use them. She’d been so pleased that when he was leaving, shethrew her arms around his neck. Aunt Addy, sitting on the couch and watching her beloved Alix, said, “Jared, someday you’re going to make an excellent father.”
His grandfather Caleb, hovering in the background, snorted and said, “But he’ll make a bad husband.” Back then his grandfather didn’t have much faith that Jared would do anything but spend his life in jail. As Jared had learned to do, he didn’t react to his grandfather’s comments when his aunt was near.
But Alix, who’d heard it all, looked up at Jared with serious eyes and said, “I would marry you.” That had made Jared jump up, his face red, and Caleb had given his great bellow of a laugh.
Later, Jared saw the intricate Lego structure Alix had made, and he was impressed. Caleb said that Jared had never made anything that good when he was four years old. Alix gave him a bunch of flowers from Aunt Addy’s garden to thank him for his gift. That night Jared went out with his buddies, got drunk, and ended up spending the night in jail—which wasn’t unusual for him back then. He never saw little Alix again, as soon afterward her mother’s first novel was accepted for publication. Victoria had immediately taken her daughter away, and never brought her back to Nantucket.
Jared’s thoughts returned to the present. He thought it was definitely better that he leave the island. He’d tell Dilys about Alix, she’d introduce her to his cousin Lexie and her roommate, Toby, and within a week Alix would be deep in the Nantucket summer social whirl. And Jared would be back in New York creating … he didn’t know what. And right now he was between girlfriends so he’d … Damn! He kept envisioning Alix’s eyes, her mouth, her body.
This wasn’t good. Alix Madsen was a young, innocent girl and he couldn’t touch her. Yes, he’d better leave as soon as possible.
Chapter Five
A lix was in bed, trying to keep her mind on a murder mystery she’d found in a table drawer, but the words seemed to blur. All she could think about was Jared Montgomery—or was his name Kingsley? Everything about him seemed to be a lie, up to and including his name.
Why did he have to lie like that? As she went over every word of their conversation, she saw how he’d eluded her many hints. If he didn’t want to answer her questions, he could have said no. He could have—
Her cell phone rang and cut off her thoughts. It was her father. Why, oh why, had she told him that Montgomery was staying in the guesthouse?
She took a breath and tried to smile. “Dad!” she said cheerfully. “How are you?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Nothing is wrong. Why would you ask that?”
“Because I’ve known you all your life so I know your false cheerfulness. What happened?”
“Nothing bad. It’s just Izzy and her wedding. Both her mother and mother-in-law are making her miserable, so I told her I’d put on the wedding here. But how can I do that? What do I know about weddings?”
“You love a challenge and you’ll figure it out. What’s really bothering you?”
“That’s it,” she said. “I think making a wedding for someone else is impossible and I’m thinking about leaving Nantucket and returning home. I’m Izzy’s maid of honor, so I need to help her choose cakes and flowers and everything else. Or maybe I’ll stay with you for a while. Would that be all right?”
Ken took a moment before answering. “It’s Montgomery, isn’t it? Did he show up?”
Alix felt quick tears come to her eyes, but she wasn’t going to let her father know. “He did,” she said, “and we had dinner together. He cleans bass just like you do.”
“What did he say when you told him you were a fan of his?”
“Nothing.”
“Alix, he must have said something, so what was it?”
“He didn’t say anything because I didn’t tell him. He pretended he wasn’t who he is.”
“I want to hear every
His grandfather Caleb, hovering in the background, snorted and said, “But he’ll make a bad husband.” Back then his grandfather didn’t have much faith that Jared would do anything but spend his life in jail. As Jared had learned to do, he didn’t react to his grandfather’s comments when his aunt was near.
But Alix, who’d heard it all, looked up at Jared with serious eyes and said, “I would marry you.” That had made Jared jump up, his face red, and Caleb had given his great bellow of a laugh.
Later, Jared saw the intricate Lego structure Alix had made, and he was impressed. Caleb said that Jared had never made anything that good when he was four years old. Alix gave him a bunch of flowers from Aunt Addy’s garden to thank him for his gift. That night Jared went out with his buddies, got drunk, and ended up spending the night in jail—which wasn’t unusual for him back then. He never saw little Alix again, as soon afterward her mother’s first novel was accepted for publication. Victoria had immediately taken her daughter away, and never brought her back to Nantucket.
Jared’s thoughts returned to the present. He thought it was definitely better that he leave the island. He’d tell Dilys about Alix, she’d introduce her to his cousin Lexie and her roommate, Toby, and within a week Alix would be deep in the Nantucket summer social whirl. And Jared would be back in New York creating … he didn’t know what. And right now he was between girlfriends so he’d … Damn! He kept envisioning Alix’s eyes, her mouth, her body.
This wasn’t good. Alix Madsen was a young, innocent girl and he couldn’t touch her. Yes, he’d better leave as soon as possible.
Chapter Five
A lix was in bed, trying to keep her mind on a murder mystery she’d found in a table drawer, but the words seemed to blur. All she could think about was Jared Montgomery—or was his name Kingsley? Everything about him seemed to be a lie, up to and including his name.
Why did he have to lie like that? As she went over every word of their conversation, she saw how he’d eluded her many hints. If he didn’t want to answer her questions, he could have said no. He could have—
Her cell phone rang and cut off her thoughts. It was her father. Why, oh why, had she told him that Montgomery was staying in the guesthouse?
She took a breath and tried to smile. “Dad!” she said cheerfully. “How are you?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Nothing is wrong. Why would you ask that?”
“Because I’ve known you all your life so I know your false cheerfulness. What happened?”
“Nothing bad. It’s just Izzy and her wedding. Both her mother and mother-in-law are making her miserable, so I told her I’d put on the wedding here. But how can I do that? What do I know about weddings?”
“You love a challenge and you’ll figure it out. What’s really bothering you?”
“That’s it,” she said. “I think making a wedding for someone else is impossible and I’m thinking about leaving Nantucket and returning home. I’m Izzy’s maid of honor, so I need to help her choose cakes and flowers and everything else. Or maybe I’ll stay with you for a while. Would that be all right?”
Ken took a moment before answering. “It’s Montgomery, isn’t it? Did he show up?”
Alix felt quick tears come to her eyes, but she wasn’t going to let her father know. “He did,” she said, “and we had dinner together. He cleans bass just like you do.”
“What did he say when you told him you were a fan of his?”
“Nothing.”
“Alix, he must have said something, so what was it?”
“He didn’t say anything because I didn’t tell him. He pretended he wasn’t who he is.”
“I want to hear every
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