the man beside her and saw the look of pleasure in his eyes. Then she looked over at her granddaughter. Even from this distance the electricity between these two was almost palpable.
After a moment’s hesitation Emily managed a smile. “Well, this is a surprise. Nobody mentioned that you were coming for lunch, Jason.”
Bert busied herself with her napkin. “I guess I forgot to mention it. When Jason phoned and asked to visit, I found I had a few hours free today.”
Emily gave her grandmother a considering look. “I thought you had a hair appointment at the Harbor Salon.”
“It was canceled.”
Emily decided not to press the issue. But she would have bet a week’s pay that her grandmother had been the one to cancel it when she learned that Jason wanted to come calling.
“Sit here, Jason.” Bert took her usual place at the far end of the table and patted the chair beside hers, so that Emily was wedged between him and her sister Sidney.
As soon as they were seated, Trudy began serving.
After helping himself to fish from a platter Jason looked up with a grin. “I thought you said you didn’t fuss.”
Trudy showed no emotion. “I didn’t.”
Jason winked at Hannah across the table. “I suppose this is your usual fare? Broiled lake trout? Tomatoes vinaigrette? Lighter-than-air-biscuits?”
Bert answered for her. “The judge has always been fussy about food. And he prefers his main meal at noon rather than later in the day.”
“You have excellent taste, sir.”
“Thank you, son.” Frank tucked into his meal. To no one in particular he announced. “I invented a new spatula today.”
Trudy rolled her eyes.
Frank ignored her. “It folds over like a sandwich, to keep from dropping the food as you turn it. And each side is vented to allow the juices to escape while turning meat or fish on the grill.”
“I think that’s been done,” Bert said dryly.
“Not like this one. The handle is long enough to use on the hottest outdoor grill.”
The housekeeper paused beside him. “I’m surprised you didn’t tuck a Swiss army knife into the handle, so you could slice, dice or drill the meat or fish while you’re at it.”
He shot her a scathing look. “You may poke fun now, but you’ll thank me after you’ve had a chance to try it.”
“When will we get to see this latest ingenious invention?” Trudy replaced the platter on the cart.
“I should have it refined and ready to use by tomorrow.”
“Which means,” Hannah said in a stage whisper, “that Trudy will probably manage to misplace it by the end of the week.”
The others around the table were grinning.
At Jason’s arched brow, Emily said softly, “Trudy doesn’t have the heart to tell Poppie how much she hates his inventions, so she just manages to lose them.”
“And he’s never caught on?”
Emily shrugged. “He’s the quintessential absent-minded professor. As soon as he finishes one project, his mind is on the next, and he completely forgets what went on before.”
Trudy, busy topping off their iced tea, muttered, “One of these days you’ll invent something I can use. Like an apple corer that doesn’t leave those jagged holes in the middle. Or a grapefruit spoon that actually cuts through grapefruit.”
“Careful.” Bert touched a hand to the housekeeper’s arm. “If he should take your advice, you may have actually to use one of his inventions.”
Trudy nodded. “And then I’ll never hear the end of the man’s brilliance.”
“Brilliant, you say?” Frank looked up with a gleam in his eye. “Thank you, Trudy. Nice of you to finally acknowledge that fact.”
Jason sipped his tea and managed not to laugh out loud. It felt so good to sit back and watch again the bantering and bickering that he’d first witnessed as a boy. He’d learned early on that, despite the litany of complaints between these two, there was a deep well of affection. It flowed not only from Frank Brennan to Trudy, but from person to person around this table. So much love, given without reservation. When he’d first encountered it he’d felt like a cave dweller emerging for the first time into the warmth of the sun. At first it had merely dazzled him. Then it had led to comparisons between the blinding light of this life and the dullness of his own existence. Finally he’d realized that he could never again be content to leave the warmth behind and crawl back into the darkness.
This was
why he’d left Devil’s Cove.
This was why he’d returned.
Chapter 7
Bert touched a napkin to her lips and studied Jason as he watched the antics going on around him. The look on his face left no doubt that he was enjoying himself.
She could still recall the sad, somber boy who had followed Emily into the kitchen one soggy summer day. He’d been as bedraggled a stray as any of the animals her granddaughter had rescued. More so, perhaps, because he was so heartbreakingly stoic. When she and Trudy had discovered the marks and bruises on his body, he’d had an excuse for every one. A fall from a bike or tree. A tumble on the sidewalk. A scrape from a passing boat.
Was that when he’d begun weaving fact into fiction?
“Got to run.” Hannah pushed away from the table. “The sod truck ought to be rolling up with another load any minute. Thanks, Trudy. That was great.” She waved to Jason. “I hope I see you again before you leave.”
Before he could respond she was gone, and the others were on their feet, ready to follow.
Charley checked her watch. “I have a one o’clock showing.” She kissed Bert’s cheek, then the judge’s before offering her hand to Jason. “So good seeing you.”
It was Sidney’s turn for goodbyes, followed by Courtney, and then the judge, who was eager to return to his workshop.
Frank Brennan offered a firm handshake to their guest. “Nice to see you, son. I’m sure we’ll get together a few more times before the week ends.”
“I hope so, sir.” Jason returned the handshake.
Emily brushed a kiss over her grandmother’s cheek. “I have patients waiting.” When she turned, she nearly bumped into Jason. At once his hands were on her arms, steadying her. She stood perfectly still for a moment, enjoying the quick rush of heat that accompanied his touch. Reluctantly she turned away.
He stood watching as she crossed the patio and stepped through the open French doors.
If Bert had had any doubts before, they’d been swept away in that instant. The looks on both their faces had been achingly revealing.
She cleared her throat. “She’s grown into a lovely young woman, hasn’t she?”
Jason blinked and realized he’d been caught staring. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet. “You’re a sly woman, Mrs. B.”
“So I’ve been told.” She tucked her arm through his. “Walk with me, Jason. It will give us a chance to catch up.”
They left the patio and followed weathered stepping stones set in the lawn leading down to the water’s edge. There they stood watching the play of watercraft.
“My son, Christopher, was a strong-willed man.”
Jason chuckled. “I wonder where he got that?”
She joined in his laughter. “I guess he was his mother’s son. But he also inherited his father’s keen sense of duty. As the father of four daughters, he was determined to give them every opportunity to have the futures he thought they deserved.”
“What if they wanted a life he didn’t approve of?”
The old woman crossed her arms over her chest and faced into the breeze. “I think he really believed he could persuade them to want what he wanted. As you well know, he was not above pulling strings to get his way.”
Jason stuffed his hands in his pockets and studied the white sails in the distance.
“I don’t know what Christopher would make of Sidney’s secluded cottage in the woods, though he always sensed she would have a future in the arts. It was as natural to her as breathing. He probably would have preferred that she live and work in one of the great cultural centers, like Paris or Rome, or even New York. As for Hannah’s tomboy career as a landscaper, he would probably disapprove, consider it unladylike. I’m sure he’d have nagged and cajoled and even lobbied to get her to simply design the gardens, and leave the physical work to others. Not that she would have listened to him. Our Hannah has a mind of her own. And I believe he would have approved of Courtney studying in Milan.” Her tone softened. “Of course, his untimely death left such questions without answers.”
Jason heard the pain in her voice. It must have been devastating to have lost her only child. “You haven’t mentioned Emily. Her choice, at least, would have pleased him.”
Bert turned, and her smile was forced. “My son was a good man, but he wasn’t above using even his impending death to his advantage. It should have been enough to know that Emily had followed him into medicine. He knew, from all accounts, that she was headed for a brilliant career at University Hospital. But he extracted her promise to remain here, at least until she could find a worthy replacement.”
“You think he was wrong to ask that?”
“I thought so in the beginning, and said as much. Now I’m not so certain. When Emily first returned to Devil’s Cove, she seemed eager to get back to the life she’d made for herself. Her own apartment. Her friends. Her hectic schedule. Not to mention a certain doctor who was taking up a great deal of her time.” Bert saw the narrowed look that came into Jason’s eyes and nearly laughed aloud. Oh, he was so transparent, though he would have vigorously argued that point with her. “But in the weeks since, I’ve watched Emily shrug off the tensions that go along with such a life. She’s actually begun to blossom, in ways I hadn’t expected. I think she likes being closer to her family, and reestablishing relationships with old friends.”
“And her brilliant future?”
“If she wants it, I believe it’s still hers for the taking. But success, by itself, isn’t all that satisfying, as I’m sure you’ve learned. There are other things that need to be taken into account.” She took his arm and began to walk along the shore. “Tell me about your life, Jason. You’re living in California now?”
“Malibu.”
“Do you jog along the beach and ogle movie stars?”
He roared with laughter. “I do. But I try not to be too obvious about the ogling.”
“Have you made friends there?”
“A few.”
“Tell me about them.”
“There’s a director who’s been wrangling with studio executives to turn my work into movies. He can be pretty persuasive when he tries. We started out with a few lunches and meetings, and discovered that we like the same things and enjoy the same company. He and his wife are fun to be around. And there’s my agent and her husband and kids. They make me feel like part of their family.”
“That’s good. You need family, Jason.” Bert gave him a sideways glance. “How about romantic entanglements?”
“Is that a polite way of asking me if I have a roommate?”
It was her turn to laugh. “I believe it is.”
“Mrs. B, you’re losing your touch. That was about as subtle as a train wreck.”
She stopped walking and looked up at him. “You haven’t answered the question.”
“It doesn’t deserve an answer.” He couldn’t suppress the grin that curved his mouth at her little huff of impatience. “All right. You win. No roommate. No significant other.”
“Why?”
“Because you broke my heart all those years ago, and no other woman could measure up.”
She smacked his arm before linking hers and continuing along the shore. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.”
“So am I. But the beautiful woman on my arm is distracting me.”
They walked in silence, enjoying the loveliness of the afternoon and the ease with which they fell into their old relationship of teacher and pupil, with even amounts of lecturing and teasing.
Bert’s tone softened. “She was hurt when you left without a word.”
Jason had no problem keeping pace with the sudden change in the conversation. “I know. I’ve always been sorry about that.” Sorry. Such a mild term for the way he’d felt. As though his heart had been pulled from his chest and trampled in the dirt until it was bloodied and shredded into hundreds of pieces. The pain of separation from Emily had been harder than the pain of his childhood.
But he’d survived. They both had.
“Christopher was surprised by your strict code of honor. Of course, I took every chance I could to remind him that I’d expected as much.”
Jason paused to look down at her. “When I came to you for advice, you told me that I should take every opportunity that was handed me, no matter how many strings were attached. As I recall, you told me that one day I’d look back on all that with a sense of pride.” His tone roughened. “Where’s that one day you promised me, Mrs. B?”
“You don’t have a sense of pride in your accomplishments, Jason? What about your success? Your celebrity?” Seeing his frown she added, “Your books are bestsellers. Your face, your name splashed on the covers of magazines. Your lifestyle noted among the rich and famous. There aren’t many of your classmates who would turn down the chance to trade places with you.”
“I can’t deny that I like what I’ve done. Writing satisfies a need in me. I like the discipline of it. The challenge. And it certainly helps that my publishers are willing to pay me so much money for doing what I love.”
“But…?”
He took her arm and started back the way they’d come. From here The Willows, with its graceful sloping roof and fabulous gardens looked like an exotic picture in a slick magazine. “But something’s missing.”
“Is that all?” There was a sparkle in her eyes that reminded him of another. “Think of your life as a puzzle, with a key part missing. You were always so good at finding what was lost, Jason.” She saw Trudy standing on the patio, a wreath of smoke drifting over her head. “Come on. Let’s get back to the house and see if there’s any iced tea left. Maybe Emily can join us between patients.”
“You’re a devious woman, Mrs. B.”
She laughed. “Thank you. I like to think so.”
Emily stepped out of the examining room and made her way to Melissa’s desk. “No more patients?”
“Hank Carver canceled. So did Emery Michaels. That leaves an empty hour in our schedule, which is handy, because your grandmother asked if you’d see her on the patio when you found some time.”
Emily laughed. “I guess that means I can’t use this hour to deal with the mountain of paperwork on my desk.”
