“What’s she-she?”
Teddy climbed up on the table next to the fish tank and plucked out a goldfish. Before Dylan could make a move, Teddy popped it into his mouth.
“Told you he liked to do that,” Camilla said at Dylan’s grimace.
“Wait a minute. That’s how he survived out there. He caught fish.”
Teddy tried to snag another one, but Dylan grabbed him around the waist and brought him back to the Legos. He brought out the rest of the set, too.
“I’m going to do some laundry,” Camilla said. “I’ll catch the phone if it rings, but I won’t hear the door.”
She was being discrete, he supposed, giving him time alone with his son.
His son.
Teddy looked enough like him that no one would ever guess he wasn’t his biological son. Dark hair, anyway. Curls like Chloe’s, though for some reason they’d been cut.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked Teddy.
Teddy didn’t look up at him. Remembering how Chloe had communicated with him, he started picking up Lego blocks.
“One, two, three.”
Teddy didn’t repeat them as he’d done with Chloe. For some reason, he’d connected with her.
“I’m your dad,” he said. “Daddy.”
Nothing.
He and Teddy sat on the floor for an hour, making their separate Lego creations.
Building new dreams.
Chloe drove directly to her aunts’ cottage. Marilee was there too, toying with a glass of green liquid. They were sitting out on the screened-in back porch playing cards, though the cards looked abandoned since none of the ladies were actually facing the table.
“There you are!” Stella said, coming to her feet when Chloe walked around the corner. “We thought you’d died or something.”
“Or something,” Chloe affirmed, stepping inside but remaining by the door. She wrapped her arms around herself, hating the awkwardness she felt. “I meant to call you last night, but I was too exhausted.”
“Sure, we understand,” Stella said. What their eyes said was, We know you were too busy making love to call.
Lena sat there looking dignified in her upswept hair. The blank look on her aunt’s face, neither love nor anger, sent a sharp jab through Chloe’s stomach.
Chloe dropped down to the floor. “I’m sorry about everything. I know I’ve caused you a lot of pain and aggravation. But it’s over.” She forced finality into that word. “Totally over.”
“Even with the fella?” Marilee asked.
“Yes, even with him. Hey, I don’t need a man in my life, right?” Hadn’t you decided no more trying to fit in. Yes, but I’m not ready yet.
Stella crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head. Her zebra-striped hair bow shimmied with the movement. “Maybe we don’t, but who do you think you’re fooling?”
Chloe winced. “What are you talking about?”
“The frog prince, for one thing,” Marilee said. “Yeah, we seen it. You think you can hide anything from us?”
Chloe felt her cheeks flush. “Silly me.”
“We seen a green leg sticking out of your chaise lounge once,” Marilee said. “Wondered what the heck it was.”
Chloe uttered a sheepish, “Oh.”
“Plus,” Stella said, “You are so head over that man, it hurts to look at you.”
“Head over,” Marilee agreed.
Chloe dipped her chin. “Because I’m tender?”
“Because you’re you,” Stella said, taking Chloe’s hands.
“Tender,” Marilee agreed.
“All right. I’m head over him so bad it hurts to look at myself. And I do want him in my life, but he … he doesn’t fit in my life, and I don’t fit in his. So there. Now I’m a total pariah in Lilithdale. Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed here so long. I certainly never belonged here.”
“Why not?” Marilee asked, looking genuinely perplexed.
“Because I’m not strong like you all are. I want a man in my life. And I’m disabled. And tender. Isn’t that enough? Look, I don’t need to stand here and alienate myself even more. I’m drained.”
“But we want to hear about the boy,” Marilee said as Chloe turned to leave.
“He’s going to be okay. I’ll tell you all about it later. I need to be alone now.”
“Want some pickle soup to take back with you?” Marilee asked. “I’ve got a whole batch in the fridge.”
Chloe tried to make her grimace a smile. “Marilee, I … I don’t like pickle soup. I’m sorry, but I never did.”
“Told you,” Stella said.
“I only made it because you said you liked it.”
“I only said I liked it because you made it for me.”
“Told you,” Stella said again.
“Well, good night,” Chloe said, backing out the door.
“That’s it?” Stella said, coming to her feet. “You’re going to give up, just like that?”
“Yeah, you’re a fighter,” Marilee said.
Chloe paused on the step going down. “I’m tired of fighting. For once, I want someone to fight for me.”
That night Dylan gave in to his urge and called Chloe. There was no answer, but he felt better just hearing her voice on the message. “Hey, it’s Dylan. I just called to say … hi. Dr. Jacobs ran a full battery of tests today, and Teddy’s in good shape. I thought you’d want to know. You looked a little, I don’t know, something, when you left. I wanted to make sure you were all right. Call me.”
He thought about what Susan had said. Teddy would always be special, different. A man who wanted to blend into the woodwork might consider an autistic son a curse. But it didn’t bother him. It really didn’t. He loved that kid, so he’d accept it.
He felt a decided emptiness lying in bed without Chloe in his arms. Face it: you need that woman. You need her in your arms and in your life and to hold her through the night and never let her go. He ran his hands over his face. It was true. His soul ached for her the same way it had that night he thought Teddy was dead. Not for sex. For her. What an idiot he’d been. To punish himself, he replayed the scene through his mind when he’d walked away from her. She’d been telling him the truth, and he’d been too dense to see it.
But he saw it now.
She’d taught him to believe in miracles. Taught him to believe again. God hadn’t only brought her back for Teddy. Chloe’s mission was to teach Dylan to love, to know what was important.
Then why had she walked away and said goodbye like it meant forever? He let out a groan as he replayed the conversation with Susan. The woman had waltzed in and fit right in. That’s when Chloe had crumbled. He could see it now, in her expression, in the way she’d retreated. He’d been too dense to realize it at the time.
All Chloe wanted was to be accepted, and when he’d said he wanted Teddy to fit in, she thought he’d make her change, too. But he didn’t want her to change. He loved her just the way she was.
He loved her.
And he was going to bring her back where she belonged: in his arms.
CHAPTER 24
The plan had hatched in Dylan’s mind during the long, restless night. He wanted to throw a big bash in honor of everyone who had helped search for Teddy. He would invite the police, the Coast Guard, all the boaters who supported Chloe that night, and even the press.
Wanda had tried to hide their son from everyone. Dylan wanted everyone to see him, the good and the bad.
First thing the next morning, he called Chloe. She still didn’t answer, but he left a message for her to call him right away. The next call went to one of his friends who owned a piece of vacant property on the beach — the perfect spot for a party. As soon as Camilla arrived, he put her to work making arrangements for the food and tent while he called and invited everyone he could think of.
The party would take place Sunday afternoon. He was sure it was the fastest assembled party of its size, but because of the occasion, everyone cooperated
.
Well, not everyone. He still hadn’t heard from the guest of honor. He called her again, and this time she answered.
“Chloe, I’ve been worried about you,” he said before he could think about it. “And then you didn’t return my calls. Are you all right?”
“I’ve got a bit of a cold, but I’ll live.” She sniffled, reminding him of the doleful look she’d had on her face when Susan had shunned her at the mention of a cold. Just the thought of it made him want to pull Chloe into his arms.
Which was rather difficult since she wasn’t there.
I don’t just want you or love you, Chloe. I need you. In my home and my life. I want to see all your faces and I want to make up names for new ones. The words wanted to burst out, but he couldn’t tell her over the phone.
“Are you there?” she asked.
“Mm? Yeah, I’m here.”
“How’s Teddy?”
“He’s doing okay. But he misses you.” And I miss you. The ache of need wasn’t terrifying; it was sweet and warm. She hadn’t let him down; he’d let her down.
“How do you know that?”
He had to clear the hoarseness from his voice. “Because he keeps pointing at your picture in the paper.”
“Oh.” He could clearly imagine the smile on her face at that because he heard it in her voice. “I miss him, too.”
“Good, because you’re going to see him tomorrow.”
“I really can’t —”
“You have to. I’m throwing a party, and you’re the guest of honor.”
“Me?” she croaked.
“Yes. I’m celebrating Teddy’s return and having a little get-together in appreciation of everyone who helped search for him. Since you found him, that makes you the guest of honor.”
“No, I really can’t.”
“Do I have to come down there —”
“No, don’t do that! I’m not feeling up to it, that’s all. You have your get-together. Have a drink for me.”
“Chloe …”
“Look, I don’t belong in that crowd.”
“Of course you belong.” He remembered her words about the tunnel being the first place she really belonged. But she was wrong. Where she really belonged was with him. But he wasn’t about to say that over the phone. He was going to have to prove it to her in a big way.
“Just come tomorrow.”
“No, I’m not putting myself through that. Look, I appreciate your appreciation. You’ve already shown me how grateful you are, believe me. But I think the best thing for both of us is to end this here. I can’t give you what you want, and you can’t give me what I want, and frankly, it would hurt too much to just be friends. I’m being honest with myself these days and with everyone else. I need a man in my life who will accept me for who I am, a man who needs me and isn’t afraid to express it. I won’t settle for anything less.”
He started to spill it all out, but held his tongue. He tried another tactic. “What about Teddy?”
Chloe paused, but held strong. “He’ll get attached to Susan. I’m sure … you’ll all be very happy. It’s a perfect situation. She’s perfect.”
He couldn’t believe how stubborn she was being. Didn’t she want to see him? Or Teddy?
A realization slapped him hard. She was putting up a wall. He should have recognized that wall; hadn’t he erected the same one over and over? And didn’t that make him the expert on breaking it down?
“All right. If that’s what you want —”
“It is,” she said too quickly. “But thanks for the invitation. Tell everyone I said thanks. Goodbye, Dylan.”
Her voice had gotten oddly pitched at the end of her speech, and he could have sworn he heard tears in her throat. Why was she crying if she was the one saying goodbye? And this time he couldn’t be mistaken. That’s exactly what it was. Final, forever.
He dropped down on the couch and looked at his son. The article was tucked beneath Teddy’s knee as he sat on the floor and dipped Goldfish crackers into his Cheez Whiz. The ache of relief at having his son back was shadowed by an ache of loss. Something was missing.
Chloe.
He laughed. He wasn’t grateful. Well, he was, but that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to see her. He wanted … wanted … just wanted her. If he could hold her in his arms, everything else would fit into place.
He sobered, realizing what she meant. She thought he’d made love to her out of gratitude.
“Oh, geez,” he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. That’s what he’d told her just before he’d started last night’s lovemaking.
He needed her in his arms and in his life. For the first time, he’d held a woman and not wanted to let her go. Ever. Holding her through the night meant something. He didn’t want to be Ross a year from now, lamenting how he’d lost the one woman who had touched his soul because she didn’t fit the image. It was true, Chloe didn’t fit the image he’d created for his life. Neither did Teddy. So he’d recreate the image. He was an architect. If anyone could rebuild a dream, he could.
“All right, Chloe. You want to play tough; we’ll play tough.”
And then he picked up the phone to call in one last favor.
Chloe was still in bed when Stella and Marilee knocked on the door Sunday at eleven. If she ignored them, maybe they’d go away.
They didn’t.
“Isn’t it illegal to break into someone’s house when they’re asleep?” Chloe said as Stella tugged off the sheets and blankets and Marilee pulled her across the bed by her feet.
“Not when you have a key,” Stella said, holding up the blasted key she’d given her.
“And if you’re related. I’m pretty sure that’s an exception,” Marilee added. Her lime green pantsuit was enough to wake Chloe up without the benefit of coffee.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “All right, what do you want? You both look way too cheery for this early on a Sunday morning.”
“It’s not early, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Stella said.
“I’m moping. I’m entitled to sleep in.”
“Hogwash. You’re coming with us. You can’t mope around the house all day.”
Once Stella got her out of bed, Marilee pushed her toward the shower.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re taking you to the Day Spa of Naples,” Marilee said. “Nice massage to get the blood flowing. I even scheduled you with Eduardo. You know, the one with the fingers.”
“They all have fingers, gram,” Chloe said as the cold shower blasted her fully awake.
“Yeah, but he’s got magic fingers.”
“Then we’re going to take you to lunch someplace special.”
“Does this mean you forgive me for being such a bitch yesterday, and all the days before that?” Chloe asked when she got out a few minutes later.
“Nothing to forgive,” Marilee said, holding out a towel. “You did what you had to do to save that boy’s life. How can we fault you that?”
“I didn’t have to fall in love with his father, though,” she said sheepishly.
“Yeah, you did. It was fate.”
Stella grabbed the hairdryer and fluffed Chloe’s hair as she got dressed in shorts and a tank top. “Fate? Hah!”
“Listen, there’s something you got wrong,” Stella said. “We never said you couldn’t want a man in your life. That’s our philosophy; we don’t push it on anyone else.”
“I figured it was one more thing that made me not fit in.”
“First of all, you do need a man in your life. It’s your fate. I could have told you that years ago.” At Chloe’s surprised expression, she said, “I didn’t know you were hiding it.”
“Oh. And second?”
“You were the only one who thought you didn’t fit in. Nobody cares if you don’t have any abilities. We love you anyway. You’re the one who always stayed at the outer edge, excluding yourself.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
/> “I figured you’d realize it when you were ready. Now, are you ready?”
“Well, now that you’ve told me —”
“No, I mean to go to Naples. Our appointments are in forty minutes. We’ve got to hustle.”
“What about my being tender?”
“Nothing wrong with that. Heck, we’re all tender; we just have tougher hides,” Marilee said.
Chloe dabbed on a bit of makeup, then remembered her face would be fitted into that padded donut thing and it would all come off anyway.
Because her aunts only had a golf cart for transportation, Chloe drove. “Lena’s not coming, is she?”
Stella and Marilee got silent for a moment. “No, she had things to do.”
“Is that why we’re going to Naples instead of her place?”
“Nah, we just need a change of scenery. And besides, she don’t have any men,” Stella added with a raised eyebrow.
“She’s never going to forgive me, is she?”
“It might take a while,” Marilee conceded. “You know how stubborn she can get. When we were kids, I dyed her hair with food coloring. Experimenting, you see, for a school dance. Came out fluorescent orange. Took her years to forgive me. Ah, don’t you worry. You’ve got us until she comes round.”
Chloe gave them each a hug, so grateful to have them back.
“Oh, I’ve got one quick stop to make,” Stella said. “It’ll only take a minute. There’s a woman I’ve got to see, lives down near the beach.”
“Is that the one with the incontinent poodle?” Marilee asked.
“The very. Sheila something-or-another. I met the woman once, a real gem, that one. Spoiled, bitter, thinks-the-world-revolves-around-her type. She sent her son to bring the dog to me. That dog told me every time it does anything wrong, Sheila kicks it. I’m going to tell her so and that I don’t work with brutes.”
“You tell her, Stella,” Chloe said.
Chloe followed Stella’s directions down to the old money side of Naples. Huge mansions lined the street to the right with the beach as their back yards. The sun shone brilliantly, and she began to feel a tiny bit better. Until Dylan crept into her mind.
“Something’s going on up there,” Chloe said, slowing down with the traffic. Cars were lined up and down the street. “Must be a huge party. Look, they have valet parking! How ridiculous. There’s even a television crew here. Someone famous must be there. Or someone infamous.”
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