“Nobody here knows except you and me. For now, consider it our little secret.” His hand lingered on her shoulder, his touch suddenly too intimate. Allison stepped away.
“I’m going back by way of the kitchen,” she said. “If dinner’s ready, maybe you can help me seat the guests. And don’t worry about my giving anything away. I’m a good actress.”
But as she thought about the coming ordeal of a five-course dinner, she wondered how the glassy smile on her face could fool anyone who cared enough to look. She’d counted on Burke to keep the conversation lively. Alone, surrounded by people who despised her, how could she possibly hold her own?
Why hadn’t Burke told her the American Heartland was in trouble? How could he have let her spend money on herself, on refurbishing the house, and on this god-awful charade of a birthday party, when he was facing financial meltdown? And how could he have let her say the things she’d said to him tonight? If she’d known about the trouble, she would have understood. She would have stood by him, supported him, sacrificed anything to help him save his dream.
If Burke had shared his concerns with her, she could have been a real wife to him. Instead, in her innocence, she’d behaved like a spoiled child! Burke’s headstrong nineteen-year-old daughter, Brianna, would’ve shown more maturity than she had, Allison chided herself. But this latest clash wasn’t all her fault. When Burke came home, the two of them would need to have a long, serious talk.
Evanston, Illinois
The vintage Harley-Davidson cruiser roared northward along Sheridan Road, past the Grosse Point Lighthouse and onto the side road into Evanston’s Lawson Park. Brianna clung to the driver’s leather jacket, her jeans-clad legs nestled behind his. Until six weeks ago, she had never ridden on a motorcycle. And she had never in her life known a man like Liam Shaughnessy.
Liam Shaughnessy was twenty-three years old. He was six feet tall with tawny, shoulder-length hair, piercing blue eyes and an Irish cross tattooed on his upper left arm. He was soft-spoken and polite, but with a subtle manner about him that whispered of controlled danger. Being close to him made Brianna’s blood simmer with womanly urges.
Not that he’d tried to sleep with her. In her time attending Northwestern, she’d survived more wrestling matches with entitled frat boys than she cared to remember. But so far, Liam hadn’t crossed the line with her. It was driving her crazy.
Now he pulled into a near-empty row of parking spaces between the green swath of the park and the long strip of sandy beach that edged the shore of Lake Michigan. At this hour, with the last rays of the sun setting behind them, the beach was all but deserted.
Brianna removed her helmet and shook out her russet curls. Then they yanked off their boots and socks, and raced, barefoot and laughing, across the sand. The water was cold. They stood at the edge, letting the small waves lap at their toes. When Brianna began to shiver, Liam took off his jacket and wrapped it around her, holding it in place with his arms. “Warm enough now?” he asked, nuzzling her hairline.
“Warm enough,” she murmured, closing her eyes and leaning back against him.
“What is it with you, Brianna Caldwell?” he asked. “Here you are, a fancy college girl with big career dreams, hanging out with a man who sleeps over a garage and had to drop out of high school to get a job. What would your father say if he knew about you and me?”
“My father’s a fair man. He wouldn’t judge you for that.”
“But you haven’t told him about us, have you?”
Brianna didn’t reply. The truth was, her father would want her to find a man with an education and a future that would promise the kind of life she’d enjoyed growing up. But Liam was a good man who cared about her, and she’d fallen in love with him. How could she explain that to Burke Caldwell, who believed it was a man’s first duty to provide a bountiful life for his family?
“I knew you hadn’t told him,” Liam answered her silence. “Don’t worry, I understand. You might want to hold off until you get the key to that new car he promised you. A BMW convertible—that’ll be one hot set of wheels.”
“Stop it, Liam.” She pulled away and turned to face him. “You’re making me sound like a conniving, materialistic little bitch. It’s not about the car. The car is just a thing. I’m waiting for the right time, that’s all.” She glanced at her watch. “And speaking of the right time, I need to get back to the dorm. It’s my roommate’s birthday, and we’re going out for pizza. It’s my dad’s birthday too. I want to call him before we leave.”
Brianna had her phone with her and could’ve called Burke from here. But Liam had never liked the idea of dating her behind her father’s back. That old-fashioned attitude was one of the things she loved about him. But it was also an ongoing source of friction. Making him wait while she made the call would sour the good time they’d enjoyed this afternoon.
He caught her close and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “All right, let’s go,” he said. “Wish your old man a happy birthday for me.”
As they rode back toward the campus, Brianna clung to his back, holding on tight. She could feel his rigid muscles through the leather jacket. Liam was poor but proud; and the thought that she might be ashamed of him would be enough to drive a wedge between them.
She couldn’t stand the thought of losing him. But if she wanted to keep him, changing things would be up to her.
Branson, The same night
By eight fifteen, the meal was over and the guests were making excuses to leave. Allison stood at the door and spoke to each couple, her smile frozen on her face. They thanked her politely and trooped down to their cars—Ron and Debbie Ellis, who’d been friends of Burke’s since high school; Tricia Kenwood, Kate’s cousin, with her husband, Rich; Burke’s long-time fishing buddy, Hoagie Atkinson, with his wife, Cindy, and the others who’d known Burke over the years. They were probably as relieved to see the evening end as she was.
Garrett was the last to leave. He lingered at the door as the other guests vanished into the night. “Will you be all right?” he asked, taking her hand. “If you need any help or just want to talk, I’d be happy to stay.”
Allison shook her head. “The caterers will clean up, and I’ll be fine. If you want to help, go find Burke. Try to see that he gets some rest.”
“I’ll do that.” His handclasp lasted an instant longer than necessary. “Get some rest yourself. You look as if you could use it.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said, still smiling as if her lips had been glued into place. “I just need time for all this to sink in.”
And it would have to sink in fast, Allison told herself as she watched him jog down the front steps to the drive. If the worst happened, she could certainly handle being poor—she’d been poor most of her life. But how would Burke survive the collapse of his company? And apart from ev
erything else, how could she ignore the fact that her husband had kept a terrible secret from her?