“This may sound cold and calculating to you, but it helps when you’re launching a career if you’ve got no ties, no boyfriends to distract you from your work. Any men in your life?”
Kerry thought of her lackluster love life. Hank was right; she hadn’t done anything that would spice up an unauthorized biography. She’d poured most of her vitality into her music, and the two men she’d dated seriously hadn’t approved of that, so she’d eventually parted from them with little regret. Someone like Judd would understand and approve of an ambitious woman, she thought fleetingly. “No one.”
His golden eyes burned for a second. “Then the men in Eternity must be total fools.” He turned and walked out the door.
4
STELLA INFORMED Judd that the annual clambake on the beach before the fireworks was the biggest fund-raiser of the year for the Eternity Women’s Preservation Society.
“Does the money go toward preserving Eternity’s women?” he asked with a grin as she sprayed everyone with mosquito repellent before they set off for the clambake.
“It goes toward preserving us from bad jokes,” Stella said, giving him an extra dousing of spray that made him cough and Rachel giggle.
Despite his kidding, Judd wouldn’t have missed the event. Kerry would be there, and no matter how many times he warned himself to stay away from her, especially after the close call that afternoon, he couldn’t do it. Tonight would be safe, because the whole town would be their chaperons.
In New York he’d assign somebody else to shepherd her through the auditioning steps. But in the meantime, he wanted to see her once more against the backdrop of the ocean that seemed so much a part of her. Her music videos should be done here in Eternity, of course. The place was a natural, and so was she.
He accepted the picnic blanket and wicker basket of plates and utensils Stella handed him, and followed everyone out to Allen’s car. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to a picnic on a beach. The blanket and hamper filled him with nostalgia, and if he hadn’t had Rachel skipping at his side chattering about the fireworks, he’d have imagined he was twenty again, heading out with his brother, Steve, and their respective girlfriends for a bonfire and hot dog roast in the sand.
He and Steve had grown up on the West Coast, north of L.A., and, once they’d reached adulthood, by mutual agreement had put a continent between them and their successful, overbearing parents. He tried to imagine his mother and father making a bid to have Rachel live with them, and couldn’t. Both film agents, they’d barely had time for their own children, let alone a grandchild. They sent elaborate presents and demanded current pictures they could pass around, but that about covered their involvement.
Allen Woodhouse maneuvered the car along the narrow road to the beach, which wound through marshes teeming with wildlife, the same road Judd had taken on foot that morning.
Stella gestured off to their right across the salt marsh. “To give you a proper reply to that smart-alecky remark you made earlier, Judd, the profit from this clambake will help buy those woods from the Seatham Corporation, so we can keep that area natural.”
“Sounds like a good cause.”
“There’s a real ruckus about it going on, let me tell you. Geoffrey Kent is on one side of the issue and his wife, Marion, is leading the opposition.”
Judd tried to remember where he’d heard of Geoffrey Kent and finally remembered Kerry had named him as her manager. “How is Geoffrey Kent involved?”
“He’s a lawyer who’s been hired by Seatham to push the land purchase and condo construction. Marion’s on the Conservation Commission, which is dead set against the development. Some people are wondering if they’ll divorce over it.”
So Kerry had herself a lawyer as a manager. Good move. “What do you think?” he asked.
“I don’t think they’ll divorce.” Stella turned in her seat and gave him a smug smile. “They were married in the Powell chapel, you see.”
Allen snorted. “You walked right into that one, Judd.”
“Allen, you believe in the legend just as much as I do,” Stella scolded. “Oh, Rachel, there’s an osprey perched on that dead tree over there. See it?”
“Yeah! Neat, Grandma! That makes six times I’ve seen one so far this summer. Look, Dad, right over there.”
“Pretty impressive.” Judd recalled that Rachel loved watching wildlife specials on TV, probably because her personal exposure to wildlife was limited to the zoo, pigeons on the windowsill of their apartment and ducks on the lake in Central Park. Was that too much of a hothouse existence for a growing child? Here in Eternity she played outside most of the time and seemed to have forgotten completely about television.
In a short time they were searching for a parking space in the packed lot adjoining the beach. After Allen nabbed one, Judd helped unload the car and followed Rachel and the Woodhouses across the slatted walkway over the dunes. Once there he searched the milling crowd on the beach for Kerry. She wasn’t hard to spot, decked out in a glittery white blouse and snug jeans. Nestled into a cluster of family members, she shone for him like a diamond in its setting.
He waved when she caught his eye, and she waved back, but she didn’t come over. Just as well, he thought. Maybe he’d scared her this afternoon, but he didn’t think so. Unless his instincts were shot she’d been with him all the way. Fortunately he’d found some control at the last minute. Starting something with Kerry, no matter how much she attracted him, would be a big mistake.
Stella and Allen spread a blanket in the sand, and Judd followed Rachel’s lead, taking off his shoes and socks. He remembered his stunt with the socks that afternoon with Kerry and felt a new surge of desire. She’d looked so damned good, coming up that walk with anticipation glowing on her cheeks.
“Judd?” Stella jostled his arm. “Ready to get some food?”
He snapped out of his reverie. He had to stop this kind of daydreaming, and he would, once he escaped the seductive atmosphere of this town. Fanciful costumes during the day, a romantic beach party at night—no wonder he was acting like an idiot. New York would bring him back to reality—it always did.
Stella directed them to the buffet line at the folding tables set up on the beach. The aroma of seafood and roasted corn mingled with the salt air in a heady combination that Judd thought rivaled some of the better restaurants in New York. But again, it was probably the unfamiliar surroundings.
“So you’re Rachel’s dad.”
Judd turned toward the woman behind him in line. She had a pleasant face, although a little too heavily made-up for his tastes, and hair tinted a shade between burgundy and ros;aae wine. “I’m Rachel’s dad,” he confirmed. “And you’re…?”
“Dodie Gibson.” She thrust out her hand. “I do Stella’s hair, and she brought Rachel in for a cut soon after she got here. Wonderful little girl.”
“Yes, she is.”
Dodie glanced around impatiently. “I was supposed to have a date for this shindig, but I think I’ve been stood up. You aren’t attached to anyone, are you, Mr. Roarke?”
“Uh—”
“We could just eat together, you know? I hate to eat alone, don’t you?”
“Well, I’m here with Rachel and the Woodhouses, so—”
“That’s great!” Dodie’s earrings, a pair of brilliant toucans, jingled. “We’re good friends.” She stood on tiptoe. “Stella!” When Stella turned, Dodie smiled. “I just invited myself to share your picnic blanket. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine, Dodie.”
Judd heard amused forebearance in Stella’s reply. As Dodie began to chatter to him about the lovely evening and the excellent food, she found excuses to lay her hand on his arm or to brush against him. Well, here was a woman obviously in the market, he thought. And she’d be able to French-braid Rachel’s hair.
Judd thought about the possibility of Dodie Gibson for about two seconds before his gaze wandered over to Kerry. She sat on a blanket holding a toddler in her lap an
d laughing as the baby patted the spangles on her shirt. Judd remembered Steve’s saying he’d known Michelle was the woman for him the first moment he saw her. Steve’s words echoed in Judd’s mind as he watched Kerry.
“And by the way, Judd… May I call you Judd?”
He brought his attention back to Dodie, who was looking at him with complete absorption. “Sure. But, Dodie, I should warn you that—”
“Don’t bother warning me.” She flashed him a bright smile. “I’ve been married five times, and warnings never did work with me. Here, take a plate.”
He accepted the plate she gave him, let her load it up with food and walked between Dodie and Rachel as they headed for the blanket. Rachel rolled her eyes at him when he glanced down at her. He tried not to laugh. He and Rachel had been through this enough times that she could sense when her father wasn’t interested in a woman’s advances.
He savored the fresh clams and sweet corn as Dodie monopolized the conversation. She was funny, and soon had everyone laughing at the stories she told about the beauty shop and her numerous husbands.
“Why all the marriages, Dodie?” he asked finally. “I thought Eternity was dedicated to the one man, one woman concept.”
“So far I’ve never been able to talk any guy into getting married in the Powell chapel,” Dodie explained. “Which tells you how committed they were, huh?” She laughed. “How do you stand on the legend, Judd?”
“I’m a New Yorker. We’re not famous for our sentimentality.”
“You should spend more time in Eternity,” Dodie said. “We’d fix that.”
“Could be.” Throughout their conversation he’d subtly kept track of Kerry. As she moved through the gathering on the beach the crowd reacted to her as if she were a princess. Everyone seemed to love her. That sort of charisma was a good sign for her future fame, although she’d eventually have to give up such intimate communication with her fans. Kerry had a lot to learn, but he had realized today he was the last person in the world who should teach her.
His speech about passion had not gone well. It was a good speech, one he’d used before with hopefuls to clarify what their ambitions were. But his attraction to Kerry had given it a whole new direction. The concept of an untapped well of passion in Kerry Muldoon fascinated him.
And then he’d worked in that question about her love life, which he’d never asked another artist before signing them to a contract. The question wasn’t totally out of left field—a love relationship could get in the way of a budding career. But it was all a rationalization, because his motivation for asking hadn’t had anything to do with Kerry’s professional future. He’d wanted to know as a man. A man dazzled by this little town and its reigning princess, Kerry Muldoon.
“Daddy, pass the salt, please.” Rachel nudged him, and he realized he’d zoned out again.
“Sure thing.” He reached for the shaker sitting beside him on the blanket and passed it to Rachel with a smile. Her mouth glistened with the butter she’d spread on her corn. She’d skipped the clams, but he could see from the mangled cobs on her plate that she’d sampled liberal amounts of the tender white New England corn.
“We have to come back here every single Fourth of July,” Rachel announced. “Okay, Daddy?”
“Okay.” He tried to picture this town without Kerry in it, which would be the case next summer if she succeeded the way he thought she might. The thought depressed him.
“But, Rachel, weren’t we going to talk to your father about your spending the whole summer with us from now on?” her grandmother said, looking up from her plate of clams.
“Yeah,” Rachel said slowly, casting a sideways glance at her father. “We were.”
Every summer, Judd thought. No more summers with Rachel. Three months of every year chopped out of his life with her.
“But I think Daddy gets lonesome in New York,” Rachel added, chomping down on her corn.
“I’m okay, punkin,” he said quickly. God forbid she’d stay home with him out of pity.
“Then you don’t miss me?” Her blue gaze was accusing.
He laughed. “You’ve got me in a no-win situation. Either I admit to missing you and then you stay home for the sake of old Dad, or I don’t miss you and then you think I don’t care.”
“Which is it?” she asked with the persistence of a nine-year-old.
“Neither.” He reached out and smoothed her hair.
“Daddy! You’ll mess up Grandma’s braiding job.”
“Sorry.” He removed his hand. “What I mean is, I miss you, but I want you to stay here during the summers, just like you planned, with Grandma and Grandpa, if that’s what you want. I think it’s great you can get out of the city for a few months. I wish I could.” Now where had that come from? He’d never thought that before.
Dodie leapt on the statement. “Then why don’t you?” She pried open another clam. “I hear about executives all the time who keep in touch with their offices by telephone and fax machines. You could make Eternity your home base for the summer.”
The idea sounded preposterous to Judd, but he didn’t say so. No one sitting on the blanket could imagine the responsibilities he shouldered as founder and CEO of Lighthouse Records. He had a dedicated staff, and the other officers of the company worked hard, but nobody could be expected to care the way he did.
“You should really consider moving your operation up here for the summer,” Stella urged. “We have the space. You could turn that bedroom you use into an office with no trouble at all.”
“I’d build some shelves, cabinets, anything you want,” Allen said.
“That’s very generous of you both.” Judd glanced at Rachel. Her expression told him she knew he wouldn’t consider it. But he hoped that someday she’d consider joining the business, and that eventually she’d take it over. He wanted to shepherd the company carefully until then.
Besides, this town seemed to have the capacity to eat his brain. No telling what sort of softheaded business decisions he’d make if he based his operation here in the land of love and everlasting marriages.
“Unfortunately,” he began, “I need to have more than phone and fax communication with my office. I need to be there in person, be able to read people’s faces when they discuss deals with me. It’s a tricky business. Plus, when I’m in New York I can check out the talent in the clubs more easily. That’s where we’ve discovered some of our big names, as I guess you know.”
“I suppose you do need to stay in the thick of things,” Stella said. “And you work with so many important people it might be boring staying down here for the summer.”
From the corner of his eye Judd could see Kerry strumming a guitar while she sat surrounded by friends and family. Soft light from the setting sun tinged her face and sparkled in her eyes. “Not necessarily boring,” he said. “Maybe ‘inconvenient’ is a better word.”
“I’m still impressed you got that autographed album for me from Julio Iglesias.”
“If he wouldn’t sign with us, the least he could do was give me an autographed album for my daughter’s grandmother,” Judd said with a smile.
“Julio Iglesias?” Dodie gaped. “You know him?”
“He knows tons of people,” Rachel said with a wave of her hand. “Bruce Springsteen comes over all the time, and we go for pizza sometimes with Cyndi Lauper.”
Dodie’s mouth gaped open. “You told me about going out for pizza with somebody named Cyndi when I trimmed your hair, but I thought Cyndi was one of your little friends.”
“Well, she is a friend,” Rachel said, “and she’s not very big, so I guess— Oh, there’s Janice and Marcie!” She wiped her face with a napkin Stella handed her. “Can I go play with them?”
“May I go play with them,” Stella corrected gently.
“May I go?”
Stella wiped a corner of Rachel’s mouth with a second napkin. “Yes, you may. Come back over here when it starts to get dark. And please don’t run or you’ll get sand
in everybody’s food.”
“I won’t.” Rachel stood and walked over to where her friends stood waiting.
“Cyndi Lauper,” Dodie murmured again, shaking her head.
“You’re very good with Rachel,” Judd told Stella after Rachel was out of earshot.
“Thank you.” Stella gazed after Rachel. “As you see, she’s made some friends already. Janice and Marcie are full of the devil, but they’re basically nice kids.” She hesitated. “They’d be in Rachel’s class at school in the fall.”
Judd met the pointed comment with silence. Rachel wouldn’t be going to school here in the fall, and that was that, but he didn’t want to get into it with Dodie listening.
Stella apparently felt no such compunction. She turned back to him, a desperate light in her eyes. “She reminds me so much of Michelle that I can’t help dreaming, Judd. I checked out the school, and it’s very good. I keep thinking that you could come here weekends. Every weekend, for that matter. You probably don’t see much of Rachel during the week, anyway, and—”
“Stella.” Allen put a hand on her arm. “Can’t you see that Judd wants her, too?”
Stella’s eyes were moist. “Yes, I can. Of course I can. I just…long for this child.”
Dodie’s attention seemed riveted on the scene. Judd could imagine the gossip this could provide at the hair salon. He cursed to himself.
“It seems to me,” Allen said slowly, “that we all have to decide what’s best for Rachel, disregarding our own needs.”
Allen’s calm rational statement hit Judd like a fist in the gut. He could deal with Stella’s yearnings to replace her daughter, Michelle, with Rachel. It was a poignant situation, but Steve and Michelle had been clear that Judd was to raise their daughter. Still, they hadn’t foreseen that Judd would remain a bachelor or that he’d be the head of a powerful company that sapped much of his time and energy.
He gazed across the crowded beach to where Rachel played down by the water with her two friends. She did seem very happy here. The mellow atmosphere that threatened to take the edge from his business sense might be exactly the right atmosphere for raising a child. Was he being selfish and unwise to insist she live with him in New York?
Wedding Song Page 4