Walking on Sunshine (22 page)

(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right

L
AURA
L
EE FOL
DED
S
HANE'S CLOTHES
INTO A NEAT PILE
and took the laundry basket up to his bedroom. Knowing his routine, she'd managed to avoid him for nearly two weeks. And God, how she missed the man! The words he'd uttered to her after that day in the pool echoed in her mind.
“When you're ready to let me in, let me know. I'll be waiting.”

Laura Lee shook her head and swallowed hard. She brushed at a tear but then cleared her throat and stiffened her spine. “No!” She wouldn't lose her job and have her heart broken, she thought for what seemed like the millionth time. The words were starting to lose the power they once had, because she was so damn miserable! She thought about the lasagna she'd just popped into the oven, the crisp salad in the fridge, and the red wine she'd opened to breathe. But instead of two glasses she'd put one on the counter. She made a small dish of the meal for her to take home, and the thought of eating alone once again had no appeal. Perhaps she'd go to Wine and
Diner and sit at the counter so she could chat with Myra. She shook her head, trying to like the idea, but all she felt was . . . glum.

She could head to Sully's for the Friday night crowd, but memories of dancing with Shane would surely ruin her night. Maybe she should ask for a few days off and get Mattie to go to Nashville, she thought, but Mattie seemed to be attached at the hip to Garret, so she scratched that notion as well. With another sigh Laura Lee thought perhaps she should head to Florida and visit Miranda Mayfield but then thought that last-minute flights would likely be off-the-charts expensive and she'd just bought a cute little used yellow VW Beetle convertible to drive around town instead of the panel van. Putting the top down and having the wind in her hair made her smile, but today nothing seemed to boost her spirits.

Laura Lee put the clothes neatly on the bed and then picked the laundry basket up with a touch of anger. Why in the world did she have to go and fall in love with her boss? Her very famous boss? She glanced at the clock on his nightstand and knew she had to leave soon or Shane would be home and she would have to look at him. Looking at him meant wanting him. “Damn it all to hell and back!”

Still in a snit, Laura Lee hurried down the stairs and checked on the lasagna that hadn't started to bubble around the edges. “For real?” She slapped her hand to her forehead. She had forgotten to turn the damn oven on! Now what? The lasagna took an hour to bake and she couldn't leave the house with the oven on. She glanced at the fridge, thinking she could put the dish in there with instructions on how to fix it, but she knew Shane would be hungry and didn't want him to have to wait that long for dinner.

Laura Lee had no choice. She would have to stick it out until the timer went off. With a little growl of irritation at herself she turned the oven on and stomped around the kitchen. With her hands on her hips she looked around
trying to find a chore to do but came up empty. Of course there wasn't one thing left to do, so she guessed she would go out onto the deck and read the book she'd brought with her.

After retrieving the novel, Laura Lee looked at the bottle of wine with longing. While she knew that Shane wouldn't care a lick if she drank a glass of it, she hesitated. Her frayed nerves warred with reason and in the end she poured herself a glass of the merlot and headed outside. She would hear Shane's truck rumble down the driveway and try her best to avoid him. With that in mind she sat down in the lounge chair and took a sip of the wine. The doggone pool also looked inviting. She sure missed swimming, but after the kissing encounter with Shane she couldn't bring herself to indulge in that nice perk either. Great . . . next chapter of the romance novel she was reading led up to a lusty sex scene with the sexy Highlander. Her body reacted and she reached over for another sip of wine only to find that the glass was empty.

“Well, damn.” With a grumble she took the glass inside and checked on the lasagna that was starting to show signs of getting done but still had about another half hour to bake. The kitchen smelled divine and Laura Lee had used fresh tender herbs from the garden in the window to season the sauce.

Laura Lee was about to wash her glass, but the wine had made her feel just a bit mellow and she thought that a bit more would help her cope with seeing Shane if he arrived home soon. She poured another glass and then headed back outside. By the end of the chapter Laura Lee was so hot and bothered that she really did need a dip in the pool. She closed her eyes and fanned her face, thinking that reading the steamy book hadn't been such a good idea after all. She needed to start reading mysteries or horror, anything but this sexy stuff. The thought made her put the open book on her chest and she decided that she would just rest her eyes for a couple of minutes. Then she'd take the lasagna out of the oven at
the first signs of bubbling around the edges and hightail it home.

The waning sunshine felt good on her face, and the wine did have a soothing effect. She sighed and when her traitorous thoughts turned to Shane she tried to think about the grocery list instead. “Potatoes . . . coffee . . . milk . . . ,” she began, but it was like counting sheep and Laura Lee fell fast asleep. . . .

*   *   *

Laura Lee slowly awoke from an erotic dream about a handsome Highlander who looked very much like Shane McCray. As it turned out they really didn't wear anything under the kilt.

She heard voices.

Frowning, she sat up and blinked in confusion. Her first thought was that sadly she hadn't been transformed back in time and wasn't having sex with a Highlander after all. Her second thought was that the sun was starting to set, so she'd been asleep for a while.

Her third thought was . . . “Oh no, the lasagna!”

She scrambled from the lounge chair, knocking the book to the floor. But when she came to the sliding glass door, Laura Lee hesitated. Shane stood at the kitchen island with a woman. The lasagna, thankfully, was safely on the counter and she blew out a sigh of relief. But who was the woman? Laura Lee turned and pressed her back to the wall beside the door, not wanting to be seen. Her heart thudded and she closed her eyes, straining her ears to hear the conversation.

At first it was muffled, but then she heard feminine laughter and her heart sank. Feeling a bit guilty, she tilted her head closer to the door, trying to hear the conversation.

“No, Mr. McCray, I can start as soon as you wish. I don't mind if running errands is part of the housekeeping duties.”

Laura Lee felt her eyes widen, and her heart thumped so hard she thought that surely they could hear. She put
her hand to her chest and listened. At first Laura Lee felt relief that the woman wasn't a romantic interest, but then the realization hit her that she was being replaced! Fired! Her hand went from her chest to her mouth so she could muffle the sob bubbling up in her throat. And then she felt a flash of anger so hot that she wouldn't have been surprised if her red hair burst into flames.

Was Shane that pissed that she didn't fall at his feet when he said he wanted her? She leaned her head around to the door. Breathing hard, she peeked inside and saw that Shane was walking the woman down the hallway to the front door. Fueled with anger and wine and pent-up sexual frustration, Laura Lee felt the fight-or-flight instinct kick in. She looked at the steps and was glad that she'd brought her purse outside with her. Swiping at hot tears, she started for the steps but then swung around and headed for the door. If she was being fired she might as well go down in flames.

Shane walked into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks when he spotted Laura Lee. “You're still here?”

“No, this is a hologram,” she said testily.

“But where's your van?”

“The Beetle is mine.”

He grinned. “Cute and sassy. It suits you.”

She responded with a glare. “You . . . you've fired me?”

Shane nodded slowly and her heart constricted.

“Say it!” She took a step closer and fisted her hands at her sides. “Say it to my face!” She pointed to her face and waited.

“Gladly. I love you.”

“Wh-what?” She lowered her hand and swallowed hard.

“I. Love. You.” He smiled and closed the gap between them. “Yes, I fired you, but I'm not letting you go.” He reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I'm never letting you go.”

“I . . .” She looked at him, afraid to believe what was happening.

“Say it back.”

Fear gripped her heart and she shook her head.

“Laura Lee, I've missed you more than I thought possible. I don't want you to be my housekeeper. I want . . . I want you to be my wife.”

Shocked beyond words, Laura Lee backed up and came up against the counter. She had to grip the edges to keep her hands from shaking. “But . . . but you haven't known me all that long.”

“I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know every single thing about you. The one thing I know for sure is that I love you. I'm fifty-eight years old. Why wait one more minute to have you by my side as my wife?”

Still dumbfounded, Laura Lee shook her head.

“I can't imagine not having you in my life.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a little velvet box. “And I want to put this ring on your finger so the whole world knows how much I love you.” He opened the box and showed her a stunning pear-shaped diamond solitaire.

She put a hand to her chest. “This . . . this is too soon.”

“No.” Shane reached over and caressed her cheek. “It's not soon enough. I don't want to spend one more day missing you. I'm retired from music, but I have a new job. Making you happy. I want to take you wherever you want to go. See whatever you want to see. I want to shower you with presents. I want to spoil you silly . . . make you my princess.”

Laura Lee finally smiled. “You make it impossible for a girl to say no.”

“That's the plan,” he said, but then looked up at the ceiling and chuckled. “Actually this wasn't the plan. I had this whole romantic weekend planned, ending with me getting on one knee and proposing. I had no idea you were still here.”

“I'm sorry I ruined your plan. I would have been gone, but I forgot to turn the oven on when I put the lasagna in. I've been doing a lot of that kind of silly thing lately.”

“Why?”

Laura Lee looked into Shane's eyes and saw love and truth shining there. In that moment all her insecurities flew right out the window and scattered in the wind. “Because you're always on my mind, making me forget what I'm supposed to be doing.” She reached over and put her arms around his neck. “I love you. I want to be your wife.” She leaned in and kissed him. “So this is how the story ends?” she asked with a trembling smile.

“No . . . this is just the beginning.”

Laura Lee felt her nose twitch and she had to swipe at a tear. “Then put that gorgeous ring on my finger.”

“Gladly.” Shane laughed, but when Laura Lee noticed the slight tremble in his fingers her heart melted. He stared at her hand and then looked at her and smiled before pulling her into his arms. “Now I think we need to eat dinner, drink wine, and . . . make love. What do you say?”

“I say that you have the order backward.”

Shane laughed and then took her by the hand. “I'd say you're right.”

“Get used to the idea of me always being right.”

Shane laughed. “And you get used to being completely spoiled.”

“I think you just described every girl's dream.”

“Good, and I aim to keep it that way.”

Laura Lee followed Shane into the bedroom, thinking that she'd be nervous, but she wasn't. Love was a powerful confidence booster and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to make Shane McCray one happy man, tonight, tomorrow . . . and for the rest of her life.

A Leap of Faith

G
ARRET LOOKED AT THE ENTRANCE TO
B
REA
KFAST,
B
AIT,
and Books but couldn't bring himself to go in. The time had come when he had to have the conversation with Mattie that he'd been dreading. His heart pounded and his stomach was doing some crazy stuff. He'd waited until the breakfast crowd left, but he couldn't put this off any longer. Just as he was about to open the door, he spotted Mattie running out the back entrance.

“Rusty! Come back here right now, you crazy dog!”

Rusty, however, failed to as much as slow down and continued to make a beeline for the dock. Garret angled his head, thinking that Rusty ran at a fast clip for an older dog. Mattie followed in close pursuit, shouting and waving her arms.

“Rusty, no! Don't do it!”

Feeling a bit alarmed that this was more than stealing ham, Garret decided he needed to follow.

“Please!” Mattie shouted when Rusty ran up onto the dock. “Abigail is gone!”

At closer inspection Garret could see a ski boat idling down the cove, and apparently so could Rusty. Without
hesitation the love-struck dog did a flying leap into the water, hitting with a big splash and a lot of determination.

“You can't catch them!” Mattie kept shouting as if Rusty suddenly had a full grasp of the English language. Rusty, however, seemed hell-bent on reaching his destination. Then, to Garret's horror, Mattie jumped in after him.

Garret's cowboy boots clumped against the wooden dock. “Mattie! What in the world are you doing?”

Mattie turned halfway and shouted, “The crazy dog is going to swim out into the river. The current will wash him away.”

“He can't possibly swim all the way through the cove to the main channel.”

“He'll run up the hill and cut them off at the pass.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes!” she said, and started swimming faster.

“Mattie, get back here! It's dangerous out there!” Garret pleaded, but when she kept going he tugged off his boots, dropped his pants, and jumped in after her. Mattie, however, was a strong swimmer, leaving Garret in her wake. She caught up with a furiously dog-paddling Rusty in short order and snagged him by his collar.

Garret worried that Rusty would protest, but he seemed to be tiring and sadly but gladly accepted Mattie's help.

“Crazy dog!”

It occurred to Garret that this desperate plunge must have been something attempted before. He worried, though, that Mattie might struggle to swim back with the Irish setter in tow, so he kept swimming for them.

But by the time Garret was halfway there, Mattie was well on her way back to the dock, so he turned around as well. When Mattie got closer she gave Rusty a shove toward the shoreline before she hefted herself up the steps onto the dock. Garret followed and, winded, flopped down beside her. He glanced over and noticed that Rusty, seemingly not feeling one bit of guilt, did the wet hair
shake but then trotted off, apparently knowing he was in big trouble.

Garret came up to his elbows. “So, let me guess, Rusty thought he could catch up to the love of his life.”

Breathing a bit hard, Mattie rolled her eyes. “Yes. He knows better but just can't stop himself.”

“So, is Abigail a lost cause, then?”

“Well . . .” Mattie turned and gave Garret a slow grin. “Today, Abigail stood up in the back of the boat. She put her little paws up on the seat and watched Rusty leap into the water. I think Rusty's persistence is finally paying off.”

“Persistence is always the key.” Garret smiled back. “You are such a die-hard romantic, Mattie. One of the many things I love about you.”

“Well, now.” She leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss. “Pretty romantic that you jumped in after me. Very impressive for a city boy.”

“Why, thank you.” He smiled, but her mention of the city brought Garret back to the reason he'd gone up to the restaurant to seek her out, and his heart plummeted. “Um, how about coming over to my cabin for a bit? Wash the river water off and have a chat.”

“A chat? I can think of better things to do . . . like maybe shower together first?” Mattie wiggled her eyebrows, but Garret couldn't quite muster up a believable smile. She pulled back and gave him an odd look. “Are you going to give me a hint as to what's on your mind?”

Garret leaned over and pushed a strand of her wet hair out of her eyes and then gave her a brief, tender kiss. God, he was having second thoughts yet again.

“I guess not,” Mattie said. “But you look pretty serious. Okay, look, I have to close up the restaurant and I'll need dry clothes, so I'll meet you at your place in about an hour if that's okay.”

Garret nodded. “Sure.” He hated the wary look on her face, but sitting here on the dock in wet clothes wasn't where he wanted to have this conversation.

“Oh, and I forgot to ask if you wanted to go to Shane's for dinner tonight. Laura Lee asked me earlier, but it skipped my mind until now. She seemed to really want us to come and apologized for the late notice.”

“We'll see,” he said, and forced another smile.

“Whenever my mother said we'll see, it really meant no,” Mattie said with a small nervous-sounding laugh. She put a gentle hand on his arm. “Garret, is everything okay?”

“Of course, love.” He stood up and offered his hand. “I'll see you in a bit.”

Mattie nodded but didn't appear convinced. When she walked off he had the urge to run after her and give her a reassuring hug, but he headed over to the cabin instead.

Garret took a hot shower and then decided he needed a stiff drink. He wondered why in the hell life had to be so damn complicated. After pouring bourbon over ice he peered down at the amber liquid and sighed.

Needing to look out over the river, he headed out to the back deck and leaned against the railing. He gazed out over the small marina and then turned to look at Mattie's little restaurant. She'd explained that her family had worked hard to keep the business through hard times, and Garret knew how much Mayfield Marina meant to her. She had her brothers, her friends, and the quaint town of Cricket Creek. How could she ever up and leave all that behind and go all the way to London for an extended period? Did she care for him enough to do so?

Maybe she did.

And maybe she would be miserable.

Garret scrubbed a hand down his face. Did he even have the right to ask her to do such a thing? They hadn't known each other that long. Perhaps the right thing to do would be to tell her he was going to do the show and that he would return in a few months. And he could fly back and forth now and then. She could come for a visit. But he thought about having a long-distance
relationship after having her within a stone's throw away and he knew it would be difficult at best.

God, maybe he was all wrong for her after all and he should leave altogether and let her go back to the life she'd had before he came barging in and turned it upside down. Maybe she'd go back to wanting Colby. Had he inadvertently screwed up her life too? Did he even deserve someone as good as Mattie Mayfield?

Garret set his glass on the railing and gripped the edge. He'd never been this torn up over anything in his life.

“Ah, so there you are,” Mattie said.

At the sound of her sweet voice Garret turned around, thinking she looked so pretty in a buttercup yellow sundress that showed off her light tan. She'd pulled her hair up into a French twist and she wore strappy little white sandals. “You look lovely.”

“Why, thank you, Garret.” She spun in a circle, making the skirt billow out, and then tipped her palms forward. “Do you notice anything different about me?”

“Your hair?”

“Mmm, no. I've worn it like this before.” She raised her eyebrows and caught her bottom lip between her teeth, looking so sweet that his heart ached.

Garret took a step closer and then noticed diamond studs glittering in her earlobes. “You got your ears pierced!”

“I did! And it hurt so much I thought I was gonna pass out right there in the mall in front of a little girl sitting next to me who took it like a champ.”

“I would have gone with you, love.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, they're pretty.”

“I splurged just a little bit. Used tip money I'd stashed away.”

“Well deserved.” Garret thought it was so commendable that she didn't take anything for granted. “You look just smashing. I want to go out and show you off.”

“I thought we might go over to Shane's, so I dressed for dinner. I texted Laura Lee and said we'd let her know if we could make it, and she said no worries.”

No worries . . . Garret blew out a sigh. He had a big worry on his mind.

Her smile faded. “Are you going to tell me what's going on?” She walked closer and put a hand over his. “Let's have the chat, Garret.”

When he nodded silently she pointed to his drink. “Do I need one of those?”

“Maybe.” Garret handed her the glass. “Have a sip.”

“Oh boy . . .” Mattie took a swallow and waited. She appeared so vulnerable and he hated that he had to tell her the news.

“I've been offered a job as a judge on
Sing for Me
.”

“The TV show?”

“Yes.” He nodded and felt a surge of pride at the admission.

“Oh my gosh!” Mattie's eyebrows shot up and she immediately smiled. “That's wonderful!” She looked up at the sky and then laughed. “And here I was thinking you had bad news . . . or you were going to break up with me.”

“Break up with you?”

She shrugged. “I dunno.”

“Never, Mattie. I adore you.”

“Well, I'm relieved. So it's a country music version? Set in Nashville?”

“No.” His heart pounded. “In . . . in London.”

Her face fell. “Oh.” She licked her bottom lip. “How long would you be gone?” She kept her voice light, but he could see the sadness in her eyes.

“Four months or so depending on several factors. I've only been offered one season thus far.” He gave her a small shrug.

Mattie glanced over at the river and then back at him. After a few beats of heavy silence, she finally nodded. Her eyes were stormy, but to her credit she managed to smile. “Congratulations, Garret.
Sing for Me
is a huge hit.
I like the American version. It's . . . it's quite an honor. You must be thrilled.”

“I want you to come with me.”

Her eyes widened. “To London?”

“Yes, I'll rent a flat in Notting Hill, in a beautiful old Victorian house not far from my mother. The studio will be within walking distance from where the show will be filmed. You can come and watch,” he said, and when he realized how very much he wanted her to come along, his plea started picking up steam. “We could do some other traveling during the stay as well. Mattie, I'll take you to Paris. Dublin . . . wherever you want to go. Please, say yes.”

“But I have the restaurant to run.” She glanced over and looked at it before turning her attention back to him. “I mean, I know it must not seem like much to you, but it means a lot to me and to the people who eat there,” she said with a slight edge of defensiveness.

“Mattie, love, I know that. I'm not belittling the importance of your shop or what you do.”

“I know you don't mean to, but I think perhaps you are.”

“I'm not in the least.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “But . . . but could someone else run it for a bit?”

“No. It's my place.” She shook her head hard and he saw tears forming in her eyes.

Garret's heart plummeted. “I understand.”

“How long have you known about this?”

“A month maybe,” he answered quietly.

“Don't you think it would have been fair to tell me then instead of waiting until now?”

“I wasn't sure what I was going to do. Mattie, I've put the producer off for weeks and I have to finally give him an answer.” He took a step closer. “But if I'm going to lose you, I'll turn it down.”

“And have me live with the fact that you've turned down the chance of a lifetime? The recognition you've wanted and deserve?” Mattie shook her head slowly. “I'd never do that in a million years.”

“Then come with me! You'd get to see some of the world.”

“My world is here.” She lifted her chin and Garret realized he'd offended her again. “This is my home. I can't leave.”

“You could. It wouldn't be forever and it would be an adventure for you. We'd get to do so much, and although I'll be busy I'll also have downtime. It is a chance of a lifetime, Mattie, but it can be that chance for you too.”

“But what if you want to stay? What if they offer you a permanent position?”

“We don't have to worry about that. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

“Really? Don't worry? Garret, I could never live so far away from my family. I know you've traveled and lived in different places, so this is nothing new to you.” She waved a hand in an arc. “This is the only home I've ever known.”

“Will you consider it at least? Come for a while? If you hate it I'll send you home straightaway.”

Mattie closed her eyes and then blew out a sigh. “I was afraid that you'd find it boring in a small town.”

“I'm not one bit bored. This offer came out of the blue. This wasn't something that I planned.” He took a step closer. “Mattie, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

The look she gave him was wary.

“Wow, you don't believe me, do you? Mattie, I'm not that guy from the tabloids.”

“I didn't say that.”

“You didn't have to.”

“This took me by surprise. You're not being fair. You should have come to me with this sooner.”