by Jen Gilroy
“The man has no taste.” Except, he’d chosen Mia, so he must have had some taste once. From the way he’d touched her and called her his wife, maybe he was set to make a play for her again.
“Mia can see right through him, Nicky.” Liz patted his hand like she’d done when he was five and he’d accidentally dropped his ice cream cone on the floor in front of the diner counter, the chocolate waffle cone his mom had promised him as a special treat.
“I don’t want her hurt again. She’s my friend.” Maybe if Nick said it often enough, he’d believe that was all Mia was, all she could be and all he wanted her to be.
“You took her to your gran’s cabin at Fairlight Cove last night, didn’t you?” Liz gave an order for the farmhouse breakfast with eggs over easy to a waitress before Nick asked.
“How did you…” Nick stopped. He’d as much as told Liz the truth.
“Your great-aunt Bernice was at the play at that summer theater, and she saw you and Mia there. She left her umbrella under her seat. When she drove back to get it, she passed you turning into Lost Loon Road. There’s nothing along that road but your gran’s cabin and the hunting camp that got burnt out two winters ago.”
“It hasn’t rained in weeks. What did great-aunt Bernice need an umbrella for?” Nick took a mouthful of coffee, and the hot liquid burned his throat.
“Don’t change the subject. First thing this morning, Bernice called me. You remember she’s a distant cousin on my mother’s side?”
Nick pressed his thumbs against his temples. He had to get out of Firefly Lake soon before he got trapped here like the proverbial fly in the spider’s web, stuck so tight he’d never escape. “Who else did she call?” He couldn’t punch old ladies, and he couldn’t sue them either.
“Nobody.” Liz’s eyes took on a steely glint. “Facebook was one thing. Ty’s young, and to him the picture of you and Mia was a joke. With Sean away, I soon set Ty straight, but Bernice is a different kettle of fish. As I reminded her, when I mentioned I knew all the beds her shoes have been under.”
“Great-aunt Bernice?” Nick’s mouth fell open. Bernice was over eighty, favored fussy floral prints and sensible shoes, and had been widowed as long as he could remember.
“You think she’s too old?” Liz poked Nick’s chin with a forefinger and closed his mouth. “We women have needs, and there are lots of lonely and able widowers in this town.”
“All I meant was…” Nick tried to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth.
“I know exactly what you meant. Mia has needs, you do too, and I’m glad the pair of you finally did something about it. She’s a nice woman, and you could do a lot worse.” Liz got to her feet as a teenage waitress slid Nick’s breakfast in front of him with a shy smile. “You already did a lot worse with that Isobel minx. Behind Mia’s pretty face, there’s a woman who’s the kind to settle down, and her apple pie is outstanding.”
“How…”
“She made an apple pie for your mother to take to her garden club meeting. Gabrielle saved a piece for me so I could check out the competition.” With a wink, Liz disappeared behind the fern and left Nick to stare at the plate of eggs and bacon with three silver dollar pancakes and a pot of maple syrup on the side.
He wasn’t the kind to settle down, but he was alone at a table for one when he should have been with Mia, talking about important stuff and not so important stuff, the way good friends did.
He picked up his fork and stabbed at a pancake. From the jukebox at the front of the diner the Elvis classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love” rang out.
Nick chewed a pancake, and the taste was like sawdust in his mouth. He pushed several fern fronds aside and stared across the diner at the couples, the families, and one family in particular. Mia was squeezed into the booth with her daughters on either side. Jay sat across from them, his sandy blond head bent over his phone. Then he raised his head, said something to Mia, and reached across the table to touch her wrist, the gesture intimate and possessive.
Nick dropped the fern back into place. Sex, even though it had been great sex, didn’t mean he was involved. He had his plan. Get his mom healthy and moved and go back to New York after Labor Day.
His phone lit up with Cat’s number and he hit ANSWER. “Hey, Muppet.”
“Hey yourself, Big Bear. What kept you so busy you couldn’t see me this weekend?”
His younger sister’s voice held a teasing note that didn’t quite mask the tremor of insecurity. The vulnerability she’d had since their dad left, and which no amount of academic success had ever erased. Back then, he’d called her Muppet and he’d been her Big Bear, the brother who’d helped her tie her shoes and throw a ball, and protected her from schoolyard bullies.
“Give me a break. You’ve been in town less than twenty-four hours.”
“Sorry.” Her voice softened. “Amy and I are already on our way back to Boston. Amy needed the bathroom so we’re at a rest stop. It was only a short trip because I’m up to my ears in work, but I wanted to see Mom again. Make sure it wasn’t only excitement about the fashion show that made her look so great last weekend.”
“And?”
“Mom looks fabulous. I admit I questioned it at the time, but you were right to hire Mia. She’s amazing. So kind and yet firm. I could never have convinced Mom to get rid of so much stuff. Mia’s worked miracles in that house.”
Nick’s throat tightened. “She’s a miracle worker all right.”
“Even Amy liked her right away. I expected the teen years to be hard, but nobody warned me a tween would be such an emotional volcano.” Cat’s tone was wry. “Mia knew just what to say to Amy. It was like magic.”
Mia had worked that magic on him, like she’d done on his mom and, from the sounds of it, his sister and niece.
“Ward’s great, too. He’s so good for Mom. Really kind and caring. She’s been alone far too long. Do you think the two of them are serious?”
“I don’t know.” Except, he’d seen how the older man looked at Gabrielle. The care and tenderness paired with respect and admiration.
“I wouldn’t worry about Mom as much if she had a man like Ward in her life for the long haul.” Music blared in the background then faded. “Enough about Mom. When did you plan to tell me what’s going on between you and Mia?”
“Nothing’s going on.” At least nothing he was ready to share with his sister, who, like her childhood heroine, Nancy Drew, had never encountered a mystery she didn’t want to solve.
“Sure it isn’t. Like you were at work last night, and Mia was tucked up in bed at Mom’s with a mug of chamomile tea and a book. Please.” Cat’s laugh rippled out, as unfettered and joyful as it had been when she was a kid.
“So? We had dinner and went to the summer theater at Fairlight Cove. It wasn’t a big deal.” That part of the evening hadn’t been. It was what had happened later that was the mega deal.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” Cat laughed harder.
“Little ears?”
“Amy’s still in line for the bathroom. There’s a bus tour group in front of her.”
“It’s none of your business.” Nick’s voice got tight.
“I saw the picture of the two of you on Facebook. I know you and Mia went out last night. I also know she hadn’t come home when I went to bed. When I got up this morning, Mom said Mia had gone out early, but I don’t think so. Her towel wasn’t even damp, and her toothbrush hadn’t been used.” Cat’s tone was smug.
Nancy Drew had nothing on his sister. “So?”
“I hope there is something between you and Mia. The way you looked at her the night of the fashion show was special.” Cat’s voice warmed. “You’re my brother and I might not say it often enough, but I love you. I don’t need anyone in my life right now, but you’re different. Mia’s good for you, and I think you’d be good for her.”
Except Nick hadn’t counted on what making love with Mia would mean. Or how he couldn’t think of her in the same wa
y, no matter how much he wanted to.
“Like I said, there’s nothing to tell.” Nick shoved the fern aside again, but Mia’s table was empty. “I love you, too, Muppet. Don’t be a stranger. Stay longer next time.”
“I’ll try, but I’m working toward a permanent job at a university. Amy has back-to-school stuff, and between all the practices and games, her hockey schedule gets crazy in the fall.”
Cat had been as eager to leave Firefly Lake as he had, as keen to bury the ghosts of the past in a shiny bright future.
If only those ghosts didn’t come back to haunt you when you least expected.
Gabrielle let go of Ward’s hand to shade her eyes against the sun, which reflected off the diner window. Nick sat at a table alone, and the lost expression on his face tore at her heart. Her son needed her in a way he hadn’t for years.
“You go on.” Ward patted her shoulder. His touch was warm through her blouse, and his blue eyes were kind. “Once you’re a parent, you’re always a parent, no matter how old your kid is.” He pointed across Main Street where a striped awning shaded the entrance to the Firefly Lake Craft Gallery, and a wooden bench carved in the shape of an easel invited passersby to stop and sit a while. “I’ll grab a coffee from the bakery and wait for you over there. Take as long as you need.”
“I’m sorry. I know we’d planned to rent a boat and go out on the lake after Cat and Amy left, but Nick’s in there and I have to talk to him.” Gabrielle had already spent far too long avoiding her son and filling the silence between them with meaningless arguments about that bungalow.
Creases indented Ward’s cheeks as he smiled. “The boat will keep for another day. I’m not going anywhere.” He brushed his lips against her cheek, and her pulse raced.
“Thank you.” Her eyes misted. Maybe this was her chance to start over with both her life and her son.
With a little wave to Ward, she went into the diner to Nick’s table. His shoulders were hunched as he twirled a spoon in an empty coffee cup next to a plate where the remains of bacon and eggs congealed. The lunch rush was over, and most of the tables were empty. A few waitresses cleared up behind the front counter.
“Nick?” She hovered by the table and twisted her hands around her straw tote bag.
“Mom?” His expression changed to a careful blank. “What are you doing here?”
She slid into the booth across from him. “I want to talk to you.”
As always, she was struck by his resemblance to Brian. Nick had the same square jaw, dark hair, and deep-set blue eyes as his dad. But there was a new vulnerability in those eyes, which gave her the courage to press on.
“I was about to leave.” Nick pulled a wallet from his back pocket and took out several bills and some change.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
Nick’s mouth thinned. Also like Brian. “This isn’t a good time.”
“There never seems to be a good time.” Gabrielle rested her elbows on the table and stared at him. “Where’s Mia?”
Nick clanged his spoon against the cup. “She left with Jay and the girls.”
“You let her walk away?”
“She was with her family.” He looked at his plate.
Gabrielle studied his bent head and the telltale red mark on his neck. “You’re a grown man and she’s a grown woman, so whatever’s between you two is your business, not mine.”
Even though Mia’s text the night before had given her hope one of her dearest wishes was about to come true, she wouldn’t interfere. Like her mother always said, you could lead a horse to water but you couldn’t make it drink.
“I really have to go.” Nick half rose, and Gabrielle reached across the table and pushed him back into his seat.
“What’s between you and me, though, is my business. I want to fix it if you’ll help me.” She took his hand in a firm grasp.
“You do?”
“After you went to college, you became someone I didn’t recognize. I’m proud of what you’ve achieved in your work, but although you’re my son, I don’t know who you are anymore. Sometimes I miss the boy you used to be.”
Gabrielle looked out the diner window. As if he sensed her gaze, Ward looked up from his phone and smiled; a smile to warm her heart and soul.
“You miss the hell-raiser?” Nick’s voice was dry but tinged with amusement. “You hated me riding that motorcycle. You also hated it when I punched people out, and when I drank too much.”
“True, but now I don’t like how you work all the time and deny who you are, all of you.” She paused to let her words sink in. “The Nick I knew would never have packed me off to some retirement bungalow.”
“I don’t want to lose you. I thought a nice new house would make your life easier and more comfortable.” He rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m going back to New York, and if you’re in a new place, I won’t worry about you as much. Harbor House—”
“Is my home. I’ll die sometime anyway, so until I do, why can’t I live in the place where I’m happy?”
“You’ve already made your point.” Nick’s shoulders sagged. “I’ll pay off Mia and leave things as they are, if that’s what you want.”
“No.” Gabrielle tried to hide a smile. “Having Mia clear out all those old things has been a blessing. Already I feel lighter, as if I’ve reclaimed my life, and she hasn’t even started on the attic yet.”
“The attic?” A glimmer of the boy she’d raised sparked in Nick’s eyes. “A lot of my stuff is still up there. My tabletop hockey game, my collection of baseball pennants, and my glove signed by—”
“There wouldn’t be space for those things in a bungalow, would there?” Gabrielle sat back in the booth. “You can help Mia sort through your boxes and take everything you want to keep back to New York with you.”
“Smooth, Mom.” Nick laughed and it was a real laugh, not the bitter, cynical one she’d gotten used to.
“There’s no way I’ll let you pay Mia off, so we’ll have to make another plan.”
“We?” Nick’s eyes narrowed, and his expression changed into his lawyer face, the smooth mask that shut out the rest of the world. “You and Mia have talked, haven’t you?”
“This isn’t about Mia. It’s about you and me. We need to get past me being sick and the bungalow business and start over. Your dad hurt all of us, but sometimes I think he hurt you the most. In all these years, you’ve never tried to see him, never even tried to talk to him.”
“He left.” Nick’s mouth flattened into a stubborn line. “He chose to leave us, remember? Why would I want to talk to him again?”
“To put what happened behind you. I admit I’m not one to talk. I held on to my anger for years, and I only spoke to Brian when I had to about you kids, but you’re his son—”
“Drop it.” Nick’s voice was clipped. “We’ll figure something out about the house, and we can do more stuff together.” He passed the money to a waitress and gestured to her to keep the change. “But as for Dad, I won’t go there.”
“I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know who you are, but you can’t run away from the past forever.” Gabrielle grabbed his wrist. “It catches up with you. Getting sick like I did was a big shock. I want us to be a real family again.”
“We are a real family.” Nick patted her hand like she was Pixie. “I never needed Dad to be a family. Ward seems like a good guy. If you want to be friends with him, I’m okay with it.”
Which wasn’t what she’d meant. “I love you, and I want you to be happy.” The start of a headache, sharp and insistent, throbbed behind Gabrielle’s temples.
“I am happy.” Nick’s laugh was bitter again. “I’ve got a good job and lots of friends.” He pulled away from her. “I’ve got you, and Cat and Georgia, even though they aren’t around much. I’ve arranged to meet Cat and Amy in Boston for a Bruins game in December. Since Amy loves hockey, the tickets are my treat for her birthday.”
“You’re her favorite uncle.”
Gabrielle tried to smile.
“I’m her only uncle.”
Which was why Gabrielle wanted Nick and the girls settled with their own families. For each of her children to know the love of a good partner, and for Amy to have cousins, along with a father. “We’re okay?”
“Never better.” Nick leaned across the table to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ve had some ideas about the house so you can stay there but be safe and comfortable. Why don’t we spend an evening together this week? We could have dinner at that new vegetarian place in Kincaid you said you wanted to try.”
He sat back with a look of satisfaction like he’d already solved the problem and had moved on. Whereas Gabrielle was stuck with unfinished business and loose ends that, no matter what happened with Harbor House, would lurk beneath the surface like one of those submarines her dad had served on during the war.
“About Mia, did you ever think Jay’s a lot like your dad?”
“If you mean Jay’s a liar and a cheat, then yes.” Nick got to his feet, the little boy who’d been her shadow all those years ago unrecognizable in the tall, handsome man. “Don’t go there, either.” He held out a hand. “I’m heading over to the office. Do you want to get ice cream and walk with me?”
“Sure.” Gabrielle stood too. This was progress. “Why do you have to work on Sunday afternoon?”
“I’m trying to help one of the girls at Camp Rainbow.” Nick’s face got a tender, maybe even paternal expression Gabrielle had never seen there before. “Kylie’s had a rough life. She never knew her dad, and her mom’s been in and out of correctional facilities for armed robbery, drug offenses, and fraud. This kid has spent most of her life in foster care. I want to make things better for her.”
This was the Nick who’d almost disappeared thanks to Brian and Isobel.
“You’re a good man, and I’m proud to call you my son.”
For an instant his gaze connected with hers and something changed. Something important. “I’m proud you’re my mom, too.” He gave an awkward laugh. “You want to get chocolate waffle cones?”
“Are there any other kind?” Gabrielle tucked her arm through his. “Maybe…I mean if you don’t mind, I could ask Ward to join us?” She tried to keep the hope and anticipation out of her voice. “He’s waiting for me across the street by the gallery.”