The Marriage Recipe (12 page)

“You're wrong,” he told her. “Your parents? Grandparents? My parents? I'm sure they'd disagree with your assessment of nothing good lasting. Rachel, I'm here. I'd like to take this beyond some make-out sessions and see what we might be able to create.”

She opened her mouth. But froze when he shook his head.

“Before you say anything, please let me finish. I'm aware of the consequences. I'm violating professional ethics by getting involved with my client. But you've always been more than that to me. I'm willing to take the risk.”

Life was nothing but unfair. Why couldn't such a man exist in New York? “I could break your heart. The few serious relationships I've been in, I've walked out of them. Heck, even Marco, although I doubt he was too heartbroken. But then there was my college—”

“I'll take that point under advisement,” Colin interrupted. “But I don't think I can stop treading down this path. I've tried and failed. Frankly, I don't want to stop seeing you, despite the danger or havoc you might create in my life. You don't understand, do you? You've always been my dream girl. I thought I never had a chance. Now here you are…and you're no longer a fantasy. You're no longer the same person, but even better. You're someone I'd really like to get to know. And before you say I'm only here hitting on you because of some misguided teen crush, I hope you realize I'm a little grown-up for that. If I didn't feel a connection, I'd be elsewhere. You'd be just a client. I'd be just a lawyer. Heck, I'm not desperate for female companionship, as you indicated earlier. That's not why I'm with you.”

He paced a moment. “Although I probably sound like I'm coming across as if I'm frantic. Let's postpone the rest of this conversation. Have dinner with me tomorrow night. We can get out of town, talk somewhere on neutral ground. We could fly anywhere you choose.”

Chicago had been so perfect. If she went out with him again, she'd fall into bed with him. Case closed. “I don't know if that's a good idea. I've really got to think about this. You, me, together. I'm not an affair type of girl. That's all this would be.”

His chin jutted forward. “Not on my part.”

“Oh, Colin.” She reached for him and realized her mistake the second she touched him. Her skin heated immediately. “You and I just think both still want each other. If we begin something, it could get out of control. Next weekend everyone will be at your family's Easter brunch. The whole town will have us hitched within a week.”

He drew her to him. “I'd like to be hitched in the most elemental way possible. I want your skin next to mine. Maybe we'll just be a fling. But I don't think so.”

He kissed her deeply. “I want you. It's that simple.”

“Not tonight,” Rachel managed to say shakily. Oh, Lord, she was in over her head. “Let's sleep on this. Let's…”

He nodded, recognizing he'd pushed her far enough. “Okay.”

“I…” She reached for her purse and dug out her keys. “We need to lock up. Like I said, I'll have to get up early to finish the cupcakes.”

“I'll make sure Libby writes you a thank-you note.”

“That's not necessary,” Rachel said, adjusting her ball cap.

Colin removed his apron and hung it on a peg. “Yes, it is. And Kristin will insist on it. You know my sister. She's my mother's daughter. Manners matter.”

“I'm invited to a jewelry party at her house Tuesday. Heather's going and she asked me to tag along as her guest. You get a prize if you bring a friend.”

“You should go. Everyone would love to see you,” he said. He tugged on her apron string, loosening it.

“I never knew your sister that well. We weren't friends, since she was older.” Rachel removed her apron and tossed it in the hamper.

He waited until she finished. “Age doesn't matter once you've been out in the real world for a while. Heather's your friend. You should spend time with her, get her that prize.”

But spending time meant getting attached. Was that really Rachel's deepest fear? The thought struck her as she activated the alarm. The outside temperature had dropped at least another five degrees. “Looks like winter's not ready to give up the fight,” she said. She pulled her coat tighter and unlocked the car.

“I heard we could have two inches of snow on Wednesday.”

“Huh.” The weather—now, that was a safe topic. Rachel cranked her engine, shivering a little. Unlike Colin's vehicle, hers didn't have heated seats or remote start. Her breath was visible as she began to back out. “Thank goodness home's not too far away.”

“I'm fine,” Colin replied, and she realized he wasn't too bothered—at least, not by the cold. Within minutes she'd parked her car in her driveway. As she'd pulled in, Colin had used his remote control to start his engine.

“Thanks for baking,” he told her.

“Anytime,” she said.

“I hope you mean that.” He groaned and drew her to him for one last kiss. “You're already killing me. I'll see you in the morning. Think about what I said. I will.”

And with that, he was gone, out into the night and through the gap in the bushes that divided the properties. Rachel shut off her engine and hurried inside. She found herself too wired to sleep, so she performed a few calming yoga poses she'd learned in a SoHo studio.

She'd call Heather sometime tomorrow, but she already knew what her friend would say.
Go for it.

Rachel felt so confused. Questions popped into her mind as she struggled to understand what was going on. Could she just let herself totally fall for Colin? Physically, she was ready. Mentally and emotionally…? She was on the rebound. Vulnerable. She thought she was falling in love with Colin. Yet how could she trust a man after what Marco had put her through? Then again, had Colin ever let her down? She now knew how he'd truly felt in high school, and that had chased away the dark and let in the light.

Colin wasn't like Marco. But the bottom line was, Colin was her past. He was small town and happy about it. If she let him in the door to her heart, he'd become her present. That meant all her dreams, her enjoyment of big-city life and her goal of owning the best bakery in Manhattan would have to be scuttled.

Yes, the more she attempted to clear her head, the more muddled everything became.

There was an old adage that on St. Patrick's Day everyone became Irish, and as Colin stepped out of his office at nine-thirty, he had to acknowledge that Lancaster and Morris agreed. Everywhere he glimpsed traces of “the mother country,” as his very Irish paralegal, Megan O'Grady, called Ireland. He'd even succumbed himself, adding a dark green tie to accent a crisp white button-down shirt and a navy blue suit.

“You know you have that meeting with your father about the Rochester case,” Megan reminded him.

“On my way there now,” Colin told her, tapping the legal-size file folder he held in his hand. He glanced down at her desk, seeing the half-eaten glazed donut with green sprinkles. Kim's Diner had outdone itself today, from what he'd heard. Breakfast had had a ten-minute wait, which was an eternity in this town. Everyone was used to simply walking in and sitting down.

Lunch would also be crowded. Colin almost wished he wouldn't be missing the annual corned-beef-and-cabbage feast Kim's Diner threw every year. He only hoped the school cafeteria did as decent a job. If nothing else, the cupcakes would be delicious, should he be lucky enough to get one.

He smiled to himself. He'd gotten a kiss. That was worth much more.

“Right on time,” his father greeted him as Colin entered Reginald's spacious office. Odd to think that years from now, this coveted space would be his, and Bruce would take
his
father's at the other end of the building.

At Reginald's gesture, Colin shut the door behind him and sat down in front of his father's desk. His dad stood for a second more, admiring the view of Kim's Diner, and then he settled into his oversize leather chair. “The fax regarding the Rochester settlement offer arrived as scheduled. I had a copy made for your files. I want to know what you think.”

“Let me take a look.” Colin reached for the paperwork and began to read. The Rochester case was something he and his father had been working on for over a year. At first Colin had been uncertain about partnering on a case with his father, but the experience had turned out to be a positive one.

“I think we can push them a bit more,” Colin said as he finished reading the settlement offer. “They know they've lost the case, but they're lowballing us and trying to save their client money. They want to see if we'll go for it.”

“My thought exactly. I was planning on countering with…” Reginald named a figure. “That's high enough that any counteroffer should get them into the range we believe fair compensation. If you agree, I'll have Shelley type up our response.” Shelley was Reginald's paralegal.

“I agree with the decision,” Colin said.

“Good.” Reginald nodded, satisfied. Colin and his father discussed a few more legal matters before his father said, “So are you heading over to Kim's for lunch? Place is going to be a madhouse today.”

“Can't. I'm Libby's special guest for her school luncheon.”

Reginald blinked as he remembered. “Ah, that's right. You're in charge of cupcakes, last I heard.”

Colin glanced at his watch. “I'm picking them up in about twenty minutes. Rachel baked them last night and finished decorating them this morning.”

“That was nice of her.” His father's voice carried a questioning undertone.

“She said she did it for Libby, not me,” Colin admitted.

“Sure she did,” Reginald said with a small, knowing smile.

Colin attempted to remain neutral but could feel the heat under his collar. He'd thought of that kiss all night. With one touch of his lips to hers, his feelings had rushed back. He'd cared for her deeply in high school. Now he had the benefit of age. He'd dated many women and had never found the friendship or the desire he'd experienced with Rachel. If he hadn't already fallen for her, he was in grave danger of doing so. It didn't make him afraid. Only her great desire to return to New York did that.

“Speaking of Rachel, what's the status of her case?” his dad asked.

“I've received acknowledgment of our representation and I expect we'll hear more soon. I said Rachel wasn't liable for anything and demanded a few things from Marco regarding his own breach of their engagement contract. I'm also working on getting her noncompete clause reduced or removed.”

“Good, good,” Reginald said. “Keep me posted on further developments. Do you foresee any?”

Colin paused as he gathered up the paperwork. “What?”

“Developments.”

He shook his head. “I just told you that we received a letter back.”

“You can be so dense. I meant with Rachel and you,” Reginald said impatiently, tapping a forefinger on the desk. “How was your client dinner? You took her flying?”

Colin didn't feel like sharing, not after last night's rejection. “It was fine.”

“That's it? Surely there's more. You and I haven't had a chance to talk lately.”

They hadn't. Even though he and his father had been at various business and family functions, they hadn't had any personal conversation time.

He kept the details factual. “She didn't freak out. I took her to the River Club in Chicago. She actually fell asleep on the flight there. Food was great and the evening gave us a chance to clear the air about some things that happened in high school. We had a misunderstanding about prom. She thought I was taking her and I thought she was joking.”

“And you went with someone else—who, I don't remember. So what else?” Reginald prompted.

“And that's it,” Colin said, closing the file folder. “Rachel's planning to go back to New York at some point. She's not staying here. Even if I wanted anything to develop, it's not possible.”

“So you do want something to develop?” Reginald rose and paced a little.

His father was one of the best cross-examiners in the state. “I don't know what healthy red-blooded male wouldn't, except maybe her ex, and he still claims he wants her back,” Colin replied. “But I'm starting to realize it's useless to try to make anything permanent happen between us. Tell Mom not to get her hopes up. I know you both think it's high time I settled down.”

“Oh.” His father seemed extremely disappointed in the news. “You can't change Rachel's mind?”

“About what?”

“Leaving? Dating you? I don't know.” Reginald appeared exasperated, a rare state for a man usually in complete control. “You tell me. You're crazy about her. Always have been. We all love her. You two would be perfect together. Everyone agrees.”

“Dad.” Colin shook his head in an attempt to ward off additional questions. “She and I are two different people who now live two different lives. We're also both grownups. Let us work through this nonexistent relationship thing on our own. She's my client. I've already crossed that line. She's very worried that all of Morrisville will have us hitched within the week.”

Reginald tilted his head, conceding that point. “Client aside, she's also your friend. You've been emotionally involved since grade school. I'm not going to split hairs about blurring professional lines or ethics. That's the least of my concerns. I probably haven't said this enough, but I only want you to be happy.”

“I know.” Colin did. He'd been a typical teenager, and at around age sixteen, he'd started thinking that suddenly his parents had grown extremely stupid and hadn't understood him anymore. He'd pretty much maintained that attitude until his midtwenties. Not until these past few years had he begun forging a new relationships with his dad, moving from that of parent and child to that of man-to-man and friend-to-friend. The change was good.

“Well, let me know if there's anything I can do to help,” Reginald said, ending the conversation.

“I will.” Colin stood, having gathered up all the legal documents. “I'm off to get the cupcakes and meet Libby. I'll deal with the rest of this later today.”

“Tomorrow's not too late. Don't rush Libby or anything else. It's a holiday. At least enjoy a little bit of the day.”

“I will.” Colin exited his father's office and soon had deposited everything on his own desk. Then he went into the men's washroom, checked his appearance and headed out the door.

“Hey, Colin!”

Colin pivoted to find his best friend standing down the hall. “Hey! Bruce! I didn't know you were back!”

“We arrived late last night,” Bruce explained. “I know I wasn't supposed to return to the office until tomorrow, but I was itching to get back to work. My desk is a mess. Besides, this gets me out of Christina's hair. She's nesting or something. Scrubbing the kitchen down, although she just cleaned everything before we left.”

Colin shook his head and laughed. “My sisters were a bit odd during their pregnancies, too. Kristin painted five rooms, and not one of them was the nursery. She claims that type of behavior is normal.” Bruce laughed at that.

“So, did I miss anything while I was gone? The receptionist said some girl came in looking for me, but she didn't leave her name.”

Possessiveness gripped Colin. “It was Rachel, but I've got her case.”

Bruce shifted his weight to his left foot. Since he was technically still on vacation, he wore a long-sleeved green Henley and blue Dockers. “Rachel needed a lawyer?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Colin glanced at his watch. “Listen, not to cut you off, but I have to run over to Libby's school. I'm her guest at their feast today. Can we catch up later?”

Bruce nodded. “Let's. Are you available tonight? I could do an early dinner. Bella has Girl Scouts or something and Christina will be busy.”

Yeah, Colin was free. Rachel had rejected his offer for food. “How does five at the country club sound?”

“Perfect,” Bruce said. “Meet you there.”

The two men separated, and soon Colin had crossed the parking lot and the street and entered Kim's Diner. Even though the breakfast had ended and the lunch hour hadn't started, the place remained packed.

“Hey, Colin,” Kim greeted him as she passed a customer's order to a waitress. “I'm assuming you're here for your cupcakes.”

“Yes,” Colin said, scanning the diner for Rachel.

“Don't bother looking. She's not here. She looked like crud, almost like she's getting a cold. I sent her home an hour ago. But I've got Libby's cupcakes. They're cute. Rachel did a fantastic job.”

Kim disappeared into the kitchen and returned carrying two white paperboard containers. She set the boxes on the counter and opened the lids. The cupcakes had perfectly piped green frosting crowning them, and Rachel had indeed covered the swirled frosting with green and white sprinkles. “I hope Libby likes them,” Kim said.

“I'm sure she will,” Colin said as Kim closed the lids. He already knew how delicious the frosting was and he had no doubt the confections would be sweet sensations. He wasn't certain how much a class of second graders would appreciate Rachel's fine culinary effort, but he knew he was thankful for all that Rachel had put in, especially if she was coming down with a cold. He frowned as the implications struck him. Their late night had probably contributed to her being run-down.

Cupcakes in hand, Colin made his way to Libby's school. Lunchtime found him having fun, despite sitting on those tiny elementary-school chairs that brought adult knees almost up to the chest. Libby's twin sister, Maggie, had invited her grandmother, so Colin saw his mother before the entire event ended and he headed back to his car.

He climbed into the Aura and glanced at the clock. Not quite 1:00 p.m. He had plenty of time, he instantly decided. Everyone at the law firm would be taking a long, corned-beef-and-cabbage lunch at Kim's. No one would be in a hurry to return to work, and not much would get done at Lancaster and Morris the rest of the day. That was why his father had said tomorrow was early enough to get the response out on the Rochester case.

So instead of heading back to the office, Colin drove his car in the opposite direction and retraced the path Rachel had driven last night.

 

S
HE WAS GOING
to kill whoever was making that awful racket. The pounding was enough to wake up the dead, which was exactly how she looked, Rachel noted with a grimace as she passed the hallway mirror. She could see a shadow of someone through the stained-glass inset in the front door.

“Hold your horses,” she called, shuffling the few extra feet. She turned the handle and opened the door to reveal the perpetrator, Colin Morris.

He was shivering, as if he'd been out in the forty-degree weather awhile. “Did I wake you?”

Rachel stared at him, her jaw dropping. “No. I always look like this.” A blast of cold air swirled around her bare feet; she'd left her slippers upstairs. “In or out. It's cold and I'm freezing.”

“Tell me about it,” Colin said, stepping forward. “I've been enjoying the weather out here for over five minutes. Your doorbell doesn't work.”

“Hasn't for years. You could have walked in. The door's never locked.” Rachel padded her way to the sitting room, where her grandmother kept an afghan on the couch. She sat down and wrapped the blanket protectively around her, taking extra care to cover her feet.