Wesley charged ahead of them, but Jude walked slowly through the foyer and into the open great room, which had a coveted view of the lake. Stopping to rub her palm along his tan suede sectional sofa, she stared at lights blinking on in the city below. “This is beautiful, Liam. I could look at this view for hours.”
He sighed with relief. “I didn’t have anything to do with the view. That was all Mother Nature. And I hired a decorator for the rest, so I don’t deserve a whole lot of credit for any of it.”
She smiled, focusing her attention on Wesley, who stood with his palms against the floor-to-ceiling glass. “What do you think, Wesley? Pretty nice, huh?”
“It’s great,” he said. “I’m gonna live in a place like this when I grow up.”
“You’d better start saving your allowance, then,” Jude said.
Liam indicated that Jude should sit on the sofa. She did, and stretched her legs out toward the glass coffee table. “These are my best ‘going out’ jeans,” she said. “Yet I still feel underdressed.”
“You look beautiful,” he said. “That sweater is a knockout.”
She raked her fingers along the soft arm of the garment. “It’s cashmere, not all that practical for a country girl. My father got it for me for Christmas.”
“He has good taste,” Liam said. “Can I get you guys a soda or some iced tea?” Liam asked. “We’re having spaghetti. I hope that’s all right. I’m not really much of a cook.”
“I love spaghetti,” Wesley said, finally walking away from the window. “Don’t cut mine. I like to spin it around on my fork.”
“No problem,” Liam promised. “Sodas?”
“That would be great,” Jude said.
“Before I get them, I have a surprise for Wesley.”
“A surprise for me?” He grabbed Liam’s hand. “What is it?”
“Come with me,” Liam said. “I want to show you something in my office.” He turned to Jude. “You can come with us if you want, Jude, or wait here and just relax after that drive.”
She didn’t budge. “Relaxing sounds good.”
Liam returned a few minutes later with her drink and sat next to her on the sofa.
“What’s Wesley doing?” she asked.
“I set up a telescope for him,” Liam said. “I aimed it at the sky from the office window and told him what to look for.”
“That was nice of you,” she said.
“No praise necessary. I wanted us to have some time together, just the two of us. I hope that’s okay.”
She angled her body nearer to his and he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “It’s perfect.”
Liam fought his desire to kiss her. Jude looked so unique, so stunning—a mysterious combination of natural beauty and feminine innocence. She was clever, strong, nurturing, and as each minute passed, and their conversation wandered toward more personal, intimate topics, Liam felt even more invested.
But he wouldn’t rush her. She had only recently forgiven him for his deception with her father. She had resented his interference in the foundation’s running with his unwanted advice and financial common sense. But they were on the same page now, and he didn’t want anything to disrupt the relationship they were building toward what he hoped would be a happy ending.
“Hey, Liam, come here!”
Wesley’s voice came from Liam’s home office. With a mother’s natural instinct, Jude stood up suddenly. “We’d better go check.”
They rushed into the room that held the telescope, computer equipment and mementoes of Liam’s professional life. The decorator he’d hired when he bought the condo had made sense of his files and records with tasteful built-in cabinets. A contemporary walnut desk occupied nearly one entire wall. Above the desk was a collection of photos of which Liam was especially fond.
“What’s wrong, Wesley?” Liam asked when both he and Jude had determined there was no real emergency.
Wesley pointed to one of the photos. “Is that you?” he asked.
Jude went immediately to the bank of pictures. She briefly studied each one. “You’re in every one of these!” she said before drawing in a sharp breath. She pointed to one taken a few summers ago when Liam and his friends covered two hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail. In the photo, he had on camouflage pants, a windbreaker and a bandanna around his head. He especially remembered that trip because it was the longest time he’d ever gone without a shower.
“Yeah, that’s me all right,” he said. “That backpack must have weighed thirty pounds, and I lost about ten.” He walked up beside her and pointed to the other men in the photo. “These are my three best friends from college. That’s Don, Lenny and George. We met as freshmen, joined the same fraternity, and have stayed close ever since.”
She scanned the other pictures, her features seeming to grow more alarmed by the second. “For heaven’s sake, Liam, you four guys have actually done all these things?”
“Look at this one, Mom,” Wesley said. “Liam jumped from an airplane!”
“We sure did.” Liam smiled at the picture of the four of them free-falling from a small plane, hands joined, huge smiles on their faces. “I must admit I was scared nearly out of my mind that day, but it was a thrill I’ll never forget.”
She turned slowly to face him. Her bafflement seemed to have transformed into terror. “But why would you do such a thing?”
He stood a little taller, hoping she recognized the pure guts it took to make the jump. “We had to. Our senior year we made a pact to do one adventurous thing each summer. We called ourselves the Bucket Club, you know, after the term Bucket List.” He chuckled. “I must admit that not all these things were on my personal bucket list, but once a majority of us agreed to an adventure, then the testosterone kicked in, and we all went along.”
He gestured toward a picture of a boat on calm waters. Four men were on the deck. “This was the summer we went to Australia, donned scuba gear and went down over the Great Barrier Reef in a shark cage. I came within several yards of a great white. Took my breath away.”
She indicated a photo of the four men standing next to donkeys. “And this one?”
“Grand Canyon. We went to the bottom. Lenny insisted we learn the terrain ourselves and go down without a guide. It wasn’t as hard as it sounds, since the burros pretty much knew the way. The nights were tough. You don’t want to sleepwalk when you’re perched on sheer rock cliffs.”
Wesley seemed unable to tear his gaze from the photos. “Isn’t Liam the coolest guy ever, Mom?” He looked up at Liam, his eyes bright with excitement. “I want to do all these things. Will you take me with you next time, Liam?”
“No, Wesley, not the next time. You have to be quite a bit older to—”
Jude interrupted him. “Of course not, Wesley. Don’t be silly. You’re never going to do such crazy things.” She then turned to Liam and gave him a sharp stare. “I hope this is all history?” she said. “You’re through with these adventures?”
“Not hardly,” he said. “This summer we’re climbing Mount Dunwoody in Utah. It’s not the highest peak, but it’s pretty challenging. This one is my idea, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe you would do this,” she said, cloaking her words in a guttural whisper. “Besides setting a terrible example for Wesley, it’s foolhardy. It’s dangerous.”
“It’s also life-affirming and requires great team-building skills, and excuse me, Jude, but why is it my job to set a good example for your son?”
“If you’re going to be around him, then it is,” she said. “I only want positive role models in Wesley’s life.”
“And you don’t think I’m a positive role model?”
Wesley tugged on Jude’s sweater. “Mom, what’s going on? Why are you guys mad?”
“We’re not mad,” she said, but Liam knew better. Jude was furious. Her anger was misdirected, based on an irrational fear of what she didn’t understand. What he viewed as the indulgences of friends testing their skills she judged as death-defying absurdity. He touched her arm. “Are you okay? You need to take a couple of deep breaths.”
She leaned down and spoke to her son. “Finish looking out the telescope, Wes. I need to speak to Liam.”
She marched out of the office and stood near the windows in his living room.
Liam came up behind her. “Talk to me, Jude. Tell me why you’re so upset.”
“You don’t know?” she replied as if he were the densest man on earth.
“I think I do. You believe I’m a bad example for your son, but there’s obviously more to it than that.”
“You’re right,” she began. “I just can’t imagine why these adventures are so important to you. What if there were an accident? What if something went wrong?”
“First of all, we’ve been doing these things for years and nothing has gone wrong—nothing that we didn’t anticipate and prepare for anyway—a few failed batteries, a sudden change of weather, that type of thing.”
“What about your parents? Surely they don’t approve of these trips.”
“They do worry sometimes, sure. But as my parents they’ve never stood in the way of doing something that was important to me,” he said. “Besides, we’re grown men, Jude. We don’t need to ask our mommies for permission.” Obviously his answer only served to add fire to her fury, so he tried again. “We don’t take these trips without proper training, careful planning. By the time we’re set to participate, we’re ready, physically and mentally. And frankly, Jude, we have a great time.
“As for why it’s important to us...look at me. Five days a week in a suit and tie, stuck behind a desk working with numbers, analyzing stocks, writing perspectives. And my buddies are just like me. The summers are our chance to unwind, get a little wild, face the challenges of nature, test our stamina.”
She scowled at him. “Pardon me for saying so, but that’s a bunch of nonsense...” She clamped her lips together and drew in a breath through her nose. “You’re going to continue doing these things?”
“Until we’re too old, too feeble or run out of ideas, yes.”
She stared out the window, at what, Liam didn’t know.
“Why does this bother you so much?” he asked.
“Because...” She seemed to be gathering her thoughts. “I thought I knew you. I had no idea there was this side to you. It seems so foolish to take such risks when you have a good job, a bright future...”
He smiled at her, trying to avoid an argument that made no sense to him. “Hey, come on, Jude, it’s just a couple of weeks out of our lives each summer. And the risk is minimal. Trust me, I don’t have a death wish.”
“Trust you?” The words were harsh, her voice raspy and cold. “How can I trust anyone who would jeopardize everything he’s worked for to have so-called adventures that are, to my way of thinking, ridiculous, unnecessary and stu...!” She bit her lip.
“Jude, you’re overreacting. Everyone has to have the opportunity to blow off steam.”
“But you’re adults! As you, yourself just pointed out, you’re grown men with jobs and responsibilities and people who depend on you. This isn’t normal blowing off steam, Liam.”
“Look, how can I explain? When the guys and I do these things, we all feel alive...”
“By facing death?”
He waited, hoping she would calm down and see that her misgivings were unnecessary and irrational. Or at least understand that what he did in the summers was none of her concern. He struggled to tamp his own anger before finally saying, “Jude, this doesn’t have anything to do with you, with us.”
She took a long breath. “You know, Liam? You’re right. It doesn’t. You can take two weeks of every summer and do any dangerous thing you want to.” She picked up her coat from a nearby chair. “It’s your life. And I can do what I want with my life.”
He spoke in a mellow voice. “Put your coat down, Jude, please. We haven’t even had dinner. And frankly I don’t know why you’re so upset. You put yourself at risk every time you go near that firebrand of a horse you keep locked up in the barn. I wouldn’t go near that beast. He terrifies me, but you feed him apples.”
“That’s different. I relate to animals.”
“Yes, I know that,” he admitted. “And when I was at your barn and asked about Wesley’s participation with the goats, you told me you taught him or trained him for that. What’s different from what I do? I train for my summer exploits in ways you refuse to take into consideration.”
“I’ll tell you what I did take into consideration,” she said. “My son’s reaction to the foolhardy things you do. Jumping out of an airplane is a far reach from herding goats into a pen. He’s impressed by you. He wants to be like you, and I’ll keep him home with me until he’s a senior citizen before I let him follow in your footsteps!”
Now she’d gone too far. “Fine. Wrap him up in a cocoon if you want to. You’re his mother. I’m nothing to him, and I certainly never asked to be anything more than a stargazing buddy.” That wasn’t the total truth. Liam had connected to Wesley from the moment he’d met him. But right now, he just felt sorry for the kid and he didn’t want to face any blame for Wesley doing things his mother didn’t approve of. He hadn’t signed on for any type of parenting.
Jude glared at him. “I’d like to go home now,” she said. “I’ll get Wesley.”
This was not the way he’d pictured this night ending. And he had a mountain of spaghetti sauce simmering on his stove. “At least stay for spaghetti,” he said. “It’s all ready. I’m sure Wesley is hungry. You can leave right after.”
After several long, uncomfortable moments, she nodded. And Liam figured he’d have a powerful case of indigestion to take to bed with him that night.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“DIDN’T YOU LIKE your spaghetti, Mom?”
Jude had hardly spoken during the twenty miles they’d so far traveled toward Dancing Falls. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, as she recalled the last few hours. During dinner, Liam had tried to keep the atmosphere light, engaging both her and Wesley in small talk. But Jude had endured the longest meal of her life.
“Not so much,” she answered. “I think my tummy is a bit upset.”
Apparently thinking he’d broach only safe topics, Liam had discussed his suggestions for the foundation. She’d answered briefly and unenthusiastically. What was there to talk about? She’d already decided to follow his recommendations for Paul’s foundation, and she would do that, but their personal relationship had been altered dramatically.
Just hours ago, Jude believed she might be falling in love with Liam—at least falling for the man he’d presented himself to be. Hardworking, bright, steadfast. But those were the qualities of the man he was for most of the year, the one whose life and career could be ruined, ended, because of what he did for two weeks every summer.
Why did he have to behave like an overgrown frat boy? At least Paul’s life-threatening decision had been for a nobler purpose. Liam? Well, his actions were simply recklessness without redemption, the decisions of a thrill seeker. And she didn’t need a thrill seeker in her life. And she certainly didn’t need one in her son’s.
She swallowed, tamping her bitter disappointment. She was driving on twisting, curving country roads now. She could hardly give in to tears. But the bottom line was obvious. Jude couldn’t go through it again. She couldn’t watch someone she loved take risks that were unnecessary. If she couldn’t accept that a man who said he loved her would leave her for a principle, how in the world could she accept that Liam would leave her for a mere lark? He should believe in her—in them—more. And she
certainly couldn’t justify saying goodbye to a man who was leaving her for a bucket list daredevil act with old college buddies. Couldn’t they just get together and play poker or watch sports?
The closer she got to Dancing Falls, the more her nerves remained on edge. She suggested turning on the radio. She found a station, turned the volume high and watched the dark landscape of Ohio out of her windows. When they pulled in front of the barn, she got out of the car quickly. Wesley got out his side and raced for the stairs, probably thankful he got to be away from her.
And then her phone rang. Liam. “Go on inside, Wes,” she said. “I’ll just be a minute.” She connected. “Hello.”
“Did you get home all right? I was concerned.”
“You needn’t have been. Driving is actually an activity with an acceptable amount of risk. If you keep your eye on the road, it’s pretty safe.” Yes, she was being childish, but he had pulled the safety net she’d been searching for over five years out from under her tonight.
“Jude, this isn’t making any sense to me.”
“I suppose not,” she said. “We’ve already established that I’m acting irrationally.”
“Yes, I believe you are. At the very least, you’re putting importance on something that doesn’t really merit it. I was beginning to think that you and I had something special going on. Isn’t that what’s important?”
She paused, considering her answer through. “The foundation is what’s important, has been from the start. I appreciate your help with it. We can continue a relationship in that capacity, but you needn’t come out here so often. Phone calls will suffice.”
He breathed deeply into the phone. “So that’s it? You’re blowing me off because of what I do on my vacations? That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe so, but I can’t go through it again.”
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