Harbour Lights

As she and Laurie discussed the details of the wedding, Shanna sat back and tried to figure out how on earth to explain to her best friend that she really wasn’t about to leap from the frying pan of one lousy relationship into the fire of another.

The ride back to the shop was made in uncomfortable silence. Shanna made it clear at the outset that any discussion of Kevin O’Brien was off-limits. Since he was the only subject on Laurie’s mind, she apparently could think of nothing to say. That suited Shanna just fine.

After parking in the alley behind the shop, Shanna said, “Why don’t you go on upstairs and settle in? Take a nap while I finish sorting through the last boxes of inventory.”

“I can help with that,” Laurie said.

“Not really. I’m the only one who can figure out which things should go on display and which should be held back. I want to keep some things till after the opening, just in case it goes really well and the customers buy everything that isn’t nailed down.” She grinned as she said, “I should be so lucky, right?”

“You’re going to be a huge success,” Laurie said with unfeigned enthusiasm. “I can already tell. You have a knack for this. All those years of working as an accountant apparently stifled this creative side of you.”

Shanna could hardly deny that. Being a CPA had been a safe, but boring career. It was ironic that she’d met Greg while working for his family’s corporation. He’d encouraged her to quit right after the wedding, and she’d been only too eager to get away from the tedium. She hadn’t gone back to accounting until after the divorce, and she hadn’t been any happier the second time around, though her work environment had been a new one with coworkers she’d really liked.

“At least I know exactly how to set up a bookkeeping system and work with spreadsheets,” she said finally. “My education and experience weren’t a total waste of time.”

She unlocked the back door to the shop, and Laurie followed her inside. Shanna removed her spare apartment key from the small safe she’d had installed and handed it to her, but Laurie didn’t budge. Instead, she poured herself a cup of leftover coffee and nuked it in the microwave.

“We need to talk,” she announced, peering at Shanna over the rim of the mug.

“Not if it’s about Kevin O’Brien,” Shanna said firmly. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Lost soul. Little boy. I’d say there are at least two things we need to address.”

Even though she’d drawn the comparisons herself, Shanna remained insistent. “It’s not Greg all over again. You’ve heard the expression once burned, twice shy. Well, I’m at least three or four times shy. No way am I walking into the middle of this situation. Not that Kevin is actually like Greg. For one thing, he’s not drinking.”

“You have proof of that?”

“Proof, no, but he’s been around the store enough that I would surely have seen some evidence of it.”

“You missed it when you were dating Greg, even though the signs were there all along.”

Shanna sighed. She couldn’t deny that. “True, but now, believe me, I’d notice.”

“I wish I could believe that,” Laurie said. “But I know you, Shanna. You have the biggest, most generous heart in the world.”

“You make it sound as if I’m a sucker for a sob story.”

“Hardly, but I know one thing about you that very few people know.”

“Oh?”

“You want to be part of a family in the worst way. I know part of Greg’s attraction was, well, Greg. Add in his son and that whole impressive, if seriously dysfunctional, family of his, and you never stood a chance. I sense the same thing happening now.”

“You’re wrong.”

“How many people are there in this O’Brien clan? I’m guessing there are quite a few of them. I’ve met Jess. You’ve mentioned the woman with the flower shop next door. She’s an O’Brien, too, as I recall. Any more?”

“There’s another sister, but I haven’t met her,” she admitted. “And another brother.”

“Parents?”

“His father was the architect who designed the town. I’m not really clear on where his mother is. And there’s his grandmother.”

“Any more?” Laurie pressed.

“Isn’t that enough for you to make this point you’re so anxious to make?”

“There are more,” Laurie concluded.

“Okay, yes, his cousin is the rental agent who leased me the property, and his uncle manages all the properties.” She shrugged. “There are others, I think. Someone at Sally’s mentioned they refer to Chesapeake Shores as “O’Brien’s town”—because there’s such a slew of them or because Mick designed it. I’m not sure which.”

Laurie nodded triumphantly. “Either way, I rest my case. Big family, wounded man, little boy in need of a mom and you. It has destiny written all over it.” She gave her a knowing look. “Or disaster.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Shanna snapped impatiently. “Which is exactly why I keep telling you there is nothing going on between Kevin and me. And there’s not going to be.”

Laurie started to speak, then sighed. “I suppose I’ll see for myself soon enough.”

“Meaning?”

“The second he walks into the shop on Saturday, I’ll know.”

Shanna turned away to hide the look of dismay she knew must be on her face. It was true. When it came to men, women and chemistry, Laurie would be able to read the situation in a heartbeat. And the only way to avoid it would be to call Kevin and warn him to stay far, far away.

The instant Laurie left and went upstairs to settle in, that’s exactly what she did. Unfortunately, she got his voice mail. Though she tried to explain in a message that it would be a bad idea for him to show up on Saturday, she suspected she wasn’t making much sense.

“Call me,” she said at the end. “It’s important.” Not sure if she’d even identified herself at the beginning of the call, she added, “This is Shanna, by the way. Call, okay?”

She hung up then, almost regretting the fact that she’d called in the first place. She was probably making too much of the entire situation. Then again, after the way his father had been checking out their relationship the other night, Kevin would surely understand about one well-meaning, meddling friend. He’d also likely want to avoid her like the plague.

6

“Why aren’t you dressed?” Gram demanded on Saturday morning, regarding Kevin with disapproval.

He glanced down at his perfectly respectable shorts and T-shirt. The shirt wasn’t even wrinkled. “I am dressed.”

“Not to go into town for the opening of the new bookstore,” she said. “This is a special occasion. I’d think you’d want to look nice.”

He’d worked really hard trying to block this particular special occasion from his mind. Unfortunately Bree hadn’t been able to resist dropping frequent hints and a few blatant reminders. Shanna had even called his cell phone while he’d been out fishing—or more specifically drifting around in his old boat. She’d left some cryptic message about the opening that hadn’t made a whole lot of sense. It had almost sounded as if she were warning him to stay away, which, frankly, he was more than happy to do. It was everyone else in his family who seemed to have other ideas.

“You’re going, right?” he asked his grandmother. “You can take Davy.”

She scowled at him. “Yes, I could do that,” she agreed. “But I’m not going to.”

He stared at her in surprise. Nell had never once backed down from an opportunity to have any of her grandchildren all to herself. “Why not?”

“Because he needs to pick out books with his father,” she said. “Reading is something the two of you do together. And you mentioned yourself that the shop owner promised you a free picture book for Davy for helping her with the coffee machine and her shelves.”

“I’m not taking a free book from Shanna,” Kevin said. “Starting a new business is tough. She doesn’t need to be giving away freebies to anyone who helps her out.”