by Debbie Mason
“Maybe, but I should have been given a choice.”
“You were adamant you wanted to keep him.”
“And you were adamant I wasn’t going to. I could have, you know, if you would have helped. But you were too busy hating Daddy and trying to make him pay for leaving you for another woman. You had no time for me, sending me off to your best friend, who was even more self-involved than you.”
Her mother raised her hand as though to slap Arianna’s face. Arianna raised her own to stop her, but Glamma was faster. “You’ve hurt the child enough, and you won’t do it again in my presence. Do you understand?”
“Fine, Mother. I hope you’re packed and ready to go first thing in the morning.”
“I’m not going anywhere until the results of the election are announced.”
Arianna grabbed her grandmother’s hand. “Glamma, what are you talking about? You aren’t leaving. You’re staying here with me.”
Her mother gave Glamma a raised-eyebrow look. “Really? You didn’t tell her?” She shook her head and sauntered off to the kitchen. “I need a drink.”
“Come on, we’ll have a cup of tea and get warmed up.” Glamma smiled at Arianna with watery eyes. “What were you thinking letting me drive us around with the top down? We’ll be lucky if we don’t get pneumonia,” her grandmother teased.
“It’s not funny. And I’m not sitting in the kitchen with her.”
Glamma put her hands on Arianna’s shoulders. “She’s right, you know. I knew what she planned to do and didn’t talk her out of it. I didn’t tell you either. If I had, who knows…?” She shook her head. “It was a terribly sad business for everyone involved. But we didn’t make the decision to hurt you. We made it because we loved you.”
Arianna looked pointedly at her mother pouring herself a glass of wine at the island.
Glamma shrugged. “She’s never been very good at showing it, but she did. She does. And it’s time for you to let go of the anger and blame. For your own sake, not hers.”
“I don’t know if I can, Glamma. But what I do know is she’s not taking you from me too.”
“She’s not. Not really. Just before we got the call about the fire, I’d agreed to move to California for good.” She gave Arianna a sad smile. “It made her happy. She’d been lonely. It’s probably why she ended up with the pool boy. Anyway, I promised to come back as soon as you were on your feet. When she found out you were running for mayor, she decided my time here was up.”
“It doesn’t have to be. You can stay with me.” Her heart was racing; she felt hot when only moments ago her body had been an ice cube.
“I can’t, darling. I gave her my word.”
Her mother walked into the living room and took a seat. “She did. And in case you’ve forgotten, Arianna, I have power of attorney. Which means I can choose to give you half the money for the car or not. It also means I can choose whether or not to sell this house.” She looked around. “It’s quite lovely, isn’t it? I wonder what it’s worth.”
Glamma blanched, and it was then Arianna felt certain she wasn’t moving of her own free will. Her mother was blackmailing her into doing what she wanted. But there was no way Arianna could prove it.
“That’s enough, Beverly. You’ll write a check for half the car now, and don’t hold the sale of this house over either of our heads. As you’re well aware, I’ve left it to Arianna and Serena,” her grandmother said, sounding strong and in command.
“Another member of my family you turned against me, Arianna. How is my other daughter?”
“You managed to do that on your own, Mother. And she’s doing better.” Arianna didn’t know if that was the truth or a lie because lately Serena had been difficult to reach. Supposedly she was traveling somewhere in Europe. Arianna was hoping the settlement check would lure her home. She planned to share some of it with her sister. Although both their shares were dwindling by the minute. “I’ll make the tea, Glamma.”
She felt her mother’s gaze following her into the kitchen. “So, is no one going to tell me what happened? I gather my darling daughter didn’t win the election by a landslide like you predicted, Mother?” Beverly laughed as though the idea of Arianna becoming mayor of Harmony Harbor was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. And right then Arianna had never wanted to win so badly.
* * *
At six the next morning, her grandmother sat on the edge of Arianna’s bed, already dressed. “She had our tickets booked, and it’s too expensive to change. I called Hazel and told her I had to leave town unexpectedly and wanted to hear the news straight from the horse’s mouth. She made some calls and just phoned me back. I’m sorry, darling, you and Connor are still tied. We’ll have to wait until Christmas Eve to find out who will be mayor. My bet is on you, of course.”
Arianna couldn’t speak. She lay on her back blinking her tears away. She didn’t care whether she won or lost. Her grandmother was the one person she’d depended on, the one person she’d known would never leave her. Yet she was going today, leaving Arianna on her own. Nothing she’d said had been enough to change her grandmother’s or her mother’s mind. “My bet is on Connor. I should just let him have it. It’s not—”
“No granddaughter of mine is going to walk away without a fight. Do you hear me? You promise me right this very minute that you will do your best to win.”
Arianna turned her head to stare at the blackout curtains.
Glamma gently shook her. “The only way I can leave here, leave you, is knowing that every day you’re going to get out of this bed and go to work. That you’re going to keep your appointments at the hospital. That you’re going to take Annabelle out for a drive. That you’re going to be here in this house that I love, living a life that will make me proud. Promise me.” She choked on a sob. “Promise me right now.”
“I promise, Glamma.”
Chapter Nineteen
Connor had been shocked, and yes, a little hurt, when he’d learned Helen had left Harmony Harbor with Arianna’s mother. She’d been gone almost two weeks now, and his shock and hurt had morphed into anger. He was the one who had to stand by and watch Arianna sleepwalk through her days. Whenever he stopped by her office at the town hall with coffee and doughnuts, she’d say she was fine when she clearly wasn’t, and then she’d send him on his way with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. He didn’t understand how Helen could have left her on her own. Sure, she was an adult. But she was an adult who had only recently gotten back on her feet.
And if all that weren’t bad enough, Helen had left without telling him goodbye. Sure, they’d been on opposing sides during the last week of the mayoral race—in a way, he supposed they still were—but dammit, he’d loved the crazy old lady. And he’d thought she’d come to love him too. All Arianna would tell him was that Helen was on a month-long vacation in the sun.
He didn’t buy it. It didn’t make sense. Days before she’d left, Helen had bought her precious emerald-green BMW. Who does that? He ignored the voice in his head that said someone with dementia did. Dementia or not, he didn’t believe Helen would. And not only had she left town, but Jenna had left too.
Arianna had insisted she go, while Connor had insisted she stay. He’d thought he’d had her convinced, but apparently his older brother was more convincing than him. He and Logan weren’t speaking at the moment. Connor supposed he didn’t blame his brother for wanting his fiancee by his side. Still, Arianna was all alone.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Which was why Connor crouched on the frozen grass at the side of the house on the corner of Holly and Ivy at eight in the morning. From careful surveillance—his own—he knew that Arianna left for work at precisely eight forty-five every morning. “Okay, little guy, this is a tough assignment, but you’re too cute to fail. It’ll be love at first sight for both of you. All you have to do is keep her company,” he said to the four-month-old cream-colored puppy he’d rescued from the shelter. An older man had broug
ht the little guy in just as Connor had been leaving empty-handed.
The dogs they’d had that day at the shelter were older and bigger, and given the video that had gone viral, he knew dogs made Arianna nervous. So the pup was perfect. The old guy had been heartbroken he had to give him up, but it was either the pup left or his wife did. The older man said it hadn’t been an easy decision.
Connor tucked a dog bone, a small teddy bear, a squeeze toy, and a leash beside the sheep’s wool bed in the box. Then he placed a powder-blue blanket over the puppy. He patted its head. “Showtime, buddy. Don’t be scared,” he said as he fitted the lid on the box. He pressed his eye to one of the holes he’d made in the lid. “I’m still here, and in a couple minutes you’ll meet your new mommy. She might not give you the warm-and-fuzzies right away, but trust me, she’s a softy under that coat of armor.”
Connor tucked the card from Arianna’s secret admirer under the bow and then picked up the box. He hoped she liked the puppy as much as she’d seemed to like the cape he’d left for her the morning of the election.
His dress shoes slid across the frozen ground, and he jostled the box in his fight to stay upright. “It’s okay, buddy,” he whispered as he regained his footing. Crouched down so she wouldn’t see him, Connor placed the box on the front porch, slid it closer to the door, and then reached up to ring the bell. He kept his finger on the bell for a few seconds too long and then whipped around, slipping and sliding his way to the big oak tree in the middle of the yard. He hid behind it, counting down the seconds in his head. No matter how warm he’d tried to make the puppy, he didn’t want to leave him out there for more than a minute or two.
He peeked around the tree. “Come on, Arianna. Come on.” If she didn’t show in the next sixty seconds, he’d ring the bell one last time. His shoulders relaxed under his black wool coat when he heard the door opening. He pulled his head back behind the tree and then leaned against it, smiling at the thought of her face when she caught sight of the adorable pup. He wished he could risk taking another peek but was afraid she’d see him. He didn’t want her to know he was her secret admirer.
He heard her whispered “What the heck?” and waited for her reaction to seeing the dog. “No, no way.” She groaned and then cursed loud enough for him to hear her.
What the hell? He’d never heard her swear before. Seriously, who could look into the puppy’s big brown eyes and not fall in love?
“You’re a hard-ass, Arianna Bell,” Connor said under his breath, and then rubbed the back of his neck when another thought came to him. Maybe she wasn’t. Maybe she hadn’t only been afraid of dogs who were big enough to gnaw on your head but adorable puppies too. Now what was he supposed to do? Definitely not let her discover he was her secret admirer, that’s for sure.
“Mrs. Ranger, did you see who left this box on my front porch?”
Connor’s gaze shot to the house across the road. Sure enough, Irene Ranger was out scraping the ice from her car with a clear view of him behind the tree. He could tell by her half smile that she saw him.
“I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t. Is it from your secret admirer?” Mrs. Ranger asked.
Connor sagged against the tree in relief that she hadn’t outed him.
“Yes, and I’ve decided I don’t want one anymore.”
“Why? What did he give you this time?”
“This.” Connor pictured Arianna cuddling the dog to her chest and knew it was the exact moment she’d fall in love. He couldn’t resist sneaking a peek and carefully poked his head from behind the tree.
What the hell? She was holding the puppy straight-armed in front of her. He pulled his head back around, trying to come up with one good reason why he shouldn’t run across the lawn and rescue the dog. A reason that didn’t involve him keeping his secret-admirer identity intact. And that’s when he remembered why he’d wanted her to have a pet in the first place. Whether she’d admit it or not—and clearly, she was on the not side—she needed someone to love her unconditionally, someone for her to love in return. And since she wouldn’t let that someone be him…
When he gave some more thought to what he’d just witnessed, he decided it could be viewed as a positive as much as a negative. After all, she’d actually picked up the dog. And apparently she’d continued to see both the occupational and physical therapists at North Shore General because she was able to hold the puppy in the air. Who knew, maybe she was re-creating the “Circle of Life” moment from The Lion King.
“My secret admirer doesn’t know me as well as I thought. And he mustn’t be on social media, or he would have seen the video that clearly shows I hate dogs. Which probably means Mr. O’Malley is my secret admirer.”
Connor sighed. It looked like he’d be getting a new roommate in the not-so-distant future.
Mrs. Ranger laughed. It sounded like she was standing at the front gate. “Maybe he knows you better than you think. You used to love my Yorkie Bella.”
“Until she nearly bit off Serena’s finger.”
Connor bowed his head.
“Right, I forgot about that. But Bella was getting old and wasn’t used to having little girls around. You don’t have to worry about that with this little guy. All you have to do is look in his eyes to know he’s—”
“He peed on me!” Arianna shrieked, cutting off Mrs. Ranger, who sounded like she was choking on laughter.
Connor covered his face with his hands, swallowing a groan.
“Oh my, let me help,” the older woman said, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. He heard the gate open and the sound of her footsteps running up the walkway. He poked his head from behind the tree. He wanted Mrs. Ranger to take the dog when she went home, and Connor would pick him up at her place. As though she sensed him watching her, Mrs. Ranger put her hand behind her back and waved him off before reaching for the box. Arianna disappeared through the open door.
Connor put his phone to his ear, letting his assistant know he’d be delayed. “Yes, Mom, I know you expected me to show up every morning at eight, but I had something important to do. Don’t worry. I’ll be there in plenty of time for my meeting with the planning commissioner at ten…Technically, Hazel is still the mayor, so it makes sense she gets to keep the office. I’m not too worried about looking like I’m in a position of power…No, my office isn’t that small. Arianna’s office is the same size.” And just like that he came up with an alternate plan to bring the woman he loved back to life. Like he’d done by entering the mayoral race, he’d make her angry enough to encourage her competitive spirit and drive.
“You know what, Mom? You’re right. I’ll give Hazel a call and let her know that Arianna and I will be moving into her office first thing tomorrow.” His mother had no idea that Hazel had offered them the office last week, and they’d both refused. “Are you kidding? I’ll be taking Hazel’s desk, not Arianna. No way am I giving up the view of the harbor. We’ll find a nice, tiny desk for Arianna and stick it in a corner, a dark one.”
* * *
The wind practically whipped the door to the community center out of Arianna’s hand. Sadly, the turkey hat remained firmly on her head. She considered tossing it and blaming the wind, but she couldn’t do that because Finn and Olivia Gallagher’s six-year-old daughter, George, had made it especially for her to wear today, and the child was supposed to be here. Arianna was almost positive that Connor had put the little girl up to it yesterday when he’d given his entire family a tour of his office.
Just thinking about the man made her blood boil. Arianna’s secret admirer and Maura weren’t in her good book either. It felt like the world was conspiring against her. Over the past two days she’d somehow found herself sharing her grandmother’s house with a dog that kept her awake half the night howling until she brought him into bed with her.
She’d called everyone she knew, but no one wanted a puppy. Even when she’d lied and said he was trained and really, really cute. Well, he was cute. He just wasn’t trained. And ever
y time she turned around, he was gnawing on something, and it was never his bone or his toys or food. Yet despite how bad it was to share the house with a mischievous puppy, it was far worse sharing an office with Connor.
He spent most of the day lording it over her from behind his massive mahogany desk surrounded by beautiful mullioned windows and a gorgeous view of the harbor front, while she sat in a dark corner at a desk she was positive had been requisitioned from a 1930s schoolroom. If that wasn’t bad enough, Maura and Hazel seemed to forget she was just as much provisional mayor as he was and not his flipping secretary. She couldn’t believe that almost a month before she’d imagined herself in love with the man.
Her boiling blood must be having a positive effect on her strength because she pulled the door shut relatively easily. Now that she was inside the building, she could hear the loud hum of voices mixed with laughter, and her nerves got the better of her.
The new owner of Holiday House, Evie, had come to Arianna the day after Glamma had left for California with the idea that they host a free Thanksgiving Dinner at the community center. At that point Arianna had barely managed a couple hours of sleep, and the idea of hosting a dinner for half the town had been beyond her. It hadn’t been beyond Connor, who’d happened to overhear the conversation when he’d arrived at her then-office with coffee and doughnuts.
He’d glommed onto the idea immediately, believing it was the perfect way to mend the rifts of the campaign and bring a sense of belonging and togetherness to the town. He was right, of course. The churches and the town council had contributed as much as they could; Connor covered the shortfall.
So Arianna had no choice but to agree to cohost with him and help serve and clean up, even if she was terrified she was going to make a complete fool of herself in front of what sounded like a thousand people. She’d gained some strength in her upper arm, but she still didn’t have much of a grip to speak of, and her fine-motor skills were still about the same as those of a toddler.