by Debbie Mason
Since Liam was one of the grandchildren she was obviously referring to, he ignored her. He’d heard it before. The Widow’s Club had the same mission statement as GG and Kitty. Maggie went back to looking at the paper. “This child is absolutely beautiful. I wonder if her mother would let me paint her? How are they, by the way?”
She handed Liam the paper. He doubted Sophie would be any happier than he was by the coverage. They’d featured a photo of him carrying Mia out of the manor and one with Sophie in his arms. The angle of the shot clearly captured her meltdown. He could still see her standing there in the glow of the emergency lights with tears streaming down her beautiful face.
He hadn’t gotten a good look at her in the smoke-filled manor. It hadn’t been the time to take in the changes to the woman he once thought he was in love with. She was still as pretty as he remembered, but what surprised him was how worn out and fragile she looked. Hard to tell with the oversized sweatshirt she had on, but from the feel of her pressed against him, she was less curvy than he remembered. And those golden brown eyes of hers practically swallowed her pale face.
“Liam?” Maggie prompted.
“Huh?” Oh, right, she’d asked him how they were doing. “Good, I think. Mia didn’t suffer any ill effects from the smoke.” But after Marco had called Liam with an update last night and filled him in about the fire in LA, he imagined it brought back too many memories for sleep to come easily. Especially for Sophie. Now that he thought about it, the changes in her weren’t a surprise. She had to have been as traumatized as Mia.
Though he sympathized with her now, when Marco first told him Mia had been alone at the time of the fire…Yeah, he hadn’t been so sympathetic then. All he could see were those big, blue eyes in that adorable, little face looking at him like he was her hero. She’d made him want to slay dragons for her. He’d had to remind himself that Sophie wasn’t the bad guy. She was a single mother trying to do her best for her little girl. It wasn’t her fault the sitter had been a no-show. Still, he couldn’t ignore the nagging voice in his head that wondered why she hadn’t phoned and checked on the babysitter and Mia. He was being unfair; he knew that. It went with the job, he supposed.
“Son, you’re zoning out. Did you get any sleep at all last night?”
Liam tossed the newspaper on the coffee table. “I’m not zoning out. Just thinking about Mia. The kid’s been through a lot.”
“So has Sophie. I was concerned about her, but a couple minutes in your arms and she calmed right down,” his father said with a grin.
He should have known his dad would find a way to get back at him for his earlier jab.
“Am I missing something?” Maggie asked as she picked up the paper to study the photo.
“No, it’s just Dad being—”
“Liam used to have a—”
“You know what? I’m outta here. Should have been on the road an hour ago.” Liam headed for the stairs before his father put him in the crosshairs of Maggie and the matchmaking Widow’s Club.
“On the road to where?” his father asked.
He stopped and turned. “Boston.” At the concern tightening his father’s face, Liam sighed. “Dad, I talked to Captain Harris last night and told him I needed another week or so to work through things. I can do that there. It’ll be good for me to hang out at the station.” He wasn’t exactly sure that was true. No doubt he’d be hit with a barrage of memories as soon as he walked through the doors. Memories of that night… and Billy.
Liam caught the silent exchange between his father and Maggie before she said, “I should probably get going.” She leaned toward his father then glanced at Liam and stood up. Tossing one end of her brightly colored shawl over her shoulder, she headed for the door. Miller whined, and she went over and gave him a quick rubdown, her long, pumpkin-orange, fringed skirt making a puddle on the floor. “I’ll see you later, my beautiful boy.” She looked at Liam as she came to her feet. “I know it’s not my place, but as someone who’s grown very fond of you, I hope you’ll listen to your dad. Call me later, Colin.”
“Bye, Maggie,” his father said, his eyes coming back to Liam once she’d closed the door.
“What’s she talking about? Or do I even want to know?”
“I talked to Harris this morning, and we—”
“Come again?”
“Just hear me out. I suggested to Harris that you work for me for a couple weeks. He thought it was a good idea, and so do I.” He raised his hand when Liam opened his mouth to argue. “Think about it. We’re a smaller station. It’s not like you’re going to be dealing with four-alarm fires like you would be with BFD. Marco, Fergus, and I will have your back. The three of us know what you’ve been dealing with. We’ll help you work through it. You have a good crew at Thirty-Nine, son, but it’s not the same.”
There was some truth to what his father said. Liam got along well with everyone at Ladder Company 39, but he wasn’t overly close to anyone. He’d go out with them for a beer, catch a football or hockey game, but other than that, he kept everyone at arm’s length. They’d have his back, but if he had a flashback like he did last night, they wouldn’t trust him to have theirs. And they’d be right.
As though his father sensed he’d made his point, he continued. “Besides that, I need an extra set of eyes at Greystone. Something’s going on at the manor.”
“Do you mean with Grams and GG?” It wouldn’t be a surprise if there was. Kitty and Colleen had never really gotten along. Things had gotten worse since his grandfather was no longer there to play peacemaker.
“Not sure. Both Kitty and Jasper swear they had nothing to do with the fog machines being turned on, and GG says the same thing. But her memory isn’t what it used to be, and none of the staff has admitted to turning them on.” His father pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, his tell that he was tired or had a stress headache coming on.
His dad didn’t need the constant hassle of running interference at Greystone. He had enough on his plate at the station. And with me, Liam thought guiltily. He hadn’t made it easy on his father these past few weeks. Granted, the chief constantly worrying and checking on him had worn thin. But it came from a good place, even if he seemed to forget Liam was an adult now. “GG should accept the offer from the developer and sell out.”
His father let his hand fall to his side. “I don’t understand you boys. Greystone and the estate have been in our family for more than seven generations. She’s protecting our heritage, your heritage. Your grandfather would roll over in his grave if he heard you talk like that.”
“Come on, Dad. They’re too old to take care of a place that size. And the money—”
“Talk like that in front of GG and she’ll take her cane to you. You kids have no respect for history. It’s not all about money, you know.”
His great-grandmother and grandfather had lived in the past and celebrated it every chance they got. Ronan Gallagher had been a renowned historian. He’d been writing a book about Greystone and the family before he died—all the stories he’d told them as kids. Ronan had loved the estate almost as much as he’d loved Kitty and his family. GG was the same. Supposedly she’d begun writing a book about Harmony Harbor when she turned a hundred. She was pretty secretive about it, so no one knew if it was true or not. But as far as the money…
“Maybe you should tell that to Uncle Sean. He’d sell out in a heartbeat,” Liam said, referring to his father’s older brother.
“Only because of his social-climbing wife.”
“Don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel about Aunt Maura.”
His father snorted a laugh. “You always were a wiseass.”
“Yeah, about that. Sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean to embarrass Maggie.” Now it looked like he’d succeeded in embarrassing his father again. “It’s been seven years, Dad. Mom would want you to move on with your life. She’d want you to be happy,” he said, forcing the emotion from his voice. It was something he’
d heard his mother say after losing a close friend. Still didn’t make it any easier to say to his dad. But he needed to hear it. “So do we; Maggie’s great.”
His father ran his finger under his collar. “She is. She’s a very nice woman. But it’s not like that…We’re not…”
“Okay, good to know. I didn’t want to cramp your style, so I thought, if I’m sticking around for another week, I’d move into the manor. But if you and Maggie aren’t—”
“That might not be a bad idea.” His father’s eyes narrowed when Liam grinned. “Not for me, for your grandmother and GG. If you’re there, you can keep a closer eye on them and the staff. I’ll give you a day or two before I put you on rotation.”
“I’m sure I’ll be able to keep myself occupied. GG probably has a to-do list a mile long. I’ll check out the generator and electrical while I’m at it.”
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty to keep you busy, son. But it may not be GG giving you the orders. She’s planning on offering Sophie DiRossi the manager’s job.”
As Sophie got out of the car, she tugged on the hem of the black skirt her grandmother had lent her, praying the safety pin holding it up didn’t pop open. There hadn’t been much they could do to improve the fit of the white polyester blouse with the bow at its neck or the clunky black shoes she wore. As Rosa had informed Sophie when she’d asked if she had another pair, beggars couldn’t afford to be choosers. Like she needed the reminder. Sophie hoped her meeting with Colleen went better than being dressed for it by her grandmother.
A cool ocean breeze sent bright yellow and red leaves tumbling across Greystone’s parking lot. Rosa’s black, all-weather coat snapped and flapped against Sophie’s ankles as she opened the back car door. The wind carried with it the smell of brine and the familiar sounds of seagulls and the waves crashing against the rocks of Kismet Cove.
Sophie’s hair whipped across her face as she leaned in to fight with the buckle of Mia’s recently cleaned booster seat and stuck to the red lipstick her grandmother had insisted she wear to compensate for the dark shadows under her eyes. Apparently she looked like death warmed over. Between her outfit and her grandmother’s assessment of her looks, Sophie wasn’t feeling exactly confident about her upcoming interview. And then there was the matter of Mia.
Nothing Sophie or her grandmother did or said could convince Mia to stay with Rosa. Maybe she’d picked up on Sophie’s own anxiety. These days, she wasn’t comfortable leaving her daughter with anyone, despite the risks of having Mia around the Gallagher matriarch. She probably should be including any Gallagher, but she had a feeling Colleen was the most dangerous of them all. Sophie was hoping, if Colleen offered her the job, she’d allow Mia to come to work with her. At least for a week or two until they got settled.
Removing the strands of hair from her lips, Sophie smiled at her daughter as she helped her out of the car. “You’re not nervous about coming back here, are you?” Mia managed to project her disdain for the question with her silent stare. “So you’re good?” That got her a nod. Great. Sophie closed the door. “No running off this time, Mia. You have to stay with Mommy. This interview is really important.” Her chest constricted as she thought about how important it was.
She took Mia’s hand in hers, tightening her grip when her daughter tried to pull away. Sophie ignored Mia’s peeved expression and walked across the parking lot to the flagstone path. When they rounded the side of the manor, they were met by a dark-haired woman smoking a cigarette. She wore a black, lace-up vest over a scooped white blouse and an emerald-green flounced skirt that reached her knees. Sophie smiled at the woman at the same time wondering what Irish holiday fell in November.
“Sophie.” The woman smiled, dropped her cigarette, and ground it into the garden soil with the heel of her shoe. Sophie couldn’t help but notice that they were as ugly as hers. When the woman moved closer, she had a sudden flash of recognition. It was her cousin. Her second cousin, really. But she looked nothing like the woman Sophie remembered. The saying “a shadow of her former self” rang true for Ava DiRossi.
“Ava.” Sophie covered her shock with a wide smile and gave her cousin a warm hug. As a young girl, Sophie had idolized Ava. With her mass of long, ebony-black curls, exquisite bone structure, and gorgeous green eyes, her cousin had been the most beautiful girl in Harmony Harbor. But it wasn’t just her looks; Ava had been full of life—passionate, sexy, smart, with a heart as big as her personality.
Her cousin pulled back and smiled. “It’s been so long. You’re all grown up now. Auntie Rosa called this morning to say you were in town. I was hoping I’d get to see you. This must be your daughter.”
Sophie nodded, hoping her grandmother had also told Ava that Mia didn’t speak. “Mia, this is your cousin Ava. Can you shake her hand?”
Ava smiled at Mia and crouched beside her. “Maybe a hug instead?” her cousin asked with a touch of the old Ava in her voice and smile.
As her daughter stepped into her cousin’s arms, Sophie wondered what had happened to the girl she remembered. The girl who’d loved and married Griffin Gallagher at eighteen. Sophie was ten years younger than her cousin and didn’t really know all the details about what had happened back then. Griffin had been in the military, training to become a Navy SEAL, and Ava had gone to Northeastern to become a nurse practitioner. Even though they were separated by distance, they’d seemed happy. Then Ava had divorced him and quit school. No one seemed to know why.
Ava held Mia close, stroking her hair with a faraway look in her eyes. Then she blinked and forced a smile for Sophie as she released Mia and stood. Since Sophie was a pro at the fake smile and hiding her feelings, she could recognize when someone else was doing the same. She wondered what her cousin was hiding.
“So what are you two doing at Greystone? Have you come for tea?”
“A job. I have an interview with Mrs. Gallagher. Is there something special going on today?” she asked, thinking that would explain the costume her cousin wore.
Ava frowned then followed the direction of Sophie’s gaze and sighed. “No, the costumes were Kitty’s idea. She was going for the full Irish experience—music, food, and dress. We’re lucky she didn’t dress us as leprechauns. You should see your grandmother when I walk by the shop after work.” Ava did an impression of Rosa’s “What’s the matter with you?” complete with hand gestures.
Mia was watching Ava with a tiny smile on her face. Her cousin winked. “Your nonna is crazy, but a good crazy.” Her expression grew serious when she glanced at Sophie and lowered her voice. “Do Jasper and Kitty know about the interview?”
“I’m not sure. Why?” Sophie asked as they continued down the path to the manor’s entrance.
Ava lifted her skirt and arched an eyebrow. “The full Irish experience is part of Kitty’s plan to prove to Colleen she’s ready to take over Greystone. Let’s face it. Colleen’s a hundred and four. It’s not like she’ll live forever. And Jasper, he’s devoted to Kitty. If Colleen does offer you a job, and you take it, he won’t make it easy for you, Sophie.”
That wasn’t exactly a surprise. Sophie remembered Jasper from when she’d worked at Greystone. But she hadn’t realized she’d be stepping on Kitty’s toes. Sophie glanced at Mia and thought about the social worker’s phone call. “I’m not as easy to intimidate as I was at seventeen. If Colleen offers me the manager’s position, he’ll be working for me.”
“Speak of the devil,” Ava murmured as she pushed open the manor’s heavy oak door. “It’s too bad Auntie Rosa and I didn’t know your plans nine days ago. We could have started a novena for you.”
The tall, silver-haired man looked down his long, narrow nose at her cousin. “You’re five minutes over your allotted time for break. It will be coming out of your paycheck.” He sniffed. “And you smell of smoke. I suggest you quit that filthy habit.”
There was a part of Sophie that agreed with him. At least when it came to her cousin smoking. The man was beyond rude, though. She
half expected Ava to call him out on his behavior; that was something the old Ava would have done. Instead, her cousin meekly nodded, briefly touching Sophie’s arm before walking away with her head down, her once long and lustrous hair pulled back in a lank ponytail. Sophie couldn’t help but wonder if working at Greystone had anything to do with the changes in her cousin.
“You’re late. Madame is waiting for you in the study.”
Angry at the thought that this man might have had something to do with breaking her cousin’s spirit, Sophie met his pale-blue eyes, held them, and said in a tone as clipped as his, “Mrs. Gallagher’s aware I’d be late. Come on, Mia.”
She took her daughter’s hand and glanced at the lobby. Last night, the lighting had been soft and subdued, and she’d been too nervous and tired to really take in the changes to Greystone. It was still as grandly beautiful as she remembered with its soaring ceilings, majestic stone fireplace, and elegant staircase, but there were small signs that time had taken its toll. Notably, there wasn’t a guest in sight.
If she got the job, Sophie would have her work cut out for her. The first to go would be the new uniforms, though she’d noticed Jasper wore the same dark suit he always did. Maybe she’d dress him as a leprechaun. But she forgot all about Jasper when she and Mia reached the study down the hall from the entryway.
A rush of nerves caused Sophie’s heart to pound. Eight years earlier, she’d stood outside this very door. Only it hadn’t been completely closed like it was now. Through the small gap, she’d seen Michael and his mother, Maura Gallagher.
Sophie hadn’t heard from him since the night they’d made love at Kismet Cove. He’d told her he loved her, and she’d told him she loved him too. So she hadn’t understood what was going on. Until she’d overheard Maura and Michael’s conversation in the study.
“I don’t know what GG told you, but you’re getting worked up for no reason, Mother. It was nothing. Just a summer fling. It’s over.”
“I’m relieved to hear that, but really, Michael, you could have made a better choice for a summer companion. It’s such a cliché. The wealthy grandson and the maid. If that’s not bad enough, the girl is a DiRossi.”
