If You Come Back To Me (If You Come Back To Me 1)

Mari’s mouth fell open, stunned that Colleen had captured so succinctly the essence of her feelings.

Colleen stared at the glass of lemonade in her hand with a fierce focus.

“I accept the job offer,” she said.

“You…yo

u do?” Mari asked, surprised at her decisiveness.

Colleen nodded. “I’ll look over the contract, of course. I’m not sure how much notice will be required at my current job, but yes—I want to do it.” She glanced over at Mari and smiled. “It seems right somehow, you starting The Family Center and me working there. Like coming full circle.”

Mari inhaled and laughed shakily.

“What?” Colleen asked.

“I’d forgotten how formidable you can be at times.”

Colleen made a face. “Doesn’t go with the blond hair, huh?”

They both laughed.

“There’s one other thing you should know, Colleen, before you make your final decision.”

“What?”

“Eric Reyes will be working at the Center, as well.”

Colleen’s amusement faded. “In a full-time capacity?” she asked.

“No, no,” Mari assured. “He’ll only be volunteering an afternoon or morning every week, but, given what happened in the parking lot the other night, I thought I should mention it.”

“I see.” She seemed to consider. “Well, I can get past it if he can. We don’t have to be best friends to work together for a few hours a week.”

Mari sighed with relief.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Marc’s car coming up Sycamore Avenue. Colleen’s glance followed Mari’s.

“I’m sorry, Mari,” Colleen said.

She gave Colleen a smile of reassurance. Of course, Colleen didn’t know what had been happening between her older brother and Mari, but she must have sensed the tension.

“It’s okay,” Mari assured her. “I was making dinner for Marc tonight, anyway.”

“You were?” Colleen asked. She seemed pleased.

A moment later, Brendan bounded up the porch steps wearing swim trunks, flip-flops and a towel around his neck.

“Uncle Liam dared Uncle Marc to do a back somersault off the dunes, and he did it!” Brendan told his mom in a rush of excitement. He noticed Mari sitting next to his mother and said a polite hello before he launched into a description of his uncle’s dive.

“Marc,” Colleen scolded as her brothers came up the steps. “You’re going to hurt yourself. You’re too old to be doing stuff like that.”

“That’s what Liam thought,” Marc replied. His cocky grin at his brother froze when he saw Mari sitting there.

She realized he hadn’t noticed her because of the porch railings. Mari tried to look calm, but suspected she failed awfully. He was wearing a pair of board shorts, a white T-shirt and a pair of sunglasses. For just a few seconds, the man and the boy of her memories blended seamlessly.

“Hey, Mari,” Liam greeted her pleasantly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to find her there. “You should have come with us. Marc could have pulled off a double if you’d been watching.”

He flinched and laughed when Marc flicked his towel at his calf.