The Look of Love

by Chris Keniston

  “That’s right.” She hadn’t said anything to her brother yet about considering moving to Hawaii. For more than a few months she’d been teetering between moving and staying put. Her job or her family. Today the scales dipped farther to one side.

  “My room is all ready for you. I helped Moms make the bed with new flower sheets. Dad says we have to help her until the new baby comes.”

  Maddie’s gaze flew up to her brother. Nick bobbed his head. His expression warm, yet sad. “You’re such a good gentleman,” Maddie said to Bradley.

  “Dad says that too. He says that’s what Mommy wanted for me.”

  This time Nick smiled down at his son. His eyes filled with pride.

  “And you did a wonderful job too.” Kara held out her hand, and Bradley eagerly took his stepmother’s hand.

  Maddie and her mom let Kara and Bradley get slightly ahead of them, then Yvette looked at her son. “This is something new.”

  Nick smiled. “Yeah. He started calling Kara Moms a few weeks ago. Never Mom or Mommy. Always Moms. And whenever he mentions Patty Ann, it’s always Mommy.”

  “So my grandson figured out a way to have a new mother in his life without giving up the first one.” Yvette smiled broadly. “Damn smart kid. Takes after his grandmother.”

  Maddie linked arms with her brother and walked behind their mother, laughing. “It’s nice to be all together again, isn’t it?”

  “Can’t think of much better.”

  “Had Mom mentioned to you yet that she and Dad are thinking about moving out here? Permanently.”

  Nick’s gait slowed. “Seriously?”

  “Yep.” Maddie nodded. Stopping at the baggage area, she leaned in closer. “I wasn’t going to say anything to you until I spoke with Billy’s wife, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today about lost opportunities, and, well, I think it might be time for me to have a little change of scenery also.”

  “How much of a change?”

  “Kona.”

  Nick’s brows arched high on his forehead. “For real?”

  The buzzer sounded; the carousel began to move, and Maddie grinned at her brother’s surprise. “For real.”

  A wide smile took over his face. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Yvette pointed to the first bag coming around the carousel. “That’s mine.”

  Nick pulled it aside just as his mother pointed to the next bag. And the next. When another came along and she pointed to it as well, Nick set it with the others, asking, “How many suitcases did you bring?”

  “A good grandmother can’t arrive empty-handed.”

  “Maybe so, but Mom you’ve got enough luggage here to last through winter in Alaska. Good thing we brought two cars or I’d be strapping you and Dad to the roof.”

  “Nonsense.” Yvette lightly smacked her son’s arm. “Dad would drive. You would have walked.” Turning to face Kara and her daughter, Yvette rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. “So, do we have a baby pool going?”

  Nick nodded. “Absolutely. Jonathan’s keeping it at the shop. Let him know what you want, and he’ll pencil you in.”

  “Anyone take Valentine’s Day yet?” Randy asked.

  “Not yet.” Nick shook his head and swallowed a chuckle. “But you may be on to something. Billy’s mom seems to think the baby is in a hurry. As a matter of fact, we’re all invited over for a barbecue this weekend before the baby comes.”

  Yvette’s brows knit together. “Does she know something we should?”

  “Nope. Kara’s doctor is expecting her to go past her due date. He calls it first-baby-bullshit syndrome.”

  Randy shook his head. “I’m sure my grandchild won’t give you any trouble. But just in case, I’ve got ten bucks on Valentine’s Day.”

  Chapter Seven

  “How’s this?” Dan slid the large framed photo of the original Grand Ole Opry house onto the hook he’d just nailed into the wall and stepped back.

  “I love it!” Carolyn squealed. She’d squealed after each and every picture he’d hung for her this morning. Whether she was normally this jubilant or was just still riding her new-house high, he wasn’t sure. But he had to admit he was tempted to squeal with her.

  “What’s next on the list?” In the two days since he’d arrived in Kona, he had installed roll-out shelves in the kitchen, added shelves to the linen closet, and reconfigured the shelves in the pantry. He would have gladly continued adding, cutting and installing anything his daughter wanted, but he had to admit he’d been damn glad when the next thing on the list had only involved a hammer and a level.

  “We’ve done all the heavy pieces. I can hang the smaller ones later.”

  “Or we can do it all now and get it done.” He might technically be retired from the military, but he still had a sense of order that was hard to let go of. And not finishing a job when all the equipment was out and ready to be used, even if only a hammer and a box of nails, seemed like an egregious misuse of time. Besides, he loved how Carolyn’s face lit up every time he offered to do something for her.

  No wonder daughters around the world had their fathers wrapped around their fingers. He couldn’t even begin to fathom the hardships he would have endured to make his little girl happy—had he known he had one.

  The last room to be tackled with the remaining framed pictures was the guest room. He’d hung a gorgeous array of ocean photographs. His favorite had been taken around sunrise. The way the lights glimmered off the sand and the beaches was stunning. “This one is truly breathtaking.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You have a magnificent eye. I’m having a hard time reconciling a by-the-numbers accountant with the person who took these.”

  “Everyone needs a hobby.”

  “Yes, but not everyone’s hobbies require talent. I like hiking and rock climbing.”

  “Maybe next time you go, I’ll come with you.”

  “You like to climb?”

  She laughed. “No, but I’d like to take pictures of you climbing.”

  “Not so sure even you could make those worth looking at.” He gathered up the level he’d used for the larger frames that required two nails, along with the box of nails and pencil. “Where shall I put these?”

  “Until I get a shed, I’ve been putting all the tools we’ve bought in this closet.” She tugged at the bifold doors. They didn’t budge, and she pulled a little harder. The knob came off in her hand, throwing her off balance and shoving her into him.

  For a split second his mind wandered back to when he had first met Maddie before he shook his thoughts clear. After retrieving the knob, he examined the top and bottom of the sticky doors. “Looks like something else on the list to fix.”

  “We might have to deal with the rest of the list later. It’s almost time to leave for the party.”

  “I still think you should go on without me. This would be a good time for your old man to head back to the hotel and take a nap.” Not that he had any intention of actually napping.

  Carolyn rolled her eyes and blew out a sigh. “Really? You’re not that old.”

  Holding back a smile, Dan shrugged a casual shoulder. Since discovering he had an adult daughter, he found himself feeling downright ancient. What he really wanted to do about now was put on his running shoes and take a long jog by the shore. Since coming to Hawaii, he’d had way too much food for thought. First he was having a hard time getting Madeleine Harper out of his mind. Which meant he really did need to think about adding a good woman to his new life plans. Just one more suited to becoming a grandmother someday soon and not a first-time mother.

  And then Carolyn. She’d offered her guest room when they’d discussed his coming out after the symposium, but he’d not been comfortable with that so he’d booked a hotel room. DNA or not, except for the day she’d come to his apartment to find him, and a handful of telephone conversations since, they were still pretty much strangers. Which was the rest of what he had to think about. In only two day
s he could feel the relationship shifting. Carolyn wasn’t quite as careful around him. The eye roll a little while ago was something she wouldn’t have done when he’d first arrived. And snippets of a biting sense of humor were beginning to appear.

  Though he was sure she had a great deal of her mother in her, the more time he spent with Carolyn, the more he saw of his own family. When she laughed really hard, her nose crinkled just like his mother’s. In the heat of the afternoon the day before she’d grabbed her hair and did one of those twisty things leaving a pile on top of her head and showing off a profile just like his sister Tammy. But the way she teased him at dinner last night about how he ate his spaghetti, he would have sworn she’d grown up right beside him and his brother Matt. Absolutely amazing how two people who had never lived together could be so alike.

  And no doubt, if he spent more time with her, he’d discover even more family traits. Which is what he had to think about. He had twenty-two years to make up for, and that was going to be very hard to do three thousand miles away via telephone with once- or twice-a-year visits.

  “Hello?” Carolyn waved her hand in front of his face. “Maybe you’re right, and you are suffering from early onset of Alzheimer’s. I may have to call the nursing home now. Reserve you a room.” A broad cheeky grin and exceptionally wide innocent eyes screamed the O’Neil sense of humor. Yep, if the DNA tests hadn’t confirmed her PI’s report, the last two days certainly did.

  * * *

  “Oh, lord, it smells good in here.” Maddie lifted her nose in the air and took a deep whiff. She loved the smell of fresh-baked anything.

  Holding a mixing bowl in front of her, her mother scooped the dark orange mixture into a pan. “I told Maile I’d make a few of my sweet potato pies for this afternoon.”

  “Oh, heavens, what’s that?” Hands on her lower back, Kara came waddling in the kitchen behind Maddie, taking in the wonderful aroma of baking pies.

  “Mom’s making her famous sweet potato pies.”

  “That explains it. The last time you made pie, I didn’t get home until long after that delectable aroma was gone.” Kara put her hand on her tummy and laughed. “Ooh, Junior smells it too. It’s unanimous. You can bake pies for us anytime.”

  “That’s what I’ve been thinking,” Yvette said.

  Maddie and Kara glanced at each other quickly before looking back to her mother.

  “Randy and I have talked this through one more time, and we’ve come to a decision. When we go home after this trip, we’re going to get the condo in Port Aransas ready to go on the market. Hopefully by late spring. As soon as it sells, we’re moving to Kona.”

  Kara did her best in her very pregnant condition to fling herself at her mother-in-law. “That’s fabulous news.”

  Sniffing at the air like a bloodhound, Nick followed the scent to the oven. “What’s fabulous news?”

  Yvette set the bowl on the island and, picking up the pie pan, moved to her son’s side, nudging him with her elbow. “Your father and I have decided to move to Hawaii.”

  Grinning, Nick opened the oven door for her. “How soon are you coming? Or is the container with all your worldly possessions on the way already?”

  Yvette slid the pan onto the rack and, grabbing the oven mitts, brought out the cooked pie to set on the cooling rack. “Comedian. Though we’ve been thinking about it for a while, we only last night made up our minds.”

  “There isn’t that much for you to do. The place is in great shape, and you shouldn’t have any trouble selling,” Maddie added. “The Texas market is really hot. Even for vacation homes.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. Daddy and I don’t want to wait too long, but we don’t want the expense of running two households either.”

  “A wise choice.” Kara eased onto a kitchen chair.

  “You okay, honey?” Yvette studied her daughter-in-law.

  “I’m fine. Just once I wouldn’t mind if this baby slept at night like I do.”

  Maddie took in the room. Her brother and mother looked like matching bookends, both frowning at Kara as though she’d announced she’d be giving birth to an alien. “How about some tea?”

  “Good idea.” Kara put her hands on the table and pushed up.

  “No,” three voices chorused, with Yvette gesturing to her children to give her the floor. “I’ll get you a cup.”

  “Anyone want some juice?” Maddie asked from the fridge.

  “No thanks,” all the voices echoed.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you.” She poured herself a cup and turned to her brother. “Margaret Alani is coming by to pick up Bradley. He’s in his room changing. She’s taking him and her grandson over to Maile’s early.”

  “I’d better go check on him.” Nick turned to leave the room, paused to kiss his wife on the cheek and continued on his way.

  Yvette set a warm cup of caffeine-free tea in front of Kara, and, before Maddie could take her seat, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”

  Margaret Alani was best friends with Billy Everrett’s mother, Maile, the woman throwing this afternoon’s welcome soiree. “Madeleine, dear. So nice to see you.”

  “You too! Come on in.”

  Margaret’s grandson made a beeline for Bradley’s room, and she smiled after the little boy with so much love it strengthened Maddie’s resolve to move closer to her own family.

  “Just for a minute. I promised Maile I’d be there to help her.”

  “If Maile needs more help, we’d be happy to go over early too.” Maddie closed the door behind their guest. “Mom loves to fuss over parties.”

  “Not necessary. We’re just getting all our ducks in a row. Plenty of nice single people coming. It should be lots of fun.”

  Alarm bells probably should have sounded at the use of “single people,” but, since Maddie was only a visitor, her matchmaker radar was taking a break.

  “Anyone special?” Nick ushered the boys into the living room.

  “That nice Dr. Shepherd said he’d come. And there’s a new lawyer at Brian Simm’s law firm. And—”

  “Can we go now?” her grandson interrupted.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, let’s go.” Margaret turned to Maddie. “You look pretty as a picture in that dress. You’ll be the bell of the ball.” Without waiting for a response, Margaret turned and hurried out the door with the two boys rushing ahead of her.

  And with that, Maddie’s matchmaker radar sprang to life. “Did I miss something?”

  Nick placed a reassuring hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Nope. My advice is to steer clear of Billy’s mother and her friend, and, if you’re really lucky, they won’t even notice you’re there.”

  “Fat chance. But,” Kara added, “on the bright side, they’ve never successfully matched up anyone, so you probably have nothing to worry about.”

  Probably?

  “Meeting a nice man wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” Her mother began mixing the last batch of pie fillings.

  No, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Except there had been only one nice man on her mind for the last four days, and the odds of Maile Everrett springing him on her were no better than her springing over anything without falling on her ass first. Unless, of course, a handsome former navy sailor were nearby to catch her.

  Chapter Eight

  To Dan the little barbecue at a friend’s house looked more like a banquet for visiting dignitaries. He was pretty sure he hadn’t seen this much food at one time outside of a mess hall. Of course the mess hall food couldn’t compare to what he’d already sampled.

  “What do you think this is?” he asked Carolyn.

  “Not sure.” She took a bite. “Oh, my. I think it’s a coconut fritter.”

  He bit into the small lumpy blob. Oh, yeah. Definitely never ate anything like this in the mess halls.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late.” An attractive brunette with an obvious baby bump hurried over to Carolyn’s side.

  “No, no big deal. I brought my father. He and I ha
ve been sampling the hors d’oeuvres. These are wonderful.”

  “Maile Everrett is probably hands-down the best cook on the island. Which is probably why everyone who’s invited to one of her parties always comes.” Angela stuck out her hand. “I’m Angela Everrett. I sold your daughter her house.”

  “Dan O’Neil. She’s told me a lot about you. You did good.”

  “Thanks.” Angela smiled. “But don’t believe a word she says.”

  “Too late, I already do.”

  Before Angela could form a rebuttal, the hostess, a rotund native woman in a bright floral outfit, hurried across the patio in his and Carolyn’s direction. “Carolyn, dear.” The effervescent woman extended her hand and rather than wait for Carolyn to accept, somehow maneuvered Carolyn out from behind the table. “I have someone I’d like for you to meet.”

  Wide-eyed Carolyn looked to Angela, who merely smiled and shrugged.

  “You needn’t worry,” Angela said matter-of-factly to him.

  Dan hadn’t realized he’d been frowning until the young Realtor addressed him. His gaze had followed the pair as the older woman led his daughter into a small huddle of men.

  “My mother-in-law is pretty harmless.” She sipped what Dan assumed by the drink’s light color to be ginger ale. “From what I understand, she and my late father-in-law had a very happy marriage, and, now that he’s gone, she seems determined to find the same wedded bliss for everyone on the island.”

  “Including my daughter?”

  Angela chuckled. “Most likely.”

  “But she’s only twenty-two.” He felt the furrow between his brows deepen. Even to his own ears that sounded way too much like whining. Or worse, a father unwilling to accept his baby girl had grown up. Except he’d never had a baby girl, only the grown-up version.

  “And she’s perfectly safe. Maile huffs and fusses a lot, but she’s yet to pick the right two people.”

  The Realtor’s pleasant chuckle did little to assuage his concerns as laughter burst from the group of men surrounding his daughter. Lips pressed together, he wondered if announcing how many different ways he knew how to kill a man with his bare hands would douse the new suitors’ interest.