She directed the small family to their room and looked up for the next person in line.
“Grady!”
“Hi, there. I’ll pass on the brochures.” He held up his hand and she let Barnacle Bill’s brochure flutter to the table.
“What are you doing here? You said next week sometime.” He’d been gone for a month, and he’d become vague about ever coming home, so this was a real surprise. They’d talked every day since that first time. She’d come to look forward to the flirty chats, although she’d made sure to never be wet and naked since that first time. He made time to call her at the end of her day, no matter what time zone he was in.
Last night he’d been in New York and their chat had been rushed because they’d both worked late, and she’d been tired and too wired to relax. She’d promised to be more interesting tonight, assuming she’d have a lot to share about the guests.
And now, here he stood. His face looked dear and sweet and not grumpy at all. It was hard not to round the table and give him a hug. She might not want to let go. Looking not grouchy wasn’t the only difference in Grady. His jaw looked shadowed rather than sharp, stubbled rather than smooth. “You’re growing a beard?”
He scrubbed a palm across his chin, and she wanted to do the same thing.
“You like it?” he asked, looking surprised. “I didn’t take time to shave the last couple of days.”
“Depends. Are you going bushman again?” She teased and cocked her head.
He ducked his head in a way that made her heart roll over and showed her the boy he’d once been. “No, I got bored and too busy and when it grew in a bit, I thought I’d go to the barber here. I liked the guy. He can give me a look that suits my face. I’d make an uneven mess.”
A sexy, tidy beard. Nice. “You’ll look very handsome.”
“You think?”
“I said so, didn’t I? Have I ever lied to you?”
A cloud crossed his features. “Not that I’m aware of.”
That meant an important someone had lied to him before. She couldn’t imagine who, aside from Delphine, but she didn’t seem like an outright liar. No, she was more of a benevolent manipulator. Her heart was in the right place; she just wasn’t normally upfront about her agenda.
She decided to ignore his odd comment. Not that she wasn’t curious, but this wasn’t the time or place to quiz him on faithless people in his life. “You didn’t answer me. Why are you here so early?”
“I wouldn’t miss the launch. No way.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a line up to check in at the office. You’ll be inundated in a minute. But swing by the house when the crowd dies down. Later tonight, when you’re done, we can sit on the beach and talk there instead of on the phone.”
A wave of delight washed over her heart. “Great idea.” She couldn’t say anything more because he was right. There were at least two families heading her way.
GRADY HAD NEEDED TO see Farren’s smile, feel her freshness and honesty so he’d blown off his in-person meetings for the day and rushed to the airport. He could do his staff evaluations by video chat instead. He planned on groveling and thanking everyone profusely anyway. Not one of them had let him down while he’d holed up at the Landseer. Every staff member had stepped up in support and he’d already arranged special bonuses for all of them.
Only hours later, he stood here in front of Farren, drinking in the sight of her. In the flesh. He’d missed her every day he’d been in New York. They hadn’t video chatted this last month, mostly because he loved the sound of her breathy, quiet voice in his ear late at night. She’d never asked to “see” him online, either. The phone seemed more intimate somehow. Quieter, softer.
Sexier.
A little kid rushed the table, staring at the brochures and exclaiming happily. “Look at this one!”
“Later then,” Grady said to Farren. She looked so happy, bursting with pride and excitement. Later, he’d feed off it and cheer her on. After all, that’s why he’d come home.
Home. The word had a ring to it.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said with a long look into his eyes. She gave him a small wave as he stepped away so the next family could get their welcome package.
He strolled through the gathering people toward his private entrance. Kids squealed behind him accompanied by the sounds of shushing parents and laughter. He’d been dead set against hearing the happy sounds when she’d first put forth her proposition.
But now? His rusty heart lightened at the joy he heard all around him. He smiled to himself as he fit his key into the lock and turned it.
Singles Fest. Who’d have thought there were so many single parents looking for partners? Farren had been right, though. The successful people he knew had no problem finding their next spouse, it was keeping them that was the problem.
As he turned to close the door, a man’s voice called Farren’s name in a happy tone. Curious, Grady held the door open to see who had called to her.
“Denny! What a surprise. How are you?” Farren’s response was warm and kind as she looked up into the man’s face.
Denny stepped around the table, wrapped her in his arms and spun her in a circle. She laughed at the manhandling.
Grady narrowed his eyes. His grip tightened on the handle of his leather bag. The boy who’d rushed the table belonged to this guy. And it seemed like he had two other younger kids with him, too. A single father of three who knew Farren well enough to hug her had come for Singles Fest. Not only did he know Farren, but this Denny looked deep into her eyes and made her smile. The tilt of her head and the joy in her face was telling.
They’d had a thing once. Was he one of the men she’d dated for a couple of weeks? A tourist returned. Or did their connection go back further?
Where did this guy know Farren from?
As much as he wanted to study their reunion for more clues, he didn’t. Standing here gawking while his fake girlfriend chatted with a long-lost somebody from her past was beneath him.
But he wanted to gawk. No, scratch that. He wanted to walk over there and pull Farren into his arms for a welcome home kiss and let this Romeo see what was what.
Farren wouldn’t appreciate it, though. And he’d far outgrown the Neanderthal most men had lurking inside. She’d agreed to stop by the house later and they had a date to hit the beach. He felt sure she’d tell him everything then.
He had fires to put out in New York and they needed his attention. Also, it wasn’t fair to keep his employees waiting any longer for their reviews.
Aside from the reviews, he’d blown off several meetings. He tossed his bag to the floor and made his first call. To Delphine.
“Are you in Last Chance Beach?” he asked by way of greeting. She’d left the office early yesterday and he’d assumed she was coming here. Not that they’d chatted about anything other than work. He’d kept her at arm’s length for the whole time he’d been in New York. No personal chat. No questions answered unless they pertained to the running of O’Hara Enterprises. She balked at first, but she’d had no choice but to accept his boundaries.
“Of course I’m here, aren’t you?” She sniped back.
“Yes.”
“Good. You should be. You abandoned your new girlfriend for a month right after she moved in with you.” And this was why he’d avoided talking about Farren while they were at work. The woman was enough of a distraction during the day.
He’d saved his favorite distraction for their nightly chats. Like a sweet treat he craved before sleep.
He blinked. Delphine was right, it did look as if he’d abandoned his girlfriend after she moved in. But Farren knew the truth and that’s what mattered.
He’d almost forgotten the fake part of this thing with Farren because his feelings had become real during their late-night phone calls. It had happened gradually, sneakily, without him noticing. Could he trust himself in this? Trust her?
He’d made a bad call with Veronica. But that
didn’t mean Farren was the same kind of woman. Even if that Denny guy looked ready to kiss her and she’d given him her very best smile.
Ignoring Delphine’s jibe, he changed the subject. “I delivered Veronica’s jewelry box to her parents yesterday.” It was a bald statement of fact but guaranteed to get his sister’s mind off Farren.
“How were they? I saw them at the funeral.”
“Yeah, that’s still a blur to me. And to them. But they’re devastated. Glad to see me, though.” Guilt rose at the way he’d played along as the grieving partner. They’d had no idea their daughter had been cheating on him all through their time together. Veronica had had another man when they’d started dating, when Grady had proposed, and as she and her mother had planned the wedding.
They’d never hear the truth from him. They were good people and never needed to know the things he knew about their daughter. Veronica had been their oldest, their shining star who set an example for her two younger sisters.
The only reason he could see for Veronica’s actions was greed. She’d planned to divorce him as soon as she could. They’d had no pre-nuptial agreement because he felt he knew her so well after working together day and night. She’d been dedicated, available at all hours, hardworking and committed to his success. They’d planned a future running the company together.
As he recalled it, she’d mentioned a pre-nuptial agreement once and he’d been the one to say it wasn’t necessary. The fact that her question had been asked during post-coital glow made him shake his head now.
He’d been a fool.
“Will I see you this trip?” His sister’s question brought him back to the conversation. Her tone was hesitant, as if she were afraid of the answer.
One of the reasons he’d avoided being alone with her was so she couldn’t press him for details about Farren, or Veronica.
He didn’t want to tell Delphine the truth about Veronica, he didn’t want to tell anyone. But this estrangement had been hard on her. She came across as pushy, demanding, and selfish, but Delphine loved her family and him especially. She’d handled a lot during his time away from the office. She deserved to know why he’d gone silent. It was time to clear the air.
“Yes, we’ll see each other. It’s time to talk.”
DENNIS BRACKEN HADN’T changed since high school. He still had his rakish good looks, still had a smile that pulled at her heartstrings and his eyes still glowed with mischief. The fact that his mischief had brought mayhem to two women’s lives disturbed her. A lot.
Denny wanted to kiss her. The urge was plain. It was in his eyes, and in the way he’d swept her up into a hug and in the way he’d angled his face. She dodged the kiss and gave him a smile instead.
He’d had a knack for making her feel like she was the only woman he saw. The only woman in the room. And right now, she was the one in his arms, standing too close.
She wondered if he’d made his wives feel the same. Maybe that’s why he’d been able to get away for years with having two families. Too bad one of them had got suspicious and hired a private detective.
Now, he had no one. She knew his family and they’d been devastated. First, learning they had grandchildren they didn’t know and secondly that their golden boy had behaved so badly.
Denny’s mess had swept through Last Chance Beach like a tidal wave. She knew the light in her eyes dimmed a bit as the knowledge of all he’d done crowded out her delight in seeing him again after all this time. Denny reacted with a sad, slow blink.
Then he smiled and gave her one more squeeze. “You’ve heard,” he said softly.
“Of course.” She pulled away from him and cleared her throat. All the things she wanted to say bottled up in her throat, long enough to make her realize he’d probably heard them all. The shock, disdain, disgust at his behavior. She swallowed it all because he was here with his children.
He reached for the handle of a stroller and rolled it back and forth.
“I’m so glad to see you, Farren. You have no idea how much I need a friendly face.” He bit his lower lip and looked at her from under his brows. “When I saw your posts about this weekend, I jumped at the chance to get away from all the craziness and bring my kids here.”
“How many did you bring?” She was going to meet the poor, confused children. She braced herself and hoped he didn’t have any more stashed away.
“Three. This is a getting-to-know-you weekend for them.” He tossed his children a glance as they looked at the table and then at their father. A little girl in the stroller had her thumb in her mouth and watched her with happy blue eyes. She was so young to be in the middle of this strange situation. Farren hoped the child was too young to remember the details of her father’s deceit.
At the table stood the first boy, who looked to be the oldest, another with auburn hair that didn’t come from Denny. His daughter looked younger than two and had bright red ringlets. An angel on earth.
Farren glanced at Denny and saw a multitude of emotions in his eyes. Love, pride, shame trooped across his face and Farren’s heart felt the pull of sympathy.
“Oh, you’ve been busy,” she said. His children were beautiful. The older boy held himself stiffly and the shoulder next to the younger boy was turned away. A classic cold shoulder. “And you have your work cut out for you with them,” she said under her breath.
“I’ve landed in a huge mess.” Denny’s gaze clouded. “But I’ve had a revelation in all this. And that is, I have to put my kids first from here on in. No more selfish behavior. No more cowardice or taking the easy way.”
“Okay.” She set aside her judgement as best she could. “I agree they must come first. I’m glad you’re here, Denny. We have programs set up for single parents and their children to make new friends. Let’s hope it’s enough to help your children bond with each other.”
“It’ll be a start. They’re young and I hope they’ll adapt.” Earnest and open, Denny swept his gaze down her body. “I’m not here for the women. I’m here for them.” He looked at the children and nodded at them. The auburn-haired boy gave him a tentative smile.
“Forgive me, but do their mothers know they’re here?” she asked.
“Sort of. It’s my weekend to have my kids. We’ve all agreed to that much. Whether I’m at home or here, they’re with me.” He shrugged.
A line up was forming at the table. “I need to get back to it,” she said. “We’ll talk later, after things quiet down.”
“Sarah goes down for a nap around four. Then to bed right after dinner. In between, she tears around and gets a bit fussy.” He smiled affectionately at his daughter.
Denny loved his children like any other father. And kudos to him for bringing them for the weekend by himself. She didn’t ask if he’d take them to see his parents in Summerville. That was too personal, too fraught with raw emotion. She supposed Denny wanted to handle things in his own time.
“I’ll stop by your room when she’s napping. We’ll sit outside the door and talk.” She gave him the brochures and each child a sucker. The older boy, who reminded her strongly of Denny at ten, asked for a second one for later. Maybe he needed to feel more important or more loved, she didn’t know, but she made a show of giving extra suckers to their dad for safekeeping.
After that, the day was a blur, and focus hard to come by. First, she’d been thrilled to see Grady and wanted to spend her day with him, talking and hanging out. She’d missed strolling the beach with him. She missed his grilled burgers.
But she’d see him tonight when the moon was high and the ocean quiet and her guests had all settled in.
There was a welcome barbecue that started at five thirty to accommodate children’s bedtimes. After that was over, she’d sit with Denny for a short conversation and then she’d have the rest of the evening to visit with Grady.
She looked forward to it and her heart skipped a beat or two whenever she thought of him.
She couldn’t ignore that Denny Bracken had shown up.<
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Denny had created a landmine field for his children. They were half-siblings and until recently, they’d had their respective mom and a daddy who showed up when he could.
She snagged a coffee from the urn by the pool and hoped it would hold her until she could slip into her room for a quick bite. She’d made sandwiches to last a couple of days because she wouldn’t have time for anything more until she hit her stride with the launch.
She sipped the caffeine hit slowly and handled the last of the early arrivals. At noon Eva would be here to lifeguard and the pool would open. That’s when she planned to eat her sandwich in peace.
She considered taking her lunch over to Grady’s place, but they’d have next-to-no time to talk, and she didn’t want to interrupt his workday.
Children began to arrive in bathing suits and sunhats. The distinct scent of sunscreen filled the air and their voices rose in delight.
Eva showed up ten minutes early and Farren unlocked her room so her friend could stow her belongings. “Have you eaten?” she asked.
“Yes, and I brought snacks and water. I’ve slathered up with sunscreen so I’m good to go.”
“We’ve already had a special request for swimming lessons. I didn’t think of offering them, but it makes sense.”
Eva nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. I know a reliable kid who’s certified, but they work on the mainland. Maybe we can set something up for tomorrow or the next day?”
“Great. We’ll try but don’t worry if it doesn’t work out. I didn’t make any promises.”
With that agreement, Eva stepped outside and Farren had a few moments to herself to think while she ate.
Rumor had it that Denny was in the midst of divorce proceedings from his first wife and a battle for child support and visitation with his common-law wife. If what he’d said was true about this weekend being his time with his children, then at least both women had agreed to weekend visits. She wondered if the women would approve of him being here and introducing the children to each other on his own. She shrugged and decided there was likely no easy way to do any of this.
Fake Me Page 12
