by Jo Leigh
“I know.”
She frowned at his pleased smile. “How?”
“I asked.” Parker shrugged. “I figured someone behind the counter would know you.”
“I haven’t been in there for months.” Sniffing, she tore the bag open. She had no willpower when it came to all the ridiculous pastries they offered.
“Why not? Have you been touring?”
She put the roll on her plate and pushed the bag at him, her appetite diminishing suddenly. Something in his piercing blue eyes told her he already knew the answer to that question. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’d been asking around about her. Despite the hordes of tourists and all the summer people, the locals managed to stay tight and connected.
“Touring?” She stared right back at him. “I teach piano. Here at the house. Five days a week.”
“That’s what I heard. I just didn’t believe it.”
“Why not? I make a respectable living, and I have a number of kids who are very serious students.”
“That’s not—I’m sure that’s true.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “You had dreams, Ginny, big dreams, about Juilliard and about life after Juilliard. And rightfully so. We talked about them, remember? You’re too talented to be...giving piano lessons...”
Heat crawled up her throat and exploded in her face. The anger and hurt building inside her nearly frightened her into silence. “What about you?” she asked, holding on to her temper by a thread. “Since we’re discussing our dreams. Did you ever go on to law school? Are you the big shot, crime-fighting attorney you intended to be?”
“Come on, Ginny. I’m not criticizing you, and I’m sure not looking for an argument.” He reached across the table for her hand but she snatched it away and clasped her hands together on her lap.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Okay. You’re right. I didn’t go to law school. I didn’t even finish Princeton.”
Ginny had willfully done the poking. She should’ve been satisfied with his weary expression of defeat as he leaned back in his chair. Why on earth hadn’t he finished Princeton? He’d been doing well and was so excited. Had he dropped out because of Meg?
Regret lasted only until she remembered they’d been talking about her broken dreams. She hadn’t prompted the discussion, he had. And whether or not he’d meant to sound critical, how she chose to live her life was none of his business. He’d lost that right the day he’d made love to her, then disappeared just hours later without a word. At least she hadn’t brought that up.
“Well, I gotta say, that’s not how I imagined embarking on my explanation,” he said with a faint smile.
The coffee had finished brewing.
She stood up, scanning the counter until she located her cup. She grabbed it and the carafe, relieved to see her hands weren’t shaking too badly. If she let him say his piece now, maybe he’d leave. Go back to wherever it was he’d come from. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to be looking over her shoulder all weekend. Nevertheless, she wasn’t about to let this conversation go on too long.
After they each had a steaming cup in front of them, she sat down. “An explanation?”
Parker nodded. “For leaving the way I did.”
Ginny calmly took a sip—then set the cup down. “You don’t owe me anything. It was a long time ago.”
“Doesn’t matter. I do owe you, and I need to get it off my chest. So, humor me?” He gave her that sexy smile she remembered all too well.
After he’d left, how many nights had she spent weeping over that bone-melting smile that had gotten her in trouble with him in the first place. And now it was making a mockery of her defenses. Darn him.
It just wasn’t fair. She wasn’t a naive eighteen-year-old anymore and she didn’t give a fig about making him feel better... “All right, go ahead.” She dragged her gaze away to look at the wall clock. Mostly, so she wouldn’t be dazzled by that stupid smile. “You have five minutes.”
“Thank you,” he said, his voice lowered. “I mean it.”
“Four minutes and fifty-six seconds.”
His deep, raspy chuckle was almost as bad as the smile. “First, I want you to know it wasn’t my decision to leave. I didn’t have a choice.”
That tactic wouldn’t work on her. Ginny believed everyone had choices. Sometimes they weren’t popular or easy, and the consequences could be life changing. She doubted anyone understood that concept better than she did.
“My dad used to work for the DEA,” Parker said, then paused to take a quick sip of his coffee.
“Wait. Not when you all lived here. He was an insurance investigator, right? Or was it a claims adjuster?”
“Neither. He’d been working undercover for a while by the time we moved to Temptation Bay. Meg probably told you the same story we were fed.”
“I wondered why he was gone so much,” Ginny said, mostly to herself. “Meg hated it.”
“We both did. Mom too. According to what she told me later, it wasn’t a problem at first. The assignments were low-level drug busts that kept him away for a week or two at the most. Then, as he became more involved tracking down an East Coast heroine distribution ring out of Florida, his boss kept sending him deeper into the organization. Usually for months at a time. At one point he was gone almost a year.”
Ginny’s eyes widened. “How was that possible? Didn’t you question where he was?”
“Of course, but my mom covered for him. Once she said he was away for job training. Another time he was supposed to have gone to Texas to investigate a case of fraud.” Parker shrugged. “We were young when it started and got used to the absences.”
“Not Meg,” Ginny said half to herself, her gaze straying toward the window. “It bothered her a lot.” Ginny thought back to the week before her friend had disappeared, when she’d begun her downward spiral. “Was that why your parents were getting a divorce?”
Parker looked taken aback. “There hadn’t been any talk of divorce. My mom would’ve mentioned it. Personally, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had left him,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
This time it was Ginny who was caught off guard. Mr. Nolan hadn’t just been Meg’s idol, he’d been Parker’s, as well. “About a week before Meg went missing she overheard your parents arguing. She told me your dad was having an affair and leaving for good.”
Parker’s brow furrowed. “I remember you telling me she’d heard them talking. It was the day before he left for Colombia. But I don’t think you mentioned anything about an affair.”
Holding her breath, Ginny shrugged. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember what she’d told him and what she’d hidden at the time. “I can’t recall specifics.”
“No reason you should.” He let out a weary sigh. “Too bad he didn’t leave for good. It would’ve been better all the way around.”
Ginny hid behind her cup of coffee as pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. Studying the lines of tension bracketing Parker’s mouth, the hardness in his expression, she was still curious about his animosity toward his dad. Everything had happened so long ago but Parker looked as if he’d just awoken from the nightmare. “The night you and your mom disappeared...?”
Parker’s features eased. “The agency was afraid Dad’s cover had been blown, and that Meg’s disappearance had something to do with it.”
“You mean, they thought she’d been kidnapped?”
“Or worse. It was a while before we found out she’d just run away.”
Ginny knew there was a lot more to that story, but clearly Meg had elected not to share it with her family so neither would she. However, she still had questions. But did she dare ask? Getting him on his way was her top priority. Leaving the past in the past was her safest move. She didn’t need to slip up and say something that would raise questions she wasn’t prepared to answer. Ever
.
“Ginny...” He leaned across the table and brushed his fingers over the back of her hand. “I didn’t want to leave like that. Without saying goodbye, or at least explaining what was going on. It happened so quickly, and my mom...she was a mess, and at that point I was all she had.”
Nodding, Ginny managed a smile. “You could’ve called me later...when things weren’t so crazy.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Just to tell me you were okay.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
“It doesn’t matter now. I don’t know why I said that.” Good grief. Couldn’t she listen to her own counsel? She moved her hand back and brushed the hair away from her face.
“Ginny, please...”
She stood rather abruptly. “I guess you’ll be taking off soon.” She didn’t offer him any more coffee and put her cup in the sink. “Oh, I should’ve asked...how’s your mom?”
“Happily remarried. Living in Idaho.” Parker got to his feet and must’ve noticed Ginny’s startled reaction. “The old man’s been dead for fourteen years.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Ginny’s breath caught at the detached look on Parker’s face. A wave of sadness washed over her. The Nolans had once been a close family, despite Mr. Nolan’s frequent absences, and the senseless tragedy of the situation broke her heart.
“Hey, you okay?” In seconds Parker was at her side.
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just—I can’t begin to imagine all the pain you and your mom went through. And for nothing. So much could’ve been avoided if only Meg had said something.” He was standing close, his rugged good looks and musky scent emphasizing how different he was from the earnest, clean-cut young man she’d fallen for all those years ago.
“Sure, Meg lit the match by taking off like she did, but there was more to it.” Bitterness tinged Parker’s voice. “Turns out Dad, the big hero, wasn’t the man we all thought he was.”
Ginny didn’t know what that meant but she wasn’t about to ask him now. Her stomach churned when she realized she’d played a part in all the devastation. In her misguided loyalty to Meg, she hadn’t been entirely forthcoming with Parker and the police about what she’d known at the time. It wasn’t much, and probably wouldn’t have mattered in the long run, but still... “Did Meg’s disappearance have anything to do with you dropping out of Princeton?”
Something about the set of Parker’s shoulders, the flicker of disappointment and defeat in his eyes before the mask slipped back into place, made her want to hold him close, offer him comfort. The impulse was beyond insane. That hadn’t turned out so well the last time. Knowing she could’ve made things worse by her silence had her stomach clenching.
“Nothing went the way I planned after all that happened. But it’s worked out fine. Now I have different expectations and a lot fewer disappointments.”
The trace of rancor in his tone made her feel even worse. If only she’d said something. Anything. Light-headed suddenly, Ginny swayed a little and used the counter for support.
Parker put his arms around her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I think the coffee might not be agreeing with me.” She didn’t resist. It felt good being held by him again. Too good, she thought as she laid her cheek against the warmth of his chest. Only because she couldn’t look into his eyes. At least that’s what she told herself.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispered, his arms tightening ever so gently. “I was young, angry and stupid. And too self-absorbed. I should’ve called.”
Ginny didn’t dare move. Or speak. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She refused to let them fall though. Thinking she heard the front door open, she stiffened.
“Don’t get out the shotgun. It’s just me.”
Tilda.
CHAPTER FIVE
PANIC SHADOWED GINNY’S EYES as she shrugged off his arms and stepped back, bumping into the counter. Parker had heard the door and immediately gave her some space.
“Tilda?” Ginny’s voice broke. “What are you doing here?”
“Um...” The girl entered the kitchen and slowed to a stop when she saw Parker. “I live here?”
“You’re supposed to be camping. Why aren’t you with Kaley and her family?”
The teen was tall and slim, her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that fell past her shoulders. Her big brown eyes went wide with surprise as her gaze bounced from Ginny to Parker. “Kaley’s brother had an allergic reaction to something and had to go to urgent care.”
“So the trip is canceled?”
“No. That happened yesterday. We’re on our way to Sunset Pond now.” She blinked at Parker, then gave him a little smile. “Hi.”
Ginny cleared her throat. “Oh, Parker, this is my daughter. Tilda, this is Parker Nolan.”
“Any relationship to Meg?”
He offered her his hand, which she shook with a firm grip. “I’m her brother.”
Tilda’s grin widened. “I haven’t gotten to meet her yet, but Mom talks about her a lot. And she has tons of pictures of them from high school...” She trailed off, frowning, and turned to Ginny. “Did Meg make it for the reunion?”
Ginny shook her head.
“I was hoping she might be here, so I figured I’d show up and surprise her,” Parker said with a shrug, wondering how much Ginny had told her daughter. “Guess the joke’s on me.”
Tilda gave him a closer look. “Did you go to Roger Williams too?”
He almost smiled at her lack of subtlety. And here he’d even shaved. “Nope.”
The girl was quite a bit older than she was in the picture he’d seen in the living room. Fifteen maybe? No, she had to be younger since Ginny—
His chest tightened. He studied Tilda more intently. She didn’t resemble Ginny, which didn’t necessarily mean anything. She didn’t look like him either, though her crooked smile reminded him of Meg. But that was really reaching. The math though. Numbers didn’t lie.
To have a kid this age meant Ginny would have been with someone else shortly after Parker left. He’d never seen her as the type to do something like that, but then they hadn’t known each other long. He hated to think it might have been a rebound mistake.
“I still don’t know why you’re here,” Ginny said, just as he’d been about to ask Tilda her age.
“I forgot something.”
“Ah, what a surprise.” Ginny seemed jumpy, fisting the front of her shabby robe. Being caught in their semicompromising situation could account for her nerves. But her face should’ve been pink, not ashen.
Tilda’s gaze settled on Ginny’s hand, then lowered all the way down her robe. “Mom!” She moved closer to Ginny. “Are you serious?” she said, her hushed voice loud enough for Parker to hear.
He might’ve laughed if his mind hadn’t been racing in several directions at once.
A horn honked.
They both glanced toward the window. Then Ginny gave her daughter a stern look. “Are Kaley and her mom waiting in the car for you?”
“Oops.” Tilda backed up. “I need to get my phone charger, then I’m outta here.” She sent her mom an eye signal that had something to do with the ugly robe, then she smiled at Parker. “Nice meeting you,” she said and took off.
“I can’t believe the time.” Ginny’s gaze lingered on the wall clock long enough for him to know she was avoiding him. “At the risk of sounding rude, I’ve got to get moving. I’m already late and I still need to get dressed.”
“No problem. I didn’t mean to keep you.” He retrieved his cup from the table and took it to the sink.
“Oh, please, leave it. I feel terrible rushing you as it is. It’s just that we have a few scheduled events and I haven’t seen my old gang for ages. Anyway, I’m sure you’re anxious to be on your way.” She was rushing her words, clearly eager for him to leave, and that made him suspicious. “I
don’t know if you heard about the storm headed up the coast. You know how awful the winds can be this time of year. I’d hate to see you stranded because your flight was canceled.”
Parker knew about the storm. If it hit land this far north, and that was a big if, the weather bureau predicted it wouldn’t happen until next week.
“Thanks for your concern,” he said, “but I’m in no hurry. Besides, what about having that drink we talked about?”
“Did we?”
Parker smiled. “Tell you what, your friends will only be here for...what...two more days? You go have fun with them. I’ll entertain myself, visit some of my old haunts, then we can meet up after everyone’s left. How does that sound?”
“I work for a living. It was hard squeezing in the reunion. I can’t just—”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Tilda stuck her head into the kitchen. “She never goes out. Ever. Okay, I’ve got my charger and we’re off. See you on Monday.”
Ginny’s glare included both of them.
Parker waited until he heard the front door close. “Tilda’s a smart kid. Very pretty too.”
Avoiding his eyes, Ginny opened the dishwasher, forcing him to back up. She put both cups on the top rack and closed it.
“How old is she?”
After washing her hands and drying them, she muttered, “Thirteen.”
He watched her hang up the towel, her hand trembling, and in that moment he knew. “Is she mine?”
Ginny straightened and faced him. Her eyes and voice clear as could be. “No. She isn’t.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“What you believe is irrelevant. It’s the truth.”
If he hadn’t seen the girl and then Ginny’s reaction with his own eyes, he probably would’ve believed her. “Is she really thirteen?”
Ginny let out a sigh. “No. Fourteen. I lied because I knew you’d think exactly what you’re thinking, which would turn into a big hassle for nothing.” She shook her head. “I swear to you, Tilda isn’t yours.”
Parker frowned. They’d used protection, he’d made sure of that. But something wasn’t adding up here. Before he could open his mouth, she walked past him toward the hallway.