This Can't Be Love

by Maria Geraci

  “Does that mean you’re actually going to this wedding?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, Lori, but no, I’m not going to the wedding.”

  “Thank God, because, you know, boss, that would just be too weird.”

  “I agree.”

  After he hung up with her, he called Ethan. “Have we heard anything about the Alaskan contract?” Luke asked. His company was in the running to perform an environmental impact study on the construction of a new port for the state’s growing cruise line business.

  “Not yet. Maybe next week,” Ethan said, sounding upbeat. “If by chance, we get that contract, have you thought about how we’re going to handle it?”

  “You mean how I’m going to handle it?” Luke said. Since Ethan’s marriage a couple of years ago, he’d taken on more of a managerial role, preferring to stay close to the Atlanta office and leave the bulk of the traveling to Luke. Which was exactly how Luke preferred it. “I thought maybe we’d open up that office in Seattle we’ve been talking about.”

  “And expand to the Northwest,” Ethan said. He whistled under his breath. “You do dream big, Powers.”

  “Yeah, and don’t you love it?”

  Ethan chuckled. “My bank account isn’t complaining.” There was a somber pause. “But aren’t you tired of all the travel? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I see the allure. It’s just got to be exhausting. I don’t want you to get burned out before your time.”

  “Not gonna happen. And if it makes you feel any better, until we hear from the Alaska gig, I’m going to hang out here in Whispering Bay and catch up on my fishing.”

  “Well, if anyone deserves a few weeks off, it’s you.”

  “Hopefully, we’ll hear back sooner than that.” They talked some more about the contract and about another project the company was involved with. Ethan promised to keep him updated and they hung up.

  Now that Luke had been outed, there was no use hiding, so he went for a run, then showered and hit the streets of Whispering Bay. Blondie had long since gone. He’d heard her rattling around in the kitchen, then out the door by four-thirty.

  He didn’t blame her for his mother’s sneak attack last night (well, maybe he blamed her some), but after Mom’s grand exit, the conversation between them had quickly grown awkward. She’d moved her things into the spare bedroom and shut the door, lights out by nine. He’d watched TV and thought about going out, but he still hadn’t caught up on his sleep so he’d been in bed by eleven. A few more days of her would be okay, but any longer than that would be intolerable.

  He didn’t want to be an asshole and kick her out, but he wanted the privacy to walk around in his own home in his boxers. To stay up all night watching TV and not worry about the noise waking her up. He’d racked his brain trying to think of a way to get out of that damn lease, but all he’d come up with was offering her a free ride at one of those extended stay hotels. Except he was pretty sure she wouldn’t go for that. The nearest one was over half an hour away and it wasn’t on the water. If their situations were reversed, he’d do exactly what she was doing and insist that the lease be honored.

  But Blondie and the lease would have to wait. The first thing he needed to do this morning was tell his family about Victoria’s engagement, news he’d been putting off because this was something you didn’t tell your family over the phone. Dad would be okay with it, but to say his mother would be disappointed was the world’s largest understatement.

  He’d start by telling his sister. Then maybe, together, the two of them could gently break the news to Mom. He wasn’t above using Mimi’s softer side to help ease his mother into the realization that she wasn’t getting any grandkids from her only son.

  He drove by a few nostalgic places. The baseball field at the high school where he’d spent most of his waking hours when he wasn’t in the classroom or out fishing with Gramps, and Burger World and the bowling alley. There was a new community rec center that was in the final stages of construction. From the outside, the new building looked impressive. The sign boasted of an indoor basketball court and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Great news for the town’s residents, but it was just about all the progress he wanted to see here.

  The one thing that made Whispering Bay unique to the rest of the Florida panhandle was its lack of condominiums. With the exception of a few buildings (including his own home), the majority of the coastline was made up of miles of undeveloped, pristine, white sandy beaches and crystal blue water. Driving around in his truck with the windows rolled down as he breathed in the humid, salty air, Luke had to admit he missed his hometown.

  And how strange was it that his little sister was now mayor? When she’d called last year to tell him she was running against Bruce Bailey, the city’s long-term incumbent, he’d been proud of her determination. Then she’d won and he’d been even prouder. Mimi had come a long way from that scared seventeen-year-old girl who’d found herself pregnant her senior year in high school.

  He walked into the municipal city building and checked in with the receptionist at the front desk, who pointed the way to Mimi’s office, then knocked on the door. “Come in!” He opened the door to find his sister sitting behind a massive desk with one hand on the computer and the other cradling a phone. Her eyes rounded in pleasant surprise.

  “Sorry, Pilar, but I have to go. The prodigal son has returned.” She hung up and practically leaped over the desk and into his arms. “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes!”

  He returned her tight hug. “I’ve missed you too, brat.”

  She broke from his embrace to inspect him with a critical eye. “You look pretty good for a man who’s about to be sliced and diced by his own mother tonight at dinner.”

  “Obviously, you’ve talked to Mom.”

  “She was on the phone with me ten minutes after she found you and Sarah playing house together. I’d have called or come by but I was already in bed. It seems like I need at least twelve hours of sleep these days to function.”

  He placed a hand over his sister’s small but obviously pregnant belly. “How are you feeling?”

  “As long as I get enough rest I feel great, but this isn’t about me, it’s about you. What were you thinking? Sneaking back in town and not telling anyone? Specifically, Mom. And poor Sarah. You must have scared her to death just showing up like that…” Mimi frowned. “Come to think of it, her asking Tom if she could stay at The Bistro makes perfect sense now.”

  “She’s going to stay at The Bistro?” Blondie hadn’t told him that was even an option. Maybe his unwanted roommate problem was solved.

  “No, she’s not going to stay at The Bistro. The apartment is under major renovation. You don’t want her to get hurt, do you?”

  “Of course not.” So, problem not solved. “By the way, it would have been nice to have gotten a heads up that you’d leased out my beach house.”

  “And it would have been nice to know you were coming home,” she said, giving it straight back to him. “Since you haven’t been home in over a year I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

  Fair enough.

  “How are Claire and Cameron?” he asked. “I can’t wait to see them tonight. Or maybe I can swing by the house now?”

  “Claire’s working a summer job lifeguarding in Destin and Cameron is at soccer camp all day, so you’re going to have to wait. You won’t believe how big they both are.” Mimi’s eyes suddenly went moist. “Luke, it’s been a year since we’ve seen you. How can that be possible?”

  He thought the look on his mother’s face last night was bad enough, but now his little sister (pregnant, no less) was on the verge of crying. He wished he had a good answer for why he hadn’t been home in so long. He could tell her that he’d been working like a fiend, and it would be true, but if he’d really wanted to make a trip home, he could have squeezed it into his schedule. The truth was he’d chosen to spend his rare time off away from his family, not because he didn’t love them, but because… He
shook his head. He really had no clue why.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course. I should have come home sooner than this.”

  His sister swiped away a tear. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here now. That’s what counts. How long are you going to stay?”

  “A few weeks. Maybe even a month.”

  “What?” She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s awesome! Why didn’t you say so? Wait,” she said, suddenly realizing the predicament she’d put him in. “If you’re going to be here for that long then where’s Sarah going to stay?”

  “Exactly.”

  Mimi made a pained face. “Sorry, bro.”

  “Yeah, she thinks we can share the place.”

  Mimi brightened. “I think that’s a great idea! You have two bedrooms. And Sarah is always at The Bistro so it’s not like she’d be in your way.” Her desk phone rang, but she ignored it. “A few weeks, huh? Is everything okay with your business? And what’s going on with Victoria? Are the two of you back together again? Because Mom would throw a parade if you are.”

  “The business is fine. And, yeah, Victoria is…well, I need to talk to you about her.”

  “Oh? That sounds…interesting.”

  Before he could respond, the receptionist stuck her head in the door. “Mimi? There’s a call from Jenna Pantini. She says it’s urgent.”

  “Drats.” Mimi gave him a questioning look.

  “Go ahead and take it. I’ll wait.”

  “Thanks.” Mimi picked up the phone. “Jenna! I’m so glad you called. What? Oh my God. No, I hadn’t heard yet. Can you hold on a sec?” She covered the receiver. “Luke, I’m sorry, but this is the new city manager and I really need to take this call. Something really important has come up that’s going to take my full attention. I’ll see you later at dinner. Zeke and the kids can’t wait to see you!” She blew him a kiss and returned to her call.

  He reluctantly waved goodbye to his sister who wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. So much for filling Mimi in on Victoria’s big wedding news. He’d hoped to have his sister firmly in his corner when he told his mother. Now, Mimi was going to find out about the upcoming marriage along with the rest of his family. He had no choice. He needed to tell his mother this instant or tonight would be a complete disaster.

  He dialed the home phone number, but after a few rings, it went to the answering machine. His mother only used her cell for emergencies, but what the hell. This was kind of an emergency. To his relief, she actually picked up.

  “Luke? Is that you? Please don’t tell me you’re not coming to dinner tonight.”

  “Of course I’m coming to dinner tonight, but I was hoping to talk to you and dad first.”

  “Oh, my God! You’re engaged!” Then she lowered her voice, like she was somewhere she couldn’t talk freely. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”

  “Mom, I’m not engaged, but, yeah, my news has to do with Victoria.”

  There were a few seconds of silence. “All right. I think I know what your news is. Even when you were a little boy it took you forever to make a decision. So, go ahead, tell me.”

  “Not over the phone. Let’s meet for lunch. Where are you by the way?”

  “I’m in Mexico Beach.” Mexico Beach was a small town about an hour east of Whispering Bay.

  “What are you doing there?”

  “I have some sad news. My cousin Earl died last night. You remember old Earl, don’t you?”

  Of course he did. Everyone knew Earl Handy. He was the grandson of one of Whispering Bay’s founding fathers, and one of the richest men in the Florida panhandle. Luke’s mother was a Handy, but then so was a lot of the population of Whispering Bay. “Cousin” was a loose term that could be applied to almost half the town.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. He was an interesting old fellow.”

  “He was over ninety and suffering from dementia.” She sighed. “But it’s never easy to lose someone. I’m here with Nora, trying to help her with funeral arrangements.”

  If Luke remembered correctly, Nora was Earl’s only child and close to Mom’s age.

  “About dinner tonight—”

  “Your father and I will be here a few more hours, but don’t worry, dinner is still on. I can’t wait to hear what it is you want to tell me. I have to go. Nora needs me. I’ll see you tonight.” His mother hung up before he could say anything else.

  Chapter Seven

  Sarah smoothed down the fabric of her lavender linen shift. She’d washed and blow dried her hair, put on a dress, and even worn lipstick. After meeting Luke’s mother last night, she got the impression that Ann Powers was the formal type. Which also meant bringing flowers or wine to dinner, but instead of getting off work at the usual two pm, today’s larger-than-average crowd at The Bistro had necessitated her staying late and there hadn’t been time to run by the store, so she’d brought a loaf of banana bread leftover from this morning’s baking.

  “You didn’t have to bring anything,” Luke said, leading her up the tiled pathway to the two-story stucco home with large palm trees in front. He wore a long-sleeved dress shirt and crisply tailored slacks, making her glad she’d taken the time to put on the lipstick. “I’m sure my mom will have plenty of food,” he added.

  She was going to say that having plenty of food wasn’t the point of bringing the banana bread, but there was no use telling him anything. Not when he was being so…edgy. It’s not that she didn’t want to have supper with his family, but he’d come by The Bistro at noon and invited her in a way that had been hard to say no. It had been more of an order than a request and since she was still on eggshells wondering whether or not he’d honor her lease, it hadn’t seemed smart to turn down the invitation.

  Luke had something up his designer shirt sleeve, all right. She didn’t know what it was, but he was definitely acting strangely. But then, she barely knew him so maybe this was the way he always acted around family. It didn’t matter, she supposed. All she had to do was make some pleasant conversation, smile, and it would all be over within a couple of hours. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

  When they got to the front door, instead of opening it, he turned to her. “Stop fidgeting.”

  “I’m not—” She snapped her mouth shut. He was right. She was fidgeting. “Then stop making me nervous.”

  “How exactly am I doing that?”

  By acting so nervous yourself! Instead, she said, “What am I doing here? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the invitation and I never turn down free food, but it’s not like I’m a friend of the family.”

  “You’re Mimi’s friend. Plus, you’re my…”

  Tenant? Temporary roommate? Unwanted guest?

  “Exactly,” she said when he wasn’t able to finish his sentence. “My presence here is kind of odd. What did your mom say when you told her you’d invited me to supper?”

  He opened the door and ushered her inside. “We’re about to find out.”

  She whipped around to face him. “You mean you didn’t tell her!”

  He gave her a look that said Not now. She was about to walk right back out the door and all the way to the beach house when they were literally overtaken by Luke’s family.

  Mimi came rushing to greet her brother, followed by her husband, Zeke, and their kids, Claire and Cameron, whom Sarah had met briefly one day when they’d come into The Bistro.

  A tall man with thinning hair and kind eyes, who must be Luke’s father, enveloped his son in an unpretentious hug of affection. They all began talking at once. Sarah edged her way toward the door. Maybe she could sneak out when no one was looking.

  Before she could attempt a getaway, Luke grabbed her by the hand. “I brought Sarah,” he announced awkwardly.

  Mimi looked puzzled, but she quickly put on her game face. “Sarah! I’m so glad you could join us.”

  Luke introduced her to Alex Powers, who warmly shook her hand and seemed to accept her presence without question. Unlike Mimi, however,
Luke’s mother didn’t bother to try to hide her bewilderment. “Sarah, it’s…nice to see you again.”

  “Thank you for having me. I, um, brought some banana bread.”

  Luke’s mother took the loaf with a well-practiced smile. “How lovely. Please come in. We’re always happy to have company.” She seemed more like the woman Sarah had met in the grocery store, and nothing like the woman who’d almost had a meltdown on her son’s backyard patio.

  To the right of the foyer was a formal living room with the kind of furniture that looked as if it came straight from a decorator’s showroom. Family pictures graced the light blue walls and the smell of fresh-cut roses wafted from an elegant crystal vase sitting atop a baby grand piano.

  They automatically migrated toward the back of the house where a large, comfy family room connected to a kitchen and adjacent dining room. There were plates of appetizers arranged on the coffee table and soft jazz music played in the background. The whole thing was like something out of a movie set where the perfect upper-middle-class family gathered to enjoy an evening together.

  Alex poured her a glass of wine. Yes! Sarah took a sip and willed herself to relax. Everyone began bombarding Luke with questions, which, she noticed, he deftly turned around on them and soon they were discussing Claire’s upcoming move to North Carolina to attend Duke University.

  “I understand the whole family are Duke alumni,” Sarah said, trying to find something to contribute to the conversation.

  “Everyone except me.” Mimi sat on a leather couch next to her husband, who had his arm around her.

  “Mom didn’t go to Duke because she was pregnant with me,” Claire said in a no-nonsense way. She was a pretty girl, tall with dark hair and blue eyes. A very nice mix of both parents. “Otherwise, Mom would have gone, too. She’s really smart.” Ann Powers gave her granddaughter a meaningful look, which the girl promptly ignored. “She got her degree eventually, though, while working and taking care of me and my dad,” Claire said proudly.