Harbour Lights

Shanna laughed at that. “Probably not, but everyone I’ve asked, including the local police chief, has told me it’s true.”

“You spoke to the chief?”

“Of course. I wanted to know if I’d need an alarm system.”

“Very smart.”

“Just because I get flustered over putting together a few shelves doesn’t mean I didn’t do my homework,” she said, bristling at what she took as a hint of condescension in his voice.

“Hey, I wasn’t suggesting you didn’t go into this business with your eyes wide open. I was just praising your foresight.”

Shanna winced. “Sorry. My best friend’s skepticism about all this has made me a little touchy.”

“She thought the store was a mistake?”

“She thinks it’s insane, actually. But she’s coming to check it out for herself next week. I intend to prove her wrong.”

“Good for you.” He held open the door so she could go inside, then advised, “Lock up.”

She gave him a quelling look that had him backing away, hands in the air in a gesture of surrender.

“Just a suggestion,” he said.

“Top of my to-do list,” she assured him, closing the door, then making a dramatic show of turning the lock.

Kevin gave her one last wave, then headed down the block toward his truck. She stared after him, wondering at the feeling of disappointment that swept over her when he was out of sight. She felt a moment’s empathy for poor Mary back at the restaurant. What was wrong with her? Had she expected him to come inside, sweep her off her feet and smother her with passionate kisses? Of course not. But a friendly peck on the cheek might have been nice, she thought wistfully.

As soon as the thought came to her, though, she reminded herself that Kevin O’Brien was off-limits. He had more baggage than a passenger jet. So did she. It was a lethal combination. She needed to remember that.

But the scary truth was, it was getting harder and harder.

To Kevin’s very deep regret, his father was at the kitchen table when he walked in there in the morning. The lingering scent of his grandmother’s fresh scones was in the air. An airtight container, filled with the traditional scones, sat on the counter.

“You’re up early,” Kevin commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “You going back to the Habitat site this morning?”

“Nope. Getting up early’s a habit that’s hard to break. Thought I’d go over to the inn later. Jess has a few little projects that need doing.”

Kevin lifted a brow. “And she’s letting you do them?”

“As a matter of fact, she asked if I would,” Mick responded, clearly delighted about that. “Depending on how long that takes, I thought I might drive into town afterward and check on Bree.”

“Really?” Kevin said with undisguised skepticism. “Has she mentioned a few chores, as well?”

His father scowled. “Can’t a man visit his own daughter?”

“Of course, if that’s all you’re doing. Are you sure you’re not more interested in checking out the new bookstore, maybe seeing if I’m hanging around there again today?”

Mick gave him a bland look. “Might as well, as long as I’ll be in the neighborhood.”

“You are so transparent,” Kevin accused. “There’s nothing going on between Shanna and me.”

“Never said there was, but I wouldn’t mind taking a look at those shelves you put together. I consider that a civic duty.”

Kevin couldn’t help chuckling at that. “I think they’re safe enough, but it actually wouldn’t hurt to have a second opinion.”

Mick gave him a considering look. “Did I mention your mother’s coming into town tonight?”

Kevin stilled at the news. “Why?”

“She and I have plans, if you must know,” Mick said, though it wasn’t very convincing.

“You called her about me, didn’t you?” Kevin said flatly. “Dad, why would you do that? Don’t you think I have enough family on my case, as it is? I don’t need Mom chiming in with her two cents. She has no right.”

“Get over yourself,” Mick retorted. “Your mother and I are trying to patch things up. We talk every night. I try to lure her down here every chance I get.”

“Then she’s not developing some sudden need to be the mother that she stopped being over fifteen years ago?” he asked skeptically.

Mick flushed angrily. “She never stopped being your mother,” he told Kevin. “She stopped being my wife. Both of us made some lousy decisions back then, and you kids suffered because of it. That’s my fault as much as hers.”

“You weren’t the one who chose to date while you were still married,” Kevin said just as heatedly.

Mick’s fist came down on the table. “Dammit, she did not have an affair, Kevin. You know that.”

“Maybe not, but she was seen all over town in the company of some other man while you were away on business. How am I supposed to respect her after that?”

“You give her another chance, same as me,” Mick retorted. “Every one of us has made mistakes, Kevin. Your mother, me, even you, I suspect. All we can hope for after is that we’ll be able to make amends and be forgiven.”

Kevin thought of the mistakes he’d made with Georgia, not by betraying her, but by letting her go back to Iraq without a fight. How could he make amends for that? How could he ever be forgiven, when she was gone? To his regret, he could see his father’s point, but he wasn’t ready to let go of the past, not his own mistakes or his mother’s.

“I think maybe I’ll see if I can stay with Bree and Jake this weekend,” Kevin said.

“They’re practically newlyweds,” Mick objected. “They don’t need you and Davy underfoot. And Abby and Trace have little enough time alone as it is, in case that was your next excuse for getting out of here.”

“Then I’ll book a room at the inn,” Kevin said.

“Jess is all booked up. Told me so herself last night.”

Kevin resigned himself to staying put. Running was cowardly anyway. Why should he be the one to leave? This house was as much his home as it was his mother’s. More so, in fact.

“Dad, do you seriously think you and Mom will get back together?”

“I’m counting on it,” Mick replied without hesitation. “There’s never been another woman for me, Kevin. Never.” He gave him a pointed look. “And there’s never been another man for her, either, in case you were about to offer your opinion about that.”

“You really believe that, don’t you?” Kevin said, wondering at the fact that a man as smart as his father could be so gullible.

“I know that,” Mick told him. “And if you took a few steps back from your own pain at having your mother move away, looked at the whole situation back then, you’d know it, too. Her seeing that other man meant nothing. It was a cry of desperation, but I had too much pride to see it for what it was. I reacted the same way you did, judging her without asking for one second if I was responsible for her needing a little attention from someone else.”

“So cheating is okay, if she was feeling neglected?” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew the bitterness behind them had little to do with his mother. For weeks before she’d died, he’d worried and wondered if Georgia was being faithful to him. He knew what it was like over there, knew how hard it was to face the danger alone. He’d had not one shred of evidence to support his suspicions, but each time she’d mentioned another soldier’s name in passing, his jealousy had deepened. If his worst fears had been confirmed, he wasn’t sure how he would have handled it. It wouldn’t have been like this, that’s for sure. His mother’s behavior years ago had hardened his heart toward cheating, no matter the excuses behind it.