Almost a Bravo

by Christine Rimmer

  “Yeah, he got kind of grouchy when he got old. But while I was growing up, he worked hard. He taught me everything he knew and treated me like I was the greatest thing going.”

  It eased her bitterness with Martin at least a little, that he’d been good to Jaxon. It was something to focus on when she found herself wishing that he was still alive so she could call him bad names right to his face and maybe strangle him for good measure.

  Jax stared out over the land below, his expression far away. “I don’t specifically remember what it was like before my mom died. Martin told me later that she’d been disinherited by my grandparents for dropping out of school and hanging with the wrong crowd. I remember she had boyfriends and most of them scared me. I don’t think she had a clue of how to take care of a kid. And then she got shot in a convenience store robbery.”

  “Oh, no. She robbed a store?”

  He let out a humorless laugh. “No. It was just a freak thing, she was a customer who got hit by a ricocheted bullet.”

  “I probably shouldn’t ask, but were you there?”

  “Uh-uh. It was the middle of the night. She’d left me at the motel across the street, sound asleep.”

  Aislinn scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder then. She just couldn’t stop herself.

  He said, “The hotel maid found me the next morning. Child services came to get me. They contacted Aunt Claudia, and she and Martin brought me to Wild River. Here, with them, I had a real life, you know? I got counseling and people I trusted took care of me. I was safe. I knew I’d come home.”

  Aislinn felt that ache at the back of her throat and behind her eyes—for him, for a little boy who’d lost his mom, but found a home.

  In all likelihood, they had that in common, didn’t they? Jax had lost his real mother and she’d been taken from hers. He’d found a true home with Martin and Claudia. She’d gotten lucky with Marie and George Bravo, with every one of her Bravo siblings. She sent a little prayer to heaven that Madison Delaney, America’s darling, felt the same way about how things had turned out for her.

  And thinking of Madison had her wondering about Paula, whom she was slowly coming to accept as her biological mother. According to Martin’s last letter and the PI’s report, Paula Delaney had died not long after that summer Aislinn had worked here at Wild River.

  She would never get a chance to know her birth mother. Loss hollowed her out at the thought.

  “Look at me,” he said gently and tipped up her chin. “You’re a softhearted woman, Aislinn Winter.”

  She sniffed to keep the pointless tears from getting the best of her. “I’m feeling a little sentimental, yeah, partly just thinking that I’m never going to meet Paula Delaney. And also because I’m glad you felt loved and safe with Martin and your aunt.”

  He took her hand again and rubbed the back of it with his thumb, an idle, somehow possessive caress that she liked way too much. “Life just seemed full of possibilities with Martin around.”

  Okay. That was too much. She couldn’t let him get carried away saying good things about the man who’d switched two newborn babies, stealing them from their rightful parents, and then simply walked away from his crime, never confessing what he’d done until he was beyond the reach of any retribution. “Come on, now. The guy messed with everyone’s lives. And he cheated on your aunt.”

  “She was always sick.”

  “That’s no excuse, Jax. You know what the vows say, In sickness and in health.”

  He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to it. She made absolutely no effort to keep that from happening—on the contrary, she melted a little at the touch of his mouth, the warmth of his breath on her skin, the slight scratch of his beard scruff that made her want to feel that soft mouth and that rough beard up close.

  “Mostly, Aunt Claudia was devoted to Martin,” he said. “But sometimes she would turn on him, treat him like the hired help. I know that doesn’t make any of the wrong things he did right. But she hurt him, that’s all I’m saying.”

  “Still. There’s no excuse for cheating.”

  “You’re right.” And with that, he let it go. For several long, lovely minutes, they just sat there in the late-afternoon sun, holding hands and gazing down at the green, rolling country below.

  * * *

  Sunday, Aislinn clipped Luna and Bunbun—their thick coats and their toenails, too.

  She wore an apron to keep the wool from getting all over her and she did the job with the rabbits in her lap, careful not to yank or pull. German angoras had loose skin and pulling at it caused them pain. She bagged the wool for an artist friend who made gorgeous angora hats and gloves and strange, soft tapestries, too. As she was finishing up, with Bunbun on his back while she clipped his belly, she caught movement in the corner of her eye.

  Burt. He was standing on the grass a few feet from the porch screen. Really, he was like a bad little boy. Always popping up out of nowhere to torment her and her pets.

  “Why’d you cut all the hair off ’em?”

  It was a civil question for once and she gave him a real answer. “They’re bred for wool production. They need clipping every ninety days or they get matted and when they try to clean themselves, they get wool block.”

  “Constipated, you mean?”

  “That’s right. Wool block can kill them.”

  He was staring at Luna as she nibbled hay. “They look downright pitiful like that.” He almost sounded as though he cared.

  She set Bunbun on the porch floor. He did look shrunken and scrawny without his enormous cloud of fur. His long, tufted ears suddenly seemed absurdly oversize. But Bunbun wasn’t bothered. He hopped away to join Luna, perfectly content.

  “Their wool is hot,” she explained. “In the summer especially, they love a good clipping.”

  “What do you do with the fur?”

  “I sell it to a friend who spins the wool into yarn.”

  He frowned through the screen at her and she waited for the insult she knew was coming.

  But for once, he surprised her, clicking his tongue for Ace, and heading off toward the stables without another word. Could this be the beginning of a truce with the crabby ranch foreman?

  She decided not to hold her breath on that.

  * * *

  Monday, she woke up feeling edgy. Daniel and Keely were due home that afternoon.

  Aislinn wasn’t on the schedule at Sand & Sea that day. She spent the morning in her workshop making wax jewelry molds. An idea for a whole series of pieces had come to her and she felt energized about her work lately, almost driven.

  Maybe it was the ranch. Beautiful. Quiet. A good place for her to concentrate on her work.

  Or maybe it was the hit her heart had taken, to learn she wasn’t exactly who she’d always thought she was. It seemed to have focused her somehow. Life didn’t last forever and at some point a woman had to stop wandering through the days, trying this job and that one, like changing outfits in a dressing room. Eventually, a woman needed to get in there and make her dreams happen.

  Her phone rang at a little after three in the afternoon. She set down the wax ring mold she was smoothing with sandpaper and answered. “Welcome home.”

  Keely didn’t waste words. “We got back a couple of hours ago. Gracie’s been acting oddly.” The youngest Bravo sister still lived in the Bravo house with Daniel, Keely and the twins. “She just left for the Sea Breeze.” Grace worked behind the bar there most nights. “Before she left, she said I should call you and ask what’s going on.”

  Aislinn teared up out of nowhere. She blinked to clear the moisture away. “I’m so glad you’re home. We need to talk. Alone.”

  * * *

  They settled on lunch the next day at Fisherman’s Korner.

  Aislinn got there first and ordered them the usual. When Keely walked in, lookin
g gorgeous and tanned, her reddish-brown hair loose on her shoulders, her green eyes shining, Aislinn jumped from the booth and ran to her.

  “Was it fabulous?” she whispered, as they blocked the entrance with a reunion hug.

  “More than fabulous. I love him so much, Ais.”

  Aislinn squeezed her tighter. “You and Daniel. Completely in love. I get all teary-eyed over it.” She pulled back and patted Keely’s barely rounded tummy. “How’s the baby?”

  “No complaints. I’m feeling good and it’ll be a while until I’m big as a boat.” Keely grabbed her hand. “Come on. Let’s clear the doorway.”

  They took their usual seats in the red pleather booth, leaning close to each other across the Formica table as Keely gave a quick recap of her honeymoon in paradise.

  The waitress came with their fish and chips and then left them alone.

  “All right,” Keely said. “What’s happening? Tell me everything.”

  Aislinn swore Keely to secrecy and told the whole story—from the series of incredible revelations at the reading of Martin’s will through her finding out that what Martin had claimed was most likely true, to how she’d married Jax a week ago Monday and was living at the ranch with him for the next three months.

  When she finally fell silent, Keely faked a glare. “You should have called me.”

  “Well, I didn’t. And if I had it to do over, I still wouldn’t bother you.”

  “You are never a bother.”

  “Keel. You and Daniel needed that trip. And if I’d called, I know you would have come right home for me.”

  “Of course I would have. Daniel would, too.”

  “So then. I did the right thing.”

  “No, you did not.”

  “Stop. Enough. It’s done. Can we please move on?”

  Keely faked a glare just to drive home her point. And then she gave that up and widened her eyes. “The Madison Delaney is family? Seriously?”

  “It certainly looks that way. Percy’s going to figure out the best way to reach out to her. We’ll see how that goes.”

  “And you married Jaxon Winter.”

  “Well, I couldn’t let him lose the ranch. He loves that place.”

  Keely bit the corner of her lip. Aislinn knew that look. Her best friend was barely containing a giant, knowing grin.

  Aislinn shook a finger at her. “Don’t you even think it. It’s not like that.”

  “Why not? You’re married and all I have to do is look in those big, brown eyes of yours to see that you’ve still got a thing for him.”

  “Right on the first point. As to the second, don’t. Just don’t.”

  “Honey.” Keely wiped the grease off her fingers and wiggled them at her. “Gimme. Come on.” They held hands across the table. “Whatever happens, however it goes, if you feel it for him, make the best of the time you have together. Don’t waste a minute. I mean, how long’s it been since you were even with someone?”

  “Too long.” Three years ago, she’d met a talented chain saw artist at the Valentine Bay Sunday Market. They’d become lovers for a little while. But she’d broken it off. He was a great guy. Just not the right great guy.

  “Think about it, about going for it with Jaxon.”

  “I will,” she promised. Sometimes it seemed it was all she thought about. And they needed to move on to the main point. “So, this is the deal...”

  Keely ate a french fry. “Tell me.”

  “Aside from Percy and Daffy, you’re the only one I’ve told that there’s a Bravo sister out there who’s got a family she doesn’t even know about. I was waiting for you and Daniel to come home before telling everyone else.”

  Keely caught on then. “We need a family meeting.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “Next weekend,” Keely said. “Sunday dinner. I’ll bully every one of them until they all agree to come.”

  “Perfect.”

  Keely frowned. “You look worried all of a sudden. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just, Martin’s will had this stipulation that Jax and I have to be married ‘in more than name only.’ You, Percy and Daffy are the only ones I’ve told the whole truth. They all came to the wedding—Percy, Daffy, Matt, Connor, Liam. Hailey and Harper and Gracie. Except for Daffy and Percy, they all believe it’s a real marriage, the kind that’s supposed to last a lifetime, even if it did happen out of the blue. Jax and I agreed not to make it public knowledge that we only got married so that he can keep Wild River. You can’t tell anybody about the three-month deadline.”

  Keely sat back in the booth, her expression suddenly grave. “What about Daniel?”

  Aislinn winced. “Oh, Keel. I’m sorry. Daniel most of all. He thinks he’s my dad—he really is my dad in a lot of ways. He’s a second dad to all of us. He’s going to be unhappy enough that I got married without a word to him.”

  “He’s my husband, Ais. I can’t keep big secrets from him.”

  Aislinn knew it was wrong to have asked her to. “I never should have told you about the three-month thing...”

  “Of course you should tell me,” Keely cried. “You have to be able to tell me everything. We’ve always had that, you and me.”

  “Not always. You suspected you were pregnant and you didn’t tell me.”

  Keely looked crushed. “That hurt you?”

  “Of course not. When you did tell me about the baby, I totally got why you hadn’t confided in me earlier. Daniel’s my brother—maybe not by blood, as it turns out, but you know what I mean.”

  “Wait a minute. He is your brother. He always will be. Nothing can change that.”

  “You think?” Aislinn asked in a small voice.

  “I know.”

  Aislinn felt weepy again, and that annoyed her no end. She needed to stop getting all emo about everything. “You’re right—and where were we?”

  “Ais—”

  “No. Really. Let me make my point. When you thought you might be pregnant, you didn’t feel it would be right to tell me before telling Daniel. I’m his sister and you didn’t want to put that on me. You considered all the sides of the issue and you kept that secret to yourself. You didn’t want to put me on the spot in any way. Today, I was just so grateful to finally have you to talk to, I didn’t think.” Keely’s shoulders had slumped. They stared at each other across the table. Aislinn drew a slow, steadying breath. “Okay. I can’t do this to you. I get that you have to tell him.”

  But Keely shook her head. “How ’bout this? I’ll keep it to myself for as long as I can. But it’s like he’s got radar for when I’m not telling him something. If he asks me right out what’s going on—”

  “I understand. You can’t lie to him.”

  “I don’t want to lie to him. I won’t lie to him.”

  “Agreed.”

  But Keely wasn’t finished. “And you’re going to have to at least tell him about the wedding right away. Think about it. Everybody else knows. Are you actually imagining you can keep him in the dark about your marriage until Sunday?”

  “Of course not. I will. I’ll tell him today.”

  “And just consider telling him all of it.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Keely.”

  “It will make such a difference to him. You know how he is. He still thinks he’s everyone’s dad. He has to know all the important stuff so he can do everything in his power to protect everyone.”

  “Yes. All right. I’ll consider it.” Her mind was doing the hamster-in-a-wheel thing. How to tell her big brother about the wedding and about the movie star who happened to be his long-lost sister without him wondering why Aislinn had suddenly decided to marry Martin Durand’s adopted son. Aislinn groaned. “This is all getting so convoluted.”

  “And that is not your fault. It’s a convoluted situation that crazy old Martin
Durand put you in.” Keely reached across the table and squeezed her shoulder in solidarity. “Just take it one step at a time. Come to the house at five thirty. Daniel should be home from the docks by then.” Daniel ran Valentine Logging. The family company had its offices at the Warrenton docks. “Grace will be gone, on her way to work. I’ll keep the twins entertained and you and Daniel can talk in his study.”

  * * *

  Aislinn and Keely both went to Sand & Sea after lunch. Aislinn relieved Amanda. As the owner, Keely had work to catch up on. She disappeared into the office in back for a couple of hours and left at three.

  At four thirty, Amanda returned, leaving Aislinn an hour before she had to be at the Bravo house. There was no point in driving out to Wild River, just to turn around and come back. She wandered Valentine Bay’s downtown historic district, feeling droopy and forlorn, window-shopping and trying to decide how much to tell Daniel.

  Finally, it was time to get it over with.

  When she got to the house, Daniel answered the door. He pulled her into a hug and she let herself lean on him just for a minute.

  “It’s so good to have you home,” she said.

  He held her away from him to look in her eyes. “Keely says you need to talk to me. Come on in the study.” He ushered her in there and over to the grouping of a love seat and two club chairs across from his desk. She took the love seat and he settled into a chair.

  She gazed across the low table between them. He was tan and relaxed-looking, his blond hair bleached even lighter by the tropical sun. A trip to paradise with Keely had been good for him.

  And she had no idea where to even start. “How much did Keely tell you?”

  “Just that you needed to talk to me.”

  “Well, okay. I’ll start at the beginning, then. Right after you and Keely left for Bora Bora, I got a certified letter from Kircher and Anders, Attorneys at Law...” And from there, everything just came pouring out. All of it. She even told him about the three-month deadline.

  Somehow, now that she was here, sitting across from the brother who’d raised her, she didn’t know how not to tell him. Her sisters—Grace especially—had had conflicts with Daniel. They resisted his need to take care of them, to keep them safe. Not Aislinn. She appreciated all he’d done for their family, getting custody of all of them, helping them make it to adulthood after their parents were killed. She trusted his judgment, had often sought out his advice.