by Debbie Mason
“I never knew how annoying big families were until now,” Marco said when they finally got a chance to slip away. He opened the front gate that led onto the gravel road. “Especially the Gallaghers.” He leaned in to lick her cone. Her other one had melted, and then every one of her cousins had wanted a cone, so there had been none left for Marco, which was what she figured had put him in a bad mood.
Seconds later, she learned his bad mood had nothing to do with the ice cream and everything to do with her father. “But at least they checked on you. Unlike your father and your sisters. What is wrong with them? Actually, forget about Penelope and Daphne. They’ll come around. It’s Daniel who needs someone to clean his clock. Jasper looked like he might. Here’s hoping.” He glanced at her and then retrieved her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be going off on him.”
“It’s okay. I appreciate you looking out for me. But I’m a big girl. I don’t need a father anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter how old you are. Everyone needs their family.”
“As you know, I now have lots of family.” She gave his fingers a light squeeze. “I’m not the only one with parent issues. You seem to have one with your mother.”
“I wondered how long it would take you to go there,” he said, leaning in to take a bite of her cone. “I don’t hate my mother. I’m ambivalent.” He led Theia across the gravel road and onto a path alongside a small creak. “My mother left when I was twenty. No warning. Everything between her and my dad seemed fine, and then one morning she was gone. She took Sophie with her. A couple of months later, my brother left. Then about a month after that, my dad flew to Italy, got himself a new family, and never came back.”
“So basically, your entire family abandoned you in the space of a few months. And you were left behind to look after Rosa and the deli.”
“Yeah, that’s about it. But I was twenty—not twelve—and my mom was alive and well and living it up in LA. It’s not the same as what happened to you.” He helped her over a fallen tree. “We’re a little off the beaten path, but trust me, it’ll be worth it.”
“I trust you.” She smiled and then got back to the conversation she sensed he’d rather avoid. “You know, just because you were twenty doesn’t mean you didn’t suffer too.” She ducked under the tree branch he held back for her. “But your mom loves you, you know.”
“Right, that’s why she took off and never looked back.”
“She’s here now, and she wants to talk to you, Marco. Why don’t you hear her out? You might find it helps to tell her how you felt when she left.”
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. You talk to your uncle, and I’ll talk to my mother.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“From where I’m standing, it is. He was the closest thing to a father you had growing up, and you never felt like he loved you or gave you the attention you craved.”
“Wow, what an incredible view.” He gave her a look. “Well, it is.” She held up a tree branch. Green grass and mature trees covered hills of granite boulders that jutted out to sea on either side of the cove, framing a sand beach. But it was the sun sinking into the horizon that gave the view the wow factor.
“Okay. I’ll give you that. But I was talking to Sam’s dad…Girl power,” he said as if to jog her memory.
She smiled. “I remember Sam. What about her dad?”
“I’m thinking her dad and your uncle might have something in common. All along, Sam thought her father didn’t think she was good enough to become a firefighter, but it turns out all he wanted to do was protect his little girl.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “Men—with the exception of me—aren’t that great when it comes to talking about their feelings.”
“Okay, Mr. In-Touch-with-His-Feelings, why don’t you talk to your mother, then?”
“I’ve got a better idea,” he said as he dropped the overflowing beach bag onto the sand. “First one to the buoy has to have a conversation with their estranged parent.” He pointed to a buoy about half a mile from shore. “In your case, you have a choice of two. Your uncle or Daniel.”
“Wait. That’s not fair. It’s not dark enough to go skinny-dipping.”
“Secluded, remember? But if you’re too shy…” He shrugged and then whipped his T-shirt over his head. “I win by default.”
“Just because it’s secluded doesn’t mean someone else hasn’t gotten the same idea. It’s the perfect night for a swim. Let’s wait until dark,” she said even as she started shedding her clothes. She got her answer while pulling her top over her head—the sound of someone running into the water. “You cheat!”
She tossed her top, shimmied out of her jeans, and then kicked off her sandals to race into the water wearing her underwear. Her white bra and panties were a little less revealing than the ones she wore the last time they swam together, but to her mind they were sexier since she’d hoped that he’d be undressing her at some point tonight.
With his lead and his powerful strokes cutting through the water, there was no way she’d win. She smiled. Unless she cheated like him. As soon as she hit deep water, she cried out and grabbed her leg.
“Theia, what is it?” he called out, two yards from the buoy.
“Cramp. I’ve got a cramp.” She was impressed with her totally believable, thready, pain-filled voice.
“Hang on. I’ll get you back to shore,” he said when he reached her.
She sprang into action, pushing him under and leapfrogging over his back. She used his body like a springboard and swam for the buoy, giving it all she had. It struck her a few seconds out that he should at least be yelling or coming after her by now, but it was eerily quiet.
She glanced over her shoulder. There wasn’t even a ripple in the water, and she began to get nervous.
She was just about to swim back when strong fingers latched around her ankle and pulled her underwater. Her eyes popped open to see Marco’s blurry, grinning face under the water, just before he used her head to push himself off. And that’s how he beat her.
“Two out of three,” she wheezed when she reached the buoy minutes behind him.
“Babe, I’ve got big plans for the night. You might want to conserve your strength. Just admit it. I’m the better swimmer.”
“You cheated.”
He laughed. “So did you.”
Three races later, they lay flat on their backs, half in the water and half out, breathless and gazing up at the stars. Marco turned his head to look at her. “Please tell me you concede and we don’t have to do that again.”
“I con…I can’t. It’s not in my DNA to concede. Besides, you—”
He rolled over her, caging her in with his arms and legs, shutting her up with a kiss. When he finally let her up for air, she said, “I concede.”
“Thank God. I thought I’d have to.” He helped her to her feet. “I want to be there when you talk to your uncle.”
“I have a better idea. We’ll take your mother’s sunrise yoga class on the beach. You’ll talk to her, and I’ll talk to Daniel.”
“Ah, you lost the bet, remember? You conceded.”
“Maybe. But it’s something we should do. These past couple of weeks, I’ve done a lot of reading on the subject, and we need to find a way to forgive them so we can move on with our lives.”
“If I agree, will you promise to talk to your uncle?”
“Fine.”
He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m going to hold you to that, you know,” he said, picking up the beach bag.
He emptied the contents onto the sand, standing to shake out a blanket. He’d brought two. He’d also brought two sweatshirts, a bottle of wine and plastic glasses, bottled water, and two small insulated cooler bags. The first one contained fruit, cheese, and his amazing homemade bread. She didn’t get to the second bag because something in the sand caught her attention. She held up an unopened box of magnum-size condoms. “You took these from your brother-in-law?”
He gave her a look as he spread out the blanket in the sand. “Don’t even. She’s my baby sister. They’re mine just like everything else in the bag. I forgot a few things when I was house-sitting for them last winter.”
“So you thought you’d need the entire box tonight?”
“Yeah, but that was before you wore me out trying to beat me.” He winked at her. “We’ll probably only need half now.”
Much later, she patted the cool sand for the extra sweatshirt Marco had brought for her, found it, and pulled it on. “Cold?” he asked when she returned to snuggle against him.
“Mm-hm. Are you going to warm me up again?”
He laughed. “Don’t believe everything you’ve heard about me. I actually do require a little recovery time.” He gave her a quick kiss and then reached for his jeans. “I’ll be right back. I’ll build us a fire.” As though he’d read her mind, he said, “There’s a fire pit and hardly any wind to speak of. We’re good.”
“Great. Too bad we don’t have any marshmallows.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d roasted marshmallows over a campfire. Though it was possible she’d blocked it out because it would have been not long after her aunt and uncle adopted her.
“Babe, no night at the beach is complete without a bonfire and s’mores. You must have missed the yellow insulated bag.”
“Wow. You are good at this, aren’t you?”
“Stick with me. You haven’t seen anything yet.” His cell phone rang. He checked the screen, frowned, and then answered, “Hey, what’s up? Yeah. Okay.” He nodded as he walked a few feet away. “Sorry. I don’t think I heard you right.” A short silence followed. Then, “You’re sure about this? Tomorrow’s edition of the Gazette? Yeah. I am too. More than you know.”
It looked like he’d been given bad news, and she didn’t want to intrude. He stared out at the ocean, the waves splashing lightly as they rolled onto shore. The distant sound of bullfrogs and crickets didn’t make the silence any less uncomfortable. Just when she didn’t think she could stay quiet any longer, he turned to look at her. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
Chapter Twenty
Marco’s eyes always seemed warm, but they were cold now, his expression hard. Theia considered pretending she didn’t know what he was talking about, and then she thought about lying. But that would ruin any chance they might have to move past this. He’d eventually discover the truth and see it as one more betrayal. “That I used to work for Wicklow Developments? No. No, I wasn’t.”
“At least you’re honest about it.” He didn’t look at her as he shoved his phone in the back pocket of his jeans and returned to the blanket. “So how did I fit into your plan?”
“Marco, please, let me explain.”
He pulled on his T-shirt. “My sister runs the manor. My best friend is a Gallagher, a member of your family. The family you were working against. Who does that to their own flesh and blood?”
“I had no idea I was a Gallagher. The Elliots used me too, Marco.” She held up a hand. “I’m not making excuses. I was doing my job. But whether you believe me or not, I tried to protect the Gallaghers while I did.”
“Right, so if things go the way you and your boss want them to, the Gallaghers will lose the estate. And they won’t just lose it. It’ll be bulldozed into the ground to make room for condos.” He took a step toward her. “Do you have any idea what the people who worked on your company’s behalf have done? Do you?”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. “My sister and my niece could have died in the carriage fire. Liam and I nearly did.”
The blood rushed from her head, leaving her dizzy. She hadn’t known the details. “I didn’t have anything to do with that, and neither did Caine.”
“So what? That makes you innocent?” He crouched down, shoving the half-empty wine bottle, glasses, and condom box in the bag. “Was I supposed to fall in love with you and then get Liam to vote to sell out his family like your father?”
“No, I…I didn’t want you to date Daphne and Penelope. I was afraid they’d fall in love with you and not want to leave Harmony Harbor. They’d vote to keep the manor in the family to make you happy.”
He released a harsh laugh. “Looks like the joke’s on me. There’ll be quite a few people in town who probably think I deserve to be made a fool of, and you sure fooled me.”
“I quit working for Wicklow Developments the day I found out I was a Gallagher. None of what I’ve said or done these past few days has been an act. I really do like you. A lot. I wanted to be with you tonight. I loved our day on the island. I loved being with you today and tonight. I…” She briefly closed her eyes and then opened them to look at him. “Please, I don’t want us to be over.” It’s the closest she’d ever come to begging in her life.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, inhaling deeply and noisily. “I can’t be with someone I don’t trust. You put my family at risk.” He glanced from her to the blanket and then stood up.
If he cared enough about her well-being to leave the sweatshirt, bottled water, and blankets behind…She made one last desperate attempt to save their relationship. “I didn’t just quit Wicklow Developments. I told Daniel that I’m planning to keep my shares and convince Penelope and Daphne to do the same. I’m going to work to stop Wicklow. I might be the only one who can.”
“Too little too late, cara. It was fun while it lasted.” Hefting the beach bag over his shoulder, he turned and walked away.
She stared at his back until he disappeared from view, using the blanket she wrapped around herself to wipe away her tears. She’d never cried over a man before. At least not a man she wasn’t related to or who felt like family. She had her heart broken before, but this felt different. This felt worse.
She shivered and gripped the blanket tight around her shoulders, glancing at the firepit. It was her only option for staying warm tonight. She had no intention of going back to the manor. They must have learned the truth about her by now. They’d probably changed the locks. Early tomorrow morning, she’d sneak in using the tunnels. She’d be gone before anyone got up.
As painful as it was, she thought back to parts of Marco’s conversation on the phone. He’d said tomorrow’s edition of the Gazette. There was only one person who would have leaked the news to the press, a man who wanted revenge.
She doubted Ryan Wilson had any idea just how well his plan had worked. Emily would probably rehire him and give him a bonus if she knew he’d ruined Theia’s chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love with a man who’d made her see stars twice in one night, a man she’d fallen hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with. Maybe she should be thanking the evil duo instead of wishing them both dead.
She wondered how Caine would take the news. She’d never felt more alone in her life than at this moment. Even after blocking Caine and banishing him from her life, she hadn’t felt nearly this bad. She picked up the phone and unblocked his number. She couldn’t bring herself to call him. Not yet at least. The hurt of losing Marco was too fresh.
Because while she may have initially begun dating Marco to help Caine’s and indirectly Emily’s cause, that didn’t make what she felt for him a lie. They may have been fake dating for a time, but her feelings for him had been real right from the start.
Her cell phone rang, and her pulse quickened. She prayed it was Marco before looking at the screen. It wasn’t. It was Caine. She owed him an apology.
“Are you okay?” he asked as soon as she picked up.
“No, but I will be. I’m flying home tomorrow.” There was nothing to keep her here. Her father and sisters had made it clear they didn’t want her around either.
“Stay, T. Don’t run away. You’ve finally gotten what you always wanted.”
With Marco, she got exactly what she didn’t want, the thing she’d feared the most. Small comfort to know she’d been right all along. “I’ve spent my entire life fighting for my place, whether it’s in my family or the navy. I’m tired, C
aine. I can’t do it anymore.”
“What about Marco?”
She didn’t even bother asking how he knew; it was a small town. No doubt his source had found out they were dating. “His sister manages the manor, and his brother-in-law is a Gallagher. They’re family. I’m not. I betrayed them, so in his mind I betrayed him. In some ways he’s right, I guess. He doesn’t believe my feelings for him were real. That I could separate how I felt about him from the job I was sent here to do.”
“You understand only too well how he feels. I made you feel the same.”
“I do, and I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I’m sorry for cutting you out of my life. That wasn’t fair. I should have trusted you. I—”
“No. You had every right to say and feel how you did. You’ll never know how much I regret holding out on you. I only wish I’d been wrong about Daniel. He’s hurt you, hasn’t he?”
“Wow. Your source is well worth whatever you’re paying him or her. But it is what it is. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Isn’t that what they say?”
“You’ve been hurt enough for three lifetimes. I thought you were finally going to get the happily-ever-after you deserve.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Caine Elliot I know and love.” The silence stretched until it became uncomfortable. She was about to pretend they had a bad connection when his voice came back on the line.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear you say those words. I thought you were gone from my life for good.” She heard him drumming his fingers on his desk. Something he did when he was trying to work out a problem. “Would it help if I talked to Marco? I could tell him the truth. You tried to dissuade me at every turn. I basically had to bribe you to do the job.”
“I don’t think he’d consider the fact I can be bribed a positive attribute, Caine. It was never going to last anyway. It’s better that it ended now before I got in too deep.”
“We never used to lie to each other.” He cleared his throat. “At least when it came to our romantic life.”