A smile tugged at her lips, just as he’d hoped.
“That’s better,” he said. “Don’t worry. This looks worse than it is. Most of your inventory is up off the floor and we’ll have this place dried out in no time. I’ll rent a couple of big fans and get a cleaning crew over here.” He met her gaze. “Will you be okay while I make a few calls and get things moving?”
She nodded, though her expression was bleak.
Reluctantly, Kevin left her alone and went outside to make the calls. When he came back in, she was pushing the water toward the front door with a broom.
“A mop will work better.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Sally will,” he said at once. “You go borrow that and I’ll start soaking this up with some towels. Can I use the ones in the bathroom?”
She nodded. “There are more up in my apartment. The key’s on the same ring. I’ll be right back.”
Kevin went through the back door, ran up the stairs to her apartment, grabbed an armload of towels, then went back downstairs. By then, Shanna was back, not only with a mop, but Jake, Mack and Will.
“I found backup,” she announced, looking a bit dazed. “When they heard me telling Sally what happened, they insisted on coming to help. Thank heavens they picked today to have a late lunch.”
Kevin doubted they were as interested in helping as they were in making his life miserable by reminding him from now through eternity that this was his fault. These guys did love to gloat about how inept the son of Mick O’Brien was when it came to anything handy. In fact, though they pitched in without comment, there was no mistaking the amusement lurking in their eyes.
To Kevin’s surprise, Mick had nothing to say when he arrived. He just put an arm around Shanna’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring hug.
“Not to worry,” he told her. “We’ll have this fixed and the mess cleaned up in no time.”
A few minutes after Mick’s arrival, Bree returned and took in Shanna’s glazed expression at once. “You need coffee,” she announced. “Let’s make a fresh pot, okay? Then you and I are going to pour a couple of cups and take them across the street to the park.”
“I can’t leave here,” Shanna protested, even as she went through the automatic motions to start a fresh batch of coffee.
“You most certainly can take a break,” Bree insisted.
“Go with my sister,” Kevin said. “Let us fix this.”
Bree nodded in wholehearted agreement. “You have an entire crew of strong, capable men cleaning things up. Let them get that done, then you and I will take stock of the inventory and see where things stand.”
Once again, Shanna looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Kevin’s heart sank, knowing he was responsible.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, just as Mick came out of the back room.
“This wasn’t your doing, son,” he said. “That whole pipe was a disaster waiting to happen. I’m calling your uncle Jeff. I can’t imagine what they were thinking, leasing this space without making a repair like that. There’s no excuse for it. Shanna, the management company will have insurance to cover any losses you might have. You won’t need to file a claim with yours.”
Her expression brightened visibly. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll see to it,” Mick said at once, a hard glint in his eyes.
Kevin had a feeling his father was going to relish the confrontation with his brother. Those two rarely spoke these days, except when Gram insisted on civility during the holidays. There’d been bad blood between them ever since they’d differed in their ideas for developing Chesapeake Shores. This would be just one more thing for Mick to throw in his younger brother’s face.
“Maybe I should talk to Uncle Jeff,” Kevin offered.
Mick’s forbidding expression warned him off.
“It was just an idea,” Kevin said at once. “Thought maybe it would be nice to keep peace in the family for Gram’s sake.”
“I’m not going to beat my brother up over this,” Mick retorted. “But I’ll see to it that he makes it right. Might be just what he needs to remind him that his obligations extend further than simply collecting the rent checks.”
Kevin kept his doubts about his father’s restraint to himself. Besides, from what he’d observed, his uncle had a strong sense of duty and had run the property management company just fine without any advice from Mick. Their differing points of view on just about everything were the primary cause of the rift between them.
Ironically, any outsider could see that Mick, Jeff and Thomas had balanced each other, each bringing something unique to the table when they’d developed the town. Chesapeake Shores was better because of it. Not that Mick would ever admit that. He’d taken every disagreement as a personal criticism, not only of his vision for the town, but also of his skill as a developer.
Rather than wasting his breath saying any of that to his father, though, Kevin turned to Shanna. “Still love this family?” he asked.
Her smile wobbled a bit, then spread. “Yeah, I do.”
For some reason, that made him happier than he had any right to feel on a day that had been as chaotic and accident-prone as this one.
10
Shanna sat on a bench in the park across the street from her store, clutching her second cup of coffee and trying not to cry as boxes of sopping wet books were carted outside and put into the back of Jake’s pickup to be taken to the dump. Dusk was falling, and they’d been working nonstop all afternoon to dry the place out and remove anything that had been damaged beyond repair.
She was physically and emotionally drained from going through sodden books, making a note of the ruined titles so she could remove them from her inventory list and then reorder. Most of the damage had been to the children’s books, because they’d been on the lowest shelves or, in many cases, on the floor where young readers had left them.
She looked up as Kevin crossed the street, and her heart did a weak little stutter-step that was about as halfhearted as everything else she was feeling.
“Hey,” he said, dropping down beside her. “You okay?”
“I’ve been better,” she said. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if all of you hadn’t pitched in this afternoon. Everyone’s been amazing. Even people I barely know stopped by to help.”
“We take care of our own in this town, and people love the addition of a bookstore to Main Street,” he told her. Studying her intently, he added, “You look beat. Why don’t you grab a shower, change your clothes and I’ll take you for a quick bite to eat? You could probably use a low-key, relaxing evening.”
She was shaking her head before the invitation was out of his mouth. “There’s too much left to do.”
“It will still be there tomorrow. We’ve dried the place out, and that’s the most important thing. Susie got here a few minutes ago, and she’s helping Bree sort through inventory.” He grinned. “At least when she’s not scowling at Mack.”
“I didn’t even see her,” Shanna said.
“Because you’re so exhausted you can barely keep your eyes open,” he said. “Add in the stress, and you need an early night.”
She started to rise. “I need to speak to Susie about the insurance.”
Kevin tugged her right back down. “She’ll bring the claim forms by first thing in the morning. She says she’ll even cut you a check as an advance against that, if you need it.” He grinned. “My dad’s doing, I’m sure. He was over at the management office ranting at Uncle Jeff, according to Susie.”
Shanna winced. “I didn’t want that to happen.”
“Don’t worry about it. Those two have spent their entire lives arguing about one thing or another. They thrive on it. You’ve given them something new to chew on for a couple of days.”
She gave him a bewildered look. “Is that normal? For siblings to fight like that?”
“You’re an only child?”
She nodded.
“Well, I can only tell you how
it is in my family. Abby, Bree, Jess, Connor and I have gone at it from time to time, though it’s mostly been passing squabbles that don’t mean much. My dad and uncles are another story. Their personalities are as different as night and day. They can clash over whether the sky’s blue. Poor Gram’s been trying to bring about peace among them for years, but if you ask me, they enjoy fueling this feud they have going. My dad’s an uptight control freak. Uncle Jeff is almost as bullheaded. Uncle Thomas is the calmest, most rational of the three of them, but even he can get his Irish up for the sake of a good argument.”
“But you all seem to get along with Susie,” she noted.
“We’re bonded just because of the rift between our dads. None of us entirely get it, so we pretty much just stick together and ignore it unless we’re forced to take sides.”
Shanna was fascinated. “They insist you take sides?”
“From time to time,” Kevin acknowledged. “Mostly, though, we’ve declared ourselves to be neutral and we stick to it. Sort of like Switzerland.”
“I wish…” Shanna began, then cut herself off.
“Wish what?”
She shrugged. “What’s the point in wishing for something that can never be? My family was what it was. My parents were great. They were supportive and loving. I just always wanted the kind of big, crazy, semidysfunctional family you see on TV.” She met his gaze. “The kind you have.”
Kevin chuckled. “Most of the time I find my family to be an annoyance. This is the first time I’ve viewed them as an advantage.”
Shanna gave him a startled look. It almost sounded as if he was expressing a previously undisclosed interest in her. Though they’d spent some time together, for the most part it had been completely casual…at least if she discounted the sparks she’d been feeling from the very first time they’d met.
Almost as if he realized what he’d implied, Kevin stood up and held out his hand. “Come on. You can take another look around, issue whatever instructions will make you comfortable with walking away, and then we’ll grab a bite to eat.”
“It’s not right leaving everyone else to finish up,” she said as she followed him across the street. “I really should—”
“You really should go with my brother,” Bree said, joining them on the sidewalk and apparently guessing the topic. “We’ve done just about everything that can be done tonight.”
“I need to make lists of the rest of the inventory we’re tossing,” Shanna protested.
“Done,” Bree said. “I wrote down the titles, authors and that number on the back you showed me. Any of the books that seemed merely damp, I set aside. You can make a final decision on those tomorrow. The shelves are wiped dry. The fans are blowing. The air-conditioning is running. I put a couple of boxes on the counter of other inventory you should probably look at. I think you could sell it at half price, but it’s up to you.”
Shanna regarded her with amazement. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. You’d do the same for me. Now, take a break and relax. The rest of us are going to Sally’s for burgers. You can come along, but I recommend you let Kevin take you someplace quiet so you can forget about all of this for an hour or two.”
Tears welled up in Shanna’s eyes as she gave Bree a hug. Even in such a short time, Bree had come to be almost as dear a friend as Laurie. On a day like today, when Shanna had really needed a friend to turn to, Bree had been here. After taking Davy, Carrie and Caitlyn back to Nell’s, Bree had come back and pitched right in. Of course Laurie had offered to drive right down when Shanna had called her, for which she’d been grateful, but Bree and the others were already on the scene.
Inside, Shanna opened the cash register and took out a handful of twenties. “Take this,” she said. “Dinner for everyone is on me.”
Bree started to protest, but Shanna’s jaw set stubbornly. “Take it,” she insisted. “It’s the very least I can do.” She’d replace the store money with her own in the morning.
“It’s not necessary, but thanks.” Bree gave her brother a hug, then went off to join her husband and the others at Sally’s.
Shanna released a sigh as Bree left. Kevin rested a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay,” he assured her.
“I know that,” she said as she stood in the middle of the room and glanced around at the chaos. Books and games had been pulled off lower shelves and piled on tables and chairs to get them away from the floor. They’d need to be sorted through and put back before tomorrow’s opening. She met Kevin’s worried gaze. “It’s just really hard to see how right now.”
“Which is why you’re not tackling it till morning. I’ll be here to help. In the meantime, how about that shower and then some food?”
She had a fleeting image of taking that shower with him. Now that would definitely get her mind off the mess. She held back a smile at the thought. Kevin gave her a curious look, almost as if he’d read her mind. She blinked and looked away, her cheeks burning.
“Sure,” she said at last. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
That would be plenty long enough for a quick shower and a change of clothes. She had a hunch, though, that it wouldn’t be nearly long enough to regain her equilibrium…either from today’s events or from Kevin’s attention. It had been a very long time since she’d been around a man she felt she could count on.
Kevin had planned to take Shanna to Brady’s, where they could have a leisurely meal in a serene setting. Instead, to his dismay, she insisted on joining the others at Sally’s.
“Any particular reason?” he asked, not even trying to contain his consternation.
Her gaze narrowed. “Any particular reason you don’t want to join them?” she countered, calling him on it.
“I never said—”
“You might as well have.”
“I just thought it would be more relaxing to go someplace like Brady’s,” he claimed, though the truth was, he didn’t want everyone at the table studying the two of them and openly speculating about their relationship. That’s exactly what would happen if they went to Sally’s. There was enough speculation as it was. He’d already endured quite a few pointed comments from his so-called friends this afternoon.
“I’m not dressed for Brady’s,” Shanna said, gesturing to her shorts and T-shirt.
“No place in Chesapeake Shores is really formal, except maybe the inn,” he told her, still pressing his point.
“If you’re going to convince me to change my mind, you’re going to have to be clear about your objections to Sally’s,” she told him.
“Bree is there,” he said succinctly. “And Jake, Mack, Will and Susie.”
“All family and friends,” she said, still looking blank. Then understanding apparently dawned. “And that’s exactly why,” she concluded.
He nodded. “They’ll make too much of us being there together.”
“Won’t they make even more of it if we go off alone?” she asked reasonably. “I know Bree suggested that, but if we really want to avoid stirring up talk, we should be with everyone else.”
Kevin hadn’t considered it that way.
“There’s safety in numbers,” she added. “We’ll just be part of the crowd if we’re with them. There will be nothing left to speculate about.”
He saw her point, and it was a good one. Somehow, though, he still wanted to press for Brady’s. And that told him he wasn’t being entirely honest with himself about his reasons for wanting to go there. He wanted to be alone with Shanna, wanted to be the one who put a smile back on her face after this dreadful day. He wanted things he had no business wanting.
“You’re right,” he said. “Sally’s it is.”
If she was puzzled by his abrupt about-face, she didn’t say anything. It was just as well, because he sure as hell wouldn’t have told her the real reason behind it.
When they walked into Sally’s, he was surprised to see two empty chairs set up at the table. Bree
gave him an amused look.
“Something told me the two of you would be along any minute,” she said. “The only thing I wasn’t sure about was which of you would make the argument for joining us. Your burgers are on the way. I told Sally to put them on the minute you walked in the door.”
“Thanks for ordering and, for your information, we both agreed to come here,” Kevin told her stiffly, pulling out the chair next to his sister’s so Shanna could be the one to sit there. He took the remaining chair, which unfortunately sat him next to his brother-in-law. Jake was regarding him with amusement.
“Want me to tell your sister to go easy on you?” Jake inquired in an exaggerated undertone that could be heard by everyone at the table.
Kevin gave him a hard look but refrained from using the words on the tip of his tongue, because there were ladies present. Instead, he glanced down the table to see Mack staring at Susie with the kind of lovesick expression that Kevin feared might be his own destiny if he wasn’t careful. Susie was pointedly ignoring Mack and talking to Will. Kevin shook his head and turned to his sister.
“Maybe you should focus your attention on those two,” he suggested with a nod of his head in their direction.
Bree grinned at his obvious attempt to divert her attention from him and Shanna. “Oh, believe me, when it comes to matchmaking, I can multitask.”
“Did I give you this much grief when you were dating Jake?” Kevin asked.
“You weren’t even here,” she reminded him.
“I was the first time around,” Kevin said. “And I stayed out of your business.”
“Ha!” Jake said beside him. “You and Connor ganged up on me every chance you got.”
“I don’t recall that,” Kevin claimed, though he could barely contain a grin.
The bantering continued for several more minutes, until Sally set a cheeseburger and fries in front of him and another plate in front of Shanna along with tall glasses of iced tea. She paused long enough to give Shanna’s shoulder a squeeze.
“You need any help tomorrow, let me know, okay? Once I open in the morning, I’m not due back in here till the lunch rush, so I have some time to spare.”
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