Karma (3 page)

Liza managed to keep in touch with Faith and her other friends for a while, until she made friends at her new school, most from the neighboring town where the private school was located. And though she would still hang out in Serendipity from time to time and run into her old girlfriends, things had never been the same. Eventually she’d drifted and lost touch.

People tended not to stick in Liza’s life and she’d learned from a young age not to count on anyone. The one time she’d let down her guard, she’d been rewarded with Timothy Barker, a charming college senior to her sophomore, and she’d lived to regret the impulse.

She shook her head, hating that all those old memories came back to her now. It was the house on the hill, she thought. The mansion wasn’t just a town landmark, it was a marker of many things to many people. To Liza, it had brought back the past, a place she didn’t intend to revisit.

As long as Liza remained in the present, she’d be fine.

She snapped her attention to tomorrow’s calendar. Coincidentally, her first meeting was with Faith Harrington. The new Mrs. Barron was the head of the Beautification Committee’s fund-raiser and Liza had signed onto the committee.

Realizing she’d reached her destination, Liza turned onto the long driveway of her parents’ house where Brian still lived. It wasn’t as grand as the old Harrington mansion, but the house was huge and on the “right” side of town. Although her parents had moved to Palm Beach, Florida, full-time, they’d kept the house in Serendipity, allowing Brian to stay
on. Whether he paid them rent or not, Liza didn’t know nor did she want to. They were all equally at fault when it came to enabling him.

She knew it. Understood Dare was right in his assessment of the situation, but damn it, what else could she do? Leave him in jail to rot?

No. Not when she’d inadvertently contributed to the fatal day that still haunted them both. And then there was the fact that Brian had been there to save her from her own poor judgment and colossal mistake. Brian might be a loser, but he’d been there the one time Liza needed him, and without him who knows what her ex might have done to her.

But that didn’t mean she had to take care of him or be around him any more than was absolutely necessary. At this point he could get help or not, but she wasn’t going to be his caretaker.

“We’re here.” She cut the engine and glanced over, realizing he’d passed out in his seat.

Well, that explained the silence and why she’d been able to go off on all sorts of tangents in her own mind.

Liza jolted him by pushing against his arm. “Brian!”

“What?” he barked grumpily.

“You’re home. Go inside and clean up,” she said, more gently than he deserved. “And don’t forget to eat.”

“You’re the best, Liza Lou.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She winced and tried not to gag at the smell of alcohol, sweat, and jail that surrounded him. “Night,” she managed.

He opened her car door and stepped out, stumbling once before he righted himself and made his way to the front door.

Liza waited until he was safely inside before driving away. She was exhausted and looking forward to changing into sweats and going to sleep early. First, she’d microwave herself leftovers, eat, and then fall into bed. No late night for her. Tomorrow was a busy day with back-to-back meetings, beginning with an important 9:00
A.M.
with Faith.

Liza had an agenda for joining the Beautification Committee. In past years, the committee had raised a fortune at their fund-raisers but had spent the money on the parts of town that were already well cared for. This year, Liza hoped to convince them to steer some of the immense funds raised toward a more worthwhile cause, the youth center downtown.

The center was a place for kids to hang out, take art and music classes run by volunteers, and play basketball and other sports games in a safe environment. The center was close to Liza’s heart because it represented a future to kids who might have none. And she couldn’t help but wonder if just maybe had it been around when Brian was younger and acting out, things might have been different for him.

Who am I kidding?
she thought with a shake of her head. Nothing short of discipline would have shaped up her brother and there’d been nobody to give it to him.

But the center had volunteer counselors and teachers who didn’t mind taking a tough stand with the kids. Unfortunately, it was also always short of funds. The Police and Firefighters’ Festival that was scheduled for this coming weekend raised money for the center, but it was never enough. And that was because the wealthier residents, like Liza’s parents, couldn’t be bothered with a place that helped the less fortunate.

By working with the committee, Liza also hoped to up her credibility within her hometown. McKnight Architecture flourished thanks to out-of-town referrals and business. Their work spoke for them, but here where she’d grown up, Brian’s reputation had tarnished her own.

So for the last two years, Liza had attended beautification meetings and ignored the more uppity members who’d tried to freeze her out, slowly making younger acquaintances and giving her views. Then at last month’s meeting, they’d surprisingly announced that Faith Harrington would be the new fund-raising chair.

Surprising because Faith hadn’t been a committee member before. And because Faith, like Liza, had committee members with immense bias against her. In Faith’s case, thanks to her father’s criminal behavior. Still, Faith’s husband had money, and rumor had it that Ethan had gifted the mansion to his wife as a wedding present, making Faith the current owner of
the
premier landmark in town and cementing her role as the fund-raising chair.

Liza couldn’t be more pleased. She’d liked Faith when they were kids and it seemed they had a similar uphill battle against the snobs in Serendipity. She hoped to get Faith on board with her idea to use the money raised at the annual fund-raiser, a black-tie event of the elite and the wealthy, for the youth center.

Liza believed she had a shot. Unless, of course, Dare told his sister-in-law about her brother’s latest arrest, and Faith decided working with Liza and implementing her ideas was a liability.

Liza groaned. One way or another, she’d know soon enough.

Liza walked into Cuppa Café, the coffee shop on Main Street in town, and looked for Faith. Although she hadn’t seen the other woman recently, Liza recognized the pretty blonde sitting at a back table immediately. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a pink flowing top, making her appear delicate. Liza knew better. She had read the interview Faith gave to Elisabetta Gardelli for the
News Journal
magazine last fall. There was nothing soft about Faith Harrington. The woman was incredibly tough and resilient. She’d had to be in order to survive her father and ex-husband’s betrayal.

“Faith?” Liza asked, walking up to her.

“Liza!” Faith rose from her seat and suddenly the years seemed to disappear as she hugged the woman she hadn’t seen since they were children.

“How are you?” they both asked at the same time.

Laughing, Liza settled into a chair and Faith returned to hers.

“You first,” Liza said. “You’re married!” She glanced
down and the sparkler on Faith’s left hand caught her attention. “Gorgeous,” Liza said of the diamond ring and matching wedding band.

“Thanks!” Faith smiled, a wide, happy grin. “Wait, let’s get coffee before we catch up.”

Liza nodded. They headed up to the counter, and a few minutes later they returned to their seats with their cups of coffee. “Now tell me all about you.”

Faith nodded. “There’s not much to tell. I’m running a new interior design business and helping Ethan raise his half sister, Tess. I’m busy. And you?”

“Half sister?” Liza asked, not ready to delve into her own personal stuff just yet. She wanted to hear more about Faith and now Tess, who just happened to be Dare’s half sister too.

“There’s some gossip that hasn’t gotten around?” Faith asked, laughing.

Liza grinned. “I suppose it depends on what circles you run in. I’m so busy working I don’t have time to socialize much.” And when she did it wasn’t in Serendipity.

Faith braced her hands around her cup. “Tess and her sister, Kelly, arrived last summer. Nobody knew about Tess, and she’s been a handful, but she’s come a long way since then.” Faith spoke with obvious pride.

“And Ethan? How did you end up with him?”

Her eyes lit up at the mention of her husband. “Ethan and I met up again when I came back to town. Right before Tess showed up. We sort of…I wouldn’t say picked up where we left off because we didn’t have a past relationship. But we did have this connection…” A pink blush stained Faith’s cheeks.

There was a story there, Liza knew. If the rosy glow on Faith’s face was an indication of that connection, Liza hoped she’d hear all about it one day. She might not believe in happily ever after for herself, but if it worked for others, what the hell.

“Well, I’m happy for you. I really am.”

“Thanks.” Faith smiled. “Now about you?”

Liza nodded, knowing she’d have to divulge some things. The easy things. “Not much to tell. I went to New York University and lived in the city for four years, got my degree, and came home to join the family business.”

“That’s a good thing, yes?”

Liza thought about it and nodded. “Actually it is. My parents retired to Florida, which leaves me to run the place as I see fit. I love restoring old buildings, finding ways to keep their history while modernizing them at the same time.”

“Well, good.” Faith glanced down. “No ring, so you’re not married?”

Liza shook her head back and forth quickly. “No, not me.” To get married would mean she’d have to trust a man to get close to her again, to potentially break her heart, her spirit, and maybe even something more.

Not ever again.

“I’m more of an affair kind of girl,” she said, knowing how that sounded and not giving a damn.

Faith raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Liza kept quiet too. She’d long since stopped apologizing for who she was and what she wanted. If it was fear of making another major mistake in judgment driving her, so what? She certainly didn’t
act
like she was afraid nor would she admit it out loud. Which meant she was able to enjoy her life and brief relationships with men, have fun, and stay safe. Nobody got close and she liked it that way.

“Hey, whatever floats your boat,” Faith said lightly. But those golden eyes were too perceptive, making Liza squirm. “You know, I was married before Ethan,” Faith said, taking Liza off guard. “The guy was a self-centered jerk who used me for my father’s connections and cheated on me, probably from day one.”

Faith’s sudden admission cemented Liza’s certainty that Faith saw much more than she said aloud.

“I’m sorry,” Liza said, not mentioning she’d read Faith’s history in the magazine article.

Faith smiled. “I’m not. It made me stronger and I found Ethan.”

Liza admired the other woman’s attitude.

“Listen to us, talking so easily, like no time has passed,” Liza said, grateful her old friend hadn’t changed.

“I’m not surprised. I was looking forward to meeting you today. I’m glad the committee got us back in touch again.”

“Me too. Speaking of the committee, how’d you wrangle the fund-raising chair? Not that I’m complaining. I’d much rather work with an old friend than an old biddy any day.”

Liza grinned and Faith burst out laughing.

“Caroline Bretton, the president of the Beautification Committee, is a client and an old friend of my mother’s. The committee was dying to have the fund-raiser at the mansion and they knew better than to think Ethan would open his house to the upper crust of Serendipity just because they asked.” Faith wrinkled her nose, her disdain for those particular people evident.

Knowing the Barron brothers’ past, growing up on the
wrong
side of town among other things, Liza could understand that. “So what made you want to talk him into it? Never mind take on such a huge responsibility?”

Faith sighed. “You know, I’m not sure. I do know Caroline was good to me when I first opened my business. She was one of my first clients, taking a blind leap of faith. No pun intended.” She chuckled at her own joke. “And she stood by my mother when, frankly, she didn’t deserve the friendship.” Faith shrugged. “I guess I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“And Ethan? How does he feel about opening his house for such a huge gala?” Liza asked.

Faith cringed. “He hates it. But he’s doing it for me.” And suddenly the warm, dreamy look entered her eyes once more.

Watching her, goose bumps rose over Liza’s skin, making
her not just envious but even a little sad at the thought that she’d never have that kind of connection with a man. She’d never have someone who’d do anything just because she’d asked. But that was a choice she’d made, and in as much as it kept her free and safe, Liza was content.

“So, ready to get down to business?” Faith asked, oblivious to Liza’s thoughts.

“You bet. I don’t have enough clout with the committee to land any kind of chairmanship, but I really wanted to help with the fund-raiser.” Liza spread her hands out in front of her. “I’m yours, so put me to work.”

“Well, I can’t tell you how grateful I am.” Faith pulled a notepad from her large purse and Liza did the same. Obviously they had organization in common too.

Liza knew she’d have to broach her main idea sooner rather than later, and since she and Faith were getting along so well, she decided not to waste any time. “I have a question about the proceeds. Has there been any talk about which projects to fund this year?”

Faith clicked her pen open. “There’s been talk of putting up a new gazebo in the town square,” Faith said, sounding like she disapproved. “Why?”

“Well, I had a thought. I know for a fact nobody would take anything I said seriously—”

“Why not? When Caroline Bretton told me we’d be working together, she said you’ve been on this committee for the last couple of years. Why wouldn’t they listen to you?” Faith asked.