The smell of frying latkes greeted her when she opened the front door. Claire appeared from the living room with her arms outstretched, pulling her into a hug. “Happy Hanukkah, Becca.”
She stayed stiff and aloof, not returning her stepmother’s affection. After all, she was a member of the party who’d fed information to Elaine. “Hi, Claire.”
Claire stepped back, a frown creating the slightest of wrinkles in her otherwise flawless Botoxed face. She looked to Jacob for an explanation, but he simply shrugged. The awkward tension continued to grow until she clasped her hands together and said politely, “Your father wishes to speak to you in his study.”
“Let’s get this over with so I can get home and start prepping my résumé.” She didn’t even bother taking her coat off before making her way to the room in the back of the house with the imposing polished walnut shelves housing rare first editions of classic works of literature mixed in with photographs of some of Shore Hotels’ more extravagant resorts. This would be a short visit.
The door was open, and her father sat behind his desk, reading something on his computer. He didn’t even look up until she cleared her throat. “Rebecca, close the door and have a seat.”
“No, Daddy, let’s keep this short, shall we? Congratulations. You not only managed to cost me my job—which you got me in the first place—but you also cost me a relationship with a great guy. So I hope you’re happy.”
She turned to leave, but the stern tone of her father’s voice stopped her. “I said close the door and have a seat.”
She shut the door and plopped down in the leather armchair he was pointing to, unbuttoning her coat in the process. “Whatever you have to say—”
“I will say it, and you will keep your mouth shut until I’m finished.” He came around his desk and sat down in the matching armchair on the other side of the small round end table. “I had another interesting luncheon with Elaine on Friday.”
“Where you probably told her everything else you could about Ethan so she could publish her exposé.”
“I said, let me finish.” He crossed his arms and squinted one eye as he studied her. “She said she’d given you that assignment, and you’d refused to do it. Why?”
“Because he was my boyfriend. We’d both worked so hard to keep our relationship out of the media spotlight. And more important, it was wrong. It was a violation of trust. But thanks to you and Elaine, he thinks I did it anyway.”
“I never thought she’d take what I told her over lunch to such extremes.” Her father looked down and away, sliding one hand down his cheek to his chin. “So I assume that the feature in Moderne caused some tension between you two.”
“He dumped me in Barbados, just like you wanted.”
“I never said I wanted that.” His voice stayed calm and steady, but anger flashed in his eyes.
“No, you didn’t, but based on the way you treated him at Thanksgiving, you don’t like him either. I bet you’ll do a little happy dance after I leave.”
“Rebecca.” He said her name as a warning and shifted in his chair. “Elaine, however, did forward me a copy of the article you turned in.”
She braced for the lecture on how her story of addiction and recovery would be a smear on the Shore family name, but her father remained quiet and pensive as though he was choosing his next words carefully.
“It was a very powerful piece.”
All the air fled her lungs. He was actually giving her praise. “Did I hear you correctly?”
He gave her one slow nod. “It got me thinking about what you said in my office last week about wanting to bring about change and raise awareness. At first, I thought you were suffering from some kind of delusion, but once I read that story….”
His mouth started twitching, and he pressed his finger against his lips to still them. “You are actually a very gifted writer, Rebecca.”
Her head swam. That was the second time he’d said something positive about her in the last five minutes. Any more praise, and the world might start spinning in the opposite direction. “Um, thank you.”
“It made me realize how far you’ve come and that maybe I should give you another chance. Furthermore, once I read that article, I told Elaine your talents were being wasted at a trashy magazine like hers and were better suited for more serious publications.”
She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the shocked expression Elaine must have worn when he said that.
“And the funny thing is, she agreed with me.” Her father leaned forward, scooting his chair toward her. “She mentioned some of the topics you’d brought up at the staff meetings. It seems you have quite the drive for social justice and awareness.”
“I want to be something more than just some spoiled little rich girl.”
“And I’m beginning to see that you are.” He sat back on the chair and drummed his fingers on the armrests. “It seems you aren’t the only member of the family who wanted to make the world a better place. Before your grandfather died, he set up the Shore Foundation as a charitable trust. I’ve been too busy running the business to pay much attention to it, and I’m afraid the foundation has fallen to the wayside. Perhaps it’s time I placed someone in charge of it who could put it to good use.”
He paused and stared directly at her.
Her heart fluttered as the implications of his offer sank in. “You want me to take over the foundation?”
He gave another single, slow nod. “You seem to have the drive for it, and if you can continue to write passionate, persuasive articles like the one you turned into Elaine, I have a feeling you might just make the world a better place.”
“And you don’t think I’ll screw it up or pilfer funds to buy drugs?”
This time, he shook his head. “No, I think you’ve shown you can be trusted.”
Her hands trembled, and her voice shook as she said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Understandable. Of course, I haven’t disclosed the complete terms of this position. You will receive a small stipend for compensation, as well as any necessary travel expenses to set up projects you deem important. It will come with the standard Shore Hotels corporate benefits, and—”
She silenced him by throwing her arms around him in a hug. “I accept the job, Daddy.”
He balked at first, then very slowly wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. “I’m very proud of you.”
Her throat choked up, and despite her best efforts to stop them, a few renegade tears slipped out. Her whole life, she’d felt like she’d always be a disappointment to her father. She never dreamed she’d hear him say he was proud of her. She pulled back and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I bet you’ve never had an employee break down in tears over being offered a job.”
“True, but then, I’ve never hired my daughter before, either. I know I’ve been hard on you in the past, but I truly believe the foundation will be in good hands now.” He patted her on the arm and gave her an apologetic smile. “Why don’t we join Claire and Jacob for some latkes?”
“Sounds fabulous.” She slipped off her coat and hung it up by the door before joining her family in the dining room.
The sun had set well over an hour ago, but the two candles in the Hanukkah menorah still cheerfully burned in the window overlooking Central Park. As soon as she sat down at the table, Mrs. Cordero appeared from the kitchen and set a plate of steaming hot latkes in front of her. Jacob passed her the sour cream and applesauce, and she shared her good news with the rest of the family.
But despite the excitement of celebrating the holiday with her family, part of her still mourned the end of her relationship with Ethan. Claire seemed to pick up on it first and asked about him.
“He didn’t believe me when I told him I hadn’t leaked the details of his personal life to Elaine,” Becca replied with a shrug, even though his accusations still stung. “If he doesn’t trust me, then what hope do we have for a solid relationship?”
> Her father and Claire held hands and looked at each other before her stepmother said, “We’re the ones who told Elaine about him, and if there’s anything we can do to help make amends—”
“Don’t bother.” The flavorful latkes turned to dry mush in her mouth, and she pushed her plate away. “What’s done is done.”
“Then I guess your feelings for him must have been lukewarm at best,” her father replied, “if you’re not willing to fight to get him back.”
She curled her fingers into her palms, her heart still aching for him. “What do you suggest I do, Daddy? He didn’t believe me. He thought the worst of me when it mattered the most, and….” She drew in a deep breath to regain her composure. “I won’t grovel and ask for forgiveness when I did nothing wrong.”
“Then maybe you should give your side of the story.”
“I’m not going to the news station and airing my dirty laundry for the entire world, Daddy. I’ve caused enough scandal as it is.”
“Understandable. The question is,” her father continued, “do you want us to interfere in your personal life?”
She chewed her bottom lip and considered his offer. The last three years, she’d done everything she could to break off ties to her family and be independent, but this might be the one time when she gracefully accepted their assistance. “What’s your plan?”
Her father gave her a shrewd smile. “Wait and see. In the meantime, you need your own platform for the stories you want to tell.” Her father turned to Jacob. “Maybe you can help your sister create one of those blog things to get her message across for the Shore Foundation.”
“I’d love to,” her brother said with a grin.
Chapter Eighteen
Ethan shivered at the end of Pier 84 and stared into the choppy waters of the Hudson. A storm was rolling in, and the usually busy park was deserted. During the ten minutes he’d been there, he hadn’t stumbled across a single soul. The last time he’d come here, Becca had saved him from falling back to his former muse. But since he’d left her in Barbados a week ago, he’d felt more lost than ever. The music had dried up, and his dreams at night were haunted by the hurt on her face when he’d walked out on her. And he didn’t want to think about the desire to fall back on his old addictions.
He’d picked up an issue of the magazine and found the details on the story it contained to be superficial at best. Definitely not the tell-all it promised to be, which made him wonder if Becca wasn’t the leak after all. There were enough photos of them together, but they all dated back to Thanksgiving. Nothing before then.
Then he’d heard the news that she’d been appointed to head up the Shore Foundation and read the first two articles she’d posted on the foundation’s blog. The first one was about reshaping the foundation’s direction, and the second one was a gritty, unapologetic piece about addiction and how it defied stereotypes. In footnotes, she mentioned that the article had originally been submitted to Moderne magazine, but it was rejected because it was deemed unsuitable for the magazine’s readership.
But it spoke to him and filled in the missing pieces of the puzzle. It was the article she’d turned in to take the place of the tell-all her editor wanted.
He pulled out his phone and found her number. Seconds ticked by as he stared at it, but he couldn’t bring himself to call her. His stomach churned like the river in front of him, and a different sort of craving filled him—one for her.
He called Adam instead. “Talk me off a ledge.”
“Why?” Worry laced his older brother’s voice. “Are you thinking of using again?”
“No. I’m thinking about calling her.”
“Becca Shore?”
“No, Marilyn Monroe. Of course I’m talking about Becca.”
“Why?”
He shuffled his feet and kicked the railing. “I miss her.”
“Even after the article?”
“Yeah.” He paused and added, “The funny thing is, I don’t think she was the one who sold me out. I mean, the things in that article could’ve come from anyone at the Thanksgiving table. She has a lot more dirt on me than that.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I think I made a huge mistake.”
He waited for Adam to tear into him like he did last week, but instead, his brother said, “I had a nice long conversation with her father today about a business proposition, and when the conversation turned to her, some very interesting information turned up and made me realize that maybe I misjudged her, too.”
“Whoa! Did I just hear you admit that you were wrong? Mr. ‘I Know It All and Never Make A Bad Decision’?”
Adam chuckled. “Yeah, being married has taught me some humility.”
“Any chance you could pass some of those lessons on to me?”
“Are you saying you want her back?”
“More than anything. She steadies me. She inspires me. She keeps me going when I feel like I can’t. She’s my muse, and without her, I feel like there’s a part of me missing.” Ethan held his breath and rubbed at the hollow feeling that lingered in the center of his chest. “I still love her.”
“Then maybe you should turn around and tell me that,” a woman said behind him.
He turned around to find Becca standing a few feet away. “I’ll call you back later,” he murmured before hanging up on Adam. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.” She stayed where she was, her hands in the pockets of her jacket. The wind whipped her dark hair around her face. “I was just outside your place, actually, when you rode off. Thankfully, the cab driver was willing to follow you.”
Hope flared within him. Maybe she’d been missing him as much as he missed her. “Why were you coming to my place?”
She looked down at the ground. “It’s Monday, and I was just coming over to make sure you’d be at the NA meeting tonight. I’m still here for you, Ethan. At least, until you decide on an official sponsor.”
“How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough.” He expected her to close the gap between them, but she remained as still as a statue.
The message was loud and clear. She wanted him to take the first step.
His tongue felt twice its normal size as he stumbled over the words he knew she needed to hear. “I’m sorry, Becca. I shouldn’t have accused you of selling me out.”
“But you did.”
“And I was an idiot to think that of you.” He took that first step, waiting to see if she’d bolt before taking another. “I should’ve listened to my heart. I should’ve believed in you.”
Her face remained unreadable as he closed the gap between them and cupped her icy, windblown cheeks in his hands, lifted her chin up so he could see into her blue-green eyes. They glittered with tears, and her bottom lip trembled, but still, she said nothing.
“Please, give me another chance, Bec.”
“If we don’t have trust…”
“I do trust you.” He covered her lips with his own in a pleading kiss that begged her to believe him. “You know my heart, my soul, better than anyone else, and there’s no one I would rather share my secrets with.” His voice broke as he added, “Without you, I’m lost.”
She pressed her forehead against his and released a heavy sigh. “Say it, Ethan. I need to hear you say it.”
“I love you, Becca.” He placed a kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. “You get me.”
She tucked her head under his chin and held on to him. “I love you, too.”
And in that moment, he’d found the one thing that filled the void inside him.
Chapter Nineteen
Nothing had prepared Becca for Christmas Eve with the Kelly family. Ethan had warned her that he had six brothers, but when they arrived at his mother’s home in Chicago, she was ambushed by a massive white dog that knocked her into one of the snow drifts lining the driveway and started licking her face.
“That means he likes you,” a silver-ha
ired woman shouted from the front door.
“No, Jasper’s just a menace.” Ethan shooed the dog away and helped her up, brushing the snow off her before leading her up the stairs. “Mom, this is Becca.”
His mother threw her arms around her in a hug. “So glad to finally meet you.”
The last of the jitters faded away. After all the hoopla last week, she’d expected his family to give her the cold shoulder, but as Ethan introduced her to each of his brothers, they all greeted her with the same warmth as their mother.
The crowded house was filled with boisterous conversations as each brother tried to talk over the others. The smells of fir trees and gingerbread permeated the rooms, so different from the scent of fried foods she was accustomed to at this time of the year. Before she knew what was happening, she’d been recruited to help out in the kitchen. Adam’s wife, Lia, assigned her to add the finishing touches to the mashed potatoes that would go with the massive prime rib she was carving.
By the time dinner was done, she’d felt like she was already part of the family. Ben and his wife teased for her being a Rangers fan while Frank heckled her for rooting for the Giants. She found out that Gideon’s next project would be a movie with Ari’s brother, and she warned him about Gabe’s habit of playing practical jokes on the set. She admired photos of the car Caleb and his wife, Alex, were restoring and sighed over the way Dan fawned over his pregnant girlfriend, Jenny.
The family retreated to the living room after dinner, but Ethan pulled her aside and pointed to the branch of mistletoe hanging above them.
“I don’t think that’s a Hanukkah tradition,” she teased.
“Humor me.” He tilted her face up and kissed her until she was breathless.
“Get a room, you two,” Frank teased, bumping into Ethan as he passed them.
A Seductive Melody (The Kelly Brothers Book 5) Page 17
