Chapter 24
24
Zara slipped out of the bed, trying not to awaken Saint. Their wants and desires had been in rare form after returning from the Blueberry Festival. Who would have thought that a one-night stand would come to this? They had been two travelers who’d wanted no more than a night of pleasure to help heal broken hearts. They’d gotten more than the healing they’d sought. But she’d never intended for their fake affair to lead to this, an affair that was, on her part, anything other than pretense.
What have you done, Zara? she silently asked herself, as she looked over her shoulder at the man sleeping soundly in her bed. A man she knew for certain she had fallen in love with. A man she knew would never love her back. She had known that. It was the plan from the very beginning.
No emotional attachment. No commitment. No expectation of anything other than the moment.
How could she have forgotten the very elements on which their hookups had been founded? Pretending an affair should not have changed anything, but for her it had. Spending more time with Saint over the past weeks had sealed the deal for her. She had seen what Mia Givens had failed to see. Evans Toussaint was a keeper. A man worthy of any woman’s love.
Leaving the bedroom, she closed the door and went into the kitchen. Today had been perfect. The weather, the Blueberry Festival and the man she’d spent it all with. She’d even met Saint’s parents when they ran into the older couple at one of the booths. Although they were friendly enough, she could pick up on his mother’s guarded air. Regardless, Irene Toussaint had reiterated the invitation to join them on the Fourth of July. Zara had thanked her and said she would be there.
Zara thought about what Saint had told her earlier. Namely, the Toussaints and Givenses had a close relationship that had been built on the belief the two families would one day be united by marriage—Saint and Mia’s. Why would his mother want her son to get back together with a woman who had caused him heartbreak?
A part of her wanted to think that Saint’s mother believed another woman was worthy of her son. Otherwise, she wouldn’t keep trying to fix him up with local single women. Yet, it was possible she was still hoping there would be a Saint and Mia one day. Why was the woman stuck on Mia as a future daughter-in-law, and why did it bother Zara that she was?
She had just poured a glass of wine and taken a sip when she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she saw Saint leaning against the kitchen door with a sleepy look on his face. If seeing him walking across the pier with his jacket slung over his shoulder was a sexy image, then this was another level. That barely woke look in his still drowsy eyes, which were filled with intense need, took her breath away. At least he’d pulled on his khaki shorts, although they weren’t fastened, and the zipper was undone.
“You left me,” he grumbled. His throaty voice washed over her body like a sensual caress.
“You were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
He strolled over to her in that sexy walk of his. “Sweetheart, you can wake me up anytime.” When he reached her, he took the wineglass from her hand and placed it on the counter before pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
How was she to prepare for when she would leave him to return to Boston? Specifically, the night that would be their last one together. And deep down she knew it would be the last. She couldn’t expect him to be willing to renew their hookups whenever she came back to town. He needed to get on with his life like she needed to get on with hers. But then, how would she manage to get on with hers when she loved him? Would that be the story of her life? Falling in love with men who couldn’t or wouldn’t love her back?
She forced the thought from her mind as Saint deepened the kiss to the point she began purring. When he finally released her mouth and pulled her closer to him, she knew what she should do was to suggest that after tonight they stop seeing each other. She should be spending more time with Vaughn, Sierra and Teryn since they were back in town. But she was spending her time here at the cottage where she and Saint had turned it into a lovers’ hideaway. There was no way she could ever return here to Pelican Bay and not be swamped with all the memories they were making here together. In a way, she would need those memories to fight all the lonely days that lay ahead of her when they parted ways.
“Zara...”
“Hmm?” She pulled back to look at him when he didn’t respond. She saw something in his eyes and when he blinked, it was gone. “What is it, Saint?”
He drew in a deep breath. “Nothing.” He then pulled her back into his arms to kiss her again.
“Come on in and make yourself at home, Margie.”
Margie looked around as she entered Levi’s home. Because it was dark she hadn’t seen much of the structure outside; however, she could tell it was a Victorian-style home, just like her parents’ home. It wasn’t sitting on a lot like all the other homes on the street but sat on what appeared to be several acres of land. He told her this parcel had been in the Canady family for generations and the first Levi Canady, according to Catalina Cove history, had been a faithful crew member who’d once saved Jean LaFitte’s life. His family had been proud of that fact evidently, which was why there had been a Levi Canady named in every generation since. It would have ended with him, though, since his only child had been a daughter.
The moment Margie crossed the threshold and he turned on the lights she saw that like her parents’ home, it had a welcoming feel. Another thing she noticed was how neat and clean it was. It definitely didn’t look like a single man with a dog lived here. And speaking of a dog...
“Where’s Chip?” she asked, recalling the dog’s name.
Levi led her through the living room to the kitchen. “Chip is on loan as a stud for a few days.”
“Excuse me?”
He looked over at her. “A friend of mine has a female version of Chip named Bell. He’s ready for Bell to have puppies and asked if Chip could impregnate his Bell. He hopes it’ll be successful and will result in enough puppies to give one to each of his four grandkids.”
“Oh.” She figured he’d seen the blush she hadn’t been able to hide.
“Please have a seat at the table, Margie, and I’ll get the coffee started.”
“Thanks,” she said, sitting down.
She watched him head for the coffeepot to start it going. Scanning the kitchen, she noticed that unlike her parents’ home, his had all modern appliances and evidently, at some point, he had remodeled with granite countertops. She liked the spacious setup.
“I baked a sour cream pound cake on Sunday and there’s some left. Would you like a slice to go with your coffee?”
“You bake?” she asked, surprised. Ron had been a great physician, but she would never have allowed him in her kitchen. She had a feeling Levi probably could do anything he put his mind to doing.
“I try to. It’s one of my favorite pastimes,” Levi said, intruding into her thoughts.
“Yes, I’d love a slice.”
It wasn’t long before he had poured them both cups of coffee and then, after placing slices of cake on the table, he sat across from her. After saying grace, he asked, “So, what’s wrong with your daughter that has you all upset, Margie?”
She wondered if anyone ever told Levi that he had such a gentle, calming voice. She took a sip of coffee and then remembered her conversation with Bellamy and how what her daughter had said still pained her.
Taking a deep breath, she met Levi’s gaze and said, “A few nights ago my daughter told me that her husband has asked her for a divorce.”
Levi didn’t say anything for a minute and Margie felt he was giving himself time to digest her words. Then he said, “I’m really sorry to hear that. Have they been married long?”
“Five years. They got married two years before Ron passed away. It was a beautiful wedding and the two of them were so happy then.”
Levi sipped his coffee. Then he asked, “And he asked her for a divorce?”
“Yes,” Margie said, remembering everything Bellamy had told her. “It seems he’s been having an affair for the past eight months with a woman at work. They are both married and decided they want to be together. She is divorcing her husband and...”
“He is divorcing your daughter,” Levi finished for her when Margie found it difficult to get the words out.
“Yes,” Margie said, fighting back tears. “I just don’t understand it, Levi. Ron and I felt our son and daughter had struck gold when they selected the people they had fallen in love with. The people they wanted to spend their lives with.”
Levi said, “Unfortunately, divorces are pretty common these days.”
“So is infidelity, obviously,” Margie said, trying not to sound bitter. She had tried to call Sam for the past two days and he wasn’t taking her calls. According to Bellamy, he had moved out of their home two months ago.
“I am very upset with my daughter right now,” she said.
Levi raised a brow. “Why?”
“Because all this was going on right before I moved back here. She was caught unawares, didn’t have a clue. But she didn’t tell me, Levi. She said she didn’t because she knew her grandfather needed me, and if she’d told me, I would have changed my plans to move back to Catalina Cove.”
“Would you have?”
Margie shrugged. “Probably, but that’s beside the point. I had no idea what she was going through. My son and his wife knew but neither of them told me anything because Bellamy asked them not to. I’m upset with them as well.” She paused a minute. “I know they’re adults but still, they are my children, Levi. They are all I have left from Ron, and I want them happy.”
“No one can assure happiness, Margie,” he said in that calm voice. “We can want it, but things happen in life we have no control over. The way I see it, for him to disrespect her the way he did, and for the other woman to disrespect her husband the same way, is downright despicable and they deserve each other. Your daughter is better off without him.”
“I know, and that’s the same thing she said, but still. I know how hard this must be for her. How much she is hurting.”
“Then be there for her when she needs you. But the one thing we can’t do is fight their battles for them.”
“I know. I just wish that we could.” She swiped at her tears, hating that he was seeing her now, at this wretched moment. “I guess you think I’m going overboard with this.”
“No, I don’t think that at all.” He paused. “Had she lived, my daughter, Dasha, would have been thirty-one this year. I’d want to think that had she come to me and told me what your daughter told you, my first instinct as a father would be to find the guy and beat the hell out of him for hurting my child. But I want to think the ex-cop in me would have given me more control of my temper. However, nothing can downplay a parent’s love, care and concern for their offspring. No matter how old they are.”
She released a deep sigh. “Thank you for saying that.”
“You are welcome, but you really don’t have to thank me.”
A part of Margie felt like she did because he’d seen how upset she was and invited her to his home for cake and coffee to talk about it. It was nice having someone to talk to. This was the type of conversation she definitely couldn’t have with her father because he’d be disappointed as well. He’d liked Sam, too.
“How could all of us have misjudged Sam’s character? He betrayed Bellamy for eight months. Eight months, Levi. A woman he’d vowed to love, honor and protect. And hadn’t that other woman vowed the same thing to her husband when they got married? Well, at least there weren’t any children involved. And to think, it was just last year when Bellamy and Sam had talked about starting a family.”
She appreciated Levi for not saying anything as she went on her angry tirade. She saw the understanding in his eyes and, for her, that was enough. She drew in a deep breath. Now that she had gotten all of it out, she felt better and honestly wanted to change the subject. So she then told him about the knitting group she had joined.
“You knit?” he asked.
“I used to years ago. Mom taught me. I wanted to start doing it again since I have a lot of time on my hands. I figure if I get back into it now, I can have a few items knit for my family by Christmas. I will definitely be marking Sam off my Christmas list,” she said with a huff.
Levi grinned. “And I don’t blame you one bit for doing so.”
“Thank you.” She checked her watch. “I need to go. I don’t want to leave Dad and Butterball alone for too long. Thanks so much for the cake and coffee. The cake was delicious. So was the coffee.”
When she stood and began gathering their plates and cups off the table, he said, “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do, Levi. It’s the least I can do.” She went to his kitchen sink. He followed and she felt something radiating off him. Strength.
Together, they washed up the cups and plates. Then he said, “Now I’ll walk you home.”
“You don’t have to do that. I know my way.”
“I’m sure you do but there’s no way I’m not going to make sure you get home safely.” He took her hand and led her toward the door.
It didn’t take long for them to make the two-block walk. When they reached her door, she turned to him. “Thanks, Levi, for everything tonight.”
“I’m glad I was there for you.” Then he said, “Good night, Margie.”
She opened the door and was about to go inside when she turned back around. “Levi?”
He’d made it down a couple of steps and stopped and turned. “Yes?”
“I recall you saying that you’re off from the Green Fig on Wednesdays.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s prayer meeting night at church and one of Dad’s church members always comes by to pick him up. They serve everyone dinner and usually Dad’s gone for a couple of hours. I plan to cook anyway that night regardless. How would you like to come to dinner, and then afterward if you’d like, we can take a stroll along the boardwalk again?”
Margie knew that technically she was asking a man out, something she’d never done prior to now. Granted, she’d invited him to dinner before, but her father had been there with them.
He smiled. “I’d love to do that, Margie.”
She returned his smile. “Okay and thanks.”