Once More From the Top (The Women of Willow Bay) (6 page)

“Didn’t you tell me Marty turned down invitations to do conservatory workshops and summer seminars after your diagnosis? Well, you’re past your five years clean, so I think you should go for that, too. You’re a terrific instructor.” Will stopped to take a breath. “What do you think?”

“I think I could get excited about my job again.” Liam clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Say you’ll represent me. I’ll handle Marty.”

SIX

Carrie slumped at her desk, clicking mindlessly through the proofs of Mariette Hollister’s twins. The morning played in an endless loop in her head. First, Liam at the coffee shop and then later on the beach. Damn the man for still having the power to make her feel helpless, foolish, and utterly irrational. But, oh God, it was so good to be in his arms. His hands still set her on fire. His mouth was still magic, his kiss still a heart-stopper.

That was the upside.

The downside? Her organized, tidy, everything-in-its-place life was in chaos. Last week, her precious son spending the summer away at camp was her biggest issue. Today, it was figuring out how to tell that cherished kid who his father was.

Oh, and by the way, he’s on a yacht fifty feet from our door.

The bell above the front door jingled as Liam walked in with a tall blond guy in tow. “Hey.” There was that slow, sexy smile Carrie still fantasized about. “Carrie, this is my friend, Will Brody. I told him about you and Jack. We thought we’d stop by on our way back from Interlochen so he could meet you.” The message was loud and clear—Will Brody was someone he trusted with the intimate details of his life.

“Hi there, Carrie.” Will’s blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he took her fingers in a warm grip. Definitely the all-American surfer type—tanned, muscular, and handsome with streaky blond hair, carefully mussed. “I’m very glad to meet you.”

“Hello, Will.” Carrie returned the smile. “Did you drive up with Liam?”

“Actually no, I came up on the boat.”

He and Carrie discussed the cruise from Chicago to Willow Bay while Liam walked around the studio, studying the photographs on the wall. He stopped before an eight-by-ten of Jack taken by the lighthouse at sunset and framed in ebony—an extraordinary photo Carrie was particularly proud of. The setting sun gleamed red and gold on Jack’s hair, creating a shimmering halo effect that Eliot had always referred to as the “angel shot.” Liam bent to examine it more closely, his eyes narrowed.

“He was about ten in that photo,” Carrie offered. “It’s one of my favorites. The sun was exactly right and I happened to have my camera. Poor Jack, I shoot him relentlessly—along with
the lighthouse. I’m in heaven when I can get them both in the same frame.” She hoped her breezy explanation would lighten the heavy atmosphere created by Liam’s thundercloud expression.

“Mind if I take a look?” Will asked. Carrie nodded and Liam stepped aside. “Good Lord, he really is all Reilly, isn’t he?”

“That he is,” Liam replied quietly, meeting Carrie’s eyes in the deepening shadows of the studio. She felt the look all the way to her toes—a mix of apprehension and sensuality.

Will ambled around the studio. “Do you use a digital camera?”

Carrie tore her eyes away from Liam’s. “No... um... I mean, yes, I do use one when I’m just out taking pictures or for newspaper shots or–or when I’m not in the studio.” Her answers stumbled under the intensity of Liam’s piercing gaze. Was it anger at seeing the photo or something else? “I prefer traditional film for portraits. I use both for weddings. It depends—” The back door opened and Julie’s voice interrupted her.

“Hey, kiddo!” Julie called out from the back room of the studio. “You aren’t going to
believe
who I saw coming out of The Grind this morning.”

“Oh, I bet I would.” Carrie glanced at Liam and Will who exchanged curious smiles. Apparently her friend hadn’t bothered to shut the door while using the washroom.

Carrie went to the curtained doorway and stuck her head in. “Hey, Jules—” she began, but the older woman rushed on as she flushed and turned on the water to wash her hands.

“That hunky symphony conductor from Chicago,” Julie announced, tearing off a couple of paper towels. “Perry says he’s here for the Lawson benefit. Hot damn, Caro! We saw him conduct in San Francisco last August when we went out to see the kids. That man’s butt in tails made two hours of Mahler almost bearable!” Her dramatic sigh was pure Julie. “Those shoulders and that hair? Yum! Think a younger Jeff Bridges in that movie he did with Barbara Streisand
. You know the one? God, he was so
hot
in that film.” She still hadn’t stopped to take a breath.

Carrie tried again. “Jules, hey—”

But Julie talked right over her, much to Liam and Will’s amusement. “Do you remember the name of that movie? Lord, if Charlie ever kicks it, I’m calling this conductor guy. I could use a little sexy culture. Perry says he’s staying at Noah’s—that he came on a
yacht
or something. Do you believe that? Have you seen it yet?” She waltzed into the studio, her blonde hair flying. “Have you seen him?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen him.”

Julie stopped short, giving Carrie a long curious stare. Then her blue eyes squinted as she spotted the two men standing by the window.

“Oh crap!” Julie came around the desk. “Holy Mary, mother of our Lord. It’s
you
.”

Both men burst out laughing as Liam came forward, extending a hand. “Hi there. I’m Liam Reilly, and this is Will Brody.” He nodded toward his friend. “And you are?”

Julie closed her eyes and swept her hair behind her ears. Her face flushed, but she carried it off with her own brand of panache. “Julie Miles, Carrie’s big-mouthed and very embarrassed friend. Nice to meet you.” She shook hands with Liam and glanced at Carrie. “Thanks a lot, pal!”

Carrie put her hands up in a helpless gesture and shrugged. “I tried to stop you.”

“So you’re not a big Mahler fan?” Liam crossed his arms over his chest while Will and Carrie snickered like kids.

“Not at all. How do you know Carrie? Through Eliot?” She stood in the center of the studio, her eyes shifting from Liam to her friend and then back again. Carrie still hadn’t said a word. Suddenly Julie’s eyes widened. “Oh, good God! Carrie?” She turned, a huge question on her face, and Carrie knew she’d doped it out within ten seconds.

“Liam is Jack’s father.” Carrie watched her friend assess the Maestro.

She walked back and forth, arms folded under her perfect breasts, looking him over as if he was a used car and she was considering kicking his tires. She shook back her blonde mane. “Well... he certainly is. Where the hell’ve you been, bucko?”

Liam and Will both straightened at the about-face in Julie’s attitude, glancing at one another, wide-eyed.

Will shook his head. “I think she’s going to kick your ass, pal.” He gave the words a corner-of-the-mouth delivery without even
attempting
to lower his voice.

“No, wait.” Although Carrie put her hand up, she was curious to see exactly how far Julie would go to defend her friend’s honor. Will was probably wrong about the ass-kicking, but Julie was sure to give Liam a serious piece of her mind. “Liam didn’t know about Jack. I never told him.”

“Are you kidding me, Caro?” Julie shot Liam a puzzled look. “Why not? What’s wrong with this guy?

“What happened to all that admiration for your great butt?” Will muttered.

Liam shrugged as Carrie spoke to her friend, who was still eyeing both men with open curiosity. Carrie gave her the two-minute version, promising more details at the earliest opportunity.

“This isn’t pure coincidence, is it?” Julie asked. “Do I sense Eliot’s fine hand in this reunion?”

“You do. He’s the one who brought Liam here.”

“Good for him. Who’d have thought the old cuss had it in him?” Julie grinned. “God Almighty. Who’d ever believe
your
life is a damned made-for-TV movie?”

“I didn’t plan for it to be.” With a grim smile, Carrie jerked her head toward the back of the shop. When it came to her friends, Julie could be as unrelenting as a bull terrier. Carrie really didn’t want her questioning Liam—or revealing things she and Liam hadn’t discussed. “How about I catch you later, okay?”

Julie turned to Liam. “So what
are
your intentions, Sparky?” Carrie’s frustrated sigh drew a glance, but Jules stood her ground. “I have a right to ask, Carrie. You’re my dearest friend.”

“First of all,” Liam began, “I intend to meet my son.”

“You married or engaged or anything?”

“Nope.” Liam shook his head slowly while Will let out a whoop of laughter.

Julie glared at him.

Liam elbowed him in the ribs.

“Come on, it’s okay. Truly.” Carrie put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. With a grimace, Julie allowed herself be led to the back door of the studio. “I’ll fill you in later, I promise.”

“Are you
sure
you’re okay?” Julie asked. “We really need to talk.”

“I know we do. Believe me, I know.” Carrie hugged her. “I love you, Jules.”

“We are
so
getting together. I’ll call you in the morning.”

As soon as Carrie closed the door, Liam and Will hooted with laughter. Returning to the studio, she stepped around them to flip the sign over and lock the front door, rolling her eyes at their antics.

“God, Carrie, I think I’m in love.” Will was practically breathless with glee. “She’s a knock-out.”

Liam nodded his agreement, doing a rotten job of keeping a straight face. “
A knock-out alright, but kinda scary.” He finally let go with a giant guffaw. “She really wanted to hurt me.”

“She probably could’ve taken you.” Will leaned against the counter. “She struts like she’s on a Paris runway. Damn, she’s hot!”

“As it happens, she
is
a model.” Carrie couldn’t help laughing. Julie always made a serious first impression. “And she
is
hot, but she’s also fiercely loyal. Let that be a lesson to both of you. We take care of each other in this town.”

After reassuring Liam she would meet him on the boat for supper, she shooed them out.

Julie was the best, ready to protect her friend at the first sign of trouble. Her attitude wasn’t the problem—Carrie treasured that. No, the problem was the fact that in no time at all, she’d realized Jack was the connection between Carrie and Liam. Perry’s imagination had to be working overtime as well, and since his coffee shop was the town’s gossip hub, the entire population would have the scoop by noon tomorrow.

Maestro Liam Reilly is Jack Halligan’s long-lost father.

Just thinking about it made her head throb. Was there any way to get home and into the tub without running into a single townsperson? Maybe—if she scooted out the back door and zipped down the hill behind the boathouse. Despite his smile, she knew Liam was still furious. Why had she
ever
agreed to dinner? Her shoulders sagged.
That
event was going to take every emotional resource she possessed.

And her resources were in very short supply.

SEVEN

“Carrie, where
are
you?” Julie yelled up the loft steps.

“Up here. I’m in the tub.” Carrie had settled into the bubbles, hoping to relax. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back against the rounded edge of the bathtub.

Julie pounded up the stairs, appearing in the doorway a few seconds later. Their camaraderie still amazed Carrie. She was perfectly comfortable with her friend coming in to chat while she was in the tub. Even in college, she hadn’t been one run to around the dorm clad only in a towel or take a shower in front of the other girls. Somehow she’d never developed the confidence to be so unselfconscious. But Julie brought such matter-of-factness to all things that having her make herself at home in the bathroom felt entirely normal.

“Okay, every detail and don’t even
think
of leaving anything out.” Julie dropped the toilet lid and plopped down, her legs extended out in front of her on the fuzzy yellow rug. “Talk, kiddo.”

Carrie gave her a long look, but Julie’s stern stare told her she was brooking no argument about this discussion.

“C’mon,” Julie prodded. “You didn’t really think I was going to wait until tomorrow morning to hear this, did you?”

“Foolishly, I thought you might.” Carrie reached through her bubbles for the glass of wine sitting on the edge of the tub. “Do you want some wine? It’s in the kitchen.”

“Wine? Hell no. Right now I need information.”

“I think you’ve pretty much got most of the story.” Carrie sipped her wine. “Liam Reilly
is Jack’s father.”

“My God, girl. That man’s to die for. If
he’s
the high water mark for your love life, no freakin’ wonder you hardly ever date.” Julie’s eyes sparkled. “How did you keep this a secret from me all this time? Oh, and by the way, don’t
ever
do that again.”

“I kept it a secret from everyone but Eliot. I couldn’t talk about him. It was—too hard.”

“Why didn’t you tell him you were pregnant, you idiot? I don’t get that at all. He’s Jack’s father. He had a right to know. It’s not like he’s a serial killer or anything.”

“We’d only known each other for a week when I got pregnant. By the time I found out, he was in Europe. I couldn’t face him, not with a pregnancy. He’s a decent guy. He’d have wanted to marry me, and his whole life would’ve been completely messed up.” She set her glass back on the edge of the tub.

“Oh, and yours wasn’t?”

“My life was already in chaos with Dad’s death and our farm going up for sale because of his gambling debts.” Carrie squeezed creamy shower gel onto a bath sponge. Lathering it up, she spread some on her leg and reached for her razor. “By the time I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wasn’t going to be playing in piano competitions. It wasn’t what
I
wanted anyway—it was Dad’s dream for me to be a concert pianist like Mother. I’d lived it for so long, I didn’t even have any dreams of my own.”

“You’d had sex with
that
man and you say you didn’t have any dreams? Cripes, Carrie, what about him?
He’s
a dream.”

“Jules, we’d known each other a
week
.” Carrie drew the razor up her calf. “I didn’t want to be following him around the world, waiting in hotel rooms and backstage until he got tired of me and moved on. That’s exactly what would have happened if I’d told him. I especially didn’t want that life with a baby. There’s no way we could have made it work.”

“Why didn’t you have an abortion?” As usual, Julie went for the blunt question.

Carrie didn’t hesitate. “I couldn’t. That was never an option.”

“You were in love with him?”

Meeting her friend’s probing gaze straight on, Carrie admitted, “I was nuts about him. It was heaven, and I love—um—
loved
him so much it hurt. But we never would have made it. Love wasn’t enough. With a baby, I needed security, and he needed to follow his dream. It was doomed from the start.”

“Why?” Julie leaned forward earnestly. “Look at you. You’re already glowing and he hasn’t been in town twenty-four hours.” She sat back with a knowing smirk. “He’s already kissed you, hasn’t he?”

“The glow is from this hot bath, dummy. Get real.” Carrie busied herself with the other leg.

Julie’s eyes narrowed. “Shit. Now you’re blushing. He
did
kiss you, didn’t he?” She stamped her feet, chortling. “Oh, good God!”

Carrie’s cheeks burned. She focused on the razor.

“Was it hot?” Julie persisted.

“Okay, he kissed me on the beach this morning. But first it was anger and then sympathy, nothing more.” Carrie confessed without raising her eyes. “I told him about Jack and of course, I cried. He was furious, but I also think he felt sorry for me.”

“Did he use his tongue?” Julie asked, standing up to look through the assortment of makeup on the vanity.

“Oh, my God, Julianne. Are we in junior high here? I
cannot
believe you asked me that.” Carrie glowered at her friend. She finished shaving and dropped her leg back in the sudsy water.

“Ha! He did. I knew it. I saw how he was staring at you earlier.” Julie looked at her in the mirror and winked. “It wasn’t sympathy, honey. Sympathy never involves a man putting his tongue down your throat.” She opened a compact of blusher and brushed pink across her already faultless cheekbones. “How did he react to the news about Jack?”

“Pissed beyond words. Then he cried.” Carrie’s saw Julie’s eyes on her in the mirror. “Well, not sobbing or anything, just a few tears.”

Very touching and sexy tears.

“Seriously? How’d you even tell him? Was he freaked?” Julie smudged shadow onto her eyelids, but Carrie could tell she was measuring her reactions.

“He was freaked alright.” Carrie rolled her eyes. “
I
didn’t tell him. He found Jack’s picture in the bait shop. But that was
after
I saw him in the Grind.” Bubbles floated as Carrie expelled a breath. “I just acted casual this morning. I never even mentioned Jack. So when he dropped that bomb on the beach later, I was ready for him to be furious—and he was. But I never expected him to be so
hurt
. I mean stabbed-in-the-heart hurt—” She put her hand on her chest. “—because I’d kept Jack from him. Even more hurt that I’ve never told Jack who his father is.”

“Do you blame him?” Julie sounded infuriatingly reasonable. “After all, how would you feel if you found out you had a fifteen-year-old son you knew nothing about? Who knew nothing about you?”

“I’d be mad as hell and hurt,” Carrie admitted. “I guess I don’t blame him.” She
didn’t
blame him, but she hoped he’d see her reasoning soon. He was Jack’s father and keeping them apart was wrong. She regretted it, but she had no idea how to make it up to either of them, except to try to make the transition from strangers to father and son as easy as possible. Liam had every right to be furious with her, but now that he was here, she couldn’t bear him being unhappy with her.

Not when he can still light a fire in me with a look.
Dear God,
I have to get myself under control.

And there was so much more she had to confess, she really hoped he could cool off and understand.

“How do you think Jack’s going to react?” Julie sat back down on the toilet seat.

Carrie blinked and shook her head. “I have absolutely no clue. None.”

“I think he’ll be thrilled to know his father. Margie told me a couple of months ago that he said something to her and Noah about trying to find him when he turned eighteen.”

“He said
that?
” She was floored. Jack had never mentioned anything about finding his father to her, even though she knew he had to be curious.

“Well, yeah. Did you think he never wonders?” Julie’s blue eyes darkened in the artificial light of the bathroom. “You’d get
Mom of the Year anytime, Caro, but it’s only natural for him to wonder about his father.”

“I assumed he thought about it. I’ve considered telling him, but I’m such a damn coward.” Carrie wrung out the plushy net sponge and hung it over the spigot. “Mostly, I couldn’t face Liam again. He makes me feel so… I don’t even have a word for it.” She gave her a friend a little helpless shrug.

“Turned on?” Julie offered with a grin. “Horny? Hot?”

Carrie couldn’t help laughing. “Yep, all those things and more. But you know, our issues are still the same as they were before.” She shoved the drain open with her toe. With a loud gurgle, the tub began emptying. “Nothing’s changed. I’m still not gonna follow him around the world, waiting backstage, even if he might
possibly
want me to. And I’m most certainly not going to allow him to take Jack anywhere with him.”

“Carrie, he just got here, and you’re already borrowing trouble. You’re still in love with him.” Julie tossed her a bath towel. “Don’t deny it. After all this time, you are still as hot for him now as you were then.”

“What if I am? What good is it going to do me?” Carrie caught the towel and wrapped it around herself. “Noah said he’s only rented that berth until the end of July. I have no idea how he even feels about me right now. He’s pissed, but he’s being decent—only because he wants to see Jack.”

“So when does that happen?”

“Actually, I’m hoping I can convince him to wait until Sunday. I’m having dinner with him tonight on that boat.” She jerked her thumb in the general direction of the docks as she stepped out onto the bath mat. “I need to get a feel for what Liam’s thinking about
me
before I bring Jack into the picture.”

Julie gave her a puzzled glance and then sighed. “You aren’t going to convince him of anything if you intend to wear those khaki pants and that powder-blue granny twin set you have laid out on the bed.” She opened the glass door of the shower stall that butted up to the garden tub. “Hop in the shower, rinse off, and wash your hair, kid. I’ll find you something to wear that will knock his socks off.”

Carrie dropped the towel and slipped into the shower, turning on the water full blast. She pivoted slowly to rinse the bubbles off her shoulders. “What’s wrong with the blue twin set? I just bought it.”

“Yeah, well, it isn’t exactly enticing.” Julie’s voice floated in from the bedroom. Carrie imagined her rooting through the closet.

She shampooed quickly, wrapped herself in a terry robe, and wandered into the bedroom, using a small hand towel on her dark curls. “I don’t think I’m going for
enticing
, I’m thinking more of
grown-up
. He accused me of being a selfish child this afternoon. I need to present as a mature adult tonight.”

“You need to present as a sexy mama tonight if you want to convince him to wait ’til Sunday to meet his son.” Julie pulled several dresses from the back of the closet. “Besides, enticing can be very mature. Here, this one.” She held up the black strapless cocktail dress Liam had seen her in at the hotel bar.

Carrie sat on the edge of the bed and shook her head. “No, he’s already—” She stopped. This was no time to go into the fact that Liam had showed up at her gig a couple of days before or that she’d bolted like a frightened deer. Julie would have a field day with
that
information. “This is supper on a boat, not dinner and dancing.”

Using her fingers, she styled her curls as Julie held up and rejected several others outfits. Too long. Too wintery. Too brown. Too frumpy. Then she pulled the dry cleaner’s plastic from a
sleeveless red linen scoop-neck sheath that Carrie had worn only once last summer.

“This is it,” Julie cried triumphantly. “It’s perfect and those red strappy sandals I brought you from New York will make your legs look long and lean.”

“I can’t walk in those sandals,” Carrie complained, going to her dresser for underwear.

Julie stopped her. “Tough. You won’t be doing much walking tonight. Put away that slip, the dress is lined. And don’t even
think
about white cotton undies, you big nerd.”

“Look, I’m
not
sleeping with him tonight.” Carrie backed up as her friend shouldered her out of the way. “Even if I wanted to, I have no idea if he’s interested.” Yet all of her womanly instincts told her Liam was
more
than interested.

But why?
Maybe it was to seduce her into letting him get to Jack, or maybe it was to salve his ego. She was probably the one and only woman ever to break up with him.

No doubt he thinks he’s got something to prove.

But her conscience prodded her before that thought was even fully formed.
That’s completely unfair. Liam’s not the kind of man who has anything to prove.

“He has a pulse and a pecker, doesn’t he?” Sorting through Carrie’s lingerie drawer, Julie missed the eye roll. “He’s interested. Besides, the way he was looking at you this afternoon, it won’t take anything more than these—” She held up red satin French-cut panties and a matching push-up bra that she’d brought Carrie from a photo shoot in Chicago. “—to get him all hot and bothered.”