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PROLOGUE
September
"Martha's Madness?" Tony asked, his gaze never straying from her face.
Brittany smiled. Tony was the nicest guy she'd ever met, and talk about
tall, dark, and handsome! "That's what
people call my Aunt Martha's house in Oregon. It's the greatest house,
right on the beach and designed just how she
wanted it. But they call it Martha's Madness because she uses it only
in the summer when it's too hot to stay in Texas, and it's way bigger than
she and Uncle Harry need. I've spent every summer there since I was twelve."
"It sounds nice. You like the ocean, then?"
She nodded and set her empty ice cream cup on the low table next to her. "The waves are so great - and the sunsets!"
"I agree. Would you like a soda or anything else?"
He'd been generous like that all evening, offering popcorn at the movie, then ice cream, and now pop. He didn't seem to expect anything in return, either, and that was the part Brittany found the hardest to get used to. "No, thanks. I've been hoping to get a chance to see the Atlantic Ocean, but I haven't been off campus since I got here."
"Maybe we could go for a drive down Narragansett Bay sometime," he suggested, his deep voice making her insides itch.
"You have a car?" That was definitely unusual, even for a sophomore. Brown's location in the middle of the East Side of Providence made for a lack of space for student parking. The lots were expensive, and on-street parking almost impossible to find.
He nodded. "I'm from Newport, and I go home fairly often for family
get-togethers. I had to take the bus last year,
but that was for the birds. So I saved money to buy a car this summer."
He must be from a reasonably well-off family, then, if he could save his wages for a car instead of tuition. Well, maybe not. He could be on a full scholarship, like she was. "What kind of job did you have?"
He made a not-too-successful attempt at looking and sounding modest.
"We have a marine products
distributorship - Fiore Marine. My grandfather runs it, but I'm going
to take over when I graduate."
Great looking, super nice, sexy as the devil - with a company waiting for him, no less! He could undoubtedly date any girl on campus, and that realization boggled her mind. She'd get her heart broken, if she didn't watch out. Guys like Tony ended up with sweet innocent girls. Her roommate, Carolyn, for example. Never girls like Brittany.
**
Tony stopped in the middle of the block and looked around. How had he gotten this far from campus?
The answer was a peculiar combination of sexual frustration and exhilaration he'd never felt before. And it was all Brittany's fault - except he wasn't sure fault was the right word.
Sure, she'd turned that good-night kiss into the single most sensual
experience he'd had in his whole life. And then,
just when he'd been about to suggest going for a drive - all the way
to the nearest place to park - she said they were moving way too fast.
But he could have changed her mind without much trouble. She might have said the words, but she was just as turned on as he was.
The truth of the matter was that he didn't mind waiting. He and Brittany already had a connection he'd never felt with anyone else, something that went way beyond the physical. Rushing her into sex would be almost sacrilegious.
And that, his body reminded him, was a damn shame. She could have been created with every one of his hot buttons in mind. Those long sandy curls that fell almost to her waist. A mouth that was made for kissing. And lush but firm breasts.
He was in for some torture, but fifty or a hundred years from now, he'd be glad he waited.
CHAPTER ONE
March, Fifteen Years Later
Brittany set the tray on the table next to Michael and picked up half
of her grilled cheese sandwich. She'd eat while she got their clothes ready.
When she heard a commercial come on, she asked, "Which tie do you want
to wear
today?"
He laughed rudely. "You know the answer. I want to sit here and watch
TV, and I don't need a tie for that." He
picked up his sandwich and bit off a big chunk.
She sighed. "But we promised to go to Carolyn's wedding this afternoon . . ." That sounded awfully close to whining and she knew very well that whining wasn't the way to deal with Michael. Offering a bribe would be more effective. "And I was thinking - we could stay overnight in Portland. The reception'll be over early, so we could go to a club or a movie or something fun like that."
"Oh, right. You forget I've been reading the Portland papers for the
past three months, looking for some halfway
decent entertainment. About the best thing was some road company of
a Broadway show we saw five years ago, and that was weeks ago."
Why did he have to be so picky? She was sure there were plenty of places
in a city the size of Portland where they
could spend an enjoyable evening. "There's a great bookstore downtown.
You'd enjoy going there, wouldn't you?"
He didn't answer because his show came back on. That was all he seemed interested in doing anymore - sprawling on the loveseat in front of the TV, watching shows that were first broadcast in the '50's or '60's. They'd been here for almost three months in this wonderful ocean-front house, and Michael hadn't bothered to walk on the beach yet. Most days he probably didn't even look out the windows to watch the waves. She brought most of his meals to him here in the master suite, and the rest of the time she was on her own. Of course, she could happily spend her whole life doing nothing more than enjoying the sights and sounds of this beach. But still, this wasn't exactly what she'd expected when he told her about the vacation time he'd taken - to cheer her up, as he'd been careful to mention.
The phone rang and he answered it immediately. He always needed to be the first to know who was calling and why. After a moment, he said, "That's great! I'll be there in half an hour." He hung up and clicked off the TV. "The part for my car's in and they're going to put it in this afternoon." He stood up and stretched.
"That's good. We can drop your car off on the way." She wouldn't question
his sudden about-face. Any reason that
got him moving was okay with her.
"Jesus, Britt, forget about the wedding, will you? Now that my car's going to be fixed today, we don't have time for crap like that. You start packing while I take it down there. I'll help when I get back, and if we're lucky, we can be out of this hick town by tomorrow."
Her stomach twisted. "I thought we weren't leaving until Monday night." She'd been counting on that - she needed an extra couple of days. She wasn't ready to go back to California and look for a new job. Not yet. She needed to let go of her last bit of hope first, the hope that Michael would learn to love living here and agree to stay and build a business with her. She stared out the window at the surf, wishing she could let go of her dream as easily as the sand relinquished each wave.
"That was just because of my car, you know that." Michael wrapped his arms around her. "Britt honey, I know you'd like to stay here longer, but we can't. I've got to be at work on Wednesday. If we drive back tomorrow instead of Monday night, we'll have a couple of days to play first. You've been missing all those great ethnic restaurants, too - and you know how hot you make me when we go dancing." He snuggled up close and started exploring her breasts. "Just thinking about it turns me on. Let's do it right now."
All he had to do was touch her and everything else became unimportant.
It had been that way since they first met.
People always said that relationships built on sex couldn't last, but
their marriage had outlasted those of most of their college friends - including
the ones they were supposed to see this afternoon. Carolyn and Tony had
been together all through college, just like Brittany and Michael, and
they too had married within weeks of graduation. Their marriage had lasted
less than seven years, although their friendship was still strong. Five
years later, Carolyn was getting married again, and Tony would be there
to watch. Brittany and Michael had to be there to support him!
Brittany exerted all her willpower to pull away from Michael and put
several feet of distance between them. "We
need to go to the wedding, Michael. Tony's going to be there, and -
"
"Don't give me that crap. The Crown Prince is a grown man and doesn't
need his hand held all the time. If he's got
any brains, the only reason he's going is to laugh at the guy the Ice
Queen's got her mitts into now." He took a couple of steps toward her and
added, "As for you, don't play games. We're either going to do it right
this minute, or I've got to cruise. Which is it?" He punctuated his question
by slipping his hand inside the loose waistband of her sweatpants and squeezing
her bottom.
She was aggravated enough that she could almost ignore the melting feeling
inside her body. "Agree to go to the
wedding first. It's really important to me - and we don't have to stay
overnight. In fact, we'll leave the reception real early . . ."
His smile dropped away and the playful squeeze turned much less playful.
"You think I don't know why you want to go? You just want to see your precious
Tony, and I'm not putting up with any of that shit. No, I want out of here
tomorrow, and that means you spend today packing, not drooling over
some damn wop."
"I'll stay up and pack tonight - " The rising hysteria in her voice wouldn't do her any good. Michael never agreed to do anything just because she got emotional about it. Forcing herself to sound calm and logical, she said, "Then I'll go by myself and you can get your car fixed this afternoon. As I said, I'll pack when I get back, and we'll leave tomorrow."
He glared at her and shook his head. "I said no, Britt. You should have
asked me before you accepted the damn
invitation in the first place. The Ice Queen and the Crown Prince can
go to hell, for all I care." He squeezed harder, until she felt like her
buttock was clamped in a vise grip. "I'll be back soon, and you'd damn
well better be busy
packing when I get here." He released his grip and walked out of the
room.
She heard the front door close, and then the faint sound of his car starting up. She sagged against the cool glass of the window, not really watching the waves but letting their presence soothe her. He'd never had any intention of going to the wedding! She'd told him about it last month when Carolyn called - but now that she thought about it, she'd been surprised at his lack of reaction. He'd grumbled and made a few sarcastic remarks, but he hadn't refused to go or even made a serious objection to it.
Suddenly she was so mad she felt like smashing something. He was so damn sure of himself - so sure that she'd do just exactly what he said. It was her fault, too. She always gave in to him, sooner or later. More often sooner.
Well, she wasn't going to give in this time. She'd go to the wedding,
just like she'd planned - and promised. And she wouldn't sneak out of the
reception the minute it started, either. She'd stay a while and talk to
Tony. It had been
years since she'd seen him, and talking on the phone just wasn't the
same.
She couldn't totally break with her usual habit, though. She'd stay up packing all night when she got back. They would still be ready to leave tomorrow. Maybe that would satisfy Michael and he wouldn't stay angry at her for long.
Maybe not. But for once, she'd take the chance.
**
"Hello. I'm Seth Worthington."
Tony shook his hand and answered, "I'm Tony Fiore." He didn't bother adding "Carolyn's ex-husband," because Seth probably already knew that. "You have a lovely home."
The well-dressed man who so fit his surroundings smiled. "Thank you.
We like it. The ceremony will be in the tent
right off the patio. It'll be at two o'clock and the ushers will ask
everyone to go out there a few minutes early. In the meantime, we've put
a few snacks out, and please make yourself comfortable."
"I'm supposed to meet some friends. Do you happen to know if Brittany and Michael Stone are here yet?"
Seth frowned slightly. "I haven't seen them. It's still early, though."
He nodded. "They'll probably be along any minute. I guess I'll go watch for them." He moved toward a small window that looked out on the street, although now he remembered that Brittany was rarely early for anything. She and Michael would likely arrive just before the ceremony.
He waited until nearly everyone else had gone outside, but still no Brittany and Michael. He took a seat near the back of the tent and marveled at the size of the crowd. Carolyn had said it would be a "small" wedding - well, maybe it was in comparison to theirs all those years ago in the Catholic church in Newport, but there must be seventy-five or a hundred people here.
Brittany slid into the seat next to him and flashed him a smile in the
moment of silence before the wedding march
started. He returned it half-heartedly, shocked at her tense expression
and the worry lines it made so noticeable. To cover his concern, he peered
over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the bride.
Carolyn was beautiful, there was no other word for it. Normally, attractive
was a more accurate description of her, but today her happiness spilled
out in such radiance that he found himself smiling. For her, certainly,
because she
deserved it. But for himself, too. Maybe he would someday find a love
to transform his life, a love like she'd found. A love that would fill
the emptiness she'd left behind, but one that would do more than that.
A love the two of them had never felt for each other.
The ceremony passed quickly. He'd wondered for days how he'd feel. Would
it be like losing her all over again to see her make her vows with Scott?
Surprisingly, it didn't hurt. She was his best friend and he was thrilled
for her
happiness. But still, he felt numb - and more than a little jealous.
He wanted to feel the way he imagined she felt today, like his life was
only beginning and full of infinite possibilities.
The new couple was introduced to the assembled well-wishers and he joined wholeheartedly in the burst of applause that greeted them. Brittany looked over, wearing a troubled frown. He didn't need to wonder if she'd changed her mind. She was still angry at Carolyn for leaving him, and she still thought he was denying his true feelings about their divorce.
When they returned to the house for the reception, Tony looked around.
"Where's Michael? I figured maybe he'd
gone to park the car and was stuck in the back during the ceremony."
"Oh, no. It turns out he couldn't make it today." She quickly changed
the subject. "I'm so glad to see you, Tony! It
must have been . . ." She frowned in concentration.
He supplied the answer, "More than four years. I haven't seen either of you since you moved to San Francisco."
She nodded, still looking more serious than he'd ever seen her. "That's
right. I really wish you didn't live so far
away." She looked at all the people surrounding them and asked, "Do
you know anyone here other than Carolyn?"
Perversely, he said, "Well, I've met Scott a couple of times, but I can't say I know him."
She looked shocked, as he'd known she would. "Where did you meet him?"
"Out here. I don't know if I told you, but we bought a distributor up
in Olympia last year, so I've spent a fair amount of time in Washington
State recently. Sometimes, when I'm there for a week or so, I drive down
to see Carolyn.
Scott's around once in a while, which is only natural."
"But how can you - I mean, he's the reason you're not married any longer. I'd think . . ."
He smiled slightly, realizing that he'd wanted this opportunity to make
Britt understand. "I know, Britt. But Carolyn
loves him and he makes her happy. That's what matters most to me."
There was more he wanted to say, but this was no place to get into such
an intensely personal discussion. "I know her family, too, of course, and
I'd better go say
hello."
"I'll go with you."
The Kelleys were all perfectly pleasant but distant, greeting Brittany with considerably more enthusiasm than Tony. They gave no sign that he'd ever been part of their family. He knew Carolyn would have emphasized that he wasn't to blame for their divorce, but he supposed they'd assumed he actually was. They certainly would never have believed the truth - that Carolyn, the life-long good girl, had fallen in love with another man. And Tony wasn't about to tell them that their brand-new son-in-law had been both the cause of the divorce and the one who'd broken Carolyn's heart by abandoning her.
As soon as they could, he and Brittany excused themselves to get a drink.
He took an already-poured glass of
champagne from the bar, but Brittany settled for sparkling fruit juice.
"I have to drive back tonight." Her eyebrows
drew together, giving her a grim look that seemed totally unlike her.
He couldn't politely ignore her distress any longer. She might say the
problem was none of his business, but he had to ask. He steered her into
an alcove between the living room and the sunroom and commented, "You seem
kind of
uptight today."
Brittany sighed, and just when he thought she might answer, she suddenly plastered on a fake smile. "Carolyn!" The two women hugged and Brittany added, "That's a lovely dress."
He added, "Such a good color on you, babe." Mint-green always brought out the turquoise of her eyes.
While she hugged him, she murmured, "Thanks for coming, Tony. It means a lot to me."
It did to him, too, but his throat was too tight to say so.
Scott stood uncertainly behind Carolyn for a moment longer, then Carolyn
stepped to one side and introduced him.
"Britt, I'd like you to meet Scott."
They shook hands, but Brittany's smile wasn't very encouraging, so Tony offered a greeting. "Good to see you again, Scott. And congratulations. I hope you'll be very happy."
Scott said, "Thanks. I'm sure we will," but his voice sounded strained.
Carolyn barreled ahead somewhat desperately, "I'll give you a call sometime,
Britt. Now that you and Michael are
nearby, we should get together."
Brittany grimaced. "Well, actually, we're heading back to California
tomorrow. We'll still have the house up here,
though, so we'll be back once in a while."
Hadn't she said they were moving to Myrtle Beach, the last time they talked? No, not exactly, he remembered. She'd said it wasn't definite, that they were looking at all their options. He'd just assumed they'd do it, based on knowing how much Britt loved the ocean and Martha's Madness, the house she'd just inherited. No wonder she seemed strange today!
Carolyn looked quizzically at Tony. "I thought you said . . ."
He shrugged. "I guess I misunderstood."
They all seemed frozen in place. Brittany broke the impasse by saying,
"I probably gave you the wrong impression, Tony. I'd hoped that Michael
and I would stay and start a small business in Myrtle Beach." With a tight
smile, she
added, "But hopes and reality aren't the same thing. So unfortunately,
I'm going to have to hit the road real soon.
Michael's back there packing, and I need to help him so we can leave
tomorrow."
He couldn't let her leave before they talked. He knew Brittany well enough to know that more was involved than she was saying. He turned to Carolyn. "I'm sorry, but I need to leave, too, babe. I flew out this morning, so it's already been a long day for me."
If he didn't know Carolyn so well, he wouldn't have noticed the way she blinked quickly, like she'd been slapped. Her cheeks reddened, and after a moment, she said, "That's okay. The important thing is that you came." Tony promised himself that he'd explain his abrupt departure the next time they talked.
"Be sure to sign the guest book before you leave," Scott added, slipping his arm around Carolyn's waist and giving her a squeeze.
After he was sure they were out of earshot, Tony said, "I've got a suite over by I-5 and 217. Do you have time to stop off and talk for a few minutes?"
Brittany studied his face for a moment, then nodded. "I can spare about that long."
She followed his rental car to the hotel and was silent as they walked through the lobby and rode the elevator up to his floor. She sank into a chair in the living room of the two-room suite and sighed, but still said nothing.
"Britt, what's the matter?"
She glanced up at him with a rueful smile. "I'm being pretty obvious, I guess. The thing is I'm just not ready to leave Myrtle Beach - and I can't face looking for a job, either. But Michael's due back at work on the first of April . . ."
"The idea of starting a business there didn't work?"
She shook her head. "Not really. See, one of the main reasons we came
up here is because I was so down. Aunt
Martha died late in October and, while I was still dealing with that,
I got downsized. They had outplacement
counselors and all, but - well, I guess I got caught in the grief phase
and couldn't do anything productive about
anything."
"The grief phase?"
"You haven't heard about that?" She smiled a little more naturally and continued, "I guess you don't need to, working for the family company. But basically, somebody decided a while back that losing your job is a lot like having somebody close to you die. You go through a bunch of phases, like disbelief and grief and anger, and eventually you get to acceptance. Except that I didn't. I'd just sit in our apartment and stare at the walls, and even buying groceries or fixing dinner was too complicated."
"That sounds awful." He remembered feeling a little like that, right after Carolyn left. He'd had Brittany and Michael to help, though.
She nodded. "It was. So Michael's Christmas present to me was this vacation. He's been working at the same place for four years now, so he'd managed to save up a lot of time off, and they're not very busy right after New Year's, so his boss let him take it all off at once." She paused, blinking and gulping in air. "That was so sweet of him! It's helped a lot, too . . ."
Her voice sounded wistful and vulnerable, very unlike the usual Brittany. He wanted to help somehow, even if all he could do was hold her and assure her that everything would be all right. But holding her was impossible, too. Words would have to do. "Maybe when you get back home, you'll feel better about being there."
She blinked one last time and sat up straighter, something that only
emphasized the way the chair overwhelmed her
petite size. "I'm sure you're right, and I apologize for dumping on
you. Now, what's going on with you? We haven't
talked for a couple of months."
He shrugged. "Nothing new. The subsidiary in Olympia is our tenth one, and I'm in charge of all of them. My brother Robbie works with me, but he's got a couple of kids, so I do most of the site visits. That's what I'm doing next week, actually. I'm going to drive around the Olympic Peninsula tomorrow and Sunday, spend Monday and Tuesday at the site in Olympia, fly cross-country Wednesday, and spend Thursday and Friday in North Carolina."
"How's your social life? Or do I even need to ask?"
She always got around to asking that eventually. As did Carolyn and at least half of his family. They all figured that if he wasn't dating, he wasn't over Carolyn yet. But that wasn't true. "I'm on the road so much . . ."
She punched his arm lightly. "Don't give me that. You could make time,
if you wanted to." She seemed about to say
more, but then she shook her head reluctantly. "Damn. I really have
to go, Tony, but this has been way too short."
With a sudden grin, she asked, "Look, how about if you come out to
Martha's Madness with me? I'd love to have you see the place, and we could
talk lots more."
"But you're leaving tomorrow, and you have to pack." He didn't mention
Michael, not knowing a polite way to say
that Michael so often seemed jealous of their friendship.
She frowned intently for a few seconds, apparently thinking some idea
through. "Packing won't really take all that
long, and I'm going to do it right when I get back. Michael likes to
make the drive at night, so we'd have all day
tomorrow to talk and walk on the beach and all. He'll probably be glued
to the TV, so he wouldn't mind."
He felt sure that she was making overly optimistic assumptions about
packing and Michael's reaction, but all that
really mattered was that she was reaching out to him for support and
friendship. He said, "If you're sure . . ."
She nodded and bounced out of her seat. "I am. Oh, Tony, this'll be
great! I'll just draw you a map in case we get
separated on the drive - " She pulled open the drawer on the small
desk and grabbed a piece of hotel stationary and a pen, then started sketching.
"If you're going to the trouble of doing that, I think I'd like to drive
out first thing in the morning. My body's still on
East Coast time, you know. I can probably leave here about seven, so
we'll still have plenty of time. And if something comes up, you can give
me a call not to come." Something like Michael throwing a fit, for example,
something he'd been known to do.
Her mood shifted back to somber. "That's a good idea."
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