Love Captures the Heart (Sully Point, Book 3) Page 13

  "Why shouldn't you have them?"

  "Because of the agreement Jason and I made. No falling in love, no commitments, we'd just have a good time. End of story."

  "Aha, but it's not the end of the story is it? Why aren't you talking to him right now? Maybe he feels the same for you?"

  "He doesn't."

  "But you won't know until you talk to him."

  "I know what he feels. Believe me."

  Anna chopped celery and carrots in frustration, beginning to be worried. She'd thought after her talk with Jason that he would talk to Holly. Clearly, that had not happened. They'd both be at the party tonight at least. There was bound to be a way to push them at each other then.

  * * * *

  Julia and Cody were sitting on the couch in the living room of the Grainger house, talking in quiet voices to Sam.

  "Let me get this straight," Cody said. "Basically everyone here today knows about Jason and Holly? But they don't know that we know?"

  Julia huffed. "I don't see why we're the last ones to hear about it."

  Sam grinned at her. "It's all just come together today, I think. Maggie filled me in, then I found out Anna had talked to Jason and--"

  "She talked to him? What did he say?" Julia asked. Then she glanced up and shook her head as she saw Jason enter the room. "Hello, Jason. How're you tonight?"

  "I'm fine," he said with a frown. "Anyone seen Holly?"

  "I saw her earlier talking to Anna in the kitchen," Cody offered.

  They all saw Jason blanch, before he turned to dash to the kitchen.

  Sam chuckled. "Looks like he's afraid Anna will spill the beans."

  "Shh," Cody said.

  They all watched as Holly came in from the other side of the room and looked around.

  "Can we get you anything Holly?" Julia asked.

  "Have you seen Jason...or Maggie?"

  "They're around somewhere. I think Jason just went to the kitchen looking for you," Sam said.

  Holly's face perked up. "Oh. I'll see if I can find him." She left the room quickly.

  "Maybe they're going to talk and figure things out. Anna said all they need to do is have a big talk to solve everything," Sam said. "Oops! Where did that kid run off to?" He jumped up and headed into the hall.

  Julia and Cody looked at each other. "He never did tell us what Anna found out," Julia complained.

  Cody chuckled. "This should be interesting to watch, tonight."

  "Definitely."

  * * * *

  Everyone stood in the living room as Frank gathered them up. He was pouring champagne in glasses Betsy was handing out. He chuckled as he heard different ones whispering about what might be happening.

  He stood with Betsy in the center of the circle he'd created and said, "I have an announcement to make." Betsy nudged him. "We do, that is. We're getting married."

  "What?" Holly asked loudly.

  "Congratulations," could be heard from everyone else.

  "When did this happen, Dad?" Cody asked. "I wondered one time, but--"

  "I knew about them," Julia said, smugly.

  Sam looked surprised, but smiling, as he held out a hand for Frank to shake. "Good job!"

  "Thanks!"

  Anna simply leaned in and hugged her father fiercely. "I love you, Dad," she whispered.

  Finally, he looked around and realized that Holly had left the room. While the others talked to Betsy--planning already!--he went down the hall to find her sitting alone in the dining room.

  "Holly? What's wrong?"

  She turned to face him, with tears running down her face. "Dad, I don't understand. I thought you would always love Mom."

  He sat down next to her and took her hand. "I will always love your Mother, but she would never have wanted me to be alone forever. Betsy is good for me and we love each other. We have for a while now. Love isn't something you can only feel once and then it's gone, you know."

  "But, how can you stand it?" she asked, wiping her eyes. "You know how terrible it is to lose someone. How can you risk that kind of pain?"

  "Because love is worth everything. Once love captures the heart, it changes us, makes us better, and even more open to all the love in the world. A life without love--now, that would be an awful thing. The love I have for Betsy is different from the love I had for your mother. But it's just as special and valuable to me. If I'd closed up my heart, I'd never have been open to Betsy's love for me, and look how much I'd have lost."

  Holly was staring into his eyes, listening intently.

  "You really believe that, don't you?"

  "Yes, I really do."

  "Oh, Daddy, I'm so mixed up!" Holly reached out and threw her arms around his neck, crying on his shoulder.

  "Well, part of that's probably my fault. But whatever is wrong can be made right."

  Holly sighed. "I don't think so. I think I let love pass me by."

  "But you aren't sure?"

  "No...not entirely."

  "Then chase after it, girl! Don't let it get away!"

  She laughed and lifted her head to look at him. "Really? Should I?"

  "Yes! Remember--it's worth everything."

  She nodded.

  * * * *

  Holly watched across the room as Jason laughed at something Maggie said to him. He leaned closer to her as Maggie used her hands to show him what she meant. Holly stood frozen, heart twisting in pain, then turned and quickly left the room. She walked down the hall, through the kitchen and then out the back door. Standing in the back yard, arms at her sides, hands in fists, she felt both anger and loss. Shaking, she didn't know whether to scream or to cry, when Rob came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped.

  "Rob! Good grief, you startled me."

  He looked at her steadily, and then she burst into tears. He opened his arms and she came to him, crying against his chest as he hugged her. "Holly, dear, you have to stop this."

  "Stop crying? You're right. I only just finished crying a few minutes ago."

  "No, I mean, yes, please stop crying. But what I meant was that you need to let Jason know how you feel."

  "How can you say that?" She pulled away from him and glared. "You saw him in there, didn't you? Hanging on every word Maggie says? He's lost interest in me."

  Rob shook his head. "No, that's not what I saw. But I did see your face. You need to let him know you care."

  "I don't want to hear it from him, that 'he just wants to be friends' speech."

  "I doubt that's what you would hear. But I guess you'll have to figure that out on your own."

  "Thanks for the shoulder to cry on, but yeah, I have to get through my own way."

  She turned and walked back up the steps and into the kitchen.

  * * * *

  Jason walked quickly out the front door and got into his Jaguar. He needed some air after what he'd just seen. He sped away from the house and drove to the road that ran along the beach. As he felt the wind against his face, he kept seeing them in his head--Holly and Rob Tremaine. He was holding her in his arms! How on earth had this happened? Wasn't Tremaine old enough to be her father?

  After all that he'd been thinking about, thinking of how maybe they could get together for real, this felt like a body blow. Yes, he knew she'd mentioned having dinner with Rob in one of their phone calls, but he hadn't heard anything special in her voice about it. But then, why should she have said anything to him yet? They didn't have a normal relationship, after all. She didn't owe him any explanations. She probably planned to tell him that she wouldn't be seeing him any more after this weekend. Maybe this was why she hadn't come directly to the loft last night, like he'd expected her to do.

  Suddenly, he gave a harsh laugh. "I guess this proves it," he said aloud. "I am in love with her. Damn it."

  He headed back to the Grainger house, hoping nobody had missed him or seen him leave. The shock of seeing her with Rob had been too much to stay there. Now, he'd gotten his head back together. His heart w
as another story entirely.

  * * * *

  As Rob watched Holly go into the kitchen, he heard someone walking up behind him.

  "Ahem," a voice said.

  He turned to see Marla standing there. "Ah, it's you. Did you hear all of that?"

  "Yes, I did. Hopefully, if she talks to him, they can work it out."

  "Hope so. They belong together."

  "Yes, I think so too."

  Rob cocked his head to one side and really looked at her. Her nicely-styled gray hair swung forward to hang smoothly around her face at the jawline. She was dressed in a royal blue jacket and pants with a pale green blouse. She had the look of a professional, well put-together woman, with one exception--her brooch. Sitting on the lapel of her jacket was a gold frog with bulging green eyes. It didn't quite fit with everything else in her look. It was, somehow, defiant.

  He looked at the frog and then at her face, which was watching him quizzically. "I like the frog," he said. "How long have you been matchmaking, trying to get those two together?"

  She said, "Since I met them both."

  "How would you like to go to dinner with me, once you're back in the city?"

  He'd surprised her, he saw, with some satisfaction.

  "I--yes, all right. I'm hoping to be back in the city next week."

  "Here, put your number into my cell." He handed her the phone from his pocket after pulling up the contacts screen. She typed in her number and handed the cell phone back.

  Rob took it and said, "I got divorced last year. I haven't been seeing anyone. You, though, you interest me."

  "I'm a widow, of two years. I never planned to go out with anyone. But there's something about you..."

  He nodded. "Yes, there's a connection, isn't there? I've seen you on the periphery, helping Jason through his tough time. I just never had a chance to get to know you. I'll call you once I'm back in town to arrange dinner, if you're amenable to that idea. In the meantime, let's go see what Holly is up to."

  She took the arm he offered and they walked up the steps together.

  * * * *

  Lobsters were piled high in their bright red glory. Crabs were splayed across a large platter, while two large bowls, one of pink steamed shrimp and one of fried shrimp, sat at either end of the table. Broiled haddock filled another serving dish, with a lemon sauce on the side. Tossed salad sat on the sideboard along with baskets of fresh rolls from the bakery. A cup of creamy clam chowder sat at every place setting.

  "Frank, this looks divine," Gloria said as they all entered the dining room.

  The children had just gone to bed, and the adults were suddenly ravenous upon seeing the bounty laid out before them. Everyone found a place at the table, most of them making note of the fact that Holly and Jason sat near the ends of the table, diagonally opposite.

  Anna switched places at the last minute so that Maggie was sitting beside Jason. Sam frowned at his wife, but she just gave him a slight shake of the head and a serene glance.

  Bowls were being passed around the table as people talked, when the crash of a lobster onto a plate disrupted all the conversations. Into the silence, Holly said, "That's it! You can laugh at her jokes and whisper to each other all night, but not right in front of me!"

  She was standing up and staring down the table at Jason. He looked at her blankly, and then said coolly, "I have no idea what you're babbling about."

  "Babbling? I think I've been pretty plain. Either you go or I go, but I'm not sitting at this table with you another second while you flaunt your new girlfriend at me. And seeing as how this is my family home--"

  "Flaunting my girlfriend?" Jason said loudly, standing up so quickly his chair banged over onto the floor. "What girlfriend? I thought you were my girlfriend, until I learned different today. How could you not tell me about him?"

  All heads turned to Holly to see what she would say.

  "Him? Him who?"

  Jason thrust out his arm and pointed at Rob Tremaine accusingly. "Him! That's who. I saw you. I saw him holding you in his arms just a while ago. I knew you'd been having dinners with him in the city, but I never expected--"

  "Are you out of your blasted mind? He was consoling me about you! After I saw you with Maggie."

  Maggie gave a squeak, but kept her mouth closed when Anna glared at her.

  "I already knew you were getting involved with her," Holly continued. "Then I saw how you doted on every word she said, laughed at all her jokes. You shouldn't have hidden this from me."

  Into the brief silence, Rob said calmly, "Jason, I'm currently interested in someone, that's true. But it's your assistant Marla."

  Jason's glare at him turned into one of confusion, and then he looked at Marla. She nodded her head.

  "And I'm not dating anyone, Holly. Not Jason for sure," Maggie said firmly. "We're just friends. Besides, he's so not my type."

  Holly stared at her. "What did you say?"

  "I said he's not my type."

  "Not that. Are you serious?"

  Maggie nodded. "Nothin' going on here."

  Both Holly and Jason started to sit down, and Anna stood up. "No, you don't. You're not just going to let this drop. I've had it with you two commitment-phobes. Why did you both get so upset?"

  Holly said, "Well, because, I--"

  Jason said at the same time, "See, I thought--"

  Anna sighed heavily. "Jason, how do you feel about Holly?"

  "I love her."

  He looked startled as if he hadn't expected that to come out of his mouth.

  Holly gasped. "You do? Jason, I love you too!"

  They stood there staring at each other in surprise. Frank was the one who started the applause around the table. Then Jason walked quickly around the table and was suddenly kissing Holly, while the rest of them cheered.

  When the long and passionate kiss ended, Holly said, "I was so stupid."

  Jason said, "I was an idiot."

  Anna said, "And you're both right." Then she laughed, as they ignored her and kissed again.

  * * * *

  After a long and filling dinner, the dishes were cleared away, and the project plans were spread out on the big table. As Jason described what the diagrams meant, Holly was by his side, arm around his waist. She couldn't believe how happy she was, or how mixed up everything had gotten. Jason actually loved her! And she loved him, which might just be even more miraculous.

  The talk with her father earlier had broken something free inside her that had been bottled up since her mother died. No matter what, she was going to let herself love Jason with all her heart.

  She looked at the plans and realized he was bringing out a sketch of what the finished compound would look like. "Jason, it's wonderful!"

  Everyone commented at once on how much they liked the look and feel of the place.

  "I only have one request," Jason said, glancing around the table. "I'd like to build a house on the cliff somewhere, for Holly and me. I keep dreaming of this house and I think that means I should build it."

  Gloria gasped, but said nothing as she stared at her grandson.

  "A house here?" Holly asked, as it registered what he was saying.

  "Yes. I know exactly what it will look like."

  "But our jobs--Jason our jobs are in the city."

  Everyone had gone very quiet as the two spoke.

  He frowned. "I know your job is, but I no longer think mine is. I haven't made a definite decision yet, but for now I'm staying in Sully Point."

  Holly felt herself faltering, and reached out for a chair. "But, how will we be able to live together if I have to be in the city and you're here?"

  Jason knelt on one knee by her chair and said, "We'll work it out. Nothing says I can't come spend time at your place in the city, or that you can't spend time here."

  "I just don't know." She thought frantically, her mind racing. Could it work? Could they make it work living in two different places? But Dad had said love could do anything, or somethin
g like that. Maybe she just had to trust that this would be okay. Besides, they loved each other. That was what counted.

  "Okay?" he asked.

  "Okay," she said, nodding her head, and then leaning forward to kiss him.

  Around them she heard sighs of relief. And one snort. She wished she knew who that had been, to find out what it meant.

  Chapter 9

  "You think it's going to work?" Sam asked his wife.

  "Not a chance," Anna replied. "They are going to have to learn the art of compromise, and one will have to give in to living where the other one is. Separate houses? This is almost as bad as the friends with benefits agreement."

  "You never know, they might manage living in two places quite well."

  "They might. Except for one thing."

  "What's that?"

  "Jason is meant to be in the city. Until he realizes that, he won't really be happy."

  * * * *

  Betsy sat curled up on the couch, next to Frank. "I have a confession to make."

  "What's that honey?"

  "I thought you were getting interested in Marla."

  "Marla? For heaven's sake, why would you think that?"

  "Well, she's an attractive woman of our age, approximately. I don't know. I got insecure."

  Frank waited a minute and then said, "Betsy, is this why you wanted to get married?"

  She squirmed in her seat and said, finally, "It might have had something to do with it. Might have pushed me into really thinking about it. But Frank, when I did think about it, I knew that it was right. We've had all this time to get to know each other. I want more for us. A marriage will give us more."

  There was quiet between them, a comfortable quiet.

  After a couple of minutes, Frank said, "I have a confession to make too."

  Betsy tensed up next to him. "Okay. Tell me."

  He turned to face her. "I don't want a big wedding. I know women always want all the trimmings and a big crowd, but honestly, after Julia and Cody had the whole town to their wedding, I would just prefer something small."

  Betsy slowly smiled at him. "That's it? That's the big confession?"

  He nodded.

  She reached and placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him.

  "What was that for?" Frank said, as she pulled away.