Claiming Colleen (Home to Harbor Town 3) - Page 27

“What?” she replied airily.

“That. What just happened with Janice,” he said, nodding toward the table.

She glanced away, her expression stubborn. “A guest was upset. I consoled her.”

“Whatever happened to demonstrating the dangers of a quick marriage for Liam and Natalie’s sake? You sounded more like an advice columnist for True Romance Confidential than someone demonstrating the value of wisdom and logic when it comes to love.”

Her irritation went on instant froth-mode.

“True Romance Confidential,” she snorted. “You just made that up. There was nothing wrong with the advice I gave Janice,” she said defensively when he gave her a bland look.

“So…you weren’t being completely honest when you said you agreed with me that two people shouldn’t be so impulsive when it came to love,” he said in a mellow tone, completely ignoring her rising fury. “I’m starting to think you’re a closet romantic, Colleen.”

“Well, here’s what I think about what you think, Reyes—” she burst out heatedly, then paused when she heard Mari’s quick footsteps in the back hallway.

“I’d better go and replace the dip,” he said, smiling.

“Yeah. You’d better.” She flung open the freezer door and reached for the ice.

“Is everything okay, Colleen?” Mari asked a few seconds later, probably noticing the loud clanking noise Colleen made as she tossed ice cubes into glasses with undue force.

“Of course. I’m fine,” she mumbled, taking a deep breath and exhaling. Why did she let him get to her? Who cared what Eric thought about her? “But I should know better than to get involved in Janice and Tony’s family conflict.”

“I disagree. I’m glad you said what you did to Janice. Marc thinks it was a real shame those two ever broke up. Janice and Tony were the perfect example of a communication breakdown. They never really did talk in all the months leading up to their divorce,” Mari said as she placed a tray on the counter and arranged the glasses on it. She gave Colleen a significant glance. “Besides, I think we both know it’s best to be open about this stuff. Pushing things down never helped in the long run. Secrets are toxic.”

“That’s the truth,” Colleen admitted, thinking about past Kavanaugh family secrets. Silence hadn’t done much to alleviate the pain of those secrets once they were revealed. In fact, the years of silence had made the truth even more painful when it was finally brought to the surface.

“Which reminds me…have you heard from Deidre?” Mari asked as Colleen poured cranberry juice into one of the glasses. She glanced up, noticing the tension in Mari’s tone. Her sister-in-law’s thoughts had obviously taken the same path as her own.

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Deidre Kavanaugh was Colleen’s sister. During the summer, they’d all learned that Derry Kavanaugh wasn’t Deidre’s biological father. Deidre had been conceived during an extramarital affair Brigit had had with billionaire business mogul, Lincoln DuBois. Liam had gone to Germany, where Deidre had been working as a nurse in order to break the devastating news. He’d brought her back to the States, and now Deidre was at Lincoln DuBois’s Lake Tahoe mansion.

“Just yesterday,” Colleen replied in a hushed voice. “Her…” She paused, unable to say the word father. She still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that Deidre’s biological father wasn’t Derry Kavanaugh, but Lincoln DuBois. “DuBois isn’t doing very well at all. They had thought that he’d lost so much of his functioning because of several strokes, but recently Deidre insisted he be taken to the hospital for extensive brain imaging. Sure enough, they found a tumor in an area where they can’t operate. Deidre sounds fairly certain that he doesn’t have very long to live.”

Mari made a sound of distress. “I can’t imagine what she must be going through, out in Lake Tahoe, all alone…tending to a dying man…a man she just learned was her father months ago.”

“I know,” Colleen said grimly. “I’m glad that Liam and Marc have both visited her. I keep offering as well, but she insists she’d rather wait for me to come when…you know…” She trailed off, knowing Mari would understand she referred to the inevitable approaching death of Lincoln DuBois.

“She’ll need you at her side the most then,” Mari said, taking an empty club-soda bottle from Colleen and throwing it in the recycle bin. She glanced at Colleen sadly. “And Deidre still refuses to speak to Brigit?”

She nodded. “She’s adamant about not seeing Mom. You know Deidre. She’s a force of nature when she makes up her mind about something. She blames Mom for everything. I try to talk to her about starting slowly with reconciliation—testing the waters—but Deidre is so hurt, you know? She’s even refusing to attend the wedding, because she doesn’t want to see Mom.”

Mari opened her mouth to reply, compassion in her eyes, but was interrupted by the kitchen door swinging open and the sound of energetic Latin music filtering into the kitchen.

“The natives are getting restless for those drinks after some impromptu rumbaing,” Marc Kavanaugh told his wife, an amused look on his handsome face. Mari snorted and grabbed the drink tray.

“I’m sorry I missed you doing the rumba,” she told her husband as she walked toward the door. “I hope you didn’t throw a hip out or anything.”

“My hips are in perfect working order,” Marc murmured, stroking his wife’s lower back. “I keep them well-tuned, in deference to you.”

“They’re well-tuned because of me,” Mari replied very softly, laughter in her voice. They kissed briefly and walked out of the kitchen.

Colleen wasn’t supposed to overhear their teasing, intimate little exchange, but she had. She also didn’t miss Marc’s special grin meant just for his wife or the way he caressed Mari’s hip in such an appreciative manner.

A strange feeling went through her. Was it envy? Longing for the kind of relationship Marc and Mari had?

All this wedding planning is making you miss Darin, that’s all, she told herself as she screwed the cap on a soda bottle.

Tags: Beth Kery Home to Harbor Town Billionaire Romance
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