Authors: Mariah Stewart
“I thought you considered yourself a West Coast-er these days,” Brooke said.
Lucy stared at her for a moment. “I have lived out there for a long time, but when I’m here … I still feel part of it. St. Dennis is my hometown, after all.”
“I’m happy to hear you say that.”
Lucy put her cup down. “This is about Clay again, isn’t it.”
“I saw your car there the other night,” Brooke said gently. “I know it’s going to just about kill him when you leave.”
“I’ve never done anything to make him think I was staying here, Brooke. I’m not leading him on.…”
“I don’t mean to imply that you are. I’m sorry if it came out that way.” Brooke touched Lucy’s arm. “I have a business, too, so I know how hard you have to work to become successful. And God knows, your business is a huge success. I always see your name mentioned in those upscale wedding magazines and sometimes in the celebrity weeklies. ‘So-and-so’s wedding planner was Shaefer and Sinclair.’ I know you must have busted your butt to achieve that level of success, so I get that part and I congratulate you for having made it.”
“But …”
“But my brother is in love with you … and as much as I applaud your success and appreciate that your life is somewhere else …”
“I get it. I do. And for the record, I care about Clay
a great deal—more than I ever thought I’d care about anyone—and I don’t know what to do about it. I have a lot of commitments and a lot of people depending on me. Right now I just want to get through the Magellan wedding. It means so much to Robert and Susanna, and frankly, it means a lot to the inn. Dan’s been working really hard to make the inn the premier destination wedding spot on the Chesapeake, and if we pull this off, coming on the heels of Dallas’s wedding, it will put the inn permanently on the map.”
Brooke nodded. “I understand. But I also understand that Clay is so psyched for this summer, for spending time with you. I know he’s hoping for some miracle and that you won’t leave. So what happens at the end of the summer, Lucy? What happens to Clay then?”
“I don’t know, Brooke. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. This thing with Clay is so new …”
“New?” Brooke raised an eyebrow. “Honey, Clay has never
not
loved you. ‘This thing’ has always been—”
The door opened and Barbara Noonan from the bookstore came in.
“Hi, Barb.” Brooke got up from the table to wait on her.
“Hello, Brooke,” she said. “Lucy, I haven’t seen you in years, and here we are, twice in the same day.” To Brooke, she said, “My nieces are coming for dinner and I just realized I have no dessert. What can you tempt me with today?”
“I strongly recommend the mint chocolate,” Lucy said as she rose from her seat. “Brooke, thanks for
the coffee break and the conversation. We’ll get back to you on the tokens.”
“Thanks, Luce. Take care.”
Lucy pulled on her sweater and left the shop, a knot in her stomach. Brooke hadn’t told her anything she hadn’t already known. Of course she was aware that Clay cared for her. More and more, she was feeling the same way.
She just didn’t know what to do about it.
After having fallen asleep at her desk, Lucy awoke at two
A.M
. and walked through the silent inn to her room. She tossed off her clothes and crawled into bed and fell back to sleep within seconds. It wasn’t until around noon the following day that she realized that since telling Clay about her attack, she hadn’t had any of the nightmares that had plagued her for so many years.
Her phone rang and she was happy to see Bonnie’s name on the caller ID. Hopefully, Bonnie was on her way back to L.A.
“Hi,” she answered the call. “How’s Bob doing?”
“Not good,” Bonnie replied, obviously upset. “Not good at all.”
“What’s going on?”
“They couldn’t operate on his leg last week because they couldn’t sedate him due to the head injury. They’re planning the surgery for Wednesday, and, Lucy, I can’t leave him while he’s going through this.” Bonnie began to cry into the phone. “I hate to ask you to do this because I know you’re over your head as it is, but I don’t have a choice.” Lucy heard her take a deep breath. “Could you take over the Ruskin
wedding for me on Saturday? I know that Ava and Corrine have both been doing a great job, but this is a big-deal wedding and these people are going to want to see me or you at the helm.”
“You mean, this Saturday?” Lucy’s jaw dropped. Was Bonnie kidding?
“Yes. I’m sorry, I know it’s short notice and I know that you have a lot to do there, but I can send you the file. Everything’s in order, all you have to do is acquaint yourself with what we’re doing, call the vendors and let them know you’ll be on board, and let the bride know.”
“Bonnie, I’ve never met these people,” Lucy protested. “I can’t just show up on Saturday at their wedding not having met them and expect them to be okay with that.”
“I thought about that. The bride’s luncheon is on Thursday and the rehearsal dinner is Friday night, so you could—”
“I can’t meet the bride for the first time at her luncheon. You know we don’t work that way.”
“I know, I know! I just don’t know what else to do. I can’t leave him like this. He’s in so much pain and he doesn’t have anyone else here …”
Lucy blew out a long breath. “All right. I’ll fly back tomorrow and I’ll meet with the bride tomorrow night. But, Bon …” Lucy’s voice softened. “We have to talk.”
“I know. And we will, as soon as Bob stabilizes and I can leave him. Maybe another week or so … I’ll let you know.”
Lucy ended the call and all but fell back into her
chair. She didn’t want to go back to L.A. tomorrow, didn’t want to leave St. Dennis yet.
“Damn.”
Bonnie’s electronic file arrived with a
ping
and Lucy opened it, read it through, then made the calls she knew she needed to make. Her mother stopped in to see if she wanted to join her for a late lunch, but Lucy explained why she had to pass.
“Oh, dear.” Grace shook her head. “That arrangement can’t go on …”
“You’re right, Mom. I told Bonnie that we needed to talk, and she agreed, but she’s not going to come back to the office until she feels she can leave Bob.”
“What a shame,” her mother said. “But of course, her place is with him.”
Lucy looked up sharply. “She has obligations to fulfill.”
“Of course she does, dear. But she has an obligation to herself and to her husband.”
“
Ex
-husband.”
“Perhaps not her
ex
for much longer,” Grace pointed out. “Put yourself in her place, Lucy. What would you do? Would you leave someone you love when they needed you? Granted, this puts a burden on you to carry the business for a while, but you and Bonnie are partners. You need to be there for each other just as she has to be there for Bob. Owning a business doesn’t mean that you’re not entitled to a life, dear.”
“You’re right, Mom.” Lucy sighed. “Of course you’re right.”
“Go on and do what you have to do. I’ll have lunch
sent in for you.” Her mother pushed herself from the chair.
“When will you be leaving?”
“Early in the morning.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. These things do happen. Thank goodness you do have Madeline to help you here.”
Lucy nodded and watched her mother walk from the room, then turned her attention back to work. She ate the sandwich and salad that was brought in to her, and worked for the rest of the day. By the time she finished at seven that night, the tents had been ordered as well as the furniture to go in the cocktail party tent, the bandstand, and the tall potted trees. Madeline was working on the big white paper lanterns and the chairs for the ceremony. Lucy and Clay had been sending texts back and forth all day, but she hadn’t told him that she’d been forced to cut her week short. She wanted to do that in person. She turned off her laptop and the light switch on her way out of the office.
“I’m going out for the evening,” she told her mother.
“Just don’t miss your plane, dear,” Grace said as if she knew where Lucy was going.
Maybe she does, Lucy thought as she drove from the parking lot. Her mother hadn’t mentioned the fact that Lucy hadn’t come home on Saturday night, but then again, Lucy was an adult and it wouldn’t be like her mother to intrude into her affairs. Not that she wouldn’t want to …
Clay’s Jeep was parked next to the old John Deere tractor when she arrived at the farm. She got out of
the car and walked toward the house. Through the open kitchen window, she could see him doing something at the sink.
She went up the back steps, knocked on the screen door, and called, “Clay?”
“Lucy?”
He came to the door in jeans and bare feet, his shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows.
“Come in.” He dried his hands on the towel he was holding. “Why didn’t you call to let me know you were coming over?”
“Because … because …” She followed him into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” He tossed the towel onto the counter and reached for her.
His arms folded around her and she could feel the warmth and strength in his embrace. His lips brushed against the side of her face and his breath was soft against her skin. “Tell me …”
She did.
“Wow. Way to screw things up.” Clay looked as dejected as she felt. “I was hoping you’d be here at least through Saturday.”
“Me too. I was really looking forward to going to Jesse’s party with you.”
“Well, I don’t like it much, but I don’t know what else you can do. It sounds like the guy’s really in bad shape.”
“Bonnie was really upset.” Lucy rested against him. “And I’m afraid I wasn’t as sympathetic as I should have been. I’m not ready to go back tomorrow.”
“Would you be ready to leave on Sunday?” he asked.
She nuzzled her face into his neck. “I don’t think so.”
He turned her face up and kissed her full on the mouth. Her lips parted slightly and she savored the sensation of his tongue flickering against her own. Her hands fisted in his shirt and she pulled him closer. Every inch of her cried out for his touch, and she gasped quietly as his hands began to caress the curves of her body.
“I want to stay,” she whispered. “I want to stay with you.”
“Let’s try this again.” He lifted her from her feet and this time she made no jokes about being swept away. She busied herself kissing his neck as he carried her up the stairs and into his room, and when he laid her across his bed, she pulled him down with her.
This time, there was no tickle of fear in her gut, no second-guessing, no doubts to distract her. This time, she welcomed his kisses and arched to meet his hands, and encouraged him to touch and taste and explore. This time, she unbuttoned her shirt and shivered as he slid her jeans over her hips. This time, his mouth and his hands on her breasts caused her to cry out in pleasure. This time, she ached to feel him inside her, moaned softly as his fingers found her core, then waited impatiently while he shed his clothes. And this time, when he came to her, she reached eagerly for him, and prayed it would last all night.
Lucy reached for the ringing phone without looking and struggled to open her eyes.
“So how did the wedding go? Any problems?” Bonnie was asking as Lucy tried to sit up in her bed.
“It went really well. Thanks to your mad organizational skills, all I had to do was walk in and introduce myself.” Lucy covered a yawn with her free hand. “Is it really nine?”
“Sorry, Lu. It never occurred to me that you’d still be sleeping. You’re always such an early riser.”
“I’m afraid I must have bottomed out. Between the travel and trying to handle big affairs on two sides of the country, I’m beat.”
“I know I’m partially to blame, and I’m so sorry. I swear, once Bob is up and around and able to take care of himself, I will be your slave.”
“How long do you think before that will happen?”
“The fracture was really bad, Lu. The bone in his lower leg was shattered, and they had to put a rod and pins and all manner of things in there, but they don’t know if the bone will heal. The doctor said the surgery they performed was the only thing they could
do, but an infection has set in and they’re hoping they can resolve that.”
“And if they can’t?”
“If the infection in the bone continues to spread, or if the shattered bone cannot heal, the next step would be to take his leg off below the knee.” Bonnie’s voice shook as she relayed the news.
“Holy shit. God, I’m so sorry. That must be hell for both of you.” Lucy remembered Bob as a tall strapping guy who loved pickup basketball games and competitive cycling.
“Mostly for him. I try to keep him upbeat, but it’s a struggle sometimes. He’s so scared. I’m so scared.”
“I can only imagine.” Lucy sat up in bed and pulled the light covering with her. “I’m really sorry you two have to go through this.”
“Thanks, Lucy.” Bonnie cleared her throat softly. “I suppose we need to talk about the business.”
“When you get back, we’ll talk.”
“I’ll fly down as soon as I can. We can talk then.”
“Take what time you need, Bon.”
“I appreciate that, but I know how crazy you must be right now. With all you have to do in St. Dennis to get ready for the big wedding, and now to be pulled back here … I know it isn’t fair. I know I was the one who was supposed to be helping you by covering your events out here so that you could devote your time to the Magellan wedding.”
“Don’t give it another thought,” Lucy told her. “It’ll all work out. We have Ava and Corrine here and I have Madeline back in Maryland, and you’ll do what you can do long-distance. We’ll get through this.”
“You’re reminding me why I wanted you for a business partner.” Bonnie sniffed back what Lucy knew to be tears. “I love you, Lu. You’re a great friend and I’m so sorry to have put you in this position.”
“Love you, too, Bon,” Lucy told her. “We’ll work things out. Bob is going to be fine. The business will be fine.”
Lucy got up, showered, dressed in soft Sunday sweats, and made herself a pot of coffee. She sat on her living room sofa with a cup in one hand and her phone in the other. Last night was the first night since she came back to L.A. that she hadn’t spoken with Clay before she went to bed. She was still at the wedding reception when he sent his last text of the night—around midnight eastern time—when he was turning in. She wanted to ask about the party, who was there and how much fun it was. But most of all, she wanted to hear the quiet reassurance in his voice. She speeddialed his number.