Return of the Last McKenna (Harlequin Romance)

by Jump, Shirley

  Brody laughed. “I know that trick. Riley and I have given Finn a hard time and taken him on a guilt trip more than once.”

  “I’ve met Riley and I can see that about him. He seems like he was…mischievous as a child.”

  Brody laughed. “He still is.”

  “What’s Finn like?”

  “The total opposite of Riley. Finn is an architect, all straight lines and organizational charts, although marrying Ellie and adopting a child has loosened him up a lot. Riley runs an after school program at Wilmont Academy. He was the slowest to grow up, but he’s making us all proud now.”

  “And you, of course, being a doctor who also volunteers his time to help the needy. You must make them all proud, too.”

  His gaze went to the window again. For a long time, he was silent, just watching the traffic go by, the houses yield to skyscrapers. “Some days I think I do. Other days…not so much.”

  He didn’t elaborate and she didn’t press. Once again, Brody had closed a door between them, and Kate reminded herself she didn’t need a man like that. At its heart, this wasn’t a relationship, it was a business deal. He was helping her and in exchange, he’d get the cupcakes for Riley’s wedding. Fireworks or not, if there was no substance, there wasn’t anything to build on.

  Then why did she care what troubles lay behind those blue eyes? Why did she keep pressing for more?

  Because she sensed something good, deep inside of Brody. Something worth fighting for.

  “So, who’s your ideal Mrs. Right?” she asked, upending her own vow to stay neutral. She exited the highway, and came to stop at a red light. A sign for her and Brody? “The perfect doctor’s wife with the gloves and pillbox hat?”

  “Lord, no, that would drive me nuts.” He chuckled. “I’m not that formal. Ever. I like women who are…natural.”

  “As in no makeup, wearing sandals and T-shirts?” The light turned green, and Kate accelerated again.

  “As in they act like themselves all the time. I hate when people act one way but feel the opposite. I don’t like secrets or surprises.”

  “Me, too. If you asked me my relationship dealbreaker, it would be dishonesty. I can’t stand being lied to. Have the courage to tell me the truth, or don’t waste my time.” She flicked on her directional, then pulled into the hotel’s parking garage. The van bumped over a speed strip. Kate cast a quick glance at the cargo, but nothing had moved. “If you want people who are true to their word and to those they care about, then you’ve come to the right place tonight.”

  Brody didn’t say much as they pulled the boxes out of the van, then loaded them onto a cart and headed up the to the third floor in the hotel elevator. Once inside the ballroom, a hotel staffer directed Kate to the banquet table, telling her to set up dessert on the far corner.

  She glanced at Brody several times, but the easy banter between them had disappeared. Had she said something wrong? Or was he still thinking about the patient he had lost?

  “We only have a few minutes before everyone arrives, so we need to hurry,” she said. They worked out an assembly line of sorts, with Brody handing Kate the cupcakes while she laid them on tiered trays she had brought with her.

  “Red, white and blue?” he said, noting the arrangement of the desserts. “It almost looks like you’ve made flags.”

  “I did.” She pointed to the array of cupcakes, set in the familiar pattern of the flag for the USA. Then she drew in a deep breath. Tonight would be difficult, no doubt, but the cause was a worthy one, and Kate vowed to suck it up and not cry. “Okay. Here they come.”

  The ballroom doors opened and dozens of men and women in uniform strode into the ballroom, chatting in low tones as the band took up the stage and began to play “America the Beautiful.” The room filled with a sea of green and camouflage, flanked by bright flags on either end.

  “I haven’t seen these people in a long time. I’m so nervous and excited.”

  “I thought you said it was a thank you,” Brody said.

  “It is.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “For the members of Andrew’s unit, along with several other units from Massachusetts who returned to the States in the last few weeks. It was originally supposed to be a retirement party for the top ranking general in the area, but the general put up his own money and paid to have a party for the troops instead. So it mushroomed into this big event. They came to me for the cupcakes because they knew my brother had…” She bit her lip and shook her head. She would not cry tonight. Would not. “Well, that he didn’t come home.”

  The troops settled into chairs that ringed tables decorated with patriotic colors. An honor guard marched in, raised the flag, and the whole room stood at attention to sing “The Star Spangled Banner.”

  “There are members of Andrew’s unit here tonight?” Brody hung back behind the banquet tables with Kate, his stomach riding his throat.

  “Yes. I can’t wait to introduce you to them.”

  Introduce him? The thought hit Brody in the chest like an anvil. Kate had said the one thing she couldn’t abide was someone who didn’t tell the truth. All Brody had done since he met her was lie. Lie about who he was. Lie about why he was in her shop. Lie about his volunteer work. He’d done it because it had been Andrew’s last request, but now…

  Now he wasn’t sure it had been the right decision. How could he expect her to move forward, to look to the future, if Brody was holding a key to her past in his hands?

  “These are the true heroes,” she whispered to Brody. Tears filled her eyes, while she watched the general take the stage and thank the brave men and women who had given their lives in defense of their country. “The people who risked everything for those back home.”

  Brody had thought he was doing the right thing by not telling Kate about Andrew’s death, but he’d been wrong. The woman beside him was no daisy. She was as strong as an oak tree, and the time had come for him to tell her the truth. He’d be there to help her through it, and she would be okay. He’d make sure of it.

  The general finished his speech, then began introducing the vendors who had donated their time and products to the event. “And I’d also like to introduce Miss Kate Spencer, owner of Nora’s Sweet Shop. She lost her brother, Andrew, in Afghanistan last month. A tragic accident, that occurred while Andrew and members of his team were accompanying a medical team helping local villagers. Kate, come on up here.” The general waved to her.

  She hesitated. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she whispered. She spun toward Brody. “Go with me? At least until the stage?”

  “Of course.” He took her hand, and they walked across the room and over to the stage. Kate gave Brody a smile, then climbed the few steps and crossed to the podium. “Thank you, General Martin. I’m afraid you’ve given me too much credit. I didn’t do anything but make cupcakes. It’s all of you who made the sacrifices and gave of yourselves. I hope these desserts thank you, at least in some tiny measure, for all you have done. I know my brother was proud to be in the National Guard, but not as proud as I was to call him my brother.”

  A roar of applause and hearty agreement went up from the crowd. Kate gave them all a smile, then climbed back down the stairs and took Brody’s hand again. “Thank you.”

  “You did great.” She’d been poised and brief, and delivered a speech that touched people with a few words. He’d never seen another woman who could do so much, and touch so many, so easily.

  Damn, he liked her. A lot.
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br />   And because he did, he would tell her who he really was, and what had happened in that dusty hut, and pray it all worked out. In his practice, he’d seen a thousand times that the truth gave patients power. To make their own decisions, to handle a diagnosis. Kate needed that, and Brody was done waiting to give it to her.

  “I’m just glad I got through it without crying.” She smiled again, but this time her eyes shimmered. “It’s still hard to talk about him sometimes.”

  “I understand. More than you know.” He led her through the crowd and toward the banquet tables. Maybe they could slip out for a few minutes and he could talk to her. Or maybe it would be better to wait until they had left, and they could find a quiet place to talk alone.

  Along the way, several troops got to their feet to offer condolences, and thank-yous for the cupcakes. Brody’s feet sputtered to a stop when a familiar face rose to greet Kate. “Hey, Kate. Nice to see you again.”

  “Artie! Oh my gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” She let go of Brody’s hand and gave the tall man a big hug. “How have you been?”

  Artie Gavins, one of the other men in Andrew’s unit. Brody forgot what his job had been, but he knew his face. He’d bandaged it the same day that Andrew had died. A serious man, who the others had dubbed “Straight Line” because he rarely cracked a smile. Andrew said Artie kept them all on track, but had also respected the other man’s common sense approach.

  “Fine, just fine,” Artie said. Then his gaze traveled past Kate, and landed on Brody. It took him a second, but Brody could see him making the connection in his brain, processing the man in the suit jacket and tie, and connected him with the doctor in a khaki coat and jeans that he’d known last month. “Doc? Wow, I can’t believe it’s you. Hell, I almost didn’t recognize you all dressed up and wearing a suit and tie.”

  Brody put out his hand and shook with the other man. “Good to see you, too.”

  And it was. There’d been so many wounded that day, so many to tend to. Seeing one of the men as hearty and hale as ever, gave Brody more reward than any paycheck ever could.

  Still, he prayed Artie wouldn’t say anything else. Brody didn’t want Kate to find out who he was like this. He wanted time to explain it to her, time to get the words right, and here, in a public place, among all these people, wasn’t the right place or time. “We, uh, better get back to the dessert table,” he said to Kate. “I think we forgot to unload one of the boxes.”

  “Oh, yes, we need to get that done. Wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on dessert.” She gave Artie’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll catch up later.”

  “We will. Nice to see you, Kate, Doc.” Artie took his seat again.

  Brody hurried through the rest of the crowd with Kate, and back over to the banquet table. He wanted to pull Kate aside, but they were pinned in by the banquet tables and people were already lining up for food. No discreet way to duck out of the room.

  “I didn’t know you knew Artie,” she said. “What a small world. How did you meet him?”

  “He was…my patient once.” Brody cast a glance down the long white tableclothed space. The hungry crowd was closing the gap between the chicken cordon bleu and dessert.

  “Wow, and you remember him? That’s pretty impressive, Doc.”

  “There are certain patients I never forget.” Understatement of the year. “Listen, can we get out of here? I really want to talk to you.”

  “I can’t leave. I promised the general I’d stay and eat with the troops. Plus, I’d love to catch up with Andrew’s unit. It makes me feel closer to him. Why don’t you stay? I promise, none of them bite.” She grinned.

  “I…I can’t. I…” How could he explain it? The gap had closed, and the diners were now ten feet away. In that crowd was Artie, and most like Sully and Richards, the other two who had been on that mission with Andrew, also wounded, also part of the mad rush between Brody and the other doctor to save lives. “I…I need to talk to you, Kate.”

  She put a hand on his arm “Are you okay? You look…pale.”

  He glanced at the troops heading toward them, then at the woman who had just talked about the one army man who wouldn’t be coming home, and the guilt hit him again in a wave so hard, he had to take a breath before he spoke again. “No, I’m not okay. Not at all.”

  “What is it?”

  Andrew’s last words rushed over Brody. Don’t tell her. She’ll only grieve more.

  But that bequest warred with everything Brody knew to be true. A patient couldn’t mend if they were in the dark about their ailment. Kate’s heart was hurting her, and keeping the truth from her even one second longer wasn’t going to help her heal. No amount of cupcake baking or location scouting could do what the simple truth could.

  He was standing in a room with the bravest people in the world, and standing across from one of the bravest women he had ever met. He was doing her a disservice by keeping this tucked inside one minute longer. “Remember I told you about that patient I lost when I was on the medical mission?”

  “Uh-huh.” She pivoted a cupcake to the right, straightened another, until the frostings were aligned and the colors made straight lines in the flag design.

  “That patient was someone you know.”

  She jerked her head up. “Someone I know?”

  The hungry troops had reached the cupcakes. They exclaimed over the design as they selected one and moved on. “We need to go somewhere private, Kate.”

  “What, now?”

  “Yes. It can’t wait any longer. In fact, what I have to tell you shouldn’t have waited as long as it has.”

  “Kate, I’ve saved a seat at the head table for you,” the general said. “Come on and join me for dinner.”

  She glanced at Brody then back at the general. “I will, sir. Can you give me one second, please?”

  The general nodded. “Take all the time you need.”

  She grabbed Brody’s hand and they scooted along the wall, and out of the ballroom. Kate glanced back at the room as the doors shut. “I only have a minute, Brody.”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Then he withdrew the card he had carried for so long and handed it to her. A parade of emotions washed over her face. Confusion, shock, hurt.

  “How…how did you get this?” she asked.

  The moment had come, and dread rumbled in Brody’s gut. How he wished he didn’t have to tell her this, didn’t have to watch the happiness dim in her eyes. “Artie knows me…because I was his doctor.”

  “You said that.”

  “I was his doctor in Afghanistan. In fact, I treated several of the troops in that room.”

  “Wait. You were in Afghanistan? When?”

  He let out a long breath. “I was part of a medical team that was going from village to village, helping provide care to people too poor or too far from a doctor, and also tending to those who had been injured because of the war. A National Guard unit had been dispatched to serve as protection for us because it was still a dangerous area.” He met her gaze. “It was Andrew’s unit, Kate.”

  “I don’t understand. How did you know my brother? Is that how you got my card?”

  “Remember that town I told you about? The one with the mountain range? We were there for several days and while we were, Andrew received one of your care packages.”

  She clutched the card tighter, her face pale. “I sent him those baskets every week, like clockwork. Lord only knows how the military got them
to him, but they did.”

  “He loved those baskets.” Brody chuckled a little at the memory of big, strong Andrew, as happy as a kid on Christmas when he received a box from home. He’d handed out cupcakes to all, boasting about his sister as he did. “I know he kidded you about them, but he kept every card, and talked about you all the time. When I met you, I felt like I already knew you.”

  “He talked about me?”

  He nodded. “He was a good guy, your brother. Really good. It was probably a boring detail, just going from town to town with a couple doctors, but he treated it like the most important mission he had ever been on.”

  A smile wavered on her face. “That was Andrew. His whole life was about taking care of other people.”

  “He did a good job at it,” Brody said.

  “That still doesn’t explain why you have the card I sent him.”

  Brody let out a long breath. He crossed to the brick wall and laid his palm against the cold, hard stone. The words stuck in his throat, churned with bile in his gut, but still he pressed forward. “I got to know your brother while he was with our group. We talked a lot. We had a lot in common, you know, both being from around here, and both being Red Sox fans and…”

  “That’s good. I’m glad he made a friend.” Her voice broke a little.

  “He was my friend,” Brody said, turning to Kate. “I need you to know that. I cared about him a lot. And I wanted to save him. So badly, I really did.”

  “What do you mean?”

  In the room behind them, the party rolled on. Someone laughed at a joke, and the band shifted into a pop song. Forks clanked, voices hummed.

  Brody bit his lip. Damn. “All he ever talked about was you, and this shop, and getting back here to help his family out. He loved all of you very much, and he wanted nothing more than to see a chain of Nora’s Sweet Shops someday. He told me you’d be scared to death to do it alone, but I should encourage you to go after your dreams. He worried about you. Worried that you’d get scared, or be too overwhelmed by his death, to keep going forward.” Brody swallowed hard. Forced the words out. “He wanted me to make sure you did that. It was his dying wish.”