Summer Reads Box Set: Volume 1

by Freethy, Barbara

  "I'm glad this isn't usual for you. I'm happy it was just for me."

  She stared at him. "You stopped, Tyler. Even before the light came on. I saw it in your face. Why?"

  He didn't know how to answer that question. There were too many lies between them, so he settled for another. "I don't have anything with me—protection," he said. "I'm guessing you don't either."

  "Oh," she said, her voice faltering. "I—I didn't even think."

  She got to her feet and looked out at the water that was now lit up by the light. "When you're on the ocean, a light like this can be a savior, the promise of a safe harbor. I never thought I wouldn't be happy to see the light." She turned to him. "I know it was smart to stop. I just kind of wish we hadn't. Because it felt good, and it's been a long time since I felt like that. I wanted to be selfish. It's a family trait, you know." She headed toward the stairway. "Let's go home."

  Home? Where was that? he wondered. Logically, he knew his address in San Antonio. That's where his things were, where his friends lived, where his brother and niece made a life. So why was he starting to feel as if this island was home, as if wherever Kate was going was where he wanted to be?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kate dropped him off at his hotel without even turning off the engine. She muttered a good-bye and took off as soon as he'd shut the door. It was just as well. This trip wasn't supposed to be about anything but finding Amelia's biological mother. And it was time for him to refocus on his goals.

  He felt too wired to even think about going inside to his quiet hotel room. Most people in Castleton apparently felt the same way, Tyler realized, as he walked back through the town square. The food booths were being dismantled, but there were still crowds of people gathered around small tables, talking and laughing. A few people called out hello, people he'd met through Kate or on his own. He'd only been in town a few days, but they were making him feel like part of the community, part of their lives, and it was a nice feeling, almost too nice.

  A small island in the Pacific Northwest was not the place to get attached to. There were no earth-shattering news stories here, no need for tough investigative reporting. It was a tourist destination, a place for fishermen and sailors, bikers and hikers, honeymooners and retirees, a place for people to relax, smell the flowers, enjoy life—not a place for him. He liked to be on the go, flying in fast jets over countries whose names he could barely spell. He liked the unpredictable, the never-ending adventure.

  Didn't he?

  Then why was this scene so appealing? Why did Kate's small house charm him so? Why did he feel so attracted to a woman who had made it clear she was never going to move? Why did he suddenly wonder what it would feel like to have a house of his own and friends who would welcome him home, who would butt into his business and protect him from strangers' questions, who didn't expect anything from him? Why did the idea of one woman, one long-term relationship, one marriage suddenly sound so attractive?

  Hell, he was out of his mind. He didn't want any of those things. What he wanted was a drink. Thankfully, the Oyster Bar was just around the corner.

  It was fairly crowded for a Tuesday night. Tyler stood for a moment, checking out the room for familiar faces. Sure enough, there were two: Caroline and Duncan sitting at a table in the corner. His eyes narrowed at the sight. He wondered what they were cooking up. There was an intensity to their conversation that was apparent in their body posture, the way they leaned in toward each other, the sharp look on Duncan's face as he said something to Caroline.

  Tyler moved closer, unabashedly eavesdropping, but they were too caught up in their conversation to even notice him.

  "I want to help you, Daddy," Caroline said. "You know I do. But Kate won't race again, and Ashley can't even get herself on a boat these days."

  "You have to convince them, Caroline. I'm counting on you," he said loudly, firmly.

  "I'll come with you. I'll race. I'll be your partner. Maybe that will be enough. We can get a good crew. There are plenty of strong, willing sailors around. We don't need Kate or Ashley."

  "Of course we need Kate. She's—" He waved his hand in the air as if searching for the right word. "She's the one who makes it all work."

  "I can make it all work."

  Duncan called to the waiter to bring them two beers.

  "I don't want a beer," Caroline said. "Look, why don't you take me out on the practice run tomorrow? You'll see how good I am."

  "You haven't sailed in years."

  "Neither have you," she argued. "But I've kept in shape. I'm still really strong."

  The waiter set down two beers in front of them. Duncan picked his up and drank like a man who hadn't tasted water in a week, but, judging by the empty glass on the table, this was not his first beer. Nor would it probably be his last. As he set down his glass, he saw Tyler and motioned him over.

  "There you are, my favorite reporter. What are you drinking?"

  "Beer, I guess."

  "Will, bring me another for my friend," Duncan called out. "And put it on my tab."

  "How's it going, Caroline?" Tyler pulled out an empty chair at their table and sat down.

  "Fine," she said with an expression that was not particularly welcoming. "You sure do seem to pop up wherever we are.”

  "She's upset," Duncan told Tyler. "She wants to race with me, but I need Kate, too."

  "I still don't get why," Caroline retorted.

  "Well now, honey, I don't want you to get your feelings hurt, but you're kind of a jinx."

  Caroline sat upright in her chair. "I am not a jinx. How can you say that?"

  "Trouble follows you around like a tail follows a dog." Duncan smiled over at Tyler. "If there was a bucket nearby, Caroline would no doubt step in it. If there was a drink by her elbow, she'd knock it over, accidentally of course." He glanced back at his youngest daughter. "It's okay. You can't help it, and you always try hard."

  "I am not that clumsy," she protested.

  "Oh, look, there's Rudy." Duncan waved his hand toward his friend. "Hey, Rudy, come over here and sit your sorry ass down."

  A big, burly man in his late fifties ambled over to the table. "Who's your friend?" Rudy asked.

  "Tyler something," Duncan replied. "He's a reporter looking for some good sailing stories."

  "Don't believe a word this bastard has to say," Rudy said, giving Tyler a hearty pat on the back. "Duncan lies so much he's forgotten what the truth looks like."

  "That's for sure," Caroline said harshly as she got up. "I'm out of here."

  "Hey, you haven't touched your drink," Duncan said. "Push it on over here, would you? I don't want good beer going to waste."

  Caroline looked as if she was going to do what he suggested, but when her hand touched the glass she hesitated. She lifted it to her mouth and took a sip. She gave her father a hard, unforgiving look, then tilted her head back and drank the beer down to the last drop. She set the glass down on the table. "See, there are some things I'm good at," she said and turned toward the door.

  Tyler wanted to go after her, but Duncan was saying something to him and Rudy put a hand on his arm, and by the time he excused himself and got to the door Caroline had disappeared. She'd had a dangerous, reckless look in her eye, and she was looking for trouble. He wondered if she would find it. He wondered why he was hoping she wouldn't. He'd come to Castleton to discredit the McKenna sisters, or at least the one who was Amelia's mother, and that could be Caroline. But now that he was here, he was finding it more difficult to see any of them as his enemy. He really did need to regroup and get his head together. Because no matter how nice they appeared to be, one of them wanted to take his niece away from his brother, and he couldn't let that happen.

  * * *

  Kate jogged down the sidewalk that ran along the marina early Wednesday morning. She'd almost made a huge mistake the night before, and she was doing penance this morning by putting her body through a punishing workout. Maybe if she got tired enough, she'd s
top thinking about Tyler, stop wanting to make love to him, stop acting like a fool.

  He'd been the one to call a halt to things. She was the one who'd been caught up in the moment, and it still irked, even after a long, sleepless night. She liked to be in control at all times, especially of herself and her emotions, but there had been a few minutes last night when she had been completely out of control.

  What had she been thinking? She barely knew him. And she wasn't sure she could trust him. Her instincts told her he was hiding something. Then again, so was she. It was difficult to call him a liar when he could throw the word right back at her.

  But all that aside, Tyler had been charming, fun. He'd made her laugh, made her feel emotions she hadn't felt in a long time—if ever. That traitorous thought brought her jog down to a walk.

  Had it ever been that good with Jeremy? Had her senses been so completely involved? Or was it even fair to compare? Time had dimmed so many memories. And she had changed as well. She was a grown woman now. Her needs, her wants, her wishes were different.

  Kate paused along the rail, looking out at the water and the boats. She'd been content before Tyler came to town. She'd told herself work and family were enough. She didn't need a man in her life, didn't want all the messy, emotional complications of love, didn't want to have her heart broken again. And she'd almost bought into all of that until Tyler had arrived.

  Now she'd had a taste of what she was missing, and that taste had made her want more.

  It could hurt, a voice inside her head reminded her. And could she survive another loss? Wouldn't it be better to play it safe?

  While she was thinking, she caught a glimpse of a man coming out of the coffee shop down the street. It was Mike Stanaway, the man her sister had been with at the ferry landing on Monday. She'd tried to talk to Caroline about him at the clam chowder cook- off, but her sister had claimed she was too busy to chat and then disappeared.

  Maybe this was her opportunity to talk to Mike. While Kate weighed her options, Mike took off at a brisk pace. She broke into a jog to follow him and came down the dock just as he disappeared onto his boat.

  Climbing aboard without waiting for an invitation, she called out his name as she went down the stairs into the cabin. She stopped abruptly as she saw Mike offering her sister Caroline a cup of coffee. Caroline was sitting up in bed, wearing a black spaghetti-strap undershirt. A tangled sheet covered her bottom half.

  Her hair was a mess, her makeup smeared as if she'd been crying.

  "What are you doing here?" Caroline demanded.

  Kate was so stunned by her sister's appearance she could barely speak. "I—I wanted to talk to Mike. I didn't know you were here."

  "About me? You wanted to talk to him about me?"

  "Get dressed. I'm taking you home." Kate glared at Mike, daring him to try and stop her, but he didn't say a word.

  "I'm not twelve, Kate. I'll go home when I want to," Caroline snapped. "And I'd like you to leave.”

  "What?" Kate asked in shock.

  "You heard me. I want you to leave."

  "Not without you. I'm not leaving you here with him."

  "I'm fine."

  "You don't look fine. You look like someone who knocked back a liquor store last night."

  Caroline uttered a bitter laugh. "You don't know anything."

  "I know this is not a good place for you to be.”

  "Mike is my friend."

  "She's too young for you. What are you doing with her?" Kate demanded of Mike.

  "That's her business and mine," he said quietly but firmly.

  "I know what I'm doing, Kate. You have to trust me."

  "It's him I don't trust," Kate said, tipping her head in Mike's direction.

  "He won't hurt me."

  "He already has. Look at your arms."

  "I told you I banged my arm. For God's sake, Kate, would you just leave? I'll call you later, or I'll come by the bookstore. Just go now. Go," Caroline added, with a pleading smile. "Trust me to take care of myself."

  Kate did not want to leave without her sister, but what could she do? "You better not hurt her," Kate said fiercely. "Because if you do, I will come after you."

  Mike didn't reply, just tipped his head in acknowledgment. Kate hesitated, then turned and ran up the stairs. Once on the dock, she stopped, debating her options. If she stayed nearby, she could hear Caroline if she called for help. Would she even call for help? Caroline certainly didn't want her interference. But, if she left, she'd be worrying the rest of the day.

  As she paced back and forth on the narrow dock, she saw a man approaching her—K.C. Just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse.

  "If you wanted to take a closer look, why didn't you just ask?" K.C. said as he stopped in front of her.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I'd be happy to give you a tour, Katie. I'm sure you're curious."

  It was then that Kate realized the Moon Dancer was just a few slips down. She'd been so preoccupied with following Mike that she hadn't noticed until now. "I didn't come here to see you or the Moon Dancer." Although now that she was here, maybe she should find out what K.C. was up to.

  "Have it your way," he said, walking past her.

  "Wait. I did want to ask you something."

  K.C. smiled as he turned back to face her. "I thought as much."

  "Why are you really here? Why did you buy our boat and have the sails remade in exactly the same design? I'm sure that wasn't a coincidence."

  "I bought the Moon Dancer because I wanted it, because your mother and I designed that boat in our heads long before she and Duncan decided to have it built. It was always meant to be mine—like so many other things that Duncan stole from me."

  She drew in a shaky breath. "I assume you mean my mother."

  "Nora belonged to me. He knew that."

  "My mother went where she wanted to go," Kate countered. "And the three of you were friends. I remember you being at every important occasion in our family until my mother died. Why would you have been there if you hated my father so much?"

  K.C. sent her a steady, assessing look. "That was because of you, Katie."

  Her heart stopped. He couldn't mean what he was implying.

  "I thought you were my daughter," he added, confirming her worst fear.

  "But it wasn't true." She made sure the words were a statement and not a question, but she was still holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

  "No, it wasn't true," he said finally and seemingly with regret. "Nora had told me that all along. But I had reasonable doubt. We'd both slept with her within the same critical period of time."

  "I find that hard to believe." She hated the thought of her mother with K.C., with anyone besides her father.

  "Nora and I had been dating, but we'd had an argument, a misunderstanding. A few days later Duncan returned from one of his trips. My good friend was back," K.C. said with bitterness. "I was happy to see him. So was Nora. She'd met him a few months earlier. I didn't realize what an impression he'd made on her until he came back. They started seeing each other. The next thing I knew, they were married. I didn't know she was pregnant at the time, but then you were born six weeks too early." He paused for a long moment. "When she told me I wasn't your father, I didn't believe her. I thought she was protecting her marriage, protecting Duncan. I couldn't fight her on it, not without hurting her. So I stayed close, figuring if I couldn't have you, I'd at least see you, spend time with you."

  "Give me presents that made your own son jealous," Kate interjected.

  K.C. looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me?”

  "You didn't realize what effect your actions had on your son? David still believes that you're my father, and that I'm your favorite.”

  "That's not true. I love him very much. And I never told him there was any possibility I was your father."

  "Then he guessed. Whatever happened back then, you need to let go of this old hatred of yours. What's it goi
ng to accomplish to beat my father? Will you be happy then?"

  K.C. didn't answer right away, then said, "I think I might be. Duncan didn't just cheat me out of the woman I loved. He cheated me in many other ways, including our race around the world."

  Kate stiffened and silently begged, Please don't remember. Please don't remember.

  K.C. watched her closely. "Can you deny that he didn't?"

  It was a risky question, one she didn't quite know how to answer, especially since she didn't know what he knew. "That race was over a long time ago."

  "I was leading—going into that storm. I should have won that race."

  "It's not our fault your boat went down."

  He didn't look like he believed her.

  "We all need to move on with our lives," she added quickly. "Don't you think it's time to put this thing with my father behind you? How long will you try to make him pay for winning my mother's love?"

  "As long as it takes," K.C. said coldly. "You've heard about our bet, Katie?”

  "Yes. My father is racing you for the Moon Dancer." She paused, unable to stop herself from throwing gasoline on the fire. "And he'll probably win."

  K.C. bristled at her words. "I guess that would depend on his crew. You were always a better sailor than your father. Another reason why I thought you were mine. But, no matter. When your father loses, I'll get something else I want."

  Kate knew she would regret asking, but she couldn't stop the words from coming to her lips. "What's that?"

  "The portrait of your mother with you and your sisters."

  "That's mine," she said tightly, unable to believe what he was saying.

  "Technically it belongs to your father, does it not?"

  Kate couldn't believe Duncan would have bet the portrait. Or maybe she could. His ego knew no bounds. He probably didn't consider it a risky bet.

  Kate turned her head, hearing a commotion behind her. Caroline jumped onto the dock. She scowled when she saw them. "Waiting for me, Kate?"