Chapter Eleven
Ivy sat in the sunshine of the terrace, talking quietly with her mother, while Chester brought her luggage downstairs.
“What were you searching for in the attic?” Ivy asked her mother.
“Something from your father’s past. I’ve been thinking of moving away, of making a clean break, and I wanted to close this chapter of my life. I thought his old albums would disclose who his real parents were.”
“Is that why you went to see David Tisdale?”
Diana nodded. “They’ve always handled the Murdock legal work. He easily found the adoption records. But he told me the biological parents’ identities must remain a secret. I had decided not to pursue it any further.”
Diana’s voice was soft, filled with new expression. “Every time I look at you, Ivy, I marvel. I was never any good at housework, or child care. While you were growing up, I tried a few part-time jobs. I was never good at anything. And here you are, this brilliant, talented artist. It makes me feel even more of a failure.”
Ivy was stunned. She’d always felt inadequate beside this beautiful woman. It had never occurred to her that her mother had insecurities of her own.
“Mother, don’t be silly. You made a loving home for Dad and me. Remember all those beautiful clothes you used to make me?” She chuckled. “Of course, on me they always looked like something I’d slept in. But you were a very talented seamstress.”
Diana nodded. “I’ve always loved clothes and sewing. That’s why I’ve decided to accept a friend’s offer to go to California and work in her dress designing business.”
“Mother. That’s wonderful.”
“I’m not fifty yet, Ivy, and I want to try my hand at something before it’s too late.”
“You’ll be a fabulous designer,” Ivy said with conviction.
“Will you come and visit me sometime?” Diana asked almost shyly.
“Of course I will. I’d love to, Mother.”
They hugged each other, then walked arm in arm through the enormous rooms to the front door. There they greeted Gertrude, who had already bade goodbye to Judge Tisdale and his grandson.
“Something just occurred to me, Diana,” Gertrude said in her staccato voice. “Since William was my son, you were my daughter-in-law.”
Diana laughed. “I’m glad we didn’t know that all those years ago, Gertrude. I would have blamed all our troubles on that fact.”
The old woman smiled and took her hand. “You are always welcome here, Diana.”
“Thank you, Gertrude. I just told Ivy that I’m moving to California. Maybe you’ll come with her for a visit.”
“I think,” the old woman said with a sigh, “that might sound very tempting next winter, when we’ve been snowed in for months.”
“Good. I’ll look forward to seeing you.”
As Diana walked to her little red sports car, Chester lifted the hood. Just then Caine walked from the house. At the mere sight of him, Ivy felt her heart leap.
Caine looked puzzled. “What’s wrong, Chester?”
The old man connected a wire, then closed the hood. “When you told me to keep everyone from leaving, I disabled all their cars. Now I have to make sure they’re able to make the trip home.”
“Good old Chester,” Caine muttered against his aunt’s cheek, as he bent to kiss her.
Darren came bounding out the front door, looking better than he had in days.
“I’ve decided to go back to California and face Melanie with the bitter truth.”
“What truth?” Ivy looked into Darren’s laughing eyes.
“That the playboy’s life is not for me. I’m going to get a job like an ordinary mortal, and try to live a normal life. Without her. I’m not going to contest the divorce.”
“You’d better be sure, Darren,” Gertrude said firmly. “Love is a very fragile thing. Maybe if you two try to work out your troubles, you’ll find the love is even stronger than before.”
He bent and kissed his aunt on her cheek. “Aunt Gertrude, I looked at David Tisdale today and saw myself. I think there was a time when I might have been desperate enough to try something foolish in order to get money. I’ve been in the fast lane too long. Now I’d like to try a slow, easy track.”
“Call me,” Gertrude said, taking his hand. “Let me know what’s happening with you. And Darren, hurry back.”
He shook Caine’s hand, then grabbed him in a bear hug. “Thanks for everything, big brother. Before you know it, I’ll be doing you favors.”
“Good. It’s about time. I intend to take you up on it.’’
Darren caught Ivy by the shoulders and held her a little away from him. “And you’re still the best looking woman in the county. Next to Aunt Gertrude, of course.”
Ivy laughed and pulled his face down for a kiss. “And you’re the second best looking man.”
“Really? Who beat me out for the title?”
She turned to Caine. “Oh, some funny looking guy I ran into in the dark.”
Seeing the look on his brother’s face, Darren punched him playfully on the arm. “Better watch out, Caine. I think she’s got plans for you.”
As Darren’s car and Diana’s shiny sports car appeared along the driveway, Chester rolled Ivy’s motorcycle from the garage.
“What will I do with this bag, Miss Ivy?”
She took the travel bag from his hand and secured it to the rear of the bike. Picking up her helmet, she walked back to the steps where Gertrude waited.
“It’s been quite a birthday, hasn’t it?”
The old woman nodded. “In my eighty years, this has been one of the most remarkable times ever.”
“I’m not used to calling you Grandma. I may slip and say Aunt Tru.”
“Just so you call me often, and let me know how your life is going.” She drew the young woman close and hugged her. “Oh, how I wish you could live here. I’m going to miss you so much more now that I know how many years we’ve lost.”
“I’ll come back often. Goodbye, Aunt... Grandma.”
Both women laughed, as they fondly embraced.
Ivy turned to Caine, and found that she couldn’t think of a thing to say. They stared at each other for long, awkward moments. Finally, Caine broke the silence.
“I’m leaving too, Aunt Trudy. But I’ll be back often. I’m going to start remodeling the cottage soon.”
He turned to Ivy, tousling her hair. “So long, Weed. It’s been—different. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Yes. You, too.” She stared down at her helmet, then pulled it on. “Goodbye, Caine.”
She held out her hand and he took it.
Gertrude watched with amusement. “If you two don’t mind, I’m feeling rather shaky. I’m going inside for a cup of tea, or something stronger.”
“Something stronger, I’m willing to bet,” Caine muttered as she made her way inside.
Glancing down at the small hand in his, he ran a thumb over the slender fingers. “Such long, tapered fingers.” He thought of those hands on his skin and felt a tightening deep inside.
She withdrew her hand and walked to the motorcycle. Say you care, she thought. Ask me to slay. She started the bike with a roar, and fastened the strap of her helmet. A glance in Caine’s direction assured her he hadn’t moved. She hoped the visor of her helmet hid the tears that were stinging her eyes. Engaging the gear, she began to take off in a roar of sound and smoke.
As the bike moved along the curving driveway, rough hands clutched her shoulders. Caine dropped his weight behind her, nearly knocking them both off balance.
She lifted her visor and turned her head slightly.
“You could have killed us both. Are you crazy?”
“Yes.” The wind whipped away his words. “Ever since I met you, I’ve become a little bit crazy.”
“Where are you going?”
“Wherever you’re headed.”
“Now I know you’re crazy.” She gunned the engine, taking the cu
rves with ease.
He held her firmly around the waist, and pressed his lips to her ear. “I used to be normal until I met you.”
It was true, he thought. All his life he had known exactly what he wanted. For the first time, nothing mattered except this woman.
They skimmed past the duck pond. Past the woods. Past the clearing. To the cottage.
“Stop here, Ivy.”
The sun glinted off the gleaming chrome of the bike. As they dismounted, Caine lifted the helmet from Ivy’s head and watched as the familiar dark silk drifted about her face and shoulders.
Taking her hand, he dropped the helmet to the ground and led her to the front door of the cottage. He shoved open the door, then led her inside. She hadn’t even been aware that she was crying until this moment.
Strong arms wrapped around her, drawing her against a solid wall of chest. Work-roughened fingers smoothed the tangled hair, and drew her face into the hollow of a warm throat. A voice, deep, vibrant, cooed unintelligible words to her.
She felt his shirt blotting her tears.
“This whole weekend has been overwhelming for you. It’s all too much to take in at one time. Your father’s adoption. Aunt Tru turning out to be your grandmother.”
“And falling in love with you.”
The hands at her hair stilled. She heard his sudden intake of breath. He lifted her chin and stared down into her tear-filled eyes.
“Say that again.”
The tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. Between sobs, she said, “I love you.”
“That’s what I thought you said.” With his thumbs, he wiped away the tears. His hands cupped the sides of her face. He stared down at her, loving the way her green eyes shimmered.
“I love you, too, Weed.”
“Weed.” She wiped a hand across her eyes. “Is that any way to address someone you’re supposed to love?”
“Ivy, my beautiful little weed.”
He rubbed his nose over hers. His lips brushed hers lightly. His voice was so husky, it sent shivers through her. “I love you, Ivy Murdock. And I don’t ever want you to leave me.”
She kissed him back. “You’re never going to get rid of me.”
The kiss deepened. He felt the familiar flames leap, then race through his veins, heating his blood, his flesh, his mind.
“Think you could manage to paint in Europe for a little while?”
She struggled to clear her mind. “Europe?”
“I just heard that my European project has been approved. I’ll have to spend quite a bit of time there this year.”
“I could paint in an underground tunnel, if that’s where you had to be.”
He grinned and kissed the corners of her eyes. “Hmmm. I might try that. Sounds like fun.”
“When will we have to leave?”
“How about right away. We can be married and spend the time in Europe as an extended honeymoon before you have to start work on the mural for the Blayfield Building. And we’ll be away from all the family.”
“Careful. I just acquired all this family. I’m not sure I want to leave it for too long.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, dragging his lips across her cheek. The heat was growing. He could already feel his control slipping. “Knowing Aunt Trudy, if we stay away too long, she’ll find some reason to come visit us. She’s a woman with a mind of her own.”
Ivy wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her lips in his throat. Her voice was a sultry whisper against his skin. “I hope you can stand another woman with a mind of her own.”
“They’re the best kind.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the loft. Against her lips he murmured, “Let’s see if we can finally make love without any interruptions.”
“Didn’t Aunt Tru say Chester only checks this building once a week?”
“Umm. Yes. Why?”
She laughed and turned her mouth up to his to be kissed. “Then you can count on all the privacy you want.” Ivy opened her hand to reveal a shiny key.
“I knew it,” he breathed. “That scatterbrained image was all an act. You definitely have a mind of your own.”
She chuckled, a warm, sultry sound that whispered across his heart. “Your brother Darren was right. I definitely have plans for his big brother.”
Epilogue
Gertrude St. Martin returned from her brisk afternoon stroll and gathered the mail. As she climbed the stairs she sorted through the letters until she came to a plain white envelope. Sitting down on the top step, she dropped the others and tore the letter open, reading quickly.
Europe is wonderful. Feasting on museums and galleries, and of course, architecture.
Of course, the old woman thought with a smile. She could still recall being that young and wildly in love. All you can see from a hotel window.
She must plan a party for the newlyweds when they returned from their honeymoon.
Flush from her success as a matchmaker, her mind whirled. Whom could she invite for Darren, now that he was alone? Whom did she know who would love him despite his occasional lapses?
His mate would have to be generous and sweet, with long blond hair and laughing hazel eyes. Yes. Someone like dear Sara.
She stood, and with a girlish gait strode to her sitting room to write the invitations. If she hurried, she might still fill this old house with the laughter of generations.
The End
If you enjoyed Family Secrets, I would be honored if you would tell others by writing a review on the retailer’s website where you purchased this title.
Thank you!
Ruth Ryan Langan
Interested in reading another contemporary romance
by Ruth Ryan Langan?
Read below for more romance classics.
Contemporary Romance Classics
Now Available as eBooks
JUST LIKE YESTERDAY
Michelle Miller Scott is appointed assistant to facilitate a merger between the company for which she works and Mico Industries, only to learn that the owner of the new company is an old love. Businessman Erick McCord has never forgotten the only woman who ever owned his heart. Can these two keep things strictly business?
BELOVED GAMBLER
Lane Winters has achieved her dream of being a famous singer. Ross Matthews is the lover she left behind. Now Ross is back and Lane finds herself working in his casino. Love is the easy part. Her secret could shatter both their lives.
HIDDEN ISLE
Morgan Anders answers an ad for an assistant to a screenwriter on his Canadian island retreat. Kent Taylor is gruff, rude, as well as talented, handsome and occasionally tender—a potent combination for a woman with a strict moral compass.
EDEN OF TEMPTATION
Ann Lowry is a dedicated botanist researching the island of Kalai. Jay MacFarland considers her a little prude, much like the Victorian ladies who had come to his lush island a century ago. Can a rake like Jay lead Ann into temptation in his paradise?
FAMILY SECRETS
Millionaire Trudy St. Martin is being blackmailed. Ivy Murdoch, the gardener’s daughter, is invited back to the estate, along with Trudy’s family and friends, for Trudy’s 80th birthday. Caine St. Martin, Trudy’s adopted son, finds Ivy’s actions suspicious. Or is he keeping a close watch on Ivy for other, more personal reasons?
STAR-CROSSED
B.J. Conover is hired to write the official biography of aging movie star Nora London. Nora’s son, Adam, considers B.J. just another nosy reporter searching for glory, at the price of his mother’s reputation. If these two had met under different circumstances, they could have found true love. But now, because of a mother’s wishes, they must risk it all.
WHIMS OF FATE
Schoolteacher Kirstin Stevens wins the trip of a lifetime. A chance encounter with a man named Stefan on a deserted beach leaves her breathless. But when she learns that he is Stefan Larousse, a prince of royal birth, she realizes she can never fit into his lifestyle. Can all his po
wers of persuasion give them their happily-ever-after?
MYSTERIES OF THE HEART
Seth Williams, brilliant writer-illustrator of children’s books, has a reputation as an angry recluse. When editor Jenny Mason is sent to his Maine farm to nudge him to complete his long-overdue manuscript, he resents her intrusion in his life. But this obstinate, sexy little woman fills him with long-suppressed desires, and the first faint glimmer of forgotten dreams.
TO LOVE A DREAMER
Clint Donner left home to become a country-music star. When his beautiful, dark-haired manager, Jordan Hunter, spends a week at his secluded farm, their business arrangement blossoms into something more. One night of loving, and they’re hooked for a lifetime.
NO GENTLE LOVE
Kate Halloran is a business dynamo. She assumes her boss, Drew Carlson, is nothing more than a rich man’s spoiled son. Driven to succeed, Drew admires Kate’s capabilities. But the passion that rages between them catches them both by surprise.
THIS TIME FOREVER
Day-care owner Casey Leary has a weakness for kids who need her. Luke Pierson’s son is no exception. But when she sees beyond Luke’s cool facade into his pain, she can’t fight the attraction, even though she knows they can never have a future together.
THE PROPER MISS PORTER
Alexandra Porter was prim, practical, and determined to keep her private life separate from her work. The last thing she would ever agree to was a romance with the handsome president of the company. Clif Andrews had waited a lifetime for a woman he could love, and a child he could adore. With Alexandra he could have it all. Now he had to convince the proper Miss Porter that their love wouldn’t be improper at all.
CROSS HIS HEART
To pay her bills, Kendall McKinnon has opened her Maine home to guests. Her first paying guest, Neal Thomas, turns her lonely days into magic. But something from Kendall’s past could shipwreck their new-found love.
Visit Ruth’s website at RyanLangan.com
for more information and to purchase.
Titles by Ruth Ryan Langan
Historical Romance Classics
Now Available as EBooks:
Heart’s Delight
Paradise Falls
Ashes of Dreams
Duchess of Fifth Avenue
Captive of Desire
Passage West
Nevada Nights
September’s Dream
The Heart’s Secrets
Destiny’s Daughter
Texas Heart
Texas Hero
Mistress of the Seas
Deception
Christmas Miracle
Angel
Exciting Highlander Series
Now Available as EBooks:
Highland Barbarian
Highland Heather
Highland Heart
The Highlander
Highland Heaven
Contemporary Romance Classics
Now Available as EBooks:
This Time Forever
To Love a Dreamer
Just Like Yesterday
No Gentle Love
Cross His Heart
Whims of Fate
Mysteries of the Heart
Star-Crossed
Hidden Isle
Family Secrets
The Proper Miss Porter
Eden of Temptation
Beloved Gambler
Visit Ruth’s website at RyanLangan.com
for more information and to purchase.
Ruth Ryan Langan
New York Times best-selling author Ruth Ryan Langan, who also writes under the pseudonym R. C. Ryan, is the author of over 100 novels, both contemporary romantic-suspense and historical adventure. Quite an accomplishment for this mother of five who, after her youngest child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a published author.
Ruth has given dozens of radio, television and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as The Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. Ruth has also been interviewed on CNN News, as well as Good Morning, America.
Connect with Ruth on her web site at RyanLangan.com.
Visit Ruth on her Facebook Page.
Family Secrets Page 23
