True Love (Nantucket Brides 1)

“Sit anywhere,” a pretty woman with a menu said.

“Thanks, Sue,” Jared answered and went left to a booth by the windows. He stopped to exchange greetings and comments about deer and boats and fish with a group of men sitting at a large round table, then took his place across from Alix.

“Sorry about that. I’ve been away for days and I needed to catch up. Hi, Sharon,” he said to a cute, tall, slim waitress.

“You get back last night?” she asked.

She had a lovely Irish accent and she handed Alix a menu as she poured coffee for him. Alix nodded yes for the coffee. When she left, Alix looked at the menu. “What’s good?”

“Everything.”

“I think I’ll have the blueberry pancakes and a couple of doughnuts.”

He turned, nodded to Sharon, and when she returned, Alix gave her order. Jared said nothing.

“You aren’t ordering?” Alix asked when the waitress left.

“I always get the same thing and they just bring it.”

“I can’t imagine living somewhere that a restaurant knows your order.”

He glanced out the window for a moment. “When I’m in New York, sometimes I get so homesick I think I’m going to evaporate.”

“What do you do then?”

“If at all possible I get on a plane and come home. Aunt Addy was always here and always up to something, and my—” He stopped talking. He’d been about to mention his grandfather—which was unusual, as that had been an unbroken taboo all his life.

But it was as though Alix read his mind. “Izzy said that Nantucket was one of the most haunted places on earth. Have you seen any ghosts? Or maybe Kingsley House is haunted.”

“Why do you ask?”

Alix was aware that he’d avoided answering her questions. “Odd things keep happening. Pictures falling off tables, fireplace soot coming down in a lump, that sort of thing. This morning I was trying to decide between a blue shirt and a peach one and the collar of the blue one moved.”

Jared knew his grandfather liked blue the best. “It’s a drafty old house. Have you heard the floors creak?”

He was still avoiding her questions. “No, but I think a man kissed me on the cheek.”

Jared didn’t smile. “Were you frightened?”

“Not at all. It was rather nice.” She started to say more but an older couple came by and wanted to say hello and how very sorry they were to hear of Addy’s passing. Alix drank her coffee and watched him as he smiled and talked. With his messy, graying beard and his long hair, he looked tired. She’d followed his career enough to know that he was a hard worker. Sometimes it seemed that everyone in the U.S. who could afford it wanted a house designed by Jared Montgomery. There were at least four books about his work, and many others that contained photos. His work seemed to be featured in half the magazines on the stands. She’d often wondered if he ever slept.

It was odd to think of him as a person with a life, friends, and family. That he had a talent that was off the charts was just something that happened. He was supposed to stay on the island but he’d said he was leaving, and she had an idea that it was to get away from her and all the things she’d planned to ask him.

When the people left, he turned back to his coffee.

“Thank you for the flowers,” she said. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

“I shouldn’t have lied.”

“No, you should have. If you hadn’t, I would have bombarded you with questions. You don’t have to leave Nantucket. I promise I won’t bother you.” She’d said this earlier, but this time there was no resentment in her voice. “I won’t ask questions about designing, or about where you get your ideas. I won’t even ask how you came up with the Klondike building. Not while we’re on Nantucket. Here, you’ll be Kingsley to me, not the great and famous Jared Montgomery. But …” She smiled at him. “Off-island, all bets are off. Is that a deal?”

Jared gave her a weak smile, and he wasn’t sure what to reply. This morning he’d gone into the house early to have another look at the model of the chapel that she’d made. His business partner, Tim, had sent him yet another email saying he needed the design for the California house now! The movie couple wanted a Jared Montgomery design—not one from someone else in the firm, but from Jared personally.

This morning Jared had the idea of persuading the movie stars to build something designed by Alixandra Madsen. He’d tell them of her father, who’d taught Jared everything he knew. He’d lay it on thick about how she was up and coming and they’d be the first to have one of her designs. And a private chapel secreted away on their big estate would be just the thing.

And giving Alix a commission would partially pay back Ken for all he’d done for Jared. “Pass it on.”

“What did you say?”