“Spoken like a true big brother.” She opened the cabinet and found a mug. “Okay. Well, let’s see. He’s former military and he-”
“What branch?”
“Army. Special Forces.” The water had begun to boil and she turned it off.
Grady nodded without turning to look at her. He’d known more than a few Delta Force veterans. He wondered if he and Beck had any friends in common. “Keep going.”
“He was a cop someplace else before St. Dennis. Actually, his dad had been chief of police there and he’d recommended Beck for the job when he semi-retired.”
“They let him do that?” This time Grady did turn around. “They let this guy name his own son as his successor?”
“Hey, it’s a small town. His father, Hal, was-is-very highly regarded, and Beck was a good cop and had great references. He was the best candidate they had, and before you say I’m prejudiced, I heard that from someone who doesn’t particularly like Beck.”
“Well, I guess I can see it. Small town, he probably lived there all his life-”
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “Beck grew up around Chicago. When he was almost fourteen, his mother brought him to live with his father.” She paused to pour hot water into her mug. “I should preface that by saying that Hal didn’t know he had a son with Beck’s mother. She never told him. They’d fallen madly in love when she was just eighteen, but he’d gotten drafted and shipped off to Vietnam before she knew she was pregnant. She was engaged to someone else at the time, and her parents made her marry the guy she was engaged to. His mother went through with the wedding but the marriage didn’t work out.”
“How much of this are you making up as you go along?”
“None. I swear. From what I’ve heard, Beck was a very wild and uncontrollable kid from the time he was ten or twelve. Right about that time, his mom remarried. That’s when she took Beck to Hal and left him there.”
“Wait a minute. You mean, she just…”
Mia nodded. “Rang the doorbell, handed over Beck’s birth certificate, and told Hal he was going to have to take things from there because she couldn’t handle his son.”
“And she just left?”
“Yep.”
Grady checked the water for the macaroni to see if it had reached the boiling point yet.
“Doesn’t sound as if he comes from a very stable background, Mia.”
“Sorry, pal, but this pot is not about to call that kettle black, if you get my drift. Not after Brendan.”
“You do have a point there.” Brendan had shattered any illusions anyone might have had about the Shieldses being a model family.
“Anyway, Hal took Beck in and really turned him around, though I did hear from some of the people in town that Beck was a bit of a hellion when he first arrived. But Hal hung tough.” She sipped her tea. “He’s an amazing man.”
“Hal or Beck?”
“Both of them.”
“And the mom?”
“I’ve never met her. Beck has no contact with her at all, though I think she’s tried to contact him from time to time. Birthday cards, stuff like that. And I think his sister hears from her occasionally.”
“He has a sister?”
“That’s the other part of the story. He never knew about her. Didn’t realize his mother was pregnant when she brought him to Hal, but he realizes now that she had to have been. A couple of years ago, Vanessa-that’s the sister, Vanessa Keaton-showed up in St. Dennis looking for Beck. She said her mother told her it was time she met her brother.”
“So Mama’s a woman who likes to keep secrets.”
“Apparently.”
“Will we see her at the wedding?”
“Fat chance.” Mia snorted. “Beck doesn’t want anything to do with her. He never even refers to her as his mom, only by her first name, Maggie. According to Vanessa, Maggie is now on husband number whatever. She’s living on a sheep ranch out west here someplace.”
“The phone book is in that bottom drawer”-he pointed past her-”if you want to look her up, see if she’s listed. Maybe you’d want to call. Introduce yourself.”
“You are such a wiseass.” Mia laughed. “I’d never do that behind his back. Besides, I don’t know her last name. And I think she’s in one of the Dakotas, not Montana.”
“But you are curious.” He dumped the macaroni into the pot of boiling water, then set the timer.
“Damn right.” She grinned.
“You sure this guy doesn’t have issues that you’re overlooking because you love him?”
“Positive. Beck is the most stable person I’ve ever known.” She smiled and added, “Like I said, more stable than some of the Shieldses have been for the past few years.”
“And on that note, I’ll go out to your car to get your things. I’m assuming you brought a suitcase or something?”
“There’s a canvas bag on the backseat.”
“I’ll be right back. I want to check on Chance before I get too comfortable, so I’ll grab your bag while I’m out there.”
“Thanks, Grady.”
Mia tossed him the keys, and Grady went out through the back door. It had grown dark while they chatted, so he switched on the outside lights before crossing the yard to the barn. Once he assured himself that Chance was good for the night, he locked the barn door and retrieved Mia’s bag from the Jeep.
He paused halfway to the house and listened to the night sounds: an owl in the stand of pine trees at the far side of the property, the scurrying of something through the brush near his feet. He took a deep breath, savoring the clear air, and sensed a change coming that had nothing to do with the emergent spring. He wondered how many more nights like this there’d be, when he’d be here, with his memories, in this comfortable life he’d made.
“Maybe it’s time,” he said to the owl as it swept over his head. “Then again… maybe not…”
He hoisted the bag-what could she have packed for an overnight that could weigh this much?-and went back inside.
“What the hell is in this thing? I’ve backpacked for a week and all my gear-including my tent and food-didn’t weigh this much.”
“It’s my stuff. You know. Clothes and products and-”
“Products?”
“You know. Hair stuff and makeup and shower gel and-”
“Never mind.” He waved her off. “I’ll put it in the back room.”
“Great.” She laughed. “Thanks.”
He went through the living room and down the hall to the last door on the right. Opening the door, he swung Mia’s bag onto the bed without turning on the light. The room was small and not very fancy, but it, like every other room, had been painted and refurnished after Melissa died. He’d hoped to get the smell of death out of the house, but sometimes he thought he could still detect a faint lingering whiff.
“The macaroni’s almost ready,” Mia told him when he returned to the kitchen. “There are only a few more minutes on the timer.”
He checked the pot and nodded.
“So how’s the new job?” He searched a cabinet for a large colander, found one, and placed it in the sink.
“It’s all right. The guy I work for is a real tool, but other than that, it’s fine. Being a county detective isn’t so different from what I was doing with the Bureau. Well, without the travel, which I don’t miss at all. And without the great boss and the coworkers I loved like family. Other than that… it’s all pretty much the same.”
“And you’re adjusting to small-town life okay?”
“I love living in a small town, and I love living on the Chesapeake. I’ve learned how to sail and how to catch crabs and how to back a boat into a slip. St. Dennis is charming, the people are friendly, and the seafood is amazing. I couldn’t be happier.”
“No small-town drama?”
Mia laughed. “There’s always drama, but it’s a pretty closely knit community. Everyone knows everyone else and everyone else’s business and likes to discuss it. But in
a good way, for the most part. Oh, there’s a few gossipy types, but you just sort of watch what you say to them. For the most part, the people in town have been wonderful to me. They’ve made me feel very welcome.”
She stepped back while he poured the boiling water from the pot into the colander. “I think even you would like it.”
“Gee, even me?” He leaned away from the steam.
“Yup. Even you.”
“I’ll try to keep an open mind.”
They continued to chat through dinner, but by dessert, the conversation had wound down and it was clear that Mia was falling asleep. Grady pointed her in the direction of her room and went back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up before turning in.
He’d had few visitors since Mia’s last trip, the one she’d made with Andy, when they came to tell him about their father’s fatal heart attack. They’d only stayed the one night, the three of them having flown to Virginia the following morning to plan the funeral. That hadn’t had the feel of a visit, though. Mia coming here on her own, to ask him to walk with her at her wedding-this felt like a visit, which meant they’d share, at the very least, the next couple of meals. He hadn’t wanted to ask her how long she was staying-after all, she’d just arrived. He couldn’t help thinking how strange it had been to hear another voice in the house, one that wasn’t on the TV or a radio.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Mia there. He was happy to see her and have her company all to himself for a few days, since it was so rare that he did. He just felt a little awkward. He’d never been good at small talk, but small talk wasn’t what you were supposed to make with your family. And this was Mia, his little sister. It had never been difficult to talk to her.
He finished in the kitchen and checked that the back door was locked. He turned off the lights as he made his way to his room, thinking that there had been few enough happy occasions for the Shields family over the past few years. Mia’s wedding would be a time to celebrate something positive and joyous. That she wanted him to play a special part in her big day, that she’d come all this way to ask him, warmed his heart. He’d never have turned her down, even if it did mean going back into his old world for a whole week. He’d manage. He’d do his part. He’d be social. But he suspected he’d be counting the hours until he’d board the plane and retreat again to this quiet place where even the ghosts had gone silent, and where the life he’d made was nothing like the one he’d left.
Chapter 3
I REALLY appreciate you coming with me to pick up my dress,” Mia said as Vanessa slid into the front passenger’s seat and secured the seat belt.
“I’m happy to do it,” Vanessa assured her. “Not to mention that you’ve given me an excuse to sit for a half hour. I took deliveries of stock all day today and had to check everything in against my orders. I didn’t have a minute to myself.” To make her point, she eased the seat back as far as it would go, toed off her shoes, and stretched her legs out in front of her. “I couldn’t close up fast enough tonight.”
“I can’t believe how quickly the last few weeks have passed and how much I still have to do. For one thing, I have to get into your shop before I pack for our honeymoon. I still need something to wear for sightseeing in Italy.”
“Come in tomorrow. I just got in some darling sundresses that I was going to put in the window, but I’d be happy to hold off until you can look.”
“I’ll be in as soon as I get home from work,” Mia told her. “I hope you have something in my size.”
“I brought in one of everything in your size.” Vanessa grinned. “Just in case.”
“You truly are a goddess,” Mia told her solemnly.
“I do have my moments.” Vanessa rested back against the headrest and smiled.
“I’m so glad you’re coming with me. It helps to have a friend to talk to. I seem to be getting more and more nervous, the closer we get to The Day.”
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“About Beck?” Mia shook her head firmly. “He’s the one thing I’m not second-guessing. Everything else is stressing me out. What if the florist can’t get peonies and I have to carry carnations? What if I trip going up the aisle? What if they drop the cake? What if it snows? What if-”
Vanessa burst out laughing. “Sorry, Mia. But seriously? Snow?”
“Miss Grace said it snowed once in May when she was a girl.”
“No offense to Miss Grace, but that was probably back in the Ice Age. I doubt there’s been snow that late in the season here for half a century, at least.”
“Okay, good. That’s good.” Mia nodded. “We’ll cross snow off the list.”
“Olivia at Petals and Posies is doing the flowers, right?”
Mia nodded.
“So I think you can safely cross off the flowers as well. Olivia wouldn’t promise you peonies if she couldn’t get them.”
“Good point. Right.”
“As for the cake being dropped, isn’t the pastry chef at the Inn doing the cake?”
“Yes.”
“And the reception is right there at the Inn?”
“Yes, but-”
“I think they’ll know how to get the cake from their kitchen into their ballroom. They’ve probably done it before. Like maybe once or twice a week for the past million years.”
“Another good point.” Mia nodded. “You’re very good at this.”
“Now, on to the tripping-up-the-aisle thing.” Vanessa rolled down the window to better view the shorebirds that gathered on the tiny tufts of land surrounding the Bay Bridge. The sun had begun to set and the light dancing off the bridge momentarily dazzled her. “You were successful in talking both brothers into giving you away, correct?”
“Correct.”
“One on each side, right?”
“Right.” Mia’s face brightened. “Oh. Right. One on each side.”
“Twice the security.”
“Mind if I call when the next round of anxiety strikes?”
“That’s what I’m here for. You just let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
“Well, there is one thing.” Mia glanced over at Vanessa. “There is something that I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about my brother Grady.”
Vanessa motioned with one hand for Mia to continue, trying to project Sure, Mia, anything you need, rather than the uh-oh that was causing an ice-cream-type freeze to her brain.
“Grady is such a loner, and you’re so outgoing and you know everyone in St. Dennis and he’s going to be here for the entire week. I was wondering if maybe you wouldn’t mind taking him under your wing, so to speak. You know, sit with him at the rehearsal dinner, make him get up and dance at the reception a time or two. Maybe show him around town, give him the tour.”
“Sure.” Vanessa hoped her smile looked sincere so that Mia wouldn’t suspect that the last thing she wanted to do at her brother’s wedding was to be saddled with a reclusive stranger. “I’d be happy to.”
Mia breathed a long sigh. “Thank you, Ness. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. I worry so much about him, and he’ll be the only one in my family who’ll be without a significant other at the wedding. Everyone else is married or engaged or in a totally committed relationship. I had visions of Grady holing up in his room at the Inn and only coming out when his presence was mandatory.”
“Not to worry. We’ll find things for him to do.” Things a guy like him might find exciting, like, oh, picking up litter on Charles Street. Counting the gumballs in the containers on the counter at the drugstore. Watching the pedestrians cross at the corner. Cool, fun stuff like that.
“You know, he’s really a terrific guy and he’s had such a hard time of things these past few years. I just hate the thought of him not having a good time, or, you know, feeling left out of things because he’s by himself and-”
“Relax.” Vanessa patted Mia on the arm. “He’ll be fine. Cross my he
art. I’m sure we can find ways to keep him busy.”
I may want to slit my throat from sheer boredom before the week’s over, but I will see to it that Mountain Man has a full dance card.
The bridal salon where Mia found her dress was in a newly renovated two-story house right outside of Annapolis. There was parking at the door and a hostess who showed Vanessa to a lovely white damask sofa, then served her tea and small cakes while Mia tried on her dress for the last time before taking it home. Vanessa had never seen so many beautiful and expensive designer gowns in one place before, and she couldn’t stop herself from going to the racks and thumbing through the dresses. Lace, satin, satin and lace, chiffon-there were gowns for all seasons and every time of day or night, from the most casual morning ceremony to the most lavish black-tie affair. The variety alone took Vanessa’s breath away. She stopped to admire a strapless gown of pure white chiffon that had huge fabric flowers trailing down the back and another at the waist in the front.
“That would be absolutely drop-dead stunning on you.” A saleswoman appeared at her elbow. “Would you like to try it on?”
“No! I mean, I’m not looking for… that is, I’m just waiting for my brother’s fiancée. She’s here to pick up her gown.”
“Oh, so sorry.” The saleswoman smiled. “That dress is a favorite of mine, and when I saw you looking at it, I couldn’t help but think how perfect it would be on you.”
“Well, perhaps in another life.” Vanessa backed away from the rack and returned to her seat, where she sipped her tea and nibbled on her tea cakes and fought back the waves of regret that washed over her.
“Ness, what do you think?” Mia stepped out from the dressing area. “Do you think it’s all right?”
“All right?” Vanessa stood and clapped her hands in glee. “All right? It’s magnificent. Perfect. You look… perfect. Gorgeous. We should probably add a tank of oxygen to that list of yours. My brother is going to have trouble breathing when he sees you walking up the aisle.”
“Oh God, I hope so.” Mia fussed with the skirt. “Otherwise, what would be the point of all this?”
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