Colleen Coble

by Rosemary Cottage

  He pulled out his cell phone. “I think I’ll see if Josh wants to meet for pizza.”

  “He’s coming too. And Sara. Neither of them was about to turn down Mexican.”

  His gut churned. “Ede, this is not okay. You should have asked me before you did this.”

  A streak of red enchilada sauce marred her cheek when she turned and pointed her spoon at him. “You assured me when I first came that I was to treat this house as my own. I could invite whomever I wanted whenever I wanted. Is that or is it not true?”

  “Yes, but this is different.” Lame, lame. “I mean, what if . . . ?” He shut up when he saw Raine’s big blue eyes studying him.

  His aunt put down the wooden spoon and sighed. “Curtis, you were brought up right. You know what you need to do.”

  His face heated. “It’s not that easy.” His gaze slid back to Raine. “Silence isn’t wrong.”

  “It is when you’re withholding the truth. A truth that’s important to other people.”

  “I don’t see it that way.” The doorbell rang and he grimaced. “I’ll get it.” He saw Josh and Sara through the window in the door, and the tension eased out of his shoulders. He threw open the door. “Did you two come together?”

  Sara shook her head and stepped past him into the entry. “No, we just happened to arrive at the same time.”

  Josh shrugged and rolled his eyes as he entered behind her. Curtis was beginning to think the guy was never going to ask Sara out. Josh was too skittish about relationships, though Curtis had never gotten to the bottom of why that was.

  Sara sniffed. “Smells good. Your aunt makes the best Mexican food on the island.” She headed toward the kitchen.

  Curtis fell into step behind them. Sara’s honey-colored hair was on her shoulders, and she wore makeup, not an everyday occurrence. And she wore a dress. Maybe she was trying to get Josh to notice, but if so, there was no sign that he was paying attention. Curtis could throttle him.

  Edith had taken off the soiled apron and was setting the table when they entered the kitchen. Curtis left them to chat while he rushed to the living room and scooped up the photos on the tables. One was of Gina with Ben and Raine, a telltale picture that showed Ben holding Raine over his head and laughing. With them tucked safely away in his bedroom, he was headed down the stairs when the doorbell rang again. It could only be Amy, and his gut clenched when he saw her through the window.

  It was going to be a tense evening. He inhaled and squared his shoulders before opening the door. “Welcome.” He must have put more feeling in it than he intended because she blinked before returning his smile.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be here.”

  The light scent of some flowery perfume trailed behind her as she stepped past him into the entry. She wore a navy dress that made her dark curls shine and brought color to her cheeks. Her legs looked impossibly long and sexy in the heels she wore. Not that he was looking.

  He’d gotten the pictures put away in the nick of time. “Everyone is in the kitchen.” He spied a carton in her hand. “Heavy whipping cream?”

  “For coffee after dinner. I’m on a quest to inform people that fat is your friend. Once you have this in your coffee, you’ll never go back.” She peeked into the living room just off the foyer. “Darling house. I love the shingles on the outside and the porch. And the colors in here are very beachy.”

  The house was something he barely noticed any longer, but he glanced around with fresh eyes. The navy sofa blended with the lighter blue walls. Yellow curtains and pillows accented the blues, and the rug on the polished wood floors echoed the same colors. “Edith and I painted it last month. The white woodwork was her idea, and she had to talk me into the blue. I wanted beige.”

  Her lips twitched. “I think Edith has good taste.”

  He grinned. “You have something against beige?”

  “It ought to be banned along with brown and orange.”

  “Orange too? I guess I shouldn’t wear my Harley shirts when I’m around you.” He touched her arm to steer her toward the kitchen.

  The smile faded from her face at his touch, and their gazes locked. Did she feel the same jolt that tingled up his arm? “This way.” His pulse beat ridiculously fast, but it was from worry of what she might find out tonight. That was all it was.

  The scent of the sea blew through the gauzy yellow curtains in the living room and wafted across Amy’s face where she sat on the plump navy sofa. Curtis was beside her, and she was acutely aware of the brush of his shoulder against hers. The hair on her arm stood at attention every time he moved. Ridiculous.

  She sipped her coffee, strong and perfectly laced with the cream she’d brought. Josh and Sara sat in the navy armchairs, as far away from each other as possible. There was something brewing between those two, though she could only sense it.

  With a shy smile, Raine brought a stuffed bear to her. “For me?” Amy took it when the toddler nodded. “I have one just like this. My brother bought it for me for my birthday a year ago.”

  Edith put a plate of fudge on the table. “A year ago?”

  Amy nodded. “I’ve never grown up when it comes to stuffed animals. You should see my collection. Bears are my favorite, and there is nothing like a Steiff. Where did you get it, Raine? Uncle Curtis?”

  The little girl looked at her with big eyes, and Edith answered for her. “Her daddy gave it to her. He went to heaven though, just like Mommy. But Jesus is watching over her, isn’t he, honey?”

  Edith’s words brought tears to Amy’s eyes. Life shouldn’t be so hard for a little one. She almost asked Curtis who Raine’s daddy was, but her thoughts were derailed when Curtis jumped to his feet.

  “More coffee?”

  She shook her head. “Not if I want to sleep tonight. One cup is my limit after four.”

  “I could make decaf.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled a little as if he was eager to do something, anything.

  She made a face. “The chemicals used to remove the caffeine are terrible for you.”

  “Mom?” Raine asked, still leaning on Amy’s knee.

  Poor little mite missed her mommy. Curtis’s face went red, and he turned away.

  Raine’s pigtails bounced when she scrambled to her feet and turned to the coffee table. She stared at it, then at her uncle. “Mom?”

  Curtis stared down at his small niece. “Uh, I was dusting the picture.”

  She stamped her small foot and began to wail. “Mom, mom, mom.” She flopped onto her bottom and crawled toward the table.

  Amy didn’t understand the expression on Edith’s face when she glanced at Curtis as Raine opened the door to the enclosed space in the end table.

  She emerged with a five-by-seven frame in her hand and turned toward Amy with a proud smile. “Mom, mom.”

  Curtis sprang to his feet and reached for the little girl, but she evaded his rush with a giggle as if she thought he was playing. From his expression, Amy knew he was deadly serious. What was going on? Raine ran into her arms, and Amy lifted her onto her lap. Curtis stopped as his hands fell to his sides, then he exhaled heavily. “Have a look at the picture, Amy.”

  Edith pressed her hands together, almost a prayerful pose. “Yes, this needs to come out.”

  “Come out? I don’t understand.” Amy glanced from one to the other, then down at the photo.

  A smiling Gina looked up at a tall, handsome man holding little Raine on his shoulders. The little girl appeared to be about six months old at the time. Then Amy’s gaze landed on the man’s face, and she froze. She looked from the picture to Curtis and back again.

  “Yes, it’s Ben. Ben is Raine’s father.”

  “That’s impossible,” she said, barely managing to whisper. “I would have known. He would have told me.”

  “Like he told you how often he was coming to the island?” Edith’s words were soft but unyielding. “I think your brother kept a few secrets, Amy.”

  Amy couldn’t breathe as
she stared at the picture and back to the little girl. “You’re sure?”

  Curtis’s lips flattened. “As sure as I can be. He claimed to be. His name is on the birth certificate.”

  Her chest squeezed and she hugged Raine to her chest. Ben still lived in this child. Her eyes burned, and she struggled not to let the tears fall. He wasn’t gone, not completely. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I almost did the other night at Tidewater Inn.”

  Josh got to his feet. “I think we’d better go.”

  Sara leaped up also. “Yes, it’s getting late.” Her cheeks were pink. She followed Josh out the door.

  Edith rose and held out her hands for Raine. “It’s time for your bath, honey.”

  Amy’s arms tightened around the little girl, and she stared up at the older woman. “I’d like to keep her a little while.”

  Edith glanced at Curtis. “The two of you have things to discuss without little ears.”

  “Of course. I wasn’t thinking.” Amy brushed her lips across Raine’s soft cheek and reluctantly let Edith lift her from her arms.

  “I’ll bring her back later.” Edith carried a protesting Raine up the steps.

  Amy finally exhaled. “You should have told me. And my parents. We had a right to know.”

  Curtis crossed his arms over his chest. “Your brother didn’t marry her. I think he abdicated his rights.”

  “Ben would never—” But she couldn’t complete her protest. A week ago she would have said no one knew Ben as well as she did, but she was wrong, oh so wrong. What else had he kept from her?

  TEN

  Lightning flickered out over the water, and Curtis got up to shut the window before the rain blew in through the curtains. Anything to avoid seeing Amy’s crestfallen expression. Now that the moment of truth was here, he knew Edith had been right. He’d been wrong to keep this from Amy and her family.

  When he returned to the seating area, he found Amy sitting with her hands clasped on her knee. Her expression was still stricken, and he wished he hadn’t been the one to cause the pain on her face.

  She straightened. “Do you know why they never married?”

  He dropped into the armchair and shrugged. “He said his parents had plans for him.”

  She frowned. “It was always understood that he and Elizabeth Hawthorne would marry. She’s the daughter of Dad’s business partner. They were engaged and he seemed very attentive.”

  “He told Gina he was going to try to get out of the engagement, but that it would take awhile to accomplish.” And look where her patience had gotten her. “She should have pushed him.”

  “Ben was never one to be pushed.” She looked down at her hands. “But a child. It boggles my mind that he kept it secret. How could he think that was okay? He knew right from wrong.”

  “Knowing it and being willing to do something about it are sometimes very different things.” When her head turned sharply toward him, Curtis knew he had let his bitterness show. “Yeah, I didn’t much like him. Gina was my baby sister, and I felt he was mistreating her.”

  She bristled a little. “There must have been some reason behind his decision. My brother was a good man.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Was he sure he was the father?”

  Curtis clenched his jaw. “I know her reputation wasn’t the best, but that was in the past. Ben never questioned it. He was even there when Raine was born.”

  She blinked and inhaled. “I didn’t mean to offend you, but this is so unlike Ben.”

  Most people were defensive of their siblings. She clearly didn’t know her brother as well as she thought she did. “You had no idea he was coming here so often?”

  She tucked a curl behind her ear. “Not a clue. We always came here together in the summer. He visited once in a while without me, but not this often. And not for this reason.” Her voice broke and she cleared her throat. “I’m not sure how to tell my parents. And Elizabeth.” She clasped herself and rocked forward. “I still can’t quite take it all in.”

  His fingers curled into his palms. Her parents would try to take Raine. From all he’d heard, it seemed they tried to manage their kids’ lives. But looking at Amy, he knew she would be good to Raine. And did he have the right to deny the little girl he loved so much the love of more family? He’d thought he did.

  Amy sat back against the sofa and studied him. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why didn’t you tell us?” Her soft words carried a steely undertone.

  Thunder shook the house, and the rain began to beat against the roof and the windows. The din was so loud he had to raise his voice. “Ede wanted me to tell you. I was afraid of losing Raine.”

  “Losing her?” Then comprehension dawned. “You have custody.”

  He gave a slight nod. “I’ve started proceedings to formally adopt her.”

  “And my parents may have something to say about that.”

  “Gina left her in my care in her will. It’s what she wanted. She would hate for your parents to have her.” He held up his hand when she started to protest. “They ruled Ben. Maybe you were strong enough not to let them rule you, but I don’t want Raine turned into some debutante who is expected to toe the line and make an advantageous marriage.”

  Amy didn’t answer at first. She turned and stared out the window into the dark. “I need air.”

  He followed when she sprang to her feet and rushed for the door. The screen door banged behind her, and he hurried to catch up, praying all the while that she wasn’t calling her parents and setting some legal action into motion. He was instantly soaking wet, then the scent of rain hit him. He couldn’t see her with the wind blowing the downpour sideways into his face. Squinting, he glanced to the right where the chairs were but saw only the rockers swaying with the wind.

  “I’m here.”

  He turned at the sound of her voice and found her leaning on the railing in a protected area of the porch. Her hair was wet and droplets of moisture trickled down her face. Her dress was drenched as well, but she was out of the main force of the storm.

  He stepped to her side. “Sorry if what I said upset you.”

  She turned her wet face up toward him, and she seemed somehow tragically beautiful in the glow of the porch light. “I totally get how you feel. You’ve known Raine for a whole year. She’s been part of your life. You love her and don’t want to lose her. I’m sure I’d feel the same. But we’ve been deprived of that privilege.”

  “That’s not entirely my fault. Only the last few months were my doing.”

  She sucked in her breath and rocked back on her heels. “You’re right. Ben kept this from us first. And don’t you find it strange Gina died so close to Ben’s death?” Her eyes seemed to glow with intensity. “When did she die?”

  “Two weeks before Ben drowned.”

  “So she died first. Did Ben come for Raine? I’m trying to make sense of how you ended up with custody if she died first.”

  He shook his head. “He stopped to see her, then told me he couldn’t take her now but would make financial arrangements. I told him I wanted to adopt her. He didn’t like it.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t. So why couldn’t he take her? Did he explain?”

  Curtis shrugged. “He said his apartment wasn’t big enough, and he had no one to care for her. Edith came at once, so she was here when he arrived. I guess he thought we had it covered.”

  She swiped a lock of wet hair out of her eyes. “Was that when he seemed distressed? Red eyes and all that? Maybe it was grief.”

  “Yeah, that was the time.”

  Her thoughtful gaze wandered back toward the sea. “So he was jumpy, nervous. Got a lot of phone calls.” She gasped and turned to stare at him. “Did you ever think that maybe Gina was deliberately hit?”

  Every time he remembered the way that boat had come out of nowhere and made a beeline for his sister, he’d wondered. “Sometimes. The guy never veered even though she yelled and waved her arms.”

  �
�What if they were both involved in something dangerous, Curtis? You know that I believe Ben was murdered.”

  “He went surfing and never came back. The most logical explanation is that he drowned.”

  “Ah, logic.” She smiled and put her hand over her heart. “I know it here. But I also received an e-mail suggesting that Ben was murdered. I intend to find out the truth, and I’d like you to help me. We might find out who did this to your sister too.”

  “What about Raine? Are you telling your parents?”

  “I have to think about how to do it. I don’t want them to try to take her any more than you do.”

  He couldn’t ignore the possibility that she was right. “Okay. I’m in. We’ll see what we can find out together.”

  “One more thing.” She smiled. “I’ve decided to move here permanently. I’m needed here.”

  He wasn’t about to explain to himself why his heart had suddenly sped up.

  Thunder rumbled the house in a morning storm, but it was nothing compared to the storm in Amy’s soul. Ben lived in little Raine. Ben’s room had been her haven all night, and she sat on his bed with her knees up to her chest. Sometime in the night she’d pulled on his favorite Harvard sweatshirt.

  She buried her nose in the neck of the fleece. It still held a trace of his cologne. The room still held so many of his things, precious possessions she never wanted to release. But should she give some of these things to Raine someday? They were the child’s birthright.

  Her cell phone rang, and she snatched it from the table by the bed. Her supervising physician, Dr. Zellers, was on the other end. He was always up early, and answering it, she could see him in her mind’s eye sitting in his sunroom with his morning smoothie. “Good morning, Doctor.”

  His deep voice rumbled in her ear. “I got your e-mail, Amy, and I wanted to talk to you about your plan.”