“From the 1950s through the 1980s,” Emory said, pointing at the television set. “The best TV you’re ever gonna see, sweetheart. Guess that was before your time.”
“I grew up on reruns,” she told him, smiling as she remembered her conversation with Riker.
“Thank your parents, then.” Emory winked then hollered, “Son, got a delivery here. It’s the biggest damn basket I’ve ever seen. It’s got food.”
At the word food, the strands of folks around the pool and at the bar snapped alert.
Ona stood in front of the bar, nibbling her lip as she saw him come from a back room carting a box of pint glasses. “I brought the basket.” Whoa, was that lame! Didn’t PAAC tell you what to say? “I mean, on behalf of the Philadelphia Academy of Arts and Culture, I’m happy to present this small token of gratitude for your generosity in hosting our event. Please accept this basket with our heartfelt thanks.”
“That’s very formal of you, Philly,” Riker said, setting down the box and dragging a bar towel off his shoulder.
“It’s printed on the card, and the headmaster signed it.” She looked into his eyes and found him to be as closed off as she’d ever seen him. “Um...now that that’s done, I should be heading back.”
“At 12:40?”
“Yeah, Riker. What’s for me in Boston?”
Emory cleared his throat. “Son, I’m going to get back to the house. I don’t think all these folks would make a stink if you opened this basket and sent them on their way so you can close up a little early tonight.” He sent Ona a friendly smile. “If he can talk you out of driving all night, the apartment upstairs is fit for a lady.”
As Riker and his father doled out free food to their lingering patrons, Emory put on a faded cap and left, and Riker locked the bar behind him.
“So, nobody left but you and me,” he said, leaning over the bar. “And classic TV and what’s left in that basket.”
“And the mechanical bull.” Her smile was weak. “I didn’t drive five hours for the basket, Riker. I drove because the words on the side of our ship said Omnia Vincit Amor. Love conquers all. Love is enough to help me try to get past what happened.”
“Then let me tell you something Cole didn’t find out. Emory Ewan’s not my father. Not biologically.”
“He’s not?”
“Nah. Kate and Emory had a fling. She wanted him to be my father, so she made it so—until I got hurt in Afghanistan and found out the DNA didn’t add up right.”
Ona touched his hand. “Do you know who—”
“Yeah.” Riker started to wipe the bar. “Let’s just say that a cruise line isn’t the only thing that John Alison Stewart and Kate Russ share.”
Damn. “Oh, Riker...”
“Lies are the foundation of my life, Ona. But I’m thinking it’s time to stop letting that map out my future. So I dropped my mission to shut down Kate’s ships. But I’m not about to go manage her company, either.”
“What will you do?”
“I don’t know. In the immediate future I’m going to finish closing Pint’s for the night. As for the sort-of-immediate future, the Red Sox are at Fenway this weekend. What are my chances of getting you to a game?”
“I don’t have set-in-stone weekend plans, so I’d say good. PAAC re-upped me for reunion committee—the full class reunion. A formal thing in August. I was thinking this time I’d bring my real lover. I was thinking you might be up for it?”
“I might.” He came around the bar, pinioning her. “You owe me a cheesesteak.”
“Right. I should make good on that.”
“You will, but it can wait.” Riker’s sexy, dangerous mouth finally found its way back to where it belonged—against hers. “Right now, Ona, I just want you.”
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460386095
Blissful Summer
Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
Make You Mine Again
Copyright © 2015 by Cheris Hodges
Unraveled
Copyright © 2015 by Lisa Marie Perry
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Blissful Summer: Make You Mine AgainUnraveled Page 19
