In Shelter Cove

by Barbara Freethy

  “That won’t happen. We all know that Derek stole art that was the heart of Angel’s Bay, and he did it to get back at me. He deserved what he got.”

  “He deserved to die?” she asked, anger overtaking her amazement. “How can you not care that your grandson is dead, that he left a child behind? What kind of man are you?”

  “Of course I care that Derek is dead.” His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing to hard, black beads of anger. “I gave that boy every opportunity to be the best, to succeed. I opened doors that would have slammed in his face if it weren’t for me. He threw it all away. You shouldn’t be asking what kind of man I am. You should be asking yourself what kind of man would steal something so important to the people who loved him. What kind of man would marry a woman while he was serving a prison term? What kind of man would—”

  “Stop!” She put up a hand in protest, his words making her stomach turn over. “I know who Derek was. I was his wife.”

  “And I was his grandfather. I watched him grow up. I taught him how to paint. I listened to his dreams. You had a six-month fairy-tale romance, followed by a five-year relationship conducted over a prison telephone. You can’t begin to compete with what I know about Derek and what you don’t. And if you keep asking questions, you might be surprised to find that the answers are even worse than you imagine. If you want to save some scrap of Derek’s reputation for your son, then leave the past alone.”

  Wyatt stalked toward the back of the gallery, motioning to the Markhams to follow him.

  Brianna let out a breath, shaken by his harsh and cruel words. He seemed so certain of Derek’s guilt. Did he know something she didn’t?

  She saw Katherine’s speculative gaze on her and was grateful that the gallery was otherwise empty.

  “Wyatt loved Derek,” Katherine said quietly.

  “Did he?”

  “The people you love are the only ones who can hurt you that badly.”

  Maybe that was true, or maybe Wyatt was just an egotistical ass who couldn’t see past his own importance. With a muttered good-bye, Briana left, relieved to be out in the open air.

  Perhaps she needed to take a step back and think about her approach. There was so much anger toward Derek that she doubted anyone in the art community would be willing to help her, especially with Wyatt standing so firmly on the other side. And the police had no interest in reopening an investigation that might only make one or more of their officers look bad. She would have to find another way into the past.

  Heading down the street to the bakery, she saw Nancy and Lucas sitting at an outside table. Her son’s eyes sparkled with delight when he saw her, and his smile was all she needed to put the world right again. Whatever mistakes she and Derek might have made, Lucas wasn’t one of them. And she would do whatever it took to keep that smile on his face.

  FIVE

  “We had tarts,” Lucas told her with a delighted grin. “My favorite is raspberry. Daddy’s was, too.”

  Brianna suspected Nancy had made the comparison for him. She was a little worried by how often the Kanes compared Lucas to Derek. She wanted Lucas to be loved for himself, not as a replacement for the son they’d lost.

  “Would you like one?” Nancy asked, nodding to the pink bakery box on the table. “I got some for us to take home.”

  “Maybe later.” Her stomach was still churning from her recent conversation with Wyatt.

  “I guess we’re ready to go to the quilt shop, then,” Nancy said as she got to her feet. She gave Brianna a curious look as they started walking. “Are you all right? You look a little pale.”

  “I ran into Wyatt at the Markham Gallery,” she said.

  Nancy’s eyes filled with worry. “Oh, dear. Was he horrible?”

  “Yes. I knew he thought Derek was guilty, but I didn’t realize how deep his anger went.”

  “He’s been angry his whole life. Rick tried to please his father in so many ways but never could, and Rick’s mother fell short, too. Wyatt divorced her when Rick was about ten years old. He’s had half a dozen women since then, but no one stuck around very long.”

  “So Derek was just the last in a string of family disappointments in Wyatt’s mind?” Brianna kept an eye on Lucas, who was walking a few steps ahead, delightedly jumping over the sidewalk cracks.

  “Once Wyatt makes up his mind, it’s impossible to change it.” Nancy paused, her gaze still concerned. “Brianna, why did you go to the gallery? The Markhams were never on Derek’s side. If you think they’ll help us clear Derek’s name, you’re mistaken.”

  “I know. It was just an impulsive decision. I keep thinking those paintings have to be somewhere, and if I can find them, the truth will follow.”

  “A lot of people have tried. Sometimes I think those paintings are cursed. They were lost for more than a hundred years; maybe they were never supposed to be found.” Nancy stopped in front of the door to the quilt shop. “How about we change the subject?”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

  “Good, because as much as I want to clear Derek’s name, I’m most interested now in making sure you and Lucas are happy here. I want you to settle in, make friends, have a life.”

  “I want that, too,” Brianna said.

  “Then let me show you one of my favorite places in town and maybe we’ll get you a job at the same time.”

  Nancy’s optimism lifted her spirits. “Lead on,” she said.

  As they stepped into the store, Brianna felt a rush of warm energy. The store was alive with colors and conversation, a delightful buzz of activity. Women were chatting by the cash register, another group was working at sewing machines in the back of the store, and others were picking out materials and threads. Upstairs, an appliqué class was in progress. The sense of creative anticipation in the building was intoxicating. No wonder the store was one of Nancy’s favorite places. Brianna felt immediately comfortable, welcomed by the cheerful smiles that greeted them at every turn.

  “There’s Fiona,” Nancy said, leading her toward the cash register, where an older woman with bright red hair and fiery blue eyes was completing a transaction. “Don’t let her scare you. She’s more bark than bite. She’s eighty-two years old but you won’t meet anyone with more energy.”

  Brianna drew in a deep breath. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt nervous. But as Fiona’s sharp eyes landed on her, she felt as if she were being stripped bare. It had been a long while since anyone had looked so closely at her.

  “This is Brianna and my grandson, Lucas,” Nancy said, introducing them.

  Fiona nodded. “I’m sorry I missed the funeral. My deepest condolences.”

  “Thank you,” Brianna said.

  “So you need a job, do you?” Fiona asked. “Nancy says you’re a teacher. Why do you want to work here?”

  “I’ve been teaching French at a middle school the last couple of years. I’m hoping to get a teaching job here in town, but there aren’t any openings at the moment. So I’m looking for something part-time.”

  “Then I guess you’re hired.”

  “Just like that?” Brianna asked in surprise.

  “Yes,” Fiona said, her gaze contemplative. “I think you might need this shop as much as we need you.”

  Brianna had no idea what that meant, but she didn’t have a chance to ask.

  “You can take over Nancy’s shift starting tomorrow,” Fiona continued. “I assume babysitting won’t be a problem.”

  “I’m always available,” Nancy cut in quickly.

  “I guess I’m covered,” Brianna said. “I appreciate the opportunity. I won’t let you down.”

  “I know you won’t,” Fiona said with a confident smile. “Now, Nancy, why don’t you bring this cute boy of yours upstairs. I know some ladies who are just dying to meet him.”

  “Do you mind?” Nancy asked Brianna, an eager light in her eyes.

  “Go right ahead. I’ll look around.”

  Lucas was happy to accompany his grand
mother. A curious child, he was always eager to see what was upstairs or around the corner or in the next room.

  Brianna wandered the aisles, making mental notes of where things were. Judging by how quickly the interview had gone, training would be done on the fly as well. She was grateful to Nancy for the job and the babysitting. Her mother-in-law was doing everything she could to make the transition go smoothly. She and Rick wanted her to love Angel’s Bay, and there was a lot to like.

  She’d always wanted to live in a small town, something she’d never dared tell her academic, globe-trotting parents. While she’d been exposed to incredible opportunities, she’d missed having roots, having friendships that went from kindergarten to college.

  She’d missed having parents, too. They’d hired a series of nannies and tutors to make sure her basic needs were met, but there hadn’t been much love or even attention. That had changed when she’d met Derek. They’d adored him and thought he was the perfect man for her—until he’d been arrested. Then they told her that if she went ahead and married him, she’d lose them forever. But when had she really had them? At any rate, that was all in the past. Today was about starting fresh.

  “Brianna?”

  She looked up to see a woman with dark red hair, brown eyes, and a smattering of freckles across her nose, who bore a distinct resemblance to Fiona. She also looked quite familiar.

  “I’m Kara Lynch. I don’t know if you remember me.”

  “Yes,” Brianna said slowly. “Derek introduced us at Murray’s Bar. You and your husband, Colin, went to school with him.”

  “We were all good friends back in the day. Fiona is my grandmother. She told me that she just hired you. I occasionally work here as well, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” Kara’s eyes sparkled with friendliness. “I met your little boy upstairs. He’s the spitting image of his father at that age.”

  “So everyone says. Do you have children?”

  “A little girl, five weeks old.”

  “You’re kidding! You look great.”

  “Thanks. I’m tired, but it’s a happy exhaustion. So, are you a quilter?”

  “I know the basics. Nancy showed me the Kane square that goes in the Angel’s Bay quilt.” She glanced toward the quilt, enclosed in a glass case on a nearby wall. “That’s the original over there, isn’t it?”

  “That’s right. The squares honor the shipwreck survivors who founded the town. The Kane square was sewn by Francine Kane, who lost her husband, Marcus, but she remained in Angel’s Bay with her two children, and her in-laws.”

  Brianna felt a little shiver run down her spine at how the story echoed her own life. She wondered how Francine had felt, living in a family that wasn’t truly her own.

  “Francine used material from the dress she’d been wearing when the ship went down,” Kara continued. “And the quilting design details the overland journey they took from Missouri to San Francisco for the Gold Rush and then their final treacherous sail down the coast as they attempted to go home.” She looked back at Brianna. “I’m sure Nancy will want you to continue the quilting tradition so that you can pass it on to your son’s future wife.”

  “That’s a long way off,” Brianna said. “He’s only four and a half.”

  Kara smiled. “True, but the women around here can be relentless about passing on our quilting traditions, especially to descendants of the original twenty-four. Well, I’d better go find my baby. My mother took her upstairs, and I haven’t seen her since.”

  “So they’re not really learning appliqué techniques up there; they’re just admiring our children,” Brianna said.

  Kara laughed. “A lot that goes on in this shop has nothing to do with quilting. It’s basically a female hangout, although occasionally someone’s husband is sent in to pick up some fabric. They usually leave as quickly as possible, especially when the conversation turns to childbirth or PMS.”

  Brianna smiled. “I can imagine.”

  Kara hesitated, something obviously on her mind. “Brianna, I’d like to be friends, but in the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that Jason is one of my closest friends. In fact, he just helped me get through a really rough time in my life. He’s a good guy, but I know that he and Derek ended up on opposite sides.”

  “No question about that,” Brianna replied. “I know that most people believe Derek was guilty. I hope to prove that he wasn’t.”

  “I can respect that. I just spent three months fighting for my husband to wake up from a coma. If you love someone, you have to go to bat for them. I just hope we can still be friends.”

  Brianna liked Kara’s directness. This was a woman who didn’t play games, who stood up for the people she cared about. Too bad Jason was one of them.

  Jason walked into Murray’s Bar on Tuesday afternoon. He’d had a busy shift, with no time for lunch, and he wanted to grab a burger and a beer before he checked in on Patty’s pets. The bar was usually empty in between lunch and happy hour, so he was surprised to find Colin sitting on a stool, nursing a beer, and watching a basketball game. He hadn’t seen Colin out on his own since his miracle recovery.

  Colin gave him a scowl as he sat down. “I thought you were working.”

  “Just got off. What’s up with you?”

  “I’m having a drink,” Colin said, in a terse tone that didn’t bode well for a cheerful conversation.

  “Okay.” Jason called to Michael Murray, the bartender. “Can you get me one of Casey’s burgers with that beer you’re pouring?”

  Michael slid the mug in front of him and said, “Double meat, no cheese, extra sauce?”

  “Yep.” He glanced at Colin. “You hungry?”

  “Kara would kill me if I came home full before dinner.”

  “How’s she going to feel if you come home drunk?” He’d shared enough liquor with Colin to know when his friend had a buzz on.

  “Why don’t you sit somewhere else?” Colin suggested.

  “And miss all the fun here? Who are you pissed off at, besides me?”

  “No one. I’m great. I’m alive. What more could a man ask for?”

  Jason took a sip of beer and let the question slide.

  “Kara went to the doctor today,” Colin said a moment later. “Charlotte said she’s good to go—in the bedroom.”

  “Oh.” Jason cleared his throat. “Well, that’s great news, right?”

  Colin drained his beer and beckoned to Michael for another one.

  “Maybe you should slow down, or you might not be good to go,” Jason warned.

  Colin shot him a dark look that told him far more than he wanted to know.

  “Oh. Have you talked to your doctor?”

  “I shouldn’t have any problems, according to him, but I’m not feeling it.” Colin let out a breath. “I’ve always felt it with her, since I was thirteen years old. Every damn second, I wanted to be with her. I love her. I’m crazy about her. She’s the only one for me. I should have thrown her down right there on the couch, the way I used to. Instead I told her that I had to check in with my physical therapist, and I came here.”

  “It’s going to be fine.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I do actually,” Jason replied confidently. “And so do you. You just panicked, the way you did the first time you kissed her. Remember how you flipped out? You were sure she didn’t like it. You avoided her for days. I told you I was going to kiss her if you didn’t try it again.”

  “Don’t even think of suggesting that now,” Colin said, a touch of humor back in his voice.

  “Then give me that beer.” Jason grabbed the glass that Michael had just set down in front of Colin. “Go home to your wife. And stop pushing so hard to get everything back the way it was.”

  Colin sighed. “I want to feel normal again.”

  “Just feel what you’re feeling now, and tell Kara. You know how women are—once you share your feelings, they get all hot for you.”

  A relucta
nt smile curved his lips. “It’s that easy, huh?”

  Jason shrugged. “Where you and Kara are concerned, I don’t think it’s going to take much to light the fire. But even if it does, what’s the rush? You’re recovering from a head injury. Kara just had a baby. There’s a lot of stress in your life. It sucks, but you’ll get over it. Go home.”

  Colin took his beer back. “Kara is at the quilt store. Tell me what’s up with you. Any more contact with Brianna Kane?”

  “Actually—”

  “Oh, man, I knew it. You can’t stay away from her.”

  “It’s not like that. I agreed to house-sit for my father’s girlfriend, and she lives next door to Brianna.”

  “No shit? So you saw her again?”

  “Last night. Her dog got out.” He took another swig of beer, thinking of how coldly she’d dismissed him. For a moment, he’d thought she was softening her stance against him. She’d actually let him hold her—until she’d remembered he was the enemy. He felt Colin’s gaze on him. “What?”

  “I know this face,” Colin said, a troubled look in his eyes. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You like Brianna.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “Good, because that would be a suicidal idea.”

  “I know that. She holds me personally responsible for Derek’s death. She told me that flat-out.”

  “Then leave her alone.”

  That was exactly what he should do, but he couldn’t let it go. “I need to make her see that Derek was guilty. I need to find those paintings and connect the dots back to him. That’s the only way Brianna will believe that I didn’t send an innocent man to jail.”

  “And where does that get you?” Colin challenged. “Jason, she hates you. I know you like a challenge, but dude, find another woman.”

  “I didn’t say I was going after her. But what the hell kind of marriage could she have had, with her husband in prison?”

  “Whatever she had, you have to respect it.”

  Jason shook his head. “I don’t know why she tied herself to Derek. It had to be because of her son. It was loyalty more than love.”