Barefoot on a Starlit Night

by Jo McNally

  If only that were true.

  “We’re doing our best.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you are. There’s nothing quite as lovely as young love, my dear.”

  She gave him a bright smile. “It’s not always lovely, Dr. Greer. Sometimes it’s positively messy.”

  They both laughed, and she took her chance to move away. “And now I need to go surprise the man before the party’s over.”

  “Go ahead. But I’ll catch up with you in a bit to introduce you to some alumni. Finn was a risk, but I think he’s going to be a great asset to the school, and to the new history building. And now he’s marrying the owner of the Purple Shamrock, a place most of the people in this room have frequented.” He had the good grace to look embarrassed. “It sounds crass, I know, but we need this funding, and you two lovebirds might just be able to charm some of these folks into opening their wallets.”

  “What’s good for the school is good for the town. And for the Shamrock.” She patted his arm. “Finn and I will do whatever we can.” Now please let me escape.

  “What are we doing, exactly?” Finn appeared at her side, touching her back lightly with his fingers. The contact sent a shiver up her spine. Was he doing it for show? God, she couldn’t wait to get past this stupid act they were putting on for everyone so she’d stop questioning every move he made.

  “Ah, O’Hearn! Look who made it to the party after all. I was just telling Bridget I may enlist you to help do some fundraising tonight. You know, shake some hands, use that damn accent of yours to charm everyone out of a few thousand...” A tall, silver-haired man walked up to them, and Greer’s voice went into booming, happy overdrive. “Hey, Jeff! I’m so glad you made it. Have you seen the model of the new history building we’re proposing? Let me show you...”

  And they were gone, leaving Finn and Bridget standing alone. He promptly removed his hand from her back, triggering a rush of tears pressing behind her eyes. It was just for show. He lowered his head so no one else would hear.

  “What are you doing, Bridg? Why are you here?”

  “You invited me, remember?” She tried to keep her voice light, but it cracked just a little. His blunt question made a direct hit on her heart. “You said this was important, and I told you I’d be here for you.” She gave him a pointed look. “I keep my promises, Finn.”

  His face blanched. Message received. She wasn’t Dori. She’d never hurt him.

  “And I told you I’d make excuses for your absence.”

  She turned to face him and put her hand on her hip.

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  He took a sharp breath, and his eyes seemed to really focus on her for the first time. His shoulders fell.

  “I never want you to leave, love.”

  Ooh... Hope leaped upward inside of her. She reached for his hand, but instead of seeing love shining in his eyes, she saw nothing but shadows of doubt and regret. His tone made his words sound as if he hated to admit how much he wanted her. Nana told her to fight, but Finn’s demons wouldn’t leave him alone, and she didn’t know how to fight that.

  “Finn...” Before she could continue, a couple walked up to Finn.

  “Are you Professor O’Hearn?” When Finn nodded, the woman rushed on. “Oh, my son D’Shawn took your class on Celtic history, and he loved it! And this is a boy far more interested in who’s playing the Lakers than who vanquished the Irish.”

  Finn gave her a charming smile. More charming than the one he’d given Bridget.

  “No one ever truly vanquished the Irish, ma’am.”

  They all chuckled, and the woman continued. “That’s what he told me. He loved how you compared the historical facts to all the computer games and series he loves about Vikings and dragons and castles.” She sobered. “I minored in history myself, and I never managed to get him talking about that stuff. If this is the direction the new history school here is going to take, we are happy to contribute.” She extended her hand. “I’m Dr. Vanessa Bridges, and this my husband, William. He’s on the alumni board.”

  Mr. Bridges shook Finn’s hand. “Professor, the alumni association wants this capital drive to be a success, and we’ve already told Dr. Greer that we’ll get the drive started with a hefty donation...”

  The conversation went on, and Bridget took the opportunity to watch Finn in action. More people walked up, and soon he was charming a small crowd of potential donors. If he managed to get the capital drive off to a strong start tonight, Greer wouldn’t care if Finn was engaged or not. She had a sinking feeling that their fake engagement was the only thing still holding them together.

  Greer himself walked up just then, his voice booming and pulling in the group’s attention.

  “Well, it looks as if you’ve all discovered the newest addition to our history department.” Greer put his hand on Bridget’s shoulder. “And he’s engaged to Rendezvous Falls royalty—Bridget McKinnon here is the owner of the Purple Shamrock. I’m sure many of our alumni members have shared a few nights at that place, right?”

  There was a burst of laughter as they turned to look at her. Rendezvous Falls royalty? Really? Ugh. She barely managed to keep from rolling her eyes, and only because people seemed to be waiting for her to say something. A few people laughed. There were some oohs and ahhs. Finn was silent and unsmiling. Greer nudged her and she jumped.

  “Oh...yes...The Purple Shamrock is all mine...well, my family’s...”

  A woman spoke up from the back of the group. “Does that mean Professor O’Hearn will be a part-owner when you get married?”

  Yes, of course. Their eyes met. But that’s not what his eyes said. They were thoroughly shuttered now. Withdrawn. Blank. Cold. Bridget raised her chin and slid her arm around his waist with a bright smile. She wasn’t going to let him scare her off. She was going to fight for him.

  “Of course he will! But right now, he owes me a dance, so if you’ll excuse us...”

  There was a soft, sultry song playing. He couldn’t refuse her without making a scene, so he followed in silence. His arms folded around her when they got to a small open area by the travel books that was supposed to be a dance floor. But there was a distance there she couldn’t break through, even when she was pressed up against him.

  “Finn, we’ll get past this.” She gave him a gentle pinch. His mouth quirked up in one corner, and he finally looked down at her. “But not if we don’t talk. Come on, babe. Talk to me.”

  The almost-smile vanished, but he raised his hand to cup her cheek.

  “You’re so lovely.”

  “I’m glad you think so, but why do you look so sad when you say it?”

  His brows lowered and he gave his head a quick shake.

  “Not here. Come on...” He led her off the floor and toward the doors leading outdoors. There were two guys out on the steps smoking, but they were far enough away that she and Finn had privacy when he leaned on the stone wall framing the stairs and pulled her close.

  “Bridget, we have to stop. I can’t do this anymore.”

  Her heart stuttered to a halt, then restarted, irregular and panicked.

  “You mean the engagement? Your job is probably secure now that funding is coming in for the new building, but that just means we’re free to explore...”

  “We started on a lie, Bridget, and I won’t continue on one.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “It’s my fault. I made you think I could do this. That I could fall in love again.” His head fell back and he stared up at the sky. “Shit, I thought I could do that. But I can’t.”

  She waited for more of an explanation, but none came. The two smokers went back inside. An older couple left the reception and nodded as they went down the steps. A cardinal tweeted in high chirps from the apple tree fifty feet away. Normal, everyday stuff happening at the moment she knew her world was
teetering at the brink.

  “You’re saying you don’t love me?”

  He huffed out a dry laugh.

  “That’s the problem. I do love you.” She started to smile, feeling hope, seeing a future with this man. But his next words sent it crashing down. “But I loved Dori too, and she shattered me. I thought I’d put the pieces back together, but Dori’s little visit proves I haven’t. I may never be whole again.” He looked straight into her eyes, his own dark with heavy emotion. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust again. And I don’t mean trust you, I mean trust myself. My judgment. My choices.”

  “Look, if we love each other, we can make this work.” She leaned in. “And Finn, I love you.”

  Finn shook his head as if he didn’t want to hear those words from her. Not exactly the response she’d dreamed of. “If anyone knows for a fact that love isn’t a cure-all, it’s me. It’s not some magical key that unlocks paradise. That’s the stuff of myths, not facts.” He took her hands in his. “It wouldn’t be fair to you to keep you in a relationship where you won’t have my whole heart. You deserve better than that, Bridget.” She was stunned into silence, staring at his still-moving mouth. “You have to understand that I’m doing this for you.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath through narrowed lips, then hissed it back out at him.

  “Bullshit!” She yanked her hands away and stepped back. “It’s bad enough you’re trying to dump me, Finn, but don’t you dare blame this on me.”

  His face paled. That cardinal continued to chirp, and it was getting on her nerves. Finn reached out, but she staggered back so he couldn’t possibly reach her. She was in the center of the cement stairs now, breathing heavily. He stayed near the stone wall, watching her warily.

  “I’m not blaming anything on you, love.”

  Her voice rose. “Don’t call me that. Don’t you dare call me that. You don’t even know what the word means.”

  “Exactly!” He threw his hands high in frustration. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t know what it means. I don’t even know if it’s a real thing. Why would you want to love a guy who might not ever be able to love you the way you deserve? You’re smarter than that, lo...Bridget.”

  Her hurt settled in her abdomen now in a ball of fury. She braced her feet wide and pointed at him. “Who are you to determine what I want? What I deserve? What I’d be willing to accept?” The anger was burning hot now. She slapped her hand on her chest. “I get to decide those things. Is this why you’ve avoided me all week? Ever since your ex showed up and fucked with your head again?”

  The answer came to her so quick and bright it was like being hit by lightning. Her breath quickened and her knees went weak.

  “Oh, my God. You’re not doing this for me at all. Not even close.” He opened his mouth to object but she talked right over him. “You’re a coward, Finn O’Hearn. And a liar.”

  “Bridg...”

  “No! Don’t speak.” She waved her hand in his direction. “You lied to me just now when you said you’re trying to protect me. You lied when you said you were afraid you weren’t good enough for me. You don’t care about me at all in this. You’re only concerned with protecting yourself.” She took a small step toward him, then stopped, afraid if she got any closer she’d pummel him with her fists. “Oh, sure, you’re in love with me, but you’re afraid it won’t work out. You’re afraid you’ll make a mistake. You’re afraid we might get mad at each other. That I might walk away. That this might not be real love after all.” Her anger faded as sorrow surged. “And you think the only way to protect yourself is to walk away from loving me. Just in case.”

  His mouth was in a thin, hard line, but his eyes showed she’d hit the truth, so she kept going. “You think the woman who has pretended to be your fiancée for months now doesn’t care enough about you. I’ve lied to half the town and all my family for you, but you’re still afraid I’m not the real deal. I showed up tonight...in heels...to help save your job.” Her arm waved widely toward the top of the steps. “I get it—you got hurt. Bad. But never loving again is not the way to handle it. Hurting me is not the way to handle it.”

  He finally managed to speak quickly enough to interrupt her tirade.

  “That’s what I’m trying to prevent. I don’t want to hurt you...”

  “You’ve already hurt me, Finn.” A sob caught in her throat, but she managed to hold it in. “You know I love you but you’re telling me we’re done. And telling me it’s for my sake, when you’ve just ripped my heart right out of my chest. Don’t be expecting a thank you note from me anytime soon, because this big ‘favor’ you just did hurts more than anything else in my life, and that’s sayin’ something.” She blinked, but not fast enough to catch the tears welling in her eyes. “You’ve got about five seconds to make this right and take that back. Take a chance, damn it.”

  He looked into her eyes briefly, but his gaze fell to the steps before he spoke in a low, tortured voice. “This may hurt you, and I’m sorry for that, but it’s still better than...” His words trailed off as if he’d forgotten what he was going to say.

  “Better than hurting yourself?” He winced at her suggestion, but he didn’t argue. A cold calm settled over her. “Fine. I guess I know where I stand, don’t I? Consider our fake engagement and our sleeping arrangement—because it clearly hasn’t been a relationship—over and done. I’d throw my ring in your face, but it belongs to my grandmother. Can’t wait to break her heart by telling her the truth about us. But there’s a lot of that going around.” She scowled. “Broken hearts, that is. There sure as hell hasn’t been much truth.”

  * * *

  MAURA THOUGHT VICKIE was about to go across the table at Rick Thomas. Judging from the way Lena reached for Vickie’s arm, and the way Cecile shifted away from Rick, she wasn’t the only one concerned. He’d finally come clean about Finn and Bridget’s scheme to fool the town with their fake engagement story. But only after Bridget had finally come clean to Maura a few days ago, crying and begging forgiveness for lying to her.

  “You knew?” Vickie glared at him. “And you didn’t tell us? You didn’t tell me? I can’t believe it.” She yanked her arm away from Lena and slumped back in her chair. “I thought we were friends, Rick.”

  They were sitting on the front porch of the Taggart Inn. It was one of those early June mornings that spoke more of summer than spring. The trees were leafing out in bright green, and hydrangeas were in bloom in a riot of pastel colors at the base of the porch.

  Iris Taggart waved at her future granddaughter-in-law, Piper Montgomery, to bring them more tea. She obliged with a warm smile, her blond hair pulled into a ponytail and a bright yellow apron tied at her waist.

  “How are you all doing this morning? Are you plotting more matchmaking? Or maybe a love rescue?” She looked at Maura as she poured more hot water in her teacup. “I heard about Bridget and Finn. I hope they can work things out.”

  Vickie was still glaring at Rick. “We’re more likely to be plotting a murder at the moment.”

  Piper’s eyes went wide. “O-kay then. If anyone could get away with murder, it’s this bunch. I don’t want to be a material witness, so off I go.” She waved and left them alone. The table was silent before Maura finally spoke up.

  “Look, I get why you’re angry, Vickie, but that’s not really helpful right now. Murder Rick on your own time. The good news is he finally told us the truth about Finn and Bridget. Good heavens, they started this whole thing to fool all of us, and they almost did.” Except Maura had always been skeptical of the insta-love story. She’d thought maybe Finn needed a green card wedding. But Rick had explained that while it was a green card thing, it was more about saving Finn’s job.

  “Then the fake relationship became a real one. Bridget fell in love, even though she didn’t want to. And I’m convinced Finn loves her back.”

  �
�I agree,” Iris said. “Finn stayed at the inn for a while and he’s good people. He wouldn’t have done anything that would harm Bridget.”

  Vickie shrugged. “And yet, he did. He broke up with her weeks ago. Both the real and fake relationships are over.”

  Maura thought about that. “They’re only over if someone doesn’t do something. I sent Bridget to that college reception to fight for him, and Finn pushed her away, so it’s going to be up to him now. We need to figure out a way to get through to Finn.”

  “Will Bridget give him another chance after all this time has passed, though?” Lena asked. “She put it on the line for him and he rejected her. I know Bridget well enough to know she’s not one to let someone hurt her more than once.”

  That was a good question. Bridget had been practically glowing with rage since Finn rejected her. But in the quiet moments, when she thought no one was watching, Bridget’s eyes looked shattered.

  Maura shook her head. “They were juggling so many lies and secrets and baggage that it’s no wonder it all came crashing down.”

  “Which means...” Cecile looked around the table with a conspiratorial grin. “That they’re starting with a clean slate now. No more secrets, which is a much better place to start from, don’t you think?”

  Vickie looked back to Rick. “Gee, I don’t know. What do you think, Rick? Is it better to not keep secrets?”

  He stared up at the pale blue ceiling of the wide porch with a groan. “What do you want me to say, Vick? The man asked me to keep his secret. He could have been deported...or something. I don’t really get how it all works, but he could have lost his visa and had to leave the whole damn country! That’s kind of a big deal, so when he asked me to promise not to say a word, I agreed.” He narrowed his eyes at Vickie. “I’ve kept a few of your secrets, too, you old crone. You thought I was a hero back then.”