“It’s so horrible,” Angie said as they restored the office equipment to its proper place the next afternoon.
Celia nodded. “I know. Poor Claudette.”
“And it’s scary, too. There could be a murderer right here on this pier.”
“There could be.”
“Do you think there is?”
“I don’t really have any idea.” She put an arm around Angie’s shoulders briefly. “But I want you to try not to worry so much about it. The FBI is doing everything possible to catch these people.”
“That’s what we all said the last time,” Angie said baldly.
Celia flinched and Angie’s expression immediately switched to regret.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “This just has me so on edge.”
“We’re all on edge. The only thing to do is keep on with our normal routine and let the professionals do their job. And speaking of which—” she flipped the schedule on the desk around so that she could read it “—did you have any small craft out last night?”
Angie hesitated, apparently thinking. “No. Everything was returned by six. Why?”
Celia shrugged. “I just wondered.” She made a show of checking the list. “So today we have two all-day charters and three small group rentals?”
“Yes.” Angie leaned in to check, but then she straightened. “I almost forgot. A guy just docked a few minutes ago. He asked for Reese, but there was nobody aboard the Amalie. I came in to see if you knew where he was.”
“He walked down to the video store,” Celia said. “Who’s the guy?”
“Don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d bet he was a Barone. He looks a little like Reese, and his boat is the Baronessa.”
Reese’s brother. Celia leaped to her feet and headed for the door. She’d forgotten that Nicholas Barone had been on the Cape. The Barones rarely used her little marina, preferring Saquatucket, which was closer to the family compound. She was willing to bet Nick Barone turning up at Harwichport wasn’t a coincidence.
As she hurried down the pier, Ernesto Tiello was walking toward her. He moved slowly, like a very old man, and she suddenly remembered the way he’d followed Claudette Mason around like an eager puppy. Her heart squeezed with pity.
“Mr. Tiello,” she said as he drew nearer. “I’m so sorry about what’s happened to Claudette. I know you two were close.”
Tiello’s face was drawn and haggard, and deep in his eyes she saw a flare of pain at her words. “Yes,” he said, dropping his gaze to the ground. “We had become good friends. Her death has been…most difficult.”
Impulsively she reached out a hand and squeezed his shoulder. “Is there anything I can do?”
He shook his head without looking at her. “There is nothing to be done. Except, perhaps, allow the authorities to do their job and catch whoever did this.”
She nodded, agreeing. “I hope they’re successful.” Looking past Ernesto’s portly frame, she noticed that a tall man with dark hair and shoulders as broad as Reese’s was coming her way. “Please excuse me,” she said to the distraught man. “If there’s any way I can help you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you.” Ernesto Tiello moved on past her and she walked along the dock toward the stranger who was rapidly approaching.
She extended a hand as she came to a halt in front of him. “I’m Celia Papaleo, the harbormaster. I understand you’re looking for Reese.”
“Celia.” His eyes were full of knowledge as he clasped her hand in a firm grip. “Nick Barone.” He paused and studied her for a moment. “The same Celia who used to date my brother?”
She nodded. “The same.”
“And how about now?”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you dating him now?”
She hesitated, wondering how to answer him. Dating? Not exactly. But…
“Never mind. That was rude.” He grinned and her heart skipped a beat; that smile was a close relative to the one Reese employed when he was teasing her. “Do you happen to know where he is?”
“He walked down to the video store. Would you like to come into my office to wait for him?” She turned and gestured toward the shack and they walked up the pier, but before she could show him inside, a familiar figure came striding toward them.
“Reese!” she called, wanting to give him time to…
To what? Compose himself? Brace himself? Get himself under control? “Your brother stopped by.”
Just for a moment, she detected a slight hesitation in his smooth gait. But he recovered quickly and came toward them, his face blank and unreadable. He extended his hand. “Nick. It’s been a long time.”
There was a frozen moment and then Nick Barone grabbed his brother’s hand and hauled him into a hard embrace. “You damned idiot,” he said. “Your quarrel’s with Dad, not with me.” He pounded Reese’s back. “God, I’ve missed you.”
Celia turned away to hide the tears she couldn’t suppress. She knew how much Reese missed his family; this unconditional love was exactly what he’d needed.
Behind her, Reese said, “I’ve missed you, too.” His voice sounded thick.
“So why in hell didn’t you answer my letters?”
She turned back, alarmed at the frustration and strain in Nick Barone’s voice. If he thought she was going to stand by and let him hurt Reese even further, he could think again.
Reese shrugged, stepping back a pace. “I don’t know.”
She could sense him backing off mentally, as well, and before either of the brothers could do something stupid, she said, “Nick, would you like to join us for dinner tonight? That will give you plenty of time to catch up.”
Two sets of eyes turned her way. One was a piercing blue while the other was a steely silver, but two nearly identical gazes pinned her like a butterfly to a mat. She could almost see each of them thinking.
Finally, Nick said, “Thank you. I’d like that…if my brother doesn’t mind.”
Reese cleared his throat. “Of course I don’t mind. Let’s make it seven o’clock since Celia will be here most of the afternoon.”
Reese heard her feet on the porch an instant before the back door opened.
“Hi,” she said when she saw him standing in her kitchen. Then she sniffed. “What is that? Smells great.”
“Stuffed baked chicken breasts in wine sauce. And a spinach salad.” He handed her a glass of the Fume Blanc he’d picked up on his way over to start dinner. “But I forgot dessert. Shall I run back out to the store?”
“No.” She set down her bag and left her shoes by the door. “I have a pumpkin loaf in the freezer that can be cut and served after a five-minute defrost. That’ll do, won’t it?”
Reese set down the cutlery with which he’d been about to set the table. He walked toward her and took her hands, tugging her against him for a sweet kiss. She opened her mouth beneath his so willingly that he felt an immediate rise of desire, and more. God, he loved the way she responded to him. He’d dreamed of this for thirteen years, and now that she was finally his again, he could hardly believe it.
Slipping his arms around her, he said, “Pumpkin loaf sounds great. And now we have all kinds of extra time since we don’t have to worry about dessert.” He lowered his head and kissed her again, hungrily drinking in her response, stroking her soft, lithe curves possessively. “Wonder what we could do to fill the hours.”
Laughter gurgled up out of her throat. “Gee, I don’t know.” She slid one hand down his body, her small palm covering the hard evidence of arousal that pushed at the front of his pants, and smiled when he shuddered. “We’ll think of something.”
As he carried her up the stairs, she wound her fingers into his hair and cradled his scalp. “I was afraid you might be mad at me.”
“For what?”
“For inviting your brother to dinner.”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “At first I was a little annoyed, but then I realized I really wanted to have dinner with him, so I couldn’t be mad, could I?” He dropped his head and kissed her. “Thank you.”
She responded to him with all the sweetness he remembered from their loving years ago, her body rising to meet his. As he stroked and petted her, she writhed beneath him with complete abandon, stoking the fires of passion until she flared into a wild conflagration that seared his senses and consumed him, as well.
An hour later they were lying side by side on her bed. Reese had his arm around her, her bare body aligned with his, and he lazily stroked her back with his free hand. She snuggled closer, loving the cuddling, the closeness. Loving him.
She felt the final, small knot of denial loosen and drift away from the close guards she’d put on her heart. She loved Reese Barone. Had she ever stopped loving him?
No. She’d buried it, said goodbye to her girlish dreams of a life with Reese after he’d left. But the feeling had never died. Now he was back and there was no way to deny it. She loved him, had always loved him. Would always love him, until the day she stopped breathing.
A rush of emotion swept through her and she turned her head so that she could press a kiss to the hard pad of muscle over his heart. I love you.
Reese’s arm tightened around her. “I don’t remember you being so noisy years ago.” His words interrupted her moment of introspection. He grinned as she balled a fist and delivered a punch to his shoulder. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“I was young and inhibited.”
“Not too inhibited to make love on a catamaran in the middle of the day.” His free hand tipped up her chin and he gave her a deep, stirring kiss. “It’s one of my favorite memories.”
“Mine, too.”
“So you didn’t totally forget me.” His tone wasn’t smug and satisfied, as she’d expected, but rather diffident.
“Did you really think I could ever forget you?” She shook her head slightly. “You were my whole world that summer.”
“And you were mine.” He paused. “I, uh, have to tell you something.”
She twisted a curl of the hair on his chest around her finger and glanced up at him, alerted by an odd note in his voice. “Oh?”
“I was here briefly at the end of August. I found out you were still around and that’s why I came back.”
She propped herself up on his chest, her heart aching strangely as his words arranged themselves into meaning in her head. “You came back…to find me?”
He grinned at her, but it wavered around the edges. “Yeah.”
“Did you know I was…single?”
He nodded. “Somebody over at Saquatucket mentioned you’d been widowed.” He ran his hands lightly up her back. “I just had to know if you really were as special as I remembered.”
“It’s hard to live up to an idealized thirteen-year-old memory,” she said, striving for a light tone.
“Celia.” He twisted, lying her flat on the pillow and leaning over her on one elbow, his eyes intense and serious. “You haven’t lived up to it.”
Shock left her speechless. She supposed she should feel pain, but she didn’t—yet.
Then he said, “You’ve exceeded it. To be honest, I came back hoping, I think, to get you out of my system so I could get on with the rest of my life. Instead—” he paused, stroking a finger along her cheek “—I’m having a hard time imagining what it would be like without you now.”
Her throat closed up as her eyes began to sting. Why was it that she couldn’t simply enjoy his sweet words? While part of her reveled in knowing that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him, a wary corner of her heart backpedaled. She hadn’t planned on caring for anyone ever again, hadn’t planned on letting anyone get so close that she’d be devastated if they were torn from her. She might love him, but she realized suddenly that she hadn’t allowed herself to consider thoughts of a future with him. The whole notion was so frightening that she simply couldn’t face it.
Did she love him? Yes, yes, yes! But loving someone was no guarantee of anything, except heartbreak. Conflicting feelings raged within her. Hide, said one voice. Protect your heart.
Another urged her to tell Reese how she felt. True, he hadn’t said the words, but neither had she. And hadn’t he just practically admitted that he still cared? His words skirted the edge of a marriage proposal, didn’t they?
And with that thought, panic rose. No. No, no, no, she couldn’t do it again. Dear God, what would happen if she lost Reese? She’d thought her life was over when Milo and Leo, her precious baby boy, had died. But if Reese died… The mere thought chilled every cell in her body. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t.
She turned her head to one side, hating the weak tears that seeped from beneath her eyelids. “Reese, I—I don’t know. It’s not that—”
She felt him freeze against her. “Baby, the last thing I want to do is make you unhappy.” He stroked her hair. “One day at a time, remember? If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.”
Clearly, it wasn’t necessarily what he wanted or needed, but he’d give her space. Thinking of the future was one giant step beyond where she could tread right now.
But how long would Reese tolerate her reticence? How patient could he be? A chill traced icy fingers up her spine. He’d left once before, when she’d never even imagined he would. Now she knew better.
What if he left again?
Nick arrived promptly at seven with a bottle of wine for his hostess, which they opened equally promptly. Celia had prepared a tray with crackers, apples and cheese, and Nick joined Reese in the living room while she returned to the kitchen. Reese watched her leave the room, knowing she was being thoughtful, giving him time for a private reunion, but wishing she were by his side anyway.
Pouring the wine into deep-bowled crystal glasses that Celia had retrieved from a cupboard and hastily washed, Reese handed Nick a glass of Merlot. Nick held the glass by the stem, swirling it competently and eyeing the color before inhaling its bouquet. The last time they’d seen each other, they’d barely been legal, and as Reese recalled, their drink of choice was dark Mexican beer. The contrast served to remind him again of the distance he’d maintained through the years. Once again regret nipped at him.
God, it was good to see Nick. They were only a year apart in age and had been inseparable companions during their childhood, along with the next brother down the line, Joe, who was only a year younger than Reese.
“So, how are you?” He tried not to stare, drinking in the familiar yet different features, measuring the subtle changes adulthood had brought to Nick.
“Good, good. Married.”
“Married,” Reese repeated. “Celia said she thought you were. Any kids?”
“One. A daughter.”
Reese shook his head, again unable to process the changes in his brother. “Not possible.”
Nick grinned wickedly, and for an instant their old closeness returned. “Quite possible. Want me to explain it to you?”
Reese returned the smile. “No, thanks. I think I’ve got it.” He hesitated, feeling awkward again. “How’d you find me?”
“Daniel.”
Daniel. Reese’s cousin, Derrick’s twin brother, though the two were as different as two men could be. Reese was genuinely puzzled. “How did Daniel know I was here?” As in here at Celia’s.
Nick must have read his mind. “He didn’t. He was at the Cape house in August on his honeymoon and when he came home, he told me he was pretty sure he’d caught a glimpse of you.” Nick’s face tightened. “I thought about it and thought about it and finally decided to come see if he was right.”
Reese was astounded by the coincidence. “I was only here for two days that time. Then I went home again—Florida is home, by the way—and arranged for a longer vacation.”
“To see Celia.”
“To look up Celia,” he corrected Nick. “I heard she might be single.”
“And obviously, she is. Waited for you all these years, huh?”
Reese realized Nick must not know that Celia was a widow, but he decided not to get into all that for the moment.
“Not exactly,” Reese said dryly. He looked straight at Nick. “I was planning to get in touch while I was here. You beat me to it.”
“Right.” There was the faintest note of derision in his brother’s tone.
“I saw Derrick last week, over on Nantucket, and it made me realize how much I wanted to see the rest of you.” There was no point in telling Nick everything he’d seen.
“He didn’t mention that.” Nick looked disgusted. “He’s even more of a royal screwup than he was when you were home. I swear he enjoys stirring up trouble.”
“I didn’t talk to him.” Reese spread his hands when Nick’s eyebrows rose. “It wasn’t a good time and I didn’t have a lot to say.”
“He’d have probably bent your ear about how badly he’s being treated right now,” said Nick.
“Meaning?”
“How much have you kept up with what’s happening at Baronessa?” Nick stood and began roaming the room, examining Celia’s knickknacks and pictures, but Reese got the impression he wasn’t really seeing them.
“Not much.” Reese stood, too, watching his older brother prowl. “Celia told me someone started a fire. Why would anyone want to burn down the plant?”
“I wish I knew.” Nick looked frustrated. “That wasn’t the first incident but it’s by far the most serious. Someone has a grudge, and I think it’s personal.”
“The Conti family?” Funny how the word “grudge” immediately brought their grandfather’s old rival to mind.
“We don’t have any proof of that. But last week the Contis hired a private investigator,” Nick said.
“What for?”
His brother shook his head. “Don’t know. And believe me, we’d like to. Claudia’s been unofficially appointed to try to find out why. And that’s got Derrick’s boxers in a knot. He thinks he should be in on the investigation of the investigator.”
Reese had to smile.
“But you know how abrasive he can be. That hasn’t changed in thirteen years. He’s the last person I want messing around the Contis, and I finally had to tell him straight out to stay clear of it.”
“Bet that went over big.”
“Yeah, like mud in a milkshake.”
“Celia heard that Emily was hurt in the fire. Is she all right?”
Nick hesitated. “Yes and no. Physically, she’s recovered. She wasn’t burned, but she had a head injury from falling debris.”
Reese winced. “How bad?”
“She’s recovered, as I said, but she’s experienced some significant memory loss. It’s possible that she saw whoever set that fire but she can’t remember. Hell, it’s possible whoever set that fire intended her to die in there.”
“God.” He was shaken by the thought.
“The only good thing to come out of it is that the firefighter who carried Em out of there is her fiancé now.”
Her fiancé? He chuckled despite himself, shaking his head. Although he knew it was foolish, it was hard to rid himself of the thirteen-year-old images of his family. “When I left home, she was eleven. How can she possibly be engaged?”
But Nick didn’t return the laughter. “We’re all grown now. You’ve been away a long time, Reese.”
He sobered quickly in the face of his brother’s unspoken censure. “I know how long it’s been.”
“Why didn’t you stay in touch? Answer my letters?”
“I don’t know.” He looked at the ground. “I was just so pissed…and hurt, more than anything.” Funny how he could finally admit that. “I wasn’t mad at any of you guys except the old man, but I couldn’t…I couldn’t see any of you. I had to get away, fast. And once I was gone, time sort of got away from me.”
There was hurt, deep hurt, in Nick’s gaze, and such reproach that he had to look away again. “It sure did.”
There was a heavy silence. He knew it was his fault they’d been out of touch for so long. Early on, several of his siblings had tried to communicate—but he’d been such a jerk. And now they’d lost more than a decade of precious memories that they could never replace. It was only since Kent had died that he could fully appreciate how important shared memories could be. “So tell me about the rest of the gang.”
“Mom and Dad are well. They miss you, too,” Nick said. He ignored the slight stiffening Reese couldn’t prevent and smoothly moved on. “Let’s see. I’ll just go down the line so I don’t forget anyone. Joe was married and widowed young. It was a terrible thing, but he’s married again to a great woman. Colleen became a nun—”
“A nun?” On second thought, he wasn’t completely surprised.
“But she left her order a couple years ago and recently got married. Guess who she married?”
Reese raised an eyebrow.
“Gavin O’Sullivan!”
“O’Sullivan! You’re kidding.” Nick’s best friend from childhood had been one of Reese’s best buds, as well.
“Nope.” Nick ticked off their siblings on his fingers. “Alex is married and a father, Gina’s married. Rita’s a nurse now and she’s married to a doctor.”
“And Maria?” He couldn’t imagine his youngest sisters all grown up and married.
Nick hesitated. “Maria’s…missing.”
Missing? “What the hell does that mean?”
“She went away last month. She left a note so we wouldn’t worry, but nobody knows where she is.”
“Do you think she’s okay?”
Nick spread his hands. “I hope so. If she isn’t back by the date she promised, I’m calling out the National Guard.”
“So how about the cousins?”
“Cousins!” The worry fell away from Nick’s face and he actually laughed. “Derrick, Daniel and Em I already mentioned. And Claudia…Claudia is a force of nature. Still single, totally gorgeous and as bullheaded as ever. But here’s a shocker. We have a new cousin!”
Reese was confused. “One of them has a child?”
“Not yet. The new cousin is Uncle Luke’s daughter.”
He was positively staggered by the news. Their father’s twin brother had been abducted from the hospital when they were just two days old, and despite massive efforts by the police, no trace of Luke had ever surfaced. Reese’s memories of his grandmother were of a sweet, gentle Italian matriarch with an aura of sorrow that never completely left her eyes. “You guys found Uncle Luke?”
“Not exactly.” Nick’s face fell. “Turns out he’s already passed away. But his daughter, Karen, figured out who she was when some pictures of a family reunion in July made the papers. She got in touch, and now we’ve got another family member. Several, actually, since she’s married with a baby on the way.”
“Whoa. Can’t wait to meet her.”
“Does that mean you’re considering coming home?”
Damn. Nick always had been a persistent cuss. “I’ve thought about visiting,” he said cautiously.
“So will you come for a visit? Bring Celia, too, if you guys are serious.” When Reese didn’t immediately acquiesce, Nick said, “You could stay with us if you don’t want to stay at the house.”
“I’ll think about it.” But first he needed to find out what—if any—direction this dance he and Celia were doing was going. Were they serious, as Nick put it? He hoped so. Because he’d like nothing better than to have her with him, to introduce her to his family. Preferably as his wife. “I’ll think about it,” he said again, “and get in touch.”
“Reese,” Nick said softly, “Dad’s sorry about that fight. He’s been sorry since the day you left. Mom hardly spoke to him for at least a year. She wanted to hire people to find you but he wouldn’t let her. He said if you didn’t want to ever see him again he couldn’t blame you and that if you wanted to come home, you would.”
Reese stared at his older brother. A bitter wash of regret tasted sour in his throat. “If he’d ever uttered one word of apology, I’d have been home like a shot,” he said stiffly. “But I wasn’t coming back so I could be falsely accused and screamed at again.”
“You wouldn’t have been,” Nick informed him. “Eliza Mayhew confessed that she’d lied about the baby’s father. He was some guy from her university. I don’t think Dad will ever forgive himself for not trusting you.” He swallowed. “Deep down, I believe he thinks he shouldn’t ever be forgiven. Living without you is his punishment.” His mouth twisted. “Only thing is, it’s punished all the rest of us, as well.” He gave Reese an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Jerk.”
“Hey, you two.” Celia’s slim frame was silhouetted in the light streaming into the room from the kitchen. “The meal’s about ready.”
The evening had been surprisingly enjoyable, Reese thought, cuddling her closer in her bed that night. He’d expected more tension. Suppressed anger. There’d been the occasional awkward moment, but all in all, it had been damned good to see his brother again.
Nick had mellowed, somehow. He’d always been intense and driven, but tonight he’d been different. Maybe marriage was responsible. Reese was looking forward to meeting his new wife.
Celia stirred in his arms. “How are you?” Her voice was soft, tentative.
“Good.” He kissed her temple. “Seeing Nick was terrific.”
“I’m glad. I worried all day that I’d pushed you into something you weren’t ready for.”
“I didn’t think I was,” he said reflectively. “Maybe I needed a little nudge in the right direction.”
They were silent again. His hand swept up and down her back, stroking the silky skin in a gently abstracted manner as he thought about what he’d just said. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who needed a little nudge, he thought.
He cleared his throat. “I haven’t really told you, but I’d like to hear about Leo if you ever want to talk about him. I’d like to know about your pregnancy, his birth, what kind of stuff he liked. Anything you’d like to share.”
Celia’s body went rigid in his arms. “You said his name.” Her voice sounded wounded. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve heard anyone say his name? Everyone thinks they’re helping if they don’t remind me, I guess.” A sob broke loose and he felt the warmth of tears dampen his skin beneath her cheek. “But it’s like he and Milo never existed sometimes.”
He pulled her closer, each tear that touched him feeling like a live ember. “They still exist, baby. They’ll always live in your memories.” He took a deep breath. “Any time you want to talk about them, I’ll listen.”
She went still in his arms. “That,” she finally said, “is an extraordinarily kind offer.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, considering I’m eaten alive with jealousy when I let myself think that it should have been me you shared those years with, that I should have been your son’s father.”
Celia’s body had gone stiff in his arms again. Well, tough. He was tired of her resisting him. “This is how it should have been all those years ago. We should have gotten married, made a home of our own and started a family.” He took her arms and shook her lightly. “I still want those things,” he said, tipping up her chin with a relentless hand until she met his eyes.
But she dropped her gaze, closing herself away from him, shielding her thoughts. Quietly she said, “But will you still want me if children aren’t a part of the equation?”
Now it was his turn to pause. He should tell her now that he already had a child. But…she’d made it pretty damn clear that she didn’t want more children, and he found he couldn’t force himself to speak. He needed more time. Time to let her get used to the idea of them again, time to cement the bonds of love with the meeting of flesh as well as emotions. She’d loved him once, and he was beginning to be pretty sure she still did.
“I want you any way I can get you,” he said in a rough voice. He rolled over, pushing her back against the pillows as he settled himself snugly against her. She made a small, soft noise of approval in her throat and he knew exactly how she felt. They had been made for each other. Making love to her was like finding his own personal miracle.
He stroked the tears from her face with his thumbs. “Any way at all,” he affirmed as he sought her mouth and his hands began to slide over her silky skin.
Sensitive now to her desire not to create scandal, he left in the soft almost-morning light that pearled the sky above the ocean to the east. They kissed on the stoop and he felt like a teenager again.
“Will I see you later?” He still held her loosely against him.
She nodded. “You can join us at the marina if you like. We still have a lot of storm cleanup to take care of.”
“Work? Me?” He grinned, and she smiled as he’d intended her to. He drew her to him for one final, lingering kiss. “All right. I suppose I could manage that if I had some incentive.”
“Ah,” she said against his lips, “have I got an incentive program for you. Why don’t you plan on coming over for dinner and we’ll discuss it?”
“I have a better idea,” he said, running his palms up and down the long, smooth line of her back. “Let’s have dinner aboard the yacht tonight. We could sail up the coast and back afterward and enjoy an evening on the water.”
She laid her head against his shoulder and he enjoyed the feel of her snuggled against him. “That sounds lovely. Let’s do it.”