Liam closed the distance between them, his footsteps soft and sure. When he reached her, he touched her elbow. “I’m sorry you’re upset, and I don’t blame you. I’d like to start over. Let’s try again.”
The same pleasant tingle spread to her wrist, made her heart leap. But this was not the time for emotions. “You think I’m going to listen to you now?”
“I hope so. I regret the deception. All I can say is it wasn’t my idea. Even so I wish I hadn’t agreed to it.”
She sniffed, rubbed a veil of moisture from under her eyes and looked deeply into his face for the truth. “I guess I believe you. I know my father can be persuasive about some things. But I can’t operate the foundation the way you want to,” she said. “I know that you don’t believe in what we’re accomplishing.”
“I don’t believe in the way you’re accomplishing things, but I do believe in you, Jude.” He spoke slowly, deliberately. “I believe in you.”
She didn’t detect any deception in those words. In fact, his blatant honesty shot straight to her heart. He believed in her, the girl who always took the wrong advice, the girl who accepted every dare, the girl who got arrested for her beliefs. Almost no one had ever believed in her before.
Still she couldn’t give in. There was too much at stake, her past, her future, her path to forgiveness from a man who was long dead. “Your belief in me won’t pay the bills.”
He chuckled. “That’s true, but together we’ll look at all the charities you fund and decide which ones can seek support elsewhere, and which ones can’t.”
Her gaze remained locked with Liam’s. Her world was unraveling at the same time her heart was expanding, and the feelings frightened her. The two emotions were so strong, so confusing. Could the same woman who’d vowed never to trust anyone again trust Liam? Or did one secret always lead to another? Deep down, she didn’t want to trust him. She’d trusted Paul with her life, her heart, and he’d left her. She didn’t want to start over with the trust factor. She didn’t want to feel this overwhelming guilt ever again. She’d kept the foundation going for so long. The foundation had done the same for her. To withdraw support of people who depended on her would seem like she was abandoning everything she believed in.
“I don’t think so,” she finally said.
“What?” His eyes rounded. “Jude, I won’t take any salary from your father. Consider my help a donation. Let’s just do this, make it work.”
“Thanks, but no. I’ll find a way to keep going.”
“But you won’t, not without help.”
She cleared her throat, stepped away from him. “You barely know me, Liam. You don’t know what I’m capable of. I think you’d better go.”
“You’re throwing me out a second time?”
She nodded. Her eyes burned with tears that threatened to spill onto her cheeks. Were they tears for Paul? For herself? For the good folks of Bees Creek she would have to disappoint if she aligned with Liam?
He grasped both her arms. “You’re an impossible woman, Jude, and yet I don’t want to go.”
She tried to look away from him but couldn’t. “You don’t have a reason to stay,” she said.
His fingers tightened on her arms. “Maybe this will give me a reason.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. It was a featherlight touch, sweet and honest. And it was the first kiss Jude had experienced in more than five years. When he drew back, he brushed her hair away from her forehead and left a kiss there, too. Then he retrieved his coat from the hook by the door and slipped it on.
“I’ll see you Sunday, Jude,” he said. “I’ll pick you and Wesley up around noon and we’ll go to the planetarium.”
She started to protest, but her lips, so soon kissed, wouldn’t form the words.
“We don’t want to disappoint him, do we?” Liam said. “He’s a kid. He wouldn’t understand what went on here tonight. And I promise you, no business. Just pleasure. You do believe in pleasure, don’t you?”
If he’d asked that question five minutes ago, she might have said pleasure was for people who didn’t have a purpose in life. But since the kiss, with her lips still warm, she wasn’t so sure.
* * *
LIAM REACHED THE bottom step leading from Jude’s home, just as Wesley ran out of the barn.
“Hey, Liam! Are you done talking to my mom?”
“Yeah, Wes, I think I am.”
“Great! Grandpa and I have been waiting for you guys to quit talking.”
Liam cast a quick glance at Martin, who had followed Wesley into the open. Martin’s face showed no sign of emotion. Maybe he was still processing what had happened. Maybe he was acting for his grandson’s sake.
“The good news is, it’s Friday,” Wesley said. “I don’t have to go to bed until nine thirty, so you can come back upstairs and we can look at the book.”
“I’d really like to do that, Wesley, but I’m afraid I have to go somewhere. Maybe next time.”
“Aw, shoot! You promised!”
“I promised I would look at the book for a while with you, kiddo, and I did that.”
“You’re coming back Sunday, though, right? You’re taking us to the planetarium?”
“I’m planning to,” Liam said.
“You run along,” Martin said. “Tell your mom we finished our chores.”
“Okay. See ya on Sunday, Liam.”
After Wesley had gone inside, Martin fixed a guilty stare on Liam. “Guess I might have left you with an awkward situation in there,” he said. “I’m sorry about that, but you wanted Jude to know the truth. How do you think she took the news?”
“Frankly I don’t think either one of us scored any points with our delivery. You may have to find yourself another adviser, or talk to your daughter yourself.”
“Don’t give up on her, Liam,” Martin said. “This is typical Jude. She gets angry, hurt and disappointed. You’d think her world was caving in on her. But she just needs time to think things through. I’m sure you two can work this out.”
Liam opened his car door. He was suddenly tired and didn’t want to discuss this problem any longer. He’d failed. Martin had failed. Now all Liam could think about was making things right with Jude the woman, not the foundation CEO. He admired her, respected her. He... His thoughts stopped churning in his head. Heck, he wasn’t sure how he felt about her, but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and he didn’t want to quit trying to reach her, not the obstinate widow who was determined to keep her husband’s memory alive, but the warm, caring woman who existed under all that crust and thunder.
“You come back on Sunday like you planned,” Martin said. “Jude can surprise you. And she won’t let Wesley down. She’d never do that.”
Liam got in his car. “Good night, Dr. Foster.”
Watching in the rearview mirror as Martin slowly returned to his daughter’s living quarters, Liam sped down the drive to the road. This was not a happy night for any of them. And then he thought of the kiss and decided maybe he was judging too quickly. She’d responded to the kiss. She’d kissed him back. He hadn’t imagined the pure emotion in the sweet press of her lips against his. It was a start. Relationships had been built on less.
His cell phone rang and he activated his car speaker. His dash screen identified his mother. He wasn’t prepared to talk to his mother, who always seemed to have an agenda, but he connected anyway. “Hi, Mom,” he said.
Alicia Manning-Cooper had hyphenated her maiden name onto her married name soon after her divorce. Liam always assumed she didn’t want anyone to forget her status as wife of the area’s top dermatologist, but she wanted to regain her independence at the same time. All in all, as far as Liam was concerned, calling her Mrs. Manning-Cooper was a mouthful.
“Hello, sweetheart.” Her voice was breathless but c
hipper, typical of the way she opened all conversations, as if she really wanted to talk to you but didn’t truly have the time. “What are you doing now?”
“I’m driving, Mom. On my way home.”
“Oh dear. You don’t have plans tonight?”
“I have to catch up on some work. I’ve been a bit preoccupied recently.”
“Well, that’s all right. I have good news that should cheer you up.”
What had he said that made his mother think he needed cheering up? He was always careful to present an emotional vacuum where she was concerned. The last thing he wanted her to believe was that he was desperate or gloomy and needed her help. His mother’s methods of cheering could really depress a guy.
“I want you to meet me at the Cloak Room in Chardon for brunch on Sunday, say noonish.”
“I can’t, Mom. I have plans for Sunday.”
“When I give you details, you’ll want to break your plans.”
He doubted that.
“I’ve invited the most delightful young woman and her mother to join us.”
“Mom, how many times—”
“The daughter’s name is Valerie. She’s a graduate of Georgetown, and she’s currently managing the Cleveland Historical Museum.”
“She sounds quite accomplished,” Liam said, “but I still have plans for Sunday. And I still don’t appreciate you trying to fix me up.”
Alicia chuckled. “That’s fine to say, darling, but if I leave you to accomplish the job yourself, I will never see any grandchildren.”
“That may be something you’ll have to live with,” he said. “I’m sorry, but Sunday is out.”
“What are you doing that’s so important?”
“I’m taking a client and her son to the planetarium.”
“Who’s the client?”
Not that his mother had any right to know, but Liam wasn’t going to hide Jude’s identity. “Jude O’Leary, formerly Jude Foster, Dr. Foster’s daughter.”
There was a pause during which Liam recalled his father telling him that Alicia had never liked Jude Foster, thought her wild and undisciplined. He suddenly wished he hadn’t said her name and given his mother a target.
“Isn’t she the middle daughter?” Alicia said, her voice tight.
“Yes, she is.” Liam prepared for the criticism he knew would follow.
“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want to date her. She’s not appropriate at all.”
“I’m not dating her, Mom. I’m taking her and her son to the Shafran because the kid has an enthusiastic interest in astronomy. He’s a lot like me in that regard. That’s all there is to it.”
“Yes, you were interested in the stars, weren’t you, honey? But don’t get involved with Jude, Liam. The stories I’ve heard. She has always been trouble for her parents. She quit school, lives in a barn of all places. She’s even been arrested. Martin’s other two daughters are sweet and charming, but the middle one... Something happened with her.”
“Mom, this conversation is unnecessary and out of line. Who I see is none of your concern.”
“That is unkind, Liam. I only care about your welfare.”
“You don’t need to care so much, Mom. I’m fine. It’s just a visit to a planetarium.” If she’ll even go, Liam thought.
“All right, then,” Alicia said. “I’ll cancel plans for Sunday, but please tell me when you’re free. I’m certain you’ll like Valerie. You two will have so much in common.”
Doubt it.
“Right,” Liam agreed. He was anxious to disconnect. “Have a good weekend, Mom.” He cut off his speaker and watched the asphalt stream in his headlights. What if he hadn’t gone to that wedding? What if he’d ignored his dad and refused to tackle Jude’s problems with the foundation? Getting close to Jude was like hugging a porcupine, and he didn’t know if he should have gotten involved.
But then he smiled, thinking of how her hair was always in disarray, how she didn’t like to cook, how she looked in a pair of worn denims. And how her lips felt when he kissed her. What was so great about meeting a woman with whom you had a lot in common? he wondered. Where was the fun in that?
CHAPTER NINE
ON SUNDAY MORNING, as the sun came up over Dancing Falls, Jude sipped her first cup of coffee and mentally made a list of all she had to do. Three new proposals had come in for foundation consideration. WOIH was having a remote broadcast from the local feed and grain store beginning at ten o’clock, and she’d promised to support Harvey and Gary by attending.
Her father wanted to talk to her—again. He probably wanted to make certain things were okay between them, which of course they were. Jude could never stay angry with her father, and besides, he had made a very good point. She needed to make the foundation less reliant on his support. How? That was the big question.
And then there was the planetarium, the Sunday plan that Wesley hadn’t stopped talking about for two days. He went to bed at night telling her what he thought the sky would look like in the auditorium. He got up each morning asking her how many hours until Liam picked them up. In spite of everything that had happened, she enjoyed watching her son’s enthusiasm. And as far as trust allowed, she didn’t doubt that Liam would keep his promise to Wes.
She sighed. So much for reviewing proposals. If she was going to at least make a showing at the remote broadcast, she had to rearrange a tight schedule. She left her mug half-full on the table and grabbed her jacket from the hook by the front door. She definitely couldn’t put off feeding, any more than she could cancel plans for the planetarium. She could make her schedule work by texting Liam and asking him to pick her and Wesley up at the remote location.
* * *
LIAM ARRIVED AT NOON. Concerned that he’d been stood up when he didn’t see Jude’s truck, he checked his text messages. There was one from Jude, left almost an hour ago. Liam, it read. Wesley and I are at the Feed Box in Bees Creek. If it’s not too much trouble, can you pick us up there?
Not too much trouble? Bees Creek Township was a good fifteen miles away. But at least it was in the general direction of the planetarium. With luck, they might still make the presentation. He got back in his car, though he had no idea where this Feed Box place was. Thank goodness his Google search did.
“A feed store?” he said aloud when the address popped up. “Couldn’t she have saved her animal errands for another day?” Feeling slightly miffed, he nevertheless took off toward Bees Creek. Maybe Jude was being inconsiderate, but he owed this planetarium trip to Wesley. He’d take the kid himself if he had to...if Jude was too busy picking out pellets and hay bales.
He arrived twenty minutes later and pulled behind Jude’s truck, which was parked in the back of the store. When he headed toward the entrance, he heard a good deal of commotion. A country band was playing and the scent of hamburgers on the grill wafted through the air, reminding Liam he was hungry. He’d planned to stop for a late breakfast with Jude and Wes if they’d kept to the original schedule. Now there wouldn’t be time.
In the front parking lot, dozens of people were milling about. Some were waiting for their hamburgers. Others were foot-stomping to what seemed a local and very popular band. And then there was Jude. She stood on a makeshift platform near the front door. She asked for the band to pause a moment, and she spoke into a microphone with that same husky, kind of disturbing voice he remembered from his visit to the radio station. That voice captured his attention with a series of mellow vibrations that seemed to reach his toes. He had to try hard to pay attention to her words.
“This holiday food drive is so important to the people of Bees Creek,” she said. “Harvey, Gary and I appreciate all your donations, but we still need more.” She nodded to a building across the street. “The Save and Pick Mart is open today just for this event. If you haven’t already put your dona
tion in the barrel here...” Yes, there was a giant barrel in front of her “...there’s still time to run over to the market and purchase a few nonperishables. We want this holiday season to be scented with good cooking for all our Bees Creek families.”
“Liam, you’re here!”
Liam turned when he heard Wesley’s voice. Part of a crowd of youngsters running out of what was left of a fall corn maze, the kid barreled up to Liam and skidded to a stop.
“What’s going on here?” Liam asked.
“The radio station likes to raise money and get free stuff,” Wesley said. “Everybody helps the people who might not have enough food. Mom and I have a dozen frozen turkeys in our cooler in the truck.”
Jude was just finishing an extra push for donations. Harvey and Gary mounted the platform to stand on either side of her. “This sounds like a good idea,” Liam said to Wes. “But I wonder what you guys would have done if it had been snowing or freezing.”
“We woulda had free hot chocolate instead of free Cokes,” Wesley said. “And everyone gets a free hamburger, even you if you put something in the barrel.”
Jude thanked her friends and neighbors and left the podium to a nice round of applause. Gary took the microphone. “Thanks again, Judie, for a wonderful event. WOIH couldn’t do this without you.” He signaled for the band to start up again, and the foot-stomping and line dancing resumed.
She came over to Liam and her son. “Hi. I see you got my text.”
“I did,” Liam said. He couldn’t seem to take his gaze from her face. The cold air had put a glow in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. She wore a stocking cap pulled over her ears, and a pair of copper earrings twinkled from her earlobes. Her hair, tamed a bit more than usual, still stuck out from the knitted cap and framed her face in curls. She was enchanting and Liam had to remind himself that he was still angry because he’d missed breakfast.
“You didn’t mind, did you?” she asked. “I had this commitment, and this wasn’t so much out of the way.”
He swallowed the truth. “No, hardly out of the way at all, but we’d better get going.”
The Bridesmaid Wore Sneakers Page 10
