“To Ginger and Gavin.” Lamar saluted the couple with his glass. “Wishing you both a happy, healthy marriage.”
“Here, here,” Alden and Kate called out.
She watched as Miles downed his champagne in one swallow. Oh, dear.
“Congratulations, you two.” His movements seemed a bit wooden as he placed the empty flute on the table before kissing Ginger on the cheek. He reached out a hand to Gavin. “I’ve got some stuff to take care of down at campaign headquarters.”
Patricia cursed her injured hip when she tried to stand too quickly.
“Tricia!” Lamar grabbed for her elbow when she winced.
“Mom, please be careful,” Miles commanded as he sank down on a knee and took her hand between his. “Are you okay?”
“I wanted to ask you the same thing.” She cupped his cheek with her free hand.
A look of sadness flickered in his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. He wasn’t okay. Thirty-three years of staring into those eyes told her he wasn’t.
“I’ve just got some hard decisions to make involving the campaign, that’s all.” Miles paused as though he wanted to say something more. But then he was kissing her on the cheek and trying to make his escape. Since he was a child, he’d always shouldered his burdens alone. Even when his fiancée had died in a car accident, he hadn’t wanted to share his grief with anyone. Yet he was always the one to want to solve the problems of others. He still was that man.
Patricia heard everyone else in the sitting room teasing Cassidy about not liking the champagne, but she kept her gaze locked with her son’s. “You’d stop doing this political stuff if it wasn’t what you wanted, right?” Miles’ pride was a lot like his father’s: stubborn and deep.
He gave her what he surely meant to be a reassuring smile. Instead, it seemed a little hollow. “It’s what I want, Mom. It’s what I’ve always wanted.” He squeezed her hand.
All she could do was nod and hope that he’d confide in her at some point. “Oh, by the way,” she said, remembering something she’d meant to mention to him before Gavin and Ginger had made their announcement. “You haven’t moved things around in the guest rooms, have you?”
Miles slowly got to his feet. “No. Why do you ask?”
“I was in the Edinburgh Suite today and I noticed that the Swarovski crystal paperweight wasn’t on the secretary desk. I thought maybe you’d moved it somewhere.”
He exchanged an uneasy look with Lamar. “No, I didn’t. But I’ll check with Lori. She might have rearranged things.”
Patricia shook her head. “I asked her. She said she hadn’t. Of course, I might have moved it into one of the other rooms before the accident and I just don’t remember. All this pain medication has made me a bit dopey. Once I’m back on my feet, I’ll be able to search a bit more thoroughly.” She waved Miles off. “You’ve got enough on your plate right now. Don’t worry about a silly piece of crystal.”
“You don’t worry about it, either,” he said. “I’m sure it’s in that big house somewhere.” Miles called out a good-bye to the rest of the room and then surprised Patricia by extending his hand to Lamar. “Take care of her.” His words choked her up again.
“Be right back,” she heard Gavin murmur to Ginger before he followed Miles out the door. Patricia felt a sense of relief that Gavin, the most intuitive of her five children, might be able to get to the bottom of what was troubling his brother.
* * *
“Hey, Miles, wait up!”
Steps from a clean getaway. Miles stopped in the middle of the breezeway connecting the carriage house to the B and B and waited for Gavin to catch up. He’d hoped to escape the impromptu celebration before his sour disposition spoiled the whole thing. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been successful and now he felt like an ass.
Gavin came up beside him, a concerned look on his face. “Everything okay?”
Miles looked everywhere but at his brother, who possessed the freakish ability to read everyone in the family. Instead, he glanced toward the inn’s kitchen window, where he caught a glimpse of Lori moving about. Damn it, he’d been an ass with her earlier, as well. He shouldn’t have breathed a word about Governor Rossi’s stupid bargain. And he sure as hell shouldn’t have kissed her. He told himself it was because she was convenient and he’d been searching for a diversion from the disastrous meeting he’d had earlier that day.
But that was a lie. The truth was he’d been curious to know if the kiss in the Aberdeen Suite last week had been a fluke. When she came up to the gazebo looking lost and alone, he took advantage of her, breaking his earlier promise not to. But now he had scientific proof their first kiss wasn’t a fluke. Worse, along with being frustrated and peeved about the campaign, he was now horny as hell.
Miles wasn’t worried about Lori revealing his secret, however. He knew she’d keep their discussion to herself. He couldn’t say how he knew; he just did.
The missing crystal paperweight did worry him, though. Was it possible his mother had simply moved it somewhere else and didn’t remember? Miles didn’t think so. That meant something else had gone missing. He wondered if Lori had already begun checking other rooms. Or if he was really being a sucker by believing she wasn’t the thief. His temple began to throb and he wished he’d finished the rest of that six-pack of beer. A good buzz would really take the edge off this shitty day.
“Miles,” Gavin was saying. “You’ve been a million miles away all evening. What gives?”
He returned his gaze to his brother, forcing a relaxed smile on his face. “Nothing, man. I just have a lot going on with the campaign.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Nah, just the usual bullshit. It’s nothing that needs to overshadow your big moment.”
Gavin donned his shit-eating grin as he looked back at the carriage house. “I’m pretty sure my big moment ended with the proposal. The rest of the wedding is for the bride.”
Miles leaned up against one of the posts holding up the trellis overhead, letting his brother’s happiness seep into his own bones. He was glad for Gavin. Ginger was a keeper. “I’m happy for you, Gav. I really am. I’m just a little surprised you didn’t give this relationship a little more time to take root, that’s all. Although I don’t get the vibe that she’s going to be a runaway bride like Amanda.”
Gavin’s fiancée had ditched him and Chances Inlet days before their wedding once she found out they wouldn’t be returning to New York right away due to Donald McAlister’s death. Since Miles never really warmed to the girl, he figured his brother had dodged a bullet. He was pretty sure Gavin felt the same way.
“Amanda walking out on me was the best thing that ever happened.” Gavin leaned a shoulder against the opposite post. “Ginger and I talked about just enjoying being together without the stress of worrying about what came next. No expectations, you know?” He shrugged. “I don’t know, though. When I held Will and Julianne’s baby last night, something sort of hit me. I could picture myself with a kid of my own. Ginger’s baby.”
“That’s your first mistake, asshole,” Miles warned him too late. “Never, ever hold a baby. Especially not in front of the woman you’re sleeping with.”
“Says the politician who’s supposed to be kissing every baby he sees.” Gavin chuckled. “Hey, there’s something I wanted to ask you before you run off.”
“As long as it has nothing to do with babies, ask away.”
His brother hesitated briefly. “I’d like for you to be my best man again. I mean, it’s not like you got the chance the first time.”
“Seriously?” Miles gripped the back of his neck. “What if I’m bad luck? Maybe you should ask Will.”
Gavin’s look was incredulous. “He’s not my brother.”
“But he’s your best friend.”
“Jesus, Miles, if you don’t want to do it, just say so
. I’ll ask Ryan.” Gavin pulled away from the post and headed back toward their mother’s carriage house.
A tide of emotions welled up inside Miles, nearly choking him. Yet he still managed to call after his brother. “Gavin. I’d be honored to be your best man.”
Gavin’s eyes were cautious and his mouth pissed off when he turned around. “Are you sure? Because if you’re still gonna bust my balls over the whole thing with Dad, you can forget it.”
Miles took a step toward his brother. “It’s not that.” He looked back at his mother’s inn, the catalyst to his father’s demise. “I mean, it might be a little of that. But I get where you were coming from with Dad. I really do. You made a hard choice. Life is full of them. A lot of them suck.”
“Are we still talking about Dad?”
No, Miles wasn’t. But in hindsight, he didn’t begrudge his brother for taking matters into his own hands any longer. He wasn’t even angry about being kept in the dark. Miles wished there was a way he could keep his family in the dark regarding his looming decision, but he didn’t see any way to make that happen. He only hoped Gavin—and the rest of the McAlisters—would respect him afterward.
“It doesn’t matter,” Miles said. “All that matters is we’re good. And I’m happy to stand up for you at your wedding.”
The corners of Gavin’s mouth turned up slightly and he nodded. “Thanks, bro.”
Miles clapped him on the back and suddenly they were locked in a man hug.
“I think this calls for some nachos and a beer,” Gavin said when they pulled apart. “Let’s go to Pier Pressure. We’ll tell Jolene we’re celebrating the baby and to put it on Will’s tab.”
With a quick glance back at the B and B, Miles agreed. After all, there were guests staying in the Edinburgh Suite, so he couldn’t do any snooping tonight. It was no use stewing at campaign headquarters, either. Nachos and a beer with his brother sounded better than anything else he had planned.
* * *
Lamar stood at the sink rinsing out the champagne flutes. Patricia sat next to him, her hip propped on one of the tall stools from the breakfast bar.
“Thank you,” she said as she carefully dried the crystal that had once belonged to her grandmother.
“You know I don’t mind helping you out, Tricia.” He slipped his hands back into the soapy water.
“I’m not talking about the dishes.”
He turned to face her and those solemn gray eyes of his were so intense they made her heart flutter. “I know you’re not talking about the damn dishes.” He swallowed roughly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you that night,” he whispered. “What I wouldn’t give for it to have been me and not you lying beside the road suffering.”
She licked her lips. “I love you, Lamar. I truly do. But I need to know you still love me, too,” she whispered.
He sighed heavily. “There’s something romantic about a husband wanting so badly to make his wife’s wish come true that he sacrifices everything to achieve it. I don’t know how I can compete with that.” He took the dish towel from her fingers and wiped his hands with it. “I didn’t know Donald, but I feel like I know him through your children. And he’d want me to do whatever it took to protect you and keep you safe.”
Tears stung her eyes and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him in closer. She could feel the steady beat of his heart when she rested her cheek against his solid chest. “But what if I don’t want to be protected like that?” she asked. “Donald kept a secret that surely killed him. How did that help me? I don’t expect you to wrap me up in bubble wrap. I just want you to be there to help me up if I do fall. And I want to be the one who does the same for you.”
“I love you, woman. All of you. Your crazy kids, your hapless strays, and your gorgeous body. But most of all, I love your beautiful soul.” He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, but Patricia pulled back. She cupped his face with both hands and pulled him down for a deep kiss. A spasm of arousal flared deep inside her as she twined her tongue with his.
“Doc said you’re not ready for that yet,” he murmured against her mouth. “But I can do amazing things with an ice massage.”
She laughed in spite of her herself. “I bet you never thought you’d ever use that as a pickup line.”
Lamar gently scooped her up off the stool. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Patricia buried her face in his neck.
“It’s a first, but it comes with the territory for our generation.” He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. “I’ll get that ice.”
“When you get back, you can fill me in on what’s going on with Miles.”
Her words stopped Lamar in his tracks. Framed in the doorway, he turned to face her, his stoic mask firmly in place. “Why would I know what’s going on with Miles?”
“He was very distracted earlier. When I asked him about the paperweight, he looked to you before he answered. Why would he do that?”
Lamar walked back to the bed. “I think you’re misreading things. He’s doing two jobs right now: campaigning and managing your B and B. More than one of us has questioned his ability to do both. Perhaps even a bit unfairly. Miles doesn’t want to let you down.”
His excuse made sense, up to a point. “Since when did you start defending my son? He’s been barely civil to you since he met you. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. It’s nice to see you two get along.”
He sat down on the bed beside her. “We had a Come-to-Jesus meeting the other day. It seems we have something very important to bond over: We both love the same woman.”
Patricia took one of his bigger hands between both of hers. A renewed sense of calm ebbed through her body when she made contact with his skin. “You’d tell me if something was wrong?”
“Of course,” he said without hesitation.
Tears stung her eyes again but this time they were happy ones. Things were starting to go her way; she just knew it. “It’s going to be all right, isn’t it? We’re going to be okay?”
“We are going to be better than okay,” he said before leaning down and taking her mouth in a searing kiss.
Patricia relaxed into his comforting embrace, letting the worries of the day fade away.
FOURTEEN
The grandfather clock chimed its final chords announcing midnight. The B and B settled into a peaceful quiet around Lori. It was midweek and only three of the inn’s suites were booked with guests, all of whom were presumably fast asleep. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore seeped in through the closed windows. The only other sound Lori heard when she slipped out of her room was Tessa’s gentle snoring.
Careful to skip the stair tread that squeaked, Lori made her way down from the third floor to the guest room level. She maneuvered quietly through the darkened hallway before slipping into the empty Paisley Suite. Closing the door until all but an inch remained open, she settled her shoulder against the wall and peered out the crack. Moonlight streamed through the stained glass window, giving her a bird’s-eye view of the landing at the top of the main staircase.
Lori’s heart told her Cassidy wasn’t responsible for the recent thefts, but her heart had been wrong before. So very wrong. Someone was stealing from the B and B. Since Lori could rule herself out, that left only Miles and Cassidy as the likely culprits.
Not that she believed for a minute that Dudley Do-Right would steal anything, much less something from his mother or her guests. Of course, she also knew firsthand that Miles wasn’t exactly the man he wanted everyone to believe him to be—especially when he had his hands beneath her bra and his tongue down her throat. She shivered slightly, remembering their kiss in the gazebo earlier. The only thing Miles was guilty of was making Lori want things she no longer had any right to. Things like a normal life and a normal relationship. None of that was going to ever happen for her and she needed to face that fact a
nd move on. Except she couldn’t move on without her grandmother’s ring. And if that meant staking out the hallway to capture whoever was stealing things from the inn, Lori was going to do it. Desperate times called for desperate measures and all that malarkey.
Of course, if neither she nor Miles was the culprit, that left Cassidy. Lori felt guilty even considering it, despite the fact the teenager had grown up with no boundaries. According to Patricia, Cassidy not only parented herself but, more often than not, had to parent her mother, too. These past few months, Lori hadn’t seen any evidence that Cassidy was anything but a teenager hiding her tender heart behind the façade of a belligerent Goth. The girl was smart, industrious, and devoted to the McAlister family. She made as much sense as the thief as Miles did. But while Lori hated to believe Cassidy was guilty, she also knew what it was like to be alone with an uncertain future. A girl could do anything under those circumstances. Stealing a few trinkets here and there was just the tip of the iceberg.
She sighed softly, leaning her head against the doorframe. Lori hadn’t quite thought this plan through. With her luck, she’d stand here all night and no one would venture through the B and B’s halls.
She felt the heat at her back nanoseconds before a large hand covered her mouth. Her skin tingled when a second hand landed on her stomach, pulling her body in contact with a muscled chest. A very familiar muscled chest judging by the way her insides were heating up. She tried to jab an elbow into Miles’ stomach, but his reflexes were quicker. With his hand still plastered to her mouth, he pinned her arms with his other hand. Shifting her body to his side, he pushed the door closed with his knee.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he whispered as he pulled her toward the back of the suite. Moonlight bounced off the pale duvet that covered the four-poster bed. The moon’s brightness illuminated much of the bedroom. Lori turned her head to glare at Miles. He was dressed in a dark blue T-shirt and black running shorts. All the better to blend in with the darkness. His hair was wet and Lori caught a whiff of his mother’s trademark shampoo in the air. The cucumber scent should have made him seem less manly, less threatening. It didn’t.
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