“And now I know why Hallie wouldn’t dance with me.”
Jamie looked at Raine. “But that would mean she knew what Todd said. You don’t think the Tea Ladies told her, do you?”
“Ghosts told her?” Raine said. “You’ve been here too long! I think Hallie overheard your idiot brother spouting off. Where were you when this happened?”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “The clothes!” he whispered, then grabbed his crutches and went through the pantry. The new clothes that Hallie had chosen for him—his mother had told him the whole story—were still on the couch.
Raine was holding something out to Jamie. “I found this on the floor by the door to the kitchen.” It was Hallie’s set of keys to the house and the car Jared had lent her. The key ring had a charm on it with 1776 and the word BOSTON.
Jamie dropped down on the couch. “She did hear. She must have heard every word Todd said.”
Raine picked up a stack of sweaters, moved them to the end of the couch, and sat down next to Jamie. “This is bad. Someone has to tell Hallie the truth. Personally, I think Todd should apologize to her. As for me, I’m going to tell her—Where are you going?”
When Jamie didn’t answer, Raine followed him into the kitchen. “I think I’m missing something. You’ve been so angry today that you’ve looked like a gargoyle, but now you’re grinning. Why?”
“I thought Hallie was staying away from me because…” He took a breath, then looked at his cousin, who could see relief in his eyes. “Because she wanted to let me know that she didn’t want a man as badly damaged as I am. That she didn’t want to deal with a man who sometimes can’t figure out where he is. But that’s not the problem.”
“What is?” Raine asked.
“She’s just mad at me. Old-fashioned girl anger. She heard my brother say some bad things about her and she’s in a snit. Furious at me.” He shook his head in wonder. “This is normal. I can handle normal.”
“Yeah?” Raine asked. “And how do you plan to do that?”
“If you remember, I used to be a player. I’m going to show her how I feel about her.”
Raine picked up his sandwich and bit into it. “I sure hope that big ring she’s wearing doesn’t make more scars on you.”
Jamie took a drink of Coke from a can. “Good poin
t. Maybe first I should clear up some things with Braden the Greedy. This morning Dad was so mad at the guy that if it hadn’t been for Hallie, he would have tossed him off a pier.”
Jamie went to the door. “I feel the overwhelming need to eat some wedding cake. How about if we go back and tell Aunt Jilly how much we wish her all the happiness in the world?”
Raine stood up, sandwich in one hand, drink can in the other. “Only if you drive.”
“I can’t do—” Jamie broke off. “Sure. Why not?”
Smiling, Raine followed his cousin out the door.
Chapter Twenty
Hallie was standing near the doorway and watching the dancers. Braden was doing some old-fashioned disco moves with both Lainey and Paige and seemed to be in heaven. Every now and then he’d look around for Hallie and give her a thumbs-up.
She was glad he was having a good time. She’d talked on the phone to his mother twice since she’d been on Nantucket and knew that she was worried about her son.
“I’d like to do something horrible to all those girls!” his mother said. “How could they be so cruel to my son? Of course it doesn’t help that he chooses such dreadful women. Oh, Hallie, why can’t Braden see what’s been right in front of him all these years?”
Hallie knew that meant her. Why didn’t Braden have sense enough to see that just across the road was a young woman who’d never give him any problems? If Hallie got married, she’d never be unfaithful. She’d have two or three children and be a devoted mother. When they were older she’d go back to her highly respectable job and…and, well, be perfect.
Perfectly boring, she thought as she waved to Braden. She’d never before seen him in low spirits. In high school he’d been the president of the senior class, and he’d been popular in law school too. No one who knew him was surprised that he was up for partnership in his prestigious law firm when he was so young.
As Braden said, only women gave him problems—and Hallie’s stepsister seemed to have been the last straw. She had been the one who’d made Braden so desperate he decided to go with a sure thing—meaning the girl he’d known since she was born. Hallie couldn’t help but feel responsible for this last blow to Braden. She was the one who got him involved with Shelly. Damn! But why couldn’t Shelly have behaved for even one day?
When a familiar arm slid around the front of her shoulders, for a moment she forgot everything and leaned her head back against Jamie. He kissed the side of her neck.
In the next second, she jumped away and turned toward him, angry. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Saying hello,” he said with an innocent grin. “Did you get any cake?”