CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PATRICK HADN’T FELT this good in years. Three years to be precise, he realized as he drove away from Briana’s place and a night he’d never forget.

After living through grief, and then getting on with life because he had to, because he had kids to raise and a job to perform, he felt amazed to be experiencing this incredible emotion he’d almost forgotten.

Happiness.

Oh, he’d been content for the past couple of years, with healthy children, a wonderful family and a challenging career. But he’d felt sort of numb. And here, when he’d least suspected it, he’d gone and fallen head over heels in love.

He felt corny even thinking about it, never mind the fact that he was whistling along to a love song on his car radio by the Bee Gees. But after almost forgetting he was capable of it, he’d rediscovered love. Briana had brought him that goofy-smile-on-your-face kind of happiness that comes with new love.

Maybe he shouldn’t have sprung his feelings on her like that. He hadn’t intended the words to spill out, but he’d been feeling so damned good that the words came out before he could stop them.

At the time, he’d felt more than a little foolish, especially when she hadn’t blurted those magic words right back, but now he was glad he’d admitted his love. He liked everything out in the open. He loved Briana and his feelings were honest. He was proud to love her, so why shouldn’t he tell her?

He planned to tell her often, he decided with a grin that seriously impaired his whistling, so she’d better get used to it.

He picked up his kids, and the single-eyebrow-raised look from his kid sister told him his newly admitted feelings were blazoned all over his face. Not that he minded Shannon knowing how he felt, but he’d be a lot happier to go public once Briana worked for someone else.

“Dad!” Fiona squealed when he entered the kitchen, where they were just finishing up breakfast. “I missed you.” She ran up and threw her arms around him. He lifted her up, anyway-sticky fingers, syrup-streaked cheeks and all-for a good-morning hug.

“I missed you, too, Fiona.”

Dylan, more manly and restrained, said, “Hi, Dad,” and continued to eat. Patrick ruffled his hair and took the mug of coffee John had already filled and held out to him. He nodded his thanks.

Fiona ran back to the table to finish her breakfast and Patrick sipped his coffee.

The three adults took their coffee out on to the back deck.

“I’m guessing my little ploy to give you two some couple time worked,” Shannon said with no pretense at discretion.

“Really?” He tried to keep a straight face, but it was impossible when she looked so desperate to hear all about his night with Briana.

“Yeah. And I’m guessing someone I know owes me a big fat favor!”

“Really?”

Shannon narrowed her eyes at him. “If you keep saying ‘Really?’ you’re going to be wearing that coffee, big bro.”

He pulled her to him in a half headlock, half hug. “Okay. I owe you big time.”

“Back off, Shannon,” John said. “If Patrick wants to tell you, he will.”

Shannon merely shot him a mischievous look and went right back to grilling her brother.

“When she ran out of there like the place was on fire, I thought it was a no go.”

“Well, it would have been, but your suave and persuasive older brother-that would be me-drove over to her place and convinced her that a date with me was a good thing.”

“Date? Is that what they call it?”

He squeezed a little tighter. “That’s what we’re calling it.”

She pulled away, laughing. “Okay, okay. From the look on your face, the ‘date’ was spectacular.”

He allowed a little of the smugness he felt this morning to wash over him. “Oh, yeah. It was spectacular all right.”

She nodded. “Are you worried about people talking? I mean, because she works in your office?”

“First off, no one knows except you. So if any of this leaks out, I’ll know who to kill. Got that?”

She threw up her hands. “Hey, I’m the good guy, remember? I took your kids for a sleepover so you could enjoy a night of luv.” She held her clasped hands at her chest and gazed up at the ceiling.

He ignored her immature antics and answered her question. “Briana’s going to put in for a transfer to a different job. Until that’s done, obviously, she and I have to keep things under wraps. I’m not happy about this, of course. Of all women to fall for…” He shook his head.

“Hey, you can’t help who you fall for.” She rolled her eyes. “Look at me!”

Patrick laughed out loud. “You and John couldn’t be better suited or more in luv, so give it up, kid.”

“So,” Shannon said, “you’re going to play it cool until she gets this transfer?”

“That’s right.”

Shannon snorted. “You give it up, kid. You’re crazy in love with the woman. You’re never going to be able to stay away from her.”

Patrick was secretly worried that his sister was right. Even though he’d only been apart from Briana for less than an hour, he missed her. He wanted to call her, just to hear her voice, to see what she was doing. He’d forgotten to ask what she was up to today.

Once the kids had washed up and collected their night gear, he packed them straight off to Dylan’s Little League practice, and once that was over, treated them to lunch at a family restaurant. He chose the location because it was pretty close to Briana’s place. He figured this was still the weekend, so she wasn’t officially his employee again until tomorrow.

Knowing he was stretching his own ethics, he called her on his cell phone anyway, deciding a spur-of-the-minute invitation to lunch when they were right in her neighborhood was perfectly appropriate. They’d be well-chaperoned by his children. But Briana wasn’t there.

He felt a little disappointed, but figured she’d gone out to exercise or shop or something.

Later in the afternoon, he called again to see if she wanted to come over for a family supper, and once more got her voice mail. He hadn’t left a message the first time, not wanting to appear too eager, but this time he did.

“Hi,” he said to the machine. “It’s Patrick. The kids and I wanted to invite you for dinner, but I guess you’re not there. Call me back when you get in. Bye.”

It was strange that she’d been out all day, but he didn’t own the woman. They’d spent the night together-that didn’t give him the right to know her every movement. Still, he’d feel better when she called back.

BRIANA WAS FURIOUS. Her uncle had used her and betrayed her, but underneath her anger, she was heartbroken. She’d believed in Cecil Thomson. He’d been almost like a father to her. She’d trusted him. Loved him and her aunt. And he’d used her.

Manipulated her.

Lied to her.

And all so that she would manipulate and lie to the decent wonderful man she’d fallen in love with.

As the miles between Acadia Springs and Courage Bay disappeared, she grew angrier. And what about her poor Aunt Irene? How would she react when she found out the vile truth?

The first thing she did when she arrived home was to call Joe Carlton’s daughter. Before she confronted her uncle, Briana wanted to be absolutely certain that Joe Carlton’s story was true. Right away she explained who she was, and Joan said, “Yes, I know. Dad told me you’d be calling.”

“I’m really sorry to bother you on a Sunday night, but could I see that photograph?”

“I don’t see why not. You can’t take it with you, though. I don’t trust that Cecil Thomson not to try and destroy it if he finds out where it is.”

“No. I won’t take it anywhere.”

There was a message on her voice mail from Patrick, but right now Briana didn’t feel able to talk to him without sobbing her heart out and telling him the whole story.

Except she didn’t yet have the whole story. Not the final chapter anyway. Or, she supposed, it was really the first chapter she needed in this sordid tale.