Willow Brook Road

Luke gave her a grin. “Maybe when you’re totally focused on starting a business for yourself, the right man will suddenly appear. By then you may be so busy, you won’t even have time for him.”

“The way you were when Moira came along?” she said, recalling how he’d expected Moira to sit by patiently while he got the pub up and running. She’d taken exception to that.

“Exactly,” he admitted with a grimace. “Moira tried to get some sense through my hard head, but it was Nell who finally set me straight about waiting.”

“How? I never heard the story.”

“After Gram fell ill during the trip she and Dillon took to New York, she called Moira and me into her room at the hospital and told us to stop wasting time. She reminded us that we should never put off the things in life that really matter, that there’s never a perfect time for falling in love. I swear, even lying there in that hospital bed looking so blasted tiny and frail, she was a force to be reckoned with.”

“She still is,” Carrie said, then admitted, “It scares me to think what will happen when we lose her. She’s the bedrock of this family.”

“And to hear her tell it, she’s not going anywhere till she’s satisfied we’re all settled and content,” Luke replied. “With a whole slew of great-grandchildren around now, I think she’s planning on being with us for a while.”

“I hope so,” Carrie said softly.

Luke patted her shoulder as he stood up. “I need to get back to work. Just think about what I said. Maybe day care is the right fit for you, maybe not, but you won’t know until you’ve explored the possibility, the same as I figured out a pub was the right fit for me the first time I walked into one in Ireland and realized it could be the heart of a community. I found my true calling on that trip.”

“And Moira,” she said, smiling.

“And Moira,” he agreed.

After he’d gone into the kitchen to check in with his chef, Carrie sighed. Was there any merit to Luke’s idea? Or would it feel as if she was giving up on her own dream of having a family by surrounding herself with other people’s children? She was a great babysitter, a terrific aunt, but there was a whole lot more to running a day care, including more regulations than she’d ever had to deal with. Of course, she had taken a couple of early childhood development and child psychology classes in school. She’d been fascinated by the topics and she’d aced them. She might even have pursued more classes back then, if she hadn’t gotten a PR internship and gravitated in that direction.

She thought of all the O’Brien kids who were underfoot on a regular basis and smiled. They were the best part of her life, no question about that. Could she turn that into a career?

Just as Luke had suggested, it was something worth considering. She certainly didn’t have an alternative in mind and she needed to do something before her family lost patience and she lost her mind wrestling with all this indecisiveness.

* * *

Sam glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that his nephew had finally fallen asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure which was worse, the long silences when Bobby said nothing at all or the string of unanswerable questions that had been thrown at Sam ever since his sister and brother-in-law had been killed in an accident two weeks earlier. The discovery that Bobby was being placed in his care had shocked him into silence, for sure. It was little wonder it had left the six-year-old thoroughly confused.

And now, here they were driving into Chesapeake Shores, a town where Sam hadn’t even had time to get himself settled before learning about the tragedy that had taken Bobby’s parents. He’d left his new job as a grieving brother, his only thoughts focused on getting through the funeral. Now he was returning as a single parent with so many thoughts and fears swirling in his head, he had no idea which needed to be tackled first. He’d put his own grief on the back burner so he could stay focused on the scared little boy suddenly in his care.

“Dinner,” he muttered under his breath. Whenever Bobby awakened, he’d be starving. The one thing Sam did know was that he couldn’t go on feeding the boy nothing but fast food, the only thing that seemed to tempt Bobby to eat. Fortunately fast food was in short supply in Chesapeake Shores, which didn’t have a chain restaurant in town. The closest McDonald’s or Burger King was miles away.

Instead of heading straight to the Inn at Eagle Point, where he’d been staying since his arrival in town, Sam turned onto Shore Road and found a parking spot across from several local restaurants, including O’Brien’s, a pub that specialized in traditional Irish comfort food. Wasn’t that exactly what he and Bobby both needed? Something comforting and filling?

Exiting the car, he hesitated. Did he have to wake Bobby just so he could run in, order some food and run back across the street? It was early enough that the street was mostly deserted. The shops had closed, so few tourists were lingering along the waterfront, and it was too early for most people to be heading out for dinner. And it was, after all, Chesapeake Shores, a town without any significant crime except for the occasional high school prank.

Even as Sam opened the back door of the car, he could hear Bobby’s soft snores. The boy looked so peaceful; it seemed a shame to wake him. Convincing himself his nephew would never be out of sight, he jogged across the street and went inside, grabbing a menu off the bar, then moving back to the doorway while he glanced through the offerings. Irish stew was the day’s special. That sounded healthy and filling. And how long could it possibly take to dish it into a container so Sam could be on his way?

After one more glance to reassure himself that Bobby hadn’t awakened, he returned to the bar, only to find no one there to take his order. In fact, the only person in the place was a young woman, her expression glum as she stared into a glass of wine she’d barely touched.

“What’s a man have to do to get some service in here?” he asked irritably.

The woman’s responding frown was likely justified, but Sam couldn’t worry about the impression he might be making. He had a child outside and way too much on his mind.

“Sorry,” she said in a cool, polite tone. “My cousin had to go in back to speak to the chef. He’ll be right out, I’m sure.”

“You don’t work here?”

“No, but if you’re in a hurry, I can get Luke.”

Sam nodded. “Please. Or can you just tell him I’d like two orders of the Irish stew to go?” He hesitated. “Do you think a six-year-old would like that?”

Her expression brightened. “Sure. It’s great. All the kids in our family love it. I’ll give Luke your order. He’ll fix you right up.”

Sam couldn’t help noticing the sexy high heels she was wearing when she slid off her bar stool. Those shoes drew attention to long, shapely legs. He didn’t know a lot about fashion, but he had a feeling she hadn’t bought them at the discount store out on the main highway. In fact, her entire outfit, as casual as it was, seemed to shout that it had come from a designer, not off the rack. A rich tourist, perhaps, though she did seem to be totally comfortable in here. And hadn’t she referred to the owner or the bartender as her cousin?

Sam didn’t have time to try to put the puzzle pieces together. He sure as heck didn’t have time to allow his curiosity to be stirred by a beautiful woman. His life had recently gotten more complicated than he could ever have imagined. Right now, he needed to get his food and get back to Bobby.

Once more, he went back to the door and glanced across the street. There was no sign that Bobby was stirring and nobody was standing beside the car looking alarmed that a child had been left alone inside. That didn’t mean Sam could be gone for much longer. The last thing he wanted was for Bobby to awaken, find himself alone and panic.

Pacing impatiently, he was startled when the woman appeared at his side, obviously on her way out.

“Your food’s on the way,” she said as she opened the door.

A light floral scent that reminded him of summer nights was left in her wake as she passed him, then headed across the street.

Sam saw the exact moment when she spotted Bobby. She stopped beside the car, did a double take, then turned back to give Sam a look that could have melted steel. She whirled around on those spike heels of hers and marched straight back in his direction.

The pub’s door slammed open and she stood before him.

“That’s your car?”

Sam nodded, a flush crawling up his face.

“You left your son in the car all alone? What were you thinking?” she demanded indignantly. “This may be a safe town, but no place is 100 percent safe. Plus it can get hot inside in practically no time, especially on a sunny day like this.”

Even though he knew she was probably justified in her indignation, Sam stared her down.

“Why is this your business?”

“Because innocent children need to be protected from irresponsible parents.”

“I’m not his parent,” Sam retorted, though not only was that not entirely true, he knew it was also hardly the point. He’d been a parent for about a nanosecond. He was still getting the hang of it. “He’s my nephew.”

Since her harsh stare didn’t waver at that, he found himself explaining. “His parents died in an accident two weeks ago. I’m just bringing him here to live with me. You’ll have to forgive me if I thought letting him finally get some rest was more important than dragging him over here to wait with me while I get some food. He was never out of my sight, was he? And the windows are all cracked, so there’s air circulating. Didn’t you see me standing right here by the door keeping an eye on him?”

“I suppose,” she said, backing down, but sparks still flashed in her eyes. “You can’t take chances with a child’s safety. Things can happen in the blink of an eye.”

“I’m well aware of that, probably more so than you are,” he said. “That’s what happened to my sister and brother-in-law. They were gone in the blink of an eye. Nobody could have anticipated that. And I sure as heck didn’t anticipate becoming a dad overnight.”

She faltered at that, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m sorry. Look, just go back to the car, okay? I’ll bring your food out as soon as it’s ready. It’ll make us both feel better if he’s not over there alone.”

Sam started to argue, then gave in. He pulled a couple of twenties from his wallet and gave them to her. “I’m not sure how much the bill will be, but this should cover it.”

She handed back one of the twenties. “This will do. I’m going to have Luke put some chocolate-chip cookies in with your order. They’re not on the menu, but he keeps them on hand for the kids in our family. They’re my great-grandmother’s recipe. She bakes once a week and brings them over here. She leaves a supply at my house, too, since most of the kids are in and out of there, too.”

The thought of home-baked cookies triggered a longing in Sam, one he hadn’t even realized he’d buried deep inside. “My grandmother used to do the same thing. She baked for the whole family. She’s been gone for years, but I still remember the way her kitchen smelled.”

A smile spread across the woman’s face at last. “There’s nothing like it, is there? Don’t ever tell Nell, if you happen to meet her, but I bake, too, just so my house will smell like that when the kids come by. I want to be the go-to aunt or cousin or neighbor when it comes to cookies.”

She shooed him toward the door. “Go. I’ll be over with your food in just a minute.”

Sam dutifully left the pub and crossed the street. He stood beside the car and waited for the woman to emerge with his order. At least he told himself his gaze was so intense because his stomach was rumbling, but the truth was, he wanted another glimpse of her. She was a mass of contradictions with her fancy clothes and home-baked cookies, the lost expression he’d caught on her face when he first noticed her sitting at the bar, and her fiery indignation when she’d found Bobby alone in the car.

Contradictions like that, though, usually meant trouble. And these days Sam had more of that than he could possibly handle.

2

Through the pub’s window, Carrie studied the man as he waited beside the car. He looked bone-weary. Little wonder after just suffering a tragic loss and then finding out he was responsible for his nephew. No longer furious about finding the boy alone in the car, she was able to cut the man some slack, but just this once. She’d be keeping an eye on him, and not because he was handsome as sin with his tousled hair, deep blue eyes and firm jaw, but because that child was likely in need of an advocate who knew something about kids.

When Luke emerged from the kitchen with the take-out order, Carrie held out her hand. “I’ll take it to him.”

Luke frowned. “Since when did we offer curbside service and how’d you get roped into it?”

“Just give me the bag. Did you put in some of Nell’s cookies?”

“You told me to, didn’t you? Of course I did. Are you picking up the check, too?”

“Very funny. His money’s by the register. Keep the change.”

She was about to open the door, when Luke called out.

“Carrie!”

She stopped, but didn’t turn around.

“Come back here after you’ve delivered that,” he said.

“I was going to head home.”

“Not just yet,” he said firmly.

A few years ago she might have reminded him he wasn’t the boss of her, but she was more mature now. “Fine,” she said grudgingly.

She crossed the street and handed over the bag. The aroma of the stew made her stomach rumble. Maybe returning to the pub was a good idea, after all. She could use some of that stew herself.

“Here, take this quick, before I decide to dive in and eat it myself,” she said, handing him the bag.

He reached for the bag, took a sniff and sighed. “It does smell good. I hope Bobby will eat it.”

“Is he a picky eater?”

“It’s hard to tell. He’s shown little interest in anything the past couple of weeks, but that could be because of the circumstances. The only thing I’ve been able to coax him to eat are burgers and French fries, but I know I need to break that habit.”

“Now you’re talking like a responsible parent,” she told him approvingly.

He gave her a wry look. “If only it were that easy. Make sure he eats healthy meals and all will be right in his world.”

“Are you staying here in Chesapeake Shores or just passing through?” When he didn’t immediately respond, she added, “I’m Carrie Winters, by the way.”

He held out his hand. “Sam Winslow. I gather you’re a local.”

“Absolutely. My cousin Luke owns the pub. I think I mentioned that. My grandfather, Mick O’Brien, designed the whole town.”

He regarded her with amusement. “Is that what entitles you to dig into the lives of everyone you meet?”

“That’s just natural curiosity,” she said, trying to keep a defensive note from her voice. “And friendliness. Chesapeake Shores is known for being a very friendly town. We roll out the welcome mat for strangers. You’d know that if you’d spent any time here, which must mean you’re passing through.”

For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he sighed heavily. “Actually I moved here about two weeks before my sister’s accident. I’m the new web designer and tech expert for the local paper.”

Carrie’s mood immediately improved. She beamed at him. “Then you’re working for Mack Franklin. That makes you practically family. He’s married to my cousin Susie—well, my second cousin, actually—she’s Luke’s sister.”

He shook his head, amazement written on his face. “There really are O’Briens everywhere in this town, aren’t there?”

She gestured toward the carved gold letters on a dark green background on the front of the pub. “We don’t try to hide it,” she said. “And there are a lot of us, especially when you take into account extended family. And it’s a close-knit community in general. You’re going to love it here, and it will be a great place for your nephew to grow up.”

Exhaustion and defeat seemed to settle on his face once more. “I hope so. His parents dying so suddenly, moving to a new place plus adapting to having me as, well, whatever I’m supposed to be now.” He shook his head. “It’s a lot for a six-year-old to handle.”

Carrie could only imagine how difficult it must be, and not just for a little boy, but for this man, as well. “If you ever want to talk to someone, my aunt Jess, who owns the Inn at Eagle Point, is married to a shrink.”

“Will Lincoln?” he said, looking surprised.

“You’ve met him?”

“I’m still staying at the inn till I can find a place to buy or rent. I’ve had a couple of conversations with Will. He invited me to join some of the guys to shoot hoops. He never mentioned what he does for a living.”

“He’s a great guy. Or if you just need somebody to listen, Luke’s not bad. He lives up to the stereotype of a bartender who can listen without passing judgment. That’s why I was in there tonight spilling my guts to him. I have a slew of people in my family who’d happily listen, but not without telling me what to do. Luke just threw out suggestions. He gave me some interesting food for thought.”

Sam looked her over skeptically, apparently leaping to conclusions based on her designer clothes, the ridiculously expensive shoes she loved and the flawless makeup she’d learned to apply working in fashion, where looks mattered. Being in the world of cover models required that she pay a lot of attention to her own appearance if she hoped to compete. Was it too much for Chesapeake Shores? So what if it was? It was hardly something she needed to apologize for. Since when was looking presentable in public a crime?

“You have problems?” he asked, proving she’d read his disdain correctly.

“Everybody has problems,” she said. “Some are worse than others, but that doesn’t mean they don’t matter to the people trying to get through them.”

“Tell me about yours,” he said. “Did you have trouble deciding what to wear tonight? Perhaps your Porsche wouldn’t start? Or maybe you accepted a date with a guy and are trying to figure out how to get out of it?”

The comments suggesting that she was so shallow stung, especially coming from a man who couldn’t possibly know anything about her.

She backed off at once, no longer trying to hide her annoyance. “Look, I was just trying to help. That’s what we do in this town. I don’t deserve to be judged or insulted.”

He turned and faced her then, and she could clearly see the despair in his dark, shadowed eyes along with what was perhaps just a hint of guilt.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Truly. I don’t know what got into me. I usually have better manners than that.”

“You obviously have a lot on your mind,” she said, deciding yet again to make allowances. It seemed she was being called on to make a lot of allowances, something she rarely did. “Sometimes sharing a burden helps. If you don’t want to talk to me or Luke, just about anyone in Chesapeake Shores would be eager to listen and lend a helping hand.”

“I’m not sure there’s a well-meaning person on earth who can fix this,” he told her.

“Well, as difficult as it might be, time usually takes care of most problems.” She gave him a rueful look. “And just so you know, I don’t have the patience for waiting for that to happen, either. I’m just told that it’s true.”

He smiled as she’d intended.

“I’m pretty sure this test was designed to try mine, too,” he admitted. “They do say karma has a way of getting you. A couple of weeks ago I was a pretty carefree guy. Now I’m tense and capable of biting off the head of someone who’s only trying to be nice.”

“You’re probably entitled, but fair warning,” she said lightly. “I won’t let you get away with it again.”

“Thank you.” He looked away. “The grief, that’s one thing. You’re right. I’ll get over that in time. But becoming a dad to a boy I’ve only seen a few times before...” He shook his head. “I have no idea how to do that.” He gave her another doubtful look. “Any thoughts on that?”

“One day at a time,” she said at once. “I know it sounds glib, but that’s the only way to do anything that’s difficult, at least that’s what my family is always saying. And ask for help when you need it.”

“I’ve always relied on myself. My parents are long gone and my sister and I, well, we’d had our differences. We hadn’t been all that close the past few years, which is another reason this custody arrangement came as such a shock.” Sorrow darkened his eyes. “Now I get to live with regret for not doing more to mend fences. We always think we have all the time in the world to fix things.”

“I’ve found that regrets are usually pointless,” she told him. “The situation is what it is. You have a child to consider now. If you do right by him, I’m sure that’s all that would really matter to your sister. And trust me, when word gets around about what you’re going through, you’ll have all the support you could possibly need.”

She hesitated, tried to talk herself out of making an impulsive offer, but then made it, anyway. “In fact, if you need any help with day care, I can probably help out. I don’t run a day care, but I watch my sister’s baby a few days a week. Several of my younger cousins stop by from time to time to hang out. Your nephew would be welcome. I have an endless supply of cookies on hand and a lot of the coolest toys.”

For the first time since they’d met, Sam smiled, and it actually reached his eyes. Carrie’s heart did a sudden and entirely predictable flip, something that hadn’t happened to her in all the months since she’d been away from Europe and Marc. It was disconcerting—and very untimely, given her recent resolution to avoid jumping into another relationship anytime soon.

“I’d better get back to the pub,” she said hurriedly. “Luke’s waiting for me. And I hear a bowl of that stew calling my name.”

“Sure,” Sam said and held up the bag. “Thanks for bringing this to me, and for the cookies.”

“No problem. And remember what I said, if you need help, ask. You can always get my cell phone number or address from Luke or Mack or Susie.”

She turned and crossed the street quickly. She hesitated for just an instant, trying to assure that there was a perfectly neutral expression on her face before she saw Luke. She was careful not to glance over her shoulder to see if Sam had left or even waved. He was just a guy, after all, a customer. She didn’t need her cousin going all protective on her.

“You took long enough,” Luke said, frowning when she finally went inside.

“You’re lucky I came back at all,” she retorted. “You know how we all dislike being ordered to do anything. And I’m only here for some of that Irish stew, not for one of your lectures.”

Luke’s scowl deepened. “I just want to know why you were waiting on that guy. It’s not as if you work here. And he was rude. I might have been in the kitchen, but I’m not deaf. I heard the way he talked to you when he first came in.”

“There were extenuating circumstances,” she said.

“Really? Tell me.”

She debated doing just that, but decided it wasn’t her story to tell. “I’m sure you’ll be seeing him around. He’s working for Mack. Get your sister to fill you in. Forget about the stew. I’m going home.”

“Please just tell me you have no interest in him beyond being nice to one of my customers,” her cousin said.

“What if I can’t say that?”

“Carrie, come on. That guy has issues.”

“No question about it,” she agreed.

“Don’t you have enough issues of your own without taking on his?”

“I’m not taking on anything. I’m being friendly. That’s what we do around here. Ask Mick.”

Luke groaned. “Blast it all! I leave you alone in here for five minutes and you manage to get tangled up in trouble.”

She laughed at the exaggeration. “Stop fretting. I’m not tangled up in anything,” she said, waving as she went out the door.