by Debbie Mason
As soon as he reached her side, she spoke through her teeth while smiling for their audience. “If you keep this up, you’re going to end up my frenemy instead of my friend.”
“Because I like making gingerbread with the old folks and the kids, you’re going to frenemy me?”
“Do not pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. You’re trying to undermine me, Connor. Get a leg up on me.”
He pressed a hand to his chest, which was lovingly encased in an indigo V-neck sweater that did wonderful things to his eyes. “I’m wounded.”
“You are not. And stop calling me ‘partner.’ We’re not partners.”
“We could be if you weren’t so competitive.”
“Pot, meet kettle.”
He grinned. “Yeah? Okay, here’s the deal. You get yourself on a gingerbread house team, and if yours wins, I’ll stay out of your way until the twenty-fourth. If I win, you can’t complain when I show up at your events or meetings. You have to be…nice to me. Very nice to me.”
“We’ve already had this conversation,” she said, glancing at the older gentleman and two preschoolers at Connor’s table, her gaze passing over their semi-completed house. “All right, you have a bet.” She thrust out her hand when he leaned in to kiss her.
An hour later, as the judges, who were residents of the senior home, stopped by each table to view the entries, Arianna knew she was in trouble, and it had nothing to do with who had the more beautiful gingerbread house because, clearly, she did. It had to do with who was the best schmoozer, and Connor took the prize.
When they pinned the blue ribbon on his table, he looked over at Arianna and waggled his eyebrows.
It didn’t take long for Arianna to get her revenge. Two days later she was at the fire station bright and early, helping wrap the toys and put together the Christmas baskets for local families in need of some holiday cheer. Several of the firefighters, as well as Hazel and the council members, were wondering what had happened to Connor.
Arianna smiled as she packed another basket, saying to Hazel, who was working beside her, “You know Connor. He stretches himself too thin. Always double booking meetings. Forgetting whom he’s meeting with next. I’m sure it slipped his mind that he volunteered to help today. It’s such an important community event that I marked it in red, just to be sure I didn’t forget.” Right after she’d wiped it off Maura’s and Connor’s planners and calendars.
Connor’s cousin Liam, looking handsome in his uniform, came to stand in front of her. Fighting a grin, he offered her his cell phone. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
“I’m a little busy right now,” she said, knowing full well who it was.
Liam shared that with his cousin and then laughed. “He says, ‘Game on.’”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Colleen stood beside her canopied bed in the tower room at the manor, watching as her grandson threw clothes into his suitcases with Jasper looking on. “I tell you, the room is haunted, and I’ll not be staying here another night. I can’t take it anymore. Everything was fine until the night of the parade, you know. Always slept soundly, and then all hell broke loose. Books falling off the shelf. The same ones, mind. Always with ‘traitor’ or ‘snake’ in the title. Same thing she whispers in my ear just as I’m falling asleep.” He stopped stuffing clothes in his suitcase to look over his shoulder at Jasper. “I think it’s Granny Colleen.”
“Is that so? And would she have reason to believe you’re a snake and a traitor, Daniel?”
“Holy Mary Mother of God, you think it’s her. Right here in this bloody room with me.” He looked down. “I might have just shite my drawers.”
Jasper stared down his long, narrow nose at her grandson. “What have you been up to, Master Daniel?”
“What hasn’t he been up to?” Colleen muttered. But at least Jasper was now aware he needed to keep a closer eye on Daniel. That gave her some peace of mind.
“The haunting began the night of the parade,” Daniel murmured, and then nodded. “I know what it was that set her off. I’ll put a stop to it.” He looked around the room. “Granny, do you hear me? I’ll make it right. Now you just hie yourself back to the other side. Say hello to my da for me.” He slowly sank onto the bed. “I’ve made a right hash of things, Jasper. I wish my da were here. He’d know what to do.”
“Your mother is here for you.”
He shook his head. “No. I won’t burden her with this.”
“You don’t give her enough credit. You let her fragile air and delicate beauty deceive you. She’s a strong woman.”
Colleen smiled, and so did her grandson. “I always knew you loved her, you know. I’m glad she has you. Glad you have her.”
“And you have all of us. Your mother, me, and your brothers. Whatever burden it is you carry, you can lighten it by sharing it with your family.”
Colleen looked at the man who’d been her trusted confidante for decades. “I hope I told you how much you meant to me, Jasper my boy. I hope you know it now. In many ways, you were more son than friend. Somehow, some way, I will return the legacy that was stolen from you.”
“I notice you didn’t mention my wife and daughters.”
Jasper clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. “You’ve been here five months and you haven’t spoken of them.”
“Made a hash of it with Tara, just like I did the others. Barely know my girls because of it.”
“We all make mistakes, Daniel. It’s what we do about them that matters. When you’re ready to deal with yours, come to me. But for now I suggest you take care of whatever you promised Madam you’d take care of and then get yourself ready for the mayor’s ball. There’s a tux in the closet. Do you still wish to move to another room?”
“Aye. I love Granny, but she always was a bossy thing, and her ghost is the same.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Jasper said under his breath. “Leave your suitcases. I’ll have them transferred to your new room before the night is out.”
Daniel thanked Jasper, picking up his cell phone as soon as he closed the door behind him. “Wilson, it’s Danny Gallagher. The job I asked you to do, I…You have the information I need? A load of dirt you say?” He picked at a loose thread on the red-and-gold bedspread.
From the expression on his face, Colleen could tell he was thinking about reneging on his promise to Jasper. She turned to the bookshelves, focused her mind and energy on one book in particular, and sent it flying to the floor.
Daniel jumped and then muttered, “All right, all right.” Raising his voice, he said to Ryan Wilson, “I have no need of the information you collected on Arianna, but I’ll pay you for your troubles. I know it’s not what we agreed upon, but things have changed. That’s not my problem now, is it? Don’t threaten me. Do with it what you will. Just leave my name out of it. I’ll have the money to you this week.”
He disconnected and looked around the room. “I wonder how much Granny’s sterling-silver mirror and brush will fetch me.”
Colleen sent the mirror he referred to off her dresser and onto the floor. It shattered.
“Now, was that nice after I made good on my promise to you? Wilson is not a man to be trifled with, and I’ve put myself in his bad book thanks to you, Granny.”
She leaned in and yelled in his ear, “You should have thought of that before you got in bed with the man.”
Daniel shrieked, jumped from the bed, and ran from the room.
Scaring the bejaysus out of him didn’t make Colleen feel any better. She was worried he’d set something in motion that couldn’t be stopped, afraid what that would mean to the beautiful couple greeting guests at the entrance to the ballroom.
With help from her friends, Arianna had turned the space into a spectacular winter wonderland. Standing beside Connor by the open doors, she looked stunning in a red gown with her blond hair swept up in an elegant style, and Connor in his black tux couldn’t have looked more handsome had he tried.
Collee
n realized she was wrong. Connor looked even more handsome when he smiled at Arianna as he did just then, his love for her shining in his eyes. “She’s breathtaking, isn’t she?” he said to Dorothy DiRossi, who’d just complimented Arianna on how beautiful she looked. Dorothy’s husband, Gino, was beside her in his wheelchair, looking ruggedly handsome.
Dorothy twinkled up at Connor. “She is. You both are. And so is your dress, Arianna.”
“She designed it,” Connor said proudly. “It’s an Arianna Bell original. The first of many more to come. They’ll be selling her new line at Merci Beaucoup.”
“Connor,” Arianna said, clearly exasperated with him. “Thanks, Dorothy. And despite what Connor thinks, I haven’t made up my mind about starting a new line. Enough about me. You look amazing in that dress.”
“You were right, dear. I had to have it as soon as I saw it. Thanks for thinking of me and for asking the girls at Merci Beaucoup to put it aside.”
“My pleasure.” Arianna smiled.
“It’s my pleasure to look at her in the dress, but I could have done without the other two bags that came along with it,” Gino quipped.
They all shared a laugh, and then the couple moved away, waving to their daughter Ava and her husband, Griffin, Colleen’s great-grandson.
“Stop pimping my clothing line that I haven’t even decided to design,” Arianna said out of the side of her mouth to Connor, smiling as another couple approached.
“Come on. Every woman here, and far too many men for my liking, are going crazy over your dress. You’d make a fortune. And you love it. It’s your passion,” he whispered out of the side of his mouth before smiling and greeting the couple who now stood in front of them.
When they’d moved on, Arianna side-whispered, “It’s not the same. I liked working with Marilyn, but it was hard. Much harder than I expected it to be.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I just don’t want you to give up on something you love.”
“I know. And although I’m loath to admit it to you, it was nice working with Marilyn. I really like her, and I like what she plans to do with Merci Beaucoup, but I can’t make any decisions until after the twenty-fourth.” She gave him a smug grin. “A little bird told me we’re neck and neck again.”
“So I’ve heard.” He lowered his arm from her shoulder as another group of people approached. “I should have thought of bribing the town council with a special lunch catered by Rosa DiRossi.”
“It was Glamma’s idea,” she whispered just before the couples reached them. “She said to tell you she’ll take you out for a loser’s lunch on the twenty-seventh.”
Connor laughed and then greeted their guests. As the couples walked away, he asked Arianna if Helen was coming home for Christmas. She nodded, her face lighting up. Colleen was happy for her.
“What about Serena?”
“I don’t think so, and I’m getting a bit worried about her. She’s taking forever to respond. She says she’s in Europe, but I don’t believe her.”
“You want me to have Shay look into it for you?”
“Yes, please. That would—” She shot a panicked look at Connor. “Why is Gary here?”
Colleen frowned at the two men walking through the great room toward Arianna and Connor. One was tall with brown hair, light eyes, and broad shoulders. Like Connor, he was a handsome man. But his features were softer and more refined, whereas her great-grandson’s were chiseled and masculine. The other man appeared to be in his eighties, with white hair, a distinguished air, and a paunch.
“I have no idea why Summers and his grandfather are here, but I’ll take care of it,” Connor said, his voice hard. He glanced to where his mother and father stood at the mirrored bar, shooting Maura a pointed stare. His mother frowned and then looked past him. Her eyes went wide. She said something to Sean before rushing to Connor and Arianna’s side.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know why Gary’s here. I invited his grandfather and grandmother, not him.” Maura wrung her hands. No doubt because she noticed the paleness of Arianna’s face and the angry pulse of the muscle in her son’s jaw. “You can’t become governor without their support, darling. I wanted them to see you here. See you in a different light. Now that you’re no longer with the Three Bs—”
“Mom, I’m representing his grandson’s ex in their divorce. I’m going after Gary and—”
Arianna’s gasp cut Connor off. She stared at him. “What do you mean you’re representing his ex? He cheated on me with her. She knew he was married, and—”
Sean intervened. “Your mother and I will stand in for you.” He nudged his head to an empty table in the far corner of the ballroom.
Colleen followed Arianna and Connor. He held out a chair at the table in the dark and quiet corner, then took the seat beside her, angling it toward her. Taking her hand in his, he said, “I’m sorry. I honestly don’t believe my mother meant to hurt you. She probably doesn’t even know or remember you were married to Gary.”
“Or that you represented him in our divorce?” She withdrew her hand from his. “What does Danica have that I don’t? Gary cheated on me with her, and now you’re representing her when you wouldn’t represent me.”
“Don’t even go there.” He reclaimed her hand. “I told you why I represented him. Back then I didn’t feel like I had a choice. But when he came to me to represent him this time, I refused. It was days after the fire, after I’d seen you at the hospital, and I was furious at him. I pretty much blamed him for everything that had gone wrong between us. For all the years I had to watch you with him when I wanted you with me.”
She briefly closed her eyes, gave her head a small shake, then whispered, “I’m sorry. You don’t know how much I wish I could turn back time.”
“Not any more than I do.”
She gave him a small smile before looking over her shoulder. “Do you think they’ll leave?”
“I doubt it, not until he’s had a chance to talk to me. The court date has been set for the second week in January. He didn’t have a prenup. Danica is taking him to the cleaners.”
“With some major help from you, no doubt. I can’t imagine that made…You quit the Three Bs because of this, didn’t you?”
“Actually, I got fired because of it, babe, and then Summers et al., got me blackballed from nearly every reputable law firm in Boston. So you can bet I’m going to make him pay. But mostly I’m doing it to make it up to you.”
“Don’t do it for me. You have nothing to make up to me for. Just do what you believe is right.”
“What I believe is it’s time Gary and the Summers family got what’s coming to them.” He stood up and held out his hand, helping Arianna to her feet. “What do you say we go back to greeting our guests together? We wouldn’t want Summers Junior and Senior to think they chased us away, now, would we?”
“No. No, we wouldn’t.” She reached up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“So, does that mean I’m out of the friend zone?”
“It’s just four more days. I think you can wait.” She laughed at the face Connor made.
Colleen smiled at Simon, who’d just deigned to join her. “What did I tell you? They’ve always been the perfect match.”
She sighed when he gave her one of his you’re tempting fate meows. But she didn’t get a chance to do more than that because just then she caught sight of Daniel, and he had a shifty look about him. “What are you up to now?” she murmured when he glanced over his shoulder.
She followed his gaze and caught sight of Ryan Wilson peeking into the ballroom. While she debated who she should go after, they both disappeared from view. She searched the ballroom for them and caught the back of Daniel’s head as he snuck out a side door. Moments later she left the ballroom to spy Ryan Wilson lurking at the bar in the great room. His eyes were pinned to the ballroom. If Ryan was after his money from Daniel, he’d have a long wait ahead of
him. She just wished he’d do it elsewhere.
She looked at the anchor clock near the bar and wondered if it falling a foot from where he stood would send Ryan on his way. She was just about to give it a try, though she despaired of damaging the clock—it was a part of their heritage—when Ryan went on alert, his gaze following someone out of the ballroom. Colleen turned. It was Connor. She shouldn’t be surprised, she supposed. Who better to blackmail than the man who loved Arianna? Ryan glanced from left to right, then followed Connor down the hall to the men’s room.
“Gallagher.” Ryan hailed her grandson before he reached the door. “I have something I think you’ll be interested in.”
“Nothing you have could interest me, Wilson. Now leave the manor before I throw you out.” Connor turned to push open the door.
Wilson sneered as Connor entered the men’s room and the door closed behind him. “You’ll pay for that, Gallagher.”
“Sounds like you’re as fond of Connor Gallagher as I am,” Gary Summers said, looking at the closed men’s-room door. “Lucky you, you don’t have to make a deal with the devil.”
“Obviously you do. If you need some leverage, let me know. It’ll cost you though.”
“I’d pay a small fortune to have leverage against him. If I don’t get him to agree to settle my ex’s case against me out of court, I’ll lose much more than that.”
“Then this is your lucky day. I have exactly what you need and the perfect person to shut him down. I’ve got dirt on Arianna Bell, and no one has more influence over him than her.”
“You have dirt on Arianna? Let me see,” Summers demanded.
“Like they say, show me the money.”
Summers got out his wallet. “Now show me what you have, and we’ll agree to a price.” He looked to either of end of the hall. “Not here.”
“Follow me.”
Colleen followed them into the library, shocked when Ryan opened the secret door to the tunnels. She tried to scare them off by sending books off the shelves, but nothing happened. Either her shock had rendered her ghostly abilities impotent or she’d wasted too much energy earlier on Daniel. She needed to find her grandson. He’d started this; he had to put a stop to it.