Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

All in all, it had been a lovely evening—and Jamie had agreed with the idea of his dear aunt Jilly staying the night. Kit said he’d drive Jamie to a house where he could spend the night.

“I’ll see you tomorrow for the wedding,” Hallie said as they parted at the door.

“Yeah,” Jamie said hesitantly. “Maybe.” Before she could ask what he meant, he turned to Kit. “We better go.”

Kit took Hallie’s car and drove Jamie away, and Jilly stayed behind. Hallie took one look at her and sent her upstairs to bed.

“But I should help clean up.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Hallie said and stood there waiting as she went upstairs.

When Jilly was out of sight, Hallie returned to the tea room and began to put things away. The house was eerily quiet and she couldn’t help wishing Jamie was there. He’d make jokes and the chores would be easier.

She was halfway finished when she sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands. It had been a long day! Seeing Jamie’s scars, running away from him, and feeling so very angry, then…then feeling his lips on hers, his naked body against hers. Later, being together on the couch, legs entwined, the storm outside, the fire inside. She remembered his attack and how helpless she’d felt, but at the same time he’d made her feel needed.

She looked around the room. The fire was dead, most of the candles were out, and the plates on the table were empty.

Why had Jamie been so angry about Braden? Surely, Jamie knew that here and now was temporary. It was all a fantasy. The romance of the old house with its beautiful ghosts, the gorgeous young men wandering about, the scrumptious meals that seemed to appear out of nowhere…None of it was real.

She couldn’t help thinking that it was like her life with her grandparents. It had been happy and fun and carefree. But it had all ended in a single day.

She had no doubt that when Jamie’s knee healed he’d leave too.

Getting up, she paused at the table. She was too tired to do any more. She’d clean it in the morning. She blew out the few remaining candles and went upstairs. Ten minutes later, she was sound asleep.

Now it was morning and she wished she could stay in bed, but she heard water running and knew Jilly was up. She should see if she was all right.

Hallie quickly dressed and went through the sitting room. The bedroom was open and Jilly was just climbing back into the bed.

“I agree,” Hallie said and Jilly nodded to the other side. Hallie went around to the far side and stretched out on top of the covers by Jilly.

“I think this is the first morning that having another baby has felt real to me,” Jilly said.

“You didn’t plan it?”

“I’m forty-three. No, I didn’t.”

Turning their heads, they looked at each other and smiled.

“You’re making me remember my daughter,” Jilly said. “She’s at college now and has little need for her mother. And you?”

“I don’t remember my mother, but I had a young, energetic grandmother and that was enough. Will Ken be happy when you tell him?”

“Ecstatic. He and his first wife, Victoria, have only one child. Have you met either of them?”

“No. I just seem to meet tall, beautiful men who take their clothes off at the first sight of me.”

Jilly laughed. “Except for Jamie.”

Hallie groaned. “Getting his clothes off was an ordeal! I wanted to strangle Todd. Why does he dislike me so much?”

“He’s just protective of his brother. When Jamie told him he was going to serve a tour in Afghanistan, Todd nearly went crazy. He was terrified of losing Jamie.”

“But isn’t Todd in a profession where he gets shot at?”

“If you’re asking me to explain male logic,” Jilly said, “I can’t do it. Todd’s wanted to be a policeman or a sheriff since he was a kid. Every Halloween he wore the same costume. When he was little, Cale bought him the whole set of Mayberry videotapes. He watched them and Jamie watched cartoons.”

“Not videos of being a soldier?”