Sugarplum Way

by Debbie Mason

  To her surprise, Kitty told him of the letter that had arrived for Ronan only days after they had wed. It was from a woman, Bridgette Green. Ronan had briefly dated the woman while on holiday in Ireland. He hadn’t cheated on Kitty in the true sense of the word. After Colleen had accidently let it slip that Ronan had once been in love with Rosa, Kitty had temporarily broken their engagement a few months before their wedding. So, as insecure as she was at that time, when Kitty learned this Bridgette Green was pregnant with Ronan’s child, she burned the letter instead of sharing it with her husband.

  “At the beginning of every year, I vowed I’d tell Ronan, and then another year passed and then another. I thought if I told him that night, as he lay dying in the hospital, that it would give him a reason to live. But he was already gone. Colleen heard me though.” Her gaze moved over Jasper’s face. “You hate me now, don’t you?”

  “No, as I told you before, I could never hate you. I can see this still weighs heavily on you. With your permission, I’d like to try and track down Ronan’s son.”

  “Would you?”

  “I would do anything for you, Kitty. Surely you know that by now.”

  Her cheeks flushed becomingly. “Yes, I think deep down I’ve always known.” She smiled and then grew pensive.

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve discovered the identity of the drunk driver that killed Mary, Riley, and indirectly Ronan. I’m torn, Jasper. Torn between sharing the information with my family and protecting two women who were as dear to Mother Gallagher as they are to me. My grandson and son have only now found their way to happiness, and if I tell—”

  Jasper nodded and briefly closed his eyes. “Josh Winters.” He frowned. “But what does he have to do with Maggie?”

  “She’s his biological mother. And Julia has known since Josh died that he was behind the wheel that night. In her defense, Mother Gallagher asked her to keep it to herself. To protect Maggie, I think. And as I understand it, Josh asked that Julia keep the truth from us until Hazel died.”

  “Oh, the webs we weave,” Jasper murmured, and then lifted his gaze to Kitty. “We’ve both lived with our own secrets for far too long. The rest of the family needs to know about Josh. It may take time, but in the end, I believe Master Aidan will forgive Miss Julia, and Colin will find his way back to Maggie.”

  They’d made up their minds. There was nothing Colleen could do now. Nothing to do but pray.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ella Rose had no idea that she’d just landed the killing blow by telling Harper she wanted to be just like Julia. Aidan knew his ex well; her sense of self-esteem and self-worth were tied to her job and her looks. She hadn’t practiced since they’d separated, and she’d always believed, no matter how often Aidan had told her otherwise, that he’d left her because she’d gotten older and was no longer attractive in his eyes.

  “Hey, you know what? I’m starved. Let’s go down to the dining room and get something to eat.” He glanced at his watch. He’d be cutting it close—the party at the gallery was at seven—but he wanted to make sure Ella Rose was okay, and that meant ensuring her mother was too.

  “Yay, and then can I write my letter to Santa and tell him I moved?”

  It looked like Aidan might be here all night. He didn’t dare look Harper’s way as he followed a skipping Ella Rose to the door. She bent over and picked up an envelope. “Look, Daddy, you got a letter. Maybe it’s from Santa. Open it. Open it.”

  “Okay, settle down. I’ll open it.” He didn’t recognize the handwriting on the envelope. Noting it wasn’t sealed, he slid the flap open. There were three sheaves of lined journal paper inside. He took them out to examine. They appeared to have been photocopied from a book. The writing was oddly familiar. He knew why as soon as he read the first line. Someone had found his great-grandmother Colleen’s memoir, The Secret Keeper of Harmony Harbor. It felt like he’d been gut-punched when he read the next line. It got worse the farther along he read. He’d gotten the answer he’d thought would bring some kind of closure. Instead, it ripped the wound wide open. And killed any hope of a future with the woman he loved. Julia had known all along that her fiancé had been responsible for the death of Aidan’s mother and sister.

  If his little girl hadn’t been looking up at him with a worried expression on her face, Aidan would have put his fist through the door. His concerns from the beginning about Julia had been warranted. He’d known all along that she’d been hiding something, interfering in their lives for a reason. But instead of working on her until he got the truth, he’d fallen in love with her. He’d made the same mistake that had cost him so much in the past—he’d let his heart overrule his brain.

  * * *

  Julia stood toward the back of Impressions, Maggie’s high-end art gallery, which overlooked the harbor front. The building was modern with lots of natural light. There was a cool wire Christmas tree in the entrance decorated with stunning blown-glass balls. Maggie, looking gorgeous in a beaded black dress, rejoined Julia where they’d been admiring one of Lenny’s paintings before an older couple had pulled the gallery owner aside.

  “So, are they interested?” Julia asked, barely able to control her excitement. The painting of Lenny’s that the couple had been interested in was gallery size and priced as such. In Lenny’s eyes, it would amount to a small fortune.

  Maggie discreetly crossed her fingers. “I almost guarantee it’s sold.”

  “I wish he was here to be a part of this. Wait. I have an idea. Hold this for a sec, please.” She handed Maggie her wineglass and took out her cell phone from her clutch. “I gave him a phone the other day.” She motioned for Maggie to stand in front of the painting with her, facing the gallery floor. “Selfie time.” They smiled and gave a thumbs-up to the camera.

  Once they’d finished taking the photo, a caterer gestured for Maggie.

  “Everything okay?” Julia asked when Maggie returned to her side.

  “He just wanted to reconfirm numbers. I think he expected more people to be here by now.”

  “He does realize the doors don’t officially open for another twenty minutes, doesn’t he? And unlike me, most people prefer to be fashionably late.”

  Maggie smiled. “I appreciated you coming early to help me set up. Aidan’s coming, isn’t he?”

  “He better be.” She’d gone all out and bought a gorgeous red velvet dress with a fitted bodice and wide flared skirt. Her shoes were red and sequined and made her feel like a fairy princess.

  “I’m so happy for you both, Julia. You’re good for Aidan. Colin thinks so too. He’s glad you’ll be there for Aidan when he finally breaks the case.”

  Julia frowned. “What case is that?”

  “Sorry. I thought Aidan would have mentioned it. I wouldn’t have known anything about it if Colin hadn’t told me last night. I don’t think Aidan’s even told his brothers. He probably doesn’t want to get their hopes up. But Colin’s positive that Aidan is days away from finding out who was behind Mary and Riley’s death. He found a new witness, you know. He finally spoke to him yesterday. The man agreed to work with a sketch artist. Aidan’s setting up… Julia, are you all right?”

  “Yes, I, um, I’m sorry, Maggie, but I have to go. I think I left the stove on. I’ll be right back.”

  Maggie’s lips twitched as though she held back a laugh. Of course no one would be surprised that Julia Landon left the stove on. If only that was all it was. It felt like her world was coming apart. She had to tell Aidan before he found out from someone else. But first, she had to break the news to Hazel. She wouldn’t let her be blindsided by this.

  As Julia set the wineglass on a table, Aidan walked into the gallery and glanced her way. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the intent expression on his face. She still wasn’t used to seeing him without his beard, and she wondered if that’s why he looked so fierce. Or maybe it was his reaction to her dress.

  He didn’t say anything as he approached, and her welcoming sm
ile faltered. “Aidan, are you all right?”

  “I need to speak with you. Not here. Do you have a coat?”

  “Yes, but I have to go—”

  “This won’t take long.” He walked away.

  She gave Maggie an apologetic smile before following Aidan from the gallery. When she caught up with him in the lobby, everything became clear. He looked fiercely intense because he was furious. And his anger was directed at her. As she glanced at the harsh angles of his face and the rigid lines of his body, her heartbeat quickened. It was too soon for him to have discovered the truth about the accident. The witness hadn’t seen the sketch artist yet. The only thing she could think of that would draw this strong a reaction from him was what happened to Ella Rose today.

  She was a precious little girl, and Julia had been devastated that she’d been hurt on her watch. But she’d thought everything was okay by the time Ella Rose left. “I’m sorry. I should have told you about Derek when you picked up Ella Rose. I planned to—”

  “This has nothing to do with my daughter.” He gestured to the cloakroom. “Get your coat. I’ll meet you outside.”

  She’d never been frightened of Aidan before. Paul’s warnings about how dangerous Aidan was, that he was a ticking time bomb, she’d never taken them seriously. Until now. “No, I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me why you’re so mad at me. What did I do wrong, Aidan?”

  He didn’t answer, looking around as though to check and see if they were alone. Then he lifted his hand. She gasped, and took a step back. A flash of emotion flared in his eyes before it went out, leaving them cold and hard again. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and removed what looked to be three pages from a book. Everything became clear in that moment. The Secret Keeper of Harmony Harbor had been found.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her throat tight, her eyes burning. “I had no idea until the night Josh committed suicide that he’d been the one behind the wheel.” She waited for him to say something, to lash out at her, but he just stared at her, waiting. “I told Colleen. She asked that I not tell your family. She must have had her reasons, but I never knew why.”

  “I do. What was your reason? It wasn’t just because GG asked you not to. Something else was holding you back.”

  “Josh asked me not to.” She knew as soon as the words were out of her mouth it was the wrong thing to say. Aidan had gone completely and utterly still.

  “Hazel. Hazel was the reason I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t do that to her. She would have been devastated.”

  His lip curled.

  “Don’t…don’t judge me and look at me like I’m evil. Your mother and sister had been gone six years by then, and Hazel had just lost her only son.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She stared at the gold veins in the white marble floor, swallowing hard before she raised her gaze to his. “Because I love you. I didn’t want you to look at me like you are now. I didn’t want to lose you.” She held up her hand. “I’ll go.” As she walked to the cloakroom, a hot tear rolled down her cheek. She dashed it away and then turned back. He hadn’t moved. “I have a letter for your family from Josh. He asked that it be given to you upon Hazel’s death. Where should I—”

  “Do what you want with it. There’s nothing he could say that any of us want to hear.”

  “You’re wrong.” She lifted her chin. “I know it doesn’t make up for what he did or what you and your family lost. But Josh wasn’t a monster. He made a horrible, horrible mistake that night. And he paid for it with his life.”

  “Julia, w-what are you saying? What mistake? What mistake did Josh make?”

  She whirled around to see Hazel and Delaney standing a few feet away. They’d come in through the side door. In the state she’d been in, Julia hadn’t noticed. She wondered if Aidan had known they were there all along and turned to look at him.

  He held her gaze as though surprised she’d think him capable of such cruelty. As if him wanting nothing to do with her wasn’t enough evidence that he could be.

  “You need to tell her. Someone sent me the pages. Word will get out,” he said, and then walked away.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Two days before Christmas, the sidewalks outside Books and Beans were crowded with holiday shoppers bundled up against the bitter cold, a typical sight with only two shopping days left before the big day. What wasn’t typical was how quiet her shop had been. The downturn started the day after Aidan had confronted her at the gallery. He’d been right. Word had gotten out, though through no fault of the Gallaghers. The blame lay entirely at the feet of Delaney Davis.

  Determined to get ahead of the story, Delaney had called Byron and Poppy Harte first thing the next morning. After the interview, they’d come directly to Julia. They didn’t want to run the piece. They were upset about how Hazel—directed by Delaney—had portrayed Julia. Afraid of what it could mean for Books and Beans. They’d been right; she’d been wrong. But Delaney would have gone to their competition anyway. Julia wouldn’t have Byron and Poppy lose out on a story and revenue from Hazel’s campaign ads because they were trying to protect her.

  Julia’s biggest mistake had been telling the complete truth to Hazel. After what had happened with Aidan, she hadn’t wanted to hold anything back. She should have. She shouldn’t have told Hazel that she’d been going to end her relationship with Josh and that she hadn’t answered her phone that day.

  Hazel, no doubt with extensive coaching from Delaney, had all but asked for an investigation to be opened into her son’s death. She blamed Julia for Josh taking his own life and for the night he’d run Mary and Riley off the road. It didn’t seem to matter that Julia hadn’t known Josh then. Though Bryon had run a correction the next day.

  Still, even with Hazel destroying Julia’s business and reputation, she felt sorry for the woman who’d once been like a mother to her. Hazel had done nothing wrong. She’d been a wonderful mother, and she’d lost her only son. Over the past year, Hazel seemed to have come to terms with Josh’s death. She could talk about him without crying and was in the planning stages of setting up a scholarship fund in his name—only to discover now that he’d taken his own life, and not only his life. He was responsible for Mary’s and Riley’s deaths too.

  As if she hadn’t suffered enough, Hazel had been dealt another blow. She’d learned that Maggie was Josh’s biological mother. She’d had no idea that Josh had met Maggie only days before he’d died. Neither had Julia. After Maggie’s two daughters had left the nest, the widow had searched for the child she’d given up as a teenager. Maggie had come to Harmony Harbor with the sole purpose of connecting with Josh.

  The revelations that night had ended Maggie’s relationship with Colin. Julia had been relieved to learn that Aidan hadn’t been the one to tell his father, though she never really believed that he would. Maggie had come looking for Julia and confronted Aidan. His brothers and father had arrived at the gallery by then. As soon as she’d heard the truth about Josh’s death, Maggie had broken down and told Colin that Josh was her son.

  Julia hoped that one day the couple would find their way back to each other. But that wasn’t her job anymore. Her fairy godmother wings were gone for good. Though there was one thing she had left to do. No matter what Aidan thought, in her heart she believed that they needed to read Josh’s letter. She’d been carrying it around in her purse ever since the night at the gallery, hoping to be struck by inspiration as to whom to give it to and when to send it.

  At the tinkle of bells from the front of the shop, Julia got out of the storytime chair. She didn’t have to work to put a smile on her face. She welcomed the distraction of customers. At least she’d have someone to talk to instead of going over the events of the past week in her head. She started walking to the front of the store and realized she was barefoot.

  “Julia?” Lenny peeked his head into the bookstore.

  “Hi. Sorry, I’ll be right there.” She pulled
on her reindeer slippers. For the two days leading up to Christmas, Julia and her staff wore pajamas. Because it had been so slow, she didn’t have Tammy coming in until five. They were open until nine tonight.

  “How come you don’t have your Christmas music on?” Lenny asked, taking a seat at the coffee bar.

  She tilted her head to listen. He was right. The store was eerily quiet. She’d been open two hours and had yet to turn on the Christmas carols. She wondered how many other things she’d missed, little signs that no matter how brave a face she put on things, not only was her relationship with Aidan over, but her business and reputation were damaged, maybe beyond repair, and there’d be no Christmas for her this year. She wouldn’t be spending the holiday with Aidan as she’d hoped or with Hazel like she had for the past five years. Before she could stop it, a tear slid down her cheek.

  “It hasn’t been a good week, Lenny,” she said, offering him a weak smile as she brushed the moisture away.

  He got up and patted the stool. “Here, you sit, and I’ll make you a hot chocolate. If that’s okay. I’ve watched you do it enough. I won’t hurt anything.”

  “I would love that. Thank you.” She sat on the stool and then leaned around the bakery case. “Make yourself one, too, and we’ll have some sugar cookies…” She trailed off at the sight of Delaney outside the store with two boxes in her arms. The woman moved her head, rolling her eyes when Julia just stared at her.

  She must have yelled Open the door because Julia heard her in the store.

  Before she got off the stool, Lenny was around the counter and at the door. He opened it for Delaney and took the boxes. “Thank you,” Hazel’s right-hand woman said to Lenny. Instead of immediately heading back to her car as Julia assumed she would, Delaney opened her purse. “Hazel boxed up everything you left at her place.”