Foolish Games(80)

Had Will ever been this content as a baby? Her son had come out of the womb with a chip on his shoulder, it seemed. He was a colicky, cranky baby. Nothing like the adoring, devoted child she’d envisioned. Everything went so fast back then. She was just a child herself trying to figure out how to be a mom. It had been a lot of work.

But eventually they’d made it through, and Will became her protector, a little mini-man who was in a sense devoted to her. It seemed at times that Will was growing up faster than she was. He’d been smart as a whip and determined to make a name for himself and make everyone in Chances Inlet respect him. All that had done was isolate him further. Today he had teammates, but he wasn’t close to them. Will was their leader, and he liked maintaining that distance.

Then along came Julianne. Annabeth couldn’t condone her daughter-in-law’s action with regard to withholding Owen’s paternity, but things had ultimately worked out. While neither Julianne nor Will would admit it, Annabeth knew the two of them were more involved than they claimed.

“Unless that’s you putting all those love bites on your mama’s neck, little one,” she whispered to the sleeping baby before reluctantly putting him in his crib. “For your sake, I hope they aren’t playing games and are serious about this relationship.”

She had the feeling Julianne had already committed her heart to the marriage; from what Annabeth could tell she wasn’t one to love halfway. Her son, on the other hand, kept his emotions locked deeply inside, believing they were a sign of weakness. For all she knew, Julianne could just be a convenient sexual partner for him; he was a man, after all.

Closing the nursery door, Annabeth prayed she was wrong about Will. He needed Julianne and Owen as much as they needed him. Will just didn’t know it yet.

Her cell phone was ringing when she reached the kitchen. Hank’s number popped up on the screen. Annabeth took a deep breath. She couldn’t keep holding him off, yet she didn’t want to end their relationship. Hank would do it eventually, she was sure of that, and Annabeth would rather save herself the heartache. Except she found herself looking forward to his e-mails and his calls every day, and she’d miss him when they stopped coming.

“Hi,” she answered as she slid down onto the sofa overlooking the sea.

“Oh, good, you answered. I was beginning to think I’d missed you.” The deep timbre of Hank’s voice reverberated in her belly and parts farther south.

“I was up putting Owen to bed.”

“How’s the little guy doing?”

“He’s wonderful. Perfect, actually.”

“So is his grandmother.” The reverence in his voice made her quiver.

Annabeth needed to change the subject. “How’s Sophie?”

Hank’s resigned sigh echoed over the phone. “She’s on her way to Alaska. Elizabeth and Kevin have been planning this cruise for a couple of years. Despite her whining about sharing a cabin with the twins, I think Sophie will enjoy it.”

“I’ve always wanted to see Alaska.” She was unsuccessful at keeping the wistful tone out of her voice.

“Why haven’t you?”

His question made her both angry and sad at the same time. It was another example of why they could never be a couple. Once the sizzle of the sex appeal died down, he’d be stuck with a small-town girl whose education was made up of what life threw at her in a small corner of the world. He’d end up hating her or worse, pitying her. Either alternative made her stomach seize up.

“I’m trying to fit it in between my trips to Switzerland and Bora Bora.” She didn’t bother concealing her sarcasm.

“Stop it, Annabeth! My question was a valid one. You have the money and certainly the free time to go. Why don’t you?” He was testy now, too.

“I have a business to run, Hank. It may not be as important as a football team, but it is my livelihood.”

“Bullshit.”

Annabeth felt the force of the word through the phone, like a slap in the face.

“You wanna know what I think?” he asked.

“No!”

He ignored her. “I think you like using that shop, that town, as a shield. A place to hide so you don’t have to go out in the world and make another mistake or take another chance. That’s no way to live your life, Annabeth. You can’t be afraid of being the woman you’re meant to be or of how others will perceive you. Damn it, you’re so much more than you think you are. You just need to prove it to yourself first.”

“Well, I hadn’t realized you had a psychology degree hanging on the wall with all your other college degrees, Hank. Thank you for explaining my problems so the girl with the GED could easily understand them.”