“What the fuck you talkin’ about man. You throwing me out?” Luke set his bottle on the island kitchen counter with a thud.
“Nope. Lee’s having financial problems. We need to help.”
“How?”
“By moving you into her spare efficiency above the gallery.”
“Like I said—you kicking me out of this sweet deal and moving me in above a store?”
“Not really. We’ll move you in. I’ll pay the rent. You walk across the street every night and clomp up the stairs to your new apartment. Then you sneak back down and come here. Where I might add, you have it easy—your own damn suite and all.”
Luke grinned. “Hey, who does the cooking? And most of the cleaning. And the lawn work. Oh, yeah, and pays half the bills here and at the Grille.”
Gray looked sideways at his friend.
“Yeah, I know. All for a cause. And Lee sure is a fine woman. Sweet. Oooh yeah, so sweet and sultry—all rolled into one fine body.”
Gray pinned his best friend with the evil eye. “Maybe I should move in.”
“You don’t trust me with your woman?”
“She’s not my damn woman and you know it.”
“Not for lack of trying—I’m willing to bet.”
If Luke only knew how hard it had been to walk away from her after those kisses under the full moon. Hard didn’t begin to describe it. The last thing he’d wanted to do was drive Lee home. He dropped her off, and drove the distance home with a hard-on to end all. “Hear me out. I never tried. Okay—I tried. She turned me down flat, man.”
“Flattened you like a pancake on a sizzling skillet. Brutal. Not even a kiss?”
“Yeah, a few kisses.”
“Damn. All that sweetness. At least tell me the kissing was good. You sure you’re not lying about a little lovin’.”
“Nothing else.”
“Oh man, you sure as hell wanted to. You doing the right thing by her, tells me something.”
“Don’t go there.”
“Ha. I knew it, boss. Ya know what I think—you finally found the woman who challenges you.”
“Cut the boss crap.”
Luke’s deep laughter rolled out of him. “Yup—here you go changing the subject. You got it bad.” He picked up the bottle and drained a third of it. “Man, this shit is good. Worth moving to Maine for.” He set the bottle down. “Where do I sign?”
“You’ll do this?”
“For your sweet thing—you bet. I’ll fix the pad up real nice. Cause when she moves in here, least I’ll have a place to crash.”
Luke ducked when Gray launched a soggy dishtowel at him.
“Yes siree, you got it bad. And you still can’t shoot.”
* * *
Mindi rambled on, as Lauralee sat at the edge of her seat. “I told you the boy was no good for you. Papa’s going to throw you out. Mark my words.”
The tug at her heart almost stopped her in her tracks. The reminder of a grandfather who refused to love her. The man who sent his daughter away to die in childbirth…alone. Still, the pit in her stomach told her things could have been different for all of them. Lauralee needed answers. Feeling a bit guilty about her next words, she threw herself into playing the role of a mother she’d never known. “What will Papa do to Tommy?” She drew the last word out.
Mindi shook her finger. “Don’t you ever utter J—his name. Papa will make sure the caretaker is fired for letting us have a party at his house.”
“Jay?” Did Mindi refer to her father or the caretaker’s son?
“In fact, maybe you should stay in Serenity Harbor. You need to tell him, Missy. Maybe he’ll marry you. And don’t tell me again you don’t want to marry. It’s the only way.”
“Marry who?”
“Stop your fooling around. This isn’t a laughing matter.”
Lauralee sat on her hands, trying to keep her mouth shut. She wasn’t sure how to respond to any of this. So instead she tried to snap Mindi out of the past. Reaching over she took Mindi’s hand in her own. The hand that had pulled Lauralee away from an abusive foster family, and smoothed away her tears to hold her tight against the world.
“Mindi, it’s me. Lauralee. Tell me about my father.”
Confusion clouded her face, then she grinned. “Stop playing with me, Missy. You never take things seriously. Papa loves you and your spirit, but this—” She waved her hand. “He won’t stand for a blight on the family name. He’ll send you off to a home or a nunnery. You have to tell him.”
“Who? Tommy or Jay?”
“Time for your pills, Ms. Adler.” The nurse, decked out in a colorful, flower-patterned scrub top and mauve pants, held out the small cup and a glass of water. “Almost time for lunch. Will Lauralee be eating with you?”
“I’m not hungry. I’m tired.” Mindi shut her eyes to the conversation and the world.
The nurse lay her hand on Lauralee’s forearm. “How’d she do today, honey.”
Lauralee shook her head. “She thought I was Missy the whole time.”
“It’s closing in on the time when she won’t remember the present at all. I’m sorry. But even with her head in the past, you cheer her up every time you stop in.”
Lauralee tried to sport a smile, but frustration and sadness ebbed through her. Today she walked away with one more clue. A name starting with J. But then where did Tommy come in? Did her mama—no. She shook her head against the thought her mama had two boyfriends.
* * *
Gray and Luke had labored all morning. Hammer poised to work another nail into the sheetrock, Lee strolled in from her visit to Mindi’s.
“As caretaker, you have an in with the estate owners, right?”
“Hello to you too.” Gray lowered the hammer and threw a don’t-give-me-away glance toward Luke.
“Do me a favor?” She didn’t spare a blink at his sarcasm.
“Sure. What?”
“The name of the caretakers who were here thirty-two, thirty-three years ago.”
“No clue. The old man who owned the place is dead. New owners.” He hated lying, even though he spoke the truth. He sure as hell wouldn’t ask his father. Maybe his grandfather’s records held a clue. “This about finding your father?”
She nodded, as she automatically handed Luke another strip of drywall tape.
“I’ll do what I can.” He turned back to pounding nails with a vengeance to dissuade further talk, but not before Luke shot him a warning glare.
They worked the next several hours in virtual silence, the only conversation centered on their renovation tasks. While Luke stepped across the street to grab sandwiches, Gray and Lee washed up in her apartment. “You sure you don’t want to rent this place instead? Live next door for the view?”
Lee shook her head. “I’m not here enough to enjoy the view. Plus I wouldn’t get nearly the rent.” She handed him a bottle of a locally made Arnold Palmer mix sweetened with honey.
“Hits the spot.” He leaned against the little counter between her stove and fridge, “Looking for your father might not be smart.”
Her head lifted. Her face blanched.
Setting down the bottle, he strode the few steps across the kitchenette, wishing like hell he’d taken the more tactful approach. “I know you need to find out. But this is a small town, Lee. You open this bucket of bait and you might hurt a ton of folks.”
“I need to know.” She bit her lip. “Who would I hurt?”
“Suppose your dad still lives here. Has a family. Wife. Kids. And then you spring something like this on a man who had no clue he fathered another child.”
“What would you do if you had no clue who your father was? Tell me. What?” She poked his chest. “Would.” Poke. “You do?”
He caught her finger as she aimed another poke. “Find him.” A lie. He couldn’t undo what he knew about his father. Never mind he wished away knowing the one he had. “Be careful. Move slowly. Make sure you know the consequences before you act. Promise me.”
“You’re right. Maybe knowing who he is will be enough. I promise I’ll be thoughtful, but I can’t promise anything else. Not yet. Not until I know the truth.”
He leaned in and kissed her. Gently. Then he pulled back and released her hand. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
A promise made. One he was unsure he could keep.
Chapter 10
Lauralee plucked each clean plate off her wooden dish drainer. Wasn’t often she had three clean plates to put away in the set of open shelves next to the sink. But yesterday she’d brought out the plates when Luke returned with sandwiches. Sitting in her tiny living space, rather than on the dusty floor across the hall, seemed practical and much more civilized.
Truthfully, her heart swelled at the thought of company. Friends. She’d gone through life with few—all fleeting friendships. Being here in Serenity Harbor with her aunt, despite the illness soon to rob Lauralee of her only relative, had finally given her a sense of belonging, of self, of hope. Having Gray and Luke pitch in toward realizing her aunt’s dream—well there were no words to express what their selfless time and energy meant to her.
She fingered the swirled pattern of colors circling the perimeter of the plate before stacking it on top of the other two. The act of putting away dishes after friends ate together gave her comfort.
The metal clang of footsteps sounded in the back, as Gray and Luke arrived bright and early despite their late night shift. Lauralee hung the hand towel, and reached the hallway as they took their last steps.
“Hey. Wanted to say thank you for all you’ve done—are doing. I was so wrapped up in finding my father yesterday, I forgot to say thanks.”
Gray nodded. Luke grinned. And they got to work, spending the morning sanding sheetrock tape seams smooth. Tonight, while Gray and Luke worked, she’d paint. The renovations moved fast, and excitement at not only accomplishment of do-it-yourself, but the potential for added income, buoyed her spirits.
Soon they’d install appliances, put in the commode and sinks in the bathroom and kitchen. She couldn’t wait to see the whole effect when they put in a wide window across the back of the building facing the ocean where plywood now blocked the view.
Someday, she’d add a sliding door and deck, and a sweet, little gas-fired, open-faced fireplace. As it was, Gray had dragged her all over town to procure supplies on the cheap.
Lauralee met the owner of Thompson’s Hardware, Jim, a nice man with red hair, freckles, and around Mindi’s age, who spoke highly of her and the gallery. She wondered if he might have had a slight crush on her aunt. She met Bill Norris the electrician, about her age and eager to show off photos of his wife and kids. She met Jake Allen the plumber, and Dusty Carter from the appliance store. All had been welcoming and helpful, giving her deals—because she was friends with Gray, of course. With such kindness, she knew she finally fit in.
At noon, after a shower, clean clothes, and a quick bite, Lauralee headed toward the stairs, ready to open the gallery for the afternoon.
She spent the rest of the day hanging pictures and hoping someone would walk through her door. Not one customer on a mid-September Tuesday. By five her heart was in the pit of her stomach with worry. Her only hope of bringing in money for the winter months lay on the floor above her.
Lauralee flipped the sign to closed, changed into old jeans, and armed with a paintbrush attacked the walls of the new apartment. Two hours later, splattered in paint, she finished up the coat of primer in the thirty by twenty-four foot efficiency, almost twice the size of her own.
For a moment she imagined living here. No, she needed the income. Besides, her cozy place across the hall was the closest she’d ever come to calling a place her own.
Now if she could hold on to the building.
She cleaned up and pulled on loose-fitting black knit pants and a warm and worn baggy, bright gold sweater. As she rummaged through the fridge for salad fixings, her limbs felt heavy, her back ached, and the silence of the building burrowed deep inside.
A shiver slipped down her back. Having a neighbor who made a little noise would be good. Right now, the silence engulfed her. She stuffed the bag of lettuce and the cucumber back in the produce bin and opted for company across the street.
When she pushed through the door into the soothing atmosphere of the Starlight Grille, all her worries and negative energy eased from her tight muscles.
Gray grinned from behind an empty bar. Her heart fluttered and her limbs shifted from relaxed to weak. Lauralee stopped dead in her tracks.
She liked Gray. Yeah, she liked him…a lot. But when had he moved her to this all-consuming, weak-kneed, loose-limbed state?
Not Gray. This was, pure and simple, fatigue, and anxiety about the looming and uncertain future.
“Hey, Lee. Didn’t expect you this late.” His grin widened, his dimple flashed, his stunning sapphire blue eyes winked in the dim lights. And any thoughts of forward momentum stalled her in her tracks.
Shit. It was all Gray. She had allowed herself to fall for a guy who could never commit. Well, she couldn’t commit either. A shared intimate dinner and a kiss didn’t a commitment make. Her imagination running away, once again, toward what-ifs she could never have.
If she hadn’t been the only person in the restaurant close to their week night closing time, Gray might not have noticed her. She could have bolted. Instead, she slowed her pace and quelled her urge to run.
“Kitchen’s still open. Sit.” He placed a cocktail napkin in front of the stool opposite him. She plastered on a smile and willed her legs to move. “What’ll it be?” Another shiver slipped through her as she sat. Before she could answer, he pulled a mug from the rack above him. “This will hit the spot. Hot mulled cider with dark spiced rum.”
She nodded, trying desperately to think of something lighthearted and witty to say so he wouldn’t see straight into her heart.
“You okay?”
“Tired. Hung seven pictures then primed the upstairs.”
“Luke and I would’ve helped.”
“You’ve done enough. I can’t pound nails like you do, but painting I can handle.”
He leaned his elbows on the bar, his eyes level with hers. “Got good news.”
“Yeah?”
“Found you a tenant. And have first month’s rent and deposit in hand.”
She toyed with the chain to her mother’s locket.
He reached over and cupped her hand in his. “You do that a lot. Play with that chain when you’re nervous.”
“The place isn’t ready yet. What were you thinking?”
“Hold on. He knows and he’s willing to wait.” Gray slid a check across the bar.
Lauralee glanced at the slip of paper. “No. Why?”
“He’s sick of looking at my ugly face every morning and every night. He sees enough of me here.”
She glanced across the room at the empty piano stool. “But you’ve got a great place. I don’t understand.”
“Winter’s coming on. Luke figured walking across the street every night beat the drive out to my place. When the weather’s nice, he’ll move back. Then you can earn big money off a seasonal renter.”
She shoved the check back across the bar. “No deposit and first month’s free for all the work he did.”
Gray shoved the check back toward her. “No way to run a business. You need this money now, Lee.”
She palmed the bar and straightened her elbows to move the stool back. “Is this some charity rental?”
Gray scrubbed his hand back through his hair. “Christ, Lee. No. Luke is psyched to live in town. He can’t deal with the damn quiet at my place.” He turned his back, grabbed the warming pot with the cider to fill the mug and then added a hefty shot of booze. “Here.”
She released her grip on the bar and cradled her hands around the mug to take in its heat. “I‘m not ungrateful. It’ll be nice to have someone I know across the hall. It’s—you surprised me.”
; He leaned in, pepper and citrus engulfing her in comfort—sort of like coming home, or so she imagined. “Order up. I’ve got more news.”
“I have to wait until I order? I’m so tired, I’m not even sure I can eat much.”
“Leave it to me.” Before she could say boo, Lauralee watched Gray’s back disappear through the kitchen door. When he didn’t return immediately, she pulled out her phone to research getting through to Alzheimer’s patients. Absorbed in reading, she hadn’t realized ten minutes passed before Gray reappeared with two plates.
“Hope you don’t mind if I join you.” He came round the bar, deposited the food, and then strode to the door to flip the lock and the closed sign.
“It’s closing time?”
“Haven’t seen a soul in over an hour.” He pulled a stool close and settled in.
Lauralee lifted the top off the roll of her burger, smothered in gooey pepper jack cheese, salsa, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced jalapenos, chunky avocado, and minced red onion. The scents awoke her appetite. “Looks great.” She placed the top bun to the side and lifted her knife and fork.
Gray raised a brow. “Really?”
“This is going to be messy.”
“Half the fun.” He took a bite. Avocado hit the plate and salsa dripped down his chin.
She dabbed her napkin under his chin. “Told you.”
He grinned. “The experience of eating a stellar burger.”
“Always so modest. You cooked this, right?”
“You needed comfort food.”
Her heart thumped against her chest as she leaned in and rested her hand on his forearm. “Much needed. Hits the spot.”
“Rough day?”
“Not really. Got a lot done. It’s…I’m not sure….”
“Welcome to fall in Maine, when the nights come too early and the light too late. And knowing it’ll only get worse before the days get longer.”
“The dark is getting to me.”
“And stress—a lot on your plate. No one to help. You’ll like my news.”
With a forkful of burger halfway to her mouth, she paused. “What’d’ ya do?”
Gray set his half-eaten meal on the plate. “Harsh.”
Welcome to Serenity Harbor Page 34