“Okay, then,” Luke said, trying his best to remain determinedly upbeat. “I want pizza, so I guess that’s what we’ll have.”
“I’ll stay in the car,” Gracie said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Afraid not, kiddo. We’re all going in.”
Her scowl deepened. “Well, I’m not eating!”
“Okay with me,” Luke said. “How about you, Nate? Are you hungry? I’m thinking a pepperoni pizza.”
Nate gave an almost imperceptible nod, then looked down as if embarrassed that he’d caved at the prospect of his favorite pizza.
Inside, Luke ordered a large pizza and sodas—three of them despite Gracie’s claim that she didn’t want a drink, either—then led the way to a table by the window.
“Want me to tell you about Seaview Key?” he asked, keeping his attention focused on Nate, who’d shown at least a tiny sign of mellowing. “When I was your age, it was a great place to live. I spent all summer long swimming and fishing.”
“There are sharks in the water,” Gracie declared. “I’m not swimming with sharks!”
“I’m not scared of sharks,” Nate piped up, shooting a defiant look at his sister. “And I love to swim.”
Finally, a breach in their united front, Luke thought triumphantly.
“Gracie’s just a big baby,” Nate added.
“Hey, that’s not a nice thing to say about your big sister,” Luke scolded. “I’m sure there are just things she would rather do. You used to like to read, Gracie. Do you still go to the library every week? There’s a great one on Seaview. We can go tomorrow and you can pick out some books.”
He thought he caught a glimmer of interest in her eyes, but she shut down almost immediately, her scowl firmly in place.
“I brought my own books,” she told him.
“Well, if you read all those, the library will be there,” he said, still determinedly upbeat.
When the pizza came, Luke maintained a mostly one-sided conversation. Nate ate as if he was starved, but Gracie continued to stare at the food with disdain and flatly refused to touch it or her soda.
“One last slice, Gracie,” Luke said eventually. “It would be a shame to let it go to waste. Are you sure you don’t want some?”
“If you don’t, I’ll take it,” Nate said eagerly.
“And then you’ll hurl in the car,” Gracie retorted, grabbing the slice as if she were determined only to save them all from that fate.
Luke had to hide a grin. Gracie had his pride and her mom’s stubborn streak, but she’d finally found a way to eat and save face at the same time.
“Okay, you two, when we get to the inn, I want you to remember your manners. These people were kind enough to let us stay there, so let’s not make them regret it.”
“If it’s an inn, that means you’re paying them, so we can treat them however we want,” Gracie said, her imperious tone sounding a whole lot like her mother at her worst.
“No, actually these are friends, and we are not paying them for your rooms. Grandma Jenny insisted that you be her guests.”
Nate looked puzzled. “Is she our grandmother?”
“No,” Luke said.
“Is she yours?”
“No, it’s just what she likes to be called. She does know your grandmother and grandfather, though, from when they used to live in Seaview Key.”
“Well, I’m not calling her that,” Gracie said. “I have three grandmas already.”
“Three?” Luke queried.
“Uncle Brad’s mother wants us to call her Grandma, too,” Nate explained, making a face. “You know, once he and mom get married.” He sighed dramatically. “But she’s mean. She’s not a very good grandmother. She has too many rules. Does Grandma Jenny have a lot of rules?”
Luke honestly didn’t know the answer to that, but he had a suspicion that once Grandma Jenny saw how unhappy his children were, she was going to do everything she could to spoil them both rotten. Probably best, though, if these two master manipulators didn’t know that.
“I’m sure her rules are the same ones you’re already familiar with,” he told them.
“Like what?” Nate asked.
“Like no running in the house,” he began, then winked at him. “And no putting frogs in your sister’s bed.”
“Oh, gross,” Gracie said. “Are there frogs?”
“Well, I have to admit that I haven’t seen any since I got there, but you never know.”
“What other rules are there?” Nate asked worriedly. “Do we have to go to bed early?”
“Not while you’re on vacation,” Luke assured him. “But that doesn’t mean you can stay up half the night. We’ll figure that out once we’re there and see how tired you are after playing on the beach all day.”
“The sun’s bad for my skin, so I won’t play on the beach, and I’m going to bed at nine, like always,” Gracie said. “Mom said so.”
“I don’t think your mom will mind if you stay up a little later, since it is vacation,” Luke said. “But if you’re tired at nine, then it’s fine to go to bed. And we’ll slather you with sunscreen for the beach.”
“Do we have to eat vegetables?” Nate asked.
“I’ll bet there’s spinach every day,” Gracie said with resignation. “Or collard greens or something yucky like that.”
“Haven’t had any so far,” Luke said. “But I have had some strawberry-rhubarb pie. Most days we take a walk and get ice cream or frozen custard in the afternoon.”
Nate’s eyes widened. “Really? Every day?”
“Just about.”
“Cool.”
“Mom would be really mad if we ate ice cream that much,” Gracie predicted.
“Vacations have different rules,” Luke insisted. “Just remember that when you’re in Atlanta, Mom’s rules have to be followed.”
“I think vacation’s going to be fun,” Nate announced, glancing defiantly at Gracie.
She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled back at both of them. “We’ll see.”
Luke bit back a laugh. What was it about the women in his life lately? They all seemed intent on tossing challenges his way. He just prayed he was up to meeting this one.
Hannah stood on the steps of the inn and watched as Luke’s children emerged from the back seat of the car. The boy—Nate, if she remembered correctly—took one look at the beach across the street and let out a whoop of pure joy. He was about to dart across the road, when Luke snagged the back of his shirt and hauled him back.
“Hold on, son. Let’s get our stuff inside and then I’ll take you to the beach.”
“But, Dad, it might be dark by then,” Nate protested. “I really want to see the ocean.”
“It’s not the ocean. It’s the Gulf of Mexico,” Hannah corrected, then grinned at Luke. “And he’s right, it will be dark very shortly. If you expect to do any wading, now’s the time.”
“Thanks for backing me up,” Luke said dryly. “Nate, Gracie, this is Hannah. Her family owns the inn. She grew up here, just like I did.”
“But I don’t live here now,” Hannah said a little too quickly. “I live in New York.”
Gracie regarded her with a spark of interest. “We went to New York once. My mom took us to see the ballet.”
Nate rolled his eyes. “I liked that history museum better.”
Hannah laughed. “Yes, well, New York does have things to do for just about every taste.” Glancing across the street, she noted that the sun was about to slip below the horizon. “Time’s running out, guys. Anyone want to see the beach?”
“I do,” Nate shouted eagerly.
“Gracie, what about you?”
The little girl looked torn. Hannah suspected she’d resolved not to enjoy anything on this trip.
“I guess,” she finally said, as if she were granting them all a favor by agreeing.
Luke shot Hannah a grateful look. “Okay, then, we’ll take everything inside when we get back.”
At the edge of the road, he pointedly stopped and hunkered down to look directly into his son’s eyes. “No running across the road until what?”
“Until we’ve looked both ways,” Nate said dutifully.
“Okay, and here’s one more rule,” Luke said firmly. “You only go to the beach if an adult is with you.”
That one surprised Hannah, until Luke added, “Neither of you has much experience with swimming, so I don’t want you going in the water unless you’re with a grownup. Got it?”
Nate sighed dramatically.
“Got it?” Luke repeated, still gazing into his son’s eyes.
“Yes, sir,” Nate mumbled.
The four of them crossed the street, but the second their feet touched the sand, Nate kicked off his shoes and ran straight for the water’s edge. Gracie trailed along behind, but unlike her brother she stayed well back from the gently lapping waves.
“She’s still unhappy with me,” Luke confided to Hannah. “She barely spoke all the way down here and she’s taking every opportunity to let me know she’s furious.”
“Give her some time,” Hannah said. “All of this is so new to her. Her mom with Brad. You away from home. This place. It’s bound to be unsettling and she’s expressing her confusion the only way she knows how.”
“That’s just it. She’s not expressing it. If she’d yell at me, we could talk things out. Instead, she’s just punishing me with silence. I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but Gracie’s always been the one with the bright smile and easygoing nature.”
“She was Daddy’s girl, I’ll bet,” Hannah said, regarding him sympathetically.
Luke nodded.
“Well, it’s tough to be Daddy’s girl when Daddy hasn’t been around. I was the same way. I adored my dad. When he left, I took it really hard. For a long time I blamed my mom, but eventually I turned the blame where it belonged, on him. I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d ever seen him again, but I suspect I wouldn’t have run into his arms first thing. I would have made him earn back my love.”
“But I never abandoned my kids,” Luke protested. “I was in touch every single day I was away. I was always coming back. I thought they got that.”
“They’re kids. A few weeks is an eternity. A year is almost incomprehensible, especially when their mom is turning to someone else. And then you were injured and a year turns into eighteen months. I’m sure they thought you’d never be back, no matter what you said. Now it’s just going to take some time to prove to them that they haven’t lost you, that you will always be back, that you will always be their dad, no matter how often you’re separated or for how long.”
Just then Nate came running across the beach toward them. “Dad, can we go swimming?”
“Not tonight,” Luke said. “It’s getting too dark, but we’ll go first thing in the morning.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Luke said solemnly.
Nate studied him closely, clearly trying to gauge the worth of the promise, then finally nodded. “Okay.”
“We’d better go back now,” Luke said. “Gracie, come on, honey. Let’s go see your room and get you settled.”
Once again, Gracie dragged her heels about coming with them, her scowl still firmly in place. Hannah saw Luke frown at her, but wisely he kept silent.
Grandma Jenny, Kelsey and Jeff were waiting for them on the porch.
“My goodness, look at you two. You’re the spitting image of your daddy,” Grandma Jenny declared when she saw them. “And I imagine you both could use some cookies and milk after such a long trip.”
Nate’s expression brightened at once. “Cookies?”
“Chocolate chip, baked fresh this afternoon,” Grandma Jenny told him, then instinctively turned to Gracie. “Maybe you’d like to help me bring them out here, so we can enjoy them on the porch.”
For just an instant, Gracie looked as if she might balk, but then she sighed dramatically. “I guess so,” she said.
“Kelsey, why don’t you come along, too?” Grandma Jenny suggested. “Jeff, you could take their bags inside.”
“Sure thing,” Jeff said eagerly. “I’ll set ’em in the hallway so they can choose which room they want when they come upstairs.”
Luke turned to Hannah. “What’s she up to?” he whispered after they’d all gone.
“Forming allegiances, I guess,” Hannah said. “She always could recognize when someone needed extra attention.”
“Your mom did that, too, didn’t she?” Luke recalled. “She always knew when one of us wanted to talk but didn’t want to do it in front of other people. She’d come up with some excuse to ask for our help in the kitchen.”
Hannah grinned. “Worked like a charm, too, didn’t it? You leave Gracie to Grandma Jenny. My mom learned from a master.”
“Dad, can I go see where they went?” Nate pleaded. “I’m really, really hungry. I can help, too.”
“Go,” Luke said. “Just remember—”
“I know,” Nate said impatiently. “No running.”
Hannah grinned as the screen door slapped shut behind him. “Want to bet how long he remembers that?”
“Until he’s halfway across the dining room, I imagine,” Luke said, then slowly faced Hannah. “I missed you.”
Her breath caught in her throat at the heat in his eyes. “You hardly had time to miss me. You were only gone two days.”
“But that kiss right before I left was pretty memorable. Maybe we should try it again to see if my memory did it justice.”
Hannah felt herself swaying toward him, but in a belated attempt to be sensible, she jerked herself back. “Bad idea.”
“Oh? Are you having second thoughts about where that kiss might lead?”
“No, I’m just very much aware that there are two already confused children on the premises.”
His gaze narrowed. “So what? No more kissing till I take them back to Atlanta?”
“Seems prudent to me,” she said.
“You don’t sound very disappointed about that.”
Hannah thought about his analysis. “Let’s just say I have mixed feelings.”
“Meaning?”
“The part of me that wants to throw myself into your arms is very, very disappointed,” she admitted. “Another part of me thinks we probably need this time to let common sense weigh in.”
Luke laughed. “Would it matter if I said to hell with common sense?”
“It would be a huge boost to my ego,” she assured him. “But it wouldn’t change the decision.”
“You always were the sensible one,” he said. “I suspect Abby and I would have gotten into a lot more mischief without you along to point out the pros and cons of anything we were contemplating.”
Hannah winced. “Was I always that much of a wet blanket?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. You were smart and cautious and both of us respected you enough to listen.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I was persuasive enough to overcome the voice of reason whispering in Abby’s ear.”
“Too much information,” Hannah protested, not wanting to think about exactly what Luke might have persuaded Abby to do.
He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Are you still that same sweet, cautious girl, Hannah?”
Not when he was touching her, she thought as a shiver ran through her. “Pretty much,” she insisted, anyway.
His gaze locked with hers. “That’s good,” he murmured, his fingers trailing along her cheek.
“Good?” she whispered.
“Maybe it’ll keep us from getting in way over our heads here,” he said. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip, practically daring her to run the tip of her tongue over it. He smiled slowly. “Then, again, maybe it won’t.”
Hannah’s knees were so weak she was surprised she could remain standing without reaching out and clinging to his broad shoulders. Only the sound of little feet thunder
ing across the dining room floor amid peals of laughter kept her from reaching for Luke and breaking every rule she’d just set.
She smiled as Nate skidded to a stop just inside the door in a last-second attempt to avoid being caught misbehaving. He cast a guilty look toward his dad as he came outside holding a fistful of cookies.
“Want one?” he asked, giving Luke and Hannah an appealing grin as he held out the cookies.
“I would love one,” Hannah said, accepting the offer.
Nate handed it over with obvious reluctance, then looked to his dad. “There’s one more.”
“You keep it,” Luke told him. “I’m sure there are more on the way.”
“Grandma Jenny’s bringing a whole big plate of ’em,” Nate confirmed.
Luke gave him a stern look. “Did I hear you running a minute ago?”
“I started to, but I stopped,” Nate said. “Because I remembered what you said.”
“Good for you,” Hannah said, trying to prevent a lecture the boy obviously didn’t need. He understood the rules.
So did she, she thought ruefully. But apparently Nate wasn’t the only rule-breaker at the inn. She was on the verge of breaking a few herself, and in her case the consequences could be devastating.
15
“My dad is going home to live with my mom,” Gracie announced the next morning, her chin jutting out. Her dark eyes, so much like her dad’s, sparked with defiance. Even at ten, she was already showing signs of the strong-willed beauty she would become. In temperament at least, she reminded Hannah of Kelsey at that age.
From her place beside her on a blanket that had been spread on the sand, Hannah regarded Gracie evenly, not rising to the bait. “Really?”
“You can’t stop him,” Gracie continued, her tone a warning, or maybe a challenge.
“I would never try to stop him, if that’s what he wants to do,” Hannah assured her.
She had no idea why Gracie felt the need to confront her. Maybe she had sensed some of the undercurrents between Luke and her, despite their best efforts to avoid any intimate contact in front of the children.
Although she’d vowed to stay out of the family’s relationships, Hannah decided perhaps she could help to smooth things over between Luke and his daughter. She justified it by reminding herself that Gracie had been the one to approach her, choosing to sit beside Hannah, rather than joining her dad and Nate in the water.
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