She let Ash absorb that while their pizza was set on the table, the aromas mouthwatering. They each grabbed a slice, blew on it to cool it and took a bite.
“You didn’t lie,” Ash said. “This is incredible.”
“I know. If there could only be one food left in the entire world, I think I’d want it to be this.”
Ash chuckled. “And how would your father the chef feel about that?”
She blanched. “Oh dear. Maybe it’s not something I ought to mention just yet. That might cut him worse than any of those accusations I was hurling at him.”
“If he takes his work seriously, it very well might.”
“I’m going back to Chesapeake Shores on Saturday,” she said, her gaze searching Ash’s face for any sign of disapproval.
“Then things must have ended on a positive note,” he concluded.
“We have a long way to go,” Deanna told him. “But I want to try while I’m living this close. It’ll be harder once I’m back in Charlottesville.”
“You only have another year left there,” Ash said carefully. “I wasn’t going to mention this if things had gone badly, but since it seems your visit was a good one, would you want to consider doing your premed work at Johns Hopkins? I imagine with your excellent grades and the work you’ve done here this summer, it would be no problem to make the transfer.”
She stared at Ash in shock. “I never even considered transferring.”
“And you certainly don’t have to, if it’s not what you want. But with the school’s excellent reputation and convenient location, I just thought it might be worth exploring.”
“And you wouldn’t mind?”
“Not as long as you’ll still let me come over here for more of this pizza,” he said readily.
“Ashton Lane, have I ever mentioned that you are the most incredible stepfather ever?”
“A time or two,” he said, looking thoroughly pleased by hearing it once more. “So it’s still true, even if it was never actually legal?”
She reached for his hand and held it tight. “Legal or not, you were the best father, stepfather, mentor or whatever that any girl could ever ask for. And I think my mom would remind you that you weren’t too shabby as a husband either, even if there was no paper declaring you that. I’ve gotten the idea recently that families can be cobbled together in all sorts of ways. It’s the love that counts.”
“You’re a very wise young lady,” Ash told her.
“Not yet,” she corrected. “But I’m working on it.” She held his gaze. “And when the time is right, I want you to come to Chesapeake Shores to meet Bryan. I really think you two would like each other.”
“We certainly have one great thing in common already,” Ash told her. “We both adore you. That’s a pretty good bond.”
While so many things about her past still troubled her, Deanna felt a sudden surge of optimism that with time, all of those unanswered questions would be put to rest and she’d have her very own cobbled-together family, much like the O’Briens she’d heard a little about from Kiera.
Chapter 20
Bryan glanced across the kitchen island at O’Brien’s and allowed himself a faint smile at the sight of his daughter with her head bent over as she concentrated very hard on dicing potatoes to precisely the same size. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and had her hair pulled back. The tip of her tongue was caught in the corner of her mouth. She glanced up and caught him staring.
“Stop watching me. I’ll lose focus and slice off a finger,” Deanna grumbled.
“Not if you do it exactly the way I taught you to not ten minutes ago,” Bryan said. “Tuck those fingers into a fist away from the blade of the knife.”
“And what’s to keep the potato from scooting straight onto the floor, then?”
“Your knuckles pressing down to hold it in place,” he said, and demonstrated again at a speed that made her jaw drop.
She gave him a hopeless look. “Maybe I’m not meant to learn to cook.”
“Have you ever seriously tried before?”
“No.” Her expression brightened. “I can scramble an egg. I stopped burning them after a while. Ash says they’re edible now.”
“Well, then, when you’ve been dicing potatoes for a few months, if you’re no better, we can talk about the cost of eating all your meals out for the rest of your life.”
She frowned at him. “Sometimes you sound so much like Ash, it’s uncanny.”
The first few times she’d casually thrown Ashton Lane’s name in his face, it had hurt, no question about it. Now he was getting used to the easy references and more comfortable with the comparisons. They were no longer tossed out in a way that demeaned him, but only to suggest that he was proving himself just about equal to a man she considered practically a saint.
Bryan finally dared to ask a question that had been on his mind ever since she’d told him she was coming for another visit. “How does he feel about your spending time with me in Chesapeake Shores?”
“To be honest, I think the idea scared him at first, but he’s reconciled to it. In fact, he’s eager to meet you.” She regarded him with a hopeful expression. “Will you agree to it?”
Amused by the impact of that look, he laughed. “Has anybody ever denied you anything you want?”
“All the time,” she said with a shrug. “I just keep pestering, though. I’m very stubborn.”
“Your mother’s influence,” he said readily.
“I think she thought it was yours. She never acknowledged being even a tiny bit stubborn.”
“Oh, but she was,” Bryan said.
Deanna hesitated, then said softly, “Tell me about her, about the two of you. How did you meet? Was it love at first sight?”
He was vaguely startled by the question. Wasn’t it something daughters asked their mothers all the time? “She never told you any of this?”
“Not a word.”
He wondered if that was deliberate, a way to keep Deanna separated from him in yet another way. The reason, though, didn’t really matter. He had an opportunity at long last to fill in the blanks.
He thought back to the exact night he’d set eyes on Melody for the first time. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet it still brought a smile to his lips. “I was training in a restaurant in New York. I was on the lowliest rung of the kitchen hierarchy, which meant I mostly cleaned up and did whatever the chef yelled at me to do. It wasn’t a very fancy place, though the chef had aspirations and acted as if it were.”
“Pretentious,” Deanna guessed.
“Exactly. One night your mother came in with some friends. I think they were all a little tipsy. One of them kept sending his dinner back for one ridiculous reason after another. The chef finally tired of it and sent me out to ask whoever was complaining if they’d like to come in the kitchen and cook it themselves.”
“And it was Mom?”
“Oh, no, she looked thoroughly embarrassed. When I walked away from the table, she followed me and apologized. She said her friend fancied himself some sort of gourmet cook, even though he’d never once prepared a meal for any of them. She said they didn’t take him seriously, and we shouldn’t either. She said she’d just had the best meal she’d ever eaten.” Bryan shrugged. “What could I do? I asked her if I could cook for her sometime. I told her it would be even better.”
“And she said yes,” Deanna guessed.
“Actually, she said no.” He grinned at the memory. “But she was back again the next night and the next, by herself. On her fourth visit, she finally said yes.”
“Fascinating,” Deanna said, her expression thoughtful. “She was a challenge. Something tells me Kiera is, too.”
Startled by her insight, he felt his cheeks heating. “What made you draw that comparison?”
She gave him the sort of impatient look he knew that teenagers everywhere had perfected. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, anyone can see the attraction when the two of you are in the same room. I just
hope I’m not standing in your way, since I’m staying with her.”
“Deanna, this entire town is busy sticking its collective nose into my personal life these days. I do not need you jumping onto that particular bandwagon.”
“Interesting,” she said, laughter dancing in her eyes. “That’s pretty much what Kiera said, too. Since I’m not around all the time, I think I need to go looking for an ally who’ll nudge things along.”
“No, you do not,” he said emphatically. “Kiera and I are moving at our own pace.”
“Based on my admittedly limited observation, snails move faster than the two of you.”
“You’ve been around how long? About two minutes? You know nothing about it.”
She laughed then. “I’ll bet you thought it was going to be fun to have your daughter back in your life, didn’t you? Are you having second thoughts?”
“Second and third,” he said, but he couldn’t help going around to where she was seated and planting a quick kiss on her forehead. “But having you here is still the best thing to happen to me in years.”
Afraid he’d overstepped when he’d been trying so hard not to push, he backed away, but then he saw the tears in her eyes and knew that kiss had been exactly the right thing to do. If only all of his instincts were that solid. And perhaps if this dream to have his daughter in his life again could come true, then other dreams he’d put on hold years ago might be in the cards, too. A wife, perhaps? Even a restaurant of his own? Who knew where the future might lead, but it was suddenly filled with hope.
*
Late that night, Deanna thought she heard a low murmur of voices coming through the guest room window at Kiera’s cottage. She’d left it open to the faint breeze that was already hinting at fall. She crept over to the window and peered through the shadows until she caught a glimpse of Kiera and her father on his deck. They were seated in chairs side by side, but far enough apart to make any contact awkward. A snail’s pace, she thought again with amusement.
Since there clearly wasn’t anything romantic to be interrupted, she pulled on a robe, grabbed a glass of water in the kitchen and crossed the lawn to join them. She’d missed these sort of late-night talks with her mom and Ash. It was nice to have a new opportunity for that sort of connection.
“I thought you were sound asleep when I came in from the pub,” Kiera said, clearly startled.
“I was, but I heard the sound of voices and decided to join you. Is it okay?”
“Of course,” her father said.
“I’m not interrupting?” she asked pointedly.
He gave her a sharp look. “Deanna!”
She laughed at the warning note in his voice and turned to Kiera. “He thinks I’m going to start meddling in your relationship,” she told her.
Kiera choked on her sip of wine. “I beg your pardon?”
Bryan frowned at her, but she could tell he wasn’t really angry. “It seems my daughter fancies herself a matchmaker, and we’re not moving at a pace that suits her.”
“Correct,” Deanna said.
“Since I told her rather firmly to stay out of it, it seems she has a rebellious streak,” Bryan said.
“I’m an independent thinker,” Deanna corrected proudly.
Kiera laughed. “Well, now that’s a trait we might not want to discourage,” she said. “The world could use a few more independent thinkers. We just have to keep her away from Nell.”
Her father groaned. “Now you’ve done it.”
“Who’s Nell?” Deanna asked eagerly.
Kiera glanced at him. “Tactical blunder?”
“I’ll say,” he confirmed.
“Who’s Nell?” Deanna repeated.
“Nell O’Brien O’Malley,” Kiera finally told her. “She’s married to my father. They met years ago in Ireland, were separated and then found each other again a few years ago. It’s a very romantic story, actually.”
“And she’s one of the O’Briens?”
“The matriarch,” Bryan said. “She taught me everything I know about Irish cooking.” He glanced at Kiera and added diplomatically, “Almost everything. Kiera’s added a few tips since she’s come.”
“But she’s not given you her Irish stew recipe, has she?” Deanna teased.
“No, she’s kept that a deep, dark secret.”
“And that’s why the two of you are competing in the cooking contest,” Deanna concluded. “And why everyone’s talking about it.”
“That’s only part of the reason,” her father said.
“Then what’s the rest?”
“It’s because Nell is a devious, clever woman,” Kiera said.
Deanna glanced at her father for clarification.
“She’s matchmaking,” Bryan conceded. “And taking full advantage of the fact that Kiera and I haven’t always gotten along. She’s decided that’s the perfect recipe for sparks to fly and people in this town to take sides. And, of course, to raise money for a good cause.”
Deanna released a happy sigh. “She’s my ally,” she said, mostly to herself.
She saw her father and Kiera exchange a resigned look.
“I warned you,” Bryan said to Kiera. “It seems my daughter and Nell were cut from the same mold. Thankfully Dee will be going back to Charlottesville any day now and we’ll have one less person trying to run our lives.”
Deanna thought of her conversation with Ash and came to a quick decision. “There’s something you should probably know about that,” she told them. “I had a talk with Ash the other night and I’ve decided to try to transfer to Johns Hopkins for my premed courses. I’m not sure if the paperwork can be completed in time for this next term, but I’m pretty sure they’ll let me continue as an intern in the lab until next term while we’re working it out.” She beamed at them. “I’ll be able to see you both all the time. Isn’t that great?”
She laughed at her father’s bewildered, torn expression. She could tell he was eager to have her close but was also discovering how big a thorn in his side a newly found daughter could be.
The last thing she’d expected when she’d come to Chesapeake Shores to meet him was to find that she’d not only be getting to know her biological father, but that meddling in his life promised to be so much fun.
*
Kiera waited until Deanna had left for Baltimore and the midday rush at the pub had ended before telling Luke that she and Bryan needed a break.
“We’ll be quick, but there’s something that needs to be discussed, and it can’t wait until tonight.”
“Go,” Luke said at once. “I’ve got things covered here for the next hour. Just take your cell phone along in case I’m wrong and a tour bus appears on our doorstep.”
“When has that ever happened?” she asked.
“Exactly my point. It’s rare, so go.”
Kiera went into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of bottled waters from the refrigerator, then stood in front of Bryan. “We’re going for a walk,” she announced.
She saw him struggle with a smile, even as he said, “Who made you the boss?”
“Not the boss at all, but a woman who needs to talk to a man who’s been slamming pots and pans around for the past hour.”
“I haven’t been slamming anything around.”
“I could show you a couple with the dents to prove it. Shall I?” She turned to the current batch in the sink.
“Okay, a walk it is,” he said before seeing the evidence. “I’ll tell Luke.”
“Already done,” she said, pulling him toward the door into the alley.
Outside she handed him the bottled water and turned toward the walkway along the bay. A breeze off the water made the air salty, and once again there was the faintest hint of fall in the temperature. She was looking forward to the change of season, the last she’d experience before going back to Ireland.
When she looked up, she caught Bryan studying her. “What?” she asked.
“Perhaps it’s your mood we should be dis
cussing,” he said. “You were looking a little sad just then.”
“I was thinking about how close we are to the end of my time here. I was looking forward to experiencing my first fall in Chesapeake Shores, but then I realized it would be the last season I get to experience.”
Bryan stopped and turned her to face him. He kept his hands resting gently on her shoulders. “Kiera, tell me something. If you had your way, what would you do? Stay or go?”
“I’m not certain anymore,” she said candidly.
“I think you are.” His gaze held hers and he simply waited.
“I’ve come to like it here,” she admitted at last. “Far more than I expected to. I thought if I had a change of scenery for just a bit, it would help after Peter’s death, but being here has turned into so much more. There’s little Kate, who’s such a joy, Moira and Luke, my father.” She sighed, avoiding looking at him as she added, “The whole town.”
“And am I a part of that? Am I one of the reasons you’d like to stay?”
She took a deep breath, steadied her nerves and resolved to be honest about her emotions for once in her life, to say what was in her heart and take the risk. “You know you are.”
He nodded slowly, apparently letting her words sink in, while her nerves struck again, making her jittery as she waited for him to say something, anything.
“You know it’s a complicated time for me,” he said, making her heart sink.
“Of course I do. It’s no time for me adding to the pressure. I wouldn’t want to, which is why I’ll go home as planned.”
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“I think we’ve said quite enough about this for now,” she said tartly, her pride kicking in. “And we came out here to talk about you, not me and certainly not us.”
“Kiera—”
She cut off whatever protest he intended to utter. “What was that display of temper in the kitchen all about? I thought you’d be thrilled by Deanna’s news. You’ll have your daughter close by, and all the time you need to get to know her.”
He looked as if he wanted to drag the conversation back to her, but he must have read the determination in her eyes and simply let it go. He thought about his earlier display of temper in the kitchen and tried to explain what worried him.
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