He could start his pursuit of the old lady tonight. The last two days he’d either been holed up in his room trying to pin down a strategy or he’d wandered aimlessly around town looking at the various townhouses, wondering if Marian lived behind one of their doors, his indecision about speaking with her hounding him. But now, as frustration and impatience overtook him, his hesitation vanished. Mac gathered up the papers and stuffed them in the desk drawer along with his father’s notebook.
Snatching up the keys he’d been given upon arrival, Mac left the room, and headed downstairs Once he’d locked the back door behind him, he glanced at the upstairs windows. No doubt his departure at this time of night would cause talk. No curtains twitched and no shadows were cast behind glass.
Satisfied he hadn’t been seen, Mac walked through the garden to a small gate that took him on to a back street. He breathed deep. The cold night air was invigorating and washed away the uncertainty of whether being in the Cove was a betrayal to his father. His mother had confessed to him after the funeral that she’d dissuaded his father from looking for Marian years before, fearing what a second rejection could do to her then husband.
That reason had been weak, almost cowardly, in Mac’s opinion. Even if the circumstances that led to his father’s adoption turned out to be upsetting, his father should’ve had the guts to hear them.
As well as the notebook, his father had left behind a diary in which he had recorded his feelings and thoughts throughout his investigations. Mac’s mother’s pleas had not fallen on deaf ears. Not only had his father heard them, his inner demons had echoed them.
Mac scowled.
Well, his father’s heart had decided to call it a day...suddenly and brutally, leaving his family flailing. Since the death of his girlfriend and their baby, Mac had had trouble dealing with grief. So he’d done the only thing he could.
He gotten busy finishing what his father started.
Mac stalked through the side street until he emerged onto the main thoroughfare, which ran alongside the beach. Crossing the road, he walked across the wooden-planked promenade and gripped the railing. The guilt for abandoning his family in their hour of need pressed down on him, and he battled the sting in his eyes as he looked toward the blackness of the ocean, its waves crashing.
Conflicting determination and doubt warred inside him, and Mac turned his back to the beach to stare across the street. He hadn’t walked this far along the seafront since he arrived.
He stilled, every hair on his body rising.
Marian’s Bonniest Bakery.
The bakery’s awning was pulled back, and its latticed, cottage-styled windows were unfettered by curtains or blinds. It looked homey, inviting...motherly.
He narrowed his eyes as adrenaline caused his heart rate to speed up.
He slowly straightened from the railing and walked forward as though pulled by an invisible rope. He barely glanced in either direction as he crossed the street.
Once he reached the other side, he flitted his study from the bakery’s name to its window. Over and over, he repeated the sequence, his mind scrambling. What were the chances his father’s birth mother owned this place?
He stepped closer to the window and curved his hands around his eyes as he tried to see inside. In the shadowed darkness, he saw pine tables and chairs, a few booths along the window and a counter in back. The place was a decent size, and a profound sense of welcome permeated its light-colored walls dotted with sketches of cupcakes and loaves of bread.
Jolting away, Mac turned and marched along the pavement, his fists clenched as trepidation unfurled inside him. In his mind, he’d purposely decided Marian Ball was someone who put herself first. A woman who had left her baby behind to seek an untethered life without husband or child to hamper her. That had been the easier scenario to carry until he learned the truth.
Templeton Cove might be small, but certain sections were high-end and expensive. So he’d envisioned her living out a wealthy retirement by the sea, heedless of her long-abandoned child trying to track her down.
As unfair as that might be, considering a woman’s limited choices almost fifty years ago, it helped Mac to bury his anger. He wanted to find Marian Ball and lay his father to rest. He hadn’t come here to find a grandmother he might like.
The bakery didn’t fit with any of his imaginings, and that scared him.
What if she was welcoming and warm? What if she’d had other kids and his father was mistaken?
He gritted his teeth, focusing on the pain of all he’d lost. The woman needed to know how her decisions had affected her son and, in turn, his children.
Yet, the enormity of what might happen next continued to badger him. He needed to think some more. Tomorrow he would come back here, order some breakfast, check out the locals and, of course, check out Marian and her bonniest bakery.
Chapter Three
KATE PUSHED OPEN the door of the View and entered the chic art gallery.
Across the room, Izzy, her best friend and the gallery’s manager, stood in front of a painted landscape, her arms crossed and her head tilted in contemplation.
“Iz?”
“Mmm?”
Kate prodded her friend’s arm. “Hey.”
Izzy turned, her eyes glazed in obvious thought. “What do you think of this piece? I’m trying to decide if I like it or not.” She turned back to the painting. “Jay acquired it on one of his business trips. He loves it, but I’m not sure.”
Kate glanced at the painting and shrugged. “Sea, sand, sky. What’s not to like? Now...” She gripped Izzy’s arm and pulled her to one of the cushioned seats in the center of the gallery’s open floor plan. “We, me and you, have to figure out what we’re going to do about Mac Orman.”
Izzy frowned. “Who?”
“Mac. The guy I texted you about last night.”
Izzy raised her eyebrows as they sat. “What we’re going to do? You have noticed I’m working at the gallery full-time now, as well as trying to organize my wedding. Do you really think I have time to worry whether or not a mysterious stranger who just arrived in town is going to end up sleeping with my too highly strung, too much in need of sex, best friend?” Izzy sighed. “Sorry, my life’s far too busy right now.”
Kate feigned a glare and playfully swatted Izzy’s shoulder. “Are you actually trying not to laugh?”
“Of course not.”
Kate narrowed her eyes and nudged Izzy again. “Nothing about this guy, nothing about my text to you last night is funny. Absolutely nothing.”
Izzy’s blue eyes glinted with undisguised glee. “This is priceless.”
“What is?”
“You.”
Kate’s cheeks warmed with indignation. “Some friend you are.”
Izzy frowned, and when she spoke, her tone was less amused. “You need to calm down.” She searched Kate’s eyes. “My God, this guy has really gotten to you, hasn’t he? Just how good-looking is he?”
“He’s...he’s... Oh, damn it.” Kate slumped. “He’s hot. Really, really hot, but that doesn’t mean he’s trustworthy. He’s up to something. Something that can only mean bad news.”
“Just because some guy strolls into town and puts your knickers in a twist doesn’t mean he’s up to anything. Maybe you don’t trust him because he’s made you think about sex for the first time in far too many months.”
Kate huffed a laugh. “Ah, see? That’s where you’re wrong. I think about sex a lot. It’s the doing I haven’t done for months. That’s by the by. The point is, Mac admitted he’s in town looking for someone.”
“And?”
“And the look on his face, all chiseled jaw and flashing blue eyes, when he said it, told me that when he finds this unfortunate person, he isn’t going to give them a hug. No, siree. The man looked more likely to bite their head off and feed it to the se
agulls.” Kate shook her head and pushed the curls from her cheeks. “I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
“But you like him.”
Did she? Even after a night of almost zero sleep and hours of thinking about Mac, she still wasn’t sure what to make of him. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She stood and walked around the seat before facing Izzy once more. “I have no choice but to find out what he’s up to. What if my instinct’s right and someone we know is going to be upset by Mac’s arrival, or whatever it is he plans to do or say to this person? Won’t I be in some way culpable?”
“How?”
“Because I could’ve forewarned them. Maybe helped to smooth a few of Mac’s clearly ruffled feathers. You didn’t see his face. He’s up to something, and it doesn’t bode well.”
“But he’ll only see you as nosing into his business.”
“I’m not nosing, I’m concerned. For him and whoever he’s here to see.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Anyway, I’m trained for this sort of thing.”
“What sort of thing? Prying?”
Kate glared. “Caring. I’m a charity worker. I care about people. It’s what I do.”
Izzy stood. “Look, if this guy is looking for someone, there’s not a lot you can do about it. Leave him be. If, on the other hand, you like him, why don’t you drop by the Coast tonight and talk to him? Maybe he’ll tell you more about the reason he’s here. But if this is another one of your lost soul missions, Kate, you need to steer clear. I get the impression he spooked you. Maybe it’s better you leave him alone.”
“Spooked me?” Kate laughed, ignoring the pang of truth she felt at Izzy’s words. “Since when has anyone spooked me? Let alone a long-haired, teeth-flashing, blue-eyed, incredibly tall...man.”
Izzy raised her eyebrows. “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? What about Dean?”
“What about him?”
“He hurt you. Badly. Maybe this Mac guy spooked you because he reminds you of Dean.”
“He’s nothing like Dean.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Kate opened her mouth, but no words came out. Instead, a hundred comparisons between Mac and her ex flickered through her mind. She swallowed. “Okay, fine. You’ve nothing to worry about because Mac doesn’t seem at all interested in hooking up with a woman. He practically sneered at everything I had to say, and he was by no means impressed with Vanessa’s teasing.”
“Then the man must be an ass. Which is exactly what I thought about Dean when I first met him.”
“That’s not fair.” Kate whirled away and strode toward the painting Izzy had been staring at when Kate came into the studio. Her friend had hit on the nerve that had been the cause of the most fitful night Kate had suffered in months. Mac did have the same dark hair and broodiness about him as her filthy, cheating ex. Yet, there was something different about Mac. Something she wanted to explore.
Needing to change the subject and simultaneously lash out, she chose a new target. “Jay Garrett has really bad taste.”
“You think?”
“Well, not in gallery managers, obviously.” She flashed Izzy a smile over her shoulder. “But in paintings, yes.”
Izzy came to stand beside her and draped her arm around Kate’s shoulders. “Why don’t we talk about my wedding instead? Maybe that will take your mind off Mac Orman.”
“How are the plans going? Is there anything you want my help with?”
“Not right now, but you could come over later and help me drink a fine bottle of Chablis.”
Kate grinned. “Absolutely. Look, I’d better go, but I’ll come by your place around seven.”
“Perfect.” Izzy walked Kate to the front door. “So, what are you going to do about Mac?”
“I don’t know. Yet. But you’re right. I can’t afford to get mixed up with a bad boy again.”
“Dean was a long time ago. You can’t let one bad relationship put you off the type of guys you’re attracted to forever.”
“I’m not attracted...it’s just that for a fleeting moment he seemed genuinely respectful of what I do for work. I liked that. My gut is telling me somewhere behind that angry exterior is a decent bloke.” She crossed her arms. “Maybe I could help him.”
“Kate...”
“What? All I’m saying is, if I can stop him going in all guns blazing, I will. I know what it feels like to be backed into a corner. Mac seemed ultra-tense. Like he’s got no real idea how to speak with this person when he finds them. It was...weird.”
“Weird? Or just something you couldn’t immediately solve?”
Kate sighed. “Both. I’d better go.”
“Okay. See you later.”
Kate left the gallery and made her way along the high street toward the Teenage Support office, buttoning her coat against the late winter chill. Her head bent low, she wondered when it would ever feel like summer again in Templeton.
What she needed was a hot cappuccino and one of Marian’s breakfast rolls. A guaranteed diversion from Mac. She pushed him to the back of her mind and forced her focus on the day ahead.
Deserving and desperate kids and their families needed her full concentration and dedication. Maybe Izzy was right and Kate should butt out of Mac’s life. What drove her to reach out to people was her work with those who had been bullied—and experiences she had with her mother. Mac was a big boy who most likely knew exactly what he was doing.
Feeling more positive, Kate pushed open the door of the bakery and shook out her curls, already turning to frizz, thanks to the cold sea air. When she looked up, her eyes were drawn toward one of the booths. Mac Orman sat with some papers in front of him as he stared toward the counter, his eyes narrowed.
What looked to be a half-eaten breakfast had been pushed to the side. He turned his focus to the open notebook in front of him and scribbled something on the page, his expression grim with stony concentration.
Kate’s suspicions rocketed. Was whoever he was looking for in the bakery right now? Was he writing down their actions or day-to-day business for some reason? Was he stalking someone? She looked around. Nobody seemed to be taking any notice of Mac and his notebook. She took her time hanging her jacket on the old-fashioned coat stand as she furtively watched him.
There it was again. He looked at Ella behind the counter and made a note. Then he looked at an older woman Kate didn’t recognize. Made another note. What was he up to?
Mac glanced toward her and flinched. Aha! She lifted her chin. Caught red-handed. Whatever he was writing certainly wasn’t innocent. She straightened her spine and walked toward him as he quickly shut his notebook and slipped it on to the seat beside him.
* * *
MAC FORCED A slow smile and tried his best not to be distracted by the sexy, disheveled sight of Kate Harrington. Her deep, dark eyes were almost hypnotic, but he’d have to be half-blind not to notice the concern in her gaze when she’d questioned him last night. She seemed nice, sweet...and all sorts of sexy mixed in. Another time, another place, he might have been interested.
But not here. Not now.
He needed Kate to keep her nose out of his business. To let his cold façade slip would risk his pursuit of the elusive Marian Ball.
Judging by the suspicion in Kate’s gaze as she marched toward him, she’d seen him checking out the locals. She glanced toward the counter and back again, annoyance etched on her pretty face. Her shoulders lifted as though she were bracing herself before she dropped them and stood right beside him.
Here goes...
He stood in the hope she wouldn’t sit. “Morning.”
She stared. Her eyes assessing, judging.
He raised his eyebrows. “Getting breakfast?”
“And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.” She eyed him carefully. “You?”
He tilted his head toward his table.
“Breakfast done and pretty nice it was, too. This Marian, whoever she is, must be one hell of a cook.”
“She is, but Marian’s out of town. It would’ve been Ella or one of the other girls who fixed your breakfast.”
He stilled and tried not to inhale as her words knocked the wind out of him. How could he not have considered Marian Ball might be out of town? He forced his expression into cool nonchalance, but from the way Kate’s gaze bored into his, alight with interest, he knew he’d already been analyzed, and a calculation had been made.
He slid back into the booth. “How well do you know Marian?”
“Why?”
“Why?”
“Yes. It’s a simple enough question.”
Annoyed, Mac said, “I’m trying to be friendly here. Make a little conversation. If you don’t want that...” He tilted his head toward the counter. “Don’t let me keep you.”
“Fine. I know Marian really well.” Uninvited, she slid into the booth opposite him. “As do most people in town.”
Mac studied her. How much could he say, or ask, about Marian Ball without arousing Kate’s obvious distrust. “Is that so?”
“Uh-huh.” She held his stare, her eyes giving away nothing.
He blew out a breath. “So, this place is hers?”
“I’m pretty sure she owns it now, but it was Jay’s, and his father’s before him.”
Mac frowned and glanced toward the counter. “Jay?”
“Our resident millionaire. He’s as cute as hell and richer than Rockefeller, but the guy only has eyes for two women in town.”
“Two women?” Mac smiled. “You don’t strike me as the kind to talk so fondly about a guy dating two different women. You got a thing for him?”
“No, but Jay’s a great guy. He’s kind and generous, my friend’s fabulous boss, a loving husband, and a great father to his little girl, Sarah.”
“Ah, his wife and kid. I get it.”
“Do you?”
He frowned as wariness clouded her gaze. “He’s married, he’s a daddy. That’s the two women in his life.”
A Stranger in the Cove Page 3
