Her Charming Heartbreaker

by Sonia Parin

  She might as well get used to the idea. Besides, she’d always wanted a dog...

  Eddie did a mental rolling up of her sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Where have you been?” her brother Markus asked.

  “Playing hooky and getting up to no good with Joyce. Do you have a problem with that?”

  He shook his head and gave her one of his rare smiles. “You’re not supposed to offer explanations when you play hooky.”

  “Clearly, I’m a novice. But I’ll know better next time.”

  “And you’re not supposed to let on you’ll be doing it again. Now I’m going to have to keep an eye on you.”

  “Lucky me.”

  “I’m done for the day, so you can take this out,” he said and handed her a plate. “It’s for table five. We’ve been making him wait for half an hour.”

  “Let me guess. This is for Theo.”

  Markus grinned.

  “Please don’t do that. It’s scary in an evil sort of way.” She checked the plate. “What did you do to it?”

  “Me? Why do you assume I did anything to it?”

  “I don’t trust you. You’re all serious on the outside, but I know better…”

  “Ouch. You wound me.”

  “I thought you guys were fine with Theo. You play pool together.”

  “So?”

  She rolled her eyes at him and strode out. “I don’t want to alarm you,” she said as she set the plate down in front of Theo, “But I’d take a tentative taste of that steak first.”

  He smiled up at her. “Glad to see you made it back.”

  “No thanks to you. Did it occur to warn us Bradford was on his way back? I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him.”

  “I don’t have your number,” he said and pulled out his cell phone. “Give it to me now. I suppose this won’t be the last time you girls use me as your accomplice.”

  She rattled off her number. “Now taste the steak. I’ll wait to see if I have to call an ambulance.”

  He cut into his steak and smiled. “Just the way I wanted it.”

  Her eyes widened. “That is so blue an undergraduate vet in training would be able to resuscitate it.”

  He smiled. “So did Joyce find what she was after?”

  “No and that worries me. One of these days, she’s going to push Bradford too far.”

  “What do you think he’ll do?”

  “I don’t know and that’s the worrying part. He’s lived in Eden for a year but we know next to nothing about him. Keeping to himself doesn’t help. I’m surprised you managed to get him out of the store.”

  “The lack of trust works both ways, but in his case, his wariness is justified.”

  “We’re harmless.”

  He laughed under his breath. “And yet I’m beginning to find comfort in your brother’s constant eyeballing. As long as I’m in their sights, I feel safe.”

  “If you’re going to spend any time in this town I suggest you chose your friends wisely. We don’t care for fence sitters.”

  “We?”

  “Joyce and I. We could make life very difficult for you.”

  “All right. What’s my loyalty worth to you? I know you’re open to bartering and my culinary skills are lacking in the type of dishes that appeal to kids. So we could cut a deal.”

  “Are you telling me you can’t scrounge up a plate of mac’n’cheese?”

  “You think Ben will like that?”

  “Turn it into an oven bake and hide some veg in the mix. Stuff like broccoli and pumpkin. Maybe disguise it with some bacon.”

  “You’re devious. I like it. If he grumbles about the broccoli, I could try to distract him with a story or two.”

  “Muddle him with words? Now who’s being devious?” She bit the edge of her lip.

  “He’s a curious boy. He’ll take the bait.”

  “Okay, out with it. I want to hear it too.”

  “If he whines about me hiding broccoli in his mac’n’cheese I’ll... I’ll quote Horace Walpole, ‘Traveled young men who wear long curls and spying-glasses’.”

  Eddie drew a chair out and, sitting down, she gestured with her hands for more.

  “The Macaroni Club. Get it, mac’n’cheese.”

  “No, I don’t get. Tell me more.”

  He smiled. “See, that’s how it works. He takes the hook and I distract him away from the broccoli.”

  “And? What about the Macaroni Club?”

  “All right. In the late seventeen hundreds, before the French Revolution, young, well to do, English dandies used to travel to the Continent. It was called the Grand Tour, a sort of sowing the wild oats time for them. They were quite slavish with their imitation of Continental styles and customs. They wore tall, powdered wigs, make-up, rouge—”

  “I’m beginning to think Ben’s not safe in your hands.”

  “I’d like to whet his appetite for history.”

  “Is there more to the story?”

  “It’s not a story as such. Now that I think about it, I might start off by whistling the Yankee Doodle tune.”

  Eddie found herself whistling it in her head. “I can’t think of the words.”

  “Yankee Doodle went to town, riding on a pony. He stuck a feather in his hat, and called it macaroni. The lyrics make fun of the belief that a feather in the hat was sufficient mark of a macaroni.”

  She crossed her arms on the table. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Ben will want to know more.” And so would she. “Although, you might try to avoid overdoing it. He might catch on to the fact he’s been duped into eating broccoli while learning something. Boys can be strange about that.”

  He nodded in agreement. “So what else you got? I need two more meals taken care of before he goes away to camp.”

  Eddie was almost tempted to suggest she could go over and prepare a meal, something elaborate. She imagined Theo and Ben hovering in the kitchen, bantering—

  “Baked beans on toast. He’ll love you for it. And there wouldn’t be any harm in having another pizza night.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “His scrambled eggs aren’t runny and he doesn’t burn the bacon. It’s all thumbs up down this end, mom. You don’t need to worry about us,” Ben said with a toothy grin. “We’re about to leave now. Theo checked everything off the list last night, so I’m all packed and good to go. It’ll be perfect weather for surfing…”

  Theo waved to Claire and took Ben’s backpack out to the car. He’d already spoken with her and had been given an update on his father’s condition. More good news. The fractured ribs were healing nicely and the surgeon had assured them the cuts and scratches would fade away soon. Then Claire had mentioned staying on another week, time enough to deal with the other matter, she’d said cryptically because Ben had been within hearing range.

  Five… seven more days in Eden. He could do it. Easily. The thought caught him by surprise. Theo closed his car door and leaned against it. With Ben gone for the week he’d have to find ways to keep busy. And if he didn’t think of something, he was sure he could hang around town long enough and be roped into taking part in another one of the girls’ shenanigans.

  Who was he kidding? Spending any more time than he absolutely had to with Eddie would pave the way for more complications and he’d had enough of those to last him a while.

  He went back inside the house. Despite Ben going away, he’d be staying on at Claire’s house. At least he’d be sleeping on the new couch. He might even hunt down some furniture for the spare bedroom...

  “All set to go?” he asked Ben.

  “As soon as I do the breakfast dishes. Mom said so, or else.”

  “She’s got you well trained.”

  “Does she ever. She says she wants her future daughter-in-law to be forever grateful to her,” Ben said as he rinsed his plate. “Did your mom say stuff like that to you?”

  “She’s more the teach by example type,” he said filling in what
would have been an awkward silence. Unlike women her age, his mother never spoke about wanting grandchildren or being desperate to see him happily married. She’d never pushed him to fit into a stereotype mold, and since he’d always appeared to be reasonably content with his life, she’d never worried about his happiness. Then again, his mother had given her life and soul to her profession. It would never occur to fuss over him.

  “How come you’re not married?” Ben asked.

  “I’ve never thought about it. I guess I haven’t fallen in love.”

  “Mitch says love is something you have to be careful of because it makes you do stupid, crazy things you’ll live to regret.”

  “Sounds like you spend a lot of time with Mitch.”

  “He’s our football coach. His brother Matthew has opinions too and I get to hear them when he comes around to cut the grass.”

  “That’s nice of him.”

  “We do stuff too, me and… I mean, mom and I. She cuts the old ladies’ hair for free and I clean out their yards. It’s called giving back to the community.” He shrugged. “That’s what mom says.”

  If his father had his way…

  Theo had no idea what was going through his father’s mind but the look on Claire’s eyes when she’d spoken about him had said a lot about the depth of her feelings. If Jon Kendrick turned his regrets into a happy-ever-after, Claire would have to think about leaving all this behind, uprooting her life and re-establishing herself and Ben…

  What if she couldn’t bring herself to leave Eden?

  He hoped his father didn’t have to deal with another round of regrets.

  * * *

  Eddie carried the two baskets she’d packed full of sandwiches toward the school bus. Luke Sterling, the town’s largest landowner, had donated the funds for the school trip to the coast and The Gloriana Hotel had done its bit by organizing food for the trip. She’d filled two large baskets catering to all tastes, but with twenty boys ranging from nine to fifteen years of age, it wasn’t always easy to tell what they might or might not like, so she’d packed extra energy bars and some fruit.

  Parents and children mingled around the school bus. One sweep around the school grounds was enough to spot Theo and Ben. They were deep in conversation and Eddie imagined Theo playing the role of adult, or at least doing his version of it, imparting solid advice and warnings, probably memorized from a list Claire had prepared for him.

  Drawing closer, Eddie heard laughter drift toward her. Ben’s shoulders shook with it. She hesitated. While she’d come to make her delivery, she didn’t want to seem too obvious about also wanting to stop and chat with Theo, but she should at least say hello. Before she could decide how she’d tackle this encounter, Theo made the decision for her.

  Turning toward her, he smiled and waved, but didn’t stop talking. When he noticed the baskets she carried, he patted Ben on the shoulder and then strode toward her. The easy sway of his hips had her licking her lips and delivering a severe reprimand. She could look but she really should draw the line at appreciating him too much because that would bring her a step closer to wanting...

  “Do you ever ask for help?” he asked and took the load off her.

  Her stomach quivered. She managed to take another step without tripping over her feet. “I usually demand it. But these aren’t that heavy.”

  “Where do you want them?”

  “In the front seat with the teacher in charge. She usually waits until they’re well on their way before distributing them. Joyce is bringing some muffins to keep their restless stomachs at bay.”

  He carried the baskets as if they weighed nothing. Eddie jolted herself into action, looking around her, waving to a few people, trying desperately to look the other way when Theo stepped onto the bus. But her best intentions didn’t stand a chance against her inner vixen. She’d always thought herself more of a shoulders person but the sight of his butt in denim…

  “Daydreaming again?”

  She smiled at Joyce but didn’t tear her eyes away from Theo. “There’s no harm in looking.”

  “This basket of muffins weighs a ton. Do you think he’ll offer to carry them up to the bus for me?”

  “I’ll take those,” Ben offered.

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Joyce ruffled Ben’s hair and turned to Eddie. “Sorry, I tried,” she said and patted her on the shoulder. “What do you think he’ll do with himself now that Ben’s going away?”

  “I’m guessing he’ll keep to himself. In fact, I’ll even say he’ll ignore us and choose to hang out with the boys.”

  “And I bet you anything he won’t last a day without our company.”

  She’d rather not think about that. “I should get going. There’s a stack of paperwork waiting for me and I need to decide what to wear for my afternoon tea with Mrs. Larson.”

  “Has it already been three months since Jimmy Larson’s last visit?”

  She nodded. “There’s something seriously wrong with my life when I start counting down the days until my next fake date.”

  “At least that’s something. I’ve been…” Joyce bit the edge of her lip. “Don’t judge, but I’ve been playing around with an online dating site. I thought you should know, just in case I suddenly turn up at The Gloriana with a date… your mouth is gaping open.”

  “What do you expect? When did this happen?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. You’re not the only one freaking out over another wedding and the prospect of sitting at the singles’ table.”

  “Maybe I can talk Jimmy into coming back for the wedding. Melbourne’s not that far away.” Or maybe she could borrow Theo. If he was still around and if Claire was still away and didn’t mind…

  A loud cheer erupted from the group of parents who’d come to see their children off. All the kids were now on board the bus and waving from the open windows.

  When the bus finally left, Theo strode toward them.

  “Well? How does it feel to see your little charge go off into the big wide world?” Eddie asked.

  “They grow up so fast,” Theo said with a mock sigh. “Next thing you know, they stop calling, and only come around when they need something.”

  “You’ve got a few years before that happens,” Joyce said. “He’ll be back soon enough and then the real job of parenting will start with a vengeance.”

  He looked at Joyce for a long moment as if trying to decipher what she’d said. “Claire should be back by then. And as much as I’ve enjoyed these last few days, I think I’ll be glad to have my freedom back.”

  “So you’re not going to be a hands on dad?” Joyce asked.

  Eddie wanted to drop to her knees and start digging a hole... for herself. What on earth had possessed Joyce?

  Theo frowned, his gaze jumping from her to Joyce who apparently hadn’t caught on to the fact she’d put her foot in it.

  “Does Ben even know you’re his father?” Joyce asked.

  * * *

  Had she waved goodbye?

  Yes, she had. She was sure of it.

  Eddie had no reason to feel bruised and humiliated. She made it to her car and, after fumbling with the key, she managed to get the door opened before she finally released the breath that had lodged in her throat.

  Joyce’s foot in the mouth blabbering had brought everything out into the open, making it all that much more real and leaving Eddie floundering for words. She hadn’t even known where to look. Certainly not at Theo.

  When she’d tackled the subject of his roadside kiss with him, she’d been diplomatic. And when he’d suggested letting it go, for now, she’d agreed, assuming they would both forget about it and get on with ignoring what she’d come to accept as an aberration.

  Happy days, Eddie had thought. Sort of...

  Now he knew they’d been talking about him behind his back and reaching all sorts of conclusions about his character and…

  His mislaid moral compass, Joyce had said as if she’d been personally wounde
d. As if Eddie couldn’t fight her own battles. She could, but she’d chosen not to.

  Now he knew she hadn’t put it all behind her. She’d faked her insouciance. He was a smart man and would no doubt realize Eddie’s pride had been hurt.

  She’d played it cool. She’d pretended she could sweep it all under the carpet. But at the end of the day, she was still a small town girl, with what some people might think of as a small town mind.

  Unable to stop Joyce’s verbal regurgitation, she’d beat a hasty retreat. There was nothing wrong with taking the coward’s way out.

  She shook her head. “Right about now I could do with a shot of indifference.” She wished she could make the barrage of thoughts swimming inside her head redundant, but one niggling thought remained. Probably the worst one. The one she’d been ignoring… turning a blind eye to. Theo Kendrick wasn’t the exception. He was like every other man she’d ever met. Worse. He’d played with her heart and had used her as a rebound—

  While she’d been reluctant to nitpick over minute details, she couldn’t help thinking he’d played a dangerous game, teetering on a two-timing cusp.

  With that thought bouncing around her mind, she started the car, put it into gear, and reversed out of the parking lot.

  Again she tried to clear her head but she couldn’t get past the idea of Theo using her to rally the troops, getting back on the proverbial horse, and not letting Claire’s obvious rejections get to him.

  Hadn’t she already dealt with all her angst?

  She had, yet Eddie’s fingers clamped around the steering wheel. Claire Muldoon had been giving him the run around, wounding his male ego, so he’d used her to give himself a much-needed boost of confidence. He’d been impulsive and she’d already decided it was something she could live with. She might not be a natural born floozy, but—

  Damn it. There had been an edge of desperation in the way he’d held her against him, how he’d made love to her mouth. As if he’d breached his own defenses, fighting through the barriers that had kept him under control in order to taste her, because he’d been thinking of nothing else since the first time he’d laid eyes on her...