The thought of his mother having regular showings of her oil paintings made Conor happy. Even though the gesture might be too little too late. He forced a smile.
Shelby always liked it when he smiled. In fact, this time, she seemed to like it so much, she gave that “come get me” look, the one he loved seeing above all others.
“You know what I’d really get a kick out of?” she said, moving closer, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Hmm?” He leaned against the counter, trying to act cool.
“Forgetting about the dishes and heading straight to my room.” One thinly arched brow shot up with the suggestion. Her hands started a slow slide from his shoulders over his chest, and down his ribs leaving tingly paths the entire way. “I want to be the one doing the tasting this time…” From beneath her thick lashes she gave a seductive glance. “…of you.”
She may as well have shot a lightning bolt through him.
An hour later, after a whole lot of tasting and taking turns had been going on, Conor pulled Shelby to his chest. She hoped tonight might be the night he told her he loved her again. The one and only time they’d said it to each other was on the beach six years ago. She still remembered the sound of his voice and her breathless reply. I love you. Then they’d made a promise. The very promise she’d blown two plus years back. Maybe she should take the lead this time? But what if it fell flat?
“You know what I think,” he said, mindlessly rubbing her lower back.
That you love me? “Nope.” She played with a button on his shirt, giving him time to broach the subject.
“We should take a shower.”
Boing went the sound of her hopefulness as it hit the ground and bounced away. Foolhardy as it may be, she was determined to lay it out there for him tonight. She’d put everything else out there these last few weeks, and he’d willingly taken part…every chance they had. “A shower sounds great, but not before I tell you something.” She lifted her head and found his questioning eyes. Her lips pressed together, then she went for it. “I’m in love with you.” First chills circled her skin, followed by the heat of doubt.
“Shel,” he said, wrapping his fingers at the back of her head and drawing her near. “I’ve pushed so much down for so long, those words don’t come easily to me anymore.”
“You mean you didn’t mean them before?”
“No, I did. I meant them.” He hugged her close, as if willing her to understand, then talked over her scalp. “I’m not trying to beat a dead subject, but you hurt me.”
“I’ve changed.”
“I know we’re starting fresh, but in the back of my mind, I keep wondering how long before you’ll feel trapped here, and want to move on.”
“Everything is different now,” she said, both feeling and sounding defensive.
“I’ve gotta take this slowly.”
She broke from his hold to make eye contact again. “Well, we sure aren’t taking sex slowly.”
“You started it.” His chin looked like Mark’s had when he’d made that snap decision.
“I know.” She couldn’t deny the truth, if Conor wasn’t ready.
“You can’t force me to be on your timeline. I’m not the guy you used to know.”
“I know that, too.” Hell, she’d helped make him the skittish-about-love kind of man he’d turned into. All the great feelings she’d just shared with him, and the hope she’d built up for when they could be together as a couple again, evaporated like morning beach fog.
Conor was afraid of loving her. She’d made him that way, and knowing it cut through her heart like a butcher knife. Mulligan or not, he was still remembering the pain she’d inflicted on him. Could she blame him?
He gently removed her from his chest, got out of bed, then laced his fingers through hers and drew her to her feet. He tugged her along to the bathroom, for that shower he’d suggested, and she dutifully followed. If this was all he could offer, she’d take it, because the thought of going back to life without him was completely unacceptable.
Chapter Ten
Monday morning they met up for another hike. Shelby suggested it would be a good thing to get his mind off the prison riots. Who was he to disagree, since other than the moments he spent making love with Shelby or arguing about taking things fast or slow, the prison riot was the only thing he’d thought about.
This time they drove north to the Point Lobos loop trail. Much of it paralleled the ocean in Carmel by the Sea, with breathtaking views. Benjamin had napped for the drive, and was now wide-awake and anxious to move. Halfway into the trail, it occurred to Conor how he’d gotten good at hiking with a kid in a back carrier, hardly noticing the extra weight. Enjoyed it even.
“Hey, look.” He pointed out to sea. While waves crashed around a rocky finger of land, loud barking overpowered the sound of the ocean. “Look at all the sea lions.”
“Wow. Benjamin, see the sea lions? They’re sunbathing on the rocks.”
Benjamin saw some movement, clapped his hands and kicked his feet.
Seeing him happy made Conor happy.
Further down the path they found a perfect spot to picnic. As always, Shelby had come prepared with sandwiches, drinks and fruit. They sat in a grassy area where wild yellow mustard flowers bloomed, enjoying the meal.
Benjamin was happy to get out of his carrier and run around chasing butterflies. When he started chasing bees, Shelby stepped in. “Come back over here, I have a treat for you.”
When it came to being a mom, Shelby was a natural, and it never ceased to impress Conor.
From the well-manicured trail, they went off the path and carefully hiked over slippery rocks to get to the tide pools. Just before they reached their destination, Shelby’s boot slipped and she shrieked. Before she hit the rocks, Conor lunged and caught her, nearly losing ground in the process. They struggled to regain their balance but prevailed.
“Thanks!” she said, winded. “That would’ve hurt.”
Feeling alarmed and protective, he didn’t let go right away, but spent the time looking into her eyes. Her pupils were widened from the near fall. Out of fear for her being hurt, his were probably dilated, too. He never wanted Shelby to get hurt.
Her cheeks were flushed and the sea breeze whipped her hair around. The vision was too inviting. Moved by a surge of emotion, he kissed her while she leaned back in his embrace, the way he’d caught her. Midkiss, it occurred to him, at this crazy angle, they might compete for that iconic 1940s kissing pose between a sailor and a nurse, but in his opinion, the Pacific Ocean was a much better backdrop than NYC.
“Blahk blahk.” Not nearly as caught up in the moment as Conor and Shelby, Benjamin kicked Conor’s kidneys and pointed to a group of pelicans high in the sky, diving head first into the sea.
After he helped Shelby to full standing position, they all watched the unique fishing technique of the pelicans, and today Conor related to it. When you want and need something, go for it. Dive in!
Wasn’t that the point of starting fresh?
*
After a week of no-questions-asked sex, Conor showed up in The Drumcliffe kitchen with a wide smile displaying nearly every single one of his gorgeous teeth.
“You look like a man who just found a million dollars,” Shelby said, whipping together the ingredients for the night’s special seafood soufflé. Every week the dinner crowd grew, and the signups for the Titanic-themed appetizer gathering were already full. Come to think of it, Shelby had a lot to smile about, too, but right now the man with the proud grin was her reason.
“Better than that.” Hands on his hips, board shorts, name-brand T-shirt, looking like a beach bum god, what could be better?
“Wow, a billion?” She whipped faster.
“FTO.”
She pulled in her chin, not having a clue. “Did you just cuss at me, or is that some kind of money?”
“Field Training Officer.” He gave her a deadpan stare, nearly drilling through her heart. “I’m ge
tting a promotion.”
She stopped whipping and put the stainless-steel bowl on the counter, wiping her hands on her apron-covered hips. “Fantastic! Is it because we wined and dined your boss?”
“I hope not. Didn’t mean to bribe him with your cooking.” He leaned on one elbow on the counter, kind of like hanging out at the pub. “I think it has more to do with the riots and my stellar conduct under extenuating circumstances, to quote Captain Worthington’s ‘indication for the job’ endorsement.”
“Wow de-dow! This is great. Congratulations.” Her instinct was to hug him, but being at work held her back.
“Definitely worth a celebration.”
“Am I invited?”
“You’re the first person I thought of.” Now she really wanted to hug him.
“Before your parents?”
“That’ll come later. First I have a different kind of celebration in mind.”
“Oh, that kind—”
“—of celebration. Yeah.”
They’d been spending so much time together they’d fallen back into finishing each other’s sentences, which Shelby loved. She wondered if Conor was even aware of it. “So what do you have in mind?” She batted her lashes, hinting at all the fun they could have on the box springs.
“A date. A hot date. Where I take you out for dinner for a change.” He fiddled with the sleeve of her dusty rose chef jacket, nearly making the matching toque spin on her head. “Of course, it’ll be hard to find a place on the same scale with your talent.”
“Oh, you flatter me.”
With that he stood, stepped closer and sent her the sincerest look a guy six foot three could give a pipsqueak like her without seeming to look down his nose. “We’ll have to drive all the way to Carmel again.”
“Not…” She’d been telling Conor about an Italian restaurant with amazing write-ups that she’d wanted to scout out sometime on her day off.
“La Balena. Yes.”
Her hands came to her mouth, and it took everything she had not to jump up and down like Benjamin did when he was excited.
“You happy?”
“More than you know. This sounds more like my night than celebrating your promotion.”
“I’ll be sharing it with you, for all the good things we’ve both accomplished.”
His intentions seemed too meaningful, especially for a guy gun-shy on opening his heart again. “The difference is, I didn’t have to get in the middle of a riot to get here.”
“No, but you had to come home and face me.” There went his earnest look, complete with tented brows. “That had to be tough.”
She tugged on the hem of his untucked T-shirt, swearing this moment had something to do with making progress on the sea of mistakes between them. “Well worth the fight, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
He slipped his hand around her waist and drew her closer, then, doing what she didn’t have the guts to do in her own kitchen, bent to kiss her. After taking his time, using his mouth in ways she’d never grow tired of, he ended the kiss on his terms. As always, leaving her wanting more. “I’m glad you came home.”
Now that was progress! Of course a gazillion questions started forming in her mind, but now wasn’t the time. She especially wanted to ask if that meant she could start wearing the Claddagh ring again, but thought better of it, not wanting to spoil the cushy-sexy tone. Too bad she had a couple hundred meals to prepare for the night, because her body was thinking of ways to celebrate this special moment, right here and now.
“Sunday night. Have Fred deal with the dinner crowd. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
It was hard being a chef and trying to maintain a social life. At least in a small town like Sandpiper Beach, where she worked for her boyfriend’s family, she could ask for a night off every once in a while. Conor’s promotion was the perfect excuse, too. Even though Sunday night was always Delaney family dinner night, under the circumstances of his promotion, how could Mark refuse?
*
Sunday night, Conor wore his nicest slim-fit pale blue dress shirt and a pair of straight-legged navy trousers. He’d even thought about wearing a tie, but decided not to, though he did want to look his best for Shelby. He’d been thinking things through about the two of them, how long they’d known each other, how far they’d come in life and, after nearly a ten-year hiatus, how they still had feelings for each other. A whole lot of feelings. He couldn’t deny what they had was special.
His promotion to Field Training Officer was not only a step up, but a raise. The Beacham House was becoming more and more within his reach. But he still had to deal with the surprising sting that sometimes cropped up when he was around Benjamin. The kid was cute, and fun, that wasn’t the issue. It was surreal knowing Shelby had had a child with another man. Blunt though it may be, that was the truth. His truth. He wasn’t proud of it, but nevertheless…
Having a family had always been part of his secret dreams…about Shelby. He’d never been able to see that bigger picture with Elena—because there hadn’t been one—and she’d picked up on it. They’d broken up amicably enough, but he’d still seen it as a failure. All because of Shelby still having a hold on his heart.
He tapped on her front door and waited. She opened it in a fitted black sheath with a high jewel-type neck, but with cross straps showing lots of shoulder and back. He wondered how the dress might look turned around, though he wasn’t complaining. She looked sexy. Her caramel-colored hair was parted on the side, as she always wore it, with the bangs playing peekaboo over one arched brow, and the blunt cut ends cupping just below her earlobes. It had taken a while, but he’d come to really like her with her new shorter, more sophisticated hairstyle. But what he liked the most right now was how the haircut drew full attention to those long, dangly turquoise bead earrings swaying with her every move. Mesmerizing. He saved the best for last, sweeping his gaze over her legs. He couldn’t very well call them long, with her being all of five foot two, but they were finely shaped. Then on to the strappy shoes giving her a few gained inches on him and revealing a scarlet pedicure. Sex personified.
Hard to believe, under the circumstances of where his thoughts had just sprinted, the best part of all was how the tense look in her eyes had disappeared since she’d first come to town. Over the course of the last couple months, as she had learned to relax, she’d also gained back some of her lost weight. Every day, she was more like the Shelby he used to know, but also the incredible person she’d become. “Wow. You look great.”
She blushed, and after all the times they’d been together lately, that simple act of her turning pink made a bigger impression than the little black dress and painted toes ever could.
“You look hot, too,” she said, still recovering from her blush, and making his mind wander to how things would go after dinner, when it was just the two of them. He’d kicked Brian out of the suite for the night, and he had high hopes her mother would take over with Benjamin until the morning.
He couldn’t deny his feelings any longer. Shelby, since her return, had managed to break open his heart again and force her way inside.
*
The day had finally come for the first ever Thursday night themed appetizer and cocktail party at The Drumcliffe Hotel lobby, held in the solarium alcove. Seventy-five guests had signed up, leaving only the remaining twenty-five slots for locals, which, when combined with the serving staff and hosts, would just about equal the 150-person occupancy allowed per the local fire department for that space.
After two months of running her own kitchen, she was nervous about that night and the new venture. The menu: cold asparagus truffle vinaigrette with soft quail egg, the seafood sabayon she’d tested on Conor, cod or lamb à la française, chocolate and vanilla fondant over crunchy honeycomb, and of course classic French cheese with Waldorf garnish, complemented with a champagne-and-orange sorbet punch, all for the totally reasonable price of admission. Padraig would handle the cash bar for any other drinks, and in fact, had
assigned Brian to that detail.
Shelby woke up early Thursday morning thinking about the night ahead, and all the hours it would take to prepare for it, but she woke up for another reason, too. Benjamin was crying, and not in a “Good morning, I’m awake” kind of way. This was the distinct, piercing sound of a boy in pain.
She rushed out of bed to his room, finding him standing, his flushed face covered in tears. “Ma maaah!”
She picked him up and held him close, feeling a feverish head. Her heart quickened. What could be wrong? She checked the clock. By the time they both got dressed and drove to the urgent care clinic Conor had introduced her to when Benjamin had bronchitis, the place should be open.
The timing of his illness couldn’t be worse, but she’d learned early on how, at any given moment, being a parent could annihilate all other plans. Her mother worked today as usual, and, of all nights, had an administration meeting at the elementary school.
Panic seeped into Shelby, taking over her bloodstream and driving up her pulse. She wouldn’t be able to make the dishes for tonight if Benjamin was sick.
The nurse called them in, and soon enough, the diagnosis proved Shelby’s hunch —an early ear infection. His inner ears were tight as drums with fluid. Even though the nurse administered liquid ibuprofen, Benjamin only minimally improved. All he wanted was to be held by Mommy, and there was no way she could run a kitchen with a twenty-five-pound toddler in her arms.
What would she do?
Without thinking, she took out her cell phone and called Conor to explain her situation. When she’d finished, she couldn’t believe the words coming from his mouth. I’ll take care of him.
Could she let go and leave her precious son with Conor while Benjamin was sick, so as not to ruin the big night?
If she didn’t want to risk her reputation, let Mark and the Delaneys down, not to mention the 150 people expecting tonight to happen, she’d have to take Conor up on his offer.
*
Conor listened carefully as Shelby explained which medicine to give when and how much. Red liquid for pain and white liquid for fever, every four to six hours.
Reunited with the Sheriff Page 15
