In Shelter Cove (27 page)

“I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, and I’m not just talking about Jason, but about you, too. The history between you will be difficult to get past. Just be careful.”

“It might be too late for that,” Brianna murmured.

Kara gave her a sympathetic smile. “I was afraid of that.”

An hour later, Brianna and Lucas returned home. She’d managed to get out of Sunday dinner with the Kanes, claiming that Lucas needed time to decompress and get ready for his first day of preschool on Monday. Which was all true but not the reason she wanted to skip dinner.

She found Nancy’s intense scrutiny disconcerting. Her mother-in-law couldn’t seem to keep from staring at her empty ring finger. Nancy obviously felt as if she were slipping away, which wasn’t the case, but Brianna did need space. While she hadn’t been trapped behind steel bars the past five years, she’d been stuck in one place for too long—physically and emotionally—and the Kanes had been trapped there
with her. They needed to forge a relationship that would work now that Derek was gone.

Digger jumped out of his crate with an eager bark, and Lucas played happily with the puppy for a few minutes, but she knew it was only a momentary respite. He wanted to show Jason his ribbon. Jason’s car wasn’t next door, and she knew his father and Patty were returning today, so his house-sitting duties were over. He’d no doubt gone home.

“Can we go to Jason’s now?” Lucas asked again, the ribbon back in his hand. He’d gotten over the fact that it was for second place. It was the first ribbon he’d ever won, and he was proud of that.

She hesitated one last second and then gave in. “All right, but we can’t stay long.”

“Can Digger come, too? He’s tired of being in the crate.”

“Sure.” The more chaperones she had, the better.

When they arrived at the condo, Lucas ran ahead of her to press the doorbell. When Brianna reached the door, she heard multiple voices. Damn, this really was a bad idea. What if he was entertaining a woman? How awkward would that be?

But it was too late to retreat. The door opened, and Jason’s jaw dropped in surprise when he saw them. “Brianna, Lucas. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I got second place,” Lucas proclaimed. “We came to show you my ribbon.”

Jason took the ribbon from in his hand. “Wow, that’s a big one.”

“I didn’t get the blue one,” Lucas said, anxious to see Jason’s reaction.

“Red is my favorite color,” Jason said.

“I like it, too,” Lucas decided.

The puppy barked in agreement, straining at the leash to get to Jason.

Jason smiled, gave the puppy a quick scratch, and stepped back. “Why don’t you come in?”

“Thanks, but you have company,” Brianna said.

“Not company—my father and Patty. You can meet your neighbor.”

Brianna smiled. “Is she still his girlfriend, or does she have a new title?” she asked as they stepped inside.

“So far, they’ve held off on any announcements, but who knows what’s coming? I could use some backup.”

Hal Marlow was an older version of Jason, with the same dark eyes and light brown hair, but he had slivers of gray at the sideburns and was a little shorter and stockier than his son. Nearly six feet tall, Patty Pease had brassy blond hair and the biggest breasts Brianna had ever seen. Her tight knit top emphasized her cleavage, and her leggings showed off her long legs. She had on a good deal of makeup, and Brianna guessed her to be in her late forties. In her arms was Princess, who didn’t look at all happy to see Digger. Brianna kept a tight hold on Digger’s leash.

Jason made the introductions. Patty gave her a wide, welcoming smile and a big hug. Hal’s friend
liness turned a bit cool as he made note of her last name, but he gave her a nod and said hello to Lucas.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt,” Brianna said. “Lucas was excited about his ribbon, and he wanted to show it to Jason.”

“You won a ribbon today?” Hal asked Lucas.

“My kite came in second.” Lucas proudly showed off his ribbon to Hal and Patty. “Jason helped me make it.”

“He did, did he?” Hal gave Jason a questioning look. “How did that happen?”

“Brianna moved into the house next to Patty’s,” Jason explained.

“Really? We’re neighbors?” Patty asked in surprise. “That’s wonderful.”

“I hope you still think so when you see the hole her puppy dug under your fence,” Jason added.

“Oh, well, that’s a puppy for you,” Patty said with a wave of her hand. “I think he likes Princess. Isn’t that sweet?”

“Princess doesn’t return his feelings,” Brianna said wryly.

“Well, they’ll have to get to know each other,” Patty replied. “Why don’t you two stay for dinner? Hal and I brought tons of food, and we can all get better acquainted. Hal and I were just going to take Princess for a walk on the beach. Why don’t you and Digger come with us, Lucas? While we’re gone, you two can make us some margaritas. The fixings are in the kitchen.”

“
I don’t know if Lucas can handle Digger on his own,” Brianna said.

“I’ll take the leash,” Hal said, extending his hand. “He needs to burn off some energy. We’ll be back shortly.”

They were through the sliding glass doors that led to the deck before she could stop them.

“Patty likes to matchmake,” Jason said with a grin. “She thinks if she can find me a woman, I’ll be too busy to watch out for my dad.”

“She seems nice.”

“With a heart of gold. Or maybe her heart is set on getting some gold.” His smile turned cynical.

“Is your father rich?”

“Not wealthy, but he has some money. His construction firm built these condos. That’s how I got this sweet deal on the beach.”

She’d only gotten a quick glimpse of his condo when they’d gone surfing, and now she took a longer look. His condo was indeed sweet, with hardwood floors covered by colorful throw rugs, antique tables, brown leather couches, and a stone fireplace for cold winter nights. One wall was made of floor-to-ceiling windows, with a view of the beach and the sparkling ocean beyond.

“Did someone help you with the interior design?” she asked.

“My father’s third wife was a designer. She picked out the rugs, the pictures, the lamps, and the couches. Some of the tables I found, others I made.”

Brianne ran her fingers along the exquisitely curved edge of a side table. “Did you make this?”

“I did,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Really? It’s beautiful.”

He shrugged. “My father taught me carpentry as soon as I was old enough to hold a hammer. I was supposed to go into the family business, but I liked police work better. I still do cabinetry and carpentry work as a hobby.”

“Is this your mother?” she asked, picking up a family photograph from an end table. The woman was a slightly plump blonde with a wide smile and laughing eyes. At her side were her husband and son; Jason looked about six in the picture.

“Yes. It was taken a few weeks before she was killed—our last family photo.”

Her heart broke for the little boy in the picture. No wonder he had such an affinity for Lucas. She put a hand on his arm, went up on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips. As she pulled away, Jason grabbed her arms and hauled her back for another, deeper kiss.

Breathless, she said, “I think we’re supposed to be making margaritas.”

“You distracted me.”

“Likewise.”

“I’m glad you came by. I thought you might have dinner with the Kanes. Sunday dinners used to be a tradition with them.”

“They wanted to, but I begged off.”

“They couldn’t have been happy about that. Even less happy if they knew where you were now.”

“
They don’t know.”

He looked as if he wanted to say more but let the subject drop. “Let’s make those drinks. I know I could use one.”

They tossed together a pitcher of margaritas and took them out to the back deck, which stepped down to the beach.

The afternoon wind had died down, and the sun was setting. It would be dark shortly. Brianna took a sip of her salty margarita and set it on the railing. Hal, Patty, and Lucas were at the far end of the beach, keeping a good distance from the water. Hal and Patty sat shoulder to shoulder, while Lucas and Digger dug a good hole in the middle of the beach. Princess was still in Patty’s arms, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the moment.

Brianna glanced toward the sky, watching streaks of orange and pink shimmer across the horizon. “If I lived here, I don’t think I could take my eyes off the view. I’d never get anything done.” She glanced over at Jason. “The waves are bigger now. Do you think I could handle them?”

“Maybe not yet, but practice makes perfect.”

“I would like to go out again.”

“Just say when.” Jason came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

She felt too relaxed and comfortable to move away. In a few minutes, everyone would be back, and they’d have to pretend that there was nothing between them, but for now she would enjoy the moment.

“
Your dad seems happy,” she commented. “And I don’t think you dislike Patty as much as you want to.”

“She’s growing on me.”

“She’s just not your mom.”

“I’m not worried about someone taking my mother’s place. I don’t want to see my dad get hurt again. It takes him a long time to recover.”

“He’s the reason you don’t put yourself out there, isn’t he?”

“When you see someone get stabbed in the heart a few times, it’s easier to stay away from the knife.”

“That’s a rather grisly description,” she said, turning in his arms. “Have you ever been in love?”

“Until a few days ago, I would have said no,” he said quietly, his dark eyes reflective.

She swallowed a knot of emotion. “Jason, I have feelings for you, too, but it’s all happening so fast. I feel like a wishbone, the Kanes on one side, you on the other, and . . . and then there’s Derek. I still hear the pain his voice when he told me you didn’t believe him. He might not have showed it, but he was devastated when you testified against him.”

The pulse in Jason’s neck began to pound. “Derek should have told me a better story. Then I wouldn’t have had to arrest him.”

She sighed. “Apparently, he didn’t have one. But the trial aside, being with you and letting you do things with Lucas that a father would do seems like betrayal.”

“You already gave Derek five years of your life. How many more does he get?”

“
When I married him, I promised to give him my whole life.”

“He’s gone,” Jason said in frustration. “You need to live
your
life, not his.”

“I’m starting to do that,” she said firmly. “I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that with you.”

Jason let her go and stepped away.

“I’m sorry. You wanted nothing but truth between us,” she said, “and that’s where I am.”

“I’m not taking that as your final answer, because I think you’re going to change your mind. Perhaps finding out who was working with Derek will bring a new perspective to you and the Kanes. In the meantime, I’m going to light the grill.”

While Jason was tending the barbecue, the others came back. Brianna took Digger’s leash from Hal and tied it around the deck railing.

Patty and Jason headed inside to get the food going, Lucas tagging along. Patty waved off her offer to help, leaving Brianna and Hal alone on the deck. Jason’s father poured himself a margarita and sat in the deck chair across from her, regarding her with a contemplative look. “I was sorry to hear about Derek. When news came back here that he’d died in prison, none of us could believe it. I don’t think Jason has had a good night’s sleep since then. It reminded me of how he was during the trial.”

She didn’t want to talk about Derek or the trial, but Hal seemed determined to have his say. She expected him to tell her how hard Jason had worked
and how Derek was guilty in spite of what she thought, but his words surprised her.

“I always thought Jason’s worry had as much to do with you as with Derek.”

Had Jason told his father about their first meeting, how he’d supposedly felt about her? “We barely knew each other,” she said, treading carefully.

“My son never looked at a woman the way he looked at you then—the way he looked at you tonight.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “So you’re friends now. I can’t imagine the Kanes are too happy.”

“They’re not, no.” She finished her margarita. She was drinking too fast, but she felt very much on the hot seat.

“So you’ve got a mind of your own.”

“Not many people think so. I did stand by a convicted felon.”

“Which shows you have a tremendous sense of loyalty—not easy to find these days. I’ve got just one more question.”

“What’s that?” she asked warily.

“Are you interested in Jason, or do you want to get back at him for what he did to Derek?”

She was shocked at the suggestion. “You think I’m playing Jason for some type of revenge? I would never do that. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Sorry, but I had to ask. He’s my son. I wasn’t always a good parent. I let others raise him for me, including the Kanes. It’s too late to make up for that, but I try to watch out for him now when I can.”

“
You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Good. By the way, you’ve got a great kid. Lucas sure talks up a storm.”

“Yes, he does,” she said a little stiffly, still rattled by his accusations.

Jason returned a moment later with a platter of meat ready for the grill. He gave them a curious look. “Everything okay out here?”

Hal smiled. “I was just telling Brianna not to hurt you.”

Jason sighed. “I can take care of myself, Dad.”

“That’s what I always tell
you,
but it doesn’t stop you from butting into my life.”

“That’s because you constantly screw your life up.”

“I don’t see you doing much better. And don’t burn the steaks this time. They’re supposed to be pink in the middle, otherwise all the juice dries up.”

As Hal got up to bicker with Jason about the grilling strategy, Patty brought out a tray of vegetables and dip. “Lucas is in the kitchen stirring the brownie mix for me,” Pattty said. “I hope that’s okay.”