by Irene Hannon
Edith waved the comment aside. “I don’t mind in the least. Maddie’s a charmer. And speaking of charmers—the lieutenant fits that definition in my book.”
Once Edith sank her teeth into a topic, she was as hard to shake loose as the island’s notorious deer ticks, Kate reflected. “Like I said, he’s not as bad as I first thought.” She reached for the doorknob.
“He doesn’t think you’re too bad, either, despite your show of temper.”
Kate swung back. “He talked about me?”
“Only after I happened to mention we were neighbors.”
Edith’s innocent expression didn’t fool Kate. There was no happen to about it. When the Lighthouse Lane matron was on a mission, she could be as single-minded as a Nantucket whaler of old in hot pursuit of his quarry. Kate clutched her purse strap as her pulse accelerated. “You didn’t tell him what I said about him, did you?”
“Of course not.” Edith sniffed and gave her an indignant look. “That was between the two of us. I merely mentioned I’d known you for years and that you were a wonderful person—and a hard worker. He said he’d been impressed by your determination and complimented the Lucy Sue. Called her a fine boat, and said you’d taken great care of her.”
“What else did you two talk about?”
“Nothing.” The corners of Edith’s mouth turned down in disgust. “His cell phone rang just as the conversation was getting interesting. Some emergency at the station.”
Expelling a relieved breath, Kate once more hitched her purse into position. “I’ll be back around three-thirty.”
“Bye, Mommy.” Maddie waved and took another huge bite of cinnamon toast.
Smiling, Kate moved beside her daughter to place a quick peck on her cheek. “Be good for Mrs. Shaw, okay?”
“Okay.”
“See you later, Edith.” With a wave, Kate let herself out.
For the next five minutes, as she navigated the maze of narrow streets that led to the school, Kate considered Edith’s chance encounter with the lieutenant. Thank goodness his cell phone had interrupted their conversation, or Edith would have told the commander her neighbor’s life story. The embellished version, Kate suspected.
As it was, Edith had only managed to get in a brief complimentary remark. To which the lieutenant has responded that he’d admired Kate’s determination.
Determination. That was a generous way to describe her approach in their first two altercations, she supposed, considering hostility and rudeness might be more accurate. She should be grateful for his diplomacy.
Yet she found herself wishing he’d been able to find some other quality to admire. Intelligence, strength, vivaciousness, competence…it would have been nice if he’d noticed one of those attributes.
Shaking her head, Kate chided herself for her silly waste of brain power. The lieutenant had wiped her record clean. That was the important thing. It shouldn’t matter what he thought about her.
Yet, much to her annoyance, it did.
Chapter Four
“Well, my stars, look who’s here!”
At Edith’s whispered comment, Kate followed her line of sight as they walked down the church aisle on Sunday.
Seated in a pew halfway down on the left was none other than Lieutenant Craig Cole. She could only see his back, but there was no mistaking that dark blond hair or those broad shoulders.
Grabbing her neighbor’s arm, Kate indicated a pew beside her. “This is fine.”
The older woman kept moving, dragging Kate along with her. “We never sit this far back.”
“Edith.” Kate hissed the name, and the older woman paused. “Maddie and I are going to sit here today.”
After a brief hesitation, Edith shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She tucked her arm through Chester’s. “We’ll see you afterward.”
She headed straight for the pew behind the commander.
“Mommy, how come we aren’t sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Shaw?”
Maddie’s childish, high-pitched voice carried throughout the house of worship, and Kate shushed her, dipping her head as she ushered her daughter into the pew. Though she kept her face averted, she couldn’t hide her red hair. If the lieutenant turned around, he’d spot her immediately.
“I thought it might be nice to sit somewhere different today.” She pitched her voice low, hoping her daughter would take the hint.
No such luck. Maddie’s version of whispering was to lean close while speaking in a normal tone. “But I can’t see the front. We’re too far back.”
In general, Kate didn’t believe bribery should be used to control a child’s behavior. Today she made an exception.
“Maddie, honey, it’s just for this one week. And if you’re very good and stay very quiet, I’ll take you to Downyflake afterward.”
The promise of a visit to the well-loved doughnut establishment did the trick. There wasn’t a peep out of Maddie for the rest of the service. She folded her hands in her lap, sang along with the hymns she knew and kept her attention fixed on the sanctuary. She was the picture of piousness.
In contrast, Kate fidgeted throughout the entire service. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, trying to find a comfortable position. She wandered off the melody of a familiar hymn, arching the eyebrows of a few nearby congregants. She couldn’t concentrate on Reverend Kaizer’s sermon.
All thanks to a certain Coast Guard commander sitting a dozen rows away.
It was ridiculous.
But there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.
In the end, she stopped trying to ignore him and allowed herself a few discreet peeks in his direction. He’d ditched his uniform, she noted. Dressed in civilian clothes, he projected a far different aura than when on the job. Less authoritarian. Less severe. More human—and approachable. And the man had good taste. His dark gray slacks, white shirt and charcoal tweed jacket conveyed a quiet, casual elegance that suited his lean, muscular frame.
As the organ struck up the final hymn, Kate helped Maddie on with her coat. Thank goodness they’d driven themselves to church instead of hitching a ride with Edith and Chester, as usual. That meant they could escape quickly.
The instant the last note of the final hymn died away, she hustled Maddie out the door and toward the car, exchanging greetings with members of the congregation without slowing her pace. Only after they pulled out of their parking place and were on their way toward the south end of town did her respiration return to normal.
They were safe.
Safe.
What an odd choice of words, Kate thought, as she swung into the last parking space in Downyflake’s lot and she and Maddie joined the long line that spilled out the front door. Why didn’t she feel safe around the new commander? And why had she felt the need to escape from him?
It had nothing to do with his position of authority, that much she knew. While she’d been upset by the citation, she’d felt angry, not threatened. Nor had she felt in the least intimidated—or unsafe—when she’d marched over to his office and laid into him about it or when she’d rebuked him for taking chances off Great Point. The unsafe feeling was more…personal…than that.
And it didn’t take her long to pinpoint its origins: the moment in his office when he’d looked into her eyes and tapped into her private sorrows and deepest insecurities. While he might not know what they were, he knew they were there.
Unsettling as that had been, Kate wasn’t concerned about the commander using that insight against her. She sensed he had too much integrity and honor for that. So the mere fact he’d breached her defenses, albeit disconcerting, wasn’t what made her feel vulnerable.
Then what did?
The line inched forward as she pondered that question. And when the answer came, it took her breath away.
She felt unsafe—and in need of escape—because, for the first time since she’d lost Mac, she was attracted to a man.
“Mommy, you’re hurting my hand!”
At Maddie’s protest, Kate i
mmediately loosened her grip and bent to give the youngster a hug. “I’m sorry, honey. We’re almost to the counter.” Her words came out choppy as she struggled to slow her staccato pulse. “What kind of doughnut are you going to get?”
“Sugar.”
“How come I knew that?” It took every ounce of her will-power to adopt a teasing tone and summon up the semblance of a normal smile. Especially when thoughts of the commander’s deep blue eyes, athletic build and aura of steadiness and strength left her feeling anything but normal.
No question about it. That little flutter in her stomach was attraction.
And it scared her silly.
Because no matter what Edith thought—she wasn’t ready for another romance. Besides, the lieutenant wasn’t her type. He was the exact opposite of Mac, who’d brightened her days with his agreeable, relaxed attitude and easygoing charm. Who’d seen life through a lens that captured nuances of color and texture rather than mere black and white.
While Kate couldn’t deny the odd magnetic pull she felt toward the new Coast Guard commander, it had to be an anomaly. Perhaps induced by the power of Edith’s suggestion, she speculated. Or maybe it was the result of the deep-seated loneliness that, to her surprise, had intensified rather than dissipated since Mac’s death. Plus, Lieutenant Cole had caught her at a vulnerable time, thanks to her shaky finances and concerns about Maddie. Anyone in her situation would be susceptible to the competence he radiated and attracted by the broad shoulders that looked capable of carrying the heaviest load.
His empathetic blue eyes had nothing at all to do with it.
That was her story, she decided, as she stepped up to the counter at Downyflake.
And she was sticking to it.
As Craig slid behind the wheel of his late-model Camry, he surveyed the modest church. A few people remained near the front door, but most had departed after exchanging a few words with him. It had been a good morning, both from a spiritual and PR perspective. He’d taken a first step in reconnecting with the Lord, and he’d met quite a few of the locals.
Edith Shaw, Kate’s neighbor, had been there, too. According to the older woman, who’d managed to ferret quite a bit of information out of him during their short walk to the back of church after the service, Kate had also attended. But by the time they’d emerged onto the small lawn, she’d disappeared.
He couldn’t help wondering if his presence had prompted the charter captain’s evasive maneuver.
Guiding his car through the town’s narrow streets, he headed for the small bakery/restaurant across from the market. As Barlow had promised, the food was good, the prices reasonable. An exception on an island where he’d discovered most prices weren’t. The high cost of living on Nantucket had been a shocker.
As he approached his destination, the packed lot and the throng at the door almost dissuaded him. But a car backing out of a spot at the far end of the lot clinched his decision. Swinging into the parking area, he made a beeline for it.
The man behind the wheel of the departing car grinned and gave him a thumbs-up as he passed, and Craig waved in return. Claiming the spot, he set the brake and prepared to enjoy a rare high-fat, high-carb breakfast.
As he exited the car, he turned toward the restaurant—and came face-to-face with the red-haired captain on the other side of the adjacent car.
Her eyes widened and a flush rose on her cheeks, giving him the answer to his earlier question.
She’d bolted from the church because she’d wanted to avoid him.
And she’d do it again if she could, he suspected. But there was no polite way to sidestep conversation with only the roof of a car separating them.
“Good morning, Kate.”
“Lieutenant.”
He dug deep for his most charming smile. The one he hadn’t used in years. It felt stiff and rusty, like the hinges on a long unopened gate. “I thought we’d moved past the formalities.”
“Sorry.”
He waited, but when she didn’t say anything else, he pocketed his keys and nodded toward the restaurant. “Indulging in a few treats?”
“Yes.”
For a woman who’d had no trouble spewing out plenty of words in their previous encounters, her reticence bordered on alarming. “Is everything okay?”
She blushed. “Fine.”
He tried a different tack. “I thought the sermon was excellent, didn’t you?”
Her face went blank. Then the flush of color on her cheeks deepened. “Yes.”
“Mommy, who is that man?”
The childish voice took Craig off guard, and he shifted to better see through the windows of Kate’s car. A little girl with long, raven-colored hair stared back at him through the glass, her expression curious, her dark eyes big in a face that seemed a little too pale. He estimated her age at four or five.
The same as Vicki’s.
The child’s question loosened Kate’s vocal chords. “That’s the new lieutenant from the Coast Guard station, honey.”
“You mean the invisible man?”
Sending Craig a sheepish glance, she responded to her daughter. “He’s not invisible anymore, though, is he?”
“I bet he was just too busy to come out before, like I said. Weren’t you?” The last part was addressed to him.
“That’s right.” He moved out from between the cars and stepped around the back of Kate’s older-model Honda. The little girl was dressed in a plaid jumper with a red turtleneck sweater underneath, white tights and shiny black shoes. Her hair was pulled back with a red ribbon, though a few wisps had escaped to form soft waves around her face. She was charming.
But no more so than her mother, Craig decided. Today Kate had traded her work-worn jeans, slicker and T-shirt for a slim black skirt, black pumps and a long-sleeved green angora sweater the color of her eyes. Her hair had been tamed with barrettes on each side of a center part and lay soft on her shoulders. A touch of lipstick drew his attention to her mouth, and his pulse took a leap.
Needing a distraction, he crouched down and smiled at the little girl. “My name’s Craig. What’s yours?”
“My real name is Madison, but everybody calls me Maddie.”
“That’s a very pretty name.”
“Thank you.” She gave him a shy smile and dipped her head.
“Looks like you’re taking some treats home.” He tapped the white bag clutched in her hand.
“I ate one doughnut here. We sat on the bench over there so we wouldn’t spill milk in the car or get sugar on the seats.” She pointed across the parking lot toward the front door. “Mommy said I can eat the other one at home. Are you going to get a doughnut?”
“I might.”
She leaned closer, her demeanor serious. “The sugar ones are best,” she confided.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Standing, Craig found Kate rummaging through her purse.
“I must have left my keys inside. Or on the bench.” Giving up the search, she shook her head and inspected the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd in dismay. “I guess we’ll have to go back in.”
“Maddie and I could wait here, if you’d like. It might be easier to get through the mob alone.”
Her hesitation didn’t surprise him. He might be in a high-profile position, but they were barely acquainted—and the news was filled with horror stories about crimes against children.
Propping a hip on the back of her car, he let his fingers curve around the edge of the trunk. “You could see us the whole time, Kate. We’ll stay right here.”
He hadn’t expected his follow-up to come out in such a gentle, understanding tone. The subtle arch of her eyebrows told him she hadn’t, either. But it did the trick.
“Thanks. I’ll be back in three minutes.” She touched Maddie on the shoulder, the simple gold band on her left hand flashing in the sunlight. “Stay here with the lieutenant, okay, honey?”
“Okay.”
With one more quick look in his direction, Kate strode
back toward the restaurant.
As she plunged into the horde, Craig thought about her ring. He’d noticed it in his office, too. Why wasn’t her husband with her today? he wondered. Perhaps he wasn’t a man of faith. Or they might be divorced.
His curiosity piqued, Craig considered the best way to satisfy it. He couldn’t very well broach the subject of her marital status with Kate. She’d think it odd, inappropriate and irrelevant. And it was. Yet he wanted to know.
He looked down at Maddie. She stood quietly beside him, her fingers crimped around the top of the white bag. Feeling like a heel for the strategy that popped into his mind, he nevertheless dropped down to her level again.
“Do you come to Downyflake for doughnuts every Sunday, Maddie?”
“No. Just sometimes. I wish we could come every day, though. It’s my favoritist place.”
Chuckling, Craig rested his forearms on this thighs, noting again the little girl’s pallor. Did she have health issues? Was that another reason for the anxiety in Kate’s eyes?
But that would have to be a question for another day. He only had three minutes, and they were ticking by fast.
“When I was little, there was an ice cream shop not too far from where I lived. That was my favorite place. In the summer, my daddy would take me and my mommy there after dinner. Like you come here.”
Maddie’s expression grew wistful. “I don’t have a daddy. He died before I was borned.”
Stunned, Craig tried to process this new information. Kate was a widow. Had become one while pregnant with her husband’s child.
When the silence lengthened, Maddie hit him with a question of her own. “Do you have any little boys or girls, Lootenin?”
As he struggled to come up with a response to the unexpected—and disconcerting—query, Kate reappeared.
“I found them.” She jingled the keys and opened the back door. “In you go, honey.” She hustled the little girl into her car seat, secured the straps and shut the door.
Craig saw the apology in her eyes when she turned to him, telling him she’d overheard her daughter’s question. “I’m afraid Maddie has a tendency to give people the third degree. And she seems to have inherited her mother’s bluntness. I’m hoping it gives way to tact and discretion as she ages—unlike her mother’s.”