Will sucked in a deep breath and prayed for patience. “Jess, what’s really going on here? Is this more of that discussion we started to have the other day? Are you deliberately trying to find a reason to break up? Did you want me to blow a gasket over the date so you’d have some trumped-up excuse to walk away?”
“Oh, stop trying to analyze me,” she retorted, then hung up.
Less than a minute later, his phone rang again. “I’m sorry, Will. I really am,” she said, sounding genuinely contrite. “I have no idea why I’m being such a pain. I guess it’s because I already felt guilty and you letting me off the hook is making me feel even guiltier.”
“Where are you?”
She hesitated. “Why?” she asked, sounding puzzled.
“Because if you’re not that far away, I could get in my car and we could straighten this out in person.”
“You would drive somewhere tonight just to settle a stupid argument?” she asked, sounding stunned.
“I would drive anywhere to be with you,” he countered. “As for settling arguments, I hear that making up can be all kinds of fun.”
“Actually I’m not that far away,” she told him. “I was invited to take a look at an inn that’s up for sale just outside of Ocean City. Since I left late, I booked a room for the night.”
So that’s what this was about, Will thought. No wonder she’d gone dashing off. “You’re thinking of buying another inn?” he asked, not entirely surprised.
“I honestly have no idea if I’m interested or not,” she admitted. “I loved the process of getting everything ready, but now that The Inn at Eagle Point is a success and I have the right people in place, I don’t know, it’s not quite the same.”
“You’re bored?”
“It’s not because of the ADD,” she said defensively.
“I didn’t say it was,” he said mildly. “A lot of people like the challenge of opening a new business, then turning it over to a management team.”
“Then you don’t think I’m nuts for considering this?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Will you drive over and take a look? It’s a little shabby, but the setting’s very romantic.”
“Give me directions,” he said at once. “And chill a bottle of champagne while you’re at it. We have some making up to do.”
Unfortunately, he was sure this was going to become a pattern with the two of them. Right now there was an edge of excitement and passion to these unexpected ups and downs, but relationships couldn’t go the distance that way. He understood that better than anyone.
Then again, if he’d wanted smooth sailing, his heart should have picked just about anyone except Jess O’Brien.
22
Thomas had been down with the flu for over a week. Not that there was ever a good time for getting sick, but this couldn’t have happened at a worse one. He knew Connie was probably wondering what on earth had happened to him, but just the thought of picking up the phone to call her had been too much. He’d been asleep most of the time anyway. Today was the first time in days he’d dragged himself out of bed and actually showered and shaved. He even considered trying to get into the office for an hour or two.
Dressed in clean clothes and feeling almost human again, he was debating whether or not chicken soup would be a mistake, when his doorbell rang. He crossed the living room and opened the door to find Connie standing there with an armload of groceries and sparks in her eyes.
“You’re an idiot!” she declared and swept past him.
So much for sympathy, he thought, though he couldn’t help admiring the way she’d gone on the attack first thing. She was a formidable woman when her back was up. In that respect, she reminded him of his mother.
“You seem upset,” he said mildly, following her into the kitchen.
“After not hearing from you for days, which we’ll discuss in a minute, I finally broke down and called your office and discovered you’d been home with the flu. Sick as a dog, according to your secretary, who’s not all that impressed with you at the moment, either. She said something about you snapping at her a few too many times when she called with questions.”
“I was sick,” he protested.
“Men!” she muttered. “They’re the worst patients in the world. Believe me, Jake was no picnic. Thank heavens, he’s Bree’s problem now.”
Thomas bit back a smile. “Apparently you’re not here to cheer me up.”
She didn’t seem to find the comment amusing. “No, I’m here to assess the situation, see if you’re ready for some decent food, and then, as soon as I’m assured that you’re on a path to a full recovery, I intend to give you a piece of my mind for not calling to tell me what was going on.”
“How long are you planning to stick around?” he inquired. “Looks as if you brought a lot of food. You have a suitcase with you, by any chance?”
She frowned at him. “Soups and stews require a lot of fresh ingredients,” she said. “As for how long I’ll be here, I’ll let you know when I think you’re well enough to leave this apartment.” She surveyed him from head to toe, her expression suddenly suspicious. “You don’t look that sick.”
Uh-oh, Thomas thought. “I couldn’t stand myself anymore. I took a shower and shaved right before you got here. I actually feel pretty good. I should be able to get back to work tomorrow. In fact, I was thinking I could run over to the office this afternoon until you showed up.”
“Have you eaten anything?”
“I was just debating whether to chance it,” he told her.
“Okay, then, I’ll get busy. I brought some ginger ale. You can drink that while I cook.”
“Somehow in the past few weeks I’ve missed the fact that you are incredibly bossy,” he said, taking a couple of steps in her direction until she was backed into the counter.
For the first time, she looked vaguely wary. “Thomas?”
“Yes, Connie.”
“What are you doing?”
“I think I know what the best medicine is,” he said. “I was planning to test my theory. And, in case you’re worried, I’m long past being contagious.”
Before she could scoot away, he leaned down and kissed her, lingering over the kiss until he heard her sigh and felt her hands clinging to his shoulders.
When she finally pushed him away, the sparks were back in her eyes. “If you’re feeling that frisky, mister, then we can get straight to that conversation about what people in a relationship are supposed to do in a crisis.”
He smiled, poured himself a glass of ginger ale and took a seat at the kitchen table, then regarded her attentively. “Do tell.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t think you’re taking this seriously. I was worried about what had happened to you.”
“You thought I’d had second thoughts,” he guessed. She nodded. “I hated myself for it, but yes.”
He gestured toward the chair next to his. “Sit.”
“I need to get that soup started.”
“I can eat soup from a can,” he said. “This is more important.”
Though she looked appalled by the suggestion of canned soup, she did sit down, though it was fairly gingerly and on the edge of the seat.
“What?”
“I’ve had some time to think the past few days, at least when I wasn’t zonked out or praying for death.”
She winced at the description. For a moment Thomas thought she might reach for his hand, maybe even give it a sympathetic squeeze. That’s what she would have done if she weren’t currently so annoyed with him. Instead, she just sat there, waiting.
“Okay, here it is,” he said. “I’d planned to take care of a few details first, go out and buy a ring, pick some romantic setting, things like that.”
Her eyes widened as the words registered.
“But now seems like the right moment,” he added. “I don’t want you to ever have these doubts again about where we stand. So, Connie Collins, will you do me the incredible honor
of marrying me?”
Since she looked a little shell-shocked, he rushed on, making his case. “I know this is fast, but we’ve both been on this earth long enough to know when something’s right. And we also know how short and capricious life can be. I don’t want us to waste a single minute.”
He looked into her eyes, which seemed to be shimmering with unshed tears. He wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he pressed his point. “Will you marry me?”
The muscles in her throat worked, and it seemed to him she was struggling to get air. He frowned. “Are you choking or something?”
She shook her head. “I’m just trying to find the right words,” she said.
“It only takes one,” he reminded her quietly. “Yes…” He hesitated, almost afraid to mention the alternative. He sucked in a deep breath finally and added, “Or no.”
Once more she opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Instead, she nodded.
Thomas felt the tension in his shoulders relax. “Was that a yes?”
A smile broke across her face then, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s a yes! I think we may both be a little crazy, but yes, Thomas O’Brien, I will marry you.”
“Come here,” he said, gathering her into his arms and holding her. “I will do this all over again, if you want the romantic setting and the whole nine yards.”
She rested a hand against his cheek. “This will do,” she said. “As proposals go, I think it was pretty memorable.”
“Do you still want to get into that lecture you had on the tip of your tongue?” he asked.
“Maybe later,” she told him. “For now, you’ve done a pretty good job of redeeming yourself.”
“Pretty good?”
“Okay, an amazing job.”
“Did I happen to mention that I love you?” Thomas asked. “It should have been the very first thing I said.”
“I’ll forgive you,” she said with a slow smile, “as long as you keep saying it for the rest of our lives.”
“Done,” he said, then kissed her again.
Even as she melted in his arms, he asked himself yet again how he’d managed to find such an incredible woman at this stage of his life. Maybe it was some of that luck o’ the Irish Ma was always talking about.
Will thought he and Jess had done a fine job of making up once he’d joined her just outside of Ocean City. They’d needed a weekend away together more than either of them had probably realized, but when they got back to Chesapeake Shores on Sunday night and dropped Jess’s car off on their way to grab dinner, Will called his answering service and discovered they’d been deluged with calls. The news about the dating service’s client had leaked out around town, if not in the media.
“All hell broke loose while you were gone. We have stacks and stacks of messages for you,” he was told. “We’ve separated them into pro, con and certifiably crazy.”
“I’ll be by to pick them up,” Will promised, then turned to Jess. “I’m sorry to end the weekend so abruptly, but I have to deal with this.”
“I’m coming with you,” she insisted. “What can I do to help? Want me to come to the office and help you field calls? At least I can screen out anything you don’t need to be dealing with right now.”
Will was tempted, but the weight of responsibility forced him to refuse. “This is my problem. I just wish I knew what to do. I never anticipated anything like this. Maybe Lunch by the Bay needs to be shut down entirely.”
“Don’t make that decision now, not until you’ve gotten a better feel for the fallout. You didn’t deliberately set some pervert loose on the women of Chesapeake Shores. He did that himself. I think your clients will indicate the best course of action. You don’t want to let down the ones who’ve been happy with having a service that concentrates on making matches locally.”
Will’s mood brightened. “There have been at least some satisfied customers.”
“And even a wedding, right?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not convinced that’s one I want to brag about. Let’s see if it lasts more than fifteen minutes or so.”
But after picking up the messages, he found one from that couple. “We’re in your corner,” it read. “Don’t let this get you down.”
“There,” Jess said, when she saw it. “That’s exactly what I was talking about. Take your cues from people like that.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Thanks for being so supportive, but I really need to deal with this. Do you mind if I take you back to the inn, after all?”
Jess looked as if she might argue, but instead, she reached up and pressed a hand to his cheek. “I’ll walk back. Call if you change your mind and need my help. Thanks again for coming to Ocean City to look at that property with me.”
“My pleasure.” He winked at her. “So was making up.”
In fact, the memory of that was going to get him through whatever lay ahead with this Lunch by the Bay mess.
Ever since the night she’d forgotten their date, Jess had tried harder and harder to keep track of every single detail in her life, especially those that concerned Will. It was a daily struggle, and it was wearing on her. Surely a real relationship shouldn’t cause such constant anxiety over messing up?
Unfortunately, with Will buried under the weight of handling the dating service fiasco, she’d been left with more and more time to chew over the state of their relationship. Even she recognized the probability that she was creating problems where none existed.
She was sitting in her office staring despondently at the contract for the property near Ocean City and wondering if she dared to make such a huge commitment, when Abby turned up. Her big sister’s gaze immediately narrowed.
“You look exhausted,” Abby said. “Aren’t you sleeping?”
“Not that well,” Jess admitted.
“Problems with Will? I heard about the sicko who exploited Lunch by the Bay. How’s he taking it?”
“He’s been worrying himself sick, of course, especially about Laila and the other woman this guy harassed. He’s not going to rest until the guy’s behind bars. Unfortunately, at the moment, he’s out on bail, though the judge says he’ll revoke it if he makes one single harassing call or goes anywhere near any of the women involved.”
“Laila’s still here with you?”
Jess nodded.
“She could stay with us,” Abby offered. “Trace was livid when he first found out, but he’s calmed down now.”
“Talk to her, but it’s fine if she stays here till this guy goes to court.”
“She’s not in the way?” Abby asked.
“Of course not.”
Abby regarded her perceptively. “Would Will say the same thing?”
“I’m sure he would,” Jess said, then sighed. “Or maybe not. He thinks I’m using Laila as a buffer, though lately he’s so swamped with work, it hardly matters.”
“Are you using Laila as a buffer?”
“Maybe. Sometimes.”
“Why, if things are really okay with the two of you?” Abby asked worriedly.
“Will’s been a saint. Maybe it comes with being a shrink, but he’s so understanding sometimes it makes my teeth hurt,” she said wearily. When Abby looked quizzical, she added, “From clenching them.” She couldn’t seem to stop the tears that welled up. “I think I should break it off with him.” It was the first time she’d dared to voice the words aloud.
Abby stared at her incredulously. “Because he’s too nice to you?”
“Because it’s too hard being the kind of woman he deserves. I know he’s doing what he needs to do right now about this dating service crisis, but I’m feeling left out. I know I need to grow up, but when he’s not around, I start imagining he won’t ever be back. I could list chapter and verse exactly why I react like this, but I can’t seem to stop the feelings from just rolling right on in.”
“Sweetie, sure he’s busy these days, but you’re the kind of woman Will wants, and you’re certainly everythin
g he deserves and more. He would tell you the same thing. If you’re feeling pressure, then you’re putting it on yourself. I don’t think he expects you to be anyone except the fantastic person you are.”
“I know that. I still feel as if one slip-up will ruin everything. I don’t need a shrink or you, for that matter, to tell me that it goes back to Mom leaving, but how do I get past that?”
“Time,” Abby said. “And Will understands that, probably better than any other man would.”
“But I’m being so unfair to expect that much patience from him.”
“Has he complained?”
“No.”
“Okay, then. Count your blessings, sweetie, and stop looking for a way out.”
Jess sighed. “It’s only because I’m terrified of losing someone who really matters, you know.”
Abby smiled. “I know, and I’m relieved that you do, too. If you remember nothing else, remember this. Will knows your flaws, Jess, and he chose you!”
For the first time in days, Jess let herself relax. “He did, didn’t he?”
“Do you think Will is smart?”
“Brilliant, actually.”
“Do you think he’s the kind of man who knows his own mind?”
“Of course.”
“Then why are you questioning his judgment? The only question you really should be asking yourself is whether you love him enough.”
“You mean as much as he deserves?”
Abby smiled at her. “No, enough to take the chance that what you two have is strong enough to last forever. Last time I checked, you were a pretty big risk-taker. Don’t let fear and caution start ruling your life now.”
Relieved by the show of support, Jess jumped up and hugged her. “You’re the best big sister in the entire universe.”
Abby grinned. “Even though I’m going to tell you that the figures on the contract for that inn you want to buy don’t make financial sense?”
Jess laughed. For once she didn’t resent Abby’s interference. “I think I’d already figured that out. Besides, who needs a new inn, when I can have this one and the best man in the world?”
Abby nodded approvingly. “See how smart you are? Will’s going to be a very lucky man.”
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