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“I needed to know. She won’t let me in this area. Part’s pride, I think, but another’s half believing it. And maybe that’s my fault, or some of it’s my fault. I got the idea it might be something along these lines yesterday, but I needed confirmation.”
“Good for you.” She started to wrench open her door. He laid a hand on her arm.
“Emma, by not knowing, not dealing with it or acting on it, I’m hurting her. I don’t want to hurt her.”
“You should’ve asked her directly.”
“She wouldn’t tell me. You know she wouldn’t, not unless I have a way to push her into a corner over it. Now I do. Damn it, I hurt her yesterday by offering to pay for a bunch of groceries, because I just didn’t get it. It’s not about Linda, though I’d already intended to deal with her, and will. It’s about me and Laurel.”
“You’ve got that part right.” She heaved out a sigh. “But you’ve put me in a hell of a spot, Del.”
“I’m sorry, and I’m going to keep you there by asking you not to say anything to her about this. Not until I can talk to her. If she doesn’t believe, all the way, in what we have, it’s never going to work. It’s never going to fit. And if I’m responsible for that, even part of the way, I have to make it right. So I’m asking for you to give me a chance to make it right.”
“God, you’re good. How am I supposed to say no to that?”
“I mean it. She and I need to strip away some of the armor, and some of the cushion, and see what’s under it. I want you to give me a chance to do that.”
“I love you both, and I want both of you happy. So, believe me, Del, you’d better figure it out. Screw it up, or let her screw it up, and I’m blaming you.”
“That’s fair. Are you going to stay mad at me?”
“I’ll let you know after you talk to her.”
“Emma.” He leaned over, kissed her cheek.
“Oh.” This time she heaved out a breath. “Let’s go buy some plants.”
He struggled to be patient as the scanning, scouting, selection took endless amounts of time. Plus whenever he so much as thought about nudging her along, Emma simply shot him a steely stare.
In the end, they loaded what they could in the car and arranged for the rest—and there was plenty of rest-to be delivered.
“Take her down to the beach,” Emma said on the drive back.
“Away from the rest of us. Don’t try to talk to her about this in or around the house. Too many possibilities of interruption. If you’re interrupted, she’ll have a chance to regroup or evade.”
“That’s a good point. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. I may not be doing it for you. I may be doing it only for her.”
“Either way.”
“A long walk, and believe me, if she comes back from it upset, I’m kicking your ass. Or I’ll have Jack do it.”
“I’m not sure he could kick my ass. But you could.”
“Keep that in mind, and don’t screw this up.” She paused a moment. “Do you love her?”
“Of course I do.”
She turned to him. “That’s a stupid answer. A stupid thing to say. I really ought to kick your ass.”
“Why—?”
“No.” She shook her head and stared straight ahead. “No more pointers. You have to deal with this yourself or it’s not real. I’m going to stay out of the way. I’m going to start right in on these plants, so I’ll be out of the way. That’s the best thing I can do for both of you.” She bit her lip. “But don’t say ‘of course,’ you idiot.”
“Okay.”
When he pulled up at the house, Emma was true to her word. She unloaded the tools they’d bought and dug, literally, right in.
But plans to lure Laurel off for that long walk had to be postponed.
“Laurel went off with Parker. Shopping,” Jack told him. “Parker wanted some stuff for the house. She had a list. And there was talk about earrings. Mac’s in the pool, Carter’s down at the beach with one of his books, Mal’s somewhere. I’m about to head down there.”
“Did they say when they’d be back? Laurel and Parker?”
“Dude, they went shopping. It could be an hour or three or four days.”
“Right.”
“Problem?”
“No. No. Just wondering.”
Jack slid on his sunglasses. “Beach?”
“Yeah. I’ll come down in a bit.”
“I guess I have to see if Emma wants some help before I go down—thanks a lot for that.”
“Wait until the rest of it gets here. We didn’t have room for most of it.”
“Great.”
When they didn’t come back in an hour, he fought off the first prickles of irritation. He paced the deck, going over various possible scenarios in his head, as he would before going into court.
He heard Emma’s voice, Jack‘s, Carter’s, Mac’s, Mal’s—come and go. He spotted them on the beach, in the water, on the walkway. When he heard the group of them come in—probably digging up lunch—he went out for a solitary swim and more thinking.
As the afternoon wore on, he considered calling Laurel’s cell. He nearly gave in and did so when he finally saw Parker’s car turn in the drive.
He headed down while the two of them unloaded a mountain of shopping bags and giggled like a couple of kids with both hands in the cookie jar.
He had no excuse for it, but it annoyed the hell out of him.
“Oh, Emma, that looks fabulous!” Parker called out.
“It absolutely does, and I’m not nearly done.”
“Take a break. Come see what we got. We had the best time. Hey.” Laurel stopped to shoot a grin at Del. “Just in time to help haul all this stuff. And God, it’s way past time to start up the blender, because shopping’s made us thirsty for beach margaritas.”
“I was starting to get worried.” He heard the tone of his own voice, nearly winced.
“Oh, don’t fuss, Daddy. Haul.” She pushed bags at him. “Em, we found the most amazing gift shop. We have to go back!”
“You mean they have something left?” Mal wandered over to take some bags.
“I think we hit every shop within fifty miles, but we left a few things behind. Don’t look so put out.” Laurel laughed at Del. “I bought you something.”
With no choice, he carried bags upstairs. And had to stand back while the women tore into them to show off their scores.
“Why don’t we take a walk on the beach?” he asked Laurel.
“Are you kidding? I’ve walked a half a million miles. Must have margarita. Who’s in charge of the blender?” she called out.
“Got that covered.” Mal headed off to the kitchen.
Del shot Emma a look, hopeful for a little help. She merely shrugged and went back to admiring the take.
Payback, he thought.
“Here.” Laurel offered him a box. “A memento.”
Since he couldn’t beat them, Del se
ttled down.
“A sun catcher,” she told him when he opened it. “Recycled beach glass.” She reached out to finger one of the smooth, colored shards. “I thought you might like to hang it in your place—to bring back good times.”
“It’s great.” He tapped a piece so several danced and clicked together. “It really is. Thanks.”
“I got a smaller one for my sitting room. Couldn’t resist.”
They drank margaritas, talked about dinner. He couldn’t budge her.
Patience, he reminded himself.
He managed to take his own advice until nearly sunset.
“Walk. Beach. You and me.” He grabbed her hand, pulled her toward the door.
“But we’re going to—”
“Later.”
“Pushy,” she said, but linked her fingers with his. “And God, it does feel great out here. Look at the sky. I guess I owe the beach a visit since I spent most of the day shopping.” She flicked a finger at her newest earrings. “But now I have such pretty things to remind me of these two weeks. When we’re socked in next winter, I’ll be able to look around and say, summer’s coming back.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“Right now, your wish, my command. I am happy.”
“I need to talk to you, to ask you something.”
“Sure.” She turned, walking backward to look up at the house. “Emma was right about the plants, the grasses.”
“Laurel, I need you to pay attention.”
She stopped. “All right. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I need you to tell me.”
