Laney interpreted his silence and his expression in her own way. "You did know about the sale!" she cried, harsh and accusing.
"I wish you would have mentioned something about it to us," Paul muttered. He was irritated but trying not to show it, not to the alleged owner of the Blue Springs Resort.
Garrett cleared his throat. "I hadn't heard that Oliver Tate bought Halford House." Well, that was certainly true enough. He knew from long experience that it was best to stick to the truth—or at least the closest thing to it—when in a precarious position. "From what I've heard, Tate is a longtime friend of Art's. He happened to be in the south Florida area and decided to stay at Halford House for a couple days, mainly to golf with Art. He arrived last night. Is that when and how the rumors started?" he asked.
"They started because they're true, which makes them fact and not rumor," Laney replied angrily. "And I think you knew all about the sale, Garrett McGrath. You've certainly been buddy-buddy enough with Daddy to have been told about it." She stared from Garrett to Shelby, pinning her sister with a cold-eyed glare. "There's just something about your boyfriend that I don't trust, Shelby."
And that something is his judgment because he wanted me and not you, Shelby thought. Laney's vindictiveness was wearing on her; the fast getaway Garrett proposed beckoned irresistibly. She looked up at Garrett, squeezing his hand. "Did you come to remind me that we're due somewhere right now?"
"I most certainly did. Come on, we're already late." He started back down the path, pulling Shelby after him.
They broke into a partial run and didn't slow down until they were on the beach, near the isolated stretch where they'd first kissed. This time Garrett didn't suggest a fully clothed dip in the ocean.
He turned to Shelby, his blue eyes dark and serious. "Are you okay?" he asked with such genuine concern that her eyes filled with tears.
"They have to be wrong, Garrett. My father couldn't have sold Halford House to Oliver Tate."
"Come here, sweetheart."
He dropped to the sand, then reached for her hand and tugged it. She automatically sat down next to him, and he draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. She nestled there, her head in the hollow of his chest, savoring the hard, warm strength of him. One big hand stroked her hair gently and the other one reached for her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers.
They sat together, closely, quietly, holding hands and staring at the waves cresting and breaking, then receding out to sea. The scene was so peacefully hypnotic that it took a while for it to dawn on Shelby that Garrett's silence was an ominous sign. He had not dismissed outright Laney and Paul's assertion that Halford House had been sold, he'd merely said that he hadn't heard Oliver Tate was the buyer.
His quiet solicitude was yet another sign that something was not right. She had been with Garrett often enough to know that when they were alone together in a very private setting, he was not content to simply hold her, not unless they were both satiated and exhausted from spent passion. Which was certainly not the case here.
Something had to be troubling him or he would be kissing her, trying to slip his hands underneath the soft blue cotton of her summer sweater to unfasten her bra…
"It's true, isn't it? My father has sold Halford House." Her voice trembled.
"Yes, it's true," Garrett said solemnly.
Pain seared her. "Why? Why would he do it? This is more than just a resort hotel, it's our home. Three generations of Halfords have lived here and—"
"I'm not going to plead your father's case for him but there are a few things you might want to consider, Shelby. You were away for ten years. The nephew who was supposed to take over the place after the designated heir died turned out to be an irresponsible goof-off who couldn't be trusted to set his alarm clock, let alone run a business."
"But I could have been named the new designated heir," Shelby cried. "I was the logical choice to succeed Dad. I'd already established a career in hotel management and I've always looked on Halford House as my … my birthright." A tear trickled down her cheek. "My birthright. That sounds stupid and medieval, doesn't it?"
"No." He brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. "But maybe your father didn't realize how you felt about the place, Shelby. He's not what I'd call the sensitive, intuitive type. Did you come right out and ask him, 'Dad, may I take over Halford House when you retire?'"
Shelby shook her head. "I guess part of me was afraid he'd say no, that he wouldn't think I was competent enough. So I thought I'd show him that I was. Mom mentioned over the phone that Dad was thinking of retirement, though she didn't say it would be so soon. I thought he'd stay on several more years and I decided to come back to Halford House and work alongside my father, to prove to him that I was the one to take over when he retired.
"I was tired of the Casa del Marina and I was tired of California," Shelby said slowly. "I wanted to make some changes in my life, to try to reconnect with my family. It had been ten years since I'd lived anywhere near them and I guess I hoped that time and distance had worked some magic and we'd be one of those picture-book happy families."
He raised his dark brows. "Only if the book happened to be written by Edgar Allen Poe. Something along the lines of The Fall of the House of Usher."
She smiled, but sadly. "I know that now. But earlier, coming back to Halford House seemed to be the ideal move, both personally and careerwise. Unfortunately, from the moment I arrived Dad was more distant than ever toward me. He actually seemed angry to have me around."
Garrett thought back to that first conversation he'd had with Art Halford. The man had seemed petrified of his daughter, so much so that he claimed he couldn't possibly tell her he'd sold the hotel. He'd even called her a jackal! But it had become obvious to Garrett that Shelby seemed more afraid of her father rather than vice versa.
Art's attitude struck Garrett as quite self-serving, an attempt by a bullying father to portray himself as victim. Whatever the truth, there was a serious perception and communication gap between father and daughter. There could be no doubt that Shelby had had a rough childhood, and her mother, detached and vague, couldn't have offered much support. Garrett's heart went out to her.
Shelby heaved a sigh. "When I first returned, I thought maybe I was overreacting, being too sensitive like I'd been as a child," she continued. "But it appears I was right about Dad being angry to have me back. He'd made plans to sell the place and when I showed up, I was nothing but an unwanted complication."
She sounded so dispirited, she looked so sad. She was hurting and Garrett hated it. He turned slightly, so he could gaze squarely into her hazel eyes. "Coming back to Halford House was an ideal move for you, personally and careerwise," he said firmly. "Because if you hadn't come, we never would have met. And I never would've had the chance to ask you to marry me. I'm asking you now, Shelby. I want you to marry me."
It took a moment for his bald statement to register, then she wasn't sure she'd heard him right. "It … almost sounded as if you were … proposing to me?" Her tone was as uncertain and incredulous as her expression. She waited expectantly for his joking reply, which was sure to follow her outrageous misinterpretation.
Instead, Garrett continued to gaze into her eyes, his own blue gaze somber and unwavering. "I am proposing to you, Shelby." There was no wisecrack, no droll smile. His voice was earnest and intense. "Marry me."
"That sounds more like an order than a proposal." Shelby tried to lighten the mood, to stall for time, while she gathered her shattered, scattered thoughts.
"Take it any way you want, but take it seriously, Shelby. Because I am very serious about marrying you. As soon as possible."
She abruptly stood, stumbling a little as she started to walk toward the water. "That's … that's very sweet of you, Garrett, but—"
"Sweet?" Garrett was on his feet beside her, catching her arm to halt her in her tracks. "I ask you to marry me and you say it's sweet?" His voice rose with indignation. "I
thought I told you the last time you tried to label me as sweet, that I most definitely am not."
"It's not an insult, Garrett. Though you try to hide it and you vigorously deny it, you do have this caring, sweet streak in you that compels you to make grand gestures. A case in point—your purchase of the Blue Springs Resort so your little brother can be a golf pro there. And now you're offering to marry me because you feel sorry for me."
"I would never propose marriage to a woman because I felt sorry for her," growled Garrett. "I can list many reasons why I want to marry you but pity certainly wouldn't be included on the roster."
"What would be?" Her voice was not much more than a whisper. The moment she realized that he was serious about this marriage proposal, she also recognized how very much she'd wanted him to be. How much she wanted to marry him. The admission startled her, yet exhilarated her, too.
"We have a lot in common," Garrett began, taking her up on her request to list the reasons he might want to marry her. "The hotel business, for one. This past month we've both learned some things about the higher- and lower-price markets and we found that we share an interest in both. And we enjoy a lot of the same activities—movies, running, swimming, kite flying—"
"We've never flown kites together. That kite you bought last week never got off the ground," Shelby reminded him.
"Because the wind wasn't strong enough."
"Because it was cheap and poorly made, from one of those atrocious junk shops you love to patronize." She was grinning at him, her hazel eyes teasing. Her heart was pounding, her spirits beginning to soar. She was in love with him and he'd asked her to marry him! The crushing news of the sale of Halford House receded in the light of this incredible development.
"Okay, the kite was a dud, I concede the point. If I may continue…" He pulled her into his arms. "We're dynamite together in bed and what we have will keep getting better, Shelby. Out of bed, I enjoy your company immensely, even when we're fighting. In fact, I'd rather argue with you than make love with any other woman in the world."
He gazed down at her. "You're the only woman I've ever asked to marry me, Shelby. I'm tired of being single. This past month with you has made me realize how much I want to be married … to you, my baby. Say yes, Shelby. Say you'll marry me."
"Oh, Garrett!" It was a cry of joy tinged with just a touch of yearning. If only he'd added that he loved her to the list. If only he had opened with those three magic words, he wouldn't have had to make the list at all!
But his arms were around her, crushing her into him, his mouth was hot and urgent against her skin. He had asked her to marry him, he'd all but said that she was the only woman in the world for him. If that wasn't love…
Shelby lifted her head and smiled up at him, her eyes shining. "Yes, I'll marry you, Garrett." The expression on his face was all she needed to confirm the rightness of her decision. He might not have said the words, but Garrett McGrath loved her, she was sure of that.
It would be her pleasure to wring those three crucial, wonderful words out of him! And she would, too, however long it might take. Shelby was laughing when his lips came down hard on hers for a possessive, passionate kiss. She was certain that it wouldn't be very long at all.
* * *
At Garrett's insistence, the two of them left for Buffalo that evening. Shelby mildly protested the disorienting haste of their departure. She'd barely had time to announce the news of her engagement to her parents, and Laney was nowhere to be found. But Garrett was adamant about catching the evening flight out.
"It's time you met the family," he said firmly.
Shelby had known him long enough to recognize that his particular tone of voice when combined with the fierce glitter in his eyes and implacable set of his jaw, meant he would not be swayed from his decision. There was a time when she would have felt compelled to argue with him—it was not in her nature to allow anyone to feel omnipotent—but tonight she was feeling too mellow and too bemused to expend the energy.
She was engaged to be married! She replayed her parents' reactions in her mind as the plane landed in the rainy Buffalo night. Her mother—sweet and rather distracted as usual—had hugged her and warmly congratulated her on "finally finding a fine young man." Her father had first appeared incredulous, then laughed and slapped Garrett on the back.
"It's a done deal, then," Art Halford had said, and when Shelby questioned his rather enigmatic remark, her father had simply shrugged and wished Garrett good luck.
A limousine took them from the airport to the town house condominium that Garrett owned in one of the suburbs surrounding the city. Shelby was surprised by its unprepossessing size and decor. It did not look like the home of the president of a successful company. It did not seem like anybody's home at all. There were no personal touches or effects within; the place had the temporary, unlived-in atmosphere of a motel room.
Shelby told him so.
"I don't spend much time here," Garrett explained. "We'll buy our own place as soon as we're married. We can start talking to realtors and looking at houses tomorrow, if you want."
"I hadn't thought of buying a house," Shelby replied, wide-eyed. "I'm still getting used to being engaged."
"Well, you'd better get used to it fast because you aren't going to be engaged for long." Garrett swept her up into his arms and carried her up the narrow staircase to his bedroom. "I want to make you Mrs. Garrett McGrath as quickly as possible."
* * *
Chapter 10
« ^ »
"Garrett's getting married?"
"A wedding! How exciting!"
"Now we know why you've been in Florida for so long, Garrett! Less to do with Family Fun than your own fun, hmm? That was a joke, big brother. Ha! Ha!"
"Uncle Garrett, can I be a flower girl in the wedding? I want to wear a rainbow dress and purple shoes."
Shelby looked from one McGrath to another as they, in turn, looked her over, directing their comments to Garrett. Shortly before noon, she and Garrett had arrived at the house where his mother and grandmother lived together with Devon, the twenty-six-year-old sister who was twice divorced, and Devon's two children, Pammy, six, and Petey, two.
Twice divorced. That came as a surprise to Shelby, who'd come to think that the McGrath clan personified family perfection as completely as they dominated the family motel business. Garrett hadn't mentioned that his younger sister had been divorced twice. Devon announced it herself upon her introduction to Shelby.
"On your last visits home, you never even mentioned that you were seeing anyone seriously, dear," Garrett's mother, Kate, chided him affectionately. She smiled warmly at Shelby. "I'm delighted to meet you, Shelby. I've been praying Garrett would find someone special to settle down with and I can tell just by looking at you, that you're the right girl for him."
"On the other hand, Mom also thought that Josh Alden was the right guy for me and look how that turned out," Devon interjected, grimacing. "We were married for less than a year and then he ran out on me while I was pregnant with Petey."
"Your mother is an optimist, Devon," countered Grandmother McGrath tartly. "She tends to see the best in people, even when it's not there."
"Can I be a flower girl, please, Uncle Garrett?" begged Pammy, hugging her uncle around the knees. "Please, please, please!"
"She wants to wear a beautiful long dress and toss flowers as she walks down the aisle," Kate McGrath said, smiling fondly at her granddaughter. "That's what a flower girl does, Pammy."
"No kidding." Pammy rolled her eyes.
"That child has a fresh mouth," old Grandmother McGrath muttered disapprovingly. "Reminds me of you as a child, Garrett. You were such a little smart aleck, I wanted to throttle you at times. You improved as you grew up, though," she conceded.
Shelby caught Garrett's eye and bit her lip to stifle a grin.
"Bet you can't wait to meet the rest of the clan," Garrett said dryly. "But it'll have to wait until tonight. Today, we're going to get the
blood tests and apply for a marriage license. We can be married three days from now—on Saturday."
"Saturday?" Devon, Kate and Gran chorused together.
"This Saturday?" Shelby squeaked.
Garrett met her startled hazel eyes. "I told you we were getting married right away."
"We better go shopping for my flower-girl dress right now," Pammy advised
"You can be a flower girl if you want, Pam, but this is going to be a very small, very simple wedding," Garrett decreed, his eyes still holding Shelby's.
"Oh, one of those weddings, where speed is of the essence," Devon drawled.
"The eight-pound preemie," recalled Gran. Her sharp blue eyes raked Shelby so thoroughly that she blushed. "Well, then, we have no time to lose. The sooner you two are married, the better."
"Garrett!" Shelby gritted through clenched teeth as he hustled her out of the family home. "I am not pregnant!"
He patted her arm. "I know, sweetie." He grinned rakishly at her. "But this time next month you will be."
Her eyes widened. They were sitting in Garrett's car, a blue-gray four door that was stylish and luxurious and a far cry from his tiny rental car. Suddenly she missed the cramped boxiness of that little car as much as she longed for their freewheeling days at Halford House.
But here in Buffalo, things were moving at an astonishingly rapid pace. "This is all happening too fast." Shelby spoke her thoughts aloud. "Garrett, I came to Buffalo with you to meet your family, not to marry in to it three days from now!"
"Why wait?" Garrett demanded. "I've never seen the point of a long engagement. You either want to get married or you don't. We both do, so we will. This Saturday."
Shelby's head was spinning. "Garrett, slow down. I wanted to enjoy our engagement and plan a wedding—not a huge one, but a nice one, a wedding to remember forever since I only intend to get married once. I thought we could have the reception at Halford House. I've dreamed of that since I was a little girl sneaking peeks at the wedding receptions in the ballroom. It will require some planning, but we don't have to own the place to…" She paused abruptly, to stare hard at him. "What's this about me getting pregnant within a month? We've never even discussed having children and suddenly you inform me that—"
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