Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle (53 page)
“I just meant—”
“I know what you meant, Kate.” Lucas stood and took his plate to the trash, dumping a half slice of bacon and the remainder of his sticky pancakes.
“Bryan was supposed to be my husband. Things ended very quickly and there was no time for closure—”
“I was there, remember?” He rinsed his plate in the sink, washing the yellowed yolk with the scrub brush.
“Of course you were.”
She said it so quietly, he almost didn’t hear over the running water.
“If you hadn’t married me, I’d—I don’t know what I would’ve done. I appreciate what you did. I hope you know that.”
Did her voice shake on those last words?
Lucas had too many emotions storming through him. He was still angry, and yet, from her point of view, it wasn’t justified. It couldn’t be unless she knew how he felt, and it was too soon for Kate to learn that.
“What did he want, if you don’t mind my asking?” He shut off the water and leaned on the sink ledge, keeping his back to her. His thumbs curled around the sink’s corners.
“Of course not.”
He heard her pick up her coffee cup and take a sip. It settled into the saucer with a quiet click.
“He had some unsettling news about the woman he was with. Apparently he broke it off with her and she’s somewhat upset.”
Lucas steeled himself at her words. What was to keep Kate from going back to him? Her career? Her book? Would she let those things stand in the way if she still loved Bryan?
“I’m concerned that she’s going to leak the news to the media,” Kate said. “If she’s angry enough, it would be a one heck of a way to retaliate.”
Lucas heard a scuffle on the deck. Bo? Then he remembered Bo was lying on the rug under the table. That meant . . .
Oh, shoot!
He leaned forward and peered out the window far enough to see Jamie running from the house.
“Jamie,” he called out the window, but she didn’t stop. He rushed after her, opening the door and taking the steps in one leap. Had she heard everything they’d said? “Jamie, wait!”
He caught up with her on the grassy knoll and took hold of her arm.
She jerked her arm from his grip. “Let
go of me!” Her chest heaved.
“What were you doing snooping
outside my house?”
“I wasn’t snooping. I came to talk to Kate and I heard you fighting.” She crossed her arms.
“We weren’t fighting.”
“It’s not my fault the window was open.”
Lucas stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets and thought back to what Jamie might have heard. They’d said enough. “It’s complicated, Jamie.”
His sister glared at him. “You lied to us.”
Lucas swallowed around the lump of pancakes that seemed to have congealed in his throat. He looked back at the house to where Kate stood on the deck, one foot in front of the other, as if torn about whether to stay or come. He waved her back. It would be better to handle Jamie alone.
“I don’t know how much you heard but—”
“I heard enough to know it’s all a big lie.”
“That’s enough. It’s not a lie. Kate was in a fix. Her career was on the line, and I stepped in to help her.”
“How could you just pretend to love each other? We all thought she was part of our family, and now you’re telling me it’s fake.”
Lucas turned toward the ocean. He remembered being out there with Kate the week before, remembered the feel of her in his arms when she’d been sick. There’d been nothing fake about that.
“I’m telling Mom and Dad the truth.” Jamie turned to go.
Lucas grabbed her wrist. “Don’t, Jamie.” If their mom knew the marriage wasn’t real, there would be no holding back the resentment. She’d scare Kate away for good.
His sister whirled around. “Why shouldn’t I? You should’ve been honest to begin with instead of making us think your marriage was real.”
“It
is
real.”
“I’m not a baby, Lucas. I know your marriage is real on paper, but it’s not real in here.” She tapped her heart. “And that’s the only thing that counts.”
All those romance novels had gone to his sister’s head. Sometimes reality couldn’t live up to the happily-ever-afters in her books.
“Can you keep a secret?” Lucas asked.
Jamie stared at him, her green eyes squinting against the glare of the sun. She crossed her arms. “You know I don’t like secrets.”
She was growing up. He remembered a time when she’d collected secrets like seashells.
“This is personal. Like your feelings for Aaron. I’d never tell anyone about that.”
He could see her acquiescence in the way she tucked in the corners of her mouth. “What is it?”
Lucas glanced over his shoulder toward the house. Kate had gone inside. “Kate loved Bryan.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She probably still loves him, for all I know. She married me because she was backed into a corner and I was her only way out.”
Jamie’s eyes softened, and her squared shoulders relaxed.
Lucas turned his face into the wind and let the salty breeze push his hair off his face. “But I had different reasons.” Lucas met Jamie’s gaze, then took his hand from his pocket and touched his heart. His eyes clung to Jamie’s, and he saw hers glaze over.
“It’s not a fake marriage.” His voice deepened with emotion. “I love her. I’d lay down my life for her if necessary. Do you know how rare that kind of love is?”
Jamie blinked rapidly. “But she doesn’t love you?”
Lucas gave her a half smile. “I chose to love her. Whatever she does with that is her decision.”
Jamie sniffed. “That’s so sad.”
Great, now she pities me.
“Hey, she’s got to come around eventually, right?” He tapped her nose and struck a ridiculous pose. “I mean, what’s not to like about this?”
Jamie pushed him, but she smiled around her tears.
“Are we okay now?” Lucas asked. He couldn’t stand to have Jamie mad at him.
Jamie nodded.
“I can count on you to keep my secret?”
Jamie kicked his ankle with her flip-flop. “You know you can.”
Lucas pulled her toward him and held her there, his hand on her head. He realized it felt good to admit how he felt about Kate. A relief to release it.
Then he heard Jamie’s muffled voice. “And to think I was coming to
you
for love advice.”
If trust is the foundation of a relationship,
honesty is the mortar that holds it in place.
—Excerpt from
Finding Mr. Right-for-You
by Dr. Kate
Kate clutched her hands in her lap, feeling her palms grow hot and sweaty. Dr. Phil’s set looked exactly as it did on TV. She’d already been coached by Pam and Chloe, her publicist and her editor. Her agent, Ronald, had also met her at the studio for emotional support. But now she was on her own. When she’d left the green room, Dr. Phil had welcomed her graciously and congratulated her on her new book.
But now, as the cameras were ready to roll, Kate felt as if her nervous system was on overload. The newlyweds she was to advise sat on stage with Dr. Phil. The crew was placing mikes on their lapels and giving them last-minute instructions. Hope was a cute blonde with a pixie face and good taste in shoes. Ryan had dark hair, well trimmed, and repeatedly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his finger.
Kate was grateful to be on the first row of the audience rather than under the bright lights of the stage. Beside her was a child psychologist who was there to advise a family in crisis. She’d brought her husband, and they whispered back and forth. On Kate’s other side were the parents of the couple Kate was to advise.
Kate straightened her suit coat, making sure the mike was well placed, then twisted the earrings Lucas had gotten her.
Be still, Kate. It’s not live, only tape. And they can edit if anything
goes wrong.
Oh, please, don’t let anything go wrong!
She wished she had someone beside her to tell her everything was going to be okay. At that thought, Lucas’s image flared in her mind like a Fourth of July firework. And just as quickly she reared back in surprise.
What is with me? I’m an independent woman.
She was accustomed to being on her own, and no one needed to tell her she didn’t need a man to be happy. She’d been dispensing that advice for years.
But her thoughts returned to her last few moments with Lucas at the airport the day before. He’d managed to get her there on time and had insisted on walking her to the counter where she checked in. Then he walked her to security. Among the people being herded through security, Kate recognized Dahlia Stevens from the Chamber of Commerce, setting her bag and laptop in a gray tub. She waved at Kate and Lucas.
“Our first night apart,” Lucas teased, setting her bag down.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep without your snoring.”
“I don’t snore.”
“Hah!” she said, and he grinned.
There was an awkward moment when they realized it was time to say good-bye. Kate was about to leave Lucas for the first time since their wedding. She was excited about the show, but also nervous. She wasn’t used to hiding personal secrets and certainly not from the country at large. Now she would be
on national TV, and what if something went wrong?
“You’ll do
great.” Lucas seemed to read her thoughts. “Dr. Phil will probably make you a regular if you’re not careful.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to move to Hollywood.”
Lucas smiled. “Good.”
Kate glanced at her watch. “I should get to my gate.” She pulled her boarding pass and driver’s license from her suit pocket.
“Have a safe flight.” Lucas looked over her shoulder, and Kate knew he was conscious of Dahlia. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. The gentleness of his touch tugged at her, even with the brevity of it. Would she ever get used to him kissing her? Wasn’t it supposed to become old hat after a while?
Now, as Kate waited for the cameras to roll, she touched her lips, remembering the way they had tingled after the kiss.
Do I have feelings for Lucas? Feelings that go beyond friendship?
Before she could chase the thought, one of the crew gave the signal for taping to begin, and the show was underway. Her couple was up first, thankfully.
Dr Phil started. “Today we have Hope and Ryan. They’ve been married for eight months and are wondering if they’re just too different to make it work. Come on, guys, you’re supposed to be in the deliriously happy newlywed stage, so what gives?”
Hope twined her fingers with Ryan’s. “The delirious stage lasted about two days for us.”
“It was a whirlwind kind of courtship,” Ryan said. “I guess we didn’t know each other very well, didn’t realize how different we were.”
“How long did you all date?” Dr. Phil asked.
They looked at each other; then Hope cringed. “Five weeks.”
The audience groaned.
“Five weeks!” Dr. Phil’s voice rose. “You barely know how he takes his coffee in five weeks.”
“I know, I know,” Hope said. “It was impetuous, and we regret that we didn’t wait longer. I guess I let the whole ‘falling in love’ thing go to my head. I mean, we are in love, and we want to make it work. But we’re so different—we just aren’t sure how to find a middle ground.”
“Well, they say opposites attract,” Dr. Phil said. “Tell us what your hot buttons are. What are the differences that drive you crazy?”
Hope and Ryan eyed each other again. “I guess our spending habits are one of the biggest issues,” Hope admitted. “It’s not like I go on spending sprees or anything, but I like to dress nicely, and Ryan was raised to be more tightfisted—
“Frugal,” Ryan corrected. “I believe in a budget.”
“And I think ‘What’s money for if you can’t spend a little?’” Hope wrinkled her nose.
They went on to discuss their differing views on household duties, their differing social needs, and their differing recreational preferences.
“Well,” Dr. Phil said. “We brought in reinforcements on this one. Dr. Kate, syndicated columnist and author of the newly released
Finding Mr. Right-for-You
is here to see if we can’t help you two make this thing work out.”
Kate smiled as the camera focused on her, and the audience applauded. She could feel prickles of heat singeing the skin under her arms.
“Dr. Kate has something else in common with you two—she’s also a newlywed, so congratulations on that.”
“Thank you.” Kate smiled.
“Now, Dr. Kate,” Dr. Phil said, “We know you advocate investing the time and energy to make a solid match, but what about situations like this? Are they too different to make it work?”
Kate felt a bolt of energy at the opportunity to help Hope and Ryan. How many times had she advised similar couples in her office? At least this couple hadn’t waited until they had years of animosity between them.
“First of all,” Kate began, “Congratulations on your marriage and on your willingness to seek help from the beginning. Every marriage is a merging of two personalities—sometimes more if there are children involved. When you’re blending two sets of ideals and expectations, there’s bound to be conflict. And when you’re opposites, there’s a greater amount of conflict.”
Boy, can I relate to that.