by Annie O'Neil
“Are you the one in charge?”
An elegant gentleman approached her desk. She smoothed the skirt of her green dress and gave him her best smile of welcome.
“Absolutely. There are a variety of jobs down at the station—all volunteer, of course. Would you like to take a look?”
“No need, love. I think I might be a bit past running up and down ladders.” He gave a rueful laugh and made a playful show of being a bit rickety. She laughed along with him, although she thought for a silver-haired man he looked pretty vital. And familiar. There was something about the way his eyes—
“The winery would like to make a donation, as well.”
“Of course. Do you mean—”
“River’s Bend.” His eyes ran warmly around the premises. “This is our place and we’d like to put our continued support behind the CFS in the form of a memorial fund. I’m thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of ten thousand dollars. A month. I presume you’ll take a check.”
“Absolutely!” Liesel couldn’t believe it. What an amazing start. She had hoped to have a good list going and at least a few dollars in the pot before Jack came—but this was even better than she could have imagined.
“My son works for the CFS but he’s going to invest in his roots again.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, he’s thinking of moving back here, to the winery, to be with family.”
“How lovely! You’re a lucky man!”
“You bet I am. He’s one in a million, my boy.”
The gentleman looked so happy Liesel couldn’t help but send him a wide congratulatory smile in response. She wondered which of the volunteers was his son. This gentleman seemed so familiar.
“Now, where do I sign?” The man lifted his pen in anticipation.
“Just here,” Liesel spluttered, pulling the appropriate clipboard across the table toward him. “Just down here.” She put her finger to the line where he should write his name. Just as quickly she was withdrawing it as if she’d been burned by the words formed by the man’s pen: John Granville Keller.
He noticed her sharp movement and looked up with a warm smile, eyes twinkling. Bright blue eyes.
“Liesel—”
She knew that voice. And there wasn’t a chance in the world she was going to look at the uniformed man who had just approached the CFS stand. Not now. Not with shock turning her smile into a stupid fixed grin. Jack hadn’t told her the truth. His whole story. She’d told him everything and despite their promise of friendship he’d still kept her compartmentalized. As if she was a dirty little secret to keep hidden away.
How could she not have seen it? She felt like such an idiot. And humiliated. She’d been so open with her own life, allowing Jack full, unfettered access to herself, her son. She had plans in motion to change her life for this man and he couldn’t even tell her his father lived down the road? And that he was going to give up his all-important CFS? The very same CFS he had wanted to put her on hold for?
Blood was thicker than...than whatever feelings she’d thought Jack had for her. She could feel her face burn with indignation.
Was she so off Jack’s true radar that he had to keep her secret from his past? Apparently so. She forced herself to look up. She could do this. She could.
And there they were. Side by side. Father and son.
* * *
If Jack could have prevented her confusion, her pain, he would have. Correction. He could have, but he hadn’t. So Jack did the next best thing he could think of...backpedal. Like crazy. “I see you’ve met my father.”
“Yes, we’ve just met.” Liesel had put on her best bubbly party voice but her eyes told another story. “He’s going to make a very generous donation to the CFS. In the name of...”
She let the sentence hang for Mr. Keller to fill in.
“In the name of Ava Keller. It’ll be an annual donation.” He turned and clapped an arm along his son’s shoulders. “Better than ad hoc. Your mother would’ve wanted it that way.”
Jack rocked back on his heels. He knew he and his father had set the wheels of repairing old wounds in motion—but this was one heck of a gesture. He was truly touched. “Thanks, Dad.” He pulled him into a strong hug. “I mean it.”
“Well,” Liesel began briskly, “it looks like you two have some catching up to do.”
“Actually...” Jack broke in quickly. He had to stop any conjecturing Liesel might be doing right now. He could practically see the wheels whirling in her head. “We all have a lot of catching up to do.” Jack reached out a hand, indicating he wanted her to join them.
Liesel tossed a quick look over her shoulder. Liam was happily playing away with a group of supervised toddlers. He looked happy, content. He was the one “man” she could rely on these days. Which was just as well, as it looked as if it would be just the two of them from now on. She just needed to get this over with, this whole horribly planned night, and then go about the near impossible task of putting Jack Keller out of her mind.
Liesel stiffened as Jack reached across and took her hand in his. His long fingers slipped through hers, instantly infusing her with that incredible feeling of warm protection she’d felt the very first time she’d met him. How could someone who made her feel so safe be such a master of deceit?
Relief flooded through her that she hadn’t turned in her own CFS form yet. Maybe it wasn’t too late to talk to the hospital about working there. Living closer would be a good idea, as well. Farther away from Jack.
Why had he kept all of this secret from her? Made a life decision to move on—away from everything she had thought he wanted to do? Had the whole CFS-is-my-life thing been a lie? Was it because she was a single mother? Or was he ashamed of her? As an heir to one of the region’s most successful wineries, he could no doubt have chosen from a huge pool of adoring women.
She felt her mouth form into one of those crazy upside-down smiles. The good news was that if he was leaving the CFS to work at the winery, she wouldn’t have to see him at the station when she encountered the team. He wasn’t going to take away her newfound confidence on the nursing front. Not a chance. She felt the lines of her mouth grow firm with resolve.
See? There’s a plus side to everything!
As she stomped reluctantly behind him, trying her best not to stare at that backside of his, she afforded herself a small snigger, grateful that Jack at least had the courtesy to bring her and his father to a quiet part of the sprawling lawn. Her humiliation wouldn’t be completely public. Not to mention the fact that stomping in high heels was bloody difficult. She shot a glance back toward the toddler playgroup at the sound of Liam’s laughter. She could still see his little blond head happily at play. She’d been that happy just a handful of minutes ago.
Ignorance had been bliss.
“Just thought you’d like to keep an eye on the little guy.”
Good old Jack! Thinking of everything again. Too bad I’m trying my best to squelch any feelings I have for you!
“Dad. Liesel.” His eyes played between the two of them as if he was expecting them to start a sparring match. Or possibly use him as a punching bag. “You’re the two most important people in my life and I think... I know I owe both of you an explanation.”
Liesel and Granville opened their mouths simultaneously to concur then muttered that the other should go ahead, their voices melding into a verbal jumble. They laughed nervously, turning to Jack in a joint appeal as if speech was no longer one of their skills.
Jack couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh. This was all a first-class disaster.
“Son, I don’t really see what’s going on here.”
“Jack. You don’t have to do this. I understand everything now and I’ll just get going.”
“No! That’s just it.” Jack raised his hands in a h
old-it-for-a-minute pose before continuing. “Neither of you have the full picture...and the truth is I don’t think I did until now.”
Liesel looked at him uncomprehendingly. What was he going on about?
Jack turned to his father. “Dad, I love you and I would love to be part of life here at River’s Bend again one day, but there are two pretty big conditions I have.”
His father raised his forehead appraisingly and tipped his head, indicating Jack should go ahead and name them.
“One, Becca continues to run the winery and you use me as an ad hoc odd-job man. I will stay full-time with the CFS and continue to try and make it the best station in the region. From the looks of things—” he dropped a wink at Liesel “—there appear to be some new volunteers I hadn’t counted on.” He raised a hand as Liesel made a move to interject.
“In the meantime, I would love to help with the harvest and any other busy spells when Becca might need me. I promise you she won’t be left alone. But I won’t abandon the CFS. Do we have a deal?”
His father pushed his lips out, tentatively started to nod and then reconsidered. “I think I need to hear the other condition first.”
Liesel cocked her head to the side. This was going to be interesting.
“Actually, Dad, I might need a bit of privacy for this one. Can you give us a minute?”
His father gave him a knowing nod and that all-too-familiar wink. “All right, son. I’ll go get us a glass of something sparkling, shall I?”
“That’d be perfect.” Jack waited a moment as his father worked his way back toward the booths before he turned to Liesel.
The wheels in her mind were spinning like mad to catch up with all this new information. How could Jack have kept all this from her? He had a whole family just sitting and waiting for him right here in River’s Bend! A family he’d chosen to keep at arm’s length until he sorted things out. Just as he’d done to her. Well, that just wasn’t good enough. That wasn’t love. That was... All thoughts disappeared as Jack turned the full force of his bright blue eyes directly onto her, clasping both of her hands in his, and began to speak. “What’s more important to me, Liesel, more than the CFS, the winery—all of it—is you.”
She drew in a swift breath. What? Was this for real?
“If my job has taught me anything, it’s that life is so very precious and that you need to make the very most of it. I love you. I love you and I don’t want to spend another day in my life without you. Liesel Adler, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Liesel’s blood ran hot and cold.
“Is life so precious, then, that you keep your family hidden away from me? Or was it the other way round? You didn’t want them to know about me?”
“No, that’s not it at all,” Jack protested, but she could see she’d hit a nerve.
“What about Liam?”
Jack laughed and squeezed her hands. “Well, I don’t want to marry him, but I’d sure love it if you’d allow me to be the best father figure to him I can be—and maybe give him some brothers and sisters along the way.”
“I don’t know, Jack.” Liesel tried to tug her hands free, her mind buzzing with too many thoughts. “This is a lot to take in. If you keep people you claim to love at a distance until you’ve got all your professional ducks in a row, then how can I know you’ll be there for me, for my son, when we need you?” Liesel’s eyes stung with the tears she’d been trying to keep at bay. The smile on Jack’s face faded, his fingers keeping a firm grip on hers.
“I love you, Liesel. With everything in my heart. What would make you think I didn’t?”
“Keeping your whole life a secret, for starters!”
“Not half!” Granville burst in, hands juggling three glasses of sparkling wine, the broad smile on his face betraying the stern words he was trying to impart. “How could you have kept this beautiful woman a secret from us for so long?”
“If she’ll answer my question, we’ll have the rest of our lives to explain.”
Jack turned expectantly to Liesel, his eyes bright with anticipation. He loved her. He loved her. There was nothing to fight here—only a lifetime of happiness with the man she loved to gain.
Or more secrets to unravel. More time to wait until Jack decided he was truly ready to take part in a real family life. She couldn’t live that way. All these conditions he kept putting on things! It shouldn’t be like that. Love didn’t work like that! It was big and powerful and overwhelming and exactly what she felt for Jack, but if he needed to live his life by a set of rules only he had access to—it just wasn’t good enough.
“I’m sorry, Jack. I love you, too. You know I do, but I think in our case it’s just not enough.”
“What do you mean? I know I was late off the mark in telling you about my family but surely that’s not a deal breaker?”
“You know my history, Jack, and you knew I didn’t want any more mysteries. No more waiting, wondering. I just can’t do this.” She swiftly pulled her hands from his and ran as fast as she could across the lawn, stopping only to pull off her ridiculous heels so she could run faster. Chest heaving, she picked up Liam from the playgroup and wound her way through the buildup of cars to her own. She could hear Jack calling her name.
She needed to get out of there. Now.
Fumbling for her keys, she could hear Jack’s voice getting closer.
Alone. She just wanted to be left alone. She and Liam had been doing perfectly fine before Jack Keller had come into their lives. The last thing she’d needed was to be railroaded this way or that by someone who, it had turned out, she barely knew. She quickly opened the side door and buckled Liam into his seat.
“Liesel, wait!” She could see Jack appearing from behind a truck and slammed the driver’s door shut as if it would help stop the entire situation from happening. How could he have expected her to accept a marriage proposal from a man who only wanted her in one part of his life? The sidelines! Was he mad? Or was she crazy to have become involved with him in the first place?
“Liesel!” He was right by her window. Those dear eyes she adored were so close, silently pleading with her.
“I’m sorry, Jack.” And she was.
Liesel put her foot on the gas pedal and pulled away from the manicured lawns, the beautifully decorated acreage, all of which could have been hers to enjoy if she’d just said one little word. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw Jack’s silhouette against the fairy-lighted trees. Her gaze slipped down to her son, whose eyes were wide with bewilderment. She shifted the car up a gear and drove away.
* * *
“Have you gone completely stark-raving mad?”
Cassie stopped her from throwing yet another perfectly gorgeous floral bouquet into the rubbish bin.
“Hardly. I’ve got a son to look after and there is no chance I’m going to marry a liar.”
“He’s not a liar, Liesel. He’s sorting out some issues.”
“By keeping things secret from me. By partitioning me off. Hardly the foundation for a loving relationship.” She handed the bouquet to her friend with a firmly set smile. “Here. You take it. I have to finish packing.”
“You’ve got three weeks to pack and you still haven’t found a new place yet.”
“Common sense is not going to prevail right now, Cassie! I’m...” Liesel felt her voice about to break and she didn’t want to give in to tears. Again. Her heart was absolutely broken and the only thing she had to rely on now was her own strength of character. That and the promise of a new job at the hospital come summertime. She had given notice at the school and just needed to set about finding somewhere for her and Liam to move into before her parents let out the house for the summer.
“Have you told your parents?”
“No.”
“And that’s different from w
hat Jack did to you on what level?”
She turned to her friend, tears firmly swallowed. “It’s incredibly different. He lied to me about his background, his present, his future, and then thought he could just drag Liam and me along whichever way his current mood took him. One minute he wants me in his life, the next he doesn’t. Flip-flop! It’s not acceptable. Not for me and definitely not for my son.”
“Even if that future involves living on several hundred hectares of Murray Valley’s finest winery with a blond hunk?”
“I fell in love with a plain old fireman.”
“Ha! As if. And I seem to remember someone who was pretty dead set against falling in love with a man in a hazardous profession.”
“People change.”
“Exactly.”
Cassie pulled her into a tight hug, flowers still in hand. The perfume of the wildflower bouquet filled Liesel with scented memories of being with Jack. Now she’d have to start hating flowers to boot. Terrific.
“Liesel, I know you’re angry with him but you’re obviously still in love with him.”
Liesel stiffened. So? Was that against the rules?
“No one goes to this much effort to avoid someone they’re indifferent to. I’m not asking you to forgive him this minute. I’m just saying maybe you owe him a second chance. A chance to explain himself. That’s all he’s asking for.”
Liesel eased herself out of the hug and opened the back door of the house for her friend. She needed more alone time. “I don’t know, Cass. Jack has done a pretty good job of burning his bridges.”
“Just don’t do anything you’ll regret. Never is a long time to stay away from someone you love.”
Liesel closed the door with a halfhearted wave and let herself slide to the floor. She propped her elbows on her knees and held up the card she’d managed to steal from the bouquet before Cassie left.