A Stranger in the Cove

by Rachel Brimble

“Mac. He was in here a few minutes ago.” Marian raised her eyebrows, her mouth briefly pursing with disapproval. “Are you sure you want to go down that road with a man who runs as easily as he seems prone to do?”

  “Wait, Mac was here, but he left?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why? Did he...did you two have words?”

  “Us?” Marian picked up Kate’s money and turned to the espresso machine. “Why would we have words? His disappearing had nothing to do with me. When his sister walked in here—”

  “His sister?” Kate froze. “His sister was here?”

  Marian turned, her gaze turning misty. “With the most gorgeous little girl and boy. Mac’s niece and nephew, apparently. Did he tell you he has such a beautiful family?”

  Kate’s heart beat fast. “Oh, no. This can’t be good.”

  Marian’s smile vanished as she pushed Kate’s coffee toward her. “What can’t be good? His family seemed thrilled to see him...although I can’t say he seemed in any way pleased to see them. Is something wrong?”

  “No.” Kate’s cheeks burned. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “Kate Harrington...” Marian glared, her fingers busy at the cash register as she rang up Kate’s order and dropped her payment into the drawer. “Since when did you start telling me mistruths? Why wouldn’t Mac want his family here?”

  Kate opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. “He’s...she’s...” She sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “Hmm.” Marian glanced over Kate’s shoulder. “I’ve got customers coming through the door, but this isn’t finished, my girl.”

  Kate swallowed. “Do you know when his family got here?”

  “Just a while ago, I think. They had their bags with them, so I assume the bakery was their first stop. You know, I get the distinct feeling that man has something he wants to say to me. You wouldn’t have any idea about that, would you?”

  “Me?” Kate huffed a laugh. “Why would I?”

  “Because I know you and you’re looking mighty on edge about something.”

  Dread unfurled in Kate’s stomach. “What makes you think Mac has something to say to you? He barely knows you.”

  “Well, for one, every time I’ve seen him in here, he’s glancing my way. Now why would a man on his own, a sexy singer, no less, want to spend his time sitting in a bakery, studying its aged owner over and over when he thinks she’s not looking? So, you tell him to either ask me what it is he wants to know or quit coming in here and then fleeing every time I speak to him.” She nudged Kate’s coffee forward and looked past her to the next customer. “Hello, lovely. What can I get you?”

  Feeling numb, Kate picked up her coffee and took a seat at one of the pine tables in the middle of the bakery. Her mind raced with what-ifs and maybes. What was she supposed to do now? Mac’s sister and her kids were in town? The last thing she wanted was to be prematurely introduced to the family of a man she really liked, especially when it was anyone’s guess how things would pan out between them.

  A niece and nephew? Her heart kicked.

  Her phone beeped from inside her bag, and she quickly retrieved it. Mac.

  Dana has turned up with my niece and nephew. I’m going to do my best to get them on the next train out of here, but God only knows if she’ll cooperate. I shared a few words with Marian and she said some things to make me realize there’s every chance things could end up a lot different than you and I hoped. I’ll be in touch. I’m sorry x

  Kate stared at the kiss, and trepidation whispered through her.

  There’s every chance things could end up a lot different than you and I hoped.

  Her heart raced as she glanced toward Marian. What did Mac mean by that? Did he intend saying something that could upset Marian, after all? Kate glared She’d warned him. She’d told him if she couldn’t trust him with Marian’s feelings, Kate would speak to Marian herself.

  Did he think she’d lied? Not brave enough? She narrowed her eyes.

  Could she really trust him to do right by her friend? The disconnection between Kate and her family made it extra difficult to watch anyone go through the same thing...though Mac’s situation was entirely different than hers. That didn’t mean she’d stand by and let him poison her beautiful friend.

  Frustration coursed through her.

  Had he been lying to her when he’d admitted he’d hoped Marian might pull him out of his sadness? Was Mac a fraud? Another Dean?

  She had to think about Marian...and herself.

  Kate glanced at Marian again. The bakery was filling up. She couldn’t speak to her now.

  Kate felt entirely alone, and suddenly her sister drifted into her mind. She and Ali had been so very close once.

  Could she try to rebuild her relationship with her sister? Kate stared through the window. How much longer could she deny how much she missed not having Ali to talk things over with? Having them share their problems with each other again might take time and a whole lot of healing, but she needed to at least try to reconnect with Ali. She had to be there for her only sister on her wedding day. Had to try to get past what Ali had done with Dean. Maybe Mac hadn’t been sincere in wanting to move on, but Kate was.

  How could she ever really give herself to anyone again if she continued to wallow in the hurt her sister and ex had caused? How could she hope for a happy life when she continued to feel guilt and remorse that her body hadn’t kept her child safe?

  Pain rolled through her. To think she’d even considered telling Mac about that part of her life. But she’d wanted to.

  Tears burned and she quickly typed a reply to Mac.

  I’ll never forgive you if you hurt her.

  She pressed Send and stood.

  Maybe she couldn’t do anything about the baby she’d lost, but she could do something about Ali. One step at a time. Kate picked up her phone, stomach twisting.

  Meeting Mac, seeing his anger and resentment and how hard it had gripped him, had shown her that these things affect the person suffering far more that the person you were angry with.

  Ali had moved on...was getting married. Kate took a deep breath. And she wanted to be a part of that. Ali was her sister. How could she not be a part of her happiness? Did she really want to have another regret added to her already overwhelming pile?

  She quickly dialed Ali’s number. It went straight to voice mail, and Kate slowly exhaled. “Ali, it’s me. Mum visited a few days ago. I am so happy you’ve decided on a date for the wedding. You must be so excited and I want to be there for you. I want to help make your day as wonderful as possible. Anyway, hope to hear from you soon.”

  There was nothing else she could do now but wait for Ali’s call...if it ever came.

  She glanced around at the people milling around the bakery, taking coffees to go or sitting at tables. Templeton was where she belonged, but every now and then, she got tired of having no family here, having no one who’d known her a long time to confide in. She had Marian and Izzy, of course, but the older Kate got, the more she wanted something more. Someone more.

  Mac’s face filled her mind’s eye.

  She felt a strong connection to him, no doubt due to their mutual difficulties with their families, but she didn’t want to be with someone who couldn’t control his anguish. She’d dealt with kids in despair, and they’d shown more forgiveness to those who’d hurt them than Mac had.

  Abandoning her coffee, she put on her coat and made for the door. The rain still came down, and the clouds had grown darker and more ominous. She grabbed her umbrella from the stand and ducked outside, then hurried along the street to her apartment block.

  Once there, she let herself in just as her phone rang in her bag. She dumped her rain-drenched umbrella in the sink and quickly pulled out her phone. “Hello?”

  “Kate? It’s Ali.”

  Kate gripped the co
unter. “Hi. How are you?”

  “Good. Happy. Excited. You name it, that’s me.”

  “Great.” Kate’s eyes burned with tears. Ali sounded so happy and open to speaking with her. Kate blinked. She’d been a fool to let things stew between them for so long. “So the wedding date’s set, huh?”

  “Yes, June seventh. I’m so happy you want to be there. I wasn’t sure with what happened between me and...well, that’s all in the past now, right? We can move forward and try to get back to the way we were before.”

  “Dean. His name was Dean.” Kate inhaled and slowly released her breath. “I think we need to clear the air before we try to do anything else, Ali. What happened, happened, and you hurt me. Deeply.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Truly. I was a different person back then. Denny’s changed so much in me, Kate. He makes me...me. Does that make sense? I don’t have to try harder or be better when I’m with him. I just have to be.”

  Longing squeezed at Kate’s heart, and she swallowed. “Well, that sounds pretty amazing.”

  “It is. And I want the same for you.”

  “Believe me, I’m trying to find it.”

  “Only trying?”

  “What else is there? I need to get past the hurt, Ali. Past the lack of trust I now feel. About guys in particular. I wasn’t that way before you and Dean, and I’m tired of it. I thought I’d met this really great man—”

  “But that’s great. What’s his name?”

  “His name doesn’t matter. The point is, I wanted to try with this guy. I really did. So...” She took a deep breath. “I’m going to do all I can to rid myself of this horrible distrust I have. This horrible reluctance to move toward anything intimate. I figure the way to start that process is to be fully on board with your wedding...and with you.”

  “Oh, Kate.” Ali’s breath caught. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. Shall I come to the Cove?”

  “Not yet.” Kate closed her eyes. She might be trying to move forward, but the prospect of Ali meeting Mac was too much too soon, even if her relationship with him was doomed. She didn’t want Ali discovering how close Kate had come to falling in love with another self-serving man. Her sister’s pity wouldn’t fix anything.

  She opened her eyes. “I have a lot of work on right now, but why don’t I come to you one weekend? I could stay for a couple of nights.”

  “Oh, my God, that would be fantastic. I can’t wait for you to meet Denny. He’s the greatest guy. You’re going to love him.”

  Kate swallowed. For Ali, the business with Dean was over. For Kate, it still stung. Maybe not as cruelly as it once did, but hurt still lingered like an unhealed wound. “I’m sure I will. Give me a call next week, and if there’s anything you want me to do online for the wedding in between, let me know.”

  “I will. It’s so great to hear your voice. I’ll speak to you soon. Okay?”

  “Sure. Speak soon.”

  Kate hung up. Progress had been made. Now she just needed to speak with Marian before Mac did.

  Chapter Fourteen

  MAC SAT ON one of the mini stools in the Coast’s kiddie play area situated through an archway at the back of the bar. He faced his sister, trying hard to ignore the fact his knees almost touched his chest. “You’re not listening to me, Dana. I have to do this. It isn’t about choice. Marian said that family matters. That it should be cherished. There’s every chance she would’ve wanted to have known Dad.”

  She sipped her orange juice. “Okay, but...” She glanced toward Lily and little Mac as they tumbled over one another in the soft play area. “Dad’s gone, Mac. What’s the use in going over old ground?” Her eyes were glassy with tears. “God knows we all miss him, but shouldn’t you be concentrating on the family you still have? The last thing Mum wants is you continuing something she wished Dad never started.”

  “But why does she wish that? Does she know the circumstances surrounding his adoption?”

  “I don’t think so, but if she was worried, don’t you think we should respect that, now Dad’s gone and he never told us he was looking for his mum? We might be curious about this woman, but I don’t think you’re coming to this from the right place.”

  Mac raised his coffee cup to his lips. “Who cares where I’m coming from as long as Marian Ball knows we exist. That she has a family.”

  “That might sound good, Mac, but you’re not doing this out of love, are you?”

  Mac put down his coffee and scowled toward the play area, wishing he could lessen his pain. His thoughts turned to Kate and the disappointment and coldness in her text.

  I’ll never forgive you if you hurt her...

  He clenched his jaw. On top of everything else he might or might not being doing the wrong way, and for the wrong reasons, he’d alienated the best person who had come into his life for a long time.

  Swiping his hand over his face, he blew out a breath. “I can’t stop this now, Dana. I’m sorry.”

  “Mac—”

  “Look, I understand what you’re saying, but having Marian know we exist is important to me.”

  “Why?”

  Mac fought the need to explain. Since coming to Templeton, his anguish had begun to disintegrate. Looking for Marian had given him a focus. A steady way to regain some control, to make things happen, rather than waiting around for something to shake up his life again.

  But hadn’t Kate done exactly that?

  He took a sip of his coffee. “You need to go home.”

  “What?”

  He met his sister’s steady gaze. “I’m not going to do or say anything cruel to Marian, but I am going to tell her who I am. I’ll make it clear there’s no expectation, that I’m just finishing off what Dad started. The rest is up to her.”

  “And you think telling her who you are might not be cruel? Mac, this is serious. Once you say something like that to her, you can’t take it back. You have no idea who this woman is or how she might react. What if she wants to talk to Mum? Asks questions that none of us are comfortable with? This isn’t a one-way street.”

  Frustration coursed through him. “What could she ask that you’re not willing to answer, huh? We’re good people who’ve led good lives. We’ve nothing to hide, nor did Dad. She can bring on her questions, for all I care. Don’t you think she’ll be more concerned about what we’re going to ask her?”

  She held his gaze for a moment before looking across at her children. “I suppose. God knows I couldn’t imagine having to give up those two and not hope to have them come look for me one day.”

  “Then isn’t it right we allow Marian the chance to explain her decision? It’s better than me being hung up on my suspicions. When I arrived in Templeton, I was intent on venting my anger, making Marian hurt how I hurt. But now...” He shook his head, looked at his niece and nephew as a strange and unexpected shift occurred inside him. “I realize family gets fractured for all kinds of reasons, but nothing that can’t be overcome if the people involved put themselves out there. I want to put myself out there, Dana. I have to.”

  She looked at him. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “I’ll go home, but I want you to call Mum. Tell her where you are and what you’re doing. You’re a grown-up. She can’t stop you from speaking with Marian, but Mum does deserve to know what you’re doing. Can you at least do that? For me?”

  If his mum voiced her fears, he might lose his determination. Now, more than ever before, he wanted to see his quest through and have Marian know about her son and his family.

  He took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll call her.”

  “Good. And there’s no time like the present.”

  “Now?”

  “Now. I’m not kidding, Mac. I refuse to go home and explain to Mum what you’re up to. If you’re okay about doing this, you have to explain your feelings to h
er.” She squeezed his hand, her gaze softening. “I love that something has gotten you fired up again. It’s good to see a little of the old you back. This particular scenario is crazy, of course, but the fact you’re doing something other than gigging, working or chatting up a girl you have zero intention of having a relationship with...well, to me, that’s all good. Call Mum, and I’ll get out of your hair. Promise.”

  He nodded, feeling a little sick. But backing out of speaking with Marian was no longer an option. He had to believe finding her was what his father would’ve wanted...even if he hadn’t had the courage to come to Templeton himself. And he had to believe his own reasons weren’t entirely self-serving. He put down his drink and stood. “I’ll call her outside.”

  Dana raised her eyebrows, her gaze suspicious. “But you will call her?”

  “Yes. Just wait here.”

  She raised her hands in surrender, and Mac strode from the kiddie area, through the bar and outside into the chilly February air. He ducked under a canopy that acted as a motorbike parking area and pulled his phone from his pocket.

  Leaning against the wall, he quickly dialed his mum’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Mum? It’s Mac.”

  “Oh, thank God. Do you know how worried I’ve been? Would it be asking the earth to have you call me now and then?”

  “Sorry. I’m okay. I’m with Dana and the kids.”

  “Dana? But she said she was staying with a friend this weekend. What is it with my children? Why do you both feel the need to keep me in the dark?”

  “We don’t.”

  “But that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

  “We’re not keeping you in the dark.”

  “Then what are you doing? You took off with barely an explanation.”

  He closed his eyes. “I’m in Templeton Cove.”

  “Templeton Cove? I knew it. You’re trying to find Dad’s birth mother, aren’t you?”

  “I’ve found her, Mum.”

  Mac opened his eyes and stared blindly ahead. Guilt, hope and trepidation hovered above him like a suspended weight.