Maddy pressed her lips together. They weren’t putting her in the middle of this again. She’d made a concerted effort to bring about a resolution when she was eighteen and had failed miserably. She’d even managed to get them in the same room twice. But Emma was still hurt and angry with Nora, and any efforts Maddy had made to defend her had only made Emma angry at Maddy too.
Her efforts with Nora had been just as disappointing. Nora was finished apologizing to Emma, was tired of being the target of Emma’s anger. She just wanted to move on with her life.
Feeling unaccountably tired, Maddy popped to her feet. “If you two want to go at it, fine. Tear each other apart. I’ll be in my room.”
Chapter 10
Three days later Connor pulled into his driveway, gravity weighting his body like a lead blanket. As he shut off the engine and extinguished his headlights, the distant sand dunes disappeared. Darkness pressed in from all sides. His eyes were gritty and dry, his lids heavy from lack of sleep.
His new sous chef had quit last night, leaving the kitchen shorthanded. He feared their chef was going to go elsewhere if something didn’t change soon.
Saturdays were the restaurant’s busiest night, and the food had been so slow coming out that customers left. The wait staff was weary of complaining customers, and Connor was just plain weary. He had to get this figured out.
His head against the headrest, keys clutched in his hand, he couldn’t seem to make himself move. He closed his eyes, dreaming of bed just a short walk away. Then he thought of the long day ahead tomorrow and the one after that, stretching out, no end in sight.
Even after posting the position online the résumés weren’t exactly flooding in. And those that were... He gave a heavy sigh and breathed yet another prayer for help.
He could ask Lexie to fill in, but she already had her hands full with classes and babysitting. If he pulled her away from Tara, he’d have a grouchy sister on his hands. He’d bought the restaurant. This was his responsibility.
He thought of Maddy next door and summoned the energy for a scowl. He’d forgotten she managed a restaurant. But he couldn’t imagine why she would agree to help him when she couldn’t seem to stand the sight of him. She also had a job on her hands already and a life to get back to.
Still...
She obviously had the expertise to get him through this crisis.
Connor woke with a start. His eyes fastened on the steering wheel as he became aware of the crick in his neck. He straightened from the car door, rubbing his neck.
The sun was just coming up, hiding behind a bank of clouds. If he weren’t so achy and chilled he might’ve appreciated the swaths of pink and periwinkle on the horizon, heralding a new day. But the thought of another day only made him want to sink back into the oblivion of sleep.
What time was it? He winced as he shifted upright, feeling the pull of angry back muscles. He had to get a shower and get over to the marina. He opened the door and stepped out into the crisp morning air. His leg nearly buckled under him as his limb prickled with the fresh flow of blood.
He limped toward the porch, but on his way a movement caught his eye. On the back deck next door Maddy stood at the railing in a white robe. She stared off into the sunrise, a mug in her hand, her dark hair fluttering at her shoulders.
He remembered the restaurant crisis and his last weary thoughts before he’d fallen asleep in his car. Before he could reason with himself he changed his direction.
***
Maddy took a sip of her warm coffee, savoring the deep roasted flavor. There was a slight chill in the air, but the mere appearance of the sun on the horizon warmed her. She watched its slow ascent behind the clouds, enjoying the golden morning light. She’d come to appreciate these quiet moments before her sisters stirred.
She hadn’t slept well last night. The tension between Nora and Emma had gotten worse after their words in the attic. They talked to Maddy but not to each other. She was tired of being caught in the middle and tired of rooting up memories she’d just as soon leave buried.
If only she could make her sisters behave like the adults they were. It was true that Nora’s betrayal had been inexcusable, but it was so long ago. They were sisters, and everything had worked out after all. Hadn’t it?
She drew in a deep breath of fresh morning air and let it out. In the distance a sea gull hopped along the beach and another soared overhead. The muted rhythmic sound of waves crashing the shore lulled her mind.
How many hours had she spent out on that strip of beach, searching for shells in low tide or building sand castles, complete with turrets and moats? With no other children living nearby, her imagination had been her best companion. Her mom or Emma would join her sometimes, offering ideas, helping in the construction.
Her daddy, always her biggest fan, would brag over her efforts. But no matter how wonderful her castles turned out, no matter how proud she was of her latest effort, it would be gone the next morning, flattened by the relentless tide.
Such was life.
She’d been close to her dad. All three of them were. He was affectionate, engaging, and—if Maddy were honest—had probably spoiled them a bit too much. Mama was the taskmaster who made sure they got their homework done and scrubbed behind their ears.
Daddy traveled for his job and was gone as many days as he was home. One might think the girls would’ve been closer to their mother, since she was such a staple in their daily lives; however, that old adage about absence making the heart grow fonder was true where their dad was concerned. When she was little she’d waited for him by the front window, anticipating his return.
Her parents’ marriage had eventually failed, but she didn’t blame her dad for that. Her mom was always the one harping on him to find a new job. She’d hated that he was gone all the time. Couldn’t she see he was only trying to take care of them? He’d been such a good father. A good provider.
And knowing that had been making Maddy wonder lately why she’d had so much trouble finding a good man herself. No doubt the demise of her parents’ marriage had had a negative effect on her view of love. But her dad had been such a good role model. How could a daughter of his end up with someone like Nick?
