With a worried look at Larkin, Jamie nudged Ryker. The tarp was over Archer’s wishing well. That thing had been the center of Larkin’s life back when Ryker was thinking of parceling off the land. The boys had promised they’d have the sod replaced and everything completely taken care of by the gala.
“Yeah. We’ve got it covered,” Jamie said.
“I can see that. I’m hoping you won’t by tomorrow.” What was wrong with him? They could not leave it like that for the party.
Ryker swung his arm around Blayne and guided her away from Larkin. In a low voice, he said, “We’re taking care of it.”
“By tomorrow, it’ll be pristine.”
She gave him a solid side-eye. “It better be.” She tried not to let it bother her, but she’d asked him to take care of it weeks ago. Shaking the disappointment away, she nodded. “I mean…okay.” It was time to fight against her knee-jerk reactions of irritation with him. So much of that stuck around from when he’d left and was no longer fair.
She couldn’t look away from his intense gaze, and he took it as an invitation. Stepping close, he placed held her hips.
Ryker saluted. “I’m out. Going to check the beehives.”
With a chuckle, Jamie placed a warm kiss on her mouth, lingering against her bottom lip. Her heart fluttered opened a bit more, and she had to fight the sigh of contentment that wanted to escape.
“What are we going to do about the judge and Maxine?” she asked him.
He shrugged. “We can’t fix it. Only they can. I’m more worried about me in this instance.”
She worried her lip, giving him a nudge. “I can’t believe Judge called her out like that. I mean…”
“Can you blame him?” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s a judge. There’s no integrity in breaking the law. It’s like she’s laughing at his life’s work.”
She tensed, feeling a bit of an itch hearing a woman she admired being spoken of in anything but admiration.
“Don’t pull away.” Jamie tightened his grip. “Look, it was a fair assessment of me when I’d left you, and I’ve been trying to make it right. And it’s fair for the judge to feel the disappointment…even with Maxine.”
He was right. And she decidedly did not like how it felt. Maxine was treading a bit on the judge’s life’s work, whether she saw it that way or not.
Relaxing into Jamie’s arms, she looked up at him with a bit of a frown. “I’m not sure if I like this new, thought-provoking side of you.”
His grin was swift, and she felt it clear to her toes. He stole a kiss. “Yes, you do. I’ve been working hard to change so I don’t make the same mistakes again. So I don’t hurt you. Honor is my new middle name.”
Blayne’s laugh was strained. He’d worked too hard to change, to be a man she could love. And he’d accomplished it. Deep down, she knew she’d never stopped.
But her return home was imminent. Too important to change over the chance at love. Not when that love had hurt her once already.
They just needed a chance to sit down and work it all out. After the gala, they’d make a plan.
“Seriously, though.” He held her tighter. “I think we have a real chance to make our future really special.” He glanced around the kitchen. “Look at what we’ve done together.”
She shook her head with a feeling of awe, replaying the scene of when she ran into him and fell ass-over-end his first day in town. They’d come a long way in a short time. She’d never imagined anything like it. “You’re right…again. I want to resist, I want to fall into my old patterns and argue, but the truth is all around us, isn’t it?”
And it was. From everything she’d heard from Emma, her father seemed detached from the relationship she thought they’d had. It killed her, and as Jamie had worked so hard for her, she needed to do the same for her da. Her regret caused an ache unlike anything else. She’d always been her daddy’s little girl.
Resting her cheek against Jamie’s chest, she concentrated on the steady beat of his heart, wanting to remember the sound, allowing it to ease the sorrow of her own. Yesterday was lost to change, but the possibility of tomorrow opened with endless options.
If only the timing was different.
Everything she wanted was right here. Working for the center, her friendship with Larkin, and just maybe, a future with the only man she’d ever loved.
She hated to admit to being afraid of anything, but she also hated being fake. The truth was, she wanted a future with Jamie so much she was terrified stepping toward it for fear of losing him again.
Picking herself up once had been a hard-fought battle of wills and survival in a country of strangers. Having to do it again…
She couldn’t even finish the thought.
She loved Jamie. The words were wrapped tight in her bruised and tender heart, but they were there if she let herself really listen.
But it was time to quit putting herself first. That’s what had hurt the people she loved from the beginning. Her da deserved so much more than she’d given him.
Turning her face into Jamie’s neck, aching from the impossibility of the situation, she whispered, “You and I make each other better.”
And with the acceptance of those words, her heart fluttered in eager and ecstatic anticipation for the man she was afraid she could never have.
Chapter 16
Determined to enjoy the celebration regardless of her own conflicted emotions, Blayne stood on the front porch of the Archer Conservation Park of Cape Van Buren’s community center and forced herself to take in every inch of the unforgettable sight sprawling out before her.
It was like a dream.
The sun was slowly exiting the day beyond the trees west of Cape Van Buren, leaving a warm, hazy, golden glow upon the lawn. Globe lights were strung back and forth across the west lawn of the cape from gas-lit torch to gas-lit torch.
Large potted plants flanked the corners of the space and tall bistro-style tables created islands of opportunity to eat delicious foods, partake in exotic drinks, and enjoy the best company that Cape Van Buren had to offer.
Jamie’s big, strong arm encircled the waist of her lustrous metal satin Zac Posen gown. The off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline was supported by sculptural pleating at the bodice with a mermaid silhouette, and flanked on each side by banded short sleeves, leaving the pale skin of her shoulders open to receive the warm kiss of his lips.
His touch made her love leap to life in her chest, and she couldn’t help but turn to him.
“You look stunning.” His voice was deep and thick with emotion. “I don’t know how to explain it, but everything with you is different from with anyone else. Life…” He trailed a finger along her collarbone. “Each breath, each moment…”
She captured his wandering fingers and pressed them to her lips for a kiss. “I feel it, too.” Letting herself get lost in his intense gray eyes, she sighed. “Believe me. I tried to find someone to replace you, but with every encounter, I faced a lonelier future. There was never meant to be anyone else but you, Jamie.”
His jaws flexed as he listened to her words and his free hand drew her toward him.
She grabbed the silver train of her dress and swung it around to accommodate the need to be closer.
“I love you, Blayne.”
She closed her eyes. Could there be a more perfect moment than this? Breathing in the sweet scent of the cape and the salty ocean breeze, her lips trembled. Though she’d always considered her heart her weakest muscle, she finally had the strength to ask for what she wanted. On a swallow, she quietly admitted, “I love you, too, Jamie.”
Jamie’s eyes flared wide. “Bean—”
A quick slap and shake of Jamie’s arm had him stepping from the warm cocoon he and Blayne had made.
Ryker stood grinning from ear-to-ear, and it was as startling to see now as ever. “You two did it. I mean, damn. I knew you would, working together, but this…” He arced his hand out toward the yard. �
�This is more than I’d ever imagined, and I think exactly what my gorgeous wife was hoping for.”
Larkin joined them on the porch, taking the steps one at a time while holding the full skirt of her lime green halter dress. The color brought out the bright green of her eyes, making them sparkle so bright the setting sun had competition.
Her breath came out in little pants by the time she reached the top step, and she rested her hand on the swell of her belly. “It’s more than anything…” Emotion left her eyes bright and her words stuttering.
Blayne abandoned Jamie’s side to embrace her friend in a hug. “It’s all for you and Archer. He’ll live through this center forever, Larkin, making each and every life in Cape Van Buren better.”
“Shit.” Ryker scowled with concern.
There was the man they all recognized and loved. Blayne grinned as Ryker grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket.
“I knew with the two of you, I’d need this.” Carefully, he blotted the cloth to the corner of his wife’s eye.
Larkin laughed and grabbed his hands in her own. “Just look at it, Ryker.”
The four of them watched as the town of Cape Van Buren joined them in all their decadent, sparkling glory for the gala.
Along the edge of the property, by the entrance, a lone figure stood almost invisible in the shadows.
Jamie swore under his breath. “Is that—”
“Don’t give him a second thought. Sheriff Davenport is watching from the lighthouse. There won’t be any problems. My father isn’t stupid enough to try anything with the whole town as a witness. He prefers small groups, so he has some semblance of deniability,” Ryker said.
Larkin patted his arm. “Not a second thought.” Then she leaned up and placed a kiss on her husband’s cheek.
Blayne’s admiration for Ryker increased at how easily he dismissed his abusive father. That had been a long struggle for hard-fought success.
They still had a few minutes from the official start time when the first chords of a silky jazz song filled the air.
She leaned close to Jamie. “The band your mom hooked us up with is amazing. I was able to listen to them live at an event at Delizioso a few days ago.”
“I’m glad.” He smiled. “Speaking of my mother.” He nodded toward the lawn. Mr. and Mrs. Astor emerged from a limo in their finest, and their look of pride wouldn’t go unmissed by anyone in attendance. Their son played a large part in the splendor and it was written all over their faces.
Blayne shook off a twinge of loneliness. Her da had never witnessed what she was capable of, and her ma’s ethereal view was sweet but out of reach.
“Come on.” He grabbed her fingers and led her down the stairs with Larkin and Ryker close behind.
Larkin slowed as they closed in on the well. “What’s going on?” She pointed to the tarp over Archer’s wishing well. “Take that tarp off, Ryker. No one is going to damage the new well, it’s a sophisticated party, not a college brawl…or construction site.” She made her words at the end very gentle and added a wink.
Ryker winced all the same.
“This is what we wanted to show the both of you.” Jamie’s eyes danced, and Blayne could barely handle how adorable her big, muscly man seemed in that moment.
“What did you do?” she asked, smoothing her hair, a line of dark vintage waves, along one side of her face.
He patted Ryker on the back. “Do you remember that idea I’d mentioned to you?”
She racked her brain. “Jamie, over the past few weeks, you and I have discussed a lot of things.”
Larkin laughed. “Look, the gala is beginning and I’m due any second. We don’t have time for guessing games.”
“You heard the woman.” Ryker grabbed a corner of the tarp.
Curiosity tugged Blayne closer as the men pulled the tarp off the well.
Larkin gasped.
Blayne’s hands came together over her chest as if trying to hold in the swelling of love that she felt for Jamie in that moment. Now she remembered.
Archer’s Angels.
“What’s this?” Larkin whispered as she stepped up to the well.
Blayne had so many memories of visiting the Cape with Archer and Larkin. He’d loved the well and dropped pennies over. But he had a rule. No wish could be made until it reached the bottom. She’d never seen a five-year-old boy as patient as he’d been, his blond hair ruffled by the wind and that huge grin with the dimple in his chin, just like his mom’s.
Ryker stepped behind Larkin then wrapped his arms around her waist as well as he could.
“Well, as Blayne and I were navigating our way through the policies and procedures and board responsibilities, it occurred to me that time and again you’ve mentioned wanting to make sure that kids had a voice on the Cape,” Jamie said.
Larkin’s nod was slow but steady.
Blayne couldn’t help the feeling of pride she had for Jamie and joined him at the well so she could better see Larkin’s expression.
“I thought that it only made sense to have a secondary set of board members made up Cape Van Buren kids called Archer’s Angels.”
A sob broke from Larkin’s lips and her fingers flew up to press against them. Ryker retrieved his handkerchief again, which she snatched quickly and without moving her eyes off the new stone sign that stood next to the well.
“Archer’s Angels will keep us honest when it comes to the vision and priority of the center. Kids first, the residents first, not bottom lines or profit margins. Though we want this to thrive and need money to make that happen, that is my responsibility.” His warm fingers wrapped around Blayne’s wrist, drawing her closer.
“Our responsibility.”
Tears of love and regret welled in her eyes as well, in empathy with Larkin but also from a deep-rooted sense of well-being she hadn’t felt since stepping onto U.S. soil ten years ago with Jamie. Well-being she had to walk away from.
“The kids will have an advisor, but there are rules put in place to make sure the children’s voices and needs are not only heard, but listened to when it comes to our programs, events, and opportunities.”
Jamie sucked in air as if he’d forgotten to breathe, then let it all out in a long huff.
Music drifted around them, accompanied by the din of happy conversation and the breaking waves of the ocean against the rocks surrounding the cape.
Blayne swore a delighted echo of laughter floated above the trees as they stood, waiting for Larkin to speak.
Her friend’s eyes widened, and she lifted her face toward the sound. Whether it was their imagination, their joy, or possibly their hope, Blayne would never know, but she’d never deny the moment as long as she lived.
“Are you okay?” Ryker asked.
Larkin gripped the hands around her and smiled at Jamie. “Never better. There are no words, Jay…”
She stepped away from Ryker and wrapped her arms around Jamie. Holding him, she dabbed at her tears before they ran down her cheeks. Jamie patted her, looking toward Blayne for help.
She smiled at him and mouthed the words. “Hold her.”
Jamie wrapped his arms around her pregnant form and let her take the time she needed.
Larkin went on to express her heartfelt thanks, then the night rolled on in a waterfall of well-wishes, volunteer and financial commitments, and promises to help make the vision of the center a reality.
Blayne and Jamie presented both the official board and Archer’s Angels to the town. They presented the donor program and announced the first official gift by none other than the Astor family.
The food was spectacular, the music perfection, and Maxine’s moonshine found its way into more than one glass.
Blayne and Larkin watched as Judge Carter stared after Maxine with the forlorn look of lost love. Blayne understood the feeling, and her heart went out to the man. “Just look at him.”
Larkin sighed. “I know. I feel awful. I tried talking to Maxine but she’s being as stubborn as eve
r and even threatened to leave me out of her moonshine will.”
“Her what?” Blayne laughed.
“You heard me. I dropped it. Going without over the last nine months was hard enough. I wasn’t risking it.”
“She’d never.”
Larkin raised a brow. “Are you going to test it?”
Blayne pretended to study her manicure. “Hell, no.”
“Exactly, but I know she’s hurting.”
“Yep.” Blayne waved to where Maxine, Evette, and Janice were doing the Charleston. Maxine was laughing as she tapped forward, then tapped back, her hands swinging side to side with the move, but there was tension in her eyes, and her voice was a bit too bright.
“She’s miserable. And unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong.”
Larkin shrugged. “Try telling her that and risk your future of any moonshine enjoyment.”
“What are we going to do?”
Suddenly, Blayne was swept onto the dance floor by Jamie.
“Not so fast, I can only move my legs so much in the narrow skirt of this dress!” But she laughed, unable to stop or catch her breath.
Jamie broke out into one of the best versions of the Charleston she’d ever seen. She’d never known such a big man could move so fast.
And, man, did she like what she saw. The lazy lub-dub of her heart sped up as she took in the breadth of his shoulders encased in a tuxedo jacket that looked as if it had been made for him.
On second thought, it probably had been.
Her mouth watered at the sight of his chest muscles flexing under his crisp white shirt and his thighs bulging in the most delicious fashion every time he stepped forward. If she didn’t get a few minutes alone with the man, she was going to spontaneously combust.
Grabbing his hand, she tugged him from the floor. Besides, she had to talk to him and figure out what they were going to do before she went mad.
“Wait, where are we going?”
She tossed him a wink. “You’ve hung out with Ryker long enough to pick up a few tricks. I want you to show me how to extract a little honey.”
The look in his eyes went from heavy with desire to delight with such speed she would have dropped his tux pants right then and there if it weren’t actually against the law. She didn’t need anything else getting in the way of her future.
Honor on the Cape Page 18
