by Ruth Langan
She unlatched the gate and started up the walk. At the sound of his horn she turned to see him just pulling into the driveway. He turned off the ignition and lifted his cell phone to his ear. Seeing that he was engaged in an animated conversation, she waved and continued on up the walk.
A short time later, as she was putting away the last of the groceries, he walked into the kitchen.
“My sister just called.”
“All the way from Hawaii?” She pressed a lever and folded up her cart, stashing it in a storage closet.
“No. She and her husband are in Boston. Since Gary has to be there for a couple of days on business, she thought she’d fly up for a quick visit. I said I’d see if you could put her up.”
“Of course. I’d love to.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Mind? Colin, even if she weren’t your sister, I wouldn’t mind. This is what I do.”
“I know. But it means more work for you.”
“I thrive on work.”
“So I’ve noticed. I’ll call and see if she can arrange a quick flight tomorrow.”
“Oh, it’ll be so nice for you to have a visit.”
He grinned. “Yeah. It’s been almost a year. I miss her.” He drew Lizbeth close and buried his lips in her hair. “And I missed you all day. Want to scrub my back in the shower?”
“I think I’d better pass that up and get dinner started.”
“Forget dinner.” He kissed her hard and quick. “Let’s shower together and then we’ll walk down to the Pub.”
When she hesitated he added, “You can cook tomorrow night and impress Serena with your talents. Come on. The cook hasn’t had a night off since last weekend. And I’ll give you another lesson in virtual auto racing.”
“All right.” She laughed as he pulled her along toward the stairs. “But you’re going to smell like my girlie soap again when I’m through with you in the shower.”
He gave a mock sigh. “Ah, the sacrifices I’m forced to make.”
Lizbeth arranged a tall vase of deep purple irises and set it at the foot of the stairs. Then she stood back, considering. Maybe she’d put it in the guest room instead. She was halfway up the stairs when she decided she really wanted to set it in the middle of the dining room table.
That done she checked the appetizers she’d prepared and began arranging them on a tray. When they were just the way she wanted them, she carried the tray to the library and glanced at the clock. There was just time to fill the crystal bucket with ice, and chill some champagne, in case Colin’s sister preferred that to wine.
A short time later, when she heard the sound of Colin’s horn, she ran her damp palms over her skirt before hurrying to the front door.
“Serena.” Colin was smiling broadly as he led the way inside. “This is Lizbeth Sullivan.”
He lowered a hand to Lizbeth’s shoulder and kept it there as he said, “My sister, Serena.”
“Hi, Lizbeth.” The young woman stuck out her hand. “Colin says you don’t mind me imposing like this.”
“It’s not an imposition.” Lizbeth caught Serena’s hand between both of hers and studied the tanned, dark-haired young woman who managed to make a fisherman’s knit sweater and khaki walking shorts look elegant. “Stafford Cottage has a reputation to uphold, as the finest bed and breakfast in New Hampshire. I’m used to finding guests on my doorstep. I’ve never turned one away yet.” She studied Serena a moment. “You have Colin’s eyes. And the same smile.”
“That’s good.” Serena glanced over at her brother with a grin. “Then I guess we really did have the same parents.”
He winked at Lizbeth. “I used to tease her that Mom and Dad found her in the trash heap and only took her home because they felt sorry for her.”
“I think I almost believed him. For about a minute. When I was five or six.”
Lizbeth glanced around. “Where’s your suitcase?”
Serena shrugged. “I’m only staying overnight. Everything I need is in this backpack.”
“You’re kidding. Everything?”
She handed over the purse so Lizbeth could test its weight.
Lizbeth rolled her eyes. “Now I know you’re not kidding. This has to weigh ten or twelve pounds.”
“Twenty. But you ought to try carrying it through Logan Airport. Then you’d swear it weighs a ton.” She gave an admiring look around at the gleaming floors, the sunlit rooms perfumed with flowers. “This place is really beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Lizbeth smiled. “Would you like to see your room? Or would you like something to eat first?”
“Eat? You said the magic word. I’ll go for the food. There wasn’t time to eat before heading to the airport. And I’m not too fond of airplane meals. Colin raved about your cooking all the way here, and I’m already drooling.”
Lizbeth blushed, as much from the compliment as from the way Colin was watching her. “I put a tray of appetizers in the library. And if you’d like champagne, there’s some chilling on ice.”
“Champagne.” Serena caught her brother’s arm. “Come on. Feed me and ply me with champagne. And then you can tell me everything you’ve done in the past year. I’ll give you five minutes before it’s my turn to talk.”
They were both laughing as they walked away.
“Gary really wants to save enough to buy a boat like the one we’ll be working on.” Serena was seated at the round glass dining table, enjoying her third helping of pot roast with mashed potatoes, gravy and tiny garden peas.
She’d been eating steadily since devouring the entire tray of appetizers in the parlor.
Lizbeth found herself wondering how someone so thin could put away that much food. She was glad now that she’d decided on comfort food, instead of the gourmet meal she’d originally planned.
Colin studied his sister over the rim of his coffee cup. “Isn’t he going to put the two of you into a lot of debt?”
“Yeah. But it’s what we both want, and we’re willing to work for it.” Serena polished off another roll and glanced at Lizbeth. “Did you bake these?” Without waiting for a reply she said, “They’re wonderful. In fact, I haven’t tasted anything this good since I left Aunt Betty’s. I hope you don’t mind that I’m making a pig of myself.”
“I love cooking for someone who enjoys eating the way you do.”
“I don’t always eat like this. I guess there’s never time. Gary and I are always on the run.” She looked over at her brother, who was watching her with a look of concern. “I know that look, Colin. You’re afraid Gary and I are going to bite off more than we can chew.” She swallowed and chuckled at her pun. “But neither of us is afraid of hard work. We’ll get what we want, no matter how long it takes us.”
“Okay.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I’ll quit playing the big brother act and let you and Gary work things out in your own way.” He sat back. “Now about Aunt Betty. Have you contacted her lately?”
“Whoops.” Serena gave a guilty laugh. “I’ve been meaning to, but I keep forgetting.”
“Then right after dinner I’ll ring her up and you two can catch up on a few things.”
She nodded and reached for another roll. “Okay. Right after dinner. I promise.” She looked over at Lizbeth. “So, what’s for dessert? Was that brownies I smelled baking when I passed the kitchen?”
“It was. With ice cream and fudge sauce.”
As Lizbeth began to serve their dessert, Serena touched a hand to her heart. “Brownies with ice cream and hot fudge. If Gary was here he’d think he was in heaven. I don’t think he’s had a home-cooked meal since we got married.” She glanced at her brother. “With food this good, how do you manage to stay so trim?”
“I work hard. Remember?”
“Oh yeah.” She grinned and dug into her ice cream. “My poor big brother, raking in a fortune for simple little remodeling jobs.”
“If they were simple, everybody would be doing them.” He rapped her knuckles when she starte
d to eat his dessert as well. Then with a laugh he handed it over and shook his head in amazement as Serena cleaned the plate.
Serena wiped her mouth and set her napkin aside. Her tone grew serious. “I know you’re worried about the debt, Colin. And it’s true that Gary and I figure it’ll take us the next twenty years before we actually own our dreamboat free and clear. But we’ll both be doing what we’ve always wanted. And to us, that’s all that matters.”
“What about setbacks? Like illness?”
She shrugged. “We’ll deal with it.”
“What about kids? Have you given any thought to having a family?”
For a moment she looked pensive. Then she shook her head. “We’ve thought about it. We’d both like to have a baby. But we’re not sure it would be fair to a child to haul it all around the Pacific.”
“But what if it happens?”
Serena sighed. “Then we’ll deal with that, too.” She gave Colin a wide smile. “Want to call Aunt Betty now?”
“Sure. Anything to avoid my questions, right?” He sighed. “I’ll get my cell phone.” He turned to Lizbeth. “Would you like to join us in the library?”
“You two go ahead.” She began clearing the table. “I’ll just see to a few things in the kitchen.”
As they were leaving she called, “If you’d like, I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee.”
“Don’t bother.” Colin dropped an arm around his sister. “I’d hate to see ‘slim’ here come apart at the seams. And I have a feeling if she eats or drinks another thing, that’s exactly what would happen.”
Lizbeth was laughing as the two exited the dining room.
Lizbeth lay in bed, hearing the pleasant drone of voices drifting up the stairs. She had thoroughly enjoyed the teasing banter between Colin and Serena. Though they were often separated by thousands of miles, it was obvious that they had a deep and abiding affection for one another. It reminded her of the relationship she had with her two sisters. They were often apart, but the distances and the differences between them disappeared the minute they came together.
She’d been able to see another side to Colin tonight. The concerned big brother. It was obvious that he loved his sister deeply, and wanted only the best for her. But he’d wisely backed off from offering unwanted advice when she’d described the size of the boat she and Gary were planning to buy, and the amazing cost.
She yawned and closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift on a current of contentment. If she had a big brother, she’d want him to be like Colin. Likewise, if she had a husband, she’d want him to be like…
She felt the mattress sag, and strong arms slide around her, anchoring her firmly against a distinctly masculine body.
“Now who could this be?” she whispered.
“Hmm. That question could lead to all kinds of speculation. Such as, how many men in the town of Stafford do you allow to sneak into your bed at night, Ms. Sullivan?”
She pretended to yawn. “Too many to count. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.”
“I see.” He nibbled her ear. “And how many of them are allowed to do this?” He ran soft nibbling kisses across the back of her neck, along her shoulder.
She felt delicious tingles along her spine and shivered in anticipation. “Only a very special few are given this rare privilege.”
“Only a few. That’s a relief. Now I’ll want their names in the morning, so I can see that they’re run out of town.”
“Can’t stand the competition, huh?”
“You got that right.” He turned her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. “I want you all to myself, Lizbeth Sullivan.”
“Then you can have me.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled closer. “At least for tonight.”
“You’re a generous woman.” He nuzzled her lips. “And a very tasty one. Mind if I feast on you?”
“Careful.” She breathed the words inside his mouth. “You’re already curling my toes.”
“That’s nothing to what you’re doing to me.” He took the kiss deeper, as his hands began to weave their magic.
“I like your sister, Colin.”
“So do I. In fact, I’m crazy about her. But I wish her room wasn’t so close to yours. You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. It would be a simple matter to knock out a couple of walls over on the east wing, and turn those rooms into a master suite. Then you’d have your own private wing, apart from your boarders.”
“I’ve often thought the same thing. In fact, I was hoping to do just that next winter. But if I’d done it sooner, this particular boarder would be very far away from my bedroom. And who knows if we’d have ever gotten together?”
“Hmm. Then I’m grateful that you didn’t start your remodeling project sooner.”
“So am I. But there’s still the matter of your sister in the room down the hall.”
He drew her close. “True. But right now I’m not thinking about Serena. In fact, whenever I get this close to you, I can’t think at all.” He rolled her over until she was straddling him. He dug his fingers into her hair, and moaned with pleasure when she lowered her mouth to his.
Against her lips he whispered, “Ms. Sullivan, you’ve got me so tied up in knots, I can’t think of anything but you. I can’t see anyone but you. And right now, I can’t wait another minute to love you.”
There were no more words as they felt themselves sinking into a deep, dark fathomless pool of passion.
Chapter 14
Colin came downstairs to find Serena and Lizbeth laughing together in the kitchen.
Serena was sipping coffee and nibbling a freshly baked banana nut muffin. She looked up at her brother’s entrance. “I can’t believe you’ve been eating like this every day since you arrived in Stafford.”
“Yeah, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.” He paused to touch a hand to Lizbeth’s cheek before pouring himself a cup of coffee.
The gesture wasn’t lost on Serena. She arched a brow, and smiled to herself, happy that her brother had found someone so sweet and nice, even if only for his short stay in Stafford.
Lizbeth glanced at his clothes. “You aren’t planning to work today? I thought you were only taking an hour off to drive Serena to the airport.”
“I’m going to head over to the job and get the crew started before I pick up Serena. But since we’re in the final phase now, there’s nothing left to do but clean up.”
“Clean up?” Lizbeth sloshed coffee over the rim of her cup. Very deliberately she set it down and dried her hands. “You mean the job is finished?”
“Just about. Bill and Sue Yardley may have a few last minute things they want changed, but for the most part we’re through. I was hoping you could stop by later and see what we’ve managed to accomplish. The Yardleys are really happy with the results.”
“Well.” Lizbeth touched a hand to her stomach, where nerves fluttered. She’d known, of course, that he was very close to the end of this job. But she hadn’t allowed herself to think about it. Nor would she now. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready. “I’m sure Sue will want everything perfect before she starts showing off her new home. I think I’d better wait awhile.”
“I don’t know why you’d think that. Half the town has stopped by since we started.” He chuckled at the thought of the parade of townspeople who’d come through the house since he’d begun. “And no matter what the condition of her home, Sue always seems delighted with the company.”
He motioned toward the platter of waffles and sausages. “Is that for us, or are you expecting company?”
“Oh.” She managed a short laugh, though she was so distracted she could hardly think. “Go ahead into the dining room. I’ll bring it along.”
“I’ll take it.” Colin set the platter on the serving cart, before pushing it through the open doorway. He glanced over his shoulder. “Coming, Serena?”
“Yeah. I’ve been eyeing those waffles and sausages since I got downstairs.” She tra
iled her brother from the room.
Lizbeth took a moment to settle her nerves before picking up the carafe of coffee and following them.
Minutes later the three of them were seated in the dining room. Lizbeth found that her appetite had fled. She merely sipped coffee while Serena matched Colin waffle for waffle, sausage for sausage, until the platter was empty.
“Why did you make so much food?” Serena groaned when she was through.
Lizbeth laughed. “For one thing, it’s your last morning in Stafford. I wanted this breakfast to be grand. And the truth is, I’m rather amazed at how much you manage to eat. Besides, knowing how you feel about airplane food, I wouldn’t want you to have to eat something during your flight. In fact, I intend to wrap the rest of these muffins so you can take them with you.”
“See how thoughtful she is?” Colin drained his coffee, then pushed away from the table. “I’ll be back in two hours to pick you up, Serena. I think it’s a good thing you’re leaving today. A few more days here and Gary wouldn’t recognize the little butterball getting off the plane.” He bent to kiss his sister’s cheek. “Two hours. Be ready.”
“You’re talking to a traveling fool, remember? I could be packed and ready in five minutes.”
“Yeah. I think you could.” He paused to brush a kiss across Lizbeth’s cheek. “If you’d like, I’ll stop by on the way home from the airport and pick you up, so you can see what we’ve accomplished at the Yardleys.”
She nodded. “All right. I’d like that.”
When he was gone, Serena began stacking dishes on the serving cart.
Lizbeth caught her by the arm. “Stop that. You’re a guest here. Leave that for me.”
“You have to let me do it. I need to work off some of this food.” Serena cleared the table and pushed the cart toward the kitchen, with Lizbeth trailing behind. “Besides, Colin is right. Just one night here and my clothes feel snug.”
While she began loading dishes into the washer Serena said casually, “Colin seems really comfortable here.”